OK, we are in first place with the best record in the AL.
We still have issues, but so does every team, even those in contention. No one is so solid that we are thinking about them the way the NBA was thinking about the Cavaliers and the Warriors.
So, what do we do by the first (Aug. 1st) and second (Aug. 31st) trade deadlines?
The non-waiver trade deadline on Aug. 1st is a time where people jumpstart their teams. It is a time where pretenders try to become contenders by outdistancing their competition to create more wins in the season's final two months.
Well, as it looks currently (and I know things can change in a hurry) we don't have any competition that we need to outdistance ourselves from.
The only reason for us to do anything at all by Aug. 1st, in my opinion, is if we can make our team incrementally better with a minimal cost to us. Think of the Ricardo Rincon for Marshall McDougall trade, but in reverse. Of course, if we could get Ryan Braun and Jonathon Lucroy from the Brewers for Clevinger, Gonzalez and Frazier I would take that. Basically, we give up some future talent that we already have duplicates for and get back a lot of expensive, current, older talent from a team that should be looking for a total rebuild. Don't get me wrong. I don't think there is any way this would happen but, if it could, I would have to jump on it.
Other than that blockbuster, I just wouldn't overpay for someone at the deadline. It's just not worth it. We remain the Cleveland Indians and we need prospects. Now, if Brady Aiken looked good right now, if Mike Papi was a solid prospect, if Zimmer was having a breakout year instead of hanging on by his bootstraps, and it looked like in the mid-minors we had other guys who were becoming prime trade chips, I would be more OK with dealing minor league talent. However, right now we have a strong system but one without a lot of depth in the middle minors. Any trade of prime talent weakens the minor league system substantially and as a Cleveland fan who knows the financial realities of baseball, I just wouldn't do that.
So, we would be Ricardo Rincon-like shopping at the deadline...and I mean his trade to Oakland, NOT his trade from Pittsburgh to Cleveland for Brian Giles. As a matter of fact, any trade I could make right now that was not the above trade with Milwaukee would likely be available in August.
So, unless we get a favorable exchange of talent due to us takin on more salary I see no need to trade by August 1st. I think we can do as well in August for MUCH less talent (see the Rincon to Oakland trade).
Just my opinion.
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