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?

Atlanta Braves

Like the Cardinals, the Atlanta Braves were able to have success during the 2020 season despite a rocky performance from the starting pitching. Because of that, they could be another team to call the Cleveland Indians to explore a trade for Carlos Carrasco.

Despite having intriguing pitchers rise through the ranks in the past few seasons, the Braves had just two starters log an ERA below 5.00 during the 2020 season, being Ian Anderson at 1.95 and Max Fried at 2.25. Even with those struggles, the team still captured the NL East title with a 35-25 record and advanced to the NLCS.

Being so close to a potential World Series appearance, the Braves might be more willing than normal to find that missing piece for next season. A veteran like Carrasco could be that piece.

He’s been through the playoffs and in a World Series, but is still hungry for his first ring. He’s also been a stable force and persuading from former teammate and current Atlanta pitcher Josh Tomlin wouldn’t hurt.

As for the return in a potential trade, the Atlanta Braves have six outfielders on their Top 30 prospect list, including four in the top 13. Odds are, one of them would come to Cleveland in a deal.

Cincinnati Reds

This is the long shot of the bunch, but it’s not impossible. The pitching for the Cincinnati Reds was rather solid, including having the NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer, however things change during the offseason. If the Reds can’t afford Bauer, but want to stay at a high level, then adding Carrasco could help that while saving a bit of money from what they would pay Bauer.

What is working against the Reds from being a serious trade partner is their stance this offseason. Cincinnati is a similar spot as Cleveland in terms of saving money, but they also didn’t try for many seasons to go for a title. Finishing the 2020 season at 31-29 with a second place finish in the NL Central and a playoff birth might not be enough to keep the momentum going.

For the sake of argument, let’s say that the Reds decide to try and compete on a budget. They will obviously need starting pitching help to replace Bauer. While $12 million isn’t exactly cheap, it’s better than some of the alternatives.

The Reds are one of the unknowns this offseason, so they could shock more than a few people with a trade for Carrasco, but it is far from impossible.