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MLB Rumor: Stephen Strasburg Available; Should Indians Target?

By Jared Mueller

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The Cleveland Indians already have a crowded pitching rotation but a new MLB rumor says that Stephen Strasburg is available for trade from the Washington Nationals:

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The Stephen Strasburg Era Is Over, What Now?
The Stephen Strasburg Era Is Over, What Now? /

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    • The Nationals just signed Max Scherzer to a huge contract and he joins Stasburgh, Gio Gonzalez, Doug Fister and Jordan Zimmerman in a studly rotation. They also have Tanner Roark who would seem to be the odd man out, at least he thought so, with the addition of Scherzer:

    "“When you sign a caliber guy like Scherzer and me being the fifth guy last year — and I hope everybody stays, which would be great – it’s just out of my hands,” Roark said by telephone on Tuesday morning. “It’s what everybody else wants to do and establish the Nationals even more. I’m just here to help out the best I can and do the best I can.”"

    Yet, according to Nats manager Matt Williams the team will enter Spring Training with 6 starters:

    "“What our plan is right now is to make sure that everybody’s training to be a starter,” Williams said after Scherzer’s introductory press conference at Nationals Park. “Because you just don’t know. So we’ll go into spring training in that mode. Again, during spring training you need multiple starters anyways. You need more than five, for sure. It’ll work itself out.”"

    So that leaves speculation that Perrotto’s tweet could be true, that the Nationals could be looking to move Stephen Strasburg. It is interesting that he notes both sides think it is time to move on. Strasburg and the team are motivated to make a move.

    Could the Indians jump into that trade water? While their rotation also is full, with Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Gavin Floyd and Danny Salazar, adding a pitcher the capacity of Strasburg has to be considered. He would slot in right behind Kluber making an already good rotation outstanding. It would leave Gloyd, Bauer and Salazar most likely fighting for the last spot in the rotation. T.J. House is also expected to compete.

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    Any trade for Strasburg is going to be expensive. The Indians are not going to trade Francisco Lindor but that is the first player that the Nats will ask for. The Tribe’s minor league system has some young prospects that could make it work though. Trading for a pitcher as good as Strasburg is almost always worth it.

    The question becomes the future. Strasburg agreed to a one year arbitration deal this season of $7.5 million. He would be by far the highest paid Indians’ pitcher. He is eligible for arbitration the following season as well, where he could make between 12 and 15 million. He will then be a free agent. A trade would give the Indians 2 years of a very high ace pitcher.

    That is when it becomes interesting for the Indians. Their two biggest contracts, Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, have vesting options that could result in them being free agents, and off the Indians books, after the ’16 season as well. Eliminating their $29 million from the books could free up some money for signing Strasburg.

    It would be far outside the Indians norm to sign a high level player but even two years of Strasburg could be worth the vault that they would likely have to give up to acquire him.

    Should the Indians make a trade for Stephen Strasburg if he is made available?

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