New York Yankees: a viable trade offer for Corey Kluber

Recent reports indicate the Halos are out on Cleveland Indians SP Corey Kluber leaving us to wonder: what it would take for the New York Yankees to get him.

Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Los Angeles Angels were out on Cleveland Indians pitcher Corey Kluber. Though later reports had the Los Angeles Dodgers still “in the mix,” let’s propose a viable trade package on behalf of the New York Yankees for the 2x Cy Young Award winner.

Before we begin, understand that the Indians opted to exercise Kluber’s team option this season for one of two reasons:15

1. to flip him for multiple prospects or a controllable MLB-ready player
2. keep him in hopes he can pitch like a Cy Young Award winner and remain contenders.

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The fact that the team is floating Francisco Lindor as a trade chip makes me think that option 1 is the likely scenario. With that in mind, let’s assume the Yankees are operating under that assumption.

In 2016, the Indians traded away their top prospect to the Yankees in Clint Frazier for Andrew Miller, who at the time was arguably baseball’s best relief pitcher. Given how Frazier’s relationship with the Yankee organization has deteriorated over the last year, this might be a good opportunity for Cleveland to reunite with it’s up and comer.

So, the Yankees would get Kluber and his $17.5M salary, which includes a team option for next season, and the Indians would get Frazier, a controllable MLB-ready outfielder with a plus bat.

According to Baseball Trade Values, a site dedicated to MLB trade simulations, Frazier’s value is higher than Kluber’s at this stage in the process. Therefore, the risk is currently being undertaken by the Yankees organization.

In summation, the deal would look like this:

What say you? Would you make the deal?