The Indians are looking to trade for B.J. Upton, who is now with the Tampa Bay Rays. He's a good fielder, which the Cleveland Indians desperately need. However, his hitting right now is already in the sweet spot where most Cleveland Indians reside: around.225. In the past three years he has been consistently below.250, with 50 to 60 RBI's. Nothing to write home about. Is this worth the Indians giving up an A-list prospect? Obviously, no.
Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets wants to stay in the National League, so he isn't available. It sounds like the Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco Giants are leading the way for Beltran.
Notwithstanding what is being said by idiot radio talk show hosts in Cleveland, there are 4 good reasons why the Indians shouldn't make a trade before the deadline this year.
Reason 1:
There are a lot more buyers for right handed hitters than sellers, which means in order to get one, the Indians would need to give up more than would be rational. There is just not the availability of players with expiring contracts to fulfill any expectation of a reasonable rent-a-player strategy. Also, so many teams who are contending need the same type of outfielder the Indians are searching for, and if the Indians are smart, they should leave it to others to overpay.
Reason 2:
A rent-a-player strategy only works if you are one or two players away. The Indians aren't. They need 2 outfielders immediately, and if Sizemore and Choo don't start hitting when they return from injuries, they need 2 outfielders permanently. Hitting at 2B and 3B is atrocious. Carlos Santana is not hitting. Lou Marson, a good catcher to have when everyone else on the field can make up for your weakness in hitting, not surprisingly, isn't hitting. Matt LaPorta can fill in blanks. But is he the permanent solution? Yes. In right field if you've got a bunch of.280 hitters elsewhere on the team. So, one player is not the solution, and to give an A list prospect in such a case would be a bad decision.
Reason 3:
Under the reasonable assumption that Marson is an acceptable catcher if the rest of the team hits, and it is known that Santana, while having great potential, is just not making it this year and could use a change of pace, or a hitting instructor he will listen to, then it would be reasonable to trade Santana for an A-list player from a non-contending team, perhaps someone who is overpaid and in the last few years of a contract. However, the luck of the draw is that there is no such candidate available this year.
Reason 4:
Next Year. Really. Two really good young pitchers will be ready for 2012, adding to a pitching staff that is pretty good already. Kipnis and Chis enhall will be anchoring 2B and 3B for years to come. Maybe pick up someone in free agency. Then all of a sudden, a team which has had a taste of winning this year, can have a serious prospect of competing next year.
Upshot:
While many fans will protest, the Indians should not making any major deal before the deadline. Play with what you've got, and the reality is the team will end up 3rd or 4th in a highly competitive division. This is OK, because in 2012, the Indians will be the team to beat in that division.
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