Report: Indians active in trade talks to improve outfield
Cleveland Indians general manager Mike Chernoff may have to reluctantly deal from his rotation in order to upgrade his thin outfield.
The Indians head into the offseason in search of at least two outfielders, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, and have discussed trade possibilities with the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays.
With All-Star left fielder Michael Brantley expected to be sidelined through most of April after undergoing shoulder surgery, the Indians' current outfield projects to have Jerry Sands, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Abraham Almonte patrolling it.
Chernoff has a rich stable of talent to deal with in the rotation, as Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Cody Anderson, Trevor Bauer, and Josh Tomlin are all viable major-league starters.
| Pitcher | W-L | ERA | IP | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kluber | 9-16 | 3.49 | 222 | 245 |
| Bauer | 11-12 | 4.55 | 176 | 170 |
| Carrasco | 14-12 | 3.63 | 183.2 | 216 |
| Salazar | 14-10 | 3.45 | 185 | 195 |
| Anderson | 7-3 | 3.05 | 91.1 | 44 |
| Tomlin | 7-2 | 3.02 | 65.2 | 57 |
The Yankees were reportedly in conversation with the Seattle Mariners regarding outfielder Brett Gardner, and he could interest the Indians given the reasonable three years and $39.5 million remaining on his deal. The Dodgers' outfield situation is crowded, with Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford, Alex Guerrero, and Scott Van Slyke all competing for time.
The potential return the Blue Jays could offer is a little more cloudy, as it's unlikely they'll deal Jose Bautista, leaving Ben Revere, Dalton Pompey, and Kevin Pillar as potential pieces. New president Mark Shapiro is highly in tune to the Indians' personnel, having come over from Cleveland earlier this month.