5 starting pitchers the Cleveland Guardians should target before the trade deadline

At this point in the season, it is clear that the Cleveland Guardians are for real and are going to be a team looking to add to their roster rather than subtract from it at the Trade Deadline. There is one area in particular that the Guardians should look to target as trade talks heat up. Starting pitching. The Guardians had Shane Bieber for all of two starts this season before going down with an injury that required season-ending Tommy John surgery. That alone should have made acquiring a starter Cleveland's top priority, but there is more to it than that.

The Guardians are still waiting on Gavin Williams to make his season debut and recently just lost Carlos Carrasco to the injured list with a neck injury. Despite all of this, Cleveland is 37-18 and leading the American League Central division by 3.5 games. The fact a rotation primarily featuring Carrasco, Ben Lively, Tanner Bibee, Triston McKenzie, and Logan Allen has been able to do this is very impressive, but that does not mean they should not do anything to bolster this group. There is a chance that Lively will not be able to continue his remarkable start to 2024, as well as the possibility another arm will go down with an injury. To prevent either event from derailing their season, the Guardians should target one of the following five starting pitchers at or before the deadline.

1. Paul Blackburn - Oakland Athletics

This was an idea floated around in late April and is still worth exploring. The Oakland Athleticsare destinedto be one of the teams who will trade away players on expiring contracts, and Paul Blackburn would be someone who fits that description. Blackburn has a 4.11 ERA and 1.152 WHIP in eight starts for Oakland this season. These numbers are slightly better than averages dating back to 2021 (4.55 ERA, 1.386 WHIP).

Even though Blackburn is not an Ace or a star-caliber pitcher that would increase the rotation's ceiling, that does not mean he would not be a valuable acquisition for the Guardians. Blackburn is a solid arm to have in a rotation that would help solidify and stabilize the rotation's floor, preventing any sort of freefall should may occur if another starter is injured or regression is experienced.

The only real obstacle preventing an acquisition of Blackburn at this time and making it quite risky when and if it could happen is the fact that he is currently on the injured list with a stress reaction of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. It was previously reported that he is going to need more than the minimum amount of time on the IL due to the nature of this injury. With that being said, if Blackburn is able to come back and pitch at a similar rate to what he did before the injury, the Guardians should give Oakland a call to see if they can acquire his services.

2. Luis Severino - New York Mets

The 2024 season continues to be a disaster for the New York Mets, but there is one bright side to things unfolding in this manner. The Mets have a few arms that could be of interest to contending teams at the deadline, with Luis Severino being one of them.

Severino appears to have recaptured his form that made him appear to be the Ace of the future for the New York Yankees before missing all of 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. With a 3.22 ERA and 1.159 WHIP in 10 starts, Severino has been one of the best-starting pitchers for the Mets this season.

There is one area for Severino that may play a factor in any sort of regression he may experience later this season that cannot go unnoticed. A decrease in strikeouts. Severino's 7.7 strikeouts per nine are the lowest of his career and is a continuation of a multi-season trend. The now 30-year-old right-hander has seen his strikeouts per nine decrease from 12.9 in 2019 to 12 in 2021, 9.9 in 2022, and 8 last year.

Even though the drop in strikeouts is very concerning, that does not mean the Guardians should not pursue his services. Severino has postseason pitching experience, and that is something that most of Cleveland's rotation does not have. While Severino has mostly struggled in his 11 playoff appearances, having someone who has been there before and is familiar with pitching beyond the regular season is still quite valuable.

3. Yusei Kikuchi - Toronto Blue Jays

Like the previously mentioned New York Mets, things have been quite difficult for the Toronto Blue Jays this season as they currently sit in last place in the American League East division, 12 games back of the New York Yankees. While most of the attention has gone to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette in regards to potential players that could be moved this season, veteran starter Yusei Kikuchi could also be on the move.

Kikuchi is set to become a free agent after 2024 and is having one of the best seasons of his six-year MLB career, with a 3.25 ERA, 1.197 WHIP, and 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings in 11 starts. This is the type of performance that is sure to result in the Blue Jays getting a pretty good return via trade if their season continues to be of the disappointing variety.

The soon-to-be 33-year-old veteran would easily slot into the top portion of Cleveland's rotation and would be a more than worthy replacement for Shane Bieber. Even though Kikuchi is an impending free agent, there should be plenty of teams calling about acquiring his services if he keeps up this level of pitching. This means the Guardians may have to give up a little more than they would like to trade for Kikuchi, but if they do believe that they are genuine contenders this season, it is a move that would be worth making.

4. Trevor Williams - Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals have not experienced a ton of winning this year, and it is unlikely that will change any time soon. However, the trade deadline is one area where the Nats could be clear winners. As Washington continues to fall further back from contention, they should begin to receive inquiries about the availability of Trevor Williams if they have not already.

Williams is in the midst of the best season of his nine-year career, sporting a 2.29 ERA, 1.078 WHIP, and 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings. This is easily his best performance, exclusively being a member of a team's starting rotation and one that should warrant contending teams attempting to trade for him as they look to make their playoff push.

The only real concern here is the longevity of Williams' early-season performance. Williams is 32 years old and pitching far better than he has at any point in his career. Considering that he gave up a National League-high 34 home runs last season, there are some real concerns about possible regression as the season continues. But if he is able to prevent the long ball and keep pitching at this level, Williams could be a difference-maker for a contender come playoff time.