Cleveland Indians: An In-Depth Look at a Game-Changing Trade

Two More Intriguing Players

The last two pieces aren’t anywhere near the caliber of the first three but that doesn’t mean they aren’t intriguing additions. Scott Moss is the second player from the Reds and has already reached Double-A as a starter. The 24-year-old is a big lefty standing 6′-5″. Despite his height, his fastball is not overpowering and sits high 80s/low 90s typically. He has good control with it though and if he’s spotting it well can be effective. He has a good slider and a changeup, though the latter is lacking.

A starter for his entire pro career, there are some thoughts Moss could fit into a bullpen role and his fastball/slider combo could play up. The Indians probably won’t push him up in 2019 but perhaps heading into 2020 he’s bumped to the pen and given a shot at some point in that Tyler Olson role. He was the 28th ranked prospect in the Reds system heading into 2019 according to Baseball America.

The last piece of the deal is 19-year-old Victor Nova from the Padres. Nova has yet to play above Rookie Ball but the numbers in the Arizona League are staggering. After hitting just .197 as an 18-year-old in 2018 (albeit with a .370 OBP), Nova has hit .330/.421/.451 in 26 games this year. That’s a 136 wRC+ and .407 wOBA. He’s a left-handed hitter who has played some second base, third base and outfield so far. He’s probably not immediately jumping on any top 30 lists for the Indians but he’s a player to keep an eye on and a very surprising 5th piece to this deal.