The Guardians are one of the more on-the-fence teams in baseball at the moment, and yet regardless of what happens between now and the July 31 deadline, the most probable scenario is that Cleveland will dip a toe in both the buying and selling directions.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan made his second consecutive All-Star team in 2025. With the Guardians struggling for the most part — 46-49 record and in fourth place in the American League Central — Kwan's name has been mentioned in recent trade rumors.

The Cleveland Guardians entered the 2025 season with sky-high expectations built around their promising young core. The organization had invested heavily in homegrown talent, believing their depth and youth movement would propel them toward sustained success.

Derek Falvey arrived in Minnesota from the Guardians' front office, a system known for maximizing pitching and churning the roster efficiently. Manager Rocco Baldelli came from the Rays, where roster manipulation and deadline boldness are basically a front-office tradition.

But what about an intentional balk? The last one by a Cleveland pitcher was authored by closer Bob Wickman on May 3, 2005, against the Twins at the Metrodome. Wickman felt the runner on second base was stealing pitches and simply balked him to third.

The Philadelphia Phillies, led by Bryce Harper, are encountering challenges in trade talks with the Cleveland Guardians as they pursue key players ahead of the MLB deadline.

The Cleveland Guardians are still in contention for an AL Wild Card but with several teams ahead of them. On the other hand, the Toronto Blue Jays have been one of this season’s surprises, leading the AL East ahead of the New York Yankees.

BUY, SELL, OR STAND PAT? Cleveland's trade deadline strategy will largely depend on their next two weeks of perfomance. Justin Lad

In recent sports news, the Cleveland Guardians halted a 10-game losing streak by defeating the Houston Astros. The Portland Trail Blazers finalized a trade involving Jrue Holiday and Anfernee Simons.

Cleveland is known for making shrewd trades in the past, so it would not be a surprise if the front office once again employed that strategy this winter. Here are three ambitious trade targets for ...

Guardians could look for a fresh return ahead of the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline, but it could cost them their most reliable late-innings gem.