Cleveland Indians 2018-2019 Offseason Outlook

[Steve_424]

My dream off-season would include:

1. Trade Kluber and Kipnis to New York for Gleyber Torres. If they don't want Kluber, I would then offer Carrasco or Bauer. New York needs better pitching, we need the hitter.

2. Trade Tristian McKenzie and some lower end prospects to Minnesota for Eddie Rosario. He replaces Brantley in left field.

3. Sign Marwin Gonzalez to play right field.

4. Trade Edwin or Alonso for some relievers.

5. Have Yandi play first base.

6. Sign a few low priced free agent relievers.

Lineup.
1. Zimmer/Allen.
2. Rosario
3. Jose
4. Lindor
5. Torres
6 Gonzalez
7 edwin/Alonso
8. Diaz
9. Gomes

Getting rid of 2 of kipnis/edwin/Alonso is,a must. We will never win anything with them all in the lineup going forward. They are the stench of this team and need to go. Getting Rosario and Torres gets this team younger and under control from a contract situation what were looking for. Slim chance if we do anything like that, but that what it will take to win the AL next year.

I like your targets, but trading both Kluber and McKenzie puts you in a dangerous spot when it comes to your rotation. You're left with Bauer/Carrasco/Clevinger/Bieber/Plutko with no good ML-ready options behind them and the top 2 only signed for 2 more seasons.

Also, I like Rosario but would hope McKenzie would net you someone better than him.

 

[AZ_]

Klube...And Kipnis...

For Gleyber Torres? Like...just him?

 

[Alpoe]

Klube...And Kipnis...

For Gleyber Torres? Like...just him?

I think torres will be a star for a long time. He could be your 2nd baseman for the next 5 years. The Yankees have a ton of relievers, so Im sure you could ask for relief help as well. And you have to figure Kluber's age at some point. He will be 33 next year.

 

[Alpoe]

I like your targets, but trading both Kluber and McKenzie puts you in a dangerous spot when it comes to your rotation. You're left with Bauer/Carrasco/Clevinger/Bieber/Plutko with no good ML-ready options behind them and the top 2 only signed for 2 more seasons.

Also, I like Rosario but would hope McKenzie would net you someone better than him.

Our championship window has probably 2 years left. Once Bauer and Carrasco leave, it will be all over. We may still have a good team, just not a championship level team. You could trade Bauer or Carrasco in that deal, and still keep Kluber, but in 2 years how good will he be pitching at 35? I know Verlander is still dealing, but that's something to consider.

 

[AZ_]

I think torres will be a star for a long time. He could be your 2nd baseman for the next 5 years. The Yankees have a ton of relievers, so Im sure you could ask for relief help as well. And you have to figure Kluber's age at some point. He will be 33 next year.

That's fine, but it doesn't mean you just completely ignore his current value.

A package for Kluber alone would start with a guy like Torres and include multiple other pieces from the Yankees.

Regardless of what you think about Torres' star potential is, there has to be some semblance of realistic current value.

Kluber and Kipnis for just Torres is...insane.

 

[JMoneyYourHoney]

Our championship window has probably 2 years left.

Our championship window closed when injuries reduced Miller to ash and Kluber and Ramirez decided to become historic playoff chokers.

2016 was our window and it's slammed, latched and quickly gathering dust.

 

[Alpoe]

That's fine, but it doesn't mean you just completely ignore his current value.

A package for Kluber alone would start with a guy like Torres and include multiple other pieces from the Yankees.

Regardless of what you think about Torres' star potential is, there has to be some semblance of realistic current value.

Kluber and Kipnis for just Torres is...insane.

Well if you want to rebuild, sure you could get 3 or 4 prospects, but to win now and in the future Gleyber would be a great player to get. he's already proven and only 21. 24 homers, 77 rbi in 123 games. There is signiificantly less risk here compared to prospects in the minors. Heck you could also ask for reliever Chad Greene who is also signed long-term. 2 players that could help us win a title and have control for future years.

