The Dodgers and Red Sox have expressed interest in the Indians group of controllable, high-quality starters, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. But Cleveland is “not motivated” to move an arm unless a “very compelling deal” is presented, per the report (and as GM Chris Antonetti recently said himself).
We heard yesterday that the Blue Jays were looking hard at Carlos Carrasco, with the Indians willing at least to listen. But it seems that Toronto’s efforts have fallen short, at least for the present.
It’s not surprising to hear that Cleveland is getting hits on its starters, which include Carrasco, reigning Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, and younger arms such as Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer. (Which particular pitchers are receiving the interest has not been reported.) With lengthy and affordable control over all of those pitchers, it would surely take a very significant offer to get something done.
While the Dodgers are an obvious buyer, the Red Sox are not — at least in the traditional sense. But we’ve heard that Boston is considering future-oriented buy-side moves, and that makes Cleveland an interesting potential trade partner.
While both of those clubs are obviously among the larger-budget teams in the sport, that doesn’t make productive, cost-controlled pitching any less valuable to them. Of course, Los Angeles and Boston are also among the organizations best-equipped to take on other salary commitments from the Indians in order to facilitate a trade.
If a team was willing to take Swisher, you’d think they’d be more inclined to listen.
the angels are looking for that lefty bat but I know Swisher is a switch hitter,he could be a nice fit for them
I can’t imagine anyone making a trade for Swisher would be actually willing to play him. He’s been historically bad this season. The Indians just need to get rid of him and his money.
Sure they could get a lot back, but they would be better off holding onto all of their pitchers. They’re all controllable so why not build the team around them as well as Lindor, Allen, Kipnis and Brantley. Get what you can for Moss, Santana, Raburn and Murphy this year. I think they might be just an impact bat or two away from being a real threat to the AL in a couple years.
The problem is the Indians need payroll to afford those impact bats, and they don’t have it. That’s why they could be willing to trade a starter if they can also get rid of Swisher or Bourne.
Devers and Owens for Carrasco
Not nearly enough. Owens has serious command issues and Devers is too far away.
The Indians are said to want near-MLB ready talent, so MAYBE Margot would be of interest to the Indians but I don’t see a pitcher within the Red Sox organization that the Indians would want. They need someone who’d be able to take Carrasco’s place in the rotation.
So two top 50 prospects aren’t enough for a guy with a career era of 4.22? Maybe you should rethink that.
No its not. Carrasco has FIP under 3.00 for the last two seasons, great strikeout numbers and a really team friendly contract.
Maybe if the Indians hire Keith Law to be the GM that offer might fly.
True, Bradley, Ex- Sox Player Middlebrooks are how very rated Boston Prospects are !
All those prospects the Sox are unwilling to trade for Cole Hamels (Betts, Swihart ect) would have to be on the table just to get the conversation started.
For a number two starter? I’d do Swihart and a couple of lottery tickets, but Betts has a higher fWAR than Carrasco this year, so that’s not going to happen. Why exactly would Carrasco be more valuable that Hamels? He’s making less money sure, but Hamels is a better pitcher. Carrasco has never even thrown 200 innings in a season.
As ridiculous as it is to mention Mookie Betts who is a MLB player at this point and no longer a prospect its also ridiculous to think any team will give the Sox and Ace like Hamels or Sonny Gray who was mentioned a week or so ago.
Red Sox had their chance to resign Jon Lester but blew it, no one is going to help them. They should go after Price this off-season and pray the Yankees are not bidding
They will and so will the Dodgers especially if they can’t get Cole Hamels in an Trade this week or Resign Greinke to a more Money extension ! Boston Screw up by letting Lester Walk.
typical sox discussion. last place and no hope of escaping it but all our players are the best in the league and should command incredible hauls in any trade scenario. with so many great players, you wonder why they finish last every year.
Kluber’s contract is second only to Chris Sale’s deal.
Nobody said it wasn’t and nobody doubts the Indians have one fine, young and controllable rotation either. Problem? They have zippity offense to go along with that fine, young, controllable rotation and just might have to move one of those 4 starters to acquire it, or young pieces to develop into an offense.
Sounds like you are talking about the Mets also. With just a little hitting they are both playoff caliber teams.
The Red Sox need to get what they can get for some of these expiring contracts and just go for a high draft pick. They have a decent amount of money coming off the books, cut ties with the dead weight and enjoy free agency/ trade market.
I wonder if the Red Sox would do a Mookie Betts for Kluber, 1 of Carrasco, Bauer, or Salazar, and 1 of clevelands young short stops as the center pieces with the idea of moving bogaerts to 3rd if they shed sandovals salary in a trade.
I honestly don’t think they would but I don’t know how desperate the Red Sox are for young cost controlled pitching. But Kluber, Bauer, a SS, and another prospect for Betts I’m sure is tempting.
I don’t know. I mean, are you sure the Sox are getting enough? I’d feel that the Indians would have to at least add Brantley, Kipnis, and Lindor in addition to Kluber, and one of Carrasco/Salazar/Bauer for the incomparable Mookie Betts.
I don’t think that would be enough, the Indians would have to sign Cueto, eat the whole contract, and include him in the deal as well.
