Yankees Rumors: Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco available in trade talks

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Cleveland Indians are prepared to listen to trade offers for Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco. If this is true should the Yankees put together an offer to get a deal done?

The news broke by Olney yesterday is somewhat surprising considering the Indians are one of the best teams in the American League and should be favored to win their division again in 2019. However, like the Yankees, they were ousted from this year’s playoffs in the ALDS after they were swept by the Houston Astros rather handily.

On paper, the Indians still have a bright future and should be in contention to make some noise next season. But they are a small market club and sometime soon they are going to have to try and lock up their two MVP candidates Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez to long-term deals. That could explain why they’re open to shedding salary and trading Kluber and Carrasco along with veterans Yan Gomes, and Edwin Encarnacion.

As Olney noted in a separate tweet the Indians aren’t going to trade all of the players he referenced. Although the fact that they’ll at least listen to offers on Kluber and Carrasco, in particular, should spark plenty of interest from opposing clubs. Especially the Yankees.

It’s no secret that the Yankees number one priority this offseason will be to upgrade their starting rotation and adding either Kluber or Carrasco would do just that. Kluber is the more popular option because he’s a two time Cy Young winner and a true ace but Carrasco is no slouch himself and is certainly a front of the rotation guy.

Kluber in 2018: 20-7, 2.89 ERA, 215 IP, 222 K’s, 0.99 WHIP

Carrasco in 2018: 17-10, 3.38 ERA, 192 IP, 231 K’s, 1.12 WHIP

The cost to get either would take a ton because they’re both under control on team-friendly contracts with club options through 2021. Kluber will only make $17 million in 2019 and Carrasco will make even less at only $7.1 million. To acquire either the Yankees would have to part with multiple top prospects, but given their need for more starting pitching, they should strongly consider doing so.

One name to keep an eye on if the Yanks put together an offer is top prospect Justus Sheffield who they acquired from Cleveland in the Andrew Miller trade back in 2016. Sheffield projects to impact the Yankee rotation this season, but if Cleveland is interested in re-acquiring him he could headline a potential deal. If not Sheffield, Estevan Florial and Jonathan Loaisiga the organization’s second and third-ranked prospects could be included as part of a package.

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Giving up the two of your top three prospects might seem like a lot but that’s what it would probably take to add one of these All-Stars to next year’s rotation. With both players under team control on bargain salaries, they are not going to come cheap by any means.

It would be similar to the Chris Sale trade the Red Sox made before 2017 when they traded multiple top prospects for three years of control with Sale.

The Yankees will also look to the free agent market to add another starter but Kluber is a better option than anyone they could potentially sign. The same could be said about Carrasco. The Yankees and Brian Cashman know they have to make a big splash this winter if they want to overtake Boston in the division next year.

That’s why they should do whatever it takes to acquire one of these Cleveland aces.