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Cleveland Indians 2018-2019 Offseason Outlook

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i don't think Bauer is available. Just think teams are calling to see what it would take to at least make Cleveland consider a trade
They should make Bauer available. Let's face it, at this point in their careers, Bauer is a better pitcher than Kluber. He's younger, has better velocity and no pitcher is more durable than him. Bauer won't be here past 2020, so if a team is willing to give a ton, you would have to think about trading him.
 
Article on ESPN saying Cubs could potential deal Kris Bryant this winter. Battled some injuries last year. Any takers for Kluber?
 
Article on ESPN saying Cubs could potential deal Kris Bryant this winter. Battled some injuries last year. Any takers for Kluber?

He has the same price tag as Kluber would in a trade so in a sense, sure, but Chicago wouldn't trade him to us unless we offered more than just Kluber. It would have to be a deal where we truly overpay for him plus we are a small market team, so we wouldn't be able to retain him long term. I think if anything we need to get guys back from the Kluber trade that we can retain/sign long term as well to contracts like Ramirez got in a sense.
 
Is Andujar actually expendable for Kluber? 128 wRC+ as a 23 year old? I think I suffer from some Kluber fatigue but some package around a young hitter THAT good is pretty enticing. I think we can cycle pitching through our system over the next few years but I have little faith we could unearth a young corner infielder as good as MA.

He just hit .297 as a 23 year old and had damn near 50 doubles at a premium corner position.

As a 23 year old, MLB ranks among 3B:

AVG: #2
2B: #3
HR: #9
RBI: #T-5
OBP: #10
SLG: #4
OPS: #6

Plus, he was a sub 100 K guy in 573 AB's.......that is Bregman level.

Am I just drinking the Andujar kool-aid or would the Yankees actually move him for starting pitching?

I'm a big fan of Andujar. The only major negative is defense - some even think his future is corner OF. But let's say you deal Kluber for Andujar/Frazier/Sheffield. That fills two holes and gives you a SP to replace Kluber in the rotation.


They should make Bauer available. Let's face it, at this point in their careers, Bauer is a better pitcher than Kluber. He's younger, has better velocity and no pitcher is more durable than him. Bauer won't be here past 2020, so if a team is willing to give a ton, you would have to think about trading him.

I'm not dealing Bauer, and I'm not sure I agree that he's gone when he hits FA.
 
Anyone have Buster Oneys write up today?

Corey Kluber will be 33 years old next April, and if he was about to hit free agency there would be important questions about the high risk of a long-term investment in a pitcher with more than 2,000 innings logged in professional baseball.

But Kluber, the Cy Young award winner in the American League in 2014 and 2017, is not a free agent; rather, he's under team control for the next three years, but only a year at a time through a series of one-year club options. He's set to make $17 million next year, and next fall the front office for which he works can decide whether to pick up a $17.5 million option for 2020, and if so, it can wait through the 2020 season before choosing whether to exercise the $18 million option on 2021.

The contract bears almost no risk whatsoever, and for clubs of every market size this would help to make him an enormously attractive trade target now that the Indians are actively listening to offers for their most expensive players.

Kluber would fit into the modest budget of a team like the Brewers and take up relatively little space on the payroll of a big-money team. But his deal would also be helpful to big-market teams looking to squeeze an established high-impact player on their roster. In the Indians' effort to manage their payroll, they could use Kluber's trade value as a way to shed another unwanted contract by attaching the right-hander to one of the two big-money contracts they want to shed -- that of DH/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who is owed $26.67 million under the terms of his deal, including a $5 million buyout on a 2020 option; and Jason Kipnis, owed $17.17 million, including a $2.5 buyout on a '20 option.

The Indians are also open for business if teams want to discuss Carlos Carrasco, who's playing under a contract structured similarly to that of Kluber, or Trevor Bauer, who is eligible for arbitration after the best season of his career. They'll listen to offers for catchers Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez.

They aren't tanking, however. They won't trade shortstop Francisco Lindor or fellow infielder Jose Ramirez, and they'll probably wind up keeping one or two of the trio of Kluber, Carrasco and Bauer to couple with Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber. The Indians will go into 2019 as heavy favorites to win the weak AL Central, again.

But capitalizing now on the value of Kluber's standing as one of baseball's best pitchers, as well as his contract, and using him as a vehicle to shed dollars and add prospects could make a lot of sense for the Indians.

