Cleveland Indians trade rumors: Starting pitcher, outfielder on trade wish list
By Hayden Kane
The Cleveland Indians are starting to release little hints here and there about their intentions with the July 31st trade deadline just a few days away.
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We know a few things: the Indians plan to be buyers, even as they hang on the fringe of the American League playoff race and struggle to keep their record consistently over the .500 mark. Furthermore, they would like to add players that have cost control beyond the end of this season rather than your typical “rentals.”
Those criteria are quite specific, one might say, and now we have even more of a sense of what the Indians have in mind. According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
"After that, they’d like to add a No.1 starter between now and the end of August, but that seems improbable at the moment.If they can’t do that, they’ve been talking to teams about acquiring an outfielder to help their sagging offense and protect them against left-handers. They’ve talked about acquiring starters and role players."
Besides the usual suspects, David Price and Marlon Byrd, etc, it seems worth mentioning a couple names. For one, how about Cliff Lee if the timetable includes August? The money involved will likely scare off the Indians and any other sane team for that matter, but hey, team control, right?
As for the outfield, would the Indians ever have interest in re-acquiring Drew Stubbs? Traded to the Colorado Rockies this past off-season, Stubbs is playing very well and is a trade target for the Seattle Mariners. Maybe if Cleveland is willing to admit their mistake they could be creative and go that route.
Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided’s MLB Rumors page to stay up to date with the latest action and rumbling from the baseball hot stove this trade season.