5 Guardians players most likely to be traded at the Winter Meetings

Last winter, the Cleveland Guardians made the splash of the Winter Meetings when they made a variety of deals that resulted in Andrés Giménez going to the Blue Jays and Luis Ortiz joining the Guardians. 

And while the Guardians may not make the same kind of shocking move at this year’s iteration of the Winter Meetings, Chris Antonetti has shown a willingness to make deals during the busiest time on the baseball calendar. 

With that in mind, here’s a look at five Guardians who could be on the trade block during next week’s Winter Meetings. 

These Guardians could on the trade block at the Winter Meetings 

LHP Logan Allen 

Allen likely wouldn’t get dealt in a one-for-one deal, but he stands out as a player who could be included in a deal as a trade sweetener. 

Allen posted a 4.25 ERA in a career-high 156 2/3 innings last season, and has recorded a 4.48 ERA in 379 1/3 innings since making his MLB debut with the Guardians in 2023. 

Allen is the definition of a serviceable innings-eater starter. His fastball barely tops 90 miles per hour and he has subpar barrel rate and walk rate metrics, but he went at least five innings in 22 of his 29 starts last season. 

Although he wouldn’t be a fit for every team, he’d be a good trade piece for a rebuilding team like the Cardinals. 

SS Gabriel Arias 

Although Arias has all the tools needed to succeed in Major League Baseball, he hasn’t been able to put it together in the time since he made his debut in 2022. Arias is coming off a season where he played in a career-high 129 games, though he hit just .220.

He settled into a role as a full-time shortstop that let him show off his 80-grade arm (94th percentile in arm strength), but he also finished in the bottom percentile in whiff rate and strikeout rate. 

The Guardians need to make some kind of move to upgrade their offense this winter, and dealing Arias would be the perfect win-win since it would free up space for Travis Bazzana to get a shot while also allowing the Guardians to recoup some value from him. 

Even if trading Arias could result in him finally putting it together somewhere else, a break may be the best move for both sides. 

LHP Joey Cantillo 

After opening the 2025 season in the bullpen, Cantillo finished the season on a tear as a member of the Guardians’ six-man starting rotation. 

He went 2-0 with a 1.55 ERA with 28 strikeouts and just six walks in 29 innings in September in a performance that resulted in him being named the American League Rookie of the Month.  

But the Guardians will need to make some kind of move in their rotation after ending last season with a six-man rotation, and trading Cantillo would be a good way to free up some space while also being able to capitalize on his value when it’s at its highest. Even though Cantillo’s fastball averages a tick below 92 miles per hour, his stuff gets on hitters quickly thanks to his top-rated extension. 

By no means do the Guardians need to trade Cantillo, but he stands out as an obvious trade candidate should Cleveland choose to capitalize on their MLB-ready pitching. 

OF Nolan Jones 

Just because the Guardians tendered a $2 million contract to Jones ahead of the non-tender deadline doesn't automatically mean that he’s going to be around long-term. The Guardians reunited with Jones at the end of spring training last season, but he finished the year with a .211 batting average with just five home runs. 

The Guardians’ front office clearly sees something in Jones (otherwise they wouldn’t have tendered him a contract), but he’ll enter the season on thin ice after last season’s struggles. 

The best way for them to remove themselves from that situation is by taking him off the ice entirely by trading him to a different team. 

Jones still finished last season with above-average advanced metrics (he was in the 70th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 66th percentile in average exit velocity), so it’s clear there’s still some magic left in his bat. 

OF Jhonkensy Noel 

Speaking of outfielders with magic in their bat, Noel became a household name in 2024 when he slugged a majestic game-tying home run against the Yankees in the ALCS. He wasn’t able to build on that last year, however, as he hit just .162 in 69 games and spent more than half of the season in Triple-A. 

Noel has a ton of power, but his 34% strikeout rate is never going to cut it, especially considering he’s not a great defender. 

Another thing working against him is that he’s out of minor league options, which means the Guardians would need to expose him to waivers if they want to remove him from the 40-man roster. 

This is another case where trading him may be the best course of action.