7 starting pitchers the Cleveland Guardians should target at the trade deadline

1. Cal Quantrill, Colorado Rockies

We'll start with a familiar face to Cleveland fans. It was just last season that Cal Quantrill was in a Cleveland Guardians uniform, and it might only be a short time before he returns. A solid season so far, a struggling current team, and a friendly contract could put Quantrill at the top of Cleveland's target list.

For starters, Quantrill has a track record with Cleveland. He knows Cleveland's pitching coach, Carl Willis, he knows the catchers, and they know him, and he's been around the majority of the guys on the roster. Now, Cleveland did opt to trade Quantrill in November for a prospect, a move they may now regret and one that Colorado could make them pay for, but it's still worth exploring.

So far this season, Quantrill holds a 3.43 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP to go along with a 6-5 record. Not groundbreaking, but serviceable, and a clear upgrade over what Cleveland has had to deal with so far this season. He's made 15 starts and has been one of the better arms for the Rockies, giving up just eight home runs so far this year. It seems as though he's maybe returned to his 2022 Cleveland form when he made 32 starts with a 3.38 ERA and a 15-5 record.

As for his contract, it's still team-friendly. This year he's making just $6.55 million, which is one of the cheapest contracts you'll see on this list. He's also still up for arbitration next year, but that may make him harder to acquire. For Colorado, they are fighting for the National League basement with the Miami Marlins, so they should be dealing at the deadline. It's just whether or not they see Quantrill as a long-term fit for them in their rebuild.

2. Erick Fedde, Chicago White Sox

Sticking with familiar faces but in a different tone, the Cleveland Guardians may be able to crack a deal with the AL Central bottom-dwelling Chicago White Sox. Erick Fedde has faced Cleveland just three times, but perhaps the Guardians could add him to their rotation.

After beginning his career with the Washington Nationals for six years, Fedde was out of the MLB entirely just a season ago, spending the 2023 campaign in Korea. The White Sox brought him back to the majors this season, but given their struggles, the 31-year-old right-handed starter may not be in their future plans.

Fedde has been one of the few bright spots for the White Sox this year, maintaining a 3.09 ERA over 15 starts while amassing 87.1 innings pitched. He's averaging almost a strikeout per inning with 83 sent down and has kept his WHIP at a respectable 1.17 mark.

As for the money side of things, Fedde is on a two-year deal and is set to make $7.5 million both this year and next year. That's a number that wouldn't break the bank and, again, is one of the lower totals you'll see on this list. Does Cleveland need him for two years? Respectfully, I hope not, but having him as a depth piece, if anything, in 2025 may not be a bad idea given this year's starting pitching struggles.

The biggest barrier to this move would be getting the White Sox to deal within the division. With the worst record in baseball, they should be willing to deal anything to anyone, but they might be more inclined to move Fedde out of the division if they do opt to deal him.

3. Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels

A former first-round draft pick and 2022 All-Star, Tyler Anderson, would be a tremendous addition. However, his price tag at 34-years-old might be too much to handle for the Cleveland Guardians payroll.

Before I explain why this one probably won't happen, let's look at the benefits it could bring. Anderson is a veteran with recent success and is off to another strong season. Just two years removed from an All-Star appearance, Anderson is currently matching his 2022 numbers. His ERA is down at 2.58 through 14 starts, and his strikeouts per nine are just one off his 2022 pace, which is to be expected at his age.

As for the willingness to make a move, the LA Angels should be selling, but we've said this before. They are one of three sub-30 win teams in the American League, and the only reason they aren't in last in the AL West is because the Oakland A's have that role secured. Even so, only three games separate the two.

Now for the bad news. While Anderson would be a worthwhile veteran add, his contract could stand in the way. He's set to make $13 million this year AND NEXT YEAR. It would be one thing if it was taking on the rest of this year's monetary commitment, but Cleveland brass won't want $13 million on the books next year for a 35-year-old starting pitcher. Now, it could be possible to negotiate into the deal with Los Angeles paying some of that off, but it would force a higher price that the Guardians could spend elsewhere at the deadline.

4. Luis Severino, New York Mets

Remember when I said that taking on the rest of this year's $13 million commitment might be possible for Cleveland? Well, allow me to introduce Luis Severino. A 30-year-old pitcher on a one-year, $13 million deal.

A few weeks ago, Severino may have been the top name on this list, but success in the Big Apple has changed that. Good fortune brought to the organization by none other than Grimace (yes, from McDonald's) could change the tides on the Mets' position at the deadline. However, making the call on Severino would still be a wise decision.

