Cleveland Indians: The next three players to be traded
Even though the Cleveland Indians payroll is at $35 million, they still have pieces they could trade to lower their costs.
In a normal year, teams would be looking to improve their roster in free agency. This offseason, however, has seen many teams looking to pare down payroll amid the ongoing pandemic and questions about whether or not fans will be allowed in the ballpark.
Yet, for all of those teams that have sat out free agency, none has focused as much on slashing payroll as the Cleveland Indians. These efforts to reduce their budget had started over the past couple of years, but truly reached another level this offseason. Their projected $35 million payroll is less than, or equal to, the salary of six individual players in the league.
That does not mean that the Indians are done. They still have several players earning a robust salary by their standards. It is possible that Cleveland could look to move on from these players as well given their desire to have as low of a payroll as possible.
Who else could the Cleveland Indians trade? Let’s look at three possibilities.
Nick Wittgren
Plenty of teams are looking for solid relief pitchers, either in free agency or on the trade market. The Cleveland Indians have one such pitcher in Nick Wittgren.
Wittgren has been a solid reliever over his five years in the majors, posting a 3.36 ERA and a 1.191 WHiP over his 209 innings, striking out 204 batters with 59 walks. He has been a solid middle reliever over the years, and at just $2 million for the upcoming season, should fit into the budget of virtually any team.
Chances are, the Indians would not receive much for Wittgren. But this would be about clearing away more salary from their roster and removing another impending free agent. For a team that has been looking to pinch any penny possible, even a borderline prospect may be worth the savings.
Nick Wittgren has been a solid reliever over his career. Even at his lower cost, the Cleveland Indians could look to move on.
Roberto Perez
There are plenty of teams looking to add a catcher. Roberto Perez could be worth a look.
Perez is not going to be much of an offensive threat. Over the course of his career, he has posted a .212/.302/.364 batting line, hitting 46 homers and 52 doubles in his 1522 plate appearances. However, he had a solid 2019 campaign, where he posted a 99 OPS+ and belted 24 homers in his 449 plate appearances.
However, Perez has been a brilliant defensive catcher. The two time defending Gold Glove winner has led the AL in caught stealing percentage and runs saved as a catcher in each of the past two seasons. He has saved 35 runs in total, and has a 41% caught stealing percentage in his career.
There are several teams that could still use a catcher, either as a starter or a backup. Perez, if he can replicate that 2019 season, would be a strong option. Even if he plays slightly better than his career batting line, he can be an improvement with his defensive capabilities.
If the Cleveland Indians look to trade Roberto Perez, they may be able to find a reasonable market. A catcher with his defensive aptitude could be extremely valuable.
Jose Ramirez
For all of the speculation about Nolan Arenado, Jose Ramirez may be the real prize at the hot corner.
With a salary of $9.4 million, and two team options worth a combined $24 million, Ramirez is the far more affordable option. That team control, as well as his impressive production, would likely net the Cleveland Indians a solid return on the prospect front.
A two time All Star and three time Silver Slugger winner, Ramirez had another stellar showing in 2020. He produced a .292/.386/.607 batting line, hitting 17 homers and 16 doubles while stealing ten bases over his 254 plate appearances. Ramirez is also just entering his prime, so he could potentially produce even better numbers in the coming years.
To this point, there has been no indication that the Cleveland Indians are considering trading Ramirez. Most speculation has been from teams that would potentially be interested as opposed to the Indians actually putting him on the block. But if the Indians look to cut salary even further, Ramirez is their highest paid player by a wide margin. And he would bring back the biggest return.
Next. New names for the Indians. dark
If the Cleveland Indians make another trade, it would not be a surprise if one of these three players were dealt. After all, they have the three highest salaries on the team at this point.