But, no matter what the Guardians do, whether Clase or Smith are traded or stay, the team desperately needs to add more firepower to the offense. Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez, and Kyle Manzardo are the only Guardians players with an OPS above .700.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, "The Cleveland Guardians are telling teams they plan to keep closer Emmanuel Clase, who still is under team control through 2028. He’s eligible for salary arbitration one final time in 2026, and has club options for $10 million in 2027 and 2028."