3 Trade Targets the Guardians Must Pursue at the Deadline

With only a few days to go until the Aug. 1 MLB Trade Deadline, the Guardians are in an interesting spot. They've been hovering around .500 all season, but they're only a few games behind the Twins for first place in the AL Central. They've also shown signs of progress over the last few months with a winning record since late May, so there's reason to believe they can pass Minnesota down the stretch, as they did last year.

Accordingly, Cleveland should be buyers at the deadline. With a couple of key upgrades (especially to the lineup), the Guardians would be well-positioned for a playoff push and possibly a second straight AL Central title.

With that in mind, here are three players that Cleveland should target at the trade deadline.

3 Guardians Trade Targets

1. Adam Duvall, OF, Boston Red Sox

The Guardians desperately need to add some thump to their lineup, especially in the outfield. They currently rank last in MLB in home runs by a considerably margin, and the lack of pop in the outfield is a big reason why. Cleveland's outfielders have combined to hit just 14 home runs, and there are many players with more than that by themselves at this point in the season.

One slugger the Guardians should target is Adam Duvall, who's currently on a one-year, $7 million deal with the Red Sox. Not only is he extremely affordable, but he's also good, slashing .259/.329/.511 with 7 homers and 27 RBIs in 40 games this year.

The former NL RBI leader and Gold Glove winner is solid defensively, too. Boston just doesn't have room for him in its outfield right now and needs pitching, which Cleveland can afford to spare based on its 3.85 ERA (seventh in MLB).

Selling high on someone like Aaron Civale or sending a couple of prospects should be enough to land Duvall, making this a win-win for both sides.