7 trade targets from the Cleveland Guardians for the Colorado Rockies

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase would give the Colorado Rockies a great closer

Emmanuel Clase was the main piece the Cleveland Guardians got from the Texas Rangers in the Corey Kluber deal (Kluber pitched a total of one inning for the Rangers) and he would be a great closer for the Colorado Rockies.

Clase, 23, made his debut in 2019 with Texas and he was great. In 21 appearances (one start), he had a 2.31 ERA with a 3.43 FIP, a 1.114 WHIP, and a 3.5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 2020, though, he was suspended for what amounted to the entire season for PED use.

In 2021, though, Clase was phenomenal for Cleveland. He started out in a setup role but eventually became their closer. He made 71 appearances and had a 1.29 ERA with 24 saves, a 2.11 FIP, a 0.962 WHIP, and a good walk (2.1 BB/9) and strikeout rate (9.6 K/9).

Clase could be great for Colorado for a few reasons. He has a very high groundball rate. In 2021, his 67.6 percent groundball rate was the second-highest among all relievers with at least 60 innings pitched.  He also would provide the Rockies with a power arm in the bullpen. His average fastball in 2021 was 100.7 MPH.

However, since he was just a rookie in 2021, Cleveland will almost certainly hold on to him this offseason but depending on how the CBA goes, he still could be on the move in the next year or two.

The next team on our list is the Detroit Tigers as we continue our trade target series through the American League Central.