Cleveland Indians trade rumors are going to shock fans. A Corey Kluber trade is now possible, as he is one of many veteran players that the Indians have made available. The term fire sale might apply to this situation, as it appears the franchise is looking to cut salary ahead of the 2019 MLB season.
The interest level from opposing ball clubs may have just gone through the roof.
That the Indians are willing to deal a former Cy Young winner might become a huge story of the MLB offseason. Quite a few teams need starting pitching, including the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Chicago Cubs. They could all use someone like Kluber.
More Indians available in trades
A report by Yahoo! Sports, which uses MLB analyst Buster Olney as a source, lists a number of significant players that are mentioned in these Cleveland Indians trade rumors. They include starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, and catcher Yan Gomes.
Encarnacion could give a team a huge boost on offense, especially one that might lose a power hitter to free agency.
He would be expensive, though, with a $20 million salary on the books for 2019. If the Mariners lose Nelson Cruz to free agency, that might be a team that could call up the Indians. At the same time, the Mariners could really use a player like Kluber, but they might not have the assets to close a deal.
What are the Cleveland Indians doing here?
With young players like Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez at the core, this news of a veteran fire sale is a bit surprising. The Cleveland Indians are just two years removed from playing against the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. They also just won the division in the 2018 MLB season.
The team still has most of its key players from that run, including one of the best pitchers in baseball (Kluber).
Tearing things down in order to save money is a risky endeavor, but it's possible that the front office feels that it can still compete with Lindor and Ramirez still on the team.
Breaking down the contracts, Carrasco will make $9.7 million and Kluber will make $13.2 million in 2019. The Indians have team options for 2020 on both players. It is the 2021 season where they will get very expensive. Maybe that is the draw here. Offering up two key starting pitchers who still have two years of team control left could lead to some really nice packages on the trade market.
These Cleveland Indians trade rumors are going to dominate baseball news for a while. On the same day where Clayton Kershaw signed a new contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Indians have let the world know that they are open for business. Will Corey Kluber be traded? Any rumors around him might hold teams up from signing other free agent pitchers to long-term deals. As such, the Indians are going to be front page news for a while.