Guardians may have no choice but to deal this fan favorite at MLB trade deadline

The Cleveland Guardians resuscitated their postseason hopes by closing out the first half with six wins in their final ten games, but their odds are far from favorable.

Staring up at a 12-game deficit in the AL Central while in a virtual tie for second with the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals, FanGraphs gives Cleveland a meager 10.3% chance of making the postseason (and an almost-nonexistent 0.7% chance of usurping the Tigers for the division crown).

They may only be 4.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot, but they'd need to leap all of the Royals, Twins, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Seattle Mariners to make the dance. Even if the Guardians get hot, they'd have to hope all of those teams don't match their first-half paces in the second.

As such, the Guardians may be better off accepting their fate as sellers at the trade deadline, especially since the market will have a lot more demand than supply this year. If that comes to pass, fans should prepare themselves to say goodbye (again) to Carlos Santana.

Carlos Santana's July surge may get him sent packing by Guardians

Just over one month ago, it appeared that the Guardians were going to hold onto Santana at all costs at the trade deadline.

Then came the soul-crushing losing streak that dipped the team well below .500. And, along with the team's postseason hopes, Santana's production sank in June.

In 23 games (90 plate appearances) last month, the 39-year-old slashed .169/.233/.253, good for a pitiful 38 wRC+. His strikeout rate ballooned to 25.6% while his walk rate (7.8%) was more than cut in half from May (19.0%). His OPS dropped nearly 500 points(!) month over month.

Luckily, he's regained some footing in July, hitting .227/.320/.386 (102 wRC+) in the few weeks leading up to the All-Star break. His strikeout (14.0%) and walk rates (12.0%) have stabilized, and he's back to limiting the soft contact off his bat. It's not quite equivalent to when he produced a ridiculous 182 wRC+ in May, but Santana has more or less returned to the version of himself the Guardians were hoping to get when they signed him to replace Josh Naylor at first base.

Speaking of, Santana, who won his first Gold Glove last year at first with the Twins, is once again producing elite defensive numbers at the cold corner. His seven Outs Above Average put him on pace to match the 14 OAA he gave Minnesota in 2024, and his seven Defensive Runs Saved nearly match the eight DRS from last year in half the innings.

All of that serves to make him a valuable trade chip, particularly for a team looking for a short-term first baseman who can command a locker room (that's your cue, Red Sox).

It would be difficult to say goodbye to Santana again, but getting something in return for a soon-to-be 40-year-old is necessary, especially if the Guardians ever plan on handing Kyle Manzardo the keys to first base.