Severino doesn't have the best ERA on this list, sitting at 3.52, but we're starting to see him return to the form that he displayed before he was injured and made back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2018 and 2019.

Adding Severino might be the hardest move to make on this list for Cleveland. New York isn't in a position that forces them to be dealers at the deadline. They are only two games back of .500, and while the division is far from reach, a wild card spot might not be. Pair that with the fact that Severino is only 30 years old, and this one might be a tough one to pull off for Cleveland.

5. Kyle Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals

Speaking of tough moves to pull off, here's Kyle Gibson. The oldest player on this list at 36-years-old, Gibson might be a difficult player to pry away from the St. Louis Cardinals. However, if the Cardinals fall off before the deadline, Gibson may become a name to watch.

As it stands, St. Louis sits at .500 on the season and is only 6.5 games back of Milwaukee in the NL Central, a rather easy hill to climb in baseball. However, making that climb and falling down the division could be just as easy. While St. Louis is just 6.5 back of Milwaukee, they are only two games in front of the Chicago Cubs, who occupy last in the division. A tight race to be sure for the Central.

So, let's say the Cardinals fall off enough to consider dealing at the deadline. Kyle Gibson would immediately become one of the most desirable names on the market. He only just signed with St. Louis this past November after leading the American League in starts with 33 in 2023 and was an All-Star as recently as 2021.

This season, Gibson is doing what he normally does. He's made 14 starts with a 3.44 ERA, but his strikeouts per nine is up to 7.9, the highest it's been since 2019. On top of that, his contract isn't too bad. He's making $12 million this year with a club option for next year, meaning Cleveland could easily get out of the deal after this year, which is the ideal situation.

Even if St. Louis is still contending at the deadline, this might be possible to pull off. Cleveland would need to send pieces that are more intriguing, but a mutual aid deal might be in the works between the Cardinals and Guardians should their needs align with what the other has to offer.

6. Jack Flaherty, Detroit Tigers

Moving back to the AL Central, another former first-round pick on a one-year deal might be on the table for the Cleveland Guardians. On his third team in two years, it wouldn't be the first time Jack Flaherty was a deadline addition for a team after Baltimore added him just a year ago.

Detroit has shown improvement this year, there's no question about that. Even still, they sit 11.5 games back of Cleveland in the standings and are five games below .500. They are still in "future mode" and while Flaherty is only 28-years-old, his one-year deal makes him a prime candidate to be moved at the trade deadline.

Through 13 starts for the Tigers, Flaherty is looking like a different type of pitcher than we're used to. His numbers haven't been this good since 2019 when he led the National League in WHIP. So far, Flaherty is working with a 3.01 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. He's also averaging 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

On the money side of things, Flaherty is on just a one-year deal that's worth $14 million. It would essentially be a rental for Cleveland, but adding a 28-year-old pitcher that's having the year Flaherty is might be worth it.

The hold-up for Cleveland may be the price of the deal. Given his age, Flaherty is set to be one of the hottest names on the market. A team that has the space to try and negotiate a long-term deal might come into the picture and be willing to offer more. Either way, it's something Cleveland should at least check in on.

7. Michael Lorenzen, Texas Rangers

Given his versatility, it's a shock to me that Michael Lorenzen was never a Terry Francona addition. Now, the 2024 Cleveland Guardians might be in line to add the veteran starter, a pitcher who is a combination of many of the names mentioned with the potential to play the outfield.

Lorenzen is right in the middle of this list in a lot of ways. At 32-years-old, he's right in the middle of the age range that spans from Flaherty to Gibson. He's also coming off a 2023 All-Star appearance, but what might be the most intriguing part of Lorenzen is his contract. He's signed for just one-year worth $4.5 million.

That contract is by far the lowest on this list and would be the biggest bang for Cleveland's buck. This year, Lorenzen has posted an ERA of 3.00 through 12 starts. The only hold-up for Lorenzen would be his longevity. He's really only been a starter the last few seasons, starting just five games from 2016-2021. While he doesn't go too long into games, he's consistent. He's fallen short of five innings of work just once this year but has gone beyond 6.1 innings only twice.

As for the fit, I'm not sold Texas will be dealing at the trade deadline. They're about to get Max Scherzer back and are still tied for second in their division. Seattle will be hard to catch, 10 games up, but a wild card spot should be attainable. It will really depend on what happens between now and the deadline.