Recently acquired player named as potential trade bait for Guardians after 2024

Outfielder Lane Thomas has only just arrived in Cleveland, but that has not stopped some from speculating about his future in a Guardians uniform.

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer recently identified Thomas as someone the Guardians could trade in 1 MLB Player From Each Team Most Likely to Be Traded in 2024-25 Offseason. It is acknowledged that this is a premature proposition by Rymer. However, it is also noted that his increased salary via arbitration could be an area of concern for the Guardians. But Rymer does point out that if they were able to turn someone who is bound to make more than the $5.5 million salary this year and acquire a player at a position they desperately need, it would be hard to pass up.

Trading him would thus be a way to manage costs, and the benefit could be twofold if the Guardians turned him into the pitcher they've so sorely lacked in 2024.

It has been obvious for quite some time now that the Guardians' starting rotation has been somewhat of a mess. They have managed to get by with their current configuration, but it has not exactly been an easy ride. Cleveland is trying to squeeze out the last ounce of meaningful baseball out of Carlos Carrasco while relying on second-year starter Tanner Bibee to take on a much more important role than intended before the season began. Ben Lively has been a surprising source of impactful starting pitching, even though he has proven to be more hittable as of late when compared to when the season began.

Meanwhile, they are hoping the deadline acquisition of Alex Cobb can be something that can help stabilize their rotation and provide meaningful starts down the stretch into the postseason. When taking all of this into account, identifying Thomas as someone the Guardians could move in the offseason to acquire a starter does not seem all that farfetched at this moment in time.

There is one potential wrench that can derail this entire idea from Rymer. The potential return of Shane Bieber. The 2020 Cy Young Award Winner was lost for the season after just two starts in his final season before becoming a free agent. This was a chance for Bieber to put 2023's lackluster year behind him and prove he is still a top-of-the-line starter. But with those plans going by the wayside two weeks into the season, there is a chance Bieber could return to Cleveland on an incentive-laden deal that could allow him to rebuild his value and give him that chance to hit free agency on the high note he never got the chance to.

If Bieber were to return, it would lessen the need for a starter just a tad, but it could also mean that Thomas could still be moved due to his increased salary. But all of this is just speculation right now and a discussion that is best left for another day.