Cleveland Indians: Five trade destinations for Jose Ramirez

Five teams that could call the Cleveland Indians for Jose Ramirez

The Cleveland Indians were expected to trade Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco was a possibility as well, but moving them both in one deal raised eyebrows across the league. Not only did the Indians shed their two biggest contracts, but they did so in the same deal and for a return that seemed below market value. Now, Jose Ramirez seems to be the next name potentially on the chopping block.

Ramirez has a rather team friendly deal that has up to three years remaining, including two years of club options. He’s set to make $9.4 million during the 2021 season before an option for $12 million in 2022 and another option in 2023, this time at $14 million.

Given his high level of play that has put him in the top three of MVP voting in three of the last four seasons and a cheap contract with multiple years left, Ramirez might be able to net a bigger return than Lindor and Carrasco did for the Cleveland Indians.

Another added plus for Ramirez is that he’s still just 28-years old, meaning he is most likely in the heart of his prime. Any team that could be interesting in adding him would be adding an annual MVP candidate with three years left on his deal and playing at his peak. It’s hard to imagine that any team wouldn’t at least be interested, especially given Ramirez’s versatility in the field.

You might be asking why would the Indians trade him then? Well, it seems like the Indians are aiming towards a complete restructure of the team. They want to save money in the immediate future while building up assets for the more down-the-road future. Trading away Jose Ramirez would put two huge check marks in both of those boxes. It’s not necessarily the reality that we want for the Tribe, but it’s the one we’re dealing with.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Coming off a World Series title, the Los Angeles Dodgers are being credited with the move of the offseason last year. They were able to acquire Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox and it paid off with a ring. Now, a year later, they could look for a similar splash to keep the team competing at a high level.

Justin Turner has occupied the third base position for the Dodgers for much of the last seven years, but the 36-year old infielder is now a free agent which has left a hole in the LA infield. Turner received MVP votes for three straight seasons from 2016-2018, including an All-Star appearance in 2017, but odds are the Dodgers will turn to a new face at the position in 2021.

Gavin Lux and Corey Seager have the middle infield positions locked down, so adding Jose Ramirez to the mix at third would cause the Dodgers to not miss a beat at the position. Ramirez would be an upgrade over Turner both at the plate and in the field while also helping keep the Dodgers at the top of the National League.

The one issue is that the Dodgers might not have a ton of prospects the Cleveland Indians would be interested in. They spent a lot to get Betts last season, eliminating much of their immediate help. However, if the Indians are committed to waiting a year or two, then they can still cash in on a deal with the Dodgers for Ramirez.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers have been on the cusp of breaking through far more than once in the last few years, but there just always seems to be one thing or another that holds them back. They have one of the best players in the game in Christian Yelich and an impressive bullpen duo with Devin Williams and Josh Hader. Perhaps Jose Ramirez is the missing link.

While Yelich has been outstanding, there’s been a lack of help for him in the Brewers lineup. Keston Hiura showed promise in 2019, but led the National League in strikeouts during the 2020 season. It’s a similar story for both Orlando Arcia and Luis Urias. This is where Ramirez could be huge for the Brewers.

Given Ramirez’s ability at the plate, he could be the perfect compliment to Yelich. The two would be a nightmare duo for opposing pitchers. Plus, Ramirez’s low contract would allow the Brewers to possibly even add an arm to their rotation on top of him.

The upside for the Indians is that the Brewers might be willing to part with Arcia or Urias in a trade in addition to other prospects from the minor leagues. Either could offer immediate help in the infield to bridge the gap to the next wave of players in Cleveland.

Los Angeles Angels

This might be a long shot with David Fletcher at third and Anthony Rendon on the roster, but the Los Angeles Angels might need to make a splash. The Los Angeles sports world has watched the Dodgers and Lakers win titles while most of the other teams have made some sort of splash. Meanwhile, the Angels have been cruising along. Now, they might be able to trade for Jose Ramirez.

Albert Pujols’ contract is about to end after the 2021 season, not only clearing a lot of payroll, but opening a spot in the lineup. Ramirez, Fletcher and Rendon are all flexible infielders, so finding a spot for everyone might not be too difficult to do, even with Pujols in the mix this year.

If the Angels do decide that they want to pursue a deal with the Cleveland Indians, they might have the best assets to deal away of the teams on this list. The Indians still need solid outfielders and the Angels have them to offer. Their own outfield is pretty much set while their minor leaguers have been more rapidly progressing.

If the Indians are serious about moving Jose Ramirez, they might be better off calling up the Angels first. Based purely on what they could offer back, this is the Indians’ best bet to make up ground on what they missed out on in the Lindor, Carrasco deal.

Cincinnati Reds

The race in the NL Central was incredibly tight this past season, so really any of the teams in that division could be looking to make a splash. However, it seems like we can’t talk about a trade by the Cleveland Indians without mentioning the Cincinnati Reds as a possible partner. The two Ohio teams have been linked in the past and that could be the case again in a Jose Ramirez deal.

The Reds played Eugenio Suarez at third during the 2020 season, but Suarez can play shortstop as well, replacing Jose Garcia who struggled at times this past year. That would give the Reds an infield consisting of Ramirez, Suarez, Mike Moustakas and of course Joey Votto.

The one barrier here is deciding where the Cincinnati Reds are as a club. If they want to start saving money, then this deal obviously doesn’t make sense. However, if they are willing to go all in, then Ramirez could be the perfect fit.

His contract isn’t too outrageous and they would still have plenty of money left over from what Trevor Bauer left behind. The key would just be finding the right prospects to offer the Indians. The top players in the Reds’ organization are pitchers, which the Tribe seem to have plenty of for the time being.