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Your 2019 Cleveland Indians

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Olney on Brad Hand:

Brad Hand, Cleveland Indians
The two-time All-Star is having a spectacular season, with a 1.01 ERA, and seven walks and 39 strikeouts in 26⅔ innings. The 29-year-old is making $7.1 million this year, $7.6 million next year, and his contract, signed when he was in the Padres' organization, holds a $10 million team option for 2021, with a $1 million buyout.

So any team interested in making a deal with the Indians would not only have to properly compensate Cleveland for one of the best relievers in baseball, but also for the value of a deal that is relatively modest. Hand makes less than the Dodgers' Joe Kelly, who got $25 million over three years with the Dodgers last winter.

Given the challenges of their market and resulting payroll, the Indians will always objectively evaluate offers for players who have outsized value -- and Hand fits that description right now. And the Indians are in the same position of leverage that the Yankees were when they dangled Andrew Miller in the market in the summer of 2016. Cleveland could insist on strong return, or they can simply keep Hand to be their closer in 2020.

Evaluators with other teams believe the Indians will move Hand, because of the volatility of reliever performance, and because Hand's value will never be higher than it is right now.
 
Olney on Brad Hand:

Brad Hand, Cleveland Indians
The two-time All-Star is having a spectacular season, with a 1.01 ERA, and seven walks and 39 strikeouts in 26⅔ innings. The 29-year-old is making $7.1 million this year, $7.6 million next year, and his contract, signed when he was in the Padres' organization, holds a $10 million team option for 2021, with a $1 million buyout.

So any team interested in making a deal with the Indians would not only have to properly compensate Cleveland for one of the best relievers in baseball, but also for the value of a deal that is relatively modest. Hand makes less than the Dodgers' Joe Kelly, who got $25 million over three years with the Dodgers last winter.

Given the challenges of their market and resulting payroll, the Indians will always objectively evaluate offers for players who have outsized value -- and Hand fits that description right now. And the Indians are in the same position of leverage that the Yankees were when they dangled Andrew Miller in the market in the summer of 2016. Cleveland could insist on strong return, or they can simply keep Hand to be their closer in 2020.

Evaluators with other teams believe the Indians will move Hand, because of the volatility of reliever performance, and because Hand's value will never be higher than it is right now.

I agree with Olney on the value of Hand, but sincerely it would depend on if we get good enough value back and if we figure out someone to replace him. I feel with this roster we go for 2020, which means why trade Hand, when we want to win it all next season?
 
I agree with Olney on the value of Hand, but sincerely it would depend on if we get good enough value back and if we figure out someone to replace him. I feel with this roster we go for 2020, which means why trade Hand, when we want to win it all next season?


Probably because closers are overvalued, the window is closing, and if you can jump start the rebuild, while depending on the return, also get some guys that may be able to help you compete next year you HAVE to do it if you're the Indians.

An above average starting every day player > An All Star Closer (waits for someone with analytics to prove me wrong)
 
Probably because closers are overvalued, the window is closing, and if you can jump start the rebuild, while depending on the return, also get some guys that may be able to help you compete next year you HAVE to do it if you're the Indians.

An above average starting every day player > An All Star Closer (waits for someone with analytics to prove me wrong)

I don't think any of what you're saying is incorrect. But if the Indians plan to seriously contend next year (which is probably wishful thinking from everything that has happened since the Astros swept them), you would think they would want to keep around the elite bullpen arm that is locked in at a reasonable rate.

But maybe you get a team to overpay at the deadline because the team is teetering on the fence and you like some of your internal options going forward (Wittgren, Sandlin, Karinchak.If you're in a position to contend next year in July, go get a new closer then.
 
Opening Day - May 13
Record: 21-19
OPS: .643 (28th)
wRC+: 69 (29th)
HR: 36 (27th)
K%: 25.3% (24th)
BB%: 9.7% (8th)
Starter ERA: 3.98 (10th)
Bullpen ERA: 3.10 (2nd)

May 14-present
Record: 12-13
OPS: .779 (12th)
wRC+: 103 (14th)
HR: 42 (9th)
K%: 19.7% (5th)
BB%: 10.4% (1st)
Starter ERA: 5.09 (21st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.46 (3rd)

May 14th is when Mercado was called up. Not all the credit is to him though. These guys have been tremendous since then:

OPS
Santana 1.098
Perez 1.029
Lindor .961
Luplow .868
Mercado .820

Injuries to the rotation have really held the team back form making a nice run. Inconsistencies haven't helped either. Nonetheless, some encouraging offensive performers.
 
Love this kid, Oscar. Had a good feeling about him all year. Glad to see him get this walk-off under his belt.
 
What would be a realistic trade for Hand if Indians decide to deal him?
 
What would be a realistic trade for Hand if Indians decide to deal him?

2 top end prospects, and a young high end prospect already in the majors. Plus something. Basically the same deal Yankees traded Miller for.

That's my starting asking price. Indians are trying to.compete and have a top 5 closer under a great contract for the next 2.5 years. No reason to trade him unless blown away
 
I'm not at all in favor of moving Hand unless some team just throws a stupid offer at the Tribe. If you're going to move a guy, Bauer is the play - trade from a position of power. You'd still have Kluber, Carrasco, Clevinger, Bieber, Plesac in 2020 along with Rodriguez, McKenzie, and potentially an arm you'd get for Bauer. Hell, you could move Kluber this winter as well and still have a really nice rotation.
 
Love this kid, Oscar. Had a good feeling about him all year. Glad to see him get this walk-off under his belt.

May also be a steal from the Cardinals as well, since neither of the guys we traded for him have produced yet in the minors for them (though everyone liked the two guys, Capel, Jhon Torres, we did trade for him potentially and Torres actually shouldn't at at A yet anyways while 19 years old).
 
I'm not at all in favor of moving Hand unless some team just throws a stupid offer at the Tribe. If you're going to move a guy, Bauer is the play - trade from a position of power. You'd still have Kluber, Carrasco, Clevinger, Bieber, Plesac in 2020 along with Rodriguez, McKenzie, and potentially an arm you'd get for Bauer. Hell, you could move Kluber this winter as well and still have a really nice rotation.

That is why I am open to move Bauer this season even if all we get is bats since we have the SP depth from the pipeline we have created. Don't forget Morgan will finish this season likely with a few AAA starts, then we have Karinchak, Sandlin, Nelson, Broom , Civale, probably all ready for the bullpen by this/next season as well. Hentges could also be in that mix somewhere since he will likely get his first taste of AAA sometime this season. They have some nice arms ready to compete for the team next season. I just don't know if I want to trust a closer role to a rookie when the talent will be there overall to actually make a run at the playoffs.
 
Every night i come home and check scores/highlights, can Minnesota keep this up? These guys are just absolutely murdering everyone right now. I would hope at some point they come back to earth, this is crazy . . .
 
Every night i come home and check scores/highlights, can Minnesota keep this up? These guys are just absolutely murdering everyone right now. I would hope at some point they come back to earth, this is crazy . . .

Look at the Rangers as well, somehow they are 36-30 with that roster, both teams cannot keep playing this well, and those are the two teams in front of us when it comes to the playoffs.
 
Every night i come home and check scores/highlights, can Minnesota keep this up? These guys are just absolutely murdering everyone right now. I would hope at some point they come back to earth, this is crazy . . .

I honestly never check other team's scores. Never made sense to me that others do. If the Indians don't play good baseball, they aren't going to be in the playoff picture, if they do, they will be.

What the Twins are doing matters very little to me.
 

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