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?

Cleveland Indians Trade Partner #1 for Cesar Hernandez: Seattle Mariners

In the American League Wild Card standings, the Seattle Mariners are the first time on the outside looking in, trailing the Oakland A’s by 3.5 games entering Saturday (July 24). Seattle was in a similar boat as Cleveland not too long ago, being on the brink of buying or selling, or maybe doing nothing. While that is still the case, Hernandez is an affordable enough player that Seattle could be interested.

So far this season the Mariners have had Dylan Moore at second for majority of the year, starting 52 games at the position. They’ve also had Ty France there for 18 games and Donovan Walton for 11, but no other player has hit double digit starts at second.

This year Moore has been able to slash just .190/.276/.363 for the Mariners. Now, he does have 15 stolen bases, but it seems clear that Hernandez would provide an offensive upgrade at the position for the club. Moore also has three years at second this year, so a Gold Glove player in Hernandez would provide a boost there as well.

The Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners have already been trade partners this year, agreeing to the small deal for Jake Bauers, so the phone lines are open. Hernandez would be an affordable upgrade for the Mariners, wouldn’t break the bank and would be more than just a rental.

Cleveland Indians Trade Partner #2 for Cesar Hernandez: San Francisco Giants

With the best record in baseball it seems a bit odd that the San Francisco Giants would want to shake anything up with the roster. However, Hernandez could be just the right upgrade for the team to make down the stretch. If there’s a spot in the infield for the Giants to make a change, it would be second base.

Brandon Belt is at first, Brandon Crawford at second and Evan Longoria at third. As for second, Donovan Solano has received majority of the playing time, starting 58 games there. Like Moore for Seattle, Solano has struggled in the field with four errors at second, so adding a Gold Glove could be a plus.

As for at the plate it would come down to what the Giants want out of the position. If they want average and singles, than sticking with Solano would be the right call. However, if they want power and more of a threat, Hernandez is the guy,

Solano has just three home runs and 12 doubles with only 21 RBI. Hernandez’s 16 home runs alone have provided more RBI for Cleveland than Solano’s entire season. The question will just be if the Giants are open to make a change. If they are, then it seems like Hernandez is a likely addition.