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

3. Dodgers

Castrovince wrote about the Dodgers well aware of the decisions LA will have to make this offseason. Yasiel Puig‘s a free agent after 2019. He contends the Indians would be a fit, and that his impending free agency limits his trade value.

He also names Alex Verdugo as a player worth targeting. The Dodgers’ prospect is one of the players I recently wrote about in realistic outfield trade scenarios.

Verdugo’s only 22, but he’s already logged 700 at-bats at the Triple A level. He just needs a chance to play, and he’d get that in Cleveland.

Castrovince didn’t write about it, but I scribbled how the Dodgers may be a landing spot for Jason Kipnis this offseason. The Indians surely want to unload his $14 million salary for 2019 and the Dodgers are a team who could absorb the financial blow.

Plus, they’ll need a second baseman with Chase Utley retiring and despite Kipnis hitting around .220 all season, he did show some power, hitting 17 home runs.

The Dodgers help the Indians in that they’re getting a young up and coming player who’s big-league ready and they unload some salary

Should they do it: Forget Puig, he’s only under contract for one more season.

You’ve got to really like Verdugo to consider trading a Kluber or Carrasco type for a prospect. Verdugo is a career .309 hitter in the minors, with an .811 OPS.

Perhaps LA is feeling a little desperate though and you can get something else out of them. If you can get a top prospect, another solid bullpen arm and unload Kip, you’d be intrigued.