Four Reasons the Cleveland Indians Should Be Buyers At the Trade Deadline

Jul 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Indians first baseman Brandon Moss (44) receives a high-five in the dugout after scoring a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning of an inter-league game at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

With the way the Cleveland Indians’ season has gone so far, it’s hard to say how the second half will shape up. But it’s now July, and the trade deadline is just a few short weeks away. The Tribe will have to make a decision on whether they will be buyers or sellers.

At eight games back in the division and a 38-41 record, it’s hard to tell what direction the team is headed in. Admittedly, there have been a few disappointments. Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall did not perform well during their stints with the big league club earlier this season. Ramirez batted just .180/.247/.240, and Chisenhall posted a .209/.241/.345 line of his own.

The fifth starter position has been a nightmare for the Tribe. T.J. House failed to keep the spot he earned in spring training, and veterans Bruce Chen and Shaun Marcum didn’t last, either. In addition to the back end of the rotation, the Tribe’s bullpen has struggled. Reliever Scott Atchison was ultimately released, and the Indians have tried a plethora of young minor league arms.

But despite their struggles, the Indians seemed to have settled down, and there are plenty of reasons for Cleveland to think they can take back the division and win a playoff spot. When the trade deadline arrives, the Tribe should be buyers, not sellers.

Here are three reasons why:

Next: The first reason? Cody Anderson

Jun 29, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Cody Anderson (56) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The first reason? Cody Anderson

Cody Anderson has been impressive in his first two major league starts. If the young right-hander can continue to have that kind of success, he will stabilize the back end of the rotation and give the Cleveland Indians one of the most formidable sets of starters in all of major league baseball. Even without a solid fifth starter, Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar managed to lead the league in strikeouts, giving the Tribe a very good chance to win on any given day.

Anderson still has a lot to prove, given that he has made just two major league starts. But in those two starts, he’s pitched 15.2 innings, allowing just one run on eight hits and a walk. When he faced the Tampa Bay Rays, he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning. Anderson has been far better than anyone could have expected.

Despite struggling in 2014, Anderson came back strong in the first half of this season. In 10 games with Double-A Akron and three games with Triple-A Columbus, Anderson averaged a 1.89 ERA. He also won the Bob Feller Award in 2013, as well as being named Pitcher of the Year for the Carolina League. Anderson certainly has promise, and his addition to the Tribe rotation could be the answer they’ve been looking for.

Next: The Prospects Have Arrived

Jul 2, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Cleveland Indians third baseman Giovanny Urshela (39) is congratulated by shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) after he scored during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Indians’ Prospects Have Arrived

Francisco Lindor‘s debut hasn’t been what many envisioned. There are reasons to believe that the team truly meant it when they said he wasn’t ready. Since his arrival in Cleveland, the highly-touted prospect is batting just .209/.250/.269, with one home run.

But that doesn’t mean Lindor is a flop. The shortstop is just 21 years old, and he has plenty of time to develop into the player everyone hope he will be. His defense has been a big improvement over Mike Aviles, and although he’s made three errors, he’s also helped turn 16 double plays in as many games.

Similarly, Giovanny Urshela has made a pair of errors, but he’s been a defensive upgrade at third base, as well. He also has a 12-game hitting streak going, and a 20-game on-base streak. In fact, Urshela has reached base in all but his first two games, and in one of those, he had an RBI.

Urshela is batting .271/.320/.357, despite having just a .677 OPS. While there is plenty of room for improvement, that’s a solid start.

The team needs to give both players a chance to develop into the players that they are capable of becoming, and it’s hard to do that on a team that has obviously quit for the season. By becoming sellers, the Tribe would signal to their rookies that the rest of the year doesn’t matter. The team is good enough that, with a little improvement from their prospects, they can be a competitive team. Why not go for it, and give Lindor and Urshela a chance to show what they can do?

Next: The Rest of the Division Is Fading

Jun 13, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis (22) makes a throw to first in an attempted double play as Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) slides into second in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Rest of the Division Is Fading

The Indians have won five games in a row, and they’ve crept back up to three games below .500, and eight games back from the division-leading Royals. They’re also only 3 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race.

Meanwhile, the Tigers found out on Friday that they would lose Miguel Cabrera for at least six weeks with a Grade 3 calf strain, and they have lost five of their last ten games, bringing them down to just one game over .500. The Tigers’ back end of the rotation has struggled, and they recently blew up their bullpen, designated Joba Chamberlain and Tom Gorzelanny for assignment.

The Twins have lost six of their last ten games, and are just four games over .500 themselves. Although they get Ervin Santana back from his 80-game PED suspension on Saturday, the rest of their rotation has been shaky as of late. No one expected the Twins to be this good, and while they have certainly made an impression, it’s hard to imagine them being competitive for the remainder of the season.

The White Sox are even further back than the Indians, 10 games behind the Royals, so there’s little competition from them. The only major obstacle is the Royals themselves, and even they have shown some cracks lately. For instance, second baseman Omar Infante might find himself benched after the All-Star break, because he’s been struggling at the plate all season.

With a division that suddenly looks less competitive than it did a month ago, the Indians have the opportunity to surge ahead and make a run for the pennant.

There’s no reason to give up just yet. The Tribe shouldn’t sell at the deadline, unless something drastic happens between now and the end of July.

Next: Carlos Santana is Finally in the Right Lineup Spot