In her post on last night’s loss Susan asked the ultimate Trade Deadline Question, “Who do we have to bargain with?”
The Answer, of course, is not much unless we are willing to trade a quality everyday player for a package of MLB talent to address specific needs.
Prior posts have examined the few tradeable assets on the major league roster and today we look at the minors where the Answer is the same. The Indians simply do not have many projectable MLB prospects to use as trade bait. Baseball America ranks the Indians’ minor league system 29 out of 30.
The last 10 years of No. 1 picks (2012 is excluded) illustrate the problem:
Lindor A
Pomeranz Traded
White Traded
Chisenhall MLB
Mills Bust
Huff Bust
Crowe Bust
Sowers Bust
Aubrey Bust
Snyder Bust
A. Miller Hurt/Released (3 1st round picks; 0-3)
Guthrie Traded
The current top Indians prospects (from the official website):
Lindor SS A
Howard SP Ariz
Wolters INF A+
Barnes RP MLB/AAA
R. Rodriguez INF A+
C. Lee RP AAA (hurt)
Adams SP AA (hurt)
Monsalve C A+
Sterling SP A
Washington OF A (hurt)
Lavisky C A
Paulino SS Ariz
L. Rodriguez OF A
Martinez 2B Ariz
Chen 1B AA
Araujo SP A
Sisco SP A
R. Garcia 3B A
Aguilar 1B AA
McFarland SP AAA
This list does not include the usual AAA stalwarts (LaPorta, Canzler, Kluber, et al) and some RP depth.
The drafts have improved the last few years but the cupboard is still thin at the higher levels (only 3 of the top 20 are in AAA- 1 of those is Barnes- and 14 are in A or A+). We can’t trade what we don’t have which brings Antonetti back to a willingness to move ML pieces (Choo and/or Perez). A big gamble (not unlike Ubaldo last year) but, based on the above, the quickest and perhaps best way to actually improve the club.
It’s hard to play serious Trade Roulette without any chips. Time to think outside the bun.
Can we trade Manny Acta?