3 potential trade targets for Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians should not be in the playoff picture based on payroll. They have the third lowest payroll in the game, ahead of just the A’s and Orioles. The lineup at the start of the year appeared to be Jose Ramirez and absolutely nothing. It appeared as though it would be a long year in Cleveland.

But the season is not played on paper. The Guardians keep finding ways to win, pulling themselves over .500 and into the playoff picture. They are not only in contention for a Wild Card spot, but they have closed the gap with the Twins for the AL Central.

Three potential trade targets for Cleveland Guardians

There are still plenty of holes on the roster. The lineup has been hit or miss and the Guardians could use some more arms. They also do not have a recent track record of adding that needed piece to put them over the top. However, with a new minority owner and Terry Francona potentially in his final season at the helm, that could change.

The Cleveland Guardians are making an unexpected push for the playoffs. Let’s take a look at three players they could target in the trade market.

David Peralta

The Cleveland Guardians do not have anything resembling offensive production from their outfield. Cleveland outfielders have a total of eight homers on the season and have generally struggled to hit the ball with any authority.

At the same time, the Guardians’ outfield defense has been impressive. Steven Kwan, Myles Straw, and Oscar Mercado have been excellent with the gloves, but Straw and Mercado have not hit at all. However, that does not need to be an either/or proposition for the Guardians.

There could be a solution that can help on both sides. The Diamondbacks are, once again, not going anywhere. David Peralta is slated to be a free agent after this season, and at 34 years old, is not likely to be part of their future. However, he is still an above average bat with some pop and can play solid defense in left.

Peralta also has two other reasons as to why he would be attractive for the Guardians. He is only making $7.5 million this season, an amount that would easily fit into their payroll. He also is not likely to cost much in terms of prospect capital, allowing Cleveland to get an upgrade without having to sacrifice other positions of need.

David Peralta would not be an exciting acquisition at the trade deadline. He would, however, be exactly the type of piece the Cleveland Guardians could use.