Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline is drawing near, and the Indians are still looking to address some of their needs on the major league roster.
Here’s a rundown of where they stand:
The Indians continue to be linked to Milwaukee Brewers All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who would offer a significant upgrade to the lineup. He’s hitting .300 this season with a .361 on-base percentage, 13 home runs, 17 doubles and 50 RBI. Per FanGraphs, he’s given the Brewers 2.8 WAR this season, third among catchers.
Indians catchers, meanwhile, have all struggled offensively and Yan Gomes recently landed on the disabled list with a separated shoulder. Together, they’ve combined for -1.1 WAR, the worst mark in baseball, and have been an anchor at the bottom of the lineup, all hitting below or around .200 with little power.
Lucroy is making $4 million this season and has a $5.25 million club option for next season. He’d give the Indians an upgrade at catcher this season and could potentially move to first base next year with Gomes and Perez under club control for the foreseeable future.
The Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros and New York Mets have all been connected to Lucroy as well, who appears to be among the more available players in the league if a team will meet the Brewers’ demands.
In the Indians’ case, they could also be seeking to acquire one of the Brewers’ relief pitchers, namely left-hander Will Smith, in a deal highlighted by Lucroy. Smith is under club control through the 2019 season. The question will be the Brewers’ asking price, especially with the market for Lucroy heating up.
Per various reports, the Indians have also been linked to Tampa Bay Rays utility man Steve Pearce, Cincinnati Reds All-Star outfielder Jay Bruce and Minnesota Twins All-Star infielder Eduardo Nunez.
Pearce, who primarily plays the corner outfield spots and first base, crushes left-handed pitching and has a 1.212 OPS against lefties this season. Pearce would give the Indians more balance in the outfield against left-handed pitchers with left-handed hitters Lonnie Chisenhall and Tyler Naquin on the roster. The price tag on Pearce might not be as high as other Indians’ targets, as he’ll be a free agent after this season.
Bruce would give the Indians another left-handed hitter in the outfield, though he’s had an outstanding season at the plate, slugging 25 home runs and driving in 79 runs this season. He’s a free agent at the end of the year as well.
Nunez is hitting .300 entering Thursday with 12 home runs, 15 doubles and 26 stolen bases, which leads the American League. He’s played primarily shortstop and third base in his career, with some left field mixed in. Nunez would give the Indians an upgrade at third base over Juan Uribe, who hasn’t played particularly well in recent weeks, and another player who can move around the field. Nunez will be eligible for his final year of arbitration this winter.
The Indians were also reportedly tied to closer Aroldis Chapman and outfielder Melvin Upton Jr., though Chapman was dealt to the Chicago Cubs and Upton was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Teams could be targeting one of the Indians’ top prospects, outfielders Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier, who were recently promoted to Triple-A Columbus. The Indians also have a surplus of starting pitching prospects, including Brady Aiken, Justus Sheffield, Triston McKenzie and others.
The question, as always this time of year, is finding a match in value. Though this year, the Indians have plenty of reasons to be buyers as one of the American League’s top contenders.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