Opinion: Sound Decisions this Winter Can Keep Tribe in Contention All Summer

By Mike Holzheimer As this year’s Major League Baseball winter meetings get ready to unfold in Las Vegas, a lot of eyes and much conversation could be steered

By Mike Holzheimer

As this year’s Major League Baseball winter meetings get ready to unfold in Las Vegas, a lot of eyes and much conversation could be steered towards the direction of the Cleveland Indians.

There has already been a “shaking up” with regards to a couple of Tribe’s would-be starters with the free agent signing by the Atlanta Braves of former American League MVP infielder Josh Donaldson, and the trade of all-star catcher Yan Gomes to the Washington Nationals.

Most would say Donaldson’s departure was a foregone conclusion, but it still strikes a nerve for yours truly in that the Indians management basically altered key positions in the infield and outfield to make room for this guy, who hardly gave Cleveland a chance for a solid return on its baseball investment.

The front office was clearly trying to catch lightening in a bottle with Donaldson hopefully showcasing his illustrious offensive numbers from the past to help a lineup that was struggling to say the least.

That experiment, though, and wishful thinking provided as much of a punch inside the batter’s box as the Tribe bats did during the postseason, who recorded a woeful .100 average against the Houston Astros in the first round of the 2018 American League Divisional Series.

I must admit that the Gomes trade was a bit puzzling. I get salary restructure but I don't believe either Roberto Perez or Eric Haase can be everyday players. Perez struggled last year, while Haase is unproven. But I will tell you this, what will be even more of a “head-scratcher” in terms of a trade, would be for Cleveland to deal Corey Kluber.

The thought process behind this suggestion is that the Indians have NOBODY in the outfield, especially if Michael Brantley leaves via free agency, and such a trade will solve that problem-I'm skeptical of that.

I'm not saying the Tribe won't be a winning regular season team should they trade Kluber, or another one of their starting pitchers. I am saying we won't get that "name" all-star outfielder everybody assumes we'll get by trading Kluber.

NO, I don't want an inconsistent, often times malcontent in Yasiel Puig, which is what the Dodgers are apparently offering for the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

One should want a better, consistent player in return for a guy who has certainly demonstrated consistency throughout his career-the kind of consistency that at least gives you the opportunity to advance in the playoffs.

My point is, if we can't get a guy in return for Kluber who you can put in that No. 3, 4 or 5 spot in the order and watch the numbers rise to great heights, the wiser decision is to stay the course and keep one of your best assets.

For those who say, how do you know we won't get that type of player in return, or why not trade Kluber now who is losing it as a pitcher, according to these "experts," how do you know Kluber won't drastically turn things around in Game 1 of the 2019 ALDS?

I’ve heard so many fans on social media claim Kluber is “losing it” and has decreased velocity on the fastball, and very little movement on his breaking pitches. Funny, with such “diminishing skills, Kluber winds up winning 20 games last year (the highest number of victories in his career), earns an AL all-star selection and is a finalist for his THIRD Cy Young Award.

No offense to the “experts” out there, but I’d rather trust the eyes and the experience of a veteran MLB pitching coach. And I guarantee you Carl Willis or any other pitching coach in baseball would find it difficult to subscribe to the theory that at age 32, Kluber struggles to find the strike zone and might be “washed up.”

All this talk about moving Kluber seems to be coming from the corner of fans and observers who continue to bring up his difficult 2017 playoff match-up against the Yankees, and his extremely difficult outing against the Astros in Game 1 of this year’s postseason.

Apparently, Kluber’s dominating (several national sportswriters’ term and viewpoint) playoff performances during the Tribe’s World Series title run in 2016 didn’t count. What, because that was three seasons ago, it never happened? Please!

Now with Donaldson gone, it could be time to insert Yandy Diaz as your everyday third baseman. Diaz, when given the opportunities last year, came through with a very lively bat.

This could open the door to put Jose Ramirez in left field and Jason Kipnis back at second base. Kipnis could be on the move this off-season, but I doubt the Tribe would get much in return, so I'd just assume he stay in Cleveland.

Ramirez has outfield experience and his MVP-like numbers would replace Brantley, should he decide to leave as a free agent.

That just solved the "much needed bat in the outfield problem everyone is screaming about, and you didn’t have to trade an all-star pitcher to accomplish that.

I know the remaining outfielders in the persons of Greg Allen, Tyler Naquin, Bradley Zimmer and Leonys Martin doesn't exactly suggest the best in baseball, but I've seen worse. Don’t forget Tribe fans never really got a chance to see the potential and productivity from Martin, who suffered a serious illness just a few weeks after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers.

We still have the usual offensive suspects in Francisco Lindor, Edwin Encarnacion, Yonder Alonzo, and hopefully Kipnis, who might find his stick upon returning to his natural infield position.

I think the team I just outlined is still good enough to win the AL Central, and you still keep the entire starting rotation intact. I'd rather gamble that Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco will find a winning, championship formula in the postseason than trade them away and watch Cleveland fare no better in the playoffs (assuming they even get there) without them.

The possible replacing of Cody Allen and Andrew Miller in the bullpen certainly won’t be easy. But the Tribe front office anticipated possibly losing both relievers when it acquired Adam Cimber and Brad Hand last year. They were acquired for a reason-now they have to step in and fill the roles presumably to be vacated by Allen and Miller.

So despite the panicking, which is what most fans do, the Indians cupboard isn’t all that bare. I'll still take my chances with a solid MLB-proven starting rotation in Kluber, Carrasco, Bauer, Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber, a more than solid infield, and a mediocre, less than offensive minded outfield to try and get back to the World Series.

However, making a trade just to make a deal, and trading away all-star and Cy Young award pitching just doesn’t seem a very sound decision at this time. Let’s give this another year before a dismantling, of sorts, takes place.

But should a majority of the fans get their wish, and the itchy trade finger gets pulled triggering the departure of one of Cleveland’s proven starting pitchers, be prepared to wait a significant amount of time as far as extended victories in the postseason.

Sometimes the best trade is the one you don't make!