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The Cleveland Guardians will be without an MVP-caliber hitter for several weeks.
Third baseman Jose Ramirez underwent surgery to repair a broken hamate bone. Ramirez is the clear leader of Cleveland's offense. Who will step up in his absence?
The Guardians could also search for offensive upgrades at the trade deadline. The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote Thursday that the front office will also look to add at least one power bat.
"The Guardians ideally need another impact power bat with first base or designated hitter the most logical spots," Bowden wrote. "If the Astros decide to trade first baseman Christian Walker, Cleveland would be the perfect fit in a deal."
Walker, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, can provide a surge of power in the heart of the Guardians' lineup. He has hit 26 or more home runs in each of the previous four seasons.
Currently, the Guardians have Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins as their first base platoon.
Hoskins is a potential DFA candidate if he cannot provide more power, hitting just six homers in 58 games thus far. His .686 OPS is .124 points lower than Walker's .810 mark.
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Not only would Cleveland add more thump in the order by acquiring Walker, but their first base defense would improve.
As Bowden mentioned, it seems like a perfect landing spot for the 35-year-old.
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