Trevor Bauer is garnering a lot of interest around the league in trade rumors but whether to trade him or not is quite the dilemma for the Indians.
There are times when a team has a player who has a ton of interest in the trade market is a good thing. There are also times that it is a bad thing. The strange thing is that the Indians are not in either time fully at this moment. Trevor Bauer has had trade rumors around him since this past offseason and they are only heating up as the deadline approaches. The problem is that the Indians are in a weird spot when it comes to what to do with Trevor Bauer.
Trevor Bauer has endured an up and down season in 2019 and has not lived up to the expectations that many had for him as of yet. Although things are trending in the right direction as of late as the Indians have won his last six starts. Bauer has been one of two starting pitchers who have been in the rotation since the start of the season. This continued presence has helped the team through the adversity the pitching staff has faced this year. This has been crucial for the Tribe as they continue to chase the division leading Twins in the standings.
Trading Trevor Bauer could be a way to find reinforcements for the playoff push
A trade of Bauer could come whether or not the Indians are still contending for the playoffs. The return required to trade Bauer would need to include MLB ready players who came make a difference immediately. This would help in one of two ways. As the Indians continue their run to the playoffs or as they look to reset and get ready for next season. Teams have attempted to trade one star player to cover up the holes elsewhere on the roster, but that does not always end up well. One of the more notable cases was when Oakland traded Yoenis Cespedes to Boston for Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes. In hindsight this is viewed as one of the bigger mistakes that have been made when attempting to make a playoff run. Although at the time the logic was understandable.
What it will come down to is a couple of things. Where the Indians are in the standings and whether or not they are dealing from a position of strength to address other areas. The only way this becomes a position of strength is if the current pitchers continue to pitch at this high of a level and whether or not Corey Kluber and/or Carlos Carrasco return this season. The news of an injury to Aaron Civale in the minors does not help the idea of dealing from a position of strength. If Civale’s injury lingers it could alter the plans in regards to trading Bauer.
A trade of Trevor Bauer will not be popular
What the Indians need to avoid is to appear as though they are waving the white flag on the season if they do indeed trade Trevor Bauer. Even though they could acquire players who may make a difference day one, trading a player with the talent of Bauer will not go over well. The Indians organization and their fans need to prepare for the backlash of a trade that appears destined to happen at some point in the future. The only question is whether that future will come sooner or later.
