Win More Trades Than You Lose, Even If You Take the Longview
We mentioned Kluber above, but we were reminded of how the Indians acquired him while researching this piece.
Back in 2010, the Indians were 30-47 as the trade deadline neared. Their best trade chip, starting pitcher Jake Westbrook, had several clauses that made him a risky trade candidate. The Indians got creative, enlisted the help of the San Diego Padres to make a three-team deal between the two clubs and the St. Louis Cardinals happen. The Cards got Jake Westbrook, the Padres got Ryan Ludwick – who would join the Pittsburgh Pirates the next year – and the Indians received an unheralded fringe pitching prosect named Corey Kluber.
It is easy to see that the Indians won that trade, even if Kluber’s status as a legitimate prospect was in question. Cleveland turned a few months of an aging pitcher into a Cy Young winner.
Not every trade has to be a slam dunk win. In December of 2012, the Indians traded Shin-Soo Choo – who had a year remaining on his contract – fresh off of his finest year as a pro. Cleveland desperately needed pitching, as their rank of 29 in starter ERA attested to. They got creative once again, acquiring Didi Gregorious from the Reds in exchange for Shoo, and then flipping Gregorious to the Diamondbacks for Trevor Bauer.
Bauer to that point had shown flashes in four starts with Arizona, but the stuff was there, and his pedigree alone made this a winning trade for the Indians. It would take another three years before Bauer became a dependable major league starting pitcher, and the strides he took this season – pre-drone incident of course – could show that he is making good on that top-five pick potential.
Both of these trades are important to note because of the net result. To be sure, there is some luck involved, especially in the case of Kluber. But both trades show the importance of winning trades, regardless of when that victory is declared. Small-market teams such as Cleveland and the Pittsburgh Pirates must not lose badly on these types of deals.
CLICK HERE to learn how the Indians aren’t afraid to push their chips to the center of the table.
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