Indians Trade Talk: Why The Tribe Should Trade For Sabathia

In Cleveland Indians trade talk, C.C. Sabathia can help the Cleveland Indians contend for the pennant. These five reasons highlight why…

I know I know, C.C. Sabathia has been a disappointment for most of his time in New York. Maybe it was the pressure of playing in the Big Apple or the weight of his rich contract.

But ever since he overcame his alcohol issues at the end of last season, Sabathia appears to have gotten himself back on track.

Because of his solid bounce-back season, Sabathia could be a great boost to the Tribe as they compete for an AL Pennant. With the Yankees needing to get younger and shed some bloated salaries, they could look to unload Sabathia. Obviously, the Indians would want the Yankees to eat some of the $23 million of 2016 salary left of Sabathia’s deal. There are five reasons why Sabathia could work for the Tribe.

1. Sabathia The Southpaw

There has not been a valuable left handed starter in the Tribe rotation since Cliff Lee, who only became the best lefty in the rotation after Sabathia was traded. With a right handed heavy lineup, maybe the Tribe front office is at least looking for someone who can attack left handed lineups. We’ve all harped on the Indians imbalanced batting order, but there are five right-handed starters in Cleveland. Would a little balance make a great rotation even better?

2. Another Injury is Bound to Happen

No, we are not trying to jinx the Indians rotation. The fact of the matter is we saw Carlos Carrasco go down earlier in the year and the team scramble to find a suitable replacement. Cody Anderson was a trainwreck and Mike Clevenger was not ready to face major league hitters yet. What happens if there is another injured arm? It isn’t out of the question. Danny Salazar was skipped earlier in the year and Josh Tomlin‘s elbow and shoulder are not exactly pillars of health. Some major league ready depth in the rotation is much needed down the stretch.

3. The Bullpen needs Help in October

Why would trading for a starter help the bullpen? By the playoffs, the Tribe will not use a full five-man rotation. In all likelihood, the Indians will go with a Kluber-Carrasco-Salazar trio at the head of the rotation. In a short series, that is a brutal stretch for Indians opponents. Imagine two of either Josh Tomlin, Trevor Bauer, and C.C. Sabathia reinforcing a bullpen that has struggled much of the year. It allows Terry Francona to get better talent in the pen, but also options that can eat up some innings in case a starter gets beaten up at all. Additionally, a left handed arm in the pen like Sabathia, who could serve as a better long man than Zach McAllister, would be a bonus.

4. Real Playoff Experience Matters

Aside from a play-in-game for the Wild Card, there isn’t any playoff experience in the rotation at all. Sabathia offers the experience of 12 playoff series and a World Series. While his performance has been mixed in the postseason, his insight and perspective could really help this team tremendously. Indians fans will have to get past his 2007 meltdown that ended the Boston Curse. Maybe C.C. could help the Tribe get past their own demons.

5. C.C. Has Been Very Good in 2016

At 5-4 with a 2.71 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP, Sabathia has been a whole new pitcher since he tackled his alcohol issues in 2015. In fact, he’s only given up 3 home runs all year and has held opposing hitters to a .235 batting average. After a rough April that saw Sabathia sport a 5.06 ERA, C.C. rebounded with a 1.04 ERA in May and a 2.42 ERA so far in June.

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His home/road splits are very good as well. Sabathia’s 3.58 ERA in the hitter-friendly confines of Yankee stadium is ok, but his 2.14 ERA over seven road starts is very good.

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Cleveland Indians Trade Talk: 5 Reasons The Tribe Should Trade For C.C. Sabathia

By Joe Russo | Jun 24, 2016