Three Starting Pitchers The Guardians Could Trade For Before MLB Deadline

Rich Hill, Jack Flaherty, and Alek Manoah are all intriguing options for the Cleveland Guardians ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline.

It's very rare that the Cleveland Guardians look to another organization for pitching. However, President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said that the team is looking to acquire another starter before the MLB trade deadline next Tuesday.

The need for pitching comes from the number of injuries in the rotation. Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie are currently on the 60-day IL and Cal Quantrill remains on the 15-day. The Guardians also have three rookies in Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee, and Gavin Williams, and Terry Francona has been open about watching how many innings they throw.

Luckily for the Guardians, they aren't in a situation where they're looking to add an ace. This is the predicament the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and Baltimore Orioles are currently in. Cleveland just needs to add a reliable arm who can eat innings until the rotation can get healthy.

These are three trade targets the Guardians could look at:

Rich Hill - Pittsburgh Pirates

Rich Hill may be the perfect trade target for the Guardians as they look to add another pitcher. Hill is currently in the closing stages of his career and is on an expiring deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The left-handed pitcher had made 21 starts this season posting an ERA of 4.82 and a WHIP of 1.47. Hill has pitched 6.0 or more innings nine times this season which is exactly the type of production the Guardians need.

It would also be a mini homecoming for Hill as he spent the 2013 season with Cleveland.

Jack Flaherty - St. Louis Cardinals

Another veteran pitcher who would be a great fit for the Guardians is current St. Louis Cardinals starter, Jack Flaherty.

The Cardinals front office has admitted they're in "sell" mode as their underwhelming season continues. Flaherty has had an up-and-down year and currently has a 4.39 ERA making him an easy candidate to be moved.

Alek Manoah - Toronto Blue Jays

Okay, hear me out.

Alek Manoah has not had a good season. There's no other way around it. He currently has an ERA of 6.10 over 16 starts and 72.1 innings pitched. 

However, buying low on a pitcher who received Cy Young and MVP votes last season could help the Guardians out this year and in the future if it works out. Cleveland has a reputation for developing pitchers and perhaps their pitching coaches could help Manoah get back to his best form.

The worst-case scenario is Manoah is someone who can make starts at the back of the rotation and eat innings until Bieber or McKenzie can come back. 

EDIT: This story was published before the Guardians reportedly acquired SP Noah Syndergaard from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Amed Rosario. 

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