Cleveland Indians: August trade target, Andrew McCutchen

The August waiver period could bring about even more excitement this year. We take a look at one player the Cleveland Indians could acquire to make a difference.

While watching the 2018 Cleveland Indians; it’s easy to get the feeling that something is missing. When you get that feeling in the middle of August, the waiver period comes into play. For those who are unfamiliar with the August waiver rules I say: never fear, Believeland Ball is here!

The first option is that the team giving away a player can assign said player with their contract to the receiving team with no compensation based on the receiving teams’ claim. The second option is that the two teams have 48 hours to work out a trade for the waived player. The third option is that if there is no agreement, the team trading the player must withdraw said player from waivers and they’re no longer able to be moved…This was not copy and pasted from Wikipedia, I looked up and explained these odd rules in the most understandable fashion.

But without further ado, here is the first and perhaps among the most discussed trade target the Indians could make; Andrew McCutchen. The Indians were looking for outfield help for much of the deadline. They’ve lost Bradley Zimmer until next year, Tyler Naquin is still out multiple weeks, and Lonnie Chisenhall is hoping he can play baseball again.

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Andrew McCutchen was a popular target among Indians fans given their outfield struggles. Once they added Leonys Martin it seemed their July deadline moves were all but over. But rest assured, Martin is not a complete answer. The combination of Martin and Rajai Davis still spell inconsistency for the Indians outfield.

Enter McCutchen. If you’re an Indians fan; the name is appealing. He’s been a sensation in Pittsburgh for years and his numbers this year aren’t too bad. But when you take a closer look, they aren’t that far from the Indians’ latest acquisition in Leonys Martin.

McCutchen has a slash line of .261/.357/.418. That’s pretty average; compared to Martin, it is pretty close. Martin has a line of .255/.323/.425. There isn’t a vast difference there, and considering the Indians would have to be willing to take on the remainder of his deal, it would be a big choice for the Tribe front office.

It does not make sense for the Indians to sell another player for McCutchen and his bat that is so similar to Martin’s. On top of that, the other option would involve taking on his contract; something the Indians may be reluctant to do.

To be clear, I’ve always admired Andrew McCutchen and his play. But considering his recent play is very similar to that of Leonys Martin, it just doesn’t seem like a feasible option. Martin has remarkable speed and remarkable arm in centerfield. But the difference in offense doesn’t seem to warrant a trade.