MLB Insider Lists Guardians as Perfect Trade Fit for Switch-Hitting All-Star

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

The Cleveland Guardians have found a way to stay in the AL Wild Card race despite hitting the second-fewest home runs in baseball (74). Trading for someone capable of excelling alongside Jose Ramirez is a must and one MLB insider sees Cleveland as the perfect fit for an All-Star outfielder.

Cleveland Guardians Trade Rumors

Mike Petriello expects the Guardians to be in the running for Chicago Cubs' outfielder Ian Happ. The 27-year-old is a switch-hitter capable of making contact when it matters the most. In fact, his strikeout rate has reduced from 29% in 2021 to 21% in 2022. Happ fits the mold of what Cleveland is missing.

Happ is slashing .282/.367/.445 across 94 games to go along with 43 runs scored, 24 doubles, 9 home runs, 44 RBI and 6 stolen bases. The value he could bring to the team is obvious, but the fact that he recently earned his first All-Star game nod is going to drive his price up before August 2.

There's no denying that the Guardians need to do whatever they can to upgrade the outfield, though. While Steven Kwan has showed consistency, Myles Straw's batting average sits at .215 and Nolan Jones has only played 14 games in his career. Franmil Reyes is better served as the go-to DH as well.

The Guardians are a team to keep an eye on at the deadline because it wouldn't be surprising to see them make zero moves at all or go all-out by acquiring some big names. For now, Cleveland has odds set at +10000 to win the World Series, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.