Cleveland Indians: Pros, cons of 5 trade proposals for Kluber, Carrasco

The Cleveland Indians let it be known they’ll listen to trades for starting pitchers. One writer looked at possible trades and these are the pros, cons.

The Cleveland Indians have a minor surplus of talent in their starting rotation. It’s about the only area of the team the Indians can afford to make a move without weakening themselves for 2019.

Trading Corey Kluber or Carlos Carrasco would be a bold move, but it would do wonders to perhaps helps the corner outfield situation, which is being left bare thanks to soon-to-be free-agent departure of Michael Brantley.

The Indians rotation is good enough to win the Central without Kluber or Carrasco, and since hitting seemed to be the Indians’ biggest problem in their ALDS sweep at the hands of the Astros, logically, the front office would seek to add a stick.

A rotation fronted by Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco, along with Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber would probably still be good enough to win the division.

All the pitching in the world won’t mean a lick if you can’t score runs.

Additionally, the the seven-inning starting pitcher is starting to become a piece of MLB history as teams shift to their bullpen earlier, a mold based off what Terry Francona did with Tribe hurlers in the 2016 postseason.

MLB.com writer Anthony Castrovince looked at some trade proposals involving the Tribe’ starting pitchers.

Here’s the pros and cons of the offers he suggested.