5 position players the Cleveland Guardians should look to trade for

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The Cleveland Guardians are among the best teams in the sport right now, and barring sometype of Homer at the Bat style series of events that would see most of their best players become unavailable, they are going to continue having that status.

Cleveland's ascent to the top of the American League Central has been propelled by an offense that has put last year's underwhelming effort behind them and finding a way to do something they had plenty of issues with previously. Hitting for power. A lineup that was near the bottom in home runs and slugging percentage last year now ranks ninth in both categories, with 63 home runs and a slugging percentage of .715. This is a massive improvement over last year's totals, with their 124 home runs ranking dead last and their 26th-ranked slugging percentage of .695, finishing as one of only four teams to post a sub .700 slugging percentage in 2023.

While the offensive production has been better than expected in the early going, there is still room for improvement in a few areas where the output has been lacking. The Guardians could look to upgrade these positions by reaching out to a few teams that have been underperforming so far and agreeing to a trade that could help solidify their roster for a playoff run.

1. Isiah Kiner-Falefa - Toronto Blue Jays

If there is one position in particular that could use a boost offensively for the Cleveland Guardians this season, it is shortstop. The combination of Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio has put up some very disappointing numbers, and now it is more than fair to wonder if they will ever become an average bat. With that in mind, reaching out to the Toronto Blue Jays for Isiah Kiner-Falefa would be a wise decision.

Even though an addition of Kiner-Falefa would not have the same amount of pop to it as acquiring his teammates Bo Bichette or Vladimir Guerrero Jr., two players that Cleveland has been named potential landing spots for, that does not mean it would not be worthwhile. Kiner-Falefa has proven to be an MLB-caliber shortstop during his time in the majors, and that is something that the Guardians do not currently have on their roster.

If Cleveland were to acquire Kiner-Falefa, they would be acquiring a lifetime .261/.314/.350 hitter who is currently outperforming his career averages with a .270/.320/.409 slash line, who also happens to be under contract through next season. This would allow the organization to focus on other areas after 2024 and put less pressure on their middle infield prospects to be their long-term answer at the position, at least immediately, that is.

2. Jurickson Profar - San Diego Padres

It has taken much longer than anticipated, but one of the most hyped young players in the past decade is finally playing at or above the level that was expected of him, making San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar an intriguing trade candidate for the Cleveland Guardians.

Profar has a .323/.421/.495 slash line with 10 doubles, eight home runs, and a 168 OPS+ through 59 games. This is notably better than his career average slash line of .243/.328/.390 and OPS+ of 96. Even if Profar were to completely revert to this level of performance, it would still be an upgrade over the likes of the now-departed Ramon Laureano and the recently DFA'd Estevan Florial.

The biggest obstacle when it comes to a potential trade for Profar would be the state of the Padres. Even though the Padres are hovering around .500 at this moment, they are a very talented team capable of putting together an impressive run that could cut into the 6.5-game lead the Los Angeles Dodgers currently possess. Should the Padres go on a run, there is no doubt that Profar would be a key part of that, making a trade for him impossible. However, if the Padres continue to play uninspiring baseball, he could be available for the Guardians to add to their lineup.

3. Joc Pederson - Arizona Diamondbacks

This is a player that has been desired by many Cleveland Guardians fans for quite some time, and with the Arizona Diamondbacks playing at a very average and pedestrian level so far this season, this could be the opportunity to acquire Joc Pederson via trade.

Should the Diamondbacks look to trade Pederson, the Guardians should be interested in adding his .302/.404/.524 slash line and 167 OPS+ to their lineup. The two-time World Series Champion would do more than elevate the floor of this roster's offensive output, he would help increase its ceiling, something that very few players would be capable of doing.

Now, it must be said that Pederson has exclusively seen time as Arizona's designated hitter this season and has not played the outfield in a single inning. Even though Pederson has over 6,700 career innings in the outfield in his career, the fact he has not played in the field this season may prevent Cleveland from making a move for him. The Guardians currently have their DH spot spoken for, with either Kyle Manzardo, Josh Naylor, or Jose Ramirez occupying that spot on most days. If there is some sense of Pederson not being playable in the field anymore, that would obviously limit Cleveland's interest. But if he can still play in the outfield, the Guardians better be interested.

4. Tommy Pham - Chicago White Sox

The knee-jerk reaction here is going tobe somesort of"Why would the Chicago White Sox trade with a division rival?" or something along those lines. Not only is this line of thinking outdated, but it also applies to players who are a lot younger than 36 years old andare viewedas a player with plenty of years remaining in their careers, two attributes that do not apply to Tommy Pham.

In all honesty, Pham is someone who the Guardians should have signed in free agency this past offseason. Pham is the exact type of veteran presence this team would need in their outfield mix, in addition to being a notable improvement over the now departed Estevan Florial. With a slash line of .294/.344/.429 and 121 OPS+, Pham is going to be someone in high demand if he is able to continue hitting at this or a similar rate.

While it will cost a little more for Cleveland to acquire Pham from Chicago than a team from outside the division, that does not mean the Guardians should not even try. Pham is more than capable of being a productive hitter for Cleveland in the bottom third of the order, which is only going to make the top two-thirds even better.

5. Michael Conforto - San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants may be one game above .500 and currently hold a Wild Card spot, but with a run differential of -19, there are some legitimate questions regarding their ability to do so moving forward. Should things go south out west, there is one outfielder in particular the Cleveland Guardians should inquire about. Michael Conforto.

Conforto has been productive this year for the Giants, slashing .280/.331/.490 with seven doubles and seven home runs to go with an OPS+ of 140. This is exactly the type of production the Guardians were hoping to get out of their non-Steven Kwan outfield options this season, and being able to add that now would be a huge bonus while making relatively average performances of Tyler Freeman and Will Brennan to be considered a little more acceptable.

There is one more thing to note about Conforto. He is due to become a free agent when the season is over. This will give him a little more incentive to perform at his best down the stretch, with the Guardians benefitting from that added motivation. Conforto previously experienced some difficulties in free agency, and it is pretty safe to assume that he will do anything and everything to avoid going through that again.