Editorials

Dodgers, Indians ‘In Trade Talks’ for Outfielder, per Fox Sports

I can’t help but feel like Oprah at this point in the offseason.

“You get a rumor! You get a rumor! YOU GET A RUMOR!”

The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing a similar role, but with their outfielders: “You get a Puig! You get an Ethier! You get a Craw-… (Aww, no one wants a Crawford.”


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Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi added to the fun Thursday morning, and says the Dodgers (and other teams) and Cleveland Indians are working on a deal — the details of which are not specified.

The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays are among the teams to discuss trade possibilities with the Indians this offseason, according to major-league sources. The general framework of those deals would involve Cleveland trading from its estimable rotation depth to acquire an everyday outfielder.

That’s a generic enough statement: We have a few pitchers and need an outfielder. You have outfielders and need a pitcher. Let’s make a deal.

Or, more specifically as Morosi puts it:

The Dodgers’ outfield logjam persists, with high earners Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier and Yasiel Puig available to varying degrees. Ethier is coming off a productive season in a regular (although not everyday) role, while injury-plagued years for Crawford and Puig diminished their trade value.Scott Van Slyke’s right-handed bat could fit Cleveland’s roster, depending on Chernoff’s other moves.

It was reported earilier this offseason that the Dodgers were okay with Ethier playing out his contract in Los Angeles, but that may have also been a leverage play. Basically, if they admit that they want or need to move Ethier for his 10-and-5 clause kicks in, teams they’d be trading with would be operating with more leverage than the Dodgers would like.

We know at this point Carl Crawford probably can’t play every day given his health and, unfortunately, the same might be said about Puig — though the latter is significantly younger and, more importantly, cheaper.

Scott Van Slyke has never given the impression he could play every day and has never really been thought of in that role (probably for good reason).

2014 Cy Young-winner Corey Kluber will obviously draw most fans’ eyes, but a move for him would probably require quite the haul going out, despite his down year in 2015. If the Dodgers think he can regain something close to that form and they’re right, though, it would be more than worth what they would have to send out to get him.

Other conceivably available starters include:

  • Carlos Carrasco (14-12, 216 SO, 1.07 WHIP, 3.63 ERA)
  • Danny Salazar (14-10, 195 SO, 1.13 WHIP, 3.45 ERA)
  • Cody Anderson (7-3, 44 SO, 1.11 WHIP, 3.05 ERA)
  • Trevor Bauer (11-12, 170 SO, 1.31 WHIP, 4.55 ERA)
  • Josh Tomlin (7-2, 57 SO, 0.84 WHIP, 3.02 ERA)
NEXT: Greinke To Washington Or San Francisco?

Staff Writer

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