Cleveland Indians Wroundtable: Which Pitcher Would You Keep for Five More Years?

May 14, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (47) is congratulated in the dugout in the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

K-Pocalypse Pitchers: Trevor Bauer, Continued

Andrew Schmid: If I had to pick one member, I would have to choose Trevor Bauer. I have been a fan of him ever since his time back at UCLA, and I envied the D-Backs for being able to snag him that high up in the draft. When the Indians traded for him, I was ecstatic. Sure, he may walk a lot of batters, but he’s got youth and a dominant arsenal. Five of his six pitches have been rated as above average by PITCHF/X. As much as I love Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco, they are both almost 30 years old. Danny Salazar is younger than the duo – but older than Bauer – and he also shows promise. His fastball brings velocity, but it’s pretty flat and doesn’t have much life to it. Of his five pitches, three have been rated as below average by PITCHF/X. They all may be really great for the next year or two, but I believe that Bauer will be the most dominant for the longest amount of time.

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Ryan Rosko: I’m very tempted to say Kluber, but I cannot. Like others, I’d have to go with Bauer. I certainly believe Kluber is going to accomplish a lot still, but within the next few years, Bauer has the talent to become the ace long-term. Carlos Carrasco has been too inconsistent in the past for me, and Danny Salazar is a good three or four in the rotation. Let’s say in the next two or three years, hopefully, what if the team had Kluber, Aiken and Bauer in the top three, with Carrasco and Salazar in the back-end of the rotation? If they are all healthy and Aiken is the real deal, we may not have to just choose one pitcher on one of the best pitching staffs.

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With so many good arms to choose from, it’s no wonder the Tribe’s rotation is one of the best in baseball. So which pitcher will be the best over the next five years? Salazar and Carrasco may not have received any votes, but they certainly have a shot at it, too.

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Do you agree? Disagree? We always want to hear what you think, too, so feel free to voice your opinion in the comments section below.

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