CLEVELAND — The trade deadline is in one month, and the Cleveland Guardians, tied for first atop the AL Central, are positioned to add … something.How aggressively they pursue roster upgrades depends on how they feel about their health, depth and chances of making noise in a wide-open American League. Even if they’re bearish about their 2026 outlook, they could target players with years of control to supplement a core that includes a stout starting rotation and a lineup that features José Ramírez, Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter.The AL is welcoming the tired, poor and huddled masses to the playoff chase, so it might take a few more weeks for certain clubs to be convinced they should sell.Why the AL Wild Card is up for grabsKen Rosenthal and Johnny SweetFor now, though, here are a dozen names — by no means an exhaustive list — that may pop up before Aug. 3, along with an examination of how they could fit in Cleveland.Christian Walker, 1B, Houston AstrosIn November 2022, the Astros signed José Abreu to a three-year, $60 million deal, narrowly outbidding the Guardians for his services. Cleveland pivoted to Josh Bell, and that union fizzled quickly, but the Guardians are grateful Abreu landed in Houston. He logged a .625 OPS and minus-1.8 WAR for the Astros and didn’t even make it halfway through the deal before playing his final game. Houston tried to tape over its mistake by signing Walker to the same contract. After a rough first year in 2025, he has rebounded with a .779 OPS and 19 homers in 2026. Think 2016 Mike Napoli: a right-handed-hitting first baseman in his mid-30s with a thick beard and some thunder in his bat.The Astros have clawed their way back into contention, so they would need to limp through July for this trade to be possible. Another catch, as always, is money. Walker is owed $20 million next season … provided there is a next season.Spencer Steer, 1B/OF, Cincinnati RedsCleveland drafted Steer out of high school in Long Beach, Calif., in 2016, so there’s slight familiarity here. David Fry would be an apt comparison, but without the catching component. Steer has played first, second, third, left and right this season. He’s been a league-average hitter throughout his five seasons in Cincinnati, but he owns an .829 OPS against lefties and would help balance Cleveland’s lefty-heavy lineup. He’s earning a modest $4 million this season and has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining. The Reds, tied for the second-worst run differential in the NL, ought to be open for business.Willson Contreras, 1B, Boston Red SoxThe Guardians checked in on Contreras at the 2022 trade deadline, when he was an impending free agent with the Chicago Cubs. Cleveland wasn’t thrilled with his defensive work behind the plate and questioned how he’d fit in the clubhouse. This is a different Contreras, at least in some ways. At 34 years old, he’s strictly a first baseman or designated hitter. Oh, and he mashes.The St. Louis Cardinals, his previous team, are covering $8 million of his $18 million salary for 2026. He’s owed $18.5 million next season and has a $17.5 million team option or a $5 million buyout for 2028. Those price tags shouldn’t scare off a team that desperately needs his .906 OPS. Contreras has been in the center of a couple of on-field scuffles of late, and he’s staring at a seven-game suspension for his encounter with Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli. Contreras does have a no-trade clause.Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red SoxWhen everyone’s healthy, the Red Sox have an outfield logjam, which is why Duran’s name keeps surfacing in the rumor mill. This would be buying/selling low, though. Duran owns a .604 OPS this season, so Boston can’t shop him at a price that relates to his 9-WAR season from 2024. It’s not a perfect fit in Cleveland, since he’s left-handed and has consistently struggled against southpaws. But he can play all three outfield spots, rack up extra-base hits and steal a bunch of bases, and he’s under team control through 2028. Perhaps this three-month stretch is an aberration, and he simply needs a change of scenery.Byron Buxton, OF, Minnesota TwinsHe bats righty, hits for power and plays center field. Cleveland has been after someone with those traits for what seems like half a century. Buxton, however, has been adamant that he wants “Minnesota” sewn onto his chest for the rest of his career. Even if the Twins did convince him to waive his no-trade clause, would Buxton accept a relocation to Cleveland? It’s not even worth raising the question, according to Twins writer Dan Hayes, who chimed in: “It’s not happening. They’ve pissed off the fanbase enough. Might as well move the team if you trade him.” OK, then.Taylor Ward, OF, Baltimore OriolesIt seems as if Ward has been on the Guardians’ radar for a decade. The 32-year-old is headed for free agency this winter, and he’s having a strange