The Cleveland Guardians won the American League Central in 2025, overcoming a 15.5 game deficit to secure their second straight division title. While they fell in the AL Wild Card series to the Detroit Tigers, the very team they ran down to win the division, Cleveland has a lot of reason for optimism entering the 2026 MLB season.
One of the Guardians’ biggest reasons to be excited about the future is their top prospects. Cleveland’s 2022 first-round pick Chase DeLauter made his MLB debut this past postseason, and looks to be a contender for the opening day job in center field. He ranks as the organization’s No. 2 prospect, trailing only 2024 first-overall pick Travis Bazzana.
Bazzana has battled injuries and inconsistency in his brief pro career, but showed flashes of his potential for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers last season. Hitting .391 with four home runs and a 1.481 OPS in his first six games of September, Bazzana was then sidelined for the remainder of the year with left flank soreness. This halted his momentum, and according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com, Cleveland’s top prospect is not expected to make the big league club out of Spring Training.
“He was on a tear in September (four homers, 1.163 OPS over nine games) before his season ended early due to left flank soreness,” Stebbins wrote of Bazzana on Monday. “It seems unlikely he will reach Cleveland right out of Spring Training, but an early summer promotion feels well within reach.”
Guardians Could Trade for Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan
Just one day after this report, ESPN’s Jeff Passan named the Guardians one potential suitor for St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendon Donovan.
“The Cardinals are not eager to trade Donovan, but the market for him is percolating, and a number of teams see the 28-year-old as an option at second base, third base or left field,” Passan wrote. “… Almost nobody is off-limits as new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom retools the Cardinals, and Donovan is the best of the available bunch.”
With his versatility, Donovan could be the perfect stop-gap at second base for Cleveland until Bazzana is ready to make his MLB debut. When the time comes, the Guardians could slide him to shortstop where they ranked 29th in OPS (.584) last season — or even left field if they ever opt to trade Steven Kwan.
Donovan’s .775 OPS last season would’ve ranked second on the Guardians, only behind Jose Ramirez who took home his fourth career top-three MVP finish. While he would be another left-handed bat in an already lefty-heavy Cleveland lineup, this is an offense that cannot be picky, having ranked 29th last season in OPS and 28th in runs scored.
As the Guardians await Bazzana’s arrival at the MLB level, it makes sense why Donovan is being floated as a potential trade target. It’s uncertain if St. Louis will move the 28-year-old, but Cleveland has been named a suitor — along with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals.
Related: Cardinals Predicted to Make Nolan Arenado Trade Decision
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
