4 Players the Guardians should look to trade before the deadline

Aaron Civale

This is not a popular opinion, but the Cleveland Guardians should look to trade Aaron Civale. Civale's value is currently at the highest it will ever be and the front office should take advantage of that. Contacting any and all teams who missed out on the likes of Max Scherzer and possibly Justin Verlander should be their starting point.

It is not exactly like rumors surrounding Civale are new. In fact, Civale was recently predicted to be traded before the deadline and it seems momentum seems to still be picking up on a potential deal. This would not be uncharted waters for Cleveland if they were to make a deadline deal for a starting pitcher. The Guardians have gone this route before and it would not be surprising to see them do it again.

It comes down to the long-term outlook here. There is currently a surplus of pitching at the major league level, even if three of them are still rookies. Looking ahead to next year, those will be the primary arms in the rotation with Triston McKenzie and Shane Bieber (if he is also not traded before the start of next season).

While moving Civale now would more than likely end their quest for the postseason, it is not like the current version of the Guardians roster is a true World Series contender. It is better to make a move, albeit an unpopular one now to help out down the line rather than make a few shortsighted decisions that result in being in a state of competitive purgatory.