Guardians Executive Breaks Down Trades With Blue Jays, Pirates

Mike Chernoff said the Cleveland Guardians "are happy" with their trades with the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jul 8, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A Cleveland Guardians baseball cap and glove sit on the dugout rail before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images / David Reginek-Imagn Images

On Tuesday night, the Cleveland Guardians were active in the transaction department and made multiple trades before midnight.

The blockbuster deal of the evening sent Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays. Cleveland quickly used the main piece in that trade, Spencer Horwitz, in a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which got them Luis Ortiz and two pitching prospects.

Guardians General Manager Mike Chernoff appeared on MLB Radio on Sirius XM on Wednesday and provided some insight into what went into each trade.

"The first trade we executed with Toronto was separate from the Pittsburgh one. We didn't have to do the three-way componenet. We liked Spencer Horwitz. We felt like it was a good chance to add a young bat. We ramped up conversations on if there was a way to acquire young pitching, which is so hard to get in today's game," said Chernoff.

"We quickly realized there was an opportunity for Pittsburgh to add a young, dynamic starter like Luis Ortiz. So, despite the fact that they were two different trades, we were happy to execute each one separately."

Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Cleveland Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Horwitz was an intriguing option for the Guardians to add to their lineup; however, their biggest need at the time was starting pitching, which they addressed.

Ortiz is certainly an upgrade for Cleveland's current rotation.

Given how unpredictable this trade was, it'll be interesting to see if Chernoff, Chris Antonetti, and the rest of the Guardians' front office have any more trades or moves up their sleeve before the offseason is over.

Even after both of these deals, there are still more holes on Celveland's roster that must be addressed.