Cleveland Indians: Three teams that could trade for Carlos Carrasco

It’s not a secret that the Cleveland Indians will be looking to shed payroll this offseason which could lead to trading Carlos Carrasco, but to who?

Entering the offseason it was clear that the Cleveland Indians would attempt to shed as much payroll as possible and that could include starting pitcher and fan favorite Carlos Carrasco who might not fit into the future plans of the club.

Almost 34-years old, Carrasco is currently the oldest player on the 40-man roster and one of just two players on the roster to be born during the 1980s with Roberto Perez being the other. On top of being the oldest player, Carrasco is also the most expensive currently. It can be assumed that Francisco Lindor’s deal will be high, but as of now, Carrasco’s $12 million price in 2021 is the highest number on the books.

That number won’t go down anytime soon either. Carrasco is set to make another $12 million during the 2022 season before making $14 million during the 2023 season before becoming a free agent. His age combined with a high salary and long contract makes him a prime candidate for the Cleveland Indians to explore moving.

While Lindor trades are all the talk of the Cleveland offseason, talk of a Carrasco deal could begin to emerge as well given the above circumstances. Luckily for the Tribe, starting pitching is always a premium, as we’ve witnessed with the trades the organization has made over the past two seasons, dealing three other starters.

Moving Carrasco would leave just 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber left from the rotation that began the 2019 season, showing the complete transformation that the team is currently going through.

While the team has already found trade partners in the past for pitching in the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers, who could be interested in a making a deal with Cleveland before the start of the 2021 season?