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?

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have never been afraid to spend a little of money and given the state of their starting pitching, they might be willing to pay up and call the Cleveland Indians about Carlos Carrasco.

This past season the Cardinals were 28th in Major League Baseball for WAR when it came to starting pitching with only the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates totaling a worse figure. This might be a bit surprising given the name recognition of Jack Flaherty, Carlos Martinez and Miles Mikolas, but as a unit they struggled a bit.

Adding another veteran to the rotation could help stabilize the group as a whole. Despite the sometimes unreliable starting pitching, the Cardinals still finished with a 30-28 record, finishing second in the NL Central and making the playoffs.

With many of the pieces from last year returning, the Cardinals could be a prime candidate to explore the idea of adding a player like Carlos Carrasco. They might be just one or two players away from getting over the hump and a veteran like Carrasco can make that difference, especially at a position as important as a starting pitcher.

On the plus side for Cleveland, the Cardinals have plenty of prospects to offer in return that are intriguing and could contribute in the near future.

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.