Post-Trade Deadline MLB Power Ranking has Guardians near the top

The MLB Trade Deadline is now behind us, and contending teams are getting ready to make that playoff push. When evaluating teams after the deadline, it is no surprise to see the Cleveland Guardians remain near the top of any power ranking list, considering how well they have performed up to this point and a couple of additions made at the deadline.

Coming in at number four in Joel Reuter's MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand Post-2024 Trade Deadline appearing on Bleacher Report are the Guardians. With a record of 65-42 on the year, Cleveland remains at the number four spot in this ranking. While Reuter does give the Guardians some credit for acquiring Lane Thomas at the deadline, there is one addition that is notably absent. That addition being Cleveland's acquisition of Alex Cobb from the San Francisco Giants.

"Will the Guardians regret not adding a starting pitcher at the deadline? They deserve some credit for swinging a deal to acquire Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals to address a hole in the outfield, but they will now be counting on Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen to return from their minor league demotion to shore up the starting staff."

Joel Reuter on the Cleveland Guardians

First off, the Guardians did acquire a starting pitcher, that being the above-mentioned Cobb. Secondly, the reason why they did that was because they know they cannot count on either Logan Allen or Triston McKenzie to be the rotation help they are looking for. Even though Cobb is yet to throw a pitch in 2024, and acquiring his services is very much a gamble, to not even mention him here while at the same time going out of the way to name Logan Allen and Tristion McKenzie is a choice and not a good one.

If there was going to be any valid criticism given here, it should be about not getting someone who has made an appearance this season rather than completely omitting the one pitcher they did acquire.