Cleveland Guardians' AL Central Rival Steals Away Potential Key Addition

The Cleveland Guardians just saw a potential offensive addition join the Kansas City Royals.

Aug 6, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Tommy Pham (29) hits a two run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians are trying to stave off the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central, but the Royals just beefed up their squad at the expense of the Guardians.

Kansas City claimed outfielder Tommy Pham off waivers, stealing away a potential offensive addition for Cleveland.

The Royals also added outfielder Robbie Grossman while swinging a trade for first baseman Yuli Gurriel as they gear up for the stretch run.

Pham was designated for assignment by the St. Louis Cardinals late last week and was a potential candidate for the Guardians to add into their outfield mix.

Given how much Tyler Freeman and trade deadline acquisition Lane Thomas have struggled, Pham seemed like a natural avenue to explore.

However, the veteran will now be joining Cleveland's division rivals.

Pham has not exactly lit it up this season, slashing .254/.321/.378 with seven home runs and 31 RBI over 374 plate appearances.

However, the 36-year-old is just one year removed from posting a respectable .774 OPS, and he has a very impressive playoff history.

In 31 postseason games, Pham has slashed .313/.333/.513 with six long balls and 10 RBI, so he offers plenty of viable experience.

The Guardians may not end up losing any sleep over missing out on Pham. After all, the Cardinals let him go for a reason.

That being said, there remains the possibility that Pham plays a significant role in aiding the Royals in the pennant race, one that has become too close for comfort for a Cleveland squad that once had a nine-game division lead back in June.

Kansas City beat the Guardians three out of four in a pivotal series last week to actually draw even with Cleveland in the standings at one point.

The good news is that the Guardians have stretched their AL Central lead back to two-and-a-half games over the Royals.