Guardians Rumors: Jeff Passan highlights three Guardians as potential trade targets

It’s hard to believe, but the end of July is here, which means we’re on the cusp of the trade deadline. While the trade season has been quiet outside of the Red Sox’s jaw-dropping trade of Rafael Devers, things are beginning to heat up. 

We got some new evidence that things are beginning to heat up earlier today when ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan put out a new story highlighting the top 50 trade deadline candidates in baseball in a list that featured plenty of Guardians. 

ESPN’s Jeff Passan highlights three Guardians as potential trade targets

The first Guardian on the list was All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan, who was listed at No. 2 on the list. 

“An All-Star the past two years and Gold Glove winner in all three of his previous big league seasons, Kwan is a do-everything left fielder with elite bat-to-ball skills and two years of club control after 2025. Cleveland doesn't want to deal him, but with a dearth of available bats, the Guardians at the very least will listen to see whether teams are willing to blow them away with offers,” Passan wrote, while writing that Kwan’s chances of being traded were at 20%. 

This isn’t the first time that Passan has written something about Passan being traded, as he wrote last week that the Phillies could potentially make a run at both Kwan and close Emmanuel Clase. 

While Passan put Kwan’s chances of getting traded at 20%, this is just another indication that the Guardians are open to listening to offers on Kwan (and could even quietly be shopping him).

He was an All-Star for the second time this year and has won a Gold Glove in every season he’s played in, and it seems clear that he’s reached a point in his Guardians tenure where the front office is beginning to realistically consider the possibility of trading him. 

Passan linked Kwan to the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Even if Kwan isn’t dealt at this year’s deadline, it seems like we should get used to seeing his name in trade rumors from here on out. 

The next Guardian on the list was Emmanuel Clase, who is quickly becoming a trade rumors All-Star. 

“Clase was nearly unhittable last season, but his numbers have regressed this year. He has issued more walks and gotten fewer ground balls while allowing more damage on his cutter that averages 99 mph -- in part due to more center-cut locations. Under contract for less than $30 million through 2028, he would bring a big return to Cleveland,” Passan wrote. He also put Clase’s trade chances at 20%.  

Passan’s report closes out a busy weekend in regard to Clase rumors, as he was linked to the Dodgers by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale a day after the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported the Guardians were listening to offers on Clase and Cade Smith.

Clase’s rebounded from a rough start to the season and has posted a 1.17 ERA in 30 2/3 innings since the start of May. Clase’s on one of the best team-friendly deals in all of baseball, which will only help the Guardians. 

They’ll either keep him on that deal and benefit from it, or use it to get an even bigger return for him at the deadline. 

While a trade for Clase would sting no matter what, part of the reason why it would sting a little less would be due to the presence of Smith, who seems like a natural fit to slide into the closer spot. 

But, according to Passan, there’s also an outside shot he could get traded as well. 

“Smith has been arguably the best reliever in baseball since the beginning of the 2024 season, and with more than 13 strikeouts per nine innings, he could be the solution to many teams' late-inning woes. With four more years of control, he would also be a prohibitively expensive trade target for most teams, making a deal difficult to come by,” Passan wrote. 

He hasn’t been as good as he was last year when he recorded top-10 finishes in both the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year voting, but he still ranks in the 96th percentile in strikeout rate and whiff rate. 

And, as Passan pointed out, it would take a lot for teams to trade for him — perhaps even more than it would take to get Clase. He’s not eligible for arbitration until 2027 and is only 26 years old, so he’s young and has an abundance of team control left. 

It’s also interesting to note which Guardians weren’t included on Passan’s list. When he did the same exercise a month ago, Carlos Santana, Lane Thomas and Jakob Junis were the three Guardians highlighted as potential trade candidates; none of them are on the newest list. 

Thomas’ trade value has been hurt by injuries and ineffectiveness, while Junis has fallen back to earth a bit after a rough start. Santana seems like a lock to move both because he can still provide some value to a winning team and moving him would open up a full-time spot for Kyle Manzardo.