Cleveland Indians: Grading each trade deadline move by the Tribe

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+