Should the Cleveland Guardians consider trading Zach Plesac or Aaron Civale?

The Cleveland Guardians are loaded at starting pitching, so would it make sense to trade Zach Plesac or Aaron Civale?

The Cleveland Guardians sent down two of their best pitching prospects in Logan Allen and Peyton Battenfield. Both guys could be ready for the Majors this year or at the latest next. Neither man was seriously expected to make the Guardians opening day roster, but that doesn’t mean they won’t end up on the team eventually.

For almost a full year now we’ve heard rumors that the team could move from Zach Plesac and/or Aaron Civale in separate deals. This wouldn’t be the worst idea, as Plesac has had his fair share of issues in Cleveland; both on and off the mound. And Civale has been a bit uneven.

You could probably flit Plesac for a Major League-read player, while Civale could probably net you a nice prospect. The question isn’t what you could get for either guy, but should the Guardians pursue a trade regardless?

The Cleveland Guardians should trade either Zach Plesac or Aaron Civale this year

If the Guardians find themselves struggling offensively, Plesac should absolutely be traded to not only improve the lineup but to make room for Allen or Battenfield. If Josh Bell, Mike Zunino, Myles Straw, or whoever gets off to a bad start, then the Guards should move Plesac to improve the lineup. But in doing so, they should keep Civale for the rest of the season just in case. You don’t want to destroy your pitching depth.

If Plesac is pitching well enough and the offense isn’t sputtering out, then trading Civale for a prospect or two would be the wise move. You still want to move up Battenfield or Allen this year, assuming neither man is struggling, and opening up a spot in the rotation isn’t the worst idea.

Like with the previous situation, if Civale is dealt, then you don’t move Plesac.

That is unless a massive opportunity arose where both players would need to be traded. Think a trade for Mike Trout, as unrealistic as that would be, that’s the type of player you would easily include both Plesac and Civale in a trade for.