The Cleveland Guardians' plans for a postseason push were dealt a major blow with the revelation that closer Emmanuel Clase will be sidelined until at least August 31 due to a gambling investigation.
The three-time All-Star closer has not been nearly as dominant as in 2024, when he posted a minuscule 0.61 ERA and finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting, but he had clearly turned the page on his early-season struggles, posting a 1.95 ERA over his last 37 appearances. The news wiped out all the momentum the Guardians had built from their recent 12-5 stretch that vaulted them back into postseason contention, and a ninth-inning collapse against the lowly Colorado Rockies in their first game without Clase didn’t help matters.
Now sitting two games under .500 and four games back of the third Wild Card spot, the Guardians will have to be realistic about their chances at returning to the postseason for the third time in the last four seasons. Their stout bullpen had helped overcome a mediocre starting rotation and an offense that ranks 26th in runs scored, but that task has become exponentially more difficult without Clase.
With just over two days remaining until the trade deadline, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal indicated that the loss of Clase may have pushed the Guardians into sell mode.
“The loss of closer Emmanuel Clase to non-disciplinary leave as part of Major League Baseball's investigation into sports betting did not simply deprive the Cleveland Guardians of their top trade chip,” Rosenthal wrote. “It ended any chance of the Guardians becoming a buyer, and likely increased the possibility of the team trading right-hander Shane Bieber and perhaps left fielder Steven Kwan.”
This report is welcome news to the trade deadline buyers in what is expected to be a seller’s market, but perhaps no team will rejoice as much as the Philadelphia Phillies. The defending National League East champions have received a disappointing performance from outfielder Max Kepler, who has hit .202 with a .662 OPS in his first season in Philadelphia, and have gotten similarly poor production from Brandon Marsh (.678 OPS) and Johan Rojas (.571). Their only semi-productive outfielder has been Nick Castellanos, but even his passable .743 OPS has been offset by his woeful defense.
In Steven Kwan, the Phillies would acquire a three-time Gold Glove Award winner who is also among the best contact hitters in all of Major League Baseball. Pairing Kwan with the speedy Trea Turner at the top of the order would give the Phillies two high on-base options ahead of sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, therefore lengthening out a Phillies order that features just four hitters with an OPS above league-average.
In addition to Kwan, the Phillies can also look to acquire one of the Guardians' late-inning relievers to aid their topsy-turvy bullpen. A package involving Kwan and Cade Smith, who ranks in the top ten percentile in both strikeout rate and expected ERA, would immediately solve the Phillies' two biggest issues, albeit at what is certain to be a hefty price.
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