The Cleveland Guardians surprised many people when they managed to win the American League Central over the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins last season. The Guardians weren’t believed to have a fighting shot against the superior rosters of the White Sox and Twins, but they ended up running away with the division in the second half of the season.
As a result of their unexpectedly successful season, the Guardians find themselves in an interesting spot. They have legitimate postseason aspirations heading into the 2023 season, which has allowed them to be a bit more aggressive than expected this offseason, with their biggest move being signing Josh Bell to fill their big hole at first base.
The Guardians may not have the spending power that some of their competitors have, but they could continue to cement their status as the team to beat on the trade market if they wanted to. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the perfect trade Cleveland should make this offseason to further strengthen their roster.
Guardians perfect offseason trade
Acquire Ian Happ from the Chicago Cubs
The Guardians already filled in their biggest need by signing Bell, but their lineup as a whole could use another big bat or two to help them make some more noise in 2023. Jose Ramirez is obviously a fantastic star to have at your disposal, but he didn’t have much help in the lineup last season, and getting him some help is going to be key.
The hope is that Bell can help accomplish that, as he was having a fantastic season with the Washington Nationals before he ended up getting traded to the San Diego Padres. Bell did not look like himself while with San Diego, and he’s going to have to play a lot better in order for Cleveland to have any sort of success next season.
Chances are Bell will find a middle ground when it comes to his production, but regardless of what he does, the Guardians are going to need to bring in some more help. That makes Ian Happ a potential trade target who could be worth taking a look at with the Chicago Cubs currently stuck in the middle.
Before getting into Happ, it’s important to take a look at the Cubs situation. Chicago realistically should be rebuilding, but they have been aggressive in trying to add top level talent this offseason. They have money to spend, yes, but they have missed out on many of their top targets, and don’t look close to being a contender at this point in the offseason.
If their roster doesn’t drastically improve soon, the front office has to consider potentially trading away Happ, because he is set to hit free agency after the 2023 season. Chicago just lost their longtime catcher Willson Contreras after they failed to trade him before he hit the market, and they likely won’t be willing to have something similar happen with Happ.
Happ is coming off his best season in the majors in 2022 (.271 BA, 17 HR, 72 RBI, .781 OPS) in which he earned his first career All-Star appearance. He finally found a consistent role in Chicago’s lineup, and made himself an invaluable part of a lineup that wasn’t very good last season.
There are a lot of reasons that Happ would be an ideal fit for the Guardians. For starters, he’s a switch hitter, which would make three of Cleveland’s top players switch-hitters, which would make creating lineups a lot of fun for Terry Francona. Happ can also play all over the field on defense too, which would help the Guardians keep him in the lineup on an everyday basis.
As of right now, it seems like Happ is best used in the outfield, as he won a Gold Glove in 2022 primarily playing left field. The Guardians certainly could create a spot in the outfield for Happ to play, but if they need him to play in the infield, too, it’s good to know that he can handle that responsibility as well.
Happ would be the perfect addition to the Guardians both in their lineup and in the field. He can add a strong bat to a lineup that desperately needs some help, and he can fill in wherever you need him to play in the field as well.
Cleveland already has their pitching staff in good shape, so whatever they do throughout the remainder of the offseason needs to be geared towards fixing up their lineup. Adding Happ seems like the perfect move, and depending on the Cubs mindset, it could end up being a real possibility later on this offseason.
.