Some teams that could be a match for a Kluber deal:

The Padres: Kluber began his professional career in the San Diego organization before he was dealt to Cleveland in 2010 in a three-team trade that resulted in the Padres getting outfielder Ryan Ludwick. The Padres have been desperately looking for a veteran starter to front a rotation that will be talented and young moving forward, and they are loaded with prospects; the Indians won't have trouble finding possible matches. The Padres have demonstrated the willingness to take bad contracts in order to add a targeted player -- last year, they absorbed the $13 million owed to Chase Headley in order to take on Bryan Mitchell. San Diego might be able to take Kipnis.

The Dodgers: There's some question about how much L.A. is willing to spend for next season, but Kluber could be a great value addition and be part of a rotation of tremendous potential -- Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Rich Hill, Kluber, others. If the Indians insisted any Kluber buyer take a big salary as well, Kipnis would be the better fit because Encarnacion really isn't a viable option in the NL -- he played 46 games at first base the past two seasons, and was a DH in all others.

The Mets: If new GM Brodie Van Wagenen is looking for ways to live up to his oath to win in 2019, adding Kluber might be the most effective and financially efficient. The Mets' rotation would be incredible, with Jacob deGrom, Kluber, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler, and Kipnis could play some second base and some outfield. Additionally, the Mets are looking for catching, and Gomes would be a solid short-term fix. New York manager Mickey Callaway is very familiar with all of them, of course, having served as Kluber's pitching coach in Cleveland.

The Yankees: GM Brian Cashman is looking for two starting pitchers at a time when the top of the club's farm system is said by other teams to be thin. He could sign a couple of free agents, picking from a group that includes Patrick Corbin, Nathan Eovaldi and J.A. Happ, but he could also consider Kluber, whose contract could provide flexibility for the Yankees to do other things.

Put it this way: Would it be better for the Yankees to sign a Corbin or an Eovaldi to a four- or five-year deal, or to give up prospects to land a star with a series of one-year deals?

The Reds: They are trying to take a step forward and need starting pitching, and they have made it clear they have money to spend this winter. Usually, elite free-agent starters won't even consider the Reds because they play in a hitter-friendly bandbox, so a trade for Kluber could make sense as the best avenue to land a high-end and affordable starter.

The Astros: Dallas Keuchel is a free agent and unlikely to re-sign, Charlie Morton is also on the open market and Lance McCullers Jr. just had reconstructive elbow surgery. The Astros need three starting pitchers and Kluber could be a fit. The context for any conversations, however, will be interesting: The Indians were among the teams enraged by the Astros' alleged brazen use of a spy, so the level of trust between the organizations is probably not especially high at the moment.

Other teams that could be a match: The Angels, Rays, Brewers.
 
This all being money motivated is the shittiest part

Having to take back a lesser return because we had to attach Kipnis to get him off the books... gross. I really hate how baseball is run
 
Corey Kluber will be 33 years old next April, and if he was about to hit free agency there would be important questions about the high risk of a long-term investment in a pitcher with more than 2,000 innings logged in professional baseball.

But Kluber, the Cy Young award winner in the American League in 2014 and 2017, is not a free agent; rather, he's under team control for the next three years, but only a year at a time through a series of one-year club options. He's set to make $17 million next year, and next fall the front office for which he works can decide whether to pick up a $17.5 million option for 2020, and if so, it can wait through the 2020 season before choosing whether to exercise the $18 million option on 2021.

The contract bears almost no risk whatsoever, and for clubs of every market size this would help to make him an enormously attractive trade target now that the Indians are actively listening to offers for their most expensive players.

Kluber would fit into the modest budget of a team like the Brewers and take up relatively little space on the payroll of a big-money team. But his deal would also be helpful to big-market teams looking to squeeze an established high-impact player on their roster. In the Indians' effort to manage their payroll, they could use Kluber's trade value as a way to shed another unwanted contract by attaching the right-hander to one of the two big-money contracts they want to shed -- that of DH/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who is owed $26.67 million under the terms of his deal, including a $5 million buyout on a 2020 option; and Jason Kipnis, owed $17.17 million, including a $2.5 buyout on a '20 option.

The Indians are also open for business if teams want to discuss Carlos Carrasco, who's playing under a contract structured similarly to that of Kluber, or Trevor Bauer, who is eligible for arbitration after the best season of his career. They'll listen to offers for catchers Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez.

They aren't tanking, however. They won't trade shortstop Francisco Lindor or fellow infielder Jose Ramirez, and they'll probably wind up keeping one or two of the trio of Kluber, Carrasco and Bauer to couple with Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber. The Indians will go into 2019 as heavy favorites to win the weak AL Central, again.

