The Indians are “focused” on adding a center fielder in the 23 hours leading up to Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney. His colleague, Jerry Crasnick, offered plenty of additional insight into the matter earlier this morning as well (all Twitter links).
As Crasnick points out, the market for center field upgrades is fairly limited in nature. Adam Jones reportedly isn’t planning on waiving his 10-and-5 rights to approve a trade away from the Orioles, Billy Hamilton is once again having a dreadful season at the plate, and Leonys Martin has battled injuries while struggling at the plate recently. Crasnick lists Houston’s Jake Marisnick as a potential rebound candidate who could pique the Indians’ interest, though the Astros have no plans of merely giving him away, and Marisnick isn’t hitting well at all in 2018.
Looking beyond that group, the Rays and Marlins would surely be open to deals involving respective outfielders Carlos Gomez and Cameron Maybin, though neither is performing well at the plate this season (especially in Gomez’s case). Speculating further, the Padres have a number of outfielders on the roster, and 27-year-old Travis Jankowski could conceivably be moved given San Diego’s depth. He’s not hitting especially well in 2018, either, but has gotten on base at a respectable clip and has a solid defensive reputation.
The Cleveland outfield has been slammed by injuries in 2018, as Bradley Zimmer is done for the year due to shoulder surgery while Lonnie Chisenhall will be sidelined into September by a calf issue. The Indians also just lost Tyler Naquin to a hip injury, only furthering the team’s need to add to the outfield. While there’s been speculation about the possibility of Cleveland adding a second baseman such as Minnesota’s Brian Dozier in order to shift Jason Kipnis to center field, Olney suggests a conventional addition of a more experienced center fielder to be a likelier option.
Why is Tommy Pham not including to any of the list. He is available too.
Because he’s not that good
Didn’t he have a really good 2017??
He had a strong 1998, struggled ever since.
1998?
Name one person on that list better than Tommy Pham?
I agree, pham’s down this year but the talent is there, plus he has 2 more years of control. I think the cards and Indians match up well on a trade, the Indians could use norris too
Yes he would be a good add for Cleveland. And the Cards need to let Bader and ONeil play everyday to see what they have in them. We are a team in transition.
Indians and Cardinals tend to find each other around the trade deadline. Wouldn’t be surprised if a Cardinal outfielder is headed to Cleveland in the next day.
Who do they currently have that is expendable, that the Cards need?
The Cardinals need either a 3rd baseman or a shortstop.
Yu Chang can play either of those positions, and is blocked by Ramirez and Lindor. He would make a great trade chip.
Chang doesn’t play 3rd base, he is a SS/2nd by trade. When he was in Akron last year I don’t recall him playing 3rd once.
He’s played 16 games at 3B this season for Columbus. He’s played only 4 at 2B.
Doesn’t matter he hits right-handed. Cards only looking for a Lefty.
This is a great point; I didn’t even think about that but it always seems to happen. I’d be willing to pony up to get Bader, but I’m sure they’re keeping him. Pham is probably more likely if anyone were to go.
That’s because both teams suck.
Kluber for Ender straight up (now tell me do you really wanna love me forever?)
Even as a braves fan that’s incredibly unfair to the Indians. Jeez
The Braves could shift acuna to center and pick up an Adam Jones type that’s not Adam Jones for left field while catapulting forward their rotation.
’twas a joke
Dexter Fowler is the answer!
Yes ! I agree Fowler could be had for cheap at this point.
Not with all that $$ remaining on the contract. If Jacobs still owned the Tribe it wouldn’t be a problem but alas we have penny pinching Dolan.
They are at an all-time high for the franchise in player payroll. The narrative that the Dolans won’t spend is old and tired. They may not toss money around like the Yankees or Dodgers, but they pay when the time is right.
Well said Burgeezy
The narrative seems to go for all fair weather fans. If they dont spend like the Dodgers, Yankees or Red Sox they are instantly penny pinchers.
A big fat NO on Fowler, but any of Ozuna, Pham, or Bader would fit in Cleveland.
Yikes
What is the question if Fowler is the answer??
“Got some extra bats and balls?”
42.
The question would be, “Who would the Cardinals love to get rid of”.
No he isn’t.
How about Andrew McCutchen? Can he play center for them or move another outfielder like Allen or Melky
McCutchen would be a nice fit in RF.
Agreed
They should have been focused on adding an outfielder in the offseason but alas. To me they have a few good options and not many other teams in the outfield market so this should be a relatively easy process. However, the Indians front office often doesn’t get very creative on the trade end of things. It would not surprise me if August 1st comes and they have done nothing.
