Record: 49-26, 1st in AL Central

Position WAR: 1.1

Current Starters: Logan Allen, Carlos Carrasco, Ben Lively, Triston McKenzie, Tanner Bibee

Bibee, at least, has been coming around. Back-to-back games with double-digit strikeouts have helped him lower his ERA for his last seven starts to 2.41.

Major issues remain in Cleveland's rotation, though. It's been without an ace since Shane Bieber needed Tommy John surgery after his second start of 2024, and even its 4.30 ERA overstates its effectiveness.

Guardians starters rank last in the American League with 385.1 innings. They're also serving up 1.49 home runs per game, the highest such mark for either league.

Cleveland's farm system is a middle-of-the-road affair, and it wouldn't be like the organization to surrender a king's ransom of prospects for one player anyway. As such, the trick will be to aim high while staying within their limitations.

They Should Go Get:Jack Flaherty, Detroit Tigers

Flaherty is nominally one of the best starters who could be had this summer, but he's also a pending free agent with a $14 million salary. That will limit his value. If it's so much so that the Guardians can get him, they'd stand to gain a pitcher with a 2.92 ERA and an 8.3 K/BB ratio.