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Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
3 Guardians who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline
The post 3 Guardians who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints. Losing seven games in a row is tough for any MLB team. However, the timing of this string of losses couldn't have come at a worse time for the Cleveland Guardians. The team has fallen even further behind the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers. Currently, they are tied with the Minnesota Twins at 12.5 games back. After the success of manager Stephen Vogt's first season in 2024, this season has been much more trying. Advertisement Currently four games out of the final AL Wild Card spot, there is certainly a chance that Cleveland can get hot and make a run. They've done it plenty of times in the past, including last season. So, would general manager Mike Chernoff and the rest of the Guardians' brass decided to supplement the roster, like they did in 2024? Or would the better choice be to sell off some pieces and instead focus on 2026 and beyond? Despite the team's current standing, there are plenty of players would interest suitors. Cleveland's bullpen, for instance, features multiple arms that would intrigue contenders, like Cade Smith and Emmanuel Clase. The outfield could be another area in which they make a subtraction, as the minors have players waiting to come up. Yet, the most painful move could involve beloved first baseman Carlos Santana. Would that help Cleveland improve long-term? Let's take a look at who could use Santana and how that can help Chernoff, Vogt and the Guardians leadership? Trading Carlos Santana would be tough blow for Guardians once again Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images Santana spent 10 of his first 11 major league seasons in Cleveland, with 2018 being the lone year he spent elsewhere (with the Philadelphia Phillies). After the 2020 season, he left for a division rival in the Kansas City Royals. Over the next four seasons, he played for the Royals and four other teams. This offseason he decided to come back to Progressive Field to likely wind down his career. That is a decision that has so far benefitted both parties quite nicely. Advertisement However, if Chernoff and Vogt decide to make the decision to tear it down, then moving Santana wouldn't be surprising. They already have a replacement in Kyle Manzardo, the current designated hitter. At the moment, Manzardo is the likely long-term solution, although the team has a couple other solid options in the minors. So, trading Santana could be something that brings them back a long-term piece or two to help. They could go out and acquire a veteran starting pitcher to help in the rotation, or perhaps a young arm in the minors that is on the cusp. There are plenty of arms out there who fit those descriptions, and more. Dealing Santana could help them either reload in the playoff hunt or build for the future. In fact, all three names on this list, including a recent trade acquisition, could fit these criteria as well. Lane Thomas could no longer have future role with Guardians Coming over from the Washington Nationals in a trade at last year's MLB trade deadline, Thomas helped spur the Guardians during their AL Championship Series (ALCS) run last year. It was a shrewd pickup from Chernoff and his staff, and helped solve their outfield woes to an extent. However, this year has been more of a struggle for the center fielder. Advertisement Thomas has dealt with injuries and is hitting just .163 on the season over 123 at-bats. His regression has been one of many across the team, as the offense isn't nearly as productive as they were in 2024. Losing former first baseman Josh Naylor certainly stung, and so did second baseman Andres Gimenez. Now, with Johnathan Rodriguez making his debut in the majors this year, the Guardians could already have their replacement. Now the question is what should they target in a deal for Thomas? Dealing Emmanuel Clase would send shockwaves through Guardians, MLB Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images At the moment, Cleveland's bullpen is still likely the strongest unit on the team. Led by Clase, Smith and setup man Hunter Gaddis, the Guardians have numerous options who can close out a game. Of course, Clase is still considered to be the best closer in baseball, so naturally most of those save opportunities end up in his hands. Yet Smith and Gaddis have shown the ability in their limited opportunities to also slam the door from time to time. Advertisement As crazy as it sounds, moving Clase wouldn't be the worst idea. Especially if Cleveland continues to slide down the standings and shifts their focus to a possible rebuild. There are certainly arguments for keeping Clase as well, especially if they are chasing yet another shot at postseason glory. If the Guardians can turn it around and make it back to October, then perhaps a trade of Clase would be the move that galvanizes a roster that could sorely use a jump start as the trade deadline approaches. Related: Guardians' José Ramírez hits unfortunate low vs. Cubs Related: Why Guardians' Luis Ortiz is under investigation
New York Times
04-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
MLB's gambling investigation into Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz: What we know
CHICAGO — On Wednesday evening, less than 24 hours before he was scheduled to take the mound for the Cleveland Guardians at Wrigley Field, Luis Ortiz was instead boarding a flight back to Cleveland. Shortly before first pitch Wednesday, after a day of MLB Draft prep meetings, Guardians executives learned Ortiz was being placed on 'non-disciplinary paid leave.' Multiple sources told The Athletic that the probe is related to gambling. Ortiz will remain on leave through at least the end of the All-Star break in two weeks. Advertisement The first order of business for team president Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff was to tab a new starter for Thursday. They selected Joey Cantillo, who was slated to start for Triple-A Columbus. Then, they booked Thursday morning flights to Chicago so they could meet with the team ahead of its series finale against the Chicago Cubs. The situation raises myriad questions, but many don't yet have answers. Cleveland's brass insists it doesn't have more information than what has been publicly reported. 