Guardians still looking to add before MLB Trade Deadline

The Cleveland Guardians were able to make a deal for Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomaso on Monday night, addressing a very obvious area of concern. Cleveland's acquisition of Thomas is definitely a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done, and it appears the Guardians are not yet ready to call it a day when it comes to making trades. 

When asked about any more trades that could be made, Guardians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said, "We’re definitely not done pursuing things. Whether or not that leads to another deal or more deals, it’s really hard to forecast.”.

While it does seem to be somewhat of a cautious answer, the fact that Antonetti was at least upfront about looking to make additional trades is encouraging. Antonetti could have easily given a more neutral answer here or even ruled it out completely. Publicly acknowledging that they are still looking to make trades shows that they understand where this team is at from a competitive standpoint and that additions need to be made if they are going to capitalize on their current open competitive window.

As far as what positions could be targeted by Cleveland, that is pretty easy to identify. Starting pitching is easily at the top of the list. The Guardians have been carried by Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively this season, and the reintroduction of Gavin Williams into the rotation should help, but that is simply not enough. Cleveland needs at least a middle-of-the-rotation starter to add into the mix because counting on Triston McKenzie or Logan Allen to be the answer to their problems is not an acceptable way to do business.

Shortstop is another position Cleveland could look to trade for as well. The Guardians have trotted out multiple options at short this season, and none of them have been able to take the position and run with it. If Cleveland could find a way to acquire a proven shortstop, it would go a long way toward alleviating concerns about this ballclub in its current state.

There is also the possibility that someone who is exclusively a designated hitter could be targeted. Cleveland has rotated players in and out of the DH spot for most of the season, allowing them to give players a day off their feet while still keeping their bat in the lineup. Even though this has worked to their benefit if they were able to bring in someone who is a DH only that they can insert into the middle of their lineup, that could play a huge role come playoff time. With that being said, an acquisition of a slugging DH type is the least important of the three positions noted here.