Cleveland Indians: McKenzie, Clevinger, who’s more likely a trade chip?

Could Cleveland Indians be showcasing Triston McKenzie as a trade chip?

The idea of the Cleveland Indians trading Triston McKenzie after one start in which the right-hander punched out 10 batters seems crazy.

The 6-foot-5, 165-pounder was once the Tribe’s top prospect. After his star dimmed following injuries, he made good on his potential, delivering one of the most memorable debut in the organization’s 117-year history.

But with a surplus of starting pitching and the trade deadline quickly approaching, is it more likely the Indians are showcasing McKenzie for a trade, or does his itsy-bitsy sample size of a big-league resume give the Tribe confidence to move either Mike Clevinger or Zach Please?

Clevinger and Plesac have been hanging in limbo in Eastlake since Aug. 6, when they broke team rules related to the coronavirus pandemic. Some members of the team were outspoken about now allowing the two back with the team, which forced their demotion.

Things don’t look good for Clevinger’ and Plesac’s future prospects with the club, , but the Indians aren’t in the business of just giving talent away, Clevinger will be a Cy Young Award candidate when next season commences. He could be an ace on half the teams in the majors. Plesac is a fifth starter who’s pitching like a front-of-the-rotation arm.

They have to be welcomed back at some point. The team has a better chance to win with them. They’ve served their time and must be given a chance to earn back their teammates trust. Time heals. Second chances are given. That’s the way it works. It won’t be easy, but Plesac and Clevinger will be given the chance to earn back their teammates.

McKenzie has certainly made the idea of moving on from either Clevinger or Plesac more realistic, but’s the Aug. 31 deadline is still the riskiest deadline ever.

Will the season play to completion. There’s still no guarantee it will. If it does, are you willing to trade a more proven guy in favor of a  McKenzie, who, while promising, has already battled a serious shoulder injury in his young career.

If a trade does go down, this offseason seems a lot more likely. It’ll be interesting to see how Clevinger makes out in arbitration. The Indians will want to avoid paying high costs to anybody and  having Plesac and McKenzie in the rotation next season gives the Tribe two staters who will earn a combined $1 million. Pretty good if you can get it.

So, are the Indians showcasing McKenzie. It may be a cop out answer, but isn’t everyone being showcased? Who could’ve predicted McKenzie would fan 10 and allow one run in six innings. It never hurts when the stock of your young talent soars through the roof. A front office like the Indians loves having flexibility and options, and McKenzie just gave them more.

As for the return of Clevinger and Plesac, there’s still a place for McKenzie on the roster. Perhaps he goes to the bullpen where his 96 mile-per-fastball helps the Indians lock down the back end of the pen. Besides James Karinchak, and to some degree Nick Wittgren, I don’t have a lot of faith in the remaining relievers ( and this includes Brad Hand).