Guardians' trade need is exactly the same as it always is

1 hour ago 2

It really shouldn't be a surprise.

The Cleveland Guardians are lacking power, and they're lacking an across-the-board productivity in the outfield.

It's nothing new, and while Steven Kwan's struggles this season weren't necessarily predictable, the overall problem was.

That makes their pursuit at this year's trade deadline pretty straightforward. If Cleveland wants to get better, a trade for a potent outfielder would be the logical move.

Now as most Guardians fans know, they don't always do much at the deadline. But the need is clear.

MORE: Blue Jays did the right thing with Dylan Cease

ESPN's Jeff Passan laid it out in a new article on Thursday and threw out two names.

As a potential "best match," he calls on Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak.

"Moniak, the former No. 1 pick who is one of two players in MLB this year with at least 200 plate appearances and a slugging percentage of .600 or better," Passan writes. "The other? Yordan Alvarez, the AL MVP favorite."

He then mentions a "dream match," conceptually tougher to attain, as Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell.

"The Rockies aren't certain to move Moniak; he has another year of club control," Passan writes. "Similarly, the Brewers aren't shopping Mitchell. With Luis Lara's promotion, though, they've now got a center fielder under long-term contract, and with Milwaukee's depth in the outfield -- Lara, Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, plus Jett Williams and Josh Adamczewski nearly big league-ready -- Cleveland has a good enough farm system to tempt the Brewers into moving Mitchell."

The Guardians have some players at the Triple-A level who could still help them this season, and given their tendencies, there's a chance they simply go that route.

But if they want to make a trade, there are some options out there to fill a need that everyone saw coming.