Of the many teams competing for a spot in the crowded AL Wild Card race, the Cleveland Guardians are in the toughest spot. While the roster is solid, and there are strong components on the roster, the Guardians might not be in contention for the Wild Card race come the MLB trade deadline.
If the Guardians do fall out of contention, they should look to sell. Fortunately, it’ll be a seller’s market, and the Guardians might have the best option on the block that nearly every team would be vying for. That player is closer to Emmanuel Clase.
MLB.com writer Thomas Harrigan called Clase the Guardians’ most intriguing trade candidate. With how great Clase has been, it’s no surprise he’d be the most coveted player on the Guardians roster; that’s a realistic trade chip.
“Given their lack of enticing options on expiring deals,” Harrigan wrote. “It would behoove the Guardians to gauge the trade value of their All-Star closer, Clase, who has rebounded from a rocky start to 2025.”
The 27-year-old closer is coming off one of the best seasons from a reliever in MLB history. Clase had an absurd 0.61 ERA in 74.1 innings pitched, with an AL-leading 47 saves and 66 strikeouts. He also walked just ten batters and gave up two home runs the entire season.
ERA+ is a stat that measures how good a pitcher was during that season, with 100 being an average pitcher. Clase, in his remarkable 2024 season when he was third in Cy Young voting and an All-Star, had an insane 667 ERA+. It was more than double his previous career high of 333 ERA+ when he had a 1.36 ERA and led the league in saves in 2021.
Clase is one of the best closers in the game, is fairly young, and with him being under team control through 2028, the Guardians could get a massive haul for him in a trade. With teams around baseball looking for a closer, or relievers in general, there will be plenty of teams calling for Clase’s services.
If Cleveland is out of the postseason hunt by the trade deadline, moving Clase for a king’s ransom would make a ton of sense. Cade Smith can take the mantle of closer, and there are plenty of other solid relievers on the roster.
Adding prospects and MLB talent for 2026 by moving Clase might be the right choice come July, and Harrigan sees a scenario where that move is on the horizon for Cleveland.
