Atlanta Braves: 3 possible under the radar starting pitcher trade targets
Mike Clevinger, Indians
- RHP
- Years of control: 3
- Contract: Arbitration
- Agents: ACES
- Age: 29 near Christmas
- Home: Jacksonville, FL
Yes – an Indians starting pitcher, but not necessarily the one you may have had in mind.
Over the past 2 seasons, Mike Clevinger has thrown 326 innings with a combined 2.90 ERA. 2019 was the better year, though with fewer innings (126) thanks to both a muscle strain (upper back) and a sprained ankle. Once returning, he was excellent.
The Indians as a team are a bit of an enigma right now. Corey Kluber was hurt a lot of 2019 and while the Tribe would like to move him, they would be ‘selling low’ thanks to a tough 2019.
What might be best for them is to allow Kluber to pitch, show the world he’s ‘back’ and then deal him at the Summer trade deadline. His situation is unique in that he has a contract option for 2021. If healthy and pitching well, he’d command top-shelf talent back. If not, he’s worth next to nothing.
Looking toward the future, maybe expect that Francisco Lindor will be dealt soon – quite possibly this Winter – a move that could signal a 2+ year bump for them unless they can try to thread the needle by ‘rebuilding in place’ – and holding the roster renovation time to a minimum.
Trading Lindor could help with that. So could trading Clevinger. If the plan is also to deal away Kluber at some point (and it almost certainly is), then yes – Clevinger should be flipped for multiple prospects.
They would still have Shane Bieber for their own next charge – he’s with them through 2024 and put up 2019 numbers essentially matching Clevinger’s.
Wanna get greedy? How about a Blockbuster Black Friday 2-for-1 deal? Clevinger and Kluber together, while trusting that Kluber will get back to form sooner than later.
Such a deal would undoubtedly be very costly – sending multiple young pitchers to the Indians. But it probably would be anyway — just for Clevinger.
Next. Then there's Baltimore. dark
Still… Clevinger could be an amazing ‘get’ for an Atlanta club looking for that finishing piece to the puzzle that is the 1st playoff round.