The Cleveland Guardians are World Series contenders, and they’re looking to bolster their rotation before July 30.
Cleveland entered Thursday with a five-game lead in the American League Central. Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff knows that by adding another quality starter, Cleveland can likely run away with the division and enter the playoffs with legitimate title hopes.
The question remains, who exactly will Chernoff make a deal for in the next five days?
On Thursday, Peter Chawaga of Athlon Sports predicted that the Guardians will trade for veteran starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi of the Toronto Blue Jays.
“As one of only four teams with at least 60 wins at this point, the Cleveland Guardians represent a significant surprise among the division leaders,” Chawaga said.
“They already have the majors’ best bullpen, and their lineup and batting order seems pretty set. But … they don’t seem to have the starters necessary to win a postseason series. That’s why they should target a left-handed starter such as six-year veteran Yusei Kikuchi of the Toronto Blue Jays.”
“The Blue Jays are listening on offers for Kikuchi, who’s set to become a free agent after the season. Given that the Blue Jays are unlikely to re-sign Kikuchi as they target a rebuild, the Guardians can reach toward the the bottom of their farm system and offer left-hander Will Dion in a one-for-one swap.”
Given Kikuchi’s contract situation, acquiring him would be a low-risk, high-reward scenario for Chernoff and the Guardians.
Cleveland has also been linked to Jack Flaherty, so it remains to be seen what Chernoff will do when decision time arrives.
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