5 intriguing trade targets for the Cleveland Guardians

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The Cleveland Guardians have gotten off to an impressive start this season, with an 24-14 record that has them sitting atop the American League Central division in early May. This is notably better than most projections for this team, as there was somewhat of a general consensus believing they were an incredibly average ballclub and nothing more.

The Guardians managed to outperform what was expected of them so far and appear to be poised to go on a run. With that being said, there are two areas on this roster that could use some reinforcements as the season progresses. Outfield and starting rotation.

While Steven Kwan has not even been gone a week, his absence has magnified the lack of production the Guardians have received from the rest of their outfield group. Meanwhile, Cleveland has gotten adequate results for the most part from their rotation, but being without Shane Bieber for the rest of the year is going to put a ton of pressure on their pitching staff. Add this on top of possible sophomore slumps and potential regression that could be coming in the near future, and this is something that will need to be addressed.

There are some internal options available that the Guardians could turn to, but sometimes exploring external solutions is the best path forward.

Michael Conforto - San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants look to be an also-ran in the very competitive National League West division, as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres continue to battle it out for the top spot, with the Arizona Diamondbacks not far behind. As the gap between them and the NL West leader continues to grow, it would be only natural to consider trading away impending free agents, one of which would be Michael Conforto.

Conforto has gotten off to an impressive start in 2024, slashing .275/.329/.493 with seven home runs and seven doubles. This would be the best batting line for anyone not named Steven Kwan on the Guardians this year and would be a welcome addition to Cleveland's outfield mix.

Acquiring Conforto would accomplish two things for the Guardians. It would improve the outfield production, something that is much needed, as well as be a way to move off of the disappointment and offensive drain that is Estevan Florial.Conforto is a significantly more rounded player than Florial and is someone who is able to do things that he simply is not capable of. Replacing Florial with Conforto would lengthen the lineup and provide a consistent level of offense that this team will need in their quest to win the division.

Luis Severino - New York Mets

It was a very rough start to the 2024 season for the New York Mets, but they have managed to rebound a bit by way of getting back to .500 on the year with an 18-18 record. As good as that sounds, they are still seven games back in the National League East, and there is a very good chance that number continues to grow. This would put the Mets in position to deal a veteran or two, with Luis Severino being someone the Guardians should call about.

Severino appears to have regained his previous form, compiling a 2.93 ERA and 1.175 WHIP through his first seven starts of the season. The former New York Yankee has settled in after giving up four runs in his first start for the Mets, allowing one run or fewer in four of his next six starts. This is exactly the type of performances that will draw the attention of contending teams looking to solidify their rotation.

The Guardians have managed to get by without having Shane Bieber so far, but it certainly feels that their rotation is one of two areas that must be addressed. Ben Lively has been a good story so far, and they have managed to get significantly more out of Carlos Carrasco than anyone could have expected. How much longer Lively's run continues and Carrasco being serviceable remains very questionable, and something must be done in order to avoid a complete disaster when/if a correction comes.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. - Miami Marlins

By far the biggest name on this list and one that will not be easy to come by, but that does not mean the Cleveland Guardians should not at least discuss the possibility of acquiring Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the Miami Marlins.

The possibility of Chisholm being moved by the Marlins was mentioned by USA Today's Bob Nightengale, "Several baseball executives insist that Chisholm, who is under team control until 2027, will be dealt in the months to come.". There are not many times that a player with Chishom's talent and two-plus years of team control remaining becomes available, making this an opportunity that the Guardians cannot pass up.

Yes, acquiring Chisholm will cost quite a bit, but getting who is just 26 years old and is yet to reach their prime is more than worthwhile. Adding Chisholm onto this current roster would help extend the competitive timeline, increasing their chances of postseason success. It would also allow the organization to not rely on current underwhelming outfield options that are currently on the major league roster and those who have yet to make the leap from Triple-A. Additionally, it would provide a little more time for highly regarded outfield prospect Chase DeLauter to fully develop. That is assuming that he would not be included in a deal to acquire Chisholm, which is very possible.

Jesus Luzardo - Miami Marlins

Another potential player that could be on the move from the sinking ship that is the Miami Marlins, Jesus Luzardo could help solidify Cleveland's rotation.

With the Marlins destined to be sellers as the season continues, they will look to unload anyone who is not part of their long-term future, and that includes Luzardo. The former Oakland Athletic is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. This is not only going to motivate Miami to move him for future assets but will make him an attractive option for contending teams in both leagues.

Luzardo has not gotten off to the best start in 2024, sporting a 6.58 ERA and 1.423 WHIP through five starts. But if there is someone due for a rebound, it is Luzardo. Over his career, he has proven to be a much better pitcher than his performance this season shows, and a change of scenery could also help yield better results. It is also worth mentioning that he is currently on the injured list and in the process of making rehab starts, with the injury possibly being a major factor in his sub-optimal start to the year. Once he returns from the injured list, Luzardo should be able to produce better results, which should draw the attention of the Guardians, as they are in need of someone to add to their rotation, even if it is only for the rest of 2024.

Heston Kjerstad - Baltimore Orioles

Of the players on this list, Baltimore Orioles outfield prospect Heston Kjerstad is the player with the least amount known about him at the professional level. Kjerstad only has a handful of at-bats to his name in the majors, but it is not his fault, as he is being blocked by multiple proven players on Baltimore's big-league roster. While this does not necessarily make him expendable, it does make him gettable, and that is what matters here.

This possibility was recently mentioned by The Athletic's Jim Bowden (subscription required) as a way for both Baltimore and Cleveland to benefit. In Bowden's mock deal, Cleveland would be sending Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith to the Orioles, with Kjerstad coming to the Guardians. This would help solidify Baltimore's bullpen while Cleveland could get a young major league-ready outfielder under team control that could make a much-needed instant impact.

Even though dealing both Gaddis and Smith does not seem like the best idea right now, considering that they are pitching very well and Cleveland has had to rely on their bullpen quite frequently due to short outings from their starters, it would still be an avenue to pursue with the relative ineffectiveness of their non-Steven Kwan outfielders.