Cleveland Indians: 5 outfielders to target at MLB trade deadline

Cleveland Indians Trade Target #4: Gregory Polanco, Pittsburgh Pirates

It seems like each of the last three or four seasons there’s been rumors of a Gregory Polanco trade. This year might be the one that a deal is actually reached. While his stats are far from great and a stark contrast from the others on this list, the asking price from Pittsburgh could be incredibly low.

Polanco has a $3 million buyout clause after this season and a $1 million buyout after 2022, meaning he could essentially be a rental for whatever club brings him in. His price tag is high for what the Pirates want to have on the books, so they could move him for a bucket of Double Bubble at this point.

From the perspective of the Cleveland Indians, why would you bring in a guy who’s slashing .201/.282/.362 and hasn’t hit above .250 since 2018? Well, while Polanco is struggling there’s still potential there. Potential and a low asking price with a buyout option to make it a rental seem like a recipe that might intrigue this front office.

Polanco wouldn’t solve the problem, but he would be another option. If you look at the players the club has added to the outfield over the last few years, that type of move seems like par for the course.