Guardians should inquire about availability of other Rays pitchers with Civale on the move

With the news of the Tampa Bay Rays agreeing to a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for the services of Aaron Civale, it is easy to wonder who else they could be willing to part ways with. The Rays are 11 games back in the American League East division and three back of a Wild Card spot at this time. Considering that they have underperformed this season and may very well finish this season as an also-ran, they could look to trade a couple of their older arms in their rotation, and that is something the Cleveland Guardians should inquire about. 

There are two names in particular that seem like prime trade candidates, Zach Eflin and Zack Littell. These are two pitchers who seemed primed to be part of Tampa Bay's next roster reset, considering that they are both two years away from free agency. Players that fit this description are more often than not traded by teams like Tampa, so they are able to get something for them while they still can. Should the Rays actually make either player available, the Guardians should jump at the opportunity to make a trade.

While no one is going to confuse Eflin or Littell as an Ace, they could be solid middle-of-the-rotation starters for a team willing to give up a trade package that Tampa Bay would agree to. Adding an arm of this caliber would go a long way for the Guardians at this point in time. Outside of the contributions of Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively, they really have not gotten all that much out of their other starting pitchers. The return of Gavin Williams should help their cause but it feels like at least one other arm is going to be required if they are going to be in position for an extended run in the postseason, and someone such as Eflin or Littell may be exactly what they need.