Cleveland Indians: The rotation may not need an upgrade after all

The Cleveland Indians were in a position to trade for a starting pitcher, but that may not be necessary after some great starts from those already here.

Having patience is key in professional sports, and plenty of patience has been exhibited by the Cleveland Indians’ front office over the past month.

There was a time when Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco seemed to be the only weapons in the rotation. With that being the case, a trade for someone like Sonny Gray seemed necessary if this team was going to win another pennant.

But the group remained patient and have been rewarded with a resurgent Mike Clevinger and a revived Danny Salazar. Oh, and Josh Tomlin has quietly picked up victories and gone at least six innings in each of his last three starts.

The only pitcher facing any sort of adversity as of late is Trevor Bauer, and his problems mostly just revolve around his pitch count hitting 100 early in the game.

The Indians are currently running a six-man rotation, which isn’t necessary but does help considering the team doesn’t have another day off until August 7.

As mentioned, Kluber and Carrasco are locked in as the top two. Then there is Clevinger, who pitches tonight and has allowed just one earned run in 18 innings of work this month. He has gone six innings in each of his three starts this month and while some may want to see more before declaring him playoff-ready, Clevinger has shown he is ready to be a mainstay in this rotation.

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After him is Salazar, who returned from injury and looked like a Cy Young award winner. He went seven innings, allowing just one hit and no walks. Given he can stay healthy, it is hard to believe he will suffer a major decline after returning and showing the great velocity that was missing earlier this year when he was indeed injured.

As for Tomlin and Bauer, both can compete for that fifth starter spot but it appears Tomlin is the more consistent pitcher right now. This could result in moving Bauer to the bullpen, which is a role that seems to fit the young pitcher.

When it comes to discussing trades, the Indians may be foolish to give up any prospects for a starting pitcher. While more help is always nice, the Indians have a solid staff that can translate to success in the postseason, barring injuries.

Next: Indians draft recap

The entire rotation is set to go through one more time before the trade deadline, and collective success should mean the Indians don’t overspend on a player like Sonny Gray. But this is Cleveland, so fans know anything can happen.