Cleveland Indians: Three players who could be traded this offseason

The Cleveland Indians need to improve and will likely be operating on a tight budget. That allows for some trades to be made this offseason.

The Cleveland Indians are all about staying competitive on a budget.

That is why a $300 million deal for Francisco Lindor doesn’t seem too likely. But that is a story for another day.

For now I want to focus on a few players who could be traded this offseason. Operating on such a tight budget means the front office could be looking to move some expensive talent in order to acquire younger, cheaper talent that is under team control for years to come.

At this point I won’t include Lindor. I highly doubt he will be traded this offseason unless he openly requests one, and he doesn’t seem like that type of guy.

Instead I landed on three pitchers who could end up in trade talks. When going through the position players it was hard to pick out one player who stands out in a potential trade. That would be different if the Indians were rebuilding and were looking to move a contract like Carlos Santana‘s.

The contention window prevents such a drastic move from taking place. At least right now. Things could change by July. Once again, a story for another day.

Trades in the recent past have brought in guys like Oscar Mercado, Daniel Johnson, Franmil Reyes, and Mike Clevinger. A few more this offseason could seem tough at first, but may bring in the stars of tomorrow to ensure the Indians keep contending for years to come.

Trading Corey Kluber may sound insane to some Indians fans. He has won two Cy Young Awards in Cleveland since 2014 and gave the Indians a true ace.

Then things changed a bit in 2019 when Kluber only appeared in seven games due to what ended up being a season-ending injury.

That allowed players like Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale, and Mike Clevinger to shine in the ace’s absence. The rotation was set up well enough to where the front office was comfortable trading Trevor Bauer away.

The front office already said they are going to exercise Kluber’s $17.5 million option for 2020. His deal includes another $18 million club option for 2021.

Trading Kluber this offseason would clear up a ton of money for the Indians to plug other holes along the roster. That money could go toward a Lindor extension, re-signing Yasiel Puig, adding a few bullpen arms, or even targeting a top free agent outfielder on a short-term deal.

His injury was a freak accident and should have no effect on his abilities as a pitcher. That makes his value high and he would be a cheap addition for a team with a huge payroll that dwarfs the one in Cleveland.

The offer would have to include both prospects and at least one player who is an established major leaguer right now. Yet if the price is right, I don’t think the Indians would hesitate. Moving Bauer was the first sign that the Indians are confident in the young core currently making up the rotation.

Trading Adam Plutko would not create as much buzz.

The right-hander has made 32 starts for the Indians over the past two years and has a career 5.08 ERA.

This potential trade has nothing to do about his contract. Moving him is due to the fact he won’t make the rotation and the team may just want to do him a favor by giving him an opportunity elsewhere while also getting something in return.

Plutko is someone who already has major league starting experience and he can serve as a leader for a younger staff on a rebuilding team. I don’t think any contender would bat an eye with him being available in a trade.

He can help a younger staff while eating up innings with average outings. Nothing too special but nothing too terrible as well.

Plutko was given the opportunity to prove himself in 2019 but was quickly overshadowed by both Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale. Those two are already fighting for rotation spots and even if Kluber is traded, Plutko is not going to end up among the starting five.

There would not be much brought back in return for Plutko but sometimes a low-level prospect ends up being a star. That is what scouts are for and a forgettable trade like this could end up being important in about 2026.