3 bullpen arms the Guardians could trade to improve their roster

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There is an expectation that the Cleveland Guardians could be in both buy and sell mode, and they may consider moving some of their bullpen depth in order to improve other areas of their roster. Should this be the path the Guardians take, three names instantly come to mind as guys that could be dealt before the MLB Trade Deadline.

1. Scott Barlow

Starting with the most obvious potential bullpen arm on the move, Scott Barlow. The Guardians acquired Barlow before the season began in an effort to bolster their relief corps. Barlow has served as a closer previously in his career and would be an ideal candidate to fill that role again if Emmanuel Clase were to become injured or not be able to put last year's underwhelming season behind him. This was before the emergence of Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith as elite bullpen arms. With those two now being the next logical option, Barlow is someone who could definitely be considered moveable.

There is another factor at play here, Barlow's contract. Barlow is set to become a free agent after the year, meaning that he is an ideal trade candidate in Cleveland's eyes. There is a very good chance Barlow signs with a different organization in the offseason, and the Guardians may look to prioritize cashing in on the soon-to-be free agent and look for a roster upgrade elsewhere on the roster. Even if it is just for a rental bat, trading Barlow now seems to make a lot of sense.

2. Nick Sandlin

Should the Guardians be unable or unwilling to find an agreeable deal for the previously mentioned impending free agent Scott Barlow, perhaps they could look to trade someone who is still under team control through the 2027 season. Nick Sandlin. The 27-year-old reliever has three more arbitration-eligible years remaining and could be of interest to a team looking to acquire a bullpen arm that they could have for multiple seasons rather than just a rental.

With 42 appearances so far this season, Sandlin has been the sixth-most-used reliever by the Guardians. Even though Sandlin's heavy workload seems to indicate that he is a crucial part of Cleveland's bullpen, the fact there are four other non-closers ahead of him in use frequency suggests that those options are the preferred go-to arms in relief. Taking that into consideration, Sandlin would be an ideal trade chip for the Guardians to use as they look to be active at the deadline.

The only thing that could keep the Guardians from considering moving Sandlin would be if one of the other frequently used relievers goes down with an injury. With Cleveland's heavy reliance on their bullpen this year, that would be more than enough for the Guardians to reconsider a potential trade of Sandlin if that option were to be on the table.

3. Eli Morgan

Of the names listed here, Eli Morgan seems to be the most fitting to hold the "odd man out" title. The Guardians have multiple other arms in their bullpen who have proven to be more consistently reliable and perhaps one of the most important attributes, available.

Morgan has already spent time on the injured list two times this season, both being related to inflammation in his right arm, the first time being his shoulder and the second being his elbow. While the inflammatory issues in his throwing arm could be an indicator of a much larger future problem that could scare off other teams from looking to acquire his services, but until that happens, Morgan should be considered someone who is tradeable.

Like the previously mentioned Nick Sandlin, Morgan has multiple years of team control remaining, having three more arbitration-eligible years before becoming a free agent after the 2027 season. These extra years of control could be intriguing to a team looking to have bullpen stability for multiple years moving forward.

The 28-year-old righty has made 12 appearances for the Guardians this season, allowing three runs on 11 hits and five walks while striking out 10 in 13.2 innings. Morgan has also made 11 appearances for the Columbus Clippers, striking out 13 batters in 13 innings while allowing five runs on 10 hits in Triple-A.