Cubs Trade Idea Lands Guardians' All-Star Closer Emmanuel Clase
Cubs Trade Idea Lands Guardians' All-Star Closer Emmanuel Clase originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Chicago Cubs have been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this season, sitting atop the National League Central with a 45-28 record. They own the sixth-best offense in baseball, according to FanGraphs, and have proven they can overcome serious hurdles — including injuries to their top two starters — while fielding one of the most balanced rosters in the majors.
Advertisement
That success sets them up perfectly to add at the trade deadline, and according to Yahoo! Sports' Russell Dorsey, Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase could be an intriguing target.
Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field.Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
'Last season, there wasn't a better reliever in baseball than Emmanuel Clase,' Dorsey wrote. 'He was so good that he finished third in AL Cy Young voting, a sign of his sheer dominance during the regular season.' But after shining in 2024, Clase ran into struggles during the postseason, which carried into the early part of 2025.
The three-time All-Star is 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 32 appearances this season — a solid stat line, though not quite his usual elite level. Dorsey noted that Clase had some rough spots in April but is trending in the right direction.
Advertisement
'That said, Clase appears to be putting his struggles behind him,' Dorsey added. 'Over his past 15 outings, he has a 1.88 ERA with seven saves and has looked more like the two-time AL Reliever of the Year. If Clase's struggles are indeed in the past, this could be the perfect time for a contender to woo the Guardians into trading their longtime closer.'
A proven bullpen ace like Clase would give Chicago an even more dangerous bullpen and add postseason experience to a team with serious title ambitions. With the Cubs primed to make a deep run in October, landing a difference-maker at the back end could make all the difference.
Related: Major League Baseball Announces Historic Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong News
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mets Announce Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto News After Loss to Phillies
Mets Announce Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto News After Loss to Phillies originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New Mets fell 7-1 to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night, dropping their first game since snapping a seven-game skid. After an impressive series of consecutive solo home runs buried Philadelphia on Saturday, New York's offense failed to produce—plagued by a weak bats-and-balls performance and stranded runners throughout, costing them momentum in a key divisional clash. Advertisement Francisco Lindor delivered the Mets only standout offensive contribution in the loss: a solo home run in the eighth inning. In total, the Mets offense managed only four hits, with Lindor going 1-for-4 on the night and Juan Soto failing to register a single hit. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12)© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Sunday's game marked the first time since July 3 of last year that the Mets lost a game in which Lindor homered. That streak—dating back to July 9, 2024—ranks just one shy of Carl Furillo's modern-era record of 29 straight winning games with a homer from 1951 to 1953 (via SNY Mets). More worrying, the Mets have now managed just two wins in their last ten outings, slipping them down to second in the American League East. Over that span, Lindor has a .184 batting average with 7 hits, 2 homers, 4 RBIs and 6 runs scored. Advertisement Despite the recent struggles, the 31-year-old shortstop has remained one of the Mets' top performers this season—a .270 batting average, with 82 hits, 16 homers, 42 RBIs and 49 runs scored in 76 games this season. This was evidenced by an announcement the team made on Monday. Leading all National League shortstops in All-Star voting, Lindor could be heading to the All-Star Game with his teammates Pete Alonso and Juan Soto, who do not lead their respective positions, but are very much in the mix. After falling to the Phillies, the Mets are set to open a new series against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, looking to rebound quickly. Advertisement Related: Mets React to Juan Soto News After Phillies Game Related: Mets Sign Ex-Yankees Player After Loss to Phillies This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
SEC Coach Under Fire for Offseason Golf Habit After Back-to-Back Losing Seasons
SEC Coach Under Fire for Offseason Golf Habit After Back-to-Back Losing Seasons originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There's an old sentiment in college football that you don't want your coach to be a good golfer. Why? Because if he's good at golf, then he obviously isn't spending enough time in the facilities working, and is likely out on the course more often than he should be. Advertisement That's got to be the feeling among Auburn fans this week, with a report from some investigative fans showing that head coach Hugh Freeze has been spending a lot of time on the golf course this summer. According to the fan, Freeze played 10 rounds in the first 20 days of June. Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze.© Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Had some friends who play in Auburn tell me how much CHF plays, and it has led me to check his GHIN," the poster wrote. "Hugh played golf 10 of the first 20 days this month. I know people that are RETIRED that don't get to play that much, let alone making $7mm a year. Not blaming our struggles on this, but goodness, when you're under .500 here and ranked 47th in recruiting, I have concerns." Advertisement That's a fair thing to be concerned about as an Auburn fan. Since joining the Tigers in 2023, Freeze has gone 11-14 in his 25 games, with an 0-1 bowl record. Things aren't expected to get much better going forward, either. Most sports books have Auburn with a 7.5 win total for 2025, with ESPN's Football Power Index giving the Tigers just a 1.8% chance of winning the SEC. While it may be a bit crazy for someone to deep dive into the Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN) to sleuth out a handicap, this Auburn fan feels justified in his findings. "I understand that it is insane behavior for me to have dove into this, and I do not care. When I have friends tell me he is at the course every day as an SEC head football coach, I am going to investigate. Just pretend like you're working harder than you actually are, because I am tired of losing." Advertisement Seeing as it is the offsesaon in college football, there are few media availabilities for Freeze to be pressed on this, if any. We'll see if Auburn reporters bring it up come August. Related: Florida State Fans Furious Over Thomas Castellanos' Latest Controversial Comments This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Son of NBA Legend Makes Major College Commitment to Big Ten School
Son of NBA Legend Makes Major College Commitment to Big Ten School originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It's not uncommon to see the son of an NBA legend look to follow in his father's footsteps and try to make it to the league. In the case of former Portland Trailblazers legend Brandon Roy, and his son, Brandon Roy Jr., the paths are starting to look very similar. Advertisement On Monday afternoon, Roy Jr. announced that he was committing to the Washington Huskies as a member of the 2025 class. Roy Jr. stands at 6-foot-2, 160 pounds as an unranked shooting guard. Over two decades ago, Brandon Roy joined the Huskies as a 3-star recruit in the class of 2002. He flourished in Seattle, averaging 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in his senior season with the Huskies before being selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft. Roy was incredible with the Blazers, though he saw his career cut short due to injuries. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2007, and was a three-time NBA All-Star from 2008-2010. Throughout his career, Roy suffered multiple meniscus tears, and had a degenerative knee condition where the cartilage in his knees wore away, leading to chronic pain and swelling. Advertisement Roy officially retired in 2013 as a member of the Minnesota Timberworlves. Since, Roy has gotten into the coaching world at Garfield, in Seattle, where his son, Brandon Roy Jr. currently plays. Roy was named the aismith National HS Coach of the Year in 2017. Now he gets to see his son try and follow the path that he laid out, with some big shoes to fill. Related: SEC Coach Under Fire for Offseason Golf Habit After Back-to-Back Losing Seasons This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
