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Kirk, WaitingForNextYear.com
There have been lots of rumors swirling around with several names mentioned regarding who exactly the Indians may be able to acquire before next Sunday's deadline.In particular, the Tribe would like a right-handed corner outfielder who could provide some power to a lineup desperately needing some.
The list of possible candidates includes B.J. Upton, Coco Crisp, Josh Willingham, and Ryan Ludwick. I think we can put away the Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence names for now, because I don't see the Tribe making that kind of serious commitment of moving high-profile prospects.
Let's talk about some of the mid-level guys who could give the lineup a boost and can be had for a reasonable price.
Let's start with Upton, who will command the most of the four guys mentioned by far. Tampa Bay recently called up prospect Desmond Jennings, and the rumor is that they're looking to move Upton, who has one more year of arbitration remaining after this season. Upton is hitting .232 with 15 homers, 52 RBI, and 23 steals this year.
His batting average has been an issue for the past three years, but his power and speed are undeniable. He would be able to slide right in and fill the center field hole left by Grady Sizemore, and a deal like that would allow the Indians to pass on Sizemore's option for next year.
Still, trading for Upton would probably involve moving Drew Pomeranz or Alex White, and I just don't see the Indians' front office doing that. In fact, I hope they don't feel they should make a deal like that. If they could put together a package with Gomez or Huff or McAllister and a couple young bullpen arms along with a lower level prospect, I would do it. But, I just don't see that type of package getting it done unless the Rays are just unbelievably desperate to unload Upton.
Next, there's former Cleveland Indian Ryan Ludwick.
Ludwick, whose tour of duty in Cleveland spanned from 2003-2005, is a much different player than he was in his time in Cleveland. Ludwick this season with the San Diego Padres is hitting .241 with 11 HR and 61 RBI. Ludwick has flashed brilliance at times, making the All-Star team in 2008 in his career year, when he smacked 37 long balls and drove in 113 while hitting .299. At 33, Ludwick would be a two (hopefully three) month rental to provide power from the right side of the plate. He may be the easiest one to acquire, in my opinion.
Josh Willingham of the Oakland Athletics is also an option. Also a right-handed outfielder, Willingham is 32, a free agent at the end of the season, and batting .237 with 12 HR and 47 RBI. A bit of a late arrival to the bigs, Willingham, a converted catcher, is a career .262 hitter and has hit 20+ homers three times in his career between Florida and Washington. He is likely within the Indians' price range as well considering his upcoming free agency.
There's another former Indian on the radar besides Ludwick, and that's speedster Coco Crisp. Coco has a .268 average with 4 homers, 32 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. Crisp's average is much better than the other candidates, his speed is tops, and he can also man center field.
If your memory fails you, Crisp, now 31, had the best years of his career here in Cleveland in 2004 and 2005, hitting nearly .300 between those two seasons, hitting 31 combined home runs, driving in 140 total runs, and stealing 35 bases. Coco is also a free agent at season's end.
In addition to outfield bat talk, there have been rumblings of the Tribe trying to deal for a veteran starter such as Hiroki Kuroda (6-12, 3.19 ERA) or Aaron Harang (8-2, 3.29 ERA). To me, I don't see the point in that. If things go as planned next year, the Tribe's rotation will be Masterson, Tomlin, Carrasco, Alex White, and, perhaps a few months into the season, Drew Pomeranz.
Until then, we have Huff, Gomez, McAllister, and (maybe) Carmona to fill in the cracks, which is a better situation than most teams. In a playoff scenario this season, with White back, I would feel confident in our four-man rotation for a playoff series. Trading for a starter is entirely secondary to the need for an outfield bat, preferably a young one who could be here more than a few months.
In the end, though, I see the Tribe making a deal for one of the rentals between Crisp, Ludwick, Willingham, or someone of the same caliber. They need a bat from the right side with power, and they have all the ammunition to go acquire one. Still, I think (and hope) they hold onto their blue-chip prospects and allow them to develop in Cleveland.
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