Cleveland Indians: 3 teams that could trade for Cesar Hernandez

3 teams that could trade for Cleveland Indians 2B Cesar Hernandez

The Cleveland Indians have once again struggled against the top teams in the American League, dropping four of their last five contests. This is the second time this month that the team has been bested by the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland might not be able to rebound from it. July was set to be the club’s most important month and a 6-12 record just won’t cut it.

Despite the struggles, the Tribe are still one game above .500. However, they have dropped to nine games out of the division lead behind the Chicago White Sox and are six games out of the Wild Card with three teams standing between them and the next available spot. All that paired with the hardships against top contenders point to a team on the verge of selling.

With that being said, the player that could be the club’s best trade chip at the deadline is second baseman Cesar Hernandez. After a slower start to the season, Hernandez found his stride in the leadoff spot of the order and has put together a solid season.

Through 92 games, just over 56% of the season, Hernandez has already set a career-high for home runs in a single season with 16, topping his previous high of 15 from 2018. His 43 RBI are also the third-most in his career while his 16 doubles are in his top five. And that’s all with just under half of the season left to play.

His impressive stats paired with the fact that he has another year of team control remaining is intriguing. With a very affordable $6 million option for next year, Hernandez could be one the better players flying under the radar at the deadline.

As for the Cleveland Indians, they have plenty of options to replace Hernandez in the field. The team has been trying to find more ways to get Ernie Clement playing time on top of having middle infield prospects that will be ready to debut either later this season or early next.

With all that being said, who could be suitors for Hernandez? Second basemen with offensive production are a bit of a premium right now. That’s why rumors are including Whit Merrifield as well. So, which teams could be calling the Cleveland Indians to offer a deal for Cesar Hernandez?