Cleveland Indians: Are the Dodgers Still a Trade Fit?

Are the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers Still a Trade Fit?

One of the biggest story lines of the Cleveland Indians offseason was rumor of a possible blockbuster trade with Dodgers that would possibly involve Yasiel Puig going to Cleveland for a Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar.  That trade of course never materialized and for all we know was never actually discussed (though it was fun to talk about).  It made sense on a few levels as Puig appeared to wear out his welcome in Los Angeles and they were in need of starting pitching, while the Indians of course were looking for an outfield upgrade and some power. Since then, however, the Dodgers have added pitching, Puig’s relationship seems better, and the Tribe has filled their holes with smaller free agent signings and held on to their starting pitching.  Despite this, could the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers still be a trade fit? I think so, and one target that makes sense for the Tribe is Andre Ethier…

Dodgers Outfield is Still Very Crowded

As things stand now, the following players will be in the outfield or will be in the mix for the Dodgers: Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson, Scott Van Slyke, Enrique Hernandez, Carl Crawford, and Alex Guerrero (who has the right to refuse a minor league assignment).  That’s seven players to try and find playing time in the outfield in a league that does not have the designated hitter to squeeze an extra bat in.  Puig figures to play every day in rightfield while Ethier and Pederson figure to get the bulk of the time in left and centerfield.  Van Slyke and one of Hernandez/Guerrero should see time there as well, possibly in platoons with Ethier and Pederson.  That still leaves Crawford (another left-handed hitter) as a very expensive bench bat without much room playing time.

It would appear that the Dodgers could afford to move at least one of the outfielders and reports have surfaced recently that they are in fact open (possibly hoping) to trading Andre Ethier with Bob Nightengale even saying they would “love” to move him…

White Sox make some sense for Ethier as they could try and move Adam LaRoche or sit Avisail Garcia versus right-handed pitching. However, I can’t hep but think that the Indians could be a fit too… 

Next: But the Indians Don't Need Another Outfielder