The Reds are the Best Fit

There are a few teams that line up well as trade partners for the Tribe. Trade targets such as Haniger or Bellinger sound like they may be the answer, but Haniger will be hard to get without a load of prospects, and Bellinger would be putting the return of one of our pitchers into one basket.

The smart move for the tribe is to trade with an organization who wants a starter more. That organization is Cincinnati. I think Cincinnati wants to turn a corner so badly they'll overpay for a starting pitcher. They have a few trade chips to build a better rotation this offseason. I think a trade with the Indians for a #1 starter is in their best interest as an organization. Looking at their prospect list, it is apparent that their starting pitching depth and potential is pretty bleak. If they make a trade with the Indians, they can trade Scooter Gennett for someone like Sonny Gray as that meets both organization's interests too. If they spend some money on a free agent like Dallas Keuchel, they will have a rotation worthy of competing in the NL Central.

Here is what the Indians should get out of Cincinnati.

Trade Corey Kluber and Tyler Naquin for Jesse Winker and prospects. The key is to get a good mix of prospects that can either contribute in the next two years, or provide a way to get Jose Leclerc from Texas. The top Reds prospects are Nick Senzel (3B/2B), Taylor Trammell (OF), Hunter Greene (RHP), and Jonathan India (3B). All are top 100 prospects, but Trammell, Green, and India are all a while away, especially Greene. Senzel is ready to contribute in 2019 and looks to be productive as the #6 prospect in all of baseball. If the Indians could land him, it would be a huge get. The Reds have a pretty good infield already, but with the idea of trading Gennett for Sonny Gray, that leaves a space open for Senzel. Even so, Shed Long (2B), a slightly lower ranked prospect in their system is also ready for the majors, offering the Reds depth in that area. A package of Winker/Senzel/Herget would be a great add for the Tribe.

If the Reds want to keep Senzel, there are other ways to skin this cat. One way is to get Greene (50 FV on Fangraphs), and Herget. The plan would be to flip Greene to Texas for Leclerc. I would find it hard to believe Cincinnati would block more than Senzel from being traded. I think the Indians could pull a haul of Winker/Greene/India/Herget.

More on Winker. He profiles as a great hitter and good on-base player, which is what we need. I think he would profile best in left field. He could be a Michael Brantley-esque player.

If they can flip some prospects for Leclerc, or get Senzel, it would be a huge pickup to the lineup in 2019 and beyond. Not to mention, the Tribe can get, say, Andrew McCutchen, who would be another high OBP average player. If our outfielders are able to get on base consistently, our offense will be excellent.