One of the off-season headlines that isn’t getting much attention is the Indians shopping of both of their aces. They are looking to trade either Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer and still remain competitive. Yes, you read that right. After three straight division titles, it seems some of the teams in their division have made the steps to become bigger threats. So then why are the Indians looking to deal at least one of their Cy Young candidates?
The Indians have a great core of position players with Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez leading the charge. The return of Carlos Santana and addition of Jake Bauers should give the lineup a boost this season. That said, the tribe are losing quality players heading into 2019. That list includes Brantley, Encarnacion, Donaldson, Alonso and Melky Cabrera.
These subtractions open up multiple holes in the lineup. Trading for above-average bats would be logical. They recently re-signed Carlos Carrasco who can resemble an ace when healthy. He could dampen the impact of a Kluber or Bauer trade.
Pitching is a huge factor in the playoffs and playing well into October. They could still be well equipped with arms heading into 2019, even with a blockbuster trade. Since their loss in Game 7 to the Cubs, the Indians haven’t even sniffed a bid to the fall classic. Maybe shaking things up and rolling the dice could improve things and make them more formidable.
Dave Cook – Contributor – WTF Sports
Scott Neville – Editor – WTF Sports
WTF Sports | Blogs | Podcasts 