While most expected Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to go to a contending team once they were placed on outright waivers, instead the Cleveland Guardians swooped in and surprised us all.
Giolito had struggled with the Angels, as he posted an ERA over six since the trade. Still, if anyone can fix their former AL Central rival ace, it's Cleveland. The Guardians pitching factory routinely churns out top young talent. Giolito, an established All-Star caliber talent, should only get better from his experience in Cleveland.
Reynaldo Lopez, meanwhile, was seemingly the opposite. As valuable as Giolito can be at the top of any rotation, his recent struggles gave some teams cause for concern on the waiver market. Lopez is an elite relief talent who has excelled since becoming an Angel. In 13 appearance with Anaheim, Lopez had a 2.77 ERA, including two saves. While he won't slide into the closer role with Cleveland, odds are he will receive plenty of opportunities in the back end of the bullpen.
MLB Rumors: Why did Cleveland Guardians claim Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez?
In what on the surface may seem like an elite-level troll by the Guardians, Cleveland does have some slim postseason hopes. The Guardians sit in second place in the AL Central, just five games behind the Minnesota Twins. The Twins also had reported interest in both these players.
Not only did Cleveland obtain both Giolito and Lopez for their own pitching staff, but they stopped either from becoming a Minnesota Twin. It's unknown (for now) if the Twins put in a claim on either player.
The AL Central race, previously thought to be a bore this season, has suddenly heated up. The Guardians and Twins play two more games this season starting on Thursday. Cleveland took the first matchup of this series on Wednesday.
