Cleveland Indians trade chatter: An unexpected deal?

As the Cleveland Indians approach the MLB trade deadline, there’s the hope the Tribe will be buyers as the end of July nears.

However, they may not fit the definition of “buyers” or “sellers.”

As recently pointed out on The Athletic, writer Jason Lloyd suggested the possibility of trading away Cesar Hernandez wouldn’t be all that surprising, and the move wouldn’t mean the Tribe was in sell mode.

Lloyd reasons that Andres Gimenez is “on fire” with the Class AAA Columbus Clippers, hitting eight homers this month entering Tuesday. Lloyd could see a scenario in which the Tribe moves Amed Rosario to second and Gimenez to short.

Hernandez, 31, isn’t the same player he was a year ago, when he hit .283 with a .763 OPS. This year, he’s batting .220 with a .686 OPS. He did win a Gold Glove a season ago and Tribe offered him $5 million to return.

He’s still very good at second base, ranked third by Fangraphs at the position, trailing only Marcus Semien in the American League.

At the time, signing him looked like a sound move, but as Lloyd correctly notes, it’s a move that may be worth making.

One thing to consider may be the play of Rosario at shortstop. He’s been a different player ever since the Tribe quit moving him between his natural position and center field. He’s batting .313 with a .743 OPS since June 1, which coincides with his permanent switch to short.

Lloyd continued, that the trade may be even more likely than we think if the front office believes top prospect Tyler Freeman is ready to overtake second base. Remember, the Indians haven’t ruled out a move back to center for Rosario, just because he’s such a gifted athlete.

With the Tribe needing pitching, Hernandez should have some value on the market. He’s making $5 million this season, but his new team would be on the hook for around $2 million by the time they get him.

Additionally, Hernandez can come off the books next season. He has a $6 million club options with no buyout.