CLEVELAND - It's hard to believe it is already time to start thinking about the Major League Baseball trade deadline, but July 31st is going to be here before you know it. With it will come tons of rumors and scuttlebutt about what the Indians, the current leaders in the AL Central, may do in order to try and improve and get better for a run at a second straight divisional title as well as hopeful title defense of the American League. The team has had a very up and down first half of the season, and there seems to be one
lex Reyes Jersey position that many feel the team should take a long look at on the trade market before July 31st come and goes. Starting pitching. It's hard to believe that starting pitching is something the Indians very well may have to make a deal for, but with the inconsistency as well as injuries to the starting five thus far, the team should take a long look at what pitchers might be on the market for the taking. Last season the Tribe attempted to get Jonathan Lucroy to come to the team to play catcher, but he declined and ended up with the Rangers. They did though grab the player that wound up being the ALCS MVP and dominant bullpen arm they have been looking for, that being Andrew Miller. The tall fireballer has been as good as advertised minus a
Roger Maris Jersey few hiccups in the series two weeks back against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It remains to be seen if there's that type of starter on the market the Indians can make a deal for, but today we take a look at a couple starting pitching options the team could look at on or before the deadline.1. Johnny Cueto Cueto is probably best remembered as a staple in the Reds rotation for a number of years, but was a big force for the Royals World Series run in 2015, and now is in San Francisco, a team in 2017 that has struggled and doesn't appear to be going anywhere. On the year to date the pitcher is 5-7 with a 4.20 ERA, but that's with a bad team coming off an All-Star season in 2016 in which he went 18-5 with a 2.75 ERA for the playoff bound Giants. It would cost a lot to land a guy like Cueto, but he'd be a nice fit to the Indians rotation and could find himself as the number two or three as the team looks to make a big
Dexter Fowler Jersey playoff push. Scroll to Continue2. Gerrit Cole This 26-year-old for the Pirates has been solid in his time in Pittsburgh, winning 53 games losing 36 with a lifetime 3.36 ERA. Pittsburgh is going to have to decide what to do
Paul DeJong Jersey with Cole, as he won't hit unrestricted free agency till 2020, meaning if a deal is made it is going to cost the Indians or whoever makes a big push for him. The Pirates are only five games out in the NL Central, but don't appear to be a real contender in the National League, and they should be able to demand a lot for Cole, who is 6-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 2017. 3. Alex Cobb In 15 starts this season Cobb is 6-5 with a 4.05 ERA, and in his career the 29-year-old is 42-30 with a 3.53 ERA in 101 career starts. Cobb would be a rental, as he's due to hit free agency next season after spending his entire career with Tampa, meaning that even if the Indians or another team decided to pull the trigger on a deal for him, he likely would only be around for a few month. Still worth looking into seeing what the Rays asking price would be for the righty pitcher. 4. Sonny Gray The market for Gray will be hot and heavy, as already there's rumblings that the Red Sox as well as the Cubs are going to be after Gray, and Houston is another team that might be all in for the A's pitcher. Gray was just 5-11 last season, and is 3-3 this season, but teams seem to feel that he's more like the pitcher that back in 2015 was 14-7 with a 2.73 ERA and an All-Star for Oakland in the American League. The A's are in last in the AL West, and clearly are already looking to the future,
Albert Pujols Jersey and with Gray inked till 2020, teams are getting a player that could have an impact for a couple of seasons.
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