contract year, the antithesis of his past production. He’s walking a ton (99th percentile) and has trimmed his strikeout rate, but the guy who slugged 36 homers last year has five this season. The Orioles sit at 40-48 under new manager Craig Albernaz, who spent the last two seasons working closely with Guardians manager Stephen Vogt and Cleveland’s front office. That screams “seller” even in a weak AL, despite the front office’s claims that the Orioles have no intention of occupying that role. The Guardians could use a right-handed outfielder, and while they sorely need power, perhaps Ward’s atypical output would make him more attainable.Casey Schmitt, IF/OF, San Francisco GiantsSchmitt is a versatile infielder by trade, but he’s played more left field this season. Since Ramírez, Brayan Rocchio and Bazzana don’t need many days off, it stands to reason that if Schmitt landed in Cleveland, he’d wind up in the outfield more often than not. It’s his bat, though, that should grab teams’ attention. He rarely walks, but he carries a healthy strikeout rate, and he has already socked a career-high 16 homers. He’s under team control through 2029, which would drive up his price.Another Giants hitter who could be similarly appealing to Cleveland: Heliot Ramos, a right-handed outfielder who makes a ton of hard contact but could benefit from better pitch selection. These teams already swung the Patrick Bailey trade in early May, so Chris Antonetti and Buster Posey at least have each other’s phone numbers.Jo Adell, OF, Los Angeles AngelsOnce a top-five prospect in the league, Adell has been a confounding hitter. He can launch the ball to the moon, and he has made significant strides on the contact and strikeout fronts. He has also stopped drawing walks, and he can’t quit chasing pitches out of the zone. He slugged a career-high 37 homers last year, but he’s been a below-average hitter (and fielder) this season. One selling point for Cleveland: For the last three years, he has crushed lefties. Adell is under team control through next season. If the Guardians prefer Lane Thomas, he could be available to fill a similar role. Cleveland offered Thomas a contract similar to the one-year, $5.25 million deal the Kansas City Royals handed him last winter, but Thomas chose Kansas City. He has logged a .655 OPS with the Royals.Sonny Gray, SP, Boston Red SoxThere are few active big leaguers Vogt is as fond of as Gray, his former batterymate and fellow Oakland A’s All-Star. Gray, 36, remains effective — he has a 2.69 ERA — and the Red Sox remain in the AL East basement. The Guardians’ rotation has been humming lately, so a starter isn’t a pressing need at the moment, and in this instance, Boston would likely have to chip in some cash. Gray is earning $35 million this season and has a $30 million club option or a $5 million buyout for next year. Gray has a no-trade clause, but one would imagine he’d love to reunite with Vogt.Reid Detmers, SP, Los Angeles AngelsAn Angels teardown is years overdue, but perhaps the firing of general manager Perry Minasian signals change could be afoot. Detmers would have a healthy market if the Angels made him available (José Soriano would, too). He’s having a good season on the surface and a great season below it, and a pitching-savvy team (the Guardians have a reputation) could surely squeeze more out of the left-hander for the next 2 1/2 years. Detmers recently had a five-start stretch that included a 1.36 ERA and a 39-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.Freddy Peralta, SP, New York MetsThis is, in many ways, Cleveland’s dream. When he’s at his best, Peralta is a starter any team would want pitching in October. He’s only 30. He’s making only $8 million this season. He finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting last year. He has tallied 200 or more strikeouts each of the last three years. All of that would make him a hot commodity this month.He’s having a bit of an uninspiring season, though. He’s not immune to the 2026 Mets stench. If they don’t win the bidding for Peralta, perhaps the Guardians would inquire about reliever Luke Weaver, who owns a 2.00 ERA, has limited opponents to a .449 OPS and would slot in nicely in front of closer Cade Smith.Aroldis Chapman, RP, Boston Red SoxCleveland’s front office attempted to acquire Chapman from the New York Yankees in July 2016, but the Cubs landed him for a package highlighted by Gleyber Torres. A week later, Cleveland instead traded for Andrew Miller. Three months after that, Cleveland and Chicago met in the World Series, and Miller and Chapman played critical roles.What a tangled web we wove.Not much has changed. Chapman still throws face-melting heat. He’s pitching for a struggling AL East team. He’s earning $13 million this season, and if he reaches 40 innings and passes a physical, he’ll be guaranteed another $13 million next season, when he’s 39 years old. That might scare off the Guardians.