Cleveland Indians 2018-2019 Offseason Outlook

[Alpoe]

I'm so tired of the "if it's the best package it doesn't matter that you're significantly strengthening your competition" argument

It clearly factors into the decision and this weird "do whatever makes the team better completely ignoring all other factors in the decision" theory was spammed ad nauseam when the Cavs traded with the Celtics.

There's a reason the Cavs are the only team dumb enough to do it. Look at all the other NBA trades for superstars. Literally can't remember the last non Kyrie star trade that didn't ship out of conference. Baseball is different, but strengthening by far the Yankees biggest weakness and just pointing to us making our team better is honestly pretty lazy thinking

The cavs were dumb for taking a guy that more than likely had a career ending injury. I don't know how many times I have to repeat that if the cavs got Tatum or Brown plus the Brooklyn pick, nobody would have cared that much.

At the end of the day, if the Indians get a player or two that turns into an all-star, I really could careless if it happen to come from the yankees.

 

[Alpoe]

My thinking is that the Indians may be willing to deal Kluber not just because of $, but also because they see an issue with him (age, health, both). So maybe they wouldn't be strengthening them that much?

I think thats the case. Selling at the highest value. I don't think he is washed up, but he probably is on the decline a little bit. This isn't like Verlander, who is still throwing 98+ at age 35. That's never been Kluber's game, so who knows how he will pitch in 2 years when he's 35.

 

[JayDD1972]

I have a hunch if we are trading guys like Kluber/Carrasco, for players who are already MLB ready with years of control plus prospects. Andujar is 23 at the moment who .297 with 27 HRs, so he is already a pretty productive player. I suggested Olson, who is 24 and had 24 HRs and a gold glove at first from Oakland. Then we will be trying to trade like EE, Kipnis etc to cut salary and get prospects back then look to sign like a Marwin to fill in a positional need plus maybe like a Buchholz to minor league/1 year contracts to fill in the starting spot.

In my personal opinion, if we trade a Kluber, it will be only one deal which will be apart of many. Also I doubt we will trade Gomes unless we feel Haase/Perez can handle the pitching staff, so I don't think thats happening unless the deal makes us better at the end. The FO of the Indians right now is notoriously known for setting prices and not allowing them to go any lower regardless of offers hence why Kipnis wasn't traded last offseason (Though looking back, I think we would have been okay with Diaz at 3rd and Ramirez at 2nd since he didn't have a strong season)

Ok, Andujar is a nice player, but if the goal is to trade him and still be able to win now, you would just be making the Yankees that much harder to beat if we faced them in the Playoffs. I like your Oakland idea much, much better.

 

[sportscoach]

Ok, Andujar is a nice player, but if the goal is to trade him and still be able to win now, you would just be making the Yankees that much harder to beat if we faced them in the Playoffs. I like your Oakland idea much, much better.

Hence why everyone on here doesn't want Kluber to go to the Yankees, but rather to a different team at the end of the day, if we trade him. I bet you the price for the Yankees to acquire a Kluber is really, really high. I am expecting Andujar, Green, Sheffield, Bird/1st base type of prospect at AA/AAA and like a Frazier/another OF prospect that can contribute next season. It sincerely may cost the Yankees almost too much to go acquire him. Indians will have a very high price set for Kluber, and if someone actually matches it then a deal will be done.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

My thinking is that the Indians may be willing to deal Kluber not just because of $, but also because they see an issue with him (age, health, both). So maybe they wouldn't be strengthening them that much?

I trust the Indians front office infinitely more than Dan and Koby. So if they make that move I tend to agree that would be the thinking

BUT then you better be right. It's a risk. If he goes the Verlander route while you're still contending and Kluber is delivering knockout punches to your playoff runs? Man that's just a really big risk. And I feel weird even calling it the Verlander route because Kluber is still pitching at a Cy Young finalist level.

A trade can very well improve both teams, but I don't think the logic should be as simple as "does this make us better"

Because if it makes us 5% better and the Yankees 10% better then is it really a trade we should be making? I would say no

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

The cavs were dumb for taking a guy that more than likely had a career ending injury. I don't know how many times I have to repeat that if the cavs got Tatum or Brown plus the Brooklyn pick, nobody would have cared that much.

At the end of the day, if the Indians get a player or two that turns into an all-star, I really could careless if it happen to come from the yankees.

Yeah and if we get Judge, Andujar, Chapman, Frazier, and Sheffield I doubt anyone would care

That's how realistic getting Tatum and the Brooklyn pick was.

 

[sportscoach]

Yeah and if we get Judge, Andujar, Chapman, Frazier, and Sheffield I doubt anyone would care

That's how realistic getting Tatum and the Brooklyn pick was.