Are you serious about not getting “creative on the trade end of things?” Kluber, Carrasco, Clevinger, Bauer, Brantley, Gomes, and obviously Miller have all come via trade. The notion that they don’t make good trades or aren’t creative in that regard is a load of crap.
They are great sell side traders (finding prospects when selling off MLB talent) but they are fairly average to below average on the buy side.
So an ALCS MVP is an average return? Granted they paid a high prospect cost for Miller, but with the years of control at his salary it was bound to be expensive. Prior to this year he ranked in the top 3 for WAR on the entire team.
Bruce and Joe smith were excellent pick ups last year for low costs in prospects.
Relentless
Rockies have a set of CF’s who are young and can’t break into the starting lineup (they should … but that’s another story). They’re cheap too. Wonder if there’s something there for someone like Dahl or Tapia or Mike Tauchman (who is leading AAA in hitting and OPS I believe).
Keon Broxton?
That’s a really good suggestion actually
With Phillips now gone the Brewers might be reluctant to let him go.
That’s possible but there still isn’t a clear path for him
I was looking to see if anybody brought up Broxton. It could work for both teams, Sterns isn’t a guy that wants to sell the farm it seems. As a Brewer fan, it makes sense, Cain & Yelich can both play center.
Trade for Choo
At this juncture of his career, Choo is a DH not OF.
Not a Center fielder anymore. Still has a cannon but no range
A cannon? Did you see the weak throw he had against the Indians during recent series? Pitiful.
Billy Hamilton for a bag of used batting practice baseballs and an old pitching rubber from the bullpen mound….Come on Reds…let’s do this!
No thanks, don’t want him in Cleveland.
I doubt the return would be minimal but I’d love to get him
Somehow one of my replies on a different comment got put here. I want no part of Billy Hamilton.
I think Bader could be the Indians answer. He’s a flat out stud, I would compare him to a good hitting Hamilton. He may not be as fast as Hamilton but he’s pretty close to that speed.
Bader is not likely to be moved, he’s got to be viewed as the starting centerfielder or at least fourth outfielder if Fowler ever wakes up for next year. Pham is a more likely trade candidate
Take Keon Broxton off the Brewers hands. He’s essentially blocked. He’ll give u great defense, speed on the bases will K a ton and hit for some power and hit for a low BA
It’s funny, my friends and I were just talking about needing a lower team batting average with more strikeouts
So you guys were discussing Joey Gallo to the Tribe scenarios?
Paging Tommy Pham. Tommy Pham!
Leury Garcia has put up 1.5 bWAR, .6 fWAR because they don’t like his D as much, in only 67 games. He’s cheap, under control for 2 more years, hits well from the right side and wouldn’t cost much in prospects.
Problem is every time they go after players in same division its a kings ransom. Case in point last year with JD Martinez they wanted him bad and Tigers wanted Meija, Chang and 2 other top 20’s. Yet traded to Arizona for peanuts.
Don’t tell us what was asked for. Tell us what the Tribe offered that was better than what they got?
Well Meija and Chang were both offered as both are blocked. That’s evident as they were willing to move Meija and Chang for Lucroy. But it was pretty much the same package that would have went to Milwaukee and was elated when Lucroy said no.
Sox didn’t ask much from KC for Melky last year. Guessing a project prospect in the lower half of the Tribe’s top 30 would do it..
Sox are also going to have an OF and 40 man crunch really soon. Hahn’s gonna have to let some guys go.
You guys have been talking about the Tribes need for a center fielder for a while now.
Those in power must come here to read everyone’s ideas for trades.
Jank makes the most sense for both sides
The padres gave 4 center fielders with mlb experience
Two in the 25 man, 1 in triple a off the 40 and one on the 60 day dl
Leonys Martin, Nicholas Castellanos and Alex Wilson for Bradley Zimmer, Shane Bieber and Ben Taylor.
The Indians can’t go wrong if they’re able to acquire Harrison Bader.
Way too little for that package the Tigers would get fleeced
Keon Broxton. Could have his bags packed immediately. and be there tonight. Waddya want for him?
Idk what you wouldn’t want Bill Hamilton. Won’t cost much in a trade. Amazing defense, has been hitting quite well (your not trading for a lead off hitter) and late game in a playoff he will win a game or two with his legs
Marisnick is someone I’d be willing to give a shot to; he’s barely had 150 at bats and he’s still been worth almost a win (at least if you prefer bWAR to fWAR). He’s such a good defender that if his bat comes around ~at all~ he could be a solid player. I’ve also been interested in Jankowski, and if they’d rather add a corner guy I love Derek Dietrich.
That said, none of those guys are players that a team trying to win a title should be talking itself into. So these are basically just guys that I’d be less disappointed to get.
