Grading every Cleveland Guardians trade this summer

Nairavoice | Aug 4, 2026 2h ago 110 0 5 min read

3efd6b1ac121b62f8c30a2a193be8518 Grading every Cleveland Guardians trade this summer

Grading every Cleveland Guardians trade this summer originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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In what feels like a first-time-ever event for a franchise that’s been around since 1902, the Cleveland Guardians hit a home run during the MLB trade deadline period. In the span of three days, across four trades, the Guardians substantially bolstered their lineup and pitching depth with one home run after another.

Cleveland Got: 1B/DH Nathaniel Lowe
Cincinnati Got: RHP Alejandro Rivera and 2B Juan Brito

Nathaniel Lowe may be the best all-around hitter the Guardians got at the deadline. His power and consistency will be necessary as they chase an elusive World Series Championship. His one-year contract and age (30) keep this from being an A+. The return they gave up, though, is inconsequential.

Alejandro Rivera is struggling in lower-A Carolina, giving up five runs in five innings of his first and only start. Juan Brito, on the other hand, was a mediocre minor-leaguer (267/277/.441, .818 OPS, 65 career minor league HRs) with decent power who was out of time in the Guardians system. All in all, a great trade for the Guards.

Grade: B

Cleveland Got: LHP Foster Griffin
Washington Got: LHPs Will Dion, LHP Josh Hartle, OF Nick Mitchell and RHP Kendeglys Virguez.

Foster Griffin’s a great get, but like with Nathaniel Lower, he’s in the final year of his contract. It’s unlikely the Guardians can sign the first-time All-Star, but his time in Cleveland should help them get over the hump and into the playoffs. In 22 starts, he’s 12-3, and has an ERA of 3.06. He should help stabilize the rotation.

Neither Josh Hartle, Nick Mitchell, nor Kendeglys Virguez are currently ranked in our Top 30 according to MLB.com’s prospect evaluation. Yet, Prospect 1500 has ranks of 19th, 44th, and 49th, respectively, for all three men. Hartle appears to be the prize of the trade, with a minor league ERA of 3.24 and an S09 of 8.5. He’s an accurate thrower who likes to play on the edges of the plate to make up for a lack of high-end speed.

Mitchell is a solid hitter and can steal a bag, but he’s not cracking the outfield in Cleveland any time soon. Virguez has a lot of improvement to do, as he gives up a lot of runs when he’s pitching in relief. He has a career 5.70 ERA in the minors at the time of the trade.

Grade: B

More: Breaking down every new Cleveland Guardians player that they traded for

Cleveland Got: RF Jo Adell
Los Angeles Got: C Jacob Cozart

The best trade of the deadline goes to the acquisition of Jo Adell. A power-hitting outfielder, with at least one more year in Cleveland guaranteed, was more than anyone expected. He’ll have a real shot at making the playoffs, and then we’ll see what he can really do at the plate.

As with the prior prospects, Cozart doesn’t appear on the MLB’s Top 30 page for prospects in the Guardians organization. Prospects1500, however, has him ranked 26th. They give him strong marks for his “offensive upside” as a catcher, but he’s a .230 career hitter, with little power and no real history of offensive excellence anywhere. His upside, however, is that of a dynamic athlete behind the plate. It’s likely that if he gets called up, he could be a good defensive catcher for the Angels.

Grade: B+

Cleveland Got: CF Blake Perkins and RHP Craig Yoho
Milwaukee Got: C Bo Naylor, RHP Codi Heuer

Getting Blake Perkins and Craig Yoho doesn’t look like a strong trade on their own. Yet, against the backdrop of the other three trades, this specific trade looks great. Perkins is a strong defender in the outfield, with decent base-running skills, giving the Guardians a nice bench player to rely on. For Yoho, he looks to be a nice contributor for the bullpen and should be an upgrade over Heuer.

It’s obvious that the Brewers are hoping they can fix Bo Naylor, because they may need him sooner rather than later. William Contreras remains one of the best offensive catchers in the game, but he’s 28 and has a $14 million club option for next season. Come 2030, he’s a free agent. Couple that situation with backup catcher Gary Harris, who’s 33 and hitting just .214 in a contract year, and the Brewers are going to need help at catcher. Naylor, who was only hitting .143 in Cleveland and .225 in Triple-A Columbus, isn’t showing much development as a hitter despite the demotion. A change of scenery may be necessary, but after eight years as a pro, this is likely who Naylor is.

Grade: B-