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.