Lol, could happen with Gomes now gone.

Tribeinsider @tribeinsider
Indians have signed and invited three players to Major League spring training camp.
RHP James Hoyt http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?pl ... g/2018/ALL …
OF Trayce Thompson http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?pl ... g/2018/ALL …
LHP Josh D. Smith http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?pl ... g/2018/ALL …

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Zack Meisel @ZackMeisel
The Indians have signed Trayce Thompson — Klay Thompson’s brother — to a minor-league deal with a spring training invite.

(my goodness we are getting desperate)

Mark Feinsand @Feinsand
Sources say the Mets have spoken with the Indians about Corey Kluber. The two teams had talked about Yan Gomes before he was dealt to the Nationals, but the Mets' interest now appears to also extend to Kluber, who had Mets manager Mickey Callaway as a pitching coach in Cleveland.



Mark Feinsand @Feinsand
After Cano/Diaz trade, Mets are clearly still thinking big. Could be a sign they plan to trade Noah Syndergaard, then turn around and bring in Kluber. Brodie Van Wagenen appears to be exploring every possible avenue to improve his team.

First they nontendered Hoyt, then signed him to a minor league deal. So I think they're back down to 39 on the roster. Now they have room for Harper.

Rumor is now the Indians are going to wait till a few of the big name starting pitcher free agents sign with teams before continuing to talk trade of a SP. Must not be getting what they thought.

I'd be OK keeping them all.

The Gomes deal does take some financial pressure off.

HB - I don't think the Indians had much in mind when they indicated they would deal one of their top starters, i really don't.

I think they think very highly of those guys and won't deal them unless they get a Godfather type offer for them.

Doesn't mean a thing to say "so and so is available"! Everyone is available for the right price. Always. As a GM you aren't doing your job if you don't entertain every possible option.

I laugh when I hear team X is "willing to discuss" a player. Duh.

So Carrasco deal is done. So there's one spot taken care for the long term. Clevinger can reasonably be counted on as a top notch starter too. Bieber has a little more to prove, but the odds are good. I cannot put any confidence in Salazar as a long-term contributor, so a deal for Bauer or Kluber would probably need to bring back a young starter, too.

Here is an article with a range of trade options. Some bring us a good OF, some don't but free up enough $ so we can sign one.
The possible deal of Kluber to the Yankees brings back Frazier who I assume will have as many health issues as all of our other No. 1 OF draft picks, a top notch reliever and frees lots of cash since it speculates that we can get them to take the Jason Kipnis albatross off our necks.

https://www.mlb.com/news/possible-trade ... -301526854

I have no interest in getting a SP in return. We would have a good 4 man rotation as is, (after trading a Kluber or Bauer) with McKenzie waiting in the wings. We are fine. That's why we are shopping one.

We have to get some OF and Bullpen help.

Hillbilly wrote:I have no interest in getting a SP in return. We would have a good 4 man rotation as is, (after trading a Kluber or Bauer) with McKenzie waiting in the wings. We are fine. That's why we are shopping one.

We have to get some OF and Bullpen help.

Yeah, I agree and the Tribe does too IMO. I also believe they like McKenzie.

So you use Kluber or Bauer to help patch the outfield and bullpen holes in a cost effective way. In addition you shop bargain guys on the market.

If last offseason is any indication, there should be lots of those. I wish we needed a 2B because I believe Brian Dozier had a freakish past season and would come cheaply on a "prove myself" deal. But that is an example.

Jon Morosi reporting that the Indians are also talking to teams about Encarnacion and Yandy. The Rays, surprisingly, are interested in EE.

I hope we actually get an OF'er or RP'er that we can count on to help us with this trade. The Gomes deal sucked.

I don't like to bitch or complain (one of the reasons Joe gets on my nerves so bad) but I have to admit. I hate the Gomes trade.

Everyone knows how I feel about Roberto Perez. He is absolutely lousy, and totally over-rated defensively. Maybe he can call a good game, whatever, he sucks.

Haase was ready, fine, trade Perez or Haase.

But only trade Gomes, your best catcher who is not making a ton of money, if you get a good young player in return.

What we got is not worth having to watch more of Roberto Perez's clueless ass flail around haplessly at the plate again this year.

In retrospective at first blush it's pretty bizarre that they traded Mejia a couple months before they deal Gomes. But perhaps those two deals are completely unrelated because scouting reports suggest most everyone has given up on Mejia as a catcher.

civ ollilavad wrote:In retrospective at first blush it's pretty bizarre that they traded Mejia a couple months before they deal Gomes. But perhaps those two deals are completely unrelated because scouting reports suggest most everyone has given up on Mejia as a catcher.

I see Mejia coming back in a Kluber trade!

Here's hoping Haase runs with this job! Maybe that's what they see that we don't.

BA's post season report on Mejia really blasted his defense behind the plate and most importantly his work efforts, or lack of same, to improve his defense behind the plate. I'd take him back to play Left Field.

I sure hope they don't trade Bauer. He has some Cy Youngs in his future and some before he leaves as an FA,