MLB Trade Rumours: Guardians 'trying to move' Kwan, Bieber as deadline approaches

With the MLB Trade Deadline set to pass on Thursday, TSN.ca keeps you up to date on all the latest rumours from the league.

Guardians looking to move two stars

The Cleveland Guardians (53-54) trail the Detroit Tigers by nine games in the American League Central and are shifting towards selling at the deadline, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports.

Two big names the Guardians are looking to cash in on are outfielder Steven Kwan and pitcher Shane Bieber.

Kwan, 27, is perhaps the most well-rounded position player available, offering strong defence, good baserunning and an ability to hit for a high average.

He is also due just over $4 million on his current contract, and is not eligible for free agency until 2027. Reports indicate the Dodgers are among the teams most interested in Kwan.

Bieber is an intriguing option for teams seeking starting pitching help. Recovering from elbow surgery in April 2024, he has yet to pitch this season, but when active, Bieber has been one of the more dominant arms in the sport.

The 30-year-old took home Cy Young honours in 2020 after pitching to a 1.63 earned-run average with an 8-1 record in 12 games in the pandemic-shortened season.

Bieber struck out seven with no walks in four innings in his latest rehab start and is nearing a return to action. In 136 career games (134 starts), Bieber owns a 3.22 ERA with 958 strikeouts in 843 innings.

"Things are moving" on Twins closer Duran

Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran may be traded by the end of the day on Wednesday, according to Feinsand.

Duran is one of the most highly coveted arms at the deadline this year, with a fastball that routinely exceeds 100mph and extensive closing experience in the regular season and playoffs.

He has a 2.01 ERA over 49 games this season, with 16 saves and 53 strikeouts over 49.1 innings.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman indicates that the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox are among the team most interested in the fireballing righty, with the New York Mets, New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners also in the mix.

White Sox scratch Houser ahead of deadline

The Chicago White Sox are playing it safe and scratching pitcher Adrian Houser in anticipation of trade before tomorrow's deadline.

Houser was slated to start Wednesday's matinee against the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Houser has a 6-2 record this season with a 2.10 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 68.2 innings. It's been a career year for the 32-year-old starter, whose previous best ERA was 3.22 in 2021 with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Suarez sweepstakes reportedly down to four teams

Always considered the top bat on the trade market this season, the chase to acquire third baseman Eugenio Suarez has reportedly been narrowed down to four clubs.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand says that the frontrunners are the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies.

Suarez made his second All-Star team this year, and has hit 36 home runs with a league-leading 87 runs batted in.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have already sold off one big bat, having dealt first baseman Josh Naylor to the Mariners last week, giving some familiarity in negotiations between the two teams.

Frontrunner emerges for White Sox' Robert

The New York Mets have emerged as the frontrunner to acquire Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr., MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports.

The San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies are also in the running, but Feinsand's source indicates the Mets are expected to land the 27-year-old.

Robert was having a down year at the plate through the campaign's first three months, with a batting average below .190, but he has turned it on in July.

In 14 games this month, Robert has hit .319 with three home runs and only 10 strikeouts. The former Gold Glover has already set a new career high in stolen bases with 26, and offers a lot of traits contending teams would love to have in October.

Astros interested in bringing back Correa

Multiple reports indicate that the Houston Astros are talking to the Minnesota Twins about a deal involving shortstop Carlos Correa, though ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that the sides are not close on a deal.

Correa, 30, is hitting .265 in 92 games with the Twins this year, his fourth in Minnesota. Prior to that, Correa spent his first seven years with the Astros, helping the team win a World Series title marred by the cheating scandal in 2017.

Correa is a three-time All-Star, and won AL Rookie of the Year honours in 2015 with the Astros, but has dealt with foot injury issues over the last few years.

Houston enters play Wednesday with a four-game lead in the AL West standings at 61-47, but are contending with the loss of third baseman Isaac Paredes to a hamstring injury.

The Twins, on the other hand, are expected to be sellers at the deadline at 51-56.

Angels get two bullpen arms from Nationals

The Los Angeles Angels have reportedly completed a deal with the Washington Nationals to acquire relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia.

Left-handed pitcher Jake Eder and first baseman Sam Brown are the two prospects headed back to the Nationals, according to Feinsand.

The Angels (53-55) enter play Thursday four games out of a wild-card spot in the AL, but have to pass four other teams to claim that spot.

Chafin, a lefty, has a 2.70 ERA in 26 games this season, while the 38-year-old righty Garcia has a 4.10 ERA in 38 games split between the Dodgers and Nationals.

Braves acquire reliever Kinley in deal with Rockies

The Atlanta Braves - expected to be sellers at this deadline, entering Thursday's action at 45-61 - acquired reliever Tyler Kinley from the Colorado Rockies for a prospect, Feinsand reports.

Austin Smith is reportedly headed back to Colorado in the deal.

Kinley, 34, has a 5.66 earned-run average in 49 games this year.

Over his eight-year career with the Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins and Rockies, Kinley owns a 5.08 ERA over 318 games.

Expected top sellers include Orioles, Marlins and Diamondbacks

With just a day remaining until the MLB trade deadline passes, the clock is ticking for teams that are effectively out of contention to capitalize on their major-league assets.

As ESPN's Jeff Passan reports, the teams expected to command the most interest from buyers include the Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Baltimore has already completed deals to send relievers Seranthony Dominguez to the Toronto Blue Jays and Gregory Soto to the New York Mets, and are expected to move first baseman Ryan O'Hearn and outfielder Ramon Laureano, among other veteran assets.

The Diamondbacks dealt first baseman Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners already, and though they received a scare when slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez was hit on the hand by a pitch on Monday, reports are he did not suffer a serious injury and is almost certainly going to be dealt by Thursday.

Arizona also has a pair of pitchers with a ton of postseason success in Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, who would command a generous return.

Meanwhile, the Marlins have a pair of starting pitchers considered to be two of the best available in 2023 Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara and young righty Edward Cabrera.

Alcantara has struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery a year ago, but has strung together 12 innings of shutout ball over his last two starts.

Other teams thought to be in the seller category include the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians, though as Passan notes, both franchises have placed a high price tag on their controllable assets.

Padres All-Stars Suarez, Cease are on the market

The San Diego Padres own the third wild-card slot in the National League at 59-49, but reports indicate they're willing to move pitchers to fill other holes on the roster.

Heyman reports that closer Robert Suarez, an All-Star the last two seasons with a 3.50 earned-run average this year is expected to decline his player option at the end of this year, and that teams are interested in the righty as a rental.

Star starting pitcher Dylan Cease is in the same situation, a pending free agent at season's end.

Cease has struggled this season to a 4.79 ERA, but the resume is elite otherwise: he has finished in the top five in Cy Young voting twice over the last three seasons, and his overpowering fastball (that regularly exceeds 100mph) has led to him generating the highest strikeout rate in the majors this season (11.6 per nine innings).

The Padres enter action on Wednesday ranked 25th in the majors in runs scored, and are in desperate need of upgrades at catcher, left field and second base.

Bullpen help the focus as deadline draws near

As Passan reports, many of the buyers are focused on bullpen help.

The Philadelphia Phillies, Jays, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, both New York teams and the Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams in playoff contention that seek bullpen help.

Top options on the trade market include Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Twins' Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, Cade Smith of the Guardians, Padres closer Suarez, Pete Fairbanks of the Tampa Bay Rays and David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

There are no shortage of elite relief arms available, but the waning hours of the deadline will centre around whether the buyers are going to match the reportedly high asking prices set by the sellers.