Cleveland Guardians Listed Among Trade Suitors for Blockbuster Starting Pitcher

The Cleveland Guardians are among the teams who could pull off a massive blockbuster starting pitcher trade.

May 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians are going to be a very intriguing team to keep an eye in the coming days with the MLB trade deadline under a week away.

Right now, the Guardians hold a 61-40 record entering Thursday's game. They are one of the top potential World Series contenders in the American League and could try to get aggressive on the trade market to improve those chances.

One major need that Cleveland could look to address is adding talent to its starting rotation. They could even look to make a blockbuster move to acquire that help.

Bleacher Report has now connected them to one of the biggest names on the trade market. In a recent article taking a look at potential trade destinations for Detroit Tigers' ace Tarik Skubal, the Guardians were listed as a "long-shot" suitor.

"The Guardians can envy even Milwaukee's starting pitching, and they absolutely should be on the lookout for upgrades. But them making a deal as big as one for Skubal would be out of character. It doesn't help that they literally can't trade their best prospect, the newly drafted Travis Bazzana."

While the logistics of working out a deal might be difficult, they're still on the list as a possible suitor.

Skubal would be a massive addition for Cleveland. He would help them compete in 2024 and for years to come. The 27-year-old starting pitcher still has two years left on his contract following the 2024 campaign.

During the 2024 season with the Tigers, Skubal has started in 20 games. He has compiled an 11-3 record to go along with a 2.34 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, a 6.6 K/BB ratio, and 123.0 innings pitched.

Those numbers would be a massive addition to the Guardians' rotation.

More than likely, Cleveland will look to make a smaller move for the rotation. They don't seem likely to swing huge on a trade right now, although that could end up being inaccurate.

It will be interesting to see what the Guardians end up doing ahead of the deadline. Skubal is an option, albeit not the most likely option. However, they're a team to keep an eye on in the discussions.