Might be wrong, but that would mean he has to win a CY this coming season or the following one.

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/cleveland-i ... auer-8645/

Then he walks. And his arbitration number in 2020 will likely be very high. Hence he is a candidate to be moved.

Look, it is all irrelevent to me if guys are traded or not. What IS important is what they get back.

It's not like they would give Bauer away. So it all depends on the return - every time for every player.

People say "But he's still affordable" and that is true. Then again, that also ADDS to his value in a trade.

So it always comes back to what you can get for him.

Agree with you on Bauer. Also if he only wants 1 year contracts, that could be perfect for the tribe.

Got to think that Bauer will get moved.......

Considering the lack of quality free agent pitchers, our two should be very popular. If they can dump Kipnis on someone along with one of the pitchers perhaps that would be more valuable than the players we get back in trade. Freeing up that $14M could make a free agent signing an option.

civ ollilavad wrote:Considering the lack of quality free agent pitchers, our two should be very popular. If they can dump Kipnis on someone along with one of the pitchers perhaps that would be more valuable than the players we get back in trade. Freeing up that $14M could make a free agent signing an option.

I think this is definitely their thinking. Think if they could move Kluber to the Dodgers for example with Kipnis attached. And if the stars aligned pick up a good outfielder in the trade as well.

And the Dodgers have tons of those.

TFIR, Jon Morosi is reporting this morning that talks between Indians and Dodgers have “intensified” for Kluber.

Dodgers have a young OF’er named Alex Verdugo that I would be interested in. High average and OBP type guy with some pop and speed. Plays CF in their system but we could replace Brantley in LF with him.

He really is a young Brantley. I remember when we were shopping CC, Brantley is a guy in the Brewers system who caught my eye and I mentioned here. Very similar type hitters in minors these two.

Verdugo slashed .329/.391/.472 in AAA this year.

.314/.389/.436 last year in AA.

Does anyone think that if they could successfully onload Kipnis' salary they could use that $14M to re-sign Brantley? Are we allowed to bid for our own free agent?

AT Dodgers.com

Whom might they trade?
The polarizing Yasiel Puig is one year away from free agency, but his trade value has steadily diminished since his meteoric arrival. The Dodgers couldn't move Matt Kemp's contract last offseason, but they'll try again with only one year left. With the exception of Cody Bellinger, it's hard to imagine management would hesitate moving any of the other outfielders in the right deal, including Alex Verdugo. Rich Hill and Alex Wood are the most likely starters to be dealt if a perceived upgrade is acquired. Cuban pitching prospect Yadier Alvarez was protected, but the jury is out on his future with the organization.

Prospects to know
There's a deep farm system from which to deal, headed by a surplus of catching prospects (Keibert Ruiz, Will Smith, Diego Cartaya and Connor Wong). The 23-year-old Smith or 20-year-old Ruiz could arrive in the big leagues at some point in 2019. Dustin May and Dennis Santana are MLB Pipeline's top-rated pitching prospects in the system, which doesn't appear to have a Buehler-type Rookie of the Year candidate this time.

Alvarez, a Cuban defector that the Dodgers paid through the nose for, would interest me in any deal too. He is wild but has a very lively arm. I trust our crew to give him some good coaching and control things better. Closer stuff for sure if so.

civ ollilavad wrote:Does anyone think that if they could successfully onload Kipnis' salary they could use that $14M to re-sign Brantley? Are we allowed to bid for our own free agent?

I think they have to wait until May 1.

What you could see in a Kluber deal. Kipnis for Puig or Kemp. Just exchanging dollars in an area of need for one year . Then trade Encarcion for another need and then replace him with a cheap free agent DH late in the process.

rusty2 wrote:What you could see in a Kluber deal. Kipnis for Puig or Kemp. Just exchanging dollars in an area of need for one year . Then trade Encarnacion for another need and then replace him with a cheap free agent DH late in the process.

If'n we trade Encarnacion, I would be in favor of bringing back Brantley and plant him at first.

Let’s round up the latest trade chatter from the central divisions:

Though he had previously indicated otherwise, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the Indians are exploring trade scenarios in which they’d dump a big contract (likely Jason Kipnis or Edwin Encarnacion) while dealing a top starter (Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer). Clearly, the Indians are still working through scenarios that’ll increase their roster flexibility. Infusing young talent and enhancing payroll flexibility would both be of interest, and it’s not clear that either is a particular priority. It’ll certainly be fascinating to see how the market develops for those high-end righties.

Tampa Bay Rays still evaluating Edwin Encarnacion, Yandy Diaz for possible trade with Cleveland Indians
Updated 5:04 PM; Posted 4:46 PM

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com phoynes@cleveland.com
LAS VEGAS – The Tampa Bay Rays, coming off an unexpected 90-win season, are looking to upgrade their offense for the season ahead in the AL East.

They’re evaluating several players who could help them, including Yandy Diaz and Edwin Encarnacion of the Indians. Diaz is a man without a position with less than a year of big-league service time. Encarnacion is the Tribe’s top paid player, scheduled to make $20 million in 2019, and in the final year of a three-year $60 million deal.

Those are two hitters at the extreme ends of the spectrum to be sure. The Rays interest in Diaz and Encarnacion surfaced last week.

The Indians need bullpen help and the Rays have a lot of it. Tampa Bay’s relievers went 55-36 last season and posted the sixth lowest ERA at 3.80 in the AL. They also threw 824 1/3 innings, the most in the league, because of their “opener’ strategy.

The Rays had 14 relievers make 20 or more appearances last season. Some of the busiest were Ryne Stanek (2-3, 2.89, 59 games), Jose Alvarado (1-6, 2.39, 70 games), Diego Castillo (4-2, 3.18, 43 games), Ryan Yarbrough (16-6, 3.91, 38 games), Austin Pruitt (2-3, 4.65, 23 games), Chaz Roe (1-3, 3.58, 61 games), Adam Kolarek (1-0, 3.93, 31 games) and Andrew Kittredge (3-2, 7.75, 33 games).


Diaz, 27, hit .312 (34-for-109) with the Indians and .293 (102-for-348) at Class AAA Columbus. He posted a .797 OPS at both levels, but hit just four combined homers while driving in 55 runs. The Indians have tried to get him to pull the ball more to increase his power, but he’s at his best when he hits to the ball up the middle or to right field.

If the Rays really are interested in Encarnacion, they’d be getting a proven middle-of-the-order hitter, but it’s hard to believe they’d pay what remains of his salary -- $20 million for 2019 and a $5 million buyout on a club option for 2020. Perhaps this is a deal that may have to wait on until the Indians save some money by trading starters Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer. Then they could absorb some of Encarnacion’s salary.

Or the Indians could see this as a way to lighten their payroll, while keeping Kluber and Bauer.

Last season Encarnacion, 36 in January, hit .246 (123-for-500) with 32 homers and 107 RBI. He is the only player in the big leagues to hit 30 or more homers in the last seven seasons.

Last season the Rays finished third in batting average, but ninth in runs, 10th in total bases and 14th in homers.