Analyzing possible Cleveland Indians infield targets: MLB Rumors
November 19, 2015Thursday Night Fever: Bucks-Cavs, Behind the Box Score
November 20, 2015The Cleveland Indians rumor mill is starting to heat up a bit more. Michael Bode and I have covered a ton of possible outfield and infield targets the team could acquire via trade this offseason. I’ve looked at the non-qualifying offer free agent market for potential options, too.
The most logical avenue for the Indians to drastically improve the 2016 roster remains a trade. And that is what led to these two tweets for some new MLB rumors on Wednesday by FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi:
#BlueJays, #Dodgers, #Yankees among the teams to have at least preliminary trade talks with #Indians, sources say. (1/2)
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 18, 2015
For each of 3 teams mentioned, #Indians would obtain everyday OF and part with a starting pitcher. Many scenarios in play for CLE. (2/2)
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 18, 2015
From the Dodgers and Yankees perspective, we’ve previously looked at both Yasiel Puig and Brett Gardner as potential options. Puig, who has been rumored to be an occasional locker room pain in Los Angeles, would likely cost a fortune. Gardner, who declined defensively last season, still has three years and $37.5 million left on his contract. Both trades might be difficult to make happen because of the reputation and money involved.
But the Toronto Blue Jays? That’s a new idea that we hadn’t seen previously. Of course, they just went all-in on a 93-win team that lost in the ALCS to the Royals. They still have a lot more spending to do this offseason. They’ve already re-signed Marco Estrada to a two-year $26 million deal. But they have several other free agents. New team president Mark Shapiro did not start off on the right foot PR-wise due to the departure of popular GM Alex Anthopoulos.
The Jays ended the season with an outfield of right fielder Jose Bautista, center fielder Kevin Pillar and left fielder Ben Revere. Bautista, an absolutely incredible hitter and a local legend, is owed $14 million next season in the final year of his contract. That’s a great value. There’s no possible way that Shapiro could consider trading him away. That is not happening. That leaves the other two as the more likely scenarios.
Pillar, who turns 27 in January, had a breakout 2015 season. He played 159 games and was one of the game’s best defensive outfielders. His highlight reel at the Rogers Centre is pretty impressive. A right-handed bat, he hit .278/.318/.399 last season, which is mostly average, but he also added 25 steals. He won’t reach arbitration until 2018, meaning he’s a great value and is under team control for five full more seasons. That would make his price tag likely pretty high.
Revere, who is surprisingly only 27, was acquired at the trade deadline from the Philadelphia Phillies. He’s batted right around .305 for three straight seasons, although he provides virtually no power at all. He’s averaged 35 steals over the last five years. He’s been a little below average defensively of late, part of why he was playing in left field for the Jays. He’s expected to make $6.7 million this season in arbitration, via MLB Trade Rumors, and is a free agent at the end of the 2017 season.
Pillar is obviously the sexier choice of the two because of his defense and recent breakout. Revere, on the other hand, might replace what the Indians had in mind from Michael Bourn over the past few years. The Indians are certainly familiar with Revere from his days with the Minnesota Twins. But would his contract status be too prohibitive to the Tribe? Otherwise, how many assets would the Indians need to give up for five years of Pillar?
There were additionally mild Twitter rumors about potential discussions over Toronto first baseman Edwin Encanacion on Thursday, as well. Encarnacion, who turns 33 in January, is another one of the great Toronto hitters. Over the last four seasons, he’s averaged 38 home runs and a .274/.371/.549 batting line. He’s really good. He’s also owed $10 million in the final year of his contract in 2016. So again, a potential deal would initially seem unlikely on the surface.
Keep an eye on Toronto, though, as the natural connection between Shapiro and his former staff could lead to some comfortability in a trade. Stay tuned for more soon.
23 Comments
I’m a big Pillar fan if he is included in a deal that would be awesome.
Carrasco for Pillar. Let’s do it.
I would give up Carrasco for Bautista or Encarnacion, but not for Pilar or Revere. Pilar and Rever for Anderson and a couple prospects not named Frazier, Zimmer, Bradley, or Kaminsky, but we need a big power bat if we trade Carrasco, Kluber, or Salazar.
I don’t see why Bautista wouldn’t be in play. Yes, he’s an amazing one-year value at $14M, but it’s only one year.
Bautista has a no trade clause and has permanently located to Toronto.
There you go. That makes more sense. Thanks.
+1000
Encarnacion only has 1 more year left on his deal. We’d be giving up 5 years for 1. No thanks.
Also: Shapiro would be hated in Toronto forever and ever and ever.
david dellucci, nick swisher, michael bourn, 1 playoff appearance in 14 years, eric wedge, matt laporta, every first round draft pick from 2002-2010, the sizemore and hafner contract extensions, matt lawton and the jim thome statue for a player to be named later
i loathe mark shapiro.
the irony of thats how Shaprio finally gets Clevland fans, who badgered him for years about getting a top tier free agent, what they’ve always wanted (Corner OF with pop) would not be lost on me.
Maybe this is how we do it, we get our FO guys into many front offices around the league and at an appointed time they all send us their best players on the cheap. Maybe them Ivy Leaguers are smarter than I thought.
They are proliferated throughout as it is. Hmmmmm….I like it
i mean, thats the (SUPER) longview, over the horizon thinking. Could you imagine if Shaprio actually planned that, got the Dolans to buy in and managed to keep it under wraps since 2002?
In reality though, that’d make a hellova a fiction novel
Maybe Revere has been below average defensively of late BECUASE he is playing left field, and not the other way around?
Also – aren’t the Blue Jays trying to win NOW? Get David Price and carry on.
maybe Ron Carrasco.
It’d be akin to running off the GM that finally got the Jays to the playoffs after thirty years. I would never put anything past Shapiro.
LOL. “Isn’t Mark Shapiro trying to win NOW?” No. Has he ever? Alex Anthopoulos was trying to win now.
hahaha. nicely done!
Not to mention Carrasco is only going to make $19M over those 5 years. No way, Jose. OR Edwin.
AA may have put them in the playoffs after 30 years, but he had quite mediocre performances until this year, when he absolutely sold the farm for a two year run. I really don’t get the hand-wringing over his leaving.
Pillar and throw in Smoak
Yeah that’s true, so does Bautista.