Guardians predicted to sign 2X Silver Slugger, Gold Glove winner after Mets' Luis Robert Jr. deal

Hunter Cookston

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Guardians predicted to sign 2X Silver Slugger, Gold Glove winner after Mets' Luis Robert Jr. deal image

The Chicago White Sox struck a huge deal on Thursday night when they shipped Luis Robert Jr. To the New York Mets in exchange for young talent. The move now gives the Mets another impact bat to place in the lineup alongside Juan Soto.

“The New York Mets acquired center fielder Luis Robert Jr. In a trade with the Chicago White Sox late Tuesday, adding a strong defensive presence with a high-upside offensive game as they reshape their roster after a disappointing 2025,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote.

This move leaves the White Sox noticeably weaker after losing their top player. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians are in a strong position to battle the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central. They also now have one less power bat to worry about within the division. Still, the Guardians need a power hitter of their own, and FanSided’s Christopher Kline believes Marcell Ozuna could be the answer.

“Do not be surprised if a smaller contender views this as a prime buy-low opportunity. The Cleveland Guardians would make all the sense in the world. Cleveland can add 20-30 home runs at a discount price, with Ozuna just a couple years removed from finishing fourth in NL MVP voting. He's a mid-30s DH, which is historically not the most valuable archetype, but Ozuna still generates high exit velocities and he could even qualify as a bounce-back candidate,” Kline wrote.

Ozuna has yet to strike a deal this winter, likely due in large part to his age. Combine that with a down season last year, and he has become a less attractive option on the open market.

“The problem Ozuna faces now is that he has only gotten older, his performance last season was subpar at best, and the teams that were previously considered to be landing spots for him feel unlikely to pursue him this offseason especially with how more and more organizations are treating the DH position,” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote.

The Guardians could land Ozuna for relatively cheap and see where the opportunity leads. He still has the capability of putting together a big season, which is exactly what Cleveland needs to win the AL Central.

Pairing Ozuna in the same lineup as José Ramírez could create major problems for opposing pitchers, especially if the two hit back-to-back. This potential deal carries far more upside than downside.

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