Cleveland Indians: 5 trade deadline packages to help starting rotation

Cleveland Indians make division deal for Kenta Maeda

Entering the season, the Minnesota Twins were expected to be among the top teams in the AL Central. Instead, they sit at the bottom of the division and near the bottom of the entire majors. With a slew of one-year deals on the roster, the Twins could very easily be one of the most active sellers at the trade deadline.

Oddly enough, the player that fits for the Cleveland Indians isn’t on a one-year deal. Kenta Maeda is still under contract for both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, which raises his price a bit on the trade market. Throw in the fact that his contract doesn’t go beyond $3.2 million a year and he could be a rather difficult player to acquire, especially from a division rival.

However, at 33-years old, Maeda doesn’t project to be part of the Twins’ future plans so trading him now might be the best value for the club. The team is in need of future infielders on the left side of the infield and they get two here. Owen Miller will be able to contribute now and Aaron Bracho down the road.

As for Maeda, he would bring with him an ERA of 4.85, quite the jump from his career 3.83 mark which makes it seem like better innings could be in front of him. After leading the majors in WHIP last season, his mark has doubled this year, so while it’s been a rough start there’s a good chance he could even out soon.