Cleveland Indians: Could they make a deadline trade with the New York Yankees?

Could the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees Be Trade Partners?

The red-hot Cleveland Indians, winners of nine consecutive games, have been playing arguably the best baseball in the league over the last two weeks.  While the team has built a comfortable lead in the AL Central, could the Tribe make a move to improve?

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The team has performed well offensively, but they could use another bat in the middle of the order. The Indians could also benefit from the addition of a late-inning reliever, writes Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com.

“To make the postseason, however, they need to add to the roster. The priorities are a hitter, preferably an outfielder, and another late-inning reliever.”

One team who theoretically could help Cleveland will those needs is the New York Yankees. New York boasts a dominant bullpen trio of Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances, and Aroldis Chapman as well as the big bat of Carlos Beltran.  It’s hard to imagine the Yankees being sellers at the deadline, but could their mediocre season help the Indians’ reach to promised land?

Cleveland’s bullpen has been solid in 2016. The unit boasts a 3.28 ERA, which ranks fifth in the American League. But the addition of a dominant late-inning reliever could immensely help the Indians.

Andrew Miller

Of New York’s potentially available bullpen pieces, Miller may be the best fit for the Cleveland Indians. He is on a relatively team-friendly contract that expires after the 2018 season and would give the Indians a dominant lefty at the back end of the bullpen.

Miller has pitched to a 5-0 record and a 1.10 ERA has New York’s set up man. He opened the season as the closer and has recorded seven saves on the year, but was moved to an eighth-inning role after Aroldis Chapman returned from his suspension.

Miller is a strikeout artist, punching out 60 batters in just 32.2 innings and has stellar control, having walked just three batters all season.

The addition of a pitcher like Miller would give the Indians a big, consistent power arm in the back of the bullpen who is capable of shutting down the opposition.

But Miller will not come cheap. The Yankees understand his value and there will likely be competition for the towering lefty, possibly coming from the Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, and Chicago Cubs.

That will drive up the price to a point that the Indians might not be willing to pay in the form of top prospects Bradley Zimmer or Clint Frazier.

Both prospects have bright futures, but could be used to help put the Indians in a position to legitimately compete for a World Series this year. The addition of Miller would greatly increase the chances of that happening.

Carlos Beltran

To make a potential deal more interesting, the Indians should consider adding Carlos Beltran to the deal. Beltran is having an All-Star caliber season in 2016, batting .287 with 19 home runs and 53 RBI.

The Indians could use that production in their lineup. He would most likely profile as a designated hitter with the Tribe, but he is still capable of playing in the outfield every so often. With Michael Brantley sidelined, Beltran needs to be considered as a viable alternative.

Yes, he’s 39 years old, but he is in the midst of a stellar season and could give the Indians a switch-hitting power bat to place in the middle of their order. Beltran’s contract is also set to expire after this season, so there would be no long-term cost.

The Deal

So what would it take to pry Beltran and Miller from New York to Cleveland?

Any deal would have to start with Zimmer or Frazier. It’s a steep price to pay, but the combination of Miller and Beltran could be worth it. If Cleveland is willing to give up one of the two, the chances of making a trade significantly improve.

Let’s say the Indians are willing to give up Frazier and perhaps two mid-level prospects, including Single-A catching prospect Francisco Mejia and Short-Season lefty pitching prospect Juan Hillman. Would that be enough to get a deal done?

Next: The Indians Have a Clear Path to Winning the AL Central

Mejia is Cleveland’s eighth-ranked prospect and Hillman is ranked No. 10 in the farm system, via MLB.com. Both have strong ceilings but may be worth the risk if it brings Miller and Beltran to Cleveland.

Do you think the Cleveland Indians should try to deal with the Yankees? Sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts.