Will the Cleveland Guardians buy or sell at the trade deadline? That seems to be one of the prominent questions around Major League Baseball entering the beginning of July, as the Guardians are in a position where they could buy some and sell some. 

It makes sense for them to sell if they get decent offers for some of their top players, but it’s also not a bad idea to add if they believe they have an opportunity to make the postseason. 

It's tough to look at the standings in July and suggest that the Guardians don't have a chance, but they're 11.5 games back in the American League Central. Barring anything drastic happening in the division, they likely won't represent the AL Central in the postseason. 

Regarding the Wild Card, the Guardians aren't in that bad of a position, only 3.0 games back from the third spot. 

MORE: Emmanuel Clase continually named by MLB execs as Guardians trade chip

When searching for potential options for them to add at the deadline, CBS Sports recently linked them to a surprising name in the form of Cedric Mullins, a center fielder for the Baltimore Orioles. Mullins is playing on a one-year, $8.75 million deal, and is set to hit free agency at the end of the season. 

“He's lost a step as he's aged into his 30s — hey, doesn't everyone? — but that hasn't stopped the Orioles from keeping him in center field (and allowing him to amass some unflattering public-facing defensive marks). What will teams make of all this? Is Mullins a steady league-average or better player or someone whose game might already be showing cracks? Stay tuned to find out. Potential landing spots: Padres, Phillies, Guardians,” they wrote.

If the Guardians plan to sell some, it wouldn't make much sense to take a player on a rental deal. However, Mullins would be a decent addition, and someone they could plug and play instantly. If they don't want to sell any, this type of trade makes sense.

#Guardians #predicted #battle #Phillies #home #run #slugger #MLB #trade #deadline