Cleveland Baseball Insider

Guardians Linked to Polarizing Trade for Fickle All-Star Slugger

The Cleveland Guardians have been linked to a rather polarizing trade for a former All-Star slugger.

Matthew Schmidt

May 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) walks back to the dugout during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
May 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) walks back to the dugout during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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The Cleveland Guardians are clearly in need of another bat, as their offense has been rather pedestrian all season long and hasn't shown any real signs of improvement.

Fortunately, the Guardians still have plenty of time between now and the MLB trade deadline to make a move, and even though Cleveland is typically not an aggressive team when it comes to making in-season trades, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller feels that the Guardians could make a push for a familiar slugger: Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert.

Miller named Robert among a group of players he expects to be available before July 31, and he thinks Cleveland could represent a potential destination for the 27-year-old.

"And if the White Sox don't care about trading within the division, Cleveland's CF/RF situation has been so disastrous—dead last in the majors in fWAR for both "as CF" and "as RF" splits as of Wednesday morning—that even the Guardians almost certainly would be willing to spend some money and prospects to acquire Robert," Miller wrote.

The Guardians' right field situation in particular has been nothing short of an unmitigated catastrophe in 2025, as the platoon of Jhonkensy Noel and Nolan Jones has not exactly yielded positive results.

Here's the problem, though: Robert has not been any better.

Entering Saturday's action, Robert was slashing .187/,275/.302 with five home runs and 20 RBI over 209 plate appearances. He held the major-league lead with 21 stolen bases, but Cleveland wouldn't be acquiring him to swipe bags.

This marks the second straight rough season for Robert, as he registered a .657 OPS last year. However, the Cuban native is three seasons removed from mashing 38 homers en route to an All-Star appearance in 2023, and he does own a respectable career .770 OPS.

Plus, Robert has generally been a fine defensive outfielder over the course of his MLB tenure. Perhaps a change of scenery is all he needs.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.

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