Cleveland Indians: Three trade possibilities for Jose Ramirez

Indians deal Ramirez for immediate contributors

While the Los Angeles Dodgers are currently trying to capture the World Series crown, they could very soon enter the trade market with the Cleveland Indians for multiple players, one of them being Jose Ramirez.

Starting at third base for the Dodgers in the World Series has been Justin Turner, who has been solid. However, Turner is set to become a free agent this offseason and will be 36-years old when the 2021 season begins. While Turner is a fan favorite, the Dodgers could opt to explore other avenues for third base.

Should the Indians make Ramirez available, he would be able to sustain, if not improve, the production from the third base slot that Turner has provided the Dodgers. He’s also on a much cheaper contract and is a good deal younger as well, but what would LA have to give up?

A top prospect would probably be needed and for the Indians that would be the team’s No. 2 prospect catcher Keibert Ruiz. With fellow prospect Will Smith entrenched behind the plate, the Dodgers can look to move Ruiz this offseason for other pieces. As for the Tribe, Roberto Perez has been stellar behind the plate, but he will be 32 when next year starts, so an investment in youth could be good.

Next on the list is the Dodgers’ No. 11 prospect, outfielder DJ Peters. The Indians need outfielders direly and Peters would join the mix. Over 57 games at Triple-A during the 2019 season Peters was average at the plate, but drew 33 walks and clubbed a dozen home runs.

The final piece would be No. 18 prospect and utility man Zach McKinstry. Playing in four games for the Dodgers this season, McKinstry slashed .286/.286/.429 with a double. He saw time at both second base and right field.

Tribe receive three top 20 prospects from Tampa Bay

If the Cleveland Indians can afford the contract of Jose Ramirez, then the Tampa Bay Rays should be able to as well. While Joey Wendle has been productive for the Rays, Ramirez would be an upgrade at the position and could be viewed as the missing link between Tampa Bay and a World Series title, should they fall short this year.

What it could cost the Tampa Bay Rays would be three of their top 20 prospects, the first being middle infielder Vidal Brujan, the team’s No. 3 prospect. The Rays already have a young middle infield duo with the No. 1 prospect in baseball waiting to take one of the spots, so parting with Brujan seems logical. Known for his speed, Brujan stole 151 bases over 399 games in the minors while maintaining a slash line of .294/.377/.417.

The second piece in the deal would be yet another rumored outfielder for the Indians in Josh Lowe, the Rays’ No. 10 prospect. In 2019, Lowe was able to knock 18 home runs in Double-A over 121 games while also stealing 30 bases.

The third player from Tampa Bay in the deal is No. 18 prospect, corner infielder Kevin Padlo who put up a slash line of .290/.400/.595 at Triple-A during the 2019 season and could slide in soon for the Cleveland Indians.

Cleveland deals with familiar trade partner

In the other two trades the Indians received three players, but here they just receive two. That’s in large part because both players are in the Rangers’ top three prospects currently.

The Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers made a deal last offseason that for the most part didn’t do anything for either club in 2020. The Rangers’ return was injured while the Indians’ main player was suspended. Hopefully, this deal would show better results.

The first player in return to Cleveland for Jose Ramirez would be the Rangers’ No. 1 prospect and third basemen Josh Jung. The eighth pick of the 2019 MLB Draft, Jung has experience at both third and shortstop, meaning he could play next to Nolan Jones or take third if Jones is comfortable over at first.

Playing just 44 games in the minors after getting drafted, Jung slashed .316/.389/.443 over that span and is still projected to make his debut sometime during the 2021 season. However, the Indians would have enough players that Jung would be allowed all the time he needed to be ready to make the jump.

The second player in the deal is the No. 3 prospect for Texas, outfielder Leody Taveras who made his debut this past season in July. Playing in 33 games, Taveras drew 14 walks and stole eight bases while belting four home runs. His slash line, specifically his average, still needs some work, but the rest of his stats make up for it.