Indians: 5 players who are most likely to be dealt at the trade deadline
By Chad Porto
Roberto Perez – catcher
It’s becoming painfully clear that 2019 was a fluke for Roberto Perez, offensively speaking. He’s barely a .200 career hitter, and four of his last six seasons have seen him hit below .200 for the year. He’s also not known for his power either, so it’s not even a Bobby Bradley situation where he barely makes contact but when he does, the ball flies a country mile. Perez, when it comes to producing on offense, is not a good player.
Defensively, few are as good as him. That’s why he’s been kept around because much like former Tribe catcher Einar Diaz; Perez is one of the few elite defensive catchers in the game of baseball. He’s not only hard to run on, but he’s a heck of a game-caller. He’s been many star pitchers preferred catcher during his time on the Indians.
His trade would be a huge move for the team and their expectations in 2021. They have a few guys at his position who are nearing maturation in the minors, Bo Naylor’s name comes to mind, but trading such a stalworth would be the Tribe’s way of saying “not this year”. He has a club option for next year, so it’s not like the team has to rush to move him, so it’s unlikely that they will, unless they see a deal they like.