But capitalizing now on the value of Kluber's standing as one of baseball's best pitchers, as well as his contract, and using him as a vehicle to shed dollars and add prospects could make a lot of sense for the Indians.

Some teams that could be a match for a Kluber deal:

The Padres: Kluber began his professional career in the San Diego organization before he was dealt to Cleveland in 2010 in a three-team trade that resulted in the Padres getting outfielder Ryan Ludwick. The Padres have been desperately looking for a veteran starter to front a rotation that will be talented and young moving forward, and they are loaded with prospects; the Indians won't have trouble finding possible matches. The Padres have demonstrated the willingness to take bad contracts in order to add a targeted player -- last year, they absorbed the $13 million owed to Chase Headley in order to take on Bryan Mitchell. San Diego might be able to take Kipnis.

The Dodgers: There's some question about how much L.A. is willing to spend for next season, but Kluber could be a great value addition and be part of a rotation of tremendous potential -- Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Rich Hill, Kluber, others. If the Indians insisted any Kluber buyer take a big salary as well, Kipnis would be the better fit because Encarnacion really isn't a viable option in the NL -- he played 46 games at first base the past two seasons, and was a DH in all others.

The Mets: If new GM Brodie Van Wagenen is looking for ways to live up to his oath to win in 2019, adding Kluber might be the most effective and financially efficient. The Mets' rotation would be incredible, with Jacob deGrom, Kluber, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler, and Kipnis could play some second base and some outfield. Additionally, the Mets are looking for catching, and Gomes would be a solid short-term fix. New York manager Mickey Callaway is very familiar with all of them, of course, having served as Kluber's pitching coach in Cleveland.

The Yankees: GM Brian Cashman is looking for two starting pitchers at a time when the top of the club's farm system is said by other teams to be thin. He could sign a couple of free agents, picking from a group that includes Patrick Corbin, Nathan Eovaldi and J.A. Happ, but he could also consider Kluber, whose contract could provide flexibility for the Yankees to do other things.

Put it this way: Would it be better for the Yankees to sign a Corbin or an Eovaldi to a four- or five-year deal, or to give up prospects to land a star with a series of one-year deals?

The Reds: They are trying to take a step forward and need starting pitching, and they have made it clear they have money to spend this winter. Usually, elite free-agent starters won't even consider the Reds because they play in a hitter-friendly bandbox, so a trade for Kluber could make sense as the best avenue to land a high-end and affordable starter.

The Astros: Dallas Keuchel is a free agent and unlikely to re-sign, Charlie Morton is also on the open market and Lance McCullers Jr. just had reconstructive elbow surgery. The Astros need three starting pitchers and Kluber could be a fit. The context for any conversations, however, will be interesting: The Indians were among the teams enraged by the Astros' alleged brazen use of a spy, so the level of trust between the organizations is probably not especially high at the moment.

Other teams that could be a match: The Angels, Rays, Brewers.

Thanks!

One has to appreciate the possibility of dumping Kipnis with a Kluber trade.
Prospects and/or starter or starters and getting rid of Kipnis would make moving Kluber more acceptable.
 
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I'm a big fan of Andujar. The only major negative is defense - some even think his future is corner OF. But let's say you deal Kluber for Andujar/Frazier/Sheffield. That fills two holes and gives you a SP to replace Kluber in the rotation.




I'm not dealing Bauer, and I'm not sure I agree that he's gone when he hits FA.

How would we afford him? If he pitches they way he did this past year, he will command 25-30 million per year, with at least a 5-6 yr deal. I know he says he will only accept 1 yr deals, but even then, $25-30 million will be the going rate.
 
Andujar is intriguing to me but he was really, really, really bad at 3B last year
 
Andujar is intriguing to me but he was really, really, really bad at 3B last year

That was his best season defensively at 3rd I believe as well! Some are speculating that he could be a corner OF if he continues to struggle at 3rd. If we acquire Andujar, sounds like we would have to move EE, that should create the spot for him on the roster honestly as a DH, who sometimes plays in the field.
 
How would we afford him? If he pitches they way he did this past year, he will command 25-30 million per year, with at least a 5-6 yr deal. I know he says he will only accept 1 yr deals, but even then, $25-30 million will be the going rate.

The one year deal thing was a joke.

As for how we afford him, we probably don't...but Bauer is a different guy. I can see him passing on $ for a spot he feels comfortable in. I also think some teams might pass in general because of off-field stuff with him.
 
Corey Kluber will be 33 years old next April, and if he was about to hit free agency there would be important questions about the high risk of a long-term investment in a pitcher with more than 2,000 innings logged in professional baseball.

