1 trade Guardians must make after losing Jose Ramirez to injury

It was a tough blow for the Cleveland Guardians when Jose Ramirez went down with an injury. And the Guardians have three players leave in the same game. Therefore, here is one trade the Guardians must make after the Ramirez injury.

Not only are the Guardians tied for first place in the AL Central, but they are in a comfortable spot in the Wild Card race. The main question they face is how all-in they want to be in 2026.

There are really only two options. They could stand pat and hope the current roster is enough to navigate over a month without Ramirez. Or, they could make a blockbuster deal.

Guardians must be aggressive and make a trade

There’s very little chance they could stay in the division-title chase without Ramirez for that long a stretch. Plus, hamate-bone injuries are notorious power zappers. The Guardians have to plan for less over-the-fence threat from Ramirez even when he returns.

This is a team that ranks No. 26 in batting average and No. 24 in home runs. Frankly, the Ramirez injury is a disaster for an already-weak offense.

But the pitching staff is extremely solid. The Guardians rank No. 6 in ERA and No. 10 in WHIP. The staff is strong enough to carry the team into the postseason. So the organization shouldn’t throw in the towel and limp along in this situation.

The good news is that this proposed trade addresses the issue on both sides.

Guardians should trade for Nationals SS CJ Abrams

The first reason this deal makes sense is that Abrams would immediately give the Guardians a lineup boost. Navigating this time without Ramirez would be feasible with the type of production Abrams offers.

Abrams is batting a career-high .290. He’s only six homers and 12 RBIs away from career-high totals in those categories. And it’s mid-June. To date, he has not just been an All-Star, but one of the best players in Major League Baseball.

Of course, all of those things mean it’s going to take an aircraft carrier of talent shipped to Washington to get him.

But here’s the second reason this trade makes sense. The Guardians would roll into 2027 with a very strong lineup. Even if things don’t work out this year, they would be one free-agent pitcher and one stick away from knocking on the World Series door.

This wouldn’t be a future-mortgaging deal. It might shrink the future, perhaps. But this is a real opportunity that doesn’t come along very often. Twenty-five-year-old blossoming stars typically don’t land on the trade market.

What would the Guardians have to give up for CJ Abrams?

As stated, it would be a farm-system shakeup. However, the Guardians have the minor-league goods.

The obvious first option is their top prospect. Abrams would replace Angel Genao anyway. And Genao has limited power potential, according to MLB.com.

“(Genao) has a quick, compact stroke from both sides of the plate and does a better job of getting to his average raw power as a righty,” MLB.com wrote. “He has a relatively flat swing that produces a lot of grounders and may limit him to 12-15 homers per season, and his ability to put the bat on the ball so easily cuts into his walk totals.

“Genao has some basestealing aptitude that he could tap into more often. He’s a no-doubt shortstop with smooth actions, quick hands and plus arm strength. He needs more defensive consistency, which should come with more experience.”

Losing Genao wouldn’t hurt that much, but the pitching arm they would need to include might induce an organizational wince or two. Right-hander Joey Oakie could be a star if he gets his control under wraps, according to MLB.com.

“Oakie is armed with perhaps the best two-pitch mix of any starter in the Guardians’ system,” MLB.com wrote. “His mid-80s slider — the righty’s top knockout offering — was one of the best in his Draft class and features two-plane depth and plenty of spin. (And) his fastball sits 94-98 mph. His low release point helps give his changeup ample arm-side movement, although he still needs to work on its playability after barely using it in his debut season.

“The main thing holding Oakie back … is his strike-throwing, which adds relief risk. The Guardians believe that they’ll be able to help sync up his delivery more as he fills out his 6-foot-3 frame, but his control is currently below average, with his command a tick behind that. There’s plenty of reason to believe he has untapped potential to become a mid-rotation starter, although his two plus pitches can make him a devastating reliever if the command never comes.”

These two players would be the foundation of the deal for Abrams. If the Nationals ask for a third prospect, the Guardians could add catcher Jacob Cozart or outfielder Aaron Walton without a great deal of angst.

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