Guardians Named Trade Destination For 2-Time All-Star Pitcher
The Cleveland Guardians need starting pitching. That isn't exactly a secret.
Yes, Gavin Williams just returned from an elbow injury, but based on how he looked in his debut, we probably shouldn't anoint him as the savior of the Guardians' rotation.
Relying on recent addition Matthew Boyd—who hasn't pitched last year due to Tommy John surgery—probably isn't too wise, either.
Luckily, Cleveland has until the July 30 MLB trade deadline to acquire some arms, although the market for starting pitching isn't exactly ablaze at the moment.
Still, there should be some hurlers available, and even if the price may be exorbitant, the Guardians really don't have much of a choice if they seriously want to contend for a World Series this year.
One potential option could be Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman, and Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly feels Gausman would be a nice fit in Cleveland.
Gausman isn't having a great year. He is just 6-7 with a 4.75 ERA and has allowed 97 hits while registering 91 strikeouts over 91 innings.
However, the 33-year-old is just one season removed from a Cy Young-caliber campaign, as he went 12-9 with a 3.16 ERA while leading the American League with 237 punchouts in 2023.
Gausman has a pair of All-Star appearances under his belt, making trips to the midsummer classic in 2021 and last year.
He also boasts a solid 3.89 lifetime ERA and a career average of 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
With the Blue Jays falling out of the race, they could very well sell off some pieces at the deadline, and Gausman could end up on the move.
The problem is that Gausman is under contract through 2026 and has $70 million remaining on his deal (including 2024), which may prove a bit too rich for the cost-conscious Guardians.
MATTHEW SCHMIDT