MLB Rumors: Cleveland Indians Have Not Closed Book On Kluber, Bauer

There are still plenty of MLB free agents available, including Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer. While there have been suggestions of potential teams, nothing has materialized so far. However, this does not mean that the Cleveland Indians have closed the book on the two players as they are likely still weighing their options.

The Los Angeles Dodgers remain linked to both players despite claims that both could eventually stick it out in Cleveland. According to Jon Morosi, the Indians may be waiting for a big return for Kluber and Bauer, something to the Chris Sale-level. But are both players worth getting?

On one end is 33-year-old Kluber, who has won the AL Cy Young award and finished third in the balloting in four of the past five seasons, CBS Sports said. He is a proven ace and owns an ERA+ of 137. He is locked up until the 2021 season with the assumption that club options are exercised.

As for 28-year-old Bauer, he is coming off a good season, holding a 2.44 FIP last season. The 28-year-old right-handed pitcher is eligible after the 2020 season, but teams who want to get him earlier may have to pitch to the Indians a good offer to do so. That may include an outfielder, reportedly one of the team’s demands.

Following the trade of Yasel Puig and Matt Kemp, both now with the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers may not have the resources to make a deal happen. Both players were dealt in what critics feel is a move to free up salary space for Bryce Harper. Other players included in that deal were Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer, who were covered in a previous post.

If the Dodgers are to make a serious run at Kluber, they need to come up with one fast. The San Diego Padres have also expressed interest in the 33-year-old, the same team that drafted the pitcher in the fourth round of the 2007 MLB Draft. As covered in another previous post, Kluber was part of a three-team trade involving the St. Louis Cardinals and the Indians on July 31, 2010.

For the Indians, keeping both players will hardly matter. If no good offer is made for either or both, they are likely to keep their rotation together unless interested teams are able to make them an offer they cannot refuse.