Cleveland Guardians Linked To Four Bats Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline
![Jul 21, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader (44) reacts after his at-bat against the Miami Marlins during the third inning at loanDepot Park. Jul 21, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader (44) reacts after his at-bat against the Miami Marlins during the third inning at loanDepot Park.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_7098,h_3992,x_0,y_124/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/cleveland_baseball_insider/01j3qrx3f2xn5q72dg6y.jpg)
The Cleveland Guardians will have an opportunity to make a major addition or two over the next few days. With the MLB trade deadline coming up quickly, the Guardians are expected be a team looking to be aggressive.
Looking ahead at the deadline, there are a few needs that Cleveland could look to address. One of them is in the outfield. They could use another quality bat and more outfield talent and depth.
In addition to outfield help, the Guardians could use a starting pitcher. However, right now, the focus for this article will be on bats that Cleveland could acquire.
Away Back Gone, a website covering Cleveland baseball, has suggested four potential bats that the Guardians could look to acquire.
According to them, named like J.D. Martinez, Harrison Bader, Lane Thomas, and Michael Conforto are players that Guardians fans should keep a close eye on.
Martinez has had a decent season in 2024. He has played in 73 games, batting .258/.340/.435 to go along with 10 home runs and 40 RBI. Bringing in that kind of bat would be helpful for Cleveland.
Bader has been productive as well in the 89 games he has played in. He has hit eight home runs and chipped in 36 RBI while batting .263/.301/.402.
Thomas has hit .247/.320/.396 in 74 games and has also contributed eight home runs and 39 RBI.
Finally, Conforto has had a bit of a down season, but he's capable of better numbers than he has produced so far. In 80 games, he has hit 10 home runs and 40 RBI, while batting .226/.298/.415.
All four players would be solid additions for the Guardians. They wouldn't be flashy additions, but they could fill an important role for Cleveland down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs.
It will be interesting to see what the Guardians end up doing, but these four names are players to keep an eye on.