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By Hunter Mulholland
Contributing Sports Writer
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Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase was placed on paid leave Monday as Major League Baseball investigates sports betting by the players. This comes at the worst timing for the Guardians, as Clase was one of the most sought-after relievers on the trade market.
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Clase was at the top of many teams' big boards for the trade deadline, and now that he is off the table, the competition to land the rest of the field just got tougher.
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The Pittsburgh Pirates have another one of the top choices in David Bednar, and the team is reportedly asking for a top five prospect in return, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That is a steep price to pay for a relief pitcher, although Bednar is under team control for next season.
The St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins also carry some of the more coveted relievers this season, and they could capitalize on the Pirates' high price and the Guardians' unfortunate situation.
The Cardinals hold Ryan Helsley, who is set to be a free agent this season, and is coming off a season where he led MLB in saves and won the National League Reliever of the Year Award. Helsley could have a higher markup for a deal, now that the Pirates have revealed their asking price.
The Twins have been hesitant to deal Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, but with the market thinning and the perceived value of players holding less value, it could sway the Twins into making a move.
This season, it was not a team's acquisition that shook up the market ahead of the deadline but rather MLB's investigation into sports betting.
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