Cleveland Indians: 3 players on MLBTR top 40 trade list to target

Cleveland Indians Trade Target #2

For the first time in a long time the starting rotation for the Cleveland Indians is a bit of a concern. Injuries and slow starts have raised a few questions in the unit and even once they are all healthy there’s still two spots that could be improved at the trade deadline.

After an awful 2019 season with the Colorado Rockies, Tyler Anderson rebounded a bit with the San Francisco Giants in 2020 before joining the Pittsburgh Pirates this past offseason where’s he has been able to put together a strong season thus far. With Anderson playing well and the Pirates being one of the worst teams in baseball, Anderson could once again be on the move.

In 11 starts, Anderson has put together a 4.67 ERA over 61.2 innings while striking out 59. Those numbers aren’t amazing, but they might be the best opportunity for the Tribe to add a starter at a reasonable price. Anderson’s making just $2.5 million this season, so financially it wouldn’t be too much of a burden.

Cleveland is currently exploring new options with the starting rotation, so there’s a chance that a spot or two in the rotation could be solved over the next month before decisions need to be made at the deadline. That will also allow a larger sample size from Anderson to see if he’s truly corrected some of his flaws on the mound or if the improvements are just temporary.