I would agree to most. Yet, if a trade is in February or in July, I think also has to do with
1) Cleveland missing a year of data if the package centers around AA/AAA talent -- feel a need to see them as they saw Rosario and Giminez last year.
2) A few teams maybe hoping for a prospect to jump up from A+ or AA and fill that role (only to be dashed by realism of ST) -- like us hoping Jones, Miller and Freeman can fill a few holes in 2021.
3) Cleveland management not wanting to admit to being in a rebuild.
It is sexy to think that with Bieber and Ramirez that we can ride the combined 6.6 WAR last year between the two into a divisional playoff chase. And, I would agree, Ramirez hitting his way to league leading 3.4 WAR per FanGraph will be hard to even top marginally.
Yet, the Indians have to be realistic in that losing 7.1 WAR in Hernandez, Lindor, Santana, Hand, Perez and Cookie (only to replace .8 WAR immediately with Giminez) can't be made up with Naylor, Miller, Jones, Bradley, Chang, Clase and even Quantrill (for Cookie spot). There are only two other batters with a positive WAR Reyes and Luplow. Right now, FanGraph has us 15th in projected WAR -- right in the middle of mediocrity. We have a projected 32 WAR vs Sox 40. Yes, anything can happen (and that will hook management and fans to try for a few months). Yet, statistically, there is a better chance of the Royals overtaking us (26 WAR) than us overtaking either the Sox or Twins (at 38.8 right now with more significant FAs to sign).
I agree that Ramirez stats will more than likely be lower this year. Yet, they will be more cautious on the return for Jose than Lindor (make sure they get it right). And, other GMs usually salivate at the opportunity of getting an MVP slugger at a semi-premium position (3B) knowing that a pathetic line-up will cause a player's stats to dip a bit. So, it could happen in February but I don't see a big drop-off in return in they wait to mid-July.