But Kluber, the Cy Young award winner in the American League in 2014 and 2017, is not a free agent; rather, he's under team control for the next three years, but only a year at a time through a series of one-year club options. He's set to make $17 million next year, and next fall the front office for which he works can decide whether to pick up a $17.5 million option for 2020, and if so, it can wait through the 2020 season before choosing whether to exercise the $18 million option on 2021.

The contract bears almost no risk whatsoever, and for clubs of every market size this would help to make him an enormously attractive trade target now that the Indians are actively listening to offers for their most expensive players.

Kluber would fit into the modest budget of a team like the Brewers and take up relatively little space on the payroll of a big-money team. But his deal would also be helpful to big-market teams looking to squeeze an established high-impact player on their roster. In the Indians' effort to manage their payroll, they could use Kluber's trade value as a way to shed another unwanted contract by attaching the right-hander to one of the two big-money contracts they want to shed -- that of DH/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who is owed $26.67 million under the terms of his deal, including a $5 million buyout on a 2020 option; and Jason Kipnis, owed $17.17 million, including a $2.5 buyout on a '20 option.

The Indians are also open for business if teams want to discuss Carlos Carrasco, who's playing under a contract structured similarly to that of Kluber, or Trevor Bauer, who is eligible for arbitration after the best season of his career. They'll listen to offers for catchers Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez.

They aren't tanking, however. They won't trade shortstop Francisco Lindor or fellow infielder Jose Ramirez, and they'll probably wind up keeping one or two of the trio of Kluber, Carrasco and Bauer to couple with Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber. The Indians will go into 2019 as heavy favorites to win the weak AL Central, again.

But capitalizing now on the value of Kluber's standing as one of baseball's best pitchers, as well as his contract, and using him as a vehicle to shed dollars and add prospects could make a lot of sense for the Indians.

Some teams that could be a match for a Kluber deal:

The Padres: Kluber began his professional career in the San Diego organization before he was dealt to Cleveland in 2010 in a three-team trade that resulted in the Padres getting outfielder Ryan Ludwick. The Padres have been desperately looking for a veteran starter to front a rotation that will be talented and young moving forward, and they are loaded with prospects; the Indians won't have trouble finding possible matches. The Padres have demonstrated the willingness to take bad contracts in order to add a targeted player -- last year, they absorbed the $13 million owed to Chase Headley in order to take on Bryan Mitchell. San Diego might be able to take Kipnis.

The Dodgers: There's some question about how much L.A. is willing to spend for next season, but Kluber could be a great value addition and be part of a rotation of tremendous potential -- Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Rich Hill, Kluber, others. If the Indians insisted any Kluber buyer take a big salary as well, Kipnis would be the better fit because Encarnacion really isn't a viable option in the NL -- he played 46 games at first base the past two seasons, and was a DH in all others.

The Mets: If new GM Brodie Van Wagenen is looking for ways to live up to his oath to win in 2019, adding Kluber might be the most effective and financially efficient. The Mets' rotation would be incredible, with Jacob deGrom, Kluber, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler, and Kipnis could play some second base and some outfield. Additionally, the Mets are looking for catching, and Gomes would be a solid short-term fix. New York manager Mickey Callaway is very familiar with all of them, of course, having served as Kluber's pitching coach in Cleveland.

The Yankees: GM Brian Cashman is looking for two starting pitchers at a time when the top of the club's farm system is said by other teams to be thin. He could sign a couple of free agents, picking from a group that includes Patrick Corbin, Nathan Eovaldi and J.A. Happ, but he could also consider Kluber, whose contract could provide flexibility for the Yankees to do other things.

Put it this way: Would it be better for the Yankees to sign a Corbin or an Eovaldi to a four- or five-year deal, or to give up prospects to land a star with a series of one-year deals?

The Reds: They are trying to take a step forward and need starting pitching, and they have made it clear they have money to spend this winter. Usually, elite free-agent starters won't even consider the Reds because they play in a hitter-friendly bandbox, so a trade for Kluber could make sense as the best avenue to land a high-end and affordable starter.

The Astros: Dallas Keuchel is a free agent and unlikely to re-sign, Charlie Morton is also on the open market and Lance McCullers Jr. just had reconstructive elbow surgery. The Astros need three starting pitchers and Kluber could be a fit. The context for any conversations, however, will be interesting: The Indians were among the teams enraged by the Astros' alleged brazen use of a spy, so the level of trust between the organizations is probably not especially high at the moment.

Other teams that could be a match: The Angels, Rays, Brewers.

Probably? I can see dealing one, but more than one?
 

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