The Cleveland Guardians, sitting at 35-35, are 9.5 games out of first place in the American League Central. While there is still time to make up ground in the division, the team is much more suited for a Wild Card spot.
However, if the team continues to lose, there will have to be some tough decisions made in the build-up to the MLB trade deadline. One potential path to take is trading away some of their older stars, which could include Emmanuel Clase.
According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, if the Guardians fall out of contention by the trade deadline, they could look to move Clase for a decent haul.
"The guardians are always angling to move a pitcher before it's too late," Meisel wrote. "And Clase seems like a prime candidate to be mentioned on the hot stove this winter. They could listen to him this summer, too, but they might prefer to use the second half to confirm he's still the same guy who finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting last season."
The Guardians closer is under contract for $6.4 million in 2026, and has $10 million club options in 2027 and 2028. With years of control and still dominant stuff despite his struggles in 2025, Clase would have a strong market at the MLB trade deadline.
Cleveland could capitalize on teams looking to splurge and be top contenders, and acquire much-needed prospects to round out their roster with talent by trading Clase. The 27-year-old closer has had a very productive career, and would fetch a high price on the trade block if he became available.
Clase's 2025 season is a huge reason why the Guardians would be open to moving him. Across 31 games, Clase has a 3.94 ERA and 14 saves in 29.2 innings of work. Clase has allowed eight walks, just two fewer than his season total in 2024. He also has struck out 32 batters, a little less than half of his 2024 season total.
Despite his ERA+ still being above league average, at 103, it pales in comparison to his ridiculous 2024 season. In 2024, Clase had a 667 ERA+ thanks to an absurd 0.61 ERA in 74 appearances. He also led the AL in saves and all of MLB in games finished.
Teams would line up at the Guardians' door if Clase became available, with the thought of landing the 2024 version in their minds. If Cleveland does decide to sell, Clase would be one of their best names they could trade. Meisel named Clases as a trade deadline candidate, something to monitor as the Guardians and all of MLB approach the trade deadline in 2025.