FanSided

One area the Guardians must prioritize at the MLB Trade Deadline

By James Mastrucci |
Cleveland Guardians v Minnesota Twins
Cleveland Guardians v Minnesota Twins / David Berding/GettyImages

Of the teams looking to make transactions at the upcoming MLB Trade Deadline, there is no doubt that the Cleveland Guardians would be classified as a team looking to buy rather than sell. While the Guardians could use some help in a few different areas, there is one in particular that should be prioritized above all others. Starting pitching.

Adding a playoff-caliber starting pitcher was Cleveland's entry in Joel Reuter's Every MLB Team's Top Priority at the 2024 Trade Deadline appearing on Bleacher Report, and it is hard to put together any reasonable argument against that. As noted by Reuter, the Guardians' rotation is missing a few key players due to injury or demotion, and they are going to need to address that at the deadline. 

With Shane Bieber injured and both Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen demoted to the minors, the Guardians starting rotation will undoubtedly be the focal point of any trade deadline maneuvering.
Joel Reuter on the Guardians

While the Guardians could see Triston McKenzie and/or Logan Allen return and be contributors this season, the same does not apply to Shane Bieber. Bieber suffered a season-ending injury after two starts that required Tommy John surgery, ending what could have been a comeback season after 2023's disappointing campaign. In regards to McKenzie and Allen, it is really difficult to depend on any meaningful contributions from either pitcher due to their relative ineffectiveness during their time in the majors this season. Their trips down to Triple-A may help them sort out a few issues, but anything the Guardians receive from those two should be really considered a bonus rather than something they are definitively counting on.

For Cleveland to continue what has been an impressive season up to this point and for them to carry that into the playoffs, they are going to need to find some external help. The Guardians need rotation help in the worst way possible, and the expectation should be for them to be aggressive in addressing such an obvious need.

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