Quiet trade deadline confirms the Guardians are planning on competing in 2025

At one point, it seemed like the Cleveland Guardians were willing to change their franchise timeline by trading Steven Kwan at this year’s trade deadline. 

But, with the 6 p.m. EDT trade deadline having come and gone, Kwan is still a Guardian, as is almost every player who contributed (positively or negatively) to Cleveland’s .500 record. 

That lack of movement confirms that Cleveland is planning on competing for a postseason spot this season. 

Quiet trade deadline confirms the Guardians are planning on competing in 2025

The only two players the Guardians traded away at this year’s trade deadline were Shane Bieber and Paul Sewald, neither of whom had contributed to any kind of major league winning so far this year. 

While the loss of Bieber hurts considering his journey with the Guardians, trading him for a talented prospect like Khal Stephen is the kind of shrewd baseball move the Guardians are known for. 

But the biggest move was the one they didn’t do in regard to Kwan. He emerged as a trade target largely due to Emmanuel Clase’s gambling suspension, but the Guardians decided to hold on to him as opposed to making a big deal.

Although part of that could have been dictated by the trade market, the Guardians front office likely drew a line in the sand that no team was willing to cross. 

We’ve all spent the past 3 1/2 years watching Kwan excel in left field at Progressive Field, and he’s not going to go anywhere for the rest of the season. 

Although it’s a good sign that they didn’t trade Kwan, they still have some interesting decisions to make about the future of their roster. 

Carlos Santana seemed like a lock to get traded earlier this year, but his lack of production likely resulted in him having a depressed market. While he still provides some value on defense, it seems fair to expect to see more of Kyle Manzardo down the stretch. 

They also elected to keep Lane Thomas, who has hit just .160 in 39 games this year and is currently on the injured list with plantar fasciitis. Still, there’s always the chance he comes back and healthy and finds the consistent swing that’s eluded him since the Guardians acquired  him a last year’s trade deadline. 

But the most important part of all of this is that the Guardians’ kept their major league roster intact ahead of a postseason push. 

Any team with José Ramírez on it has a chance to win, and Cleveland's front office was smart to not make any moves that limited the Guardians ability to field a winning team around him.