Indians unlikely to deal Kluber

Reports have surfaced that the Cleveland Indians are unlikely to deal their two-time Cy Young Award winning pitcher Corey Kluber

Jon Morosi reported that although teams are inquiring about Corey Kluber the Cleveland Indians are unlikely to deal him. Morosi noted that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers have attempted to acquire the two-time Cy Young Award winner. The San Diego Padres also attempted to acquire Kluber but are no longer in the running for his services.

As each day passes a trade of Kluber appears less and less likely. This is the feeling now and it was previously. Kluber’s agent actually stated just that as the trade rumors were in full force. Barring an unforeseen change from the quality of offers or the Indians front office experiencing a change of heart, Corey Kluber looks to remain a member of the Cleveland Indians this season.

A trade of Corey Kluber is no longer a foregone conclusion

Although many speculated a trade of Corey Kluber was inevitable, that does not appear to be the case. After the Indians shedded a ton of salary and did not rush to sign free agents, most feared the worst. That the Cleveland Indians were entering tear down mode and were about to trade away one of the best pitchers in baseball for a handful of prospects or expiring contracts. This could not be further from the truth.

Hanging on to Corey Kluber appears to be the right move for Cleveland currently. While trading him now could net some prospects, the fact of the matter is most, if not all of the players received may not make an impact for a few years. That does not align with the current level of competitiveness of the team or the window to win.

If Cleveland was no longer a realistic competitor in the American League trading Kluber would make sense. Utilizing a trade of a premier player to acquire players to jumpstart a rebuild makes sense for teams that have had their windows clearly shut. This does not describe the Cleveland Indians currently. The only way a team in Cleveland’s situation would trade a player like Kluber is if they are absolutely blown away with a trade offer. So far that has not been the case and it appears Kluber will remain in Cleveland for this season if not longer.