The Cleveland Indians have been trading away starting pitchers for years.
They get good years out of them, assess the market, and make their move.
It happened with Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber, and Mike Clevinger.
Clevinger was the latest to be sent away after the Indians traded him to the San Diego Padres last summer.
He was dealing with injuries right away and is now out in 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Meanwhile, the Padres sent over six players in the exchange.
While all six may not be stars, the promise is real and the Indians front office continues to look smart for this trade.
I'm still in awe of the potential of the #Indians Clevinger trade return with the Padres.
Josh Naylor
Cal Quantrill
Austin Hedges
Owen Miller
Gabriel Arias
Joey Cantillo— Indians Prospective (@indiansPro) May 21, 2021
Potential Abounds in Cleveland
Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill, and Austin Hedges are those Indians fans have already seen at the MLB level.
Hedges is the only one who appears to be a bit of a dud, but he is supposed to be a backup catcher anyway.
The 28-year-old was not included to be the future at the position.
Naylor and Quantrill, however, are potential core pieces.
The former is starting to heat up at the plate and the latter still needs to get his opportunity in the starting rotation.
Arguably the most exciting players in the deal have yet to make their debuts.
Owen Miller and Gabriel Arias are now two top prospects in the system waiting for their shot.
It’s Owen Miller’s world, we’re just living in it. pic.twitter.com/xJ3fdbSgST
— Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) May 20, 2021
Miller should be up at the MLB level very soon as he is hitting nearly .500 in Triple-A.
It doesn’t matter what projections show.
The team cannot keep him in Triple-A if he is playing that well because it would show stats don’t matter in terms of promotions.
The MLB offense could also use a huge jolt and he is the hottest hitter in the organization.
Arias is more of a future piece and factors into the stockpile of talent at shortstop.
Last up is young pitcher Joey Cantillo, who is a player fans will likely be familiar with in just a few years.
Moving on was the Right Move
Clevinger is 30 years old and sitting out after having Tommy John surgery.
The Padres decided they wanted to go all-in for a World Series and sent the Indians some potential future stars in exchange for the right-hander.
It is hard for any Indians fan to fault this deal, and that was true at the time it happened.
Clevinger also lied to teammates last year and threw Zach Plesac under the bus when it came to breaking COVID protocols.
That lack of leadership and maturity made the decision even easier.
The Padres also sent Franmil Reyes to Cleveland back in 2019, so it is possible the Indians end up being a perennial contender as a sort of alternate Padres team.
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