Cleveland Guardians Predicted To Trade This Top Prospect
![Apr 3, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Clippers third baseman Juan Brito (24) warms up prior to the Opening Day game against the Omaha Storm Chasers at Huntington Park. Apr 3, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Clippers third baseman Juan Brito (24) warms up prior to the Opening Day game against the Omaha Storm Chasers at Huntington Park.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_98/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/cleveland_baseball_insider/01j3jcvhwkh9171dq49z.jpg)
The Cleveland Guardians absolutely need to make a couple of moves between now and the July 30 MLB trade deadline in order to bolster their World Series chances.
Fortunately, thanks to a spectacular MLB Draft haul, the Guardians suddenly have a deep farm system that they can utilize for blockbuster trades.
But which Cleveland prospects will be on the radar for other teams?
Zack Meisel of The Athletic specifically thinks that infielder Juan Brito could be on the chopping block, especially after the Guardians selected second baseman Travis Bazzana with the No. 1 overall pick of the draft.
Brito entered 2024 as the 100th ranked prospect in the league by Baseball Prospectus and has certainly shown it at the plate this season.
The 22-year-old is slashing .251/.369/.434 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI over 420 plate appearances at Triple-A Columbus this year, representing his latest impressive campaign at the dish.
Since joining Cleveland's minor-league system in 2019, Brito has never posted less than an ,800 OPS in any one season.
As a matter of fact, Brito owns a very impressive lifetime slash line of .277/.388/.449.
The biggest downside to Brito is his defense, which is why he does not yet have an established position. However, his bat should be a significant draw to rival teams before the end of the month.
The Guardians are in need of at least one other starting pitching and could also use another bat to jumpstart what has been a rather pedestrian offense.
Cleveland is tied for the American League's best record at 60-40 and will battle the Detroit Tigers in the third game of a four-game set on Wednesday night.