5 expendable Guardians players Cleveland can move at the trade deadline for pitching

5. Chase DeLauter

This is probably the most shocking name on the list, but just hear me out. Yes, Chase DeLauter is currently the top prospect in the organization. Yes, at the beginning of the season, I thought he would be our starting right fielder by the end of June. But maybe this is the time to cash in on his upside. 

A first-round pick for Cleveland in 2022, DeLauter has looked every part of what you would hope for from a first-round selection. Turning 23 in October, he's raced his way up the minors and was knocking on the door of the majors before an injury sidelined him. Unfortunately, it's his injury history that makes me wonder if the time to move him should be now.

During his final season at James Madison, DeLauter broke his left foot. In his year and a half since being drafted by Cleveland, he's hurt the same foot twice more already. In 2023, he missed multiple months with a fractured left toe. And then this season, he's been sidelined with another fracture in his left foot.

DeLauter has shown upside, and his age makes him the perfect player to move for a top-tier starting pitcher. If Cleveland wants to make a splash, it's going to cost DeLauter, but that's a price worth paying. DeLauter's injury history doesn't bode well for longevity or durability in the majors, and if Cleveland can move him now with his value still high, they should. While he would be an upgrade over the current options in right, the team is doing just fine without him and would benefit far more greatly from a pitcher he could help bring in.