3 trade proposals for the Cardinals to acquire Emmanuel Clase and Shane Bieber

The Cleveland Guardians are willing to hear offers on both starting pitcher Shane Bieber and closer Emmanuel Clase according to rumors around the league. Jeff Passan of ESPN (subscription required) reported that the Guardians are willing to trade their All-Star closer given the right return. Additionally, it has been long rumored that Shane Bieber will be on the move this offseason.

The St. Louis Cardinals seem to have solved their rotation this offseason, but upgrades could still be made. It doesn't sound like John Mozeliak is done dealing just yet; the bullpen seems to be the most likely place for upgrades, and St. Louis will more than likely make these upgrades through trades rather than spending more in free agency. Cleveland appears to be a good trade partner on paper.

Cleveland's offense was anemic last year. They ranked 20th in MLB in OPS+ in 2023 and were 29th in slugging percentage. Their pitching, conversely, has always been strong. They are able to promote MLB-ready pitchers consistently. St. Louis, on the other hand, could still use pitching upgrades. Their lineup is strong and has the potential to be a top-10 offense in baseball next year. Cleveland is also looking to shed salary, and St. Louis still has room to grow in payroll this year, especially with the backloading of Sonny Gray's contract.

Recent reports have also indicated that Shane Bieber is open to signing an extension with whoever trades for him. Should John Mozeliak finesse a trade for both Bieber and Emmanuel Clase (or just Bieber alone), he could ink Shane Bieber to a long-term contract which is what Mo has done in the past with players like Paul Goldschmidt.

From a contract perspective, Shane Bieber is a free agent after this season, and he is projected to receive around $12 million in salary in 2024 through arbitration. Clase was signed to an extension before the 2022 season. It was a 5-year, $20 million contract. He will be paid $2.9 million in 2024, $4.9 million in 2025, and $6.4 million in 2026. There are two club options for 2027 and 2028 both set at $10 million annually.

Here are three trade proposals for the Cardinals to acquire both Shane Bieber and Emmanuel Clase.

Proposal #1

Guardians receive Alec Burleson, Matthew Liberatore, Andre Pallante, and Leonardo Bernal
Cardinals receive Shane Bieber and Emmanuel Clase

In this trade, St. Louis sends over a potent offensive outfielder in Burleson, a project pitcher in Liberatore, a reliever with upside in Pallante, and a low minors catching prospect in Bernal. In return, St. Louis gets Bieber and Clase. St. Louis bolsters its rotation and gives it more upside, and the Cardinals get a great closer to pair with Ryan Helsley.

Let's start with Leonardo Bernal. The Cardinals signed him in January of 2021 out of Panama for $680,000. He is still only 19 and will spend the entire 2024 season as a twenty-year-old. He is a switch hitter who has shown power potential, but he has yet to truly tap into that power. Bernal is very strong defensively, and he can control a game well. Should he figure out his power, his low strikeout percentage is promising. Cleveland can wait on him as he develops into a strong major-league catcher.

Andre Pallante is working hard this offseason to improve. While he isn't a direct replacement for what Emmanuel Clase can provide in a bullpen, he will be good enough to keep the Guardians in it late in games. Matthew Liberatore would allow Cleveland, a franchise that excels at developing pitchers, a chance to bring him back to his former top-prospect status.

The major piece in this deal is Alec Burleson. He has yet to put it all together at the highest level of baseball, but Burleson did nothing but mash in the minors. He has a career slash line of .300/.350/.492 with 42 home runs in 888 plate appearances. In the majors, he has a .237/.295/.375 slash line for an OPS+ of just 83. Cleveland would be banking on the idea that with consistent playing time, Burleson can find the stroke he once had in the minors. Defensively, he has a negative value in both 2022 and 2023 according to Outs Above Average. With more time, he could find comfort in the grass.

Burly can step into right field, thus allowing Ramon Laureano the freedom to be Cleveland's fourth outfielder or defensive replacement. His left-handed power bat would provide good depth behind Kyle Manzardo and Jose Ramirez.

Trade Proposal #3

Guardians receive Dylan Carlson and Tink Hence
Cardinals receive Shane Bieber and Emmanuel Clase

With my final trade proposal, St. Louis only sends over two players, Dylan Carlson and Tink Hence, for Bieber and Clase. Carlson provides strong defense, lots of team control, and a switch-hitting bat with the potential for more than he's shown thus far. Tink Hence gives the Guardians a young but very talented pitcher who could be ready to start in the majors by 2025. Cleveland has plenty of starting pitchers both now and for the future, so they would be willing to wait on someone with the talent of Tink Hence.

Dylan Carlson was once a top-15 prospect in all of baseball. His rookie and sophomore seasons of 2020 and 2021 showed his potential as a five-tool player. Between those seasons, Carlson slashed .255/.328/.425 for an OPS+ of 107. He also showed strong defense in the corner outfield and in center. Since then, he has fallen mainly due to his splits against right-handed pitchers when he's batting left-handed and a handful of nagging injuries. Carlson's final numbers in 2023 were good enough for just a 79 OPS+.

Carlson does, however, still have three more years of team control and will cost a modest $2.1 million, thus saving Cleveland about $10 million next year. Additionally, Carlson's defense has been strong at multiple positions across each season of his professional career. Cleveland would be banking on Carlson continuing to provide strong defense while hoping to be able to tap into his offensive potential.

In addition to Dylan Carlson, Cleveland nets a top pitching prospect in all of baseball, Tink Hence. Though Hence is still young and relatively raw, his 2023 numbers were strong. St. Louis tried their hardest to manage his workload, but they moved him up to Springfield in July and let him loose a bit. He pitched 54.1 innings at AA, and he showed some signs of struggle. He had a 5.47 ERA, 1.509 WHIP (mainly due to an inflated walk rate), and struck out fewer than nine batters per nine innings. AA Springfield is where Hence first showed signs of struggle, but he is a top-50 prospect in baseball according to multiple outlets.

Despite some struggles at AA, Hence still has plenty of upside. He has a power fastball, a deceptive curveball, and a slider and change up that provide a deep pitch mix for the young righty. If Cleveland were more interested in Tekoah Roby, the deal might get a little more complicated, but those two players could be interchanged easily.