If the Indians sell at the deadline, these five players may be gone.
The Cleveland Indians refuse to pick a lane and commit. Still in the playoff race with two big series with the White Sox on the books, the Tribe remains in limbo. They are both a team that could easily sell off some assets or trade for some as well. They’re in a weird, funky place. A place so funky, they could trade every guy on this list and still be able to compete.
We are living in some weird times.
MLB Trade Rumors is one of the best baseball sites out there and they listed their Top 60 Candidates to be traded. The Indians had two on that list and another three on the honorable mention side. Those are the five players we’re looking at today.
Austin Hedges – catcher
Having come over from the Padres in the Mike Clevinger deal, Austin Hedges has been an absolute wreck of a player offensively. He hit .083 in his first season with the Indians and only has a .159 batting average in 2021. He has four home runs, 14 RBIs, and had way too much playing time due to the injury to Roberto Perez.
The Tribe really shouldn’t expect much back for him, and considering the Tribe signed Wilson Ramos (currently hitting .283 with the Clippers in Triple-A), Hedges is more than likely gone either way the team goes.
If they’re selling because they know they’re not going anywhere, Hedges will be dumped for cash and a player to be named later. If the Tribe does commit to gaining some assets, Hedges will be gone either in one of those trades or in a separate one to clear space on the 40 Man Roster. Hedges just isn’t providing enough to be retained.
Eddie Rosario – outfielder
Much like Austin Hedges, Eddie Rosario could be someone on the way out regardless of what happens for the rest of the season. He hit only three home runs from June to July and sits at seven on the season. This is after averaging around 27 home runs over the last four years (with the fourth year being adjusted to reflect a regular-season statically for Rosario). At this rate, Rosario will have 13 home runs for the year, and that’s not good for a guy who was known for his home run hitting power.
Rosario is playing fine but he’s on a one-year deal and a trade may get the Tribe an interesting prospect or two. Maybe not a Top-20 guy, but maybe someone with a one-note talent set that could possibly develop over time. A big-time power hitter with no defense, a great defensive player who’s lucky to hit .230, a pitcher with amazing control but an 88 MPH fastball, or a 102 MPH flamer thrower with no accuracy whatsoever.
Rosario won’t fetch you a prized prospect from even the most desperate teams, but who knows, maybe the Padres will continue their trend of overpaying for everything and go after him.
The team should be willing to part ways with him at the deadline regardless of the direction of the club this year. Even if the team was surging, this would be the recommendation, because Rosario isn’t a consistent piece of the offense, and there should be no debate about if he’s worth a second contract for the Indians in 2022.
He’s simply not.
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.
Bryan Shaw – reliever
This is one of those that makes sense either way. Bryan Shaw had the best seasons of his career in Cleveland, then he left. So to did the “good seasons”, because all he had from then on were bad. Then he came back and so did those “good seasons” because Shaw is back to his old form. Shaw has proven himself to be one of the very better relief pitchers on not just Cleveland’s squads but in all the Major Leagues and there will be offers for him.
The Tribe could trade him, and see what they could get back for him and not really miss a step. The Tribe’s bullpen has some arms in it besides Shaw, so you wouldn’t be shooting yourself in the foot. On the other hand, the team could just try to re-sign him to a modest deal in the offseason and risk losing him. He’s proven to be good enough to risk losing if you want to keep him.
The team would need Shaw if they get to the playoffs, no doubt about that, but again, we don’t know which way the Indians are going come deadline time. Shaw would be able to fetch a pretty prospect from a team like Tampa Bay if they’re interested, but it would hinder the Indians’ chances of making any noise in the event they get to the postseason
The team remains on that edge, where if they went in at the deadline to acquire talent it would make sense and if they sold off assets at the deadline it would make sense. Shaw is the best physical representation of that, as trading him or not trading him are both as likely to happen.
For what it’s worth, MLB Trade Rumors has Shaw at No. 30 of their Top 60 Trade Candidates.
Cesar Hernandez – second basemen
His batting average is down nearly 40 points from 2020, but his power numbers have spiked to a career-high of 17. Probably the team’s best trade chip among the more rumored players, Cesar Hernandez is still a quality defender and with his uptick in home runs, he can help give a team power at the plate. That could be why MLB Trade Rumor lists him at No. 20 on thier list.
Hernandez mirrors Roberto Perez in a lot of ways by landing here. Like Perez, there’s no need to trade Hernandez this year. Both men have club options for 2022 at the same cost as their 2021 seasons. Both men are defensive dynamos who can help improve a team’s defense. They’re both guys who can help this year either in the field or in a trade.
Neither has to be traded. Yet, if Herandez is, he might fetch the best single-player return of anyone on this list. The Tribe has a plethora of infielders who are hoping for a shot at second base eventually, and Hernandez, who is 31, is just delaying that process by playing well.
Like with Perez, Hernandez is what he is. He’s a career .270 hitter with some modest power and is a standout defensively. He could help the team any way you go forward but it comes down to which way will the club go?
You could probably get a Top 20 prospect from any club who’s interested, if not more, and that could set you up for the future. You could also keep him, hope Shane Bieber is back by mid-August, that the divisional series go your way from here on out and try and make a run for the playoffs.
Hernandez has been a nice get for the Tribe but there is going to be a lingering question in 2022 if he’s the best guy for the job as players under him continue to develop. If they do develop or Hernandez struggles, would you even get as much for him next year as you could have this year? That’s another question to ponder.