CLEVELAND (92.3 The Fan) -- Will the Cleveland Indians trade Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer?
That’s a question that every Indians fan is asking. Plenty of other baseball fans are, too. The Tribe should ask for a king’s ransom in return for either ace. Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com isn’t convinced that the Indians will trade Bauer or Kluber.
“I had a couple people tell me that it feels most likely that they would just move Gomes, save a few bucks, apply that money elsewhere and keep the starting pitching intact because that’s a signature strength of this ball club,” Castrovince said on the "MLB Extras" podcast.
Trading catcher Yan Gomes gave them a little flexibility for 2019. Maybe they can add bullpen help or an outfielder with the extra money. Edwin Encarnacion is generating interest on the trade market, another deal that would free up plenty of salary – Encarnacion is set to make $20 million in 2019.
Castrovince seems to think the Indians would have to be blown away by an offer for either starting pitcher.
“Bauer and Kluber are extremely valuable in the trade market, even though it has become a bullpen-oriented game,” Castrovince said. “I think that only accentuates the value of guys who are true horses – that’s what Bauer and Kluber are. I don’t put it past them to move one of those guys, maybe even as soon as the winter meetings.”
The Indians should head into the Winter Meetings with confidence. The Indians have two reliable, high-end starting pitchers that they’re open to trading. They have the leverage. They have assets that other teams want. If there isn’t a deal they like, then they can walk away feeling great about a starting rotation featuring Carlos Carrasco, Kluber and Bauer.
“Bauer and Kluber are probably 1 and 1A, whatever order you want to put them in, at the top of the trade market,” Castrovince said. “I’m sure the offers are enticing, it’s just a matter of do they pull the trigger?”