Yankees and Indians Discussing Multiple Trade Options

The New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians are reportedly discussing several possible trade ideas in the lead up to Monday’s trade deadline.

The Cleveland Indians are expected to be one of the more active clubs before the August 1st deadlines, but they are yet to pull the trigger on any big moves this month. That could all change soon, as the Indians are said to be discussing a number of trade scenarios with the Yankees.

Cleveland has been connected to a number of Yankees players over the past few weeks. There have been reputable reports linking them to Andrew Miller, Brett Gardner, and Carlos Beltran. The usually quiet Indians front office are said to be more willing than normal to make a blockbuster trade because of their unexpected success in the first half.

The Indians were first connected to Gardner this winter, with the club searching for a potential replacement for the injured Michael Brantley. The Tribe’s outfield is still a pretty motley crew despite some surprise performances in 2016, so they may still be interested in adding someone with Gardy’s track record. 

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Perhaps the best fit for Cleveland is Beltran. The Indians offense has been OK, but not spectacular in the early going. Their 102 wRC+ ranks seventh among American League clubs. What they are really missing is a big middle-of the order bat to slot in behind Francisco Lindor, and Beltran certainly qualifies.

The only holdup may be the remainder of Beltran’s $15 million salary, as Jon Heyman hears the Indians aren’t really in a position to add salary. Hopefully that is not an obstacle for getting a trade done.

Despite Hal Steinbrenner’s cries of poverty, the Yankees are easily one of baseball’s richest clubs, and if the team has an opportunity to eat money in order to get a better return in a trade, they should take advantage of that.

Another option for the Tribe is Andrew Miller, as their bullpen could also use some shoring up. Their rotation may be the class of the American League, but Indians relievers rank only 10th in the AL with 1.9 wins above replacement according to FanGraphs.

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Cleveland certainly has the talent to land any of these three players if they are willing to deal some of their top prospects. Double-A outfielders Clint Frazier (24th) and Bradley Zimmer (35th) are the top names, but starting pitcher Brady Aiken (79th) and first baseman Bobby Bradley also crack MLB Pipeline’s Top 100. Any of those four would be an excellent addition to the Yankees farm system.