Super fail- David price not Cueto.
You’re not being serious are you? You need more than Betts just to acquire Kluber alone.
Yeah I wasn’t being serious. I don’t think the Indians should trade their young arms.
Lol, Betts ranked 11th on Camerons trade value list, which was higher than Kluber. He currently sports 4WAR this season and 6WAR since being called up, all while making the league min. Betts for Kluber is very fair, but im assuming the Redsox would pass given the age difference (22 vs 29) and the risk of pitchers.
Given the scarcity of top flight pitching on cheap contracts, I have no doubt the Indians would be the ones to hang up on a Betts for Kluber offer. The Red Sox are so desperate for pitching, I doubt they would hesitate to do it.
“Given the scarcity of top flight pitching on cheap contracts”
What about the scarcity of 6-8 WAR 22 year old CFers making the league min? The Redsox would pass on a Betts-Kluber deal and just sign Price, Cueto, or Zim in the offseason.
I’m a little worried you might be disappointed in the Red Sox trades….
You are way off base there bigh52334. A better trade for Red Sox is as follows:
To Boston: Kluber, Carrasco, Lindor, Kipnis, and any 2 of their top 5 prospects
To Cleveland: Betts, and Bradley Jr. and maybe Sandoval if that’s what it takes
Now that is a trade that ensures the Red Sox get enough in return for Betts.
Victorino – 13 mil, Napoli – 16mil, masterson 9.5 mil, de aza – 5 mil – buchholz – 12.5 mill
56 million off the books next year with with just those 5 dead weight players… let them all walk, sign 2 top of the rotation pitchers and an outfielder and stick Hanley at first and get some BP help….
First place contenders in 2016. Dump what you can this year get a high draft pick and possibly dump another contract if you can. Easiest turn around YoY.
Just give me the Sox GM job.
Despite all the expiring contracts, Porcello’s new deal of $20 million kicks in. This f*(8ing team sure knows how to throw away money.
They’re not paying De Aza’s contract, Baltimor is. Plus about 8 million of that has to be used to cover Porcello’s raise.
A sign of the times. Teams value prospects way more than ever before. The cost effects; the players that are controllable, are now more valuable. I am not sure we will see the flurry of trades now at this deadline than what we saw at the winter meetings.
I know that the red sox are looking for young and cost controlled starting pitching , Just look how the angels got theirs the last two seasons, Traded trumbo and got skaggs and santiago. this year they traded hank conger and got Perez and Tropeano. Then trading away kendrick in a contract year to land andrew heaney who I think is going to be a legit ace. I think if Boston put Mookie Betts or Swihart on the table, they could go acquire an ace like Gray or deGrom just giving examples.
BOS: Salazar
CLE: Margot, Johnson
makes sense for both sides. Boston gets a young pitcher with upside, CLE gets 2 top 100s (one top 30 in Margot). Margot could get to the majors sometime next year and Johnson could stick in their roation now and profile as a mid rotation starter.
Why not just offer Margot and Johnson plus 1 more decent prospect and a lotto pick for Hamels, considering hes way better than Salazar
Because Hamels will be 32 next year and is making 23mil a year until hes 35. If the Redsox wanted to throw that kind of money around they would just sign one of Cueto/Price/Zimmerann/Greinke.
Whats the motivation for a team that was projected to be in first this year (sound familiar, Boston?) to trade a young controllable starter for two players that are not yet ready/proven? Cleveland won’t even have to rebound from last place to make first next year. They are closer than Boston. They already have a rotation. It would make more sense for the prospects to be going Boston’s direction, and the proven player to be going to Cleveland. Boston can add the acquired players to their “untouchables” list, and continue to wonder why their pitching is so bad.
Love it, Red Sox nation is in top form……
It’s July 24, they continue to talk about how their prospects are all so great and how they’re doing another team a favor by taking one of their good players; meanwhile they’re in 7th heaven talking about next year as their team prepares to tank for the 3rd time in 4 years….but boy, are they going to be good next year!
If the Dodgers are willing to deal Puig, then I can certainly see both teams being able to match up well in a trade. The Dodgers want another top of the rotation starter, and the Indians want offense. Also, it has been reported that the Dodgers would move Puig for “equivalent value” and that would certainly be the case in this scenario. As for the Red Sox, they should be all in on him as right know he seems like their best trade target. The question comes down to whether or not the Indians want position prospects that are quite a ways away, and it doesn’t seem like that is the case. Both Margot and Devers would be appealing to them though as they both represent an area of need for them.
Good point.
The Indians like to rehab both injured players and those that have – shall we say – a different way of approaching baseball. They haven’t been very successful doing this, but they keep trying.
Maybe they can give Puig Chris Perez’ old number. Nyger Morgan’s?
i dont see trading puig as a good idea unless the dodgers have a plan in mind on who going to replace him
I wonder if you took bourn, swisher, and santana’s awful contracts if they’d just give you kluber and carrasco
Again, Jeff. Read what you write before you post it. This article says, “which particular PITCHES are receiving the interest has not been reported”. So you’re saying that clubs are interested in trading certain pitches of their pitchers to other clubs?