MLB labor issues should inspire Guardians to chase this blockbuster trade

Lockouts in sports aren’t fun.

For more than 25 years, Major League Baseball took the hint and kept labor peace with its players union. The abrupt end to the 1994 MLB season due to a lockout left a bitter aftertaste for some fans, with both sides able to find common ground without the typical rancor.

Oddly enough, the NBA, NFL and NHL are all locked into their respective Collective Bargaining Agreements until 2029 (the NBA Player’s Association has an opt-out before the final year of their CBA) and 2030 for football and hockey.

We have a recent example of what a MLB lockout looks like in 2022 when the start of the season was delayed a week thanks to a lockout that spanned most of the offseason.

Whether or not the issues festered from baseball’s previous CBA signed in 2016 regarding spending on free agent contracts were the main trigger or the tenuous negotiations to kickstart the 60-game 2020 MLB campaign, baseball’s owners and players have been at each other's throats for a better part of the last decade.

We got another example of that this summer when Bryce Harper had a spat with Commissioner Rob Manfred. Harper’s interaction with Manfred could be an omen of what’s to come after the 2026 postseason, as most people involved with the sport believe the 10th ever work stoppage in MLB history is set to happen after the CBA expires.

That brings us to the Guardians. Although the season hasn’t wrapped up yet, the Guardians have the seventh-best farm system in the sport from ESPN’s late-August update.

Buoyed by a restocked farm system arms and bats led by last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick Travis Bazzana, it’s clear the Guardians have a good grouping of prospects behind José Ramírez, Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee.

Now, you may be asking yourself: “What does any of that have to do with a potential 2026 lockout, Fitz?”

Looking ahead to the upcoming offseason, the Guardians will be roughly two years away from minority owner David Blitzer exercising his option to acquire the controlling interest from Paul Dolan in 2028.

The “Cleveland Dolan’s” wealth has, at times, been erroneously tied to the wealth of New York Knicks owner and family clan member, James Dolan. Debt service loans have hampered the franchise’s payroll since Larry bought the then-Indians from Dick Jacobs, with the expectation that his son Paul (the current owner) will be able to pay those debts off in-full once Blitzer is the head owner.

That’s important, as Blitzer could be a key figure this offseason in terms of how Chris Antonetti and the Guardians front office goes about business.

This isn’t to say there’s a huge payroll boost incoming, but if most owners decide to clamp their wallets shut given the economic uncertainty, a few bargains could be had on the free market – as well as a trade to address at least one position in dire need of an offensive upgrade.

The looming MLB lockout could help set the Guardians up to make a big offseason splash

So much of this is hypothetical, but there is one move that Blitzer could push for that comes with some risk – but a very handsome reward.

No, it’s not an extension for Bazzana (which I would love to see), but a different player who was once a No. 1 overall MLB Draft Pick.

A player who the Guardians can turn to to lock down the catching position for years to come.

The Baltimore Orioles recently locked up one of their top prospects – catcher Samuel Basallo – to a deal worth approximately $60 million over eight years.

So where does that leave two-time All-Star and one-time silver slugger Adley Rustchman in Baltimore’s long-term plans? They haven’t locked up the stalwart backstop, who hit the injured list this year for the first time in his career and never got his campaign kickstarted.

Backstops like Rutschman don’t grow on trees, something the Orioles are acutely aware of. They need more pitching in their starting rotation beyond Trevor Rogers, but they have a reputation for a lack of pitching development.

This is where Cleveland could swoop in and – with Blitzer’s financial backing – bring in a huge upgrade behind the dish and at the plate in the former Oregon State product. An extension of Rutschman not only signals a push to win-now and generate excitement, it could have a domino effect on Steven Kwan.

Kwan is an Oregon State product, much like Rutschman before him as well as Bazzana. Fans want to see the Gold Glove left fielder locked up for several years to come, while Kwan seems intent to bet on himself (not to mention, he could be facing pressure from the MLBPA as Cleveland’s union rep). Could a trade and splurge on Rutschman maybe tip the scales to lock-in Kwan?

It goes without saying, any trade wouldn’t involve Bazzana, Khal Stephen or Angel Genao (the three true “untouchables” in the Guardians’ farm system) going back in a potential Rutschman blockbuster. Most of the pitching would be from Lynchburg or Lake County, as the O’s could very well shift into a “reload” rather than a full-on tear down.

Whether hitting prospects such as C.J. Kayfus and Chase DeLauter would interest Baltimore is unknown, but Kayfus now has MLB experience and the tantalizing DeLauter is a healthy offseason away from his debut. To even get to a starting point in hypothetical trade talks, Cleveland would likely need to include two Major League arms – one from the bullpen like Hunter Gaddis, in addition to a starting pitcher like Logan Allen.

So where does all this speculation lead to? It’s hard to say, but as Cleveland prepares for a future ownership change along with the uncertainty of labor peace, now is time to strike and keep fans invested in what could be a lengthy work stoppage that’s looming at the end of the 2026 season.