Cleveland Indians: 3 players that COVID might force them to trade

2. Carlos Santana

Like Lindor, this was probably going to be Carlos Santana‘s final season in an Indians’ uniform.  The Tribe carries a $17.5 million option for him in 2021, but they just shipped off a guy (Kluber) who was in the same situation.

Before the pandemic, we assumed Santana would ride out his contract here. However, perhaps the Tribe will cut its losses, and move the first baseman. The Chronicle’s Jim Ingram wrote about packaging him the switch-hitting first baseman with Lindor.

If there’s a team who truly wants to “go for it” in what will be a season unlike any other, Santana would be a huge addition.

He’s durable, having averaged 154 games played over the past nine seasons, he bats from both sides of the plate and his career is peaking, evidenced by his first trip to the All-Star Game last July.

At 34 years old, Santana doesn’t seem like a candidate teams will be lining up to acquire. He’s 34 and he’ll also make $17.5 million this season. That said, his option for 2021 rests with the team, so he comes of the books.

Santana will go down as one of the all-time steals for the Indians, who acquired him in 2008 from the Dodgers in a trade for Casey Blake.