Cleveland Sports Forum

The Angels lost the Gerrit Cole sweepstakes to the Yankees, but now the rotation-needy club could be zeroing in on a different high-profile starter. They’ve shown interest in Indians right-hander Corey Kluber, per reports from Joel Sherman of the New York Post and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The Angels have also looked at fellow Indians righty Carlos Carrasco, according to Sherman.

Angels have a 20 year old CF prospect named Joe Adell that would be very nice.

Don't think the Indians are in any rush to make a bid deal like Kluber or Lindor at the winter meetings. Might pick up a 2b.

Adell looks terrific, but I would be surprised if Angels would deal him.

I enjoy reading about the kids' possibilities, strengths and weaknesses. My baseball interest is very much Vertical: Indians from top to bottom of the organization, rather than Horizontal: I'm pretty ignorant of most of the players on the other 29 major league rosters.

Civ, I get to see some kids from other organizations, like the lefty we acquired from the Reds this year for example. I was familiar with him. But most of the time when I hear a team is interested in one of our guys I just go and look at their prospects and see who catches my eye, judging their stats and scouting reports.

When I heard the Brewers were interested in Sabathia I went and looked at their guys and Brantley immediately caught my eye. I said I want him, you might remember.

I look at their walks and OBP. How much they strike out in minors. Whether they have power or speed, even if it’s just gap power if they’re young. You can usually spot the ones with promise.

I was familiar with Adell cause he is such a good prospect. I wouldn’t trade Kluber or Carrasco either one unless it was for him. They may not want to trade him, you’re right. Doesn’t hurt to ask. Then move on if they say no. We aren’t talking about 4th starters here. You want a top of the rotation starter you can either compete with Yankees and pay a free agent 35 mill for one, or trade a good prospect for one. They want a free lunch let them call someone else.

LA Angels talking to Cleveland Indians about former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber

Updated 6:00 AM;Today 1:29 AM

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
SAN DIEGO -- The Indians and Angels are discussing a trade involving two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber.

The Angels are trying to build a contender around three-time MVP Mike Trout, who has been to the postseason just once in his career. They just agreed on a seven-year $245 million deal with free-agent third baseman Anthony Rendon. On Tuesday, they bid over $300 million on free-agent right-hander Gerrit Cole, but finished second to the Yankees.


Left-hander Patrick Sandoval, middle infielder Luis Rengifo and minor league outfielder Trent Deveaux are three players who could be on the Indians radar. It’s unclear how many players would be involved in the deal.

Sandoval, who pitched against the Indians last season, was 0-4 with a 5.03 ERA. He appeared in 10 games, including nine starts with 42 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings.

In the minors last season, Sandoval was 4-7 with a 5.71 ERA in 20 games, including 19 starts. He had 98 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings. Sandoval would still be considered a rookie in 2020.

Rengifo, a switch-hitting middle infielder, hit .238 (85-for-357) with seven homers and 33 RBI last year for the Angels. He appeared in 108 games. Rengifo, like Sandoval, has less than a year’s service time.


The Indians came to the winter meetings looking for a second baseman to replace Jason Kipnis. Rengifo played 104 games at second last season.

Deveaux is a right-handed hitting outfielder who played rookie ball last year.

The Indians exercised Kluber’s $17.5 million club option for 2020 after last season. He has another club option for 2021.

Kluber, 34 in April, made just seven stats last season before he suffered a broken right forearm after getting hit by a line drive against the Marlins. He was set to rejoin the rotation in late August when he strained an oblique muscle during a rehab start.

He has spent his entire big-league career, seven years and 74 days, with the Indians. Kluber’s career record is 98-58 with a 3.16 ERA.

Sounds great. Maybe they have another pitcher in the minors with a 5 ERA they can toss in. Lord knows we need more starting pitchers.

C'mon Hoynes.

If that is all we could get for Kluber now then he isn't going to get traded till July.

that is a remarkably uninteresting package of "talent"

Don't think anybody is going to offer top flight talent for Kluber until they see him pitch this year. Kluber's injury and his history of fading late in the season will keep offers down...for now. I'm sure the Indians want to see him pitch at least for the first half of the season.

What time does the rule 5 draft start?

Must have missed the changes to the draft this year. Price is $100,00 up from $50,000. No longer a full season roster requirement...now 90 days

I think the $100,000 was in effect last year? Maybe not.
Ddint' note the reduced roster time requirement
Knew about the increased size.
People predicted more action
They were wrong. See minor matters for the dramatic outcome

Ken Rosenthal
@Ken_Rosenthal
·
18m
Interesting competition for #Indians’ Kluber, sources tell The Athletic. #Angels cautiously optimistic. AL West rival #Rangers in the mix. Other teams also might be involved.

The Padres and Angels have also expressed strong interest in acquiring him, and the increased attention around the league could drive up his price. The Rangers would surely like to block their division rival in Los Angeles from acquiring him.

The Indians
What Price and Betts are to the Red Sox, Corey Kluber and Francisco Lindor are to the Indians. So there’s not much doubt that both are available. But the parallel ends there, because clubs that have spoken with the Indians say they’re taking essentially the same approach they took last winter, when they talked with a number of teams about deals involving Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco — and ended up holding onto all three heading into spring training.

They have fairly firm (and high) prices in mind. And if they don’t get what they want, they don’t feel pressured to trade either of their two biggest stars — at least not yet. Kluber, 34, will make $17.5 million next year, has a second year of control (via an $18-million team option) beyond that and could rebuild his trade value with a good first half. Lindor also has two years remaining before he reaches free agency and is projected to make about $16.7 million through arbitration. So the Indians have made it clear they’re fine with entering the season with both on the roster — unless the right deal falls in place.

Kluber — whose old pitching coach in Cleveland, Mickey Callaway, is the new pitching coach with the Angels — has been linked with Team Moreno in trade talks this week. And one rival GM predicted Thursday: “The Angels will get two starters” between now and Opening Day, via either free agency or a trade. So they’re a real possibility here. But so are virtually all the clubs we mentioned as potential destinations for Price.

Meanwhile, the Indians appear more likely to hang onto Lindor this winter, in a climate in which the Dodgers seem unwilling to deal away rising star Gavin Lux, even for Lindor. The Dodgers believe Lux could be as good as Lindor, and offers four more years of affordable control. Nevertheless, the Dodgers have enough good young players lined up behind Lux to build a package for Lindor at some point. And a Lindor deal could allow them to move Corey Seager to first base or trade him to fill other holes. So this isn’t one of those move-on, nothing-to-see-here empty rumors. It’s clearly one to keep pinned to the bulletin board.