Friday, August 01

Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and this is my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com.

CLEVELAND -- It remains to be seen what comes of MLB’s investigation involving Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, who was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave on Monday through Aug. 31. 

Whether that news has any impact on Cleveland’s path before Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, and the organization’s motivation to part with other players, we’ll know soon enough.

Steven Kwan? Shane Bieber? Both names have been on the rumor mill this month, and a report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on Monday night even indicated the Guardians’ loss of Clase until at least September has likely increased the chance both keystones are dealt by Thursday.

Clase was a popular name in trade rumors amid a reliever-hungry trade market. He has consistently been one of the game’s best closers, so the Guardians were under no obligation to move him. Clase is under contract through 2026 and has club options for ‘27 and ‘28.

Clase’s contractual control was also in part why he was perhaps Cleveland’s top trade chip, in the event the team sold. But with him on leave while under investigation, it effectively eliminates any chance of him being moved, even if that chance was already slim to begin with.

The Guardians have been in a gray area as far as the Deadline goes. At one point they looked like sellers. At another, you could have made a case for them to buy. There has been a case for them to stand pat. That’s the nature of things for a team that lost 10 straight games (June 26-July 6) and has gone 13-6 since. 

Cleveland entered Wednesday nine games behind the AL Central-leading Tigers (63-46) and four games behind the Red Sox (58-51) for the final Wild Card spot.

President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti was asked Monday whether the Clase news provided any motivation to be more aggressive at the Deadline, not knowing his availability down the stretch (or that of Luis L. Ortiz, who also is on non-disciplinary paid leave through Aug. 31).

“It's really hard to say right now,” Antonetti said. “It's a lot of information to process. I think what we know is that two very good pitchers aren't going to be available to pitch for us in the near term. And so we have to assess how that impacts our thinking on things.”

That brings us back to Kwan and Bieber.

It remains difficult to envision the Guardians trading Kwan this week. He’s one of their most indispensable pieces offensively and one of the best defensive left fielders in baseball. He’s under club control through 2027. Any visions of Cleveland competing down the stretch and next season have Kwan at the center.

But if someone offered the Guardians a major haul for Kwan, of course they’d listen. They always weigh the present with the future, and in the wake of the Clase news, a Kwan trade could be an avenue for the Guardians to reshape their roster.

That avenue will also exist this winter, should the Guardians want to look at it.

Bieber, meanwhile, signed a one-year deal last December that includes a player option for 2026. He is moving closer to his season debut in his comeback from April 2024 Tommy John surgery, which looks like it will come in early to mid-August. He threw 58 pitches over four innings in a rehab start with Double-A Akron on Tuesday.

Bieber is an organizational staple and a fan favorite, but if the Guardians’ focus is on selling this week, the trade calculus could be straightforward. If they keep him and he declines his option this winter, Cleveland can assign him a qualifying offer in his free agency. If he were to decline it, the Guardians would receive a compensation pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.

The question, then, in potential trade talks becomes whether the Guardians are offered a better player than that which they could land with a compensation Draft pick next summer.

Before the Clase news, the Guardians’ phones were active. That will continue over the next day and a half.

“It's a very active time of year anyway, where we're in constant dialogue with a lot of teams,” Antonetti said. “So we had a lot of dialogue up through [Monday] morning and certainly have had dialogue over the last few hours. And my expectation is that it will continue over the next few days.”

It has been a tough season for Lane Thomas, who is set to become a free agent this winter and was expected to be a key contributor for the Guardians. But he has played just 39 games due to three stints on the injured list, including two for a nagging case of right foot plantar fasciitis.

The 29-year-old went back on the shelf on July 6 due to the foot issue, and he has made slow progress in his recovery. Thomas received an injection in his foot late last week, when he also was fitted for a walking boot and a cast. He’s set to wear it for about two weeks.

All said, Thomas has slashed .160/.246/.272 this season. He was asked how he has stayed in the right frame of mind. 

“[I’m] just trying to be there for the guys in what they're dealing with,” he said. “Try to be a good teammate. I think that's important. I remember when I was on the Cardinals, Paul Goldschmidt was always like, ‘In times when you're struggling or down or hurt, the only thing you can do is be a good teammate.’ I try to focus on that.”

Tom Hamilton took his place in Cooperstown on Sunday as the recipient of the 2025 Ford C. Frick Award winner, and the Guardians will pay homage to their beloved broadcaster on Aug. 16. Cleveland will hold a “Tom Hamilton Hall of Fame Celebration” at Progressive Field. 

The first 20,000 fans in attendance will receive a Hammy bobblehead, as Cleveland hosts Atlanta. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET. More information on Guardians promotions is available here.

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