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by Hillbilly
MLB Trade Rumors: Dodgers Remain in Talks over Corey Kluber, More
Scott Polacek
November 29, 2018
The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly in the market for a Cleveland Indians starting pitcher.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network noted "trade talks remain ongoing" between the two teams while crediting Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Morosi also noted a starting pitcher from the group of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer "likely would go" to the Dodgers if a trade was finalized.
This comes after Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported other teams believe Cleveland is more likely to trade Bauer than the other two options. He pointed to the "cost uncertainty" with Bauer seeing how he has two arbitration years remaining.
For his part, Bauer believes it would make more sense for the Indians to trade him next year given his contract situation:
Trevor Bauer @BauerOutage
@Reflog_18 And let’s be honest. It makes no sense to trade me this year. I’m still playing at a massive discount. Next year is when it would make sense to trade me
The right-hander is coming off a breakout campaign that saw him make his first career All-Star Game and post career-bests nearly across the board with a 2.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 221 strikeouts. The 27-year-old had never posted an ERA below 4.18 in a prior season.
Kluber, 32, is older but has club options for 2020 and 2021 and has served as a dominant and proven ace for much of his career as a two-time American League Cy Young winner and three-time All-Star. He was also impressive yet again in 2018 with a 2.89 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 222 strikeouts.
The 31-year-old Carrasco has a club option for 2020 and has largely been a model of consistency with five straight seasons of an ERA at 3.63 or better, including 2018 when he tallied a 3.38 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 231 strikeouts.
Los Angeles reached the World Series in each of the last two years only to fall short of a title. Trading for any of the three would give it another starter to unleash in a playoff series alongside Clayton Kershaw and the promising Walker Buehler.
That trio would be capable of controlling a postseason series and helping lead the Dodgers to a seventh straight National League West crown.