One more time. With feeling.
If you follow our blog, you know that I have written probably a dozen articles this offseason outlining small upgrades the Guardians could make to their roster. From being told by Cardinals fans that St. Louis wouldn’t trade Willson Contreras to pointing out that Harrison Bader would fill a clear need on the roster and had to be affordable given that it was January, I have been foiled every time. Contreras went to Boston because they were willing to cover most of his contract
and give decent prospects for the part they weren’t covering and Bader went to the Giants because God forbid Cleveland commit ANY money for 2027 because revenues won’t be a sure thing given the lockout so if a shortened season starts the Dolans/Blitzer want to have as little money committed as possible. I even wrote an article last week accepting the fact that there really isn’t a clear fit who would upgrade what they have now who is definitely available in trade or free agency.
However, I think there are two clear exceptions that I would like the Guardians to pursue fervently until the season opens: Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks and Nico Hoerner of the Cubs.
As you may have heard, the Diamondbacks pulled Marte off of the trade market after not getting any offers they liked enough to move their best player before his 10/5 rights vest. It is very possible they do not intend to revisit talks. However, I also think it’s possible they will listen before the season opens. This would be the opportunity for Cleveland to unload their prospect arsenal for a player who instantly transforms their lineup with consistent production. And, there is a very simple way to do it – offer the Diamondbacks Travis Bazzana and their choice of any pitcher not named Gavin Williams or Cade Smith.
I guarantee that deal would be done today if that offer was made. For his career, Marte is a good second baseman defensively with a 112 wRC+ against RHP and a 140 wRC+ against LHP as a switch-hitter. He is under team control through 2030 with a player option for 2031, his age 38 season. His average annual value for the deal is only $14.64M, so he would not be paid more than Jose Ramirez during that time period. He would give the Guardians two legitimate superstars finishing their respective careers in Cleveland. Additionally, Marte has been rumored to be amenable to come to Cleveland in a trade. That’s why you give up your top prospect and a good pitcher to get him if you can.
For folks concerned about Marte’s clubhouse presence, the entire kerfuffle about his taking more time off than some of his teammates liked said more about his teammates than it did about Marte. He has been a star in Arizona for his entire career and a leader on a World Series team in 2023.
In Hoerner’s case, he has a 120 wRC+ against LHP and a 98 wRC+ against RHP for his career. He is an excellent defender at second and at shortstop. The Cubs have his replacement in Matt Shaw. I would offer the Cubs C.J. Kayfus and Franco Aleman and negotiate from there. Landing Hoerner enables the Guardians to move Rocchio to second base and see how he performs there until Bazzana is hopefully ready to supplant him there in June, allowing Rocchio to become the utility infielder, hopefully upgrading that spot from whatever Daniel Schneemann and Gabriel Arias offer in that spot.
As a note, from everything the Athletic’s Guardians reporter, Zack Meisel, has said on his podcast, the Guardians are simply not interested in adding another left-handed hitters, so I am not examining the possibility of adding Boston’s Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu or Philadelphia’s Brandon Marsh.
Either a Marte or Hoerner move would be a clear upgrade for a team serious about making a World Series run. However, I don’t expect the Guardians to do anything until June-July, and, when they do so, I expect it to be acquiring a player on an expiring contract so, again, they have as little money committed in 2027 as possible.
