Cleveland Indians: 3 players most likely to be gone by trade deadline

Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Indians

Let me start by saying that I, personally, don’t want the Cleveland Indians to trade Jose Ramirez. Let’s just get that on the record and out of the way. With that being said, it’s hard to ignore the direction the club is moving of saving every last penny and not only is Ramirez the highest paid player on the roster, but he’s one of the best as well.

That combination of being a solid player while also being expensive to Cleveland, but cheap to the rest of the league, could lead to a deadline deal. Ramirez still has club options for the next two seasons with his highest price tag being $14 million during the 2023 season. With a club friendly deal like that, Ramirez could be a very desirable trade target for other teams.

Now, for the Cleveland Indians to consider a move like this they can’t be where they are in the standings. Not as much because moving Ramirez wouldn’t align with the season’s plans, they have traded stars before at the deadline despite being the mix for the division, but the price of who they would have to call-up.

Nolan Jones would be the assumed predecessor should a move be made with Ramirez. Jones has struggled in Triple-A, so that paired with service time could deter the club. There’s other options, like Chang or Miller, but fans would be pushing to see the organization’s No. 1 prospect.

In the end, Ramirez probably won’t be moved unless the club is dead set on saving as much as possible. He has a team-friendly contract, is a fan favorite and is the team’s best player. That’s not exactly the type of player you want to trade away.