MLB Trade Deadline: Recapping Thursday’s Cleveland Indians News and Rumors
Just two days remain before baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline, and if you think you’ve seen a lot of rumors so, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
For four days we’ve been keeping you posted with all the latest buzz around the Cleveland Indians and their reported trade targets, and in the last 24 hours we’ve seen such a steady stream of news and updates—including the Indians’ first midseason “buy” trade in years— that yesterday’s facts are now completely out of date.
As we head towards the busiest weekend of the MLB season, here’s a list of Thursday’s Tribe-related trade market happenings:
-The Indians made their first trade acquisition of the season, sending Abner Abreu and Carlton Smith to the Chicago Cubs for right fielder Kosuke Fukudome. It’s hard to call the deal a big win when Fukudome isn’t a high-impact player, but he’s a clear upgrade over Travis Buck and Austin Kearns and the Indians didn’t give up too much to get him. (more…)
MLB Trade Deadline: Cleveland Indians Acquire Kosuke Fukudome, Still Not Done?
The Indians made a splash Thursday by acquiring Kosuke Fukudome from the Chicago Cubs. It’s not the biggest trade we’ve seen this week and a number of higher-profile players are still on the market, but he’s a definite improvement in right field and any attempt to upgrade at the trade deadline is newsworthy after three consecutive July fire sales.
But the biggest news out of Cleveland isn’t that Fukudome will be suiting up at Progressive Field—it’s that the Indians aren’t done. (more…)
Cleveland Indians Trade Abner Abreu and Carlton Smith for Kosuke Fukudome
The Cleveland Indians have acquired right fielder Kosuke Fukudome and just under $4 million from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for two prospects: right fielder Abner Abreu and relief pitcher Carlton Smith. (more…)
Giants Acquire Carlos Beltran: Did the Indians Dodge a Bullet?
The Cleveland Indians’ already-slim chances of acquiring Carlos Beltran turned to nil Wednesday when the New York Mets agreed to send him to the San Francisco Giants.
In addition to Beltran, the Mets sent $4 million to San Francisco to help offset the $6.5 million left on his contract in exchange for 21-year-old right-handed pitching prospect Zach Wheeler.
When I first heard about the deal, I wasn’t particularly disappointed—I didn’t expect that the Indians would end up landing him anyway.
I was, however, quite puzzled. After all, MLB.com’s Peter Gammons said the Indians had offered to take on the entirety of Beltran’s remaining contract—an appealing proposition for the financially struggling Mets, one would think—and send a solid prospect to New York in exchange for the trade market’s top hitter.
If the Indians’ offer wasn’t enough to land Beltran, how did the Giants get him? (more…)
MLB Trade Deadline: Recapping Wednesday’s Cleveland Indians Rumors
Just three days remain until baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline, and the Hot Stove is on high boil. Rumors are swirling non-stop, as they will be for pretty much the rest of the week.
On Tuesday, I compiled a fully sourced analysis of 10 of the Cleveland Indians’ rumored top trade targets, which I updated yesterday to reflect changing conditions in the trade market. But both lists are now tragically out of date.
Here’s a summary of Wednesday’s news, deals, and whisperings about the Indians and the players they’re targeting:
-The Indians officially missed out on Carlos Beltran. The best hitter on the market was traded to the San Francisco Giants Wednesday, ending weeks of speculation about the possibility of him coming to Cleveland. It’s possible that Beltran’s no-trade clause was the problem—agent Scott Boras apparently scared the Indians off, and Beltran blocked a deal that would have sent him to Pittsburgh—but he said he was never approached about one. (more…)
