Cleveland should consider parting ways with Clevinger and Plesac

The Cleveland Baseball Club should consider parting ways with starting pitchers Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac.

Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac are not exactly popular figures in Cleveland right now. A story from ESPN’s Jeff Passan details what went down and ultimately led to their demotion to the Alternate Training Site. This situation does not seem likely to improve any time soon and it is causing some issues in the clubhouse. Cleveland may be better off parting ways with both pitchers.

Before reaching the point of deciding move on from either pitcher they need to evaluate whether or not there is a way to reincorporate them with the rest of the team. The fact of the matter is that there may not be a way to bring either player back into the mix without causing a major disruption.

Veteran reliever Oliver Perez even said that if they come back that he would opt out of the season. If one player feels this way it is possible that others do as well. The difference is that Perez is someone who has been in the league long enough and is towards the end of his career. If opting out were to end his career he would be in a better situation compared to some other players on the roster who do not have the 18 years of MLB experience that Perez does. The reality is that younger players are not in the same situation financially that Perez is and that could lead to them to continue playing even though they may not want to. Any animosity between the players would surface and it could lead to problems on and off the field.

Tom Withers believes that Mike Clevinger is on thin ice, but is unsure whether Cleveland is looking to move him before the trade deadline.

The problem Cleveland faces is that players who are traded during this season and possibly next offseason are expected to fetch far less than previous years. Someone like Mike Clevinger could still get a decent return, but a combination of his actions paired with the current financial state of baseball may lead to a lesser return. Even with the decreased trade return, trading Clevinger and Plesac should still be seriously considered. It is clear that there are people at various levels in the organization who are unhappy with Clevinger and Plesac. Moving on from both pitchers even with the lesser return may be in the best interest of the team and allow them to move on from this disappointing series of events.