Indians arent trading Kluber this season unless we get an overpay for him honestly. I think what they are trying to is if we can get a great deal for Kluber, that helps replace EE, Kipnis etc, then they will move those two as well, then have money to allocate to free agency/trade for veterans like Eaton, who can make this team better. Hence why if we make a trade, there will be a few trades, to improve improve this overall team. So we trade from starting pitching to improve the lineup, while we trade our expensive veterans to be able to get better fits via free agency/ and-or in trades for veterans. Personally that is what I see their plan is. We have the division won on paper with this team, but no way we can actually beat the Yankees at the moment I feel, so we need some changes. Now it could be as small as trading for an Eaton and moving Kipnis/EE to offset the money, or it could be a series of moves. They are going to look at every avenue to make this team better and they will have to be creative to do it.

 

[southsiderwp]

My thinking is that the Indians may be willing to deal Kluber not just because of $, but also because they see an issue with him (age, health, both). So maybe they wouldn't be strengthening them that much?

Then Kluber returns to his normal self a la Verlander and is lights out in the post season again like 2016

 

[Alpoe]

Hence why everyone on here doesn't want Kluber to go to the Yankees, but rather to a different team at the end of the day, if we trade him. I bet you the price for the Yankees to acquire a Kluber is really, really high. I am expecting Andujar, Green, Sheffield, Bird/1st base type of prospect at AA/AAA and like a Frazier/another OF prospect that can contribute next season. It sincerely may cost the Yankees almost too much to go acquire him. Indians will have a very high price set for Kluber, and if someone actually matches it then a deal will be done.

At the end of the day the Yankees will get some star players this off-season. Last year they got Giancarlo, this year they may get Machado and 2 pitchers with one of them being Paxson or Kluber. Its just the nature of baseball economics.

Since we went to the world series, we have lost our main guys out of the bullpen, and about to lose Brantley with adding only Edwin and Alonso. We did add Hand, but it's just not the same what Boston and New York are adding. Boston has added Sale and Martinez the past 2 off-seasons. So if we are out of money to make a splash in free agency, trading one of the big 3 is the only way to go.

 

[JayDD1972]

Hence why everyone on here doesn't want Kluber to go to the Yankees, but rather to a different team at the end of the day, if we trade him. I bet you the price for the Yankees to acquire a Kluber is really, really high. I am expecting Andujar, Green, Sheffield, Bird/1st base type of prospect at AA/AAA and like a Frazier/another OF prospect that can contribute next season. It sincerely may cost the Yankees almost too much to go acquire him. Indians will have a very high price set for Kluber, and if someone actually matches it then a deal will be done.

The trade ive seen talked about is Andujar, Sheffield and Frazier. Maybe i missed the other pieces, but thats the trade ive seen proposed. By posters, not the actual Indians of course.

 

[Steve_424]

From MLBTraderumors/Ken Rosenthal:

Rosenthal quotes a rival executive who says the Phillies are “shopping the hell” out of first baseman Carlos Santana. If they could move off the two years and more than $35MM owed to Santana, the Phils would love to move Rhys Hoskins back to first, since he recorded an unsightly -24 DRS in left field last season.

I've said it before but a deal centered around Kipnis and Santana makes a lot of sense for both teams if the Indians can salary-dump Alonso on someone else. Carlos could lead off, as he did in 2016, and push Lindor to the middle of the order, where he'd arguably create a larger impact.

 

[Urban]

I don't think the Indians have any interest in trading expensive contract for expensive contract.

 

[chuck0609]

Because they are the competition. Why aren't rebuilding (yet), we are apparently just retooling.

So, if that is the case, we shouldn't be aiding one of our biggest competitors. It would be so Cleveland to give the Yankees Kluber and then have to watch him kick our ass in the postseason multiple times.

The AL Central is still bad. The streak, by all means, should continue. We shouldn't be boosting one of the other AL playoff teams, it makes no sense.

It does an it doesn't. Kluber has been a disappointment the past two post seasons, and the Indians have holes in other positions. One thing they appear to have is starting pitching.

There's no guarantee Kluber will maintain Cy Young levels in NY, and the Indians likely can win the central division without him, especially if they can bolster the outfield and bullpen.

Unfortunately they can't stand still and hope to compete for a WS. They have to make a move, and via trade may allow them to extend their window and/or create a new window.

 

[AZ_]

Were labeling Kluber as a disappointment now?

Lol

 

[bboy]

Kluber is a phenomenal pitcher...2016 postseason was his zenith except for game 7 but he was gassed...The only realistic way for the Indians to stay as legit WS contenders is through a trade to get outfield and relief help...we simply don’t have the $ to get top free agents...Now is trading Kluber the smart move? Will he start to decline? has that decline already begun? Do we have enough pitching without him to make the playoffs? probably...They have to retool someway...I think they should look to revamp the lineup with guys that get on base not necessarily through the home run...speed guys...how many games did we score 5 runs in one inning and nothing the rest of the game? approach the game almost like an old school national league team