Indians need Kevin Keirmyer…..Rays in a salary dumping mode (SURPRISE!!) and he’s a perfect fit for the Tribe……probably would take minimal prospect return…..
I love that idea. If Kiermaier hits he’sso valuable
They don’t want to pay that bill. And the Rays have no reason to move him when he’s so cheap. They have only made available higher payroll players and guys that aren’t going to contribute to the future.
KK has about 50M coming thru a long term deal he signed last year; nothing cheap about that. I see Rays going through a total rebuild aiming toward the new stadium (?).
I think when they made the deal with San Diego they should of went after Wil Myers as well. Sure not a CF but another power right handed bat only 27 and still controllable and can play the corner OF. They could easily moved Brantley to CF where he has played before and still has a strong arm.
I wouldn’t move Brantley anywhere but DH. He hasn’t been very good defensively in LF this year, nor would I want to risk the extra injury from moving him to a more demanding position.
What about calling Texas about Delino Deshields? Speed and more upside than most of the others mentioned.
+1
Yeah y’all have no idea what you’re talking about. Bader absolutely won’t get traded. Fowler y’all can have,Pham sucks so you can have him. We will thrown in relief pitcher Matt Bowman as well
Y’all
Missouri…you wouldn’t understand
Pham for Nolan Jones
That would be a great trade. The Indians also have an outfielder named Oscar Gonzalez. He has 70 grade arm. I’d like to see him in that deal as well.
I don’t know much about Indians prospects. I have heard of Jones and saw he was rated pretty high. I think Jones and a lower level prospect would get it done
Tommy Pham isn’t in the lineup tonight
Interesting. Maybe he’s gone.
Fowler had a ton of success w the Cubbies.
But i agree Kiermaier is s great option and Pham is a nice player who won’t cost a ton. But im sure Cle can get StL to pay some ofDex’s contract.
Gonna be Ellsbury…
Janko worthless
Seems to me Broxton and Santana would solve just about all their problems. They would get an awesome defensive CF with incredible speed and above average power in Broxton.
Then Santana could be a solid RH corner OF and occasional DH. Seems to me like a no brainer especially since the cost for 2 guys in AAA has got to be lower then any guys in MLB. Probably get it done for Chang or Castro and Bradley.
Also don’t see Bradley in any trade, 1B of the future. EE is getting up in age and salary they might not pay for and let him go as the hope is they sign Lindor to a longterm contract this winter and will need that money to do so, still have Alons0 but by time contract expires Bradley should be ready if not sooner.
They will eventually let Bradley go just like the last 1B if the future (Aguilar) who went elsewhere and became a star.
Aguilar need a change of scenery, he was up and down and wasn’t doing well in Triple A. The Alonso signing sealed his fate a proven MLB 1B when Aguilar was up he never showed it. As said the change of scenery might have clicked a light bulb moment.
Do you really know anything about Tribe baseball, because it doesn’t seem like it. Aguilar was doing fine at AAA, but was never given a fair shot, and now the same thing is happening to Yandy Diaz.
Aguilar was cut the year prior to Alonso’s signing…
Comparing Aguilar and Bradley is not a fair comparison. Bradley is held in higher regard both by Cleveland and baseball in general. The tribe brass will hold onto him unless he is required to bring a young cost controlled player in a position of need, like center. They won’t just straight up cut him like they did with Aguilar (which was a damn shame).
Handy has been given every chance to show something. They don’t need a punch & Judy hitter, built like Popeye hits like Olive Oyl…
You realize they signed Alonso over a year after releasing Aguilar right?
And in the meantime, Brandon Barnes languishes in AAA Columbus……….
A 32 year old that has 19 career HR’s and 100 RBI’s. not happening.
Sure, never mind that he’s a RH bat having a good season and can play all the OF positions, because if he doesn’t hit a ton of home runs then he must be worthless.
tribe fan here and i don’t want him up. trade for an upgrade… he never did much with colorado playing half his games at coors field. he’s basically a platoon guy in the mold of what we already have
Sufferfortribe falls in love with the best AAAA players that will never solve major league issues.
Pretty disappointed Jones isn’t waiving that trade clause.
The Indians and Pirates can be a match. Pittsburgh is in a tough situation where they should add on but it would make more sense to add long term pieces, and they have spare outfielders.
I’m not sure if I’d like to see the Pirates as bold to trading Starling Marte or Corey Dickerson, but maybe Austin Meadows for Bieber and Kipnis, with Cleveland throwing in a little bit of cash, and Pittsburgh taking on the majority of the deal.
How about Luery Garcia from the White Sox.