Guardians urged to trade for $12M infielder with odd Travis Bazzana question

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The Cleveland Guardians need to find ways to upgrade the offense by the 2026 MLB trade deadline on August 3 this season.

Looking at their roster, upgrades at designated hitter or first base are the best spots for the Guardians to target. But, recently, the Guardians were urged to swing a trade for a player who's a bit of an odd fit.

ESPN's David Schoenfield is urging the Guardians to trade for $12 million San Francisco Giants infielder Luis Arraez. But adding him would create a Travis Bazzana question that makes such a trade a little strange.

Guardians urged to trade for Luis Arraez despite Travis Bazzana question

"The Guardians need an impact bat, but impact power bats are hard to find, plus one-third of Arraez's $12 million salary is more to their liking," Schoenfield writes. "The question is where to play him with rookie Travis Bazzana at second base."

Arraez is having a great season as the Giants' second baseman. He's hitting .326 with four homers, 105 hits, and 2.7 bWAR with an .824 OPS and 134 OPS+.

But that's not all. Arraez is actually playing good defense this season. Halfway through the year, it's not a fluke. So, would the Guardians trade for someone who's breaking out defensively at second base just not to play him there?

This question is why Schoenfield linking the Guardians to a trade for Arraez is a bit of an odd scenario. Arraez would be a nice addition, but his fit doesn't make as much sense.

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Bazzana might move to designated hitter, or he could try to move to a different position. Arraez could also move to DH or first base, but regardless of how this shakes out, one player has to move positions.

This might not be the best decision for the Guardians, despite Schoenfield's urging of Cleveland to swing such a trade.

Arraez, the batting champion who rarely strikes out, is a very Guardians-like player. If Bazzana weren't up in the big leagues yet, or if he played a different position, then this fit would make a lot of sense.

But, for now, the Guardians adding Arraez in a trade with the Giants doesn't really make sense due to the odd fit and questions surrounding how he'd impact Bazzana, a key rookie for the Guardians, long-term.