Cleveland Indians rumors: On Brewers, Braves fit, Dodgers still talking trade

In Cleveland Indians rumors, the Tribe’s Hot Stove is starting to warm up as team president Chris Antonetti prepares for baseball’s Winter Meetings, Dec. 9.

Until the Cleveland Indians make a trade, rumors will be swirling, and you’d better believe the Hot Stove will be cranked up for team president Chris Antonetti, who will head to baseball’s winter meetings in Las Vegas Dec. 9.

MLB.com’s Jon Morosi gave Indians’ fans something to think about with a speculative tweet linking the Tribe to the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves.

The longtime scribe specified that Atlanta and Cleveland weren’t talking, but added the Braves have power arms to move, such as 2017 first-rounder Kyle Wright, who’s already pitched at the big-league level.

Wright made 24 starts in 27 appearances in the minors last season, and pitched as a reliever in four games for Atlanta. He owns a 3.37 career minor-league ERA, to go along with 151 strikeouts in 155 innings.

More from Factory of Sadness

Morosi didn’t specify whether the Brewers and Indians were actually talking, but he pointed to Milwaukee’s surplus of outfielders such as Corey Ray and Keon Broxton as potential fits should the Tribe deal starters Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco or Trevor Bauer.

Ray just finished his first full season at Class AA. He hit just .236, but carried an .801 OPS that included 27 homers. He also stole 27 bases. The left-hander is regarded as Milwaukee’s second-best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

Broxton’s appeared in parts of the last four MLB seasons. With the Brewers in 2018, the 28-year-old right-hander hit .179 (.691 OPS) in 89 plate appearances. Broxton, a centerfielder, carries a 1.6 lifetime WAR.

Ray’s a decent prospect, but he’s not even Milwaukee’s top man on the farm. Morosi was undoubtedly looking at Cleveland’s needs, and Ray would be nice piece of a package for a deal involving one of the Tribe’s ace hurlers.

• Speaking of the Tribe’s terrific trio, the Dodgers and Indians are still talking trade, according to Morosi. If a deal is reached, either Kluber, Carrasco or Bauer would be dealt.

No secret how I feel about this one. Any deal better start with acquiring Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect, Alex Verdugo, a 22-year old outfielder who is big league ready.

• Which player is the most likely to be dealt when talking Kluber, Carrasco and Bauer?

Cost uncertainty suggests Bauer will be the player dealt, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

Bauer has this winter and next to collect arbitration. He’s in line for a huge raise this offseason, projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $11.6 million.

Bauer said wouldn’t sign an extension, opting instead to sign one year contracts. Things can change, but as we’ve seen with Bauer, he never goes about his business in the traditional way.

How will he treat contracts after arbitration. Will he continue to go year-by-year?

A team acquiring Bauer would still be getting a player who just came off his first all-star appearance, is still trending upward and is under club control for another two seasons.

Next. Indians rumors: The Yankees non-trade. dark

And he’s younger than Kluber and Carrasco. Something to think about.

Home/Cleveland Guardians Rumors