3 prospects the Guardians definitely shouldn't trade this offseason

While the Guardians have had a quiet start to the offseason, things are going to pick up soon once the postseason ends. 

And, once it does, we can likely put the Guardians down for a big trade or two. Although they almost never trade any of the stars on their roster (though that could change this offseason with Steven Kwan), they’re no stranger to making deals that involve some of the prospects in their system. 

Although some of those trades have worked out great (their 2020 trade with the Padres looks better by the day), they’ve also had plenty of trades that they’d like to take a mulligan on. 

With that in mind, here’s a look at three Guardians prospects who the front office should view as untouchable this winter. 

These three Guardians prospects shouldn’t be included in any deal this offseason

INF Juan Brito 

While the Guardians will need to make some kind of decision about the future of their middle infield this season, Brito should stay in the fold. He was in the running for a major league spot out of camp in 2025 before getting hurt in the minors, which led to it being a bit of a lost season for the 24-year-old. 

Luckily for the Guardians, The Athletic’s Zack Mesiel wrote that the Guardians are expecting to gain a fourth option year for Brito, which is a big development when it comes to how he fits into the Guardians’ long-term picture.

Had Brito not gotten another option year, he would have to be exposed to waivers before he could be sent back down to the minors starting in 2026, which wouldn’t give him the kind of flexibility you’d want from someone who hasn’t made their major league debut. 

But, if Brito ends up getting another option year, then he’ll be able to move between MLB and Triple-A next year with no restrictions. 

OF Chase DeLauter 

This fall DeLauter got his first taste of MLB action this offseason when he made his major league debut for the Guardians in the Wild Card Series. It was a debut a long time in the making due to DeLauter’s injury history, but it placed him firmly into the middle of the Guardians’ outfield picture. 

DeLauter has the potential to be a 20+ home run hitter in the major leagues, which means that his name will likely come up in plenty of trade talks during the offseason. As tempting as it would be to include him in a big deal in the offseason, the Guardians should hold off on dealing him. 

C Cooper Ingle 

After having Austin Hedges serve as Bo Naylor’s backup for the past two seasons, the Guardians should be doing everything in their power to upgrade their offseason, which means it’s time for Ingle to take over as the backup catcher. 

He hit .260 last year in 120 games last year between Akron and Columbus, and has earned high marks in the organization as a catcher after spending some time in the outfield in college. 

The Guardians will get a boost behind the plate next season thanks to David Fry being able to play behind the plate again, but Ingle should also get a shot to work behind the plate. 

It’s easy to think about Ingle as expendable due to the presence of Naylor and Fry in the majors along with 2024 second round pick Jacob Cozart finishing 2025 at Double-A, but he’s in the same boat as DeLauter in that he holds more value to the Guardians compared to whatever he’d get as the return in a trade.