'Not something we were expecting,' Antonetti said. Here's what we know. Two pitches, according to ESPN. It's not just the pitches, though. It's the unusual betting activity tied to them, bets placed on whether the pitches would be balls or hit-by-pitches, which were flagged by a betting-integrity firm and referred to sportsbook operators. The first instance being examined came in the second inning of a June 15 game against the Seattle Mariners. Ortiz started Randy Arozarena, the first batter of the inning, with an 87 mph slider far outside the zone. He wound up walking Arozarena in what ultimately spiraled into a five-run inning for Seattle. The second instance came in the third inning of a June 27 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ortiz spiked a first-pitch slider significantly wide of the strike zone to catcher Pedro Páges, the first batter of the inning. Two pitches later, Páges hit a home run. The Cardinals scored three times that inning. Overall, Ortiz has thrown a first-pitch strike to 63.1 percent of batters this season, according to data from SportRadar. Major League Baseball has declined to comment on anything related to the investigation, including whether law enforcement is involved. 'We don't know really anything that's going on,' said manager Stephen Vogt, 'so we can't control that.' Advertisement Antonetti said he hasn't spoken with the 26-year-old pitcher, and isn't aware of anyone who has, but Ortiz is permitted to have contact with the organization. He cannot, however, visit Progressive Field or any other Guardians facility. Antonetti did say the team 'would learn a little bit more' at the end of the All-Star break in two weeks, but that doesn't necessarily mean the league will reach a resolution by then. It could simply mean his leave is extended. One team official described the approach to handling the situation as akin to if Ortiz were injured, with no timetable for a return. Ortiz enjoyed a breakout season with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024. The Guardians, eager to bolster their starting pitching depth, traded Gold Glove Award-winning second baseman Andrés Giménez to the Toronto Blue Jays as part of a three-team deal that landed Ortiz in Cleveland. The Guardians, who boast a reputation for boosting pitchers to new heights, thought they could squeeze more out of Ortiz, who posted a 3.32 ERA for the Pirates last year. Ortiz had mixed results in the first half of this season. His strikeout rate increased considerably, but so did his walk rate. He has shown flashes of frontline starter potential, but has also proven inconsistent. In 16 starts, he owns a 4.36 ERA. Ortiz is earning the league minimum of about $760,000 this season. He can become eligible for arbitration for the first time ahead of the 2027 season, and is under team control through the 2029 campaign. With regard to Ortiz, the league must determine whether the pitcher was pre-determining the outcome of his own output. That's a different category than the league's other recent examples of gambling scandals. A year ago, MLB punished five players for varying gambling offenses. The league banned San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for life for betting on his own team, even though Marcano did not appear in any of the games on which he placed bets. The league also suspended four other players for one year for betting on baseball. Advertisement The league's most prominent player, Shohei Ohtani, was embroiled in a betting scandal last year after it was learned that his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, had stolen $17 million from the three-time MVP and used it to place bets with illegal bookies. Mizuhara reported to federal prison last month to serve a 57-month sentence for fraud. MLB fired umpire Pat Hoberg earlier this year after it was revealed that he shared sports betting accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games. The Ortiz investigation comes just days after it became public that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York has opened a gambling-related federal investigation into NBA guard Malik Beasley. His attorney, Steve Haney, told The Athletic on Sunday that Beasley, who played for the Detroit Pistons last season, was a person of interest in the investigation but that no formal allegations had been made and no charges filed. The Eastern District has also charged six people with conspiracy to defraud a sports betting company for their roles in an alleged scheme involving former Toronto Raptors guard Jontay Porter. Four people have pleaded guilty, including Porter, who pleaded to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. He was banned from the NBA last April after the league said he bet on games and gave inside information to gamblers. Haney said it was not clear if the Beasley investigation was related to the Porter case. Rule 21d(2) in the MLB handbook states: 'Any player, umpire or club or league official or employee who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform, shall be declared permanently ineligible.' Rule 21d(3) states: 'Any player, umpire or club or league official or employee who places bets with illegal book makers or agents for illegal book makers, shall be subject to such penalty as the Commissioner deems appropriate in light of the facts and circumstances of the conduct.' Antonetti noted the rules are 'always posted. It's in every clubhouse. It's in English. It's in Spanish. I think people around the game and players are well aware of the regulations.' The Guardians sputtered into their series finale on Thursday on a six-game skid. They have lost 18 of 27. Their offense has been inept, as the Guardians rank 26th in the league in runs per game and 27th in OPS. Their bullpen has been inconsistent. If there's one area of the roster that was giving them encouragement, it was the rotation. Cleveland's rotation ranks: April: 27th (4.84 ERA) May: 13th (3.60 ERA) June: 5th (3.61 ERA) Advertisement One team source said the progress of the rotation has been the leading factor keeping the organization optimistic that the team will fare better in the second half. Ortiz's absence could challenge that notion. The best version of the 2025 Guardians included a stout front part of the rotation, with Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Ortiz all pitching better than they have. Shane Bieber is about a month away from a return from Tommy John surgery. Parker Messick, chosen to participate in the MLB Futures Game, could join the conversation in the coming months. As for Ortiz, the Guardians now must wait to learn if or when he'll return to their rotation. (Photo of Luis Ortiz: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)
