A notable MLB insider believes that the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals should have a specific player from the National League East on their trade deadline radar. But as long as it is a deal under one specific condition.
Entering the week, the Guardians and Royals have been two of the best stories in baseball. Cleveland has had a big bounce-back season and owns the fourth-best overall record on the MLB standings, along with sitting atop the American League Central. The Royals have recovered from a 106-loss season in 2023 and are in the thick of the Wild Card hunt and eight games over .500.
They are two reasons why the AL Central is one of the toughest divisions in MLB this season and both organizations have seen their names thrown into various trade conversations in recent weeks as they look to bolster their rosters for a second-half chase for the division title.
With that in mind, New York Post MLB insider Joel Sherman recently offered up an idea on a possible target for both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals. The veteran MLB reporter suggested New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte should be a player under trade consideration for both teams.
- Starling Marte stats (2024): .280 AVG, .332 OBP, .419 SLG, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 36 R, 12 SB
The 35-year-old is a two-time All-Star who has a .287 average over 13 seasons in the league, offers pop, speed, and plays rock-solid defense in the outfield. However, injuries continue to dog him in the back half of his career, and he is still owed $19.5 million next season.
That is why Sherman suggested the Royals and Guardians demand the Mets pick up all or most of his remaining contract for this season and next. This is quite possible since New York did that in both the Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander trades this time last year.
If the teams are willing to part with decent prospects in a deal, Marte — if healthy — could certainly make an impact for either club in the second half.
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