Cleveland Indians: 3 trade targets who could shock Tribe fan base

Cleveland Indians Trade Target #2: Joey Gallo, 1B/OF, Texas Rangers

Depending on how much the Cleveland Indians front office is willing to offer in a deal, Joey Gallo could be a great target to pursue. Not only does his contract offer more than just an end-of-year rental, but he could check off multiple boxes at once for the Tribe.

Starting with his contract, Gallo is making $6.2 million this year and has one year of arbitration left on his deal after that, meaning he would most likely stay in Cleveland for the 2022 season should a trade happen. That extra year could be a bit pricey, but the Tribe are set to see Eddie Rosario’s contract clear the books after this season, wiping clean about $8 million the team is spending this year.

As for in the field, Gallo would nearly complete the outfield for this year once Rosario is back from the injured list. Rosario would resume left field, Gallo would take over right and Harold Ramirez can slide over to center full-time. Plus, Gallo has first base experience, a position that Cleveland currently doesn’t have a clear depth player for behind Bobby Bradley.

We haven’t even mentioned Gallo at the plate. While he’s known for his power, which has knocked 24 home runs already this year, Gallo is also leading all of baseball in walks with 72. His average is lower than you want at .237, but his power threat and ability to draw walks make up for it.

Even if Gallo draws a bit higher of a price, he is the perfect player for Cleveland to go after. He would stay beyond this season, fill multiple needs defensively and provide a huge power boost to a batting order that is slowly becoming more dangerous by the day as more players find their swing.