Jim Bowden’s list of pitching trade targets should be music to the Guardians’ ears 

It’s never too early to talk about the trade deadline. 

While we’re a little more than 40 games into the 2026 season, the contenders and pretenders have started to come into focus, and, as such, pundits across baseball have started to put together lists breaking down potential trade targets. 

One of those pundits is The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, who recently published a story outlining some of the top starting pitcher trade candidates who could be dealt at the start of August. 

Although his list didn’t include Tigers ace Tarik Skubal (we can dream, can’t we), it did include a number of pitchers who the Guardians wouldn’t mind seeing head elsewhere. 

Guardians killers Joe Ryan and Seth Lugo could be dangled at the trade deadline

Bowden’s list was topped by Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan. The Twins floated Ryan at the deadline last year but elected to hold onto him at last year’s trade deadline and Winter Meetings. 

Ryan seems to have avoided serious injury after leaving his last start after just nine pitches, and he’ll get another chance to rebuild his value later today when he takes the mound against the Guardians. 

He’s recorded a 3.72 ERA through eight starts this year and has become a rock in the Twins suddenly serviceable starting rotation. 

Ryan has a 2.94 ERA in 70 1/3 career innings against the Guardians (the most he’s thrown against any team in his career), so the Guardians front office wouldn’t be upset if Ryan spent the final two months of 2026 in a different division. 

Another AL Central pitcher on the list was Seth Lugo, who just had a bit of a stinker against the Guardians on Thursday. Still, he was an All-Star in 2024 and has posted a 3.90 ERA in 30 career innings against the Guardians. 

The Royals elected to sign him to a multi-year extension last season instead of trading him at the deadline, but they may not have an option this year if they’re out of it by the time July rolls around. 

He’s pitched well outside of that rough outing against the Guardians and has a 3.21 ERA through his first eight starts. 

The only other American League pitcher on the list was Baltimore’s Trevor Rogers, who is set to be an impending free agent after the season. 

While that wouldn’t impact the Guardians as much as a trade from an AL Central opponent, the Orioles only path to make the postseason is via the Wild Card, which means they’d potentially play the Guardians in the Wild Card Series. 

That said, the Guardians may not want the Orioles to trade Rogers considering he has a 6.91 ERA in four career starts against Cleveland. He has a 4.75 ERA this season through six starts and is currently on the injured list with an illness. 

Like we said above, a lot can happen in the next three months. But it still seems like the makeup of the American League Central will look mighty different once August rolls around.

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