Cleveland Indians Grades At The MLB Trade Deadline

Cleveland Indians Grades: The Tribe was active at the trade deadline. Here’s how their moves grade out.

Let’s just get this point out of the way: If Jonathan Lucroy didn’t want to come to Cleveland, that’s his prerogative. He had every reason to exercise his contractual right to veto the trade here. No, we don’t like it and we all hope he goes hitless in Texas. However, it is time to move on.

Andrew Miller from the Yankees for Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield

There were other pieces, but no one will look any further than Frazier and Sheffield, two of the top prospects in the Indians system. Frazier was the best hitter in the minors and represented the Indians in the Futures Game during the All-Star Break. As a recent top pick and AAA call up, Frazier is easily the centerpiece of the deal.

Sheffield was a recent late first rounder and was touching mid 90’s on his fastball. While he is more projection than performance at the moment, he has a very high ceiling and has all of the makings of a solid big league starter.

For the Tribe, Miller should probably slide into the closer’s spot and bump Cody Allen to the set up role. The best part of the deal is that Miller is locked up through 2018. While the money is a bit high for a guy that isn’t a closer right now, he is a strikeout machine and is the best lefty out of the pen by a long shot.

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Grade: B+, and only because giving up Frazier is tough. It’s a huge plus that Miller is secured through 2018 and offers long term potential in the pen for the next few years. This trade is for a title run, proving the Dolan’s are taking risks fans aren’t used to seeing.

Brandon Guyer for Nathan Lukes and Jhonleider Salinas

Guyer crushes left handed pitching, which is the only reason he was brought in. He’s hitting .344 this year against them and .283 for his career. Neither Tyler Naquin nor Lonnie Chisenhall have that kind of track record against southpaws, so Guyer now slots in as the fourth outfielder ahead of Abe Almonte. He isn’t Jay Bruce or Carlos Beltran, but Guyer adds depth to the bench and give Terry Francona options to mix and match later in the season

Lukes and Salinas were both in the lower depths of the Tribe system. Lukes has split time between both Class A teams and Salinas was still pitching in the rookie ball until the deal. Neither was seen as future pieces for the Indians and are a small price to pay for a major league piece to balance the lineup.

Grade: C+ because it doesn’t move the needle that much, but didn’t cost anything of real value.

Juan Uribe Designated for Assignment

The unfortunate result of the Guyer deal is that a spot needed to be opened up. Uribe is 37 and hitting all of .206 on the season, which includes a May that saw him hit .274. That’s how bad he has been otherwise. At this point, Uribe’s clubhouse presence just couldn’t make up for his ineffectiveness at the plate and in the field.

Jose Ramirez now moves from left field to the hot corner. While he has historically not hit well as a third baseman, Ramirez has developed enough this season to at least get a shot to prove his adjustments aren’t dependent on where he plays. Ramirez is immediately a defensive upgrade and doesn’t need to do much to be an improvement at the plate. This is best for the Indians title chances, even is the Dancing Juan clip won’t be an Indians Twitter favorite anymore.

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Grade: A, since Uribe was so inept on the year. Jose Ramirez is a major upgrade without a trade needing to be made for a third baseman from outside the organization. It’s sad to see Juan Uribe go, but it what’s best for this team that already had a dead spot at catcher and could not afford to have another.

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