Cleveland Indians: Grading each trade deadline move by the Tribe

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Jordan Luplow #8 of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

Grading each trade deadline move by the Cleveland Indians

The 2021 Major League Baseball trade deadline may have been one of the more exciting deadlines in the history of the game. All but one team, the Colorado Rockies, struck at least one deal while the Cleveland Indians were no stranger to the market. In total, the Tribe agreed to four separate deals, sending away a total of six players while receiving four, however, only three will play for the organization.

As a whole, Cleveland fell short of expectations and received less for players than what was originally anticipated. However, not every deal was a bust. The first few were underwhelming, but the last two showed a bit more promise for the future of the organization.

If you’re looking for a grade on every single deadline deal, Fansided has you covered. Perhaps biggest winners and losers, that’s there too. However, what we’re doing here is going in-depth with each deal the Cleveland Indians made and giving each one it’s own grade.

While we’ve been predominately negative about the deals Cleveland made, they weren’t all terrible. The emotions of the bad trades override any positivity in the moment and the initial poor decisions take the headlines first. Now, with a bit of time to analyze more and decompress from the deadline, the Tribe made a few late moves that drastically improved the overall feel of the deadline.

The last couple trades didn’t have the magnitude of Cesar Hernandez or Eddie Rosario, but they might be the more important deals over the next couple years. Since there really wasn’t a big name moving in the last two deals Cleveland’s front office made, they didn’t receive the same level of coverage.

With that being said, here’s how each of the four individual trades that Cleveland made grade out following the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline.

Cesar Hernandez #12 of the Chicago White Sox (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images) /

Cleveland Indians make Cesar Hernandez a division rival

If there was one player that seemed almost certain to be traded from the Cleveland Indians roster, it was Cesar Hernandez. He had the most draw due to his career-high home runs this season and his contract has the option to stick around for the 2022 season on a cheap deal. The downside, he went to a division rival in the Chicago White Sox.

At the time of the deal, that move stung a little bit. However, given the young talent of Nick Madrigal who is set to return healthy in 2022, Hernandez was viewed as a rental for the Southside Sox. Cleveland is far out of the divisional race, so that didn’t hurt them as much as it could. Then the Craig Kimbrel trade happened.

Landing arguably the best reliever on the market, the White Sox sent Madrigal across town to the Cubbies, making it seem like Hernandez was no longer a rental. Cleveland’s front office couldn’t have known that at the time of the deal, but that’s the risk you run trading within the division.

In return, Cleveland received a strong pitching prospect in Konnor Pilkington. A third round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, Pilkington has shown promise. He has a high strikeouts per nine rate and a low walks per nine, making for a solid framework that Cleveland’s farm system can work with.

Pilkington has 14 games under his belt in Double-A, so the development is coming along. He most likely, and hopefully, won’t have to contribute in the majors this year, but could be in the mix very soon for a spot in the starting rotation.

Many were hoping Cleveland would get a bit more for Hernandez, but Pilkington has the tools to be really good. The fact that acquiring Hernandez allowed the White Sox to go get Kimbrel hurts, but overall it wasn’t an awful deal.

Cleveland Indians Trade Grade: C-

Eddie Rosario #9 of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Cleveland Indians gift Eddie Rosario to the Atlanta Braves

Frequent visitors of this site probably already know how I feel about this trade. The initial reaction warranted a full story on its own. Yes, this was mainly a salary dump. And yes, Eddie Rosario was struggling through this season. And yes, he was hurt. But there was nothing that said Cleveland had to trade Eddie Rosario, especially if it meant sending money in the deal to Atlanta also.

In the end, Cleveland received nothing in this deal. Technically, Pablo Sandoval came to the team in the deal, but the Tribe has already released him. Meaning that nothing was received on Cleveland’s side of the deal.

The reason that the deal was agreed upon was to save a few bucks. Considering that the team had to send cash with Rosario to Atlanta, they didn’t save all that much. However, perhaps every little bit counts.

The positive is that Rosario leaving makes a spot available in the outfield for someone else to get a chance. During his absence due to injury, the team was able to give more prospects a shot and that’s going to become the norm the rest of the season.

However, this deal alone was poorly executed. Had it been Rosario for Sandoval straight up to save money, that makes sense. But sending a team money in a deal that is supposed to save money doesn’t make total sense. Sure, the team will still save a little bit, but it just feels like there had to be a slightly better deal out there that included a low-level prospect instead of a player that has already been released.

Cleveland Indians Trade Grade: F

Phil Maton #88 of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Cleveland Indians flip Phil Maton for Myles Straw

Happening closer to the deadline in the midst of a ton of blockbuster deals, the Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians quietly made a trade that will help both sides tremendously. Cleveland had a plethora of relief pitchers while Houston had too many outfielders. It also helps that of the four deals, Myles Straw is the only player Cleveland received that will play in the majors this season.

Phil Maton has been decent this year with a 4.57 ERA over 41.1 innings. However, Cleveland’s bullpen was so full that sending away one arm seemed likely. While Bryan Shaw and Blake Parker were the more rumored players to be moveable, Maton’s role is replaceable for the organization.

As for Yainer Diaz, he was putting together a solid season. His career numbers have his batting average well above .300. He’s currently a catcher, but that could change. While a career .986 fielding percentage is decent for most positions, catchers usually need higher to stick around.

Luckily, what Cleveland was able to get in return was well worth that price. Straw is a great fielder, being error-free over his career, and his bat is above average as well. The biggest addition with his game is his speed. It’s been a long time since Cleveland has had a speedy outfielder in the lineup and it’s always a good piece to have.

Cleveland Indians Trade Grade: B+

Jordan Luplow #8 of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images) /

Cleveland Indians turn Jordan Luplow into pitching prospect

This is the type of deal that many expected for Eddie Rosario. While Jordan Luplow has more team control, is younger and cheaper, Rosario is the better player. Instead, the Cleveland brass managed to flip Luplow into a much better return by simply adding a relief pitcher to the mix. Was that not an option for Rosario?

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This season has been a roller coaster for Luplow. He started decently strong with seven home runs, but couldn’t get his average even close to the Mendoza line. Then, he went on the injured list and has been there since.

Being in Tampa Bay makes sense for Luplow. He provides depth with upside for an organization that has a similar approach to things as Cleveland. Moving him also creates another open roster spot and time in the outfield to explore younger options. As for D.J. Johnson, he’s a veteran reliever who tossed 1.2 innings for the Tribe this season. Sending him clears another 40-man spot.

As for what’s coming to Cleveland, Peyton Battenfield is very similar to Pilkington. He has a steady career ERA with a high strikeout per nine rate and low walks per nine. Like Pilkington, that’s a great foundation for the organization to work with. Since Cleveland is known as the pitching factory, these two additions could go a long way down the road.

Cleveland Indians Trade Grade: C+

Next. Get to know Myles Straw and Peyton Battenfield. dark

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