Re-examining early off-season trades

1) Erik Gonzalez, Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza for Jordan Luplow and Max Moroff

The Indians hoped to get at least a platoon outfielder to replace Brandon Guyer.   They also knew that losing Gonzalez removed their most reliable in-house option for utility infielder.  At the same time utility infielders are not that hard to find.

So far Gonzalez hasni't really hit (2-16, 1 HR) but Luplow is worse (1-16 no HRs).  Moroff is hitting about like you would expect him to in spring training (5-17, 1 HR) considering he is playing in innings 5-9 when the other team has removed their best pitchers.

Analysis:  Trade sucked then as we should have never had to give up prospects in addition to Gonzalez to get Luplow and Moroff.    Luplow looks like the sub-Mendoza hitter he has been so far in the majors and is close to being a 4A outfielder unless he figures it out pretty quickl  

2) Chih-Wei Hu for Gionti Turner

The Indians were hoping to catch lightning in a bottle by taking Hu off the Tampa's hands as they were trying to clear roster space in anticipation of setting their roster for the Rule 5 draft.   He was listed in some lists as a tp 20 prospect in the Indians' system.

In his two starts Hu has an ERA of 30.86.  Turner is a lottery ticket but, at this point, he is worth more than Hu.

3) Walter Lockett for Ignacio Feliz

We took Lockett off of San Diego's hands as they needed to clear roster space.  Lockett is now with the Mets.  Feliz was rated in at least one publication as the most valuable player traded in deals to clear roster space before rosters were set for the Rule 5 draft.

So, the evidence so far indicates that the Indians threw away prospects for guys who are not even as good as players we could get for close to the ML minimum who actually are veterans.

Time will tell but when you trade for players who will help you now and over the next couple of years and those players suck, these trades of viable trade chips (Gonzalez) and prospects (Thomas, Mendoza, Feliz and Turner) for essentially nothing in return, it looks as stupid now as it did when these trades were made.