The 2025 season has not gone according to plan for the Cleveland Guardians. Even so, with a 43-46 record, the Guardians are only 4.5 games out of the AL Wild Card at the All-Star Break.
With the trade deadline around the corner, could the Guardians make a big move to jumpstart their offense, which is 26th in MLB in runs scored?
One writer certainly thinks so. However, it may have to come at the expense of one of their household names.
In his “MLB second-half bold predictions for every team: Blockbuster trades, historic numbers, a divisional tie, more” article, CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa proposed an intriguing move involving the Guardians trading away star closer Emmanuel Clase for a former All-Star outfielder.
Prediction: The Guardians and Red Sox will swap Emmanuel Clase for Jarren Duran.
“Boston has more good outfielders than outfield spots and the Guardians can spare an end-of-game reliever,” Axisa wrote. “I will not predict a one-for-one trade — I’ll say there will be more pieces involved to even things out — but Clase for Duran will be the meat of it. The Red Sox get a late-inning dominator and clear the way for a Roman Anthony/Ceddanne Rafaela/Wilyer Abreu outfield.
“The Guardians get 3 ½ years of a power/speed threat who can play center field, which is exactly the kind of player they can never afford in free agency. Cleveland won’t give Clase away. To trade him, they’ll need to get multiple years of an all-around impact player, and that’s Duran. The Red Sox would upgrade the bullpen, which takes on increased important in October, which is where they’re headed.”
It would be tough for Guardians fans to see Clase go, especially following his heroics in last year’s ALCS run. However, Duran is the exact type of player that Cleveland could use to add some life into its offense, both now and in the future.
