Guardians Need To Show Urgency After Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Trade

The Cleveland Guardians need to get moving after the New York Yankees took another hitter off the market.

Jul 23, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) and first baseman Josh Naylor (22) celebrate a win over the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians have watched as two potential trade targets in Randy Arozarena and now Jazz Chisholm have flown off the market before the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

First, the Seattle Mariners swiped Arozarena in a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Then, on Saturday, the Yankees struck a trade with the Miami Marlins for Chisholm.

Both players absolutely made sense as possible acquisitions for the Guardians, who are absolutely in need of some offense before the end of the month (starting pitching is not their only problem).

Now, Cleveland needs to answer, as two American League rivals have gotten better.

There should still be some bats available. The Oakland Athletics seem reluctant to trade Brent Rooker, and Chicago White Sox slugger Luis Robert Jr. is probably not a very realistic possibility. We can also likely rule out Chicago Cubs first baseman Cody Bellinger due to his contract.

But guys like Jesse Winker and LaMonte Wade Jr. may very well be out there, and you have to figure that a surprise candidate will emerge within the next couple of days.

The Guardians don't necessarily have to swing for the fences here (although it would be nice to add another player who actually could hit some home runs). Even a couple of subtle improvements would be nice. Just do something.

It's clear that right now, Cleveland is behind the 8-ball when it comes to offensive production. The team has too many guys in its lineup who really shouldn't be getting regular at bats.

The Mariners and Yankees both badly needed hitters, as well, and they actually made moves to address the issue. The Guardians have yet to do that.

Sure, there is still time between now and Tuesday, but as you can see, rival ballclubs are moving pretty quickly. Cleveland may not have the chance to wait things out until the final day before it makes a trade. Other organizations may beat the Guardians to the punch.

Cleveland entered play on Saturday with the best record in the American League. This late in the season, that is no accident. The Guardians are here to stay.

But it's also blatantly obvious that Cleveland has holes that need to be patched if it wants to be taken seriously as a World Series contender.

The Guardians are typically a conservative franchise when it comes to making midseason trades (or big moves in general). As a matter of fact, the last time Cleveland landed a truly impactful player at the deadline was back in 2016, when it acquired Andrew Miller from the Yankees.

However, the Guardians will need to alter their modus operandi before July 30 comes to a close if they truly want to solidify their position among the MLB's best.

It's time for Cleveland to get moving.