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

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

The trade deadline in Major League Baseball is rapidly approaching, now less than two weeks away. Given the up-and-down last few weeks for the Cleveland Indians, the team could still up on either side of the deadline. They have weaknesses to fill as buyers should they decide to buy into competing, but they also have tradable assets if they opt to be sellers.

Regardless of what side of the trade deadline the Tribe end up on, there’s one thing they have to do and one thing they must avoid at all costs. Whether they want to be in contention this season or not, these two ideas will play a role in both this season and setting up the future of the club moving forward.

Before we reach the trade deadline the Cleveland Indians still have 10 games to play against some of the top competition in the league. After finishing off the series in Oakland, the Tribe will have to then face the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays for the next seven games for the second time this month.

The first time around saw Cleveland drop all seven games with two consecutive sweeps. Luckily, the team has gained back a few players healthy, but it will still be a tough task. That means that by the trade deadline we could have a more clear view of where the Tribe will stand in any deadline deal they get involved in.

Over the last couple weeks we’ve documented the top needs of the Tribe at the deadline as well as one prospect they should absolutely not move, no matter what. Expanding on those ideas, at the trade deadline the Cleveland Indians need to use this as a guide to how to approach the trade deadline. Not only does it allude to one move that is an absolute must, but another that could significantly hurt the progression of the team.

1 trade the Cleveland Indians have to avoid

It sounds a bit broad, and quite frankly difficult, but the Cleveland Indians need to avoid trading away pieces of their core, both present and future. That means avoiding the Big Three in the rotation along with players like Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes. But it also means holding on to guys like Bo Naylor, Nolan Jones and Gabriel Arias.

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This might seem like a given, but it hasn’t always been that way. Moving all the starting pitchers that the team has in the last few years has come around to hurt the club this year. They moved talent for the next wave, but in turn created a void between one group and the next with little immediate depth help in the minors.

To the same note, the team doesn’t want to jeopardize the future for one run. Players like Naylor, Jones and Arias are already paving the road for themselves to the big leagues and have shown that they are the future of the club.

So, what can the team trade away? If they become sellers the players are rather clear. Move players on one-year deals to gain something in return. Cesar Hernandez, Eddie Rosario, those types of contracts.

If Cleveland ends up as buyers, we just have to trust in the front office that they are moving the right prospects. The club has a plethora of middle infielders, so that seems like the most likely route, but which one? That’s where the trust comes in and we just have to hope that it isn’t a deal like the Gio Urshela one three years ago that the team comes to regret.