Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase — a rumored MLB trade deadline target — has been placed on paid leave in connection with a sports-gambling investigation, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday. Clase is reportedly on leave through Aug. 31, per The Athletic's Zack Meisel.

Shane Bieber has spent his entire big league career with the Cleveland Guardians. The two-time All-Star and 2020 American League Cy Young winner is coming off Tommy John surgery and has yet to pitch in 2025. Nevertheless, Jeff Passan of ESPN believes the Chicago Cubs could still try to acquire the 30-year-old starting pitcher.

The Cleveland Guardians have seen a few of their best players' names thrown in trade rumors, but it seems they've already made their decision.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, along with three other teams, are reportedly expressing strong interest in acquiring a key player from the Cleveland Guardians as the MLB regular season enters its critical final stretch.

The Cleveland Guardians have spent the bulk of the season as one of the sport's bigger disappointments, failing to build upon an American League Central title and hovering just under .500 in the week before the trade deadline.

Anxiety over a potential trade could be affecting the Guardians' first baseman, who manager Stephen Vogt believes is pressing at the plate.