There are a few players that the Cleveland Indians should look into trading in order to make some upgrades on their roster.
No, this is not a complete tear down conversation. This is not about trading Francisco Lindor, Mike Clevinger, Corey Kluber, etc. This is about exploring the trade market for players that the Cleveland Indians do not have room for. Finding a way to upgrade the roster with players who are more expendable than others.
Bobby Bradley
Yes, Bobby Bradley. The Assassin. The profile of Bobby Bradley is the epitome of three true outcomes. Strikeout, walk or home run. A little less of a focus on the walk aspect of this description when it comes to Bradley. The most Bradley has walked in a season above “A Ball” is 56 times. Typically more walks are warranted to be classified as three true outcomes guy. Right now, Bradley is more of a two outcome guy with the occasional walk sprinkled in. Bradley will hit home runs (maybe), but will strike out a ton.
If Bradley was someone who could walk more he might be of more interest to the Indians at the MLB level. The fact of the matter is that it is not likely that he will improve upon this particular aspect of his game. If Cleveland was rebuilding, sure, give Bobby Bradley a shot and see what he can do. The reality is that Cleveland has one, possibly two years of serious contention left and need to do what they can in order to do so. If that means trading Bobby Bradley to improve the roster so be it.
Looking at the profile of Bobby Bradley, he is someone with a skill set that is much easier to acquire than in previous years. Hitting for power and striking out a ton can be found on the free agent market every year. Cleveland could trade Bradley to find an upgrade they need while taking a one-year flier on a free agent.
Yu Chang
This was is relatively simple. Yu Chang is blocked at the Major League level. Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor have the left side of the field locked down at this moment. Yes, hypothetically Chang could fill the vacancy at second, but it is worth noting he has only played second base 34 times in his career. Chang has played third base 101 times and shortstop 485 times. Clearly he is viewed more of a shortstop/third base type than second baseman.
Looking at his performance at the plate is not anything that suggest he is going to become an elite hitter at any level. Chang’s .253/.328/.433/.761 slash line across all levels of competition is hardly impressive. There is no reason to bump anyone to a different position to accommodate Chang and there is no reason to depend on him to fill second base this season.
For some reason there was trade interest in regards to Chang before the last trade deadline. If a team is interested in acquiring the services of Yu Chang the Tribe better call them back this offseason. If Cleveland can improve their roster without trading a blue chip prospect, they better do it. Trading Chang would be just that.
Greg Allen
Here is what we know about Greg Allen. Greg Allen is a great fourth outfielder who should play no more than a couple times a week. In small sample sizes he can produce, but when is relied upon as an every day player reality comes crashing hard. The Indians outfield is still relatively unsettled (Oscar Mercado looks great and Franmil Reyes is a DH). Cleveland cannot afford to go into 2020 with Greg Allen in a starting role. Everyone knows what he is, and a starter is not it.
This does not mean that Greg Allen is useless. In fact, he is far from it. Allen is a switch-hitting outfielder with speed. You know where he would be perfect? The National League. Having someone like Allen be able to come off the bench provides an NL team with plenty of options. Allen could pinch hit, pinch run or come in as a defensive replacement. Greg Allen has much more value on a National League roster than he does on an American League one. There should be plenty of teams in the other league that will have interest in his services.
Bradley Zimmer
This is a more of a change of scenery type trade. Bradley Zimmer has not had a ton of success at the big league level in Cleveland. Some of that is related to his performance at the plate and his previously hideous batting stance. The other part is entirely related to his history of injuries. Zimmer just hasn’t been able to stay healthy consistently and the reality is the Indians cannot rely on him to contribute on a regular basis.
The return alone for Zimmer would not be great, but if Cleveland were to package Zimmer with some of the other names listed here that may increase what they can get. The return could be an established outfielder or a second baseman. Getting a proven commodity while the team is still in contention is something definitely worth considering.