You look historically very rarely do you get multiple stars in a trade like the colon trade. We were very successful trading CC and Lee and only got 1 star in each trade (Carrasco and Brantley). To think you're going to get multiple all stars in a trade is wishful thinking.

 

[Derek]

Well if you want to rebuild, sure you could get 3 or 4 prospects, but to win now and in the future Gleyber would be a great player to get. he's already proven and only 21. 24 homers, 77 rbi in 123 games. There is signiificantly less risk here compared to prospects in the minors. Heck you could also ask for reliever Chad Greene who is also signed long-term. 2 players that could help us win a title and have control for future years.

You look historically very rarely do you get multiple stars in a trade like the colon trade. We were very successful trading CC and Lee and only got 1 star in each trade (Carrasco and Brantley). To think you're going to get multiple all stars in a trade is wishful thinking.

Where did anybody say we wouldn't want Gleyber?

The point is that Kluber would have more value that just Gleyber, way more actually. They would at least have to put Sheffield in there to even get in the vicinity of proper value.

CC and Lee had significantly lower values than Kluber, or any of our other pitchers for that matter, would have right now.

Kluber still has multiple years of team control under a pre-arbitration extension. He's among the most valuable players in the MLB.

Now, you thrown in Kipnis, and despite what many around here believe, he has positive value as well.

 

[AZ_]

Well if you want to rebuild, sure you could get 3 or 4 prospects, but to win now and in the future Gleyber would be a great player to get. he's already proven and only 21. 24 homers, 77 rbi in 123 games. There is signiificantly less risk here compared to prospects in the minors. Heck you could also ask for reliever Chad Greene who is also signed long-term. 2 players that could help us win a title and have control for future years.

You look historically very rarely do you get multiple stars in a trade like the colon trade. We were very successful trading CC and Lee and only got 1 star in each trade (Carrasco and Brantley). To think you're going to get multiple all stars in a trade is wishful thinking.

If you want to rebuild, you trade your ace and a guy who had a 2.1 WAR in a down year for a second baseman who had a 2.8 WAR last year.


No team would rationally consider this. Rebuilding or not, most especially when trying to win now, as Cleveland is.

 

[Urban]

I don't think the Yankees have any interest in trading Torres nor do I think the Indians have any interest in trading Kluber, especially to the Yankees of all teams

 

[Alpoe]

If you want to rebuild, you trade your ace and a guy who had a 2.1 WAR in a down year for a second baseman who had a 2.8 WAR last year.


No team would rationally consider this. Rebuilding or not, most especially when trying to win now, as Cleveland is.

You really think Kip has any value? He's been down for 2 years and 2 postseasons. Plus he's getting paid 15 million. Getting rid of that salary would be a blessing.

 

[AZ_]

You really think Kip has any value? He's been down for 2 years and 2 postseasons. Plus he's getting paid 15 million. Getting rid of that salary would be a blessing.

This was probably his worst full season and was still a 1.5 - 2 WAR player.

While I know he’s a message board whipping boy, yes he still has value.

Even straight up, Torres for Kluber makes zero sense to me given that the team isn’t rebuilding.

 

[Alpoe]

I don't think the Yankees have any interest in trading Torres nor do I think the Indians have any interest in trading Kluber, especially to the Yankees of all teams

That may be true, but to compete with Boston, Houston and New York, we need good young hitters. Ive seen enough of Kip, Eddy, and Alonso to know they can't get the job done when it counts. 2 postseasons in a row is enough for me.

 

[JMoneyYourHoney]

Ive seen enough of Kip, Eddy, and Alonso to know they can't get the job done when it counts. 2 postseasons in a row is enough for me.

So what, we're going to discount 1-31 Ramirez too? Why does he get a pass when they don't?

At least those guys don't masquerade as MVP candidates during the regular season.

 

[AZ_]

No offseason for god awful baseball takes.