Cleveland Indians: How Realistic is a Lucroy-Braun Trade?

Yes, It Is “Possible” to Acquire Them

The answer to the first part is a “yes” to me. The Cleveland Indians have one of the better systems in baseball with Baseball America recently ranking seven Tribe prospects in their midseason top 100 list. As a small market team, the Indians must rely on their system but with that many prospects so highly regarded, even though “could” stand to lose a couple and be in a good position. They have two prospects that are pretty much unanimously considered among the 30 best in the game in outfielders Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer.  Losing either of these guys would be tough as each has the potential to be a huge star.

However, adding a guy like Braun to an outfield of Tyler Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall, and an eventually healthy Michael Brantley helps the team win now. For as good as Frazier and Zimmer are, both are more 2017 options than real threats to help the big league club in 2016. So while it would be tough to lose one, getting offensive threats like Johnathan Lucroy and Ryan Braun added in 2016 for a World Series run could be worth it.

The other thing that makes it hurt less to give up a Frazier or Zimmer is the fact that neither Lucroy nor Braun is a rental player. Lucroy is signed through the end of this season with a very cheap $5.25 million team option for 2017, which will be picked up by whichever team he’s on at the time. Braun meanwhile is signed through 2020 with a 2021 option. Both these players help the Indians in 2016 AND 2017, and while Zimmer and Frazier are studs neither is likely to make the type of impact that these would make in either of those years.

What an actual package of players would look like for Lucroy and Braun is anyone’s guess, but a package of Zimmer, Brady Aiken, Mike Clevinger, Francisco Mejia, and Juan Hillman would give the Brewers five very good players including four top 100 prospects in the game. Would that be enough? Maybe, maybe not but I believe it’s at least in the ballpark and there are few teams that could match that offer. 

Next: Does the Money Work?