Guardians predicted to land starting pitcher who briefly pitched in AL Central

With Opening Day about a month away, there is one area of the Cleveland Guardians' roster that could produce the widest range of outcomes during the 2025 season, that area being their starting rotation.

This is a group anchored by Tanner Bibee with a handful of question marks and could very well use some help coming from an external source. A recent prediction of who the Guardians could bring in during the season via trade takes this into account when presenting a possible solution to their lack of starting pitching.

Appearing as part of Predicting Where Top Players Involved in MLB Trade Rumors Will Finish '25 Season from Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller, Cleveland is projected to acquire Erick Fedde from the St. Louis Cardinals. Fedde was included alongside four other Cardinals as players who could be on the move, as it seems like St. Louis is destined for a tear it down style rebuild.

In Miller's eyes, a potential acquisition of Fedde would be about solidifying their starting rotation for their playoff push while remaining within the financial range the ballclub prefers to operate in, "... if the Guardians are anywhere close to a playoff spot at the deadline, getting back Shane Bieber from Tommy John surgery and adding in an inexpensive arm like Fedde's could anchor a late push, as this is presently one of the bleakest rotations.". Fedde is in the second year of a two-year $15 million contract, and whatever financial commitment remains by the time the Guardians hypothetically acquire him would be easy for them to accommodate.

After struggling in his first six major league seasons with a 5.41 ERA, 1.523 WHIP, and 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings, Fedde would pitch in Korea in 2023 before returning to MLB as a better pitcher. Fedde would finish the 2024 season with a 3.30 ERA and 1.162 WHIP while seeing his K/9 ratio slightly improve to 7.8 in 31 starts for the Cardinals and Chicago White Sox. If Fedde can continue to pitch at a level similar to this, there will be no shortage of potential suitors for his services ahead of the trade deadline.