Cleveland Indians: 1 trade to make and 1 trade to avoid at the trade deadline

1 trade the Cleveland Indians have to make

The one move that the Cleveland Indians have to make at the trade deadline is adding a starting pitcher with multiple seasons of control left on their contract. Whether the team is a buyer or a seller, this season has shown that there is a void between the next wave of starting pitching excellence in the minors, meaning the team needs to add an arm a different way.

When we say multiple seasons of control, just two would suffice. If Cleveland isn’t in contention in two weeks, then adding a rental starting pitcher doesn’t make sense at all. However, if the Tribe can find a player that will be back next year, it would make the deal worth it.

The issue is that most of the pitchers on the market will be rental options. If a player has team control beyond this season there’s a lower likelihood of them being moved. However, there are a few that fit the bill.

Kyle Gibson with the Texas Rangers has been heavily rumored in deals this offseason. With a 6-1 record on top of an American League-best 2.29 ERA, he seems like a prime target. Add on that he is under contract next year at $7 million and this seems like the perfect player for the Cleveland Indians to go after. Being 33-years old, he could also have a rather reasonable asking price.

Other pitchers that have multiple years of control and have been mentioned in trade deadline talk are Merrill Kelly with Arizona, German Marquez with Colorado and John Means in Baltimore.

Any of them could be options for Cleveland, but it will come down to what it will cost both contractually and in terms of a trade.