Cleveland Indians Trade Deadline Preview
The Cleveland Indians may not need to do too much as the 2016 trade deadline approaches.
The Cleveland Indians look poised to reach the postseason in 2016 for the first time since the 2013 American League Wild Card Game.
The Indians are sitting in first place in the AL Central and have not been under the .500 mark since May 3. The success is thanks to a surprisingly dominant lineup led by the likes of Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis and Mike Napoli.
Most of this success has come without Michael Brantley, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He is not expected to return any time soon, so the current players on the roster are being given to fill the void, and have done just that.
The pitching staff for the Indians was the focus heading into the season, but the offense has been the real story so far.
While the offense has been great up to this point, there is always room for improvement. The loss of Marlon Byrd to a 162-game suspension for PEDs, along with Brantley’s absence, means the outfield could potentially use some help, even though things appear fine right now.
The front office will have to make some tough decisions if the team wants to compete for a World Series in 2016, but some players will be off-limits when it comes to trades.
Next: The starting pitchers