Guardians have even more trade deadline leverage after Shea Langeliers’ injury 

Things can change quickly at the trade deadline. While it can take a lot for teams to change their long-term plans, every trade deadline provides us without countless small moments that end up tweaking some team’s approaches at the deadline. 

One of those moments came over the weekend when ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers suffered a torn meniscus that could keep him out for the rest of the season while taking one of the top catching options off the market a week before the trade deadline. 

Although Langeliers being off the board means there should be even more demand for some of the top catching trade pieces like Ryan Jeffers or Hunter Goodman, it also means there could be more demand for some of the second-tier catching options, which the Guardians have in Bo Naylor and Cooper Ingle. 

Even if Langeliers’ injury doesn’t guarantee that either player will be traded, his injury gives the Guardians more leverage in any potential talks involving either player. 

Shea Langeliers' injury could lead to more trade interest in Bo Naylor and Cooper Ingle

Naylor became a clear trade candidate after the Guardians demoted him to Triple-A at the beginning of May, and Langeliers’ injury all but confirms that he’ll be with a different franchise next week.

He’s posted a .775 OPS in 42 games in the minor leagues since being demoted and still has four years of team control remaining. 

His struggles this season dropped his career batting average to .199, but he had shown flashes that he has the potential to be an everyday catcher.

Although he clearly isn’t on the same level as the top catching options, he’d be a good option for teams who are looking to add to their catching depth without breaking the bank. 

Even if it’s a bit disappointing to think of Naylor being traded for a low-level minor league prospect, we’re at a point where the Guardians getting anything for him would be a win. 

Ingle is a bit more interesting. On one hand, he’s a top-100 prospect who has done nothing but rank in the minors. But on the other hand, he’s a man without a long-term defensive position and struggled in his first big league call-up a month ago.

Ingle came up as a catcher before learning the outfield on the fly so the Guardians could get his bat in their lineup. He’s played in left field seven times and caught three times since re-joining Triple-A Columbus

Those big league struggles won’t define his career, but the Guardians employ one of MLB’s shrewdest front offices. It’s hard to imagine Chris Antonetti hanging up if some team calls him with serious interest in Ingle. 

The Guardians’ disappointing start to the season has put them in an awkward trade deadline position, but trading Naylor and/or Ingle is a move they should make regardless of whether they consider themselves buyers or sellers. 

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