Matt Adams could be a target for the Cleveland Indians

As the Major League Baseball non-tender deadline quickly approaches, the Atlanta Braves are looking to move Matt Adams. The Cleveland Indians could be the ideal landing spot.

With the potential departure of free agent Carlos Santana, first base is a question the Cleveland Indians need to answer. Santana is by no means out of the question, but Cleveland must explore their options.

The free agent market is indeed deep, but the Atlanta Braves may be shopping a first baseman at the right time.

The December 1, 8 p.m., non-tender deadline is now less than 36 hours away. The Braves have until that time to trade, offer arbitration, or non-tender Matt Adams, which would make him a free agent.

According to the rumor mill, Atlanta is pushing to trade the slugging first baseman. Adams was acquired by Atlanta from St. Louis last May to fill in for the injured Freddie Freeman, but does not fit into the club’s upcoming season plans.

The Cleveland Indians could consider Matt Adams to be an intriguing option for two reasons:

• His cheap price – The Braves more than likely see him as a non-tender candidate, meaning they aren’t seeking much in return. Cleveland could perhaps offer Atlanta a guy like Shawn Armstrong, or even Erik Gonzalez. Armstrong is now entering his age-27 season, and has yet to see his success at the minor league level translate to the big leagues. Gonzalez is highly regarded among the Indians organization, but he is out of minor league options. With Yandy Diaz and Giovanny Urshela also in the mix, Gonzalez may be the odd man out.
• His power – While Adams is not the most imposing power threat, he is coming off a respectable 20 home run season. Adams showed his most impressive power in the month of June, where he ripped 10 of his 20 home runs. Cleveland may be willing to take a chance on his ability to sustain that level of production for a full season. Overall, Adams hit .274/20 HR/65 RBI/22 2B/.319 OBP/.522 SLG/.841 OPS across 339 at-bats in 131 games.

What would be a negative of bringing Adams into the fold? Simple:

• Ineffectiveness against left-handed pitching – While Adams enjoyed a .295/17 HR season against right-handed pitching (278 at-bats), he hit a meager .180/3 HR against lefties (61 at-bats). Edwin Encarnacion could always man first against left-handed starters, but having a platoon 1B/DH situation is far from ideal.

Given the Indians’ troubled history against left-handed pitching, it would be my guess that they will not trade for Matt Adams. This, however, does not rule him out as a possible fit for Cleveland.

The most likely scenario is that Atlanta will not find a trade partner for Adams. It is hard to imagine Atlanta doing anything other than non-tendering him, and allowing him to become a free agent. Should he hit the free agent market, he becomes a very nice fallback option for Cleveland.

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Adams is projected to make somewhere in the $4-$5 million range in the coming season, making him very affordable for the Indians. He may not be the best available option, but he certainly will be on Cleveland’s radar.