OK, now that I have calmed my nerves with a little gallows humor (see below), here is my real opinion of today's trade. Let's keep this short.
Did the Indians do well in this trade? Well, no. They needed certain things that they didn't have in their system: Outfield prospect close the majors, a ML shortstop to replace Lindor this year and a controllable, quality, young reliever. What they did was get a shortstop and some interesting guys back, just interesting enough to keep the fans from totally writing off the Indians now and in the future. Basically, they got two shortstops in this deal...and the prospect system is already dripping with shortstop prospects.
Look, they already have 10, count it 10 middle infielders in their top 30 prospects. That does not count Rosario and Gimenez. That's 11 in the top 31 plus Chang and Rosario.
So, the return wasn't terrible but it doesn't do a single, freaking thing to help with a rebuild. Not one thing.
The only way this helps with the rebuild or to keep us competitive is if Antonneti and Chernoff can turn some of these middle infield prospects into major league ready or close to the majors outfield and pitching prospects. And that is the a type of trade that Antonneti and Chernoff have not shown they can make. Why in the freaking world would you bring in more middle infielders when you are already stocked with 10 of them.
Well, Rosario and Gimenez are cheap and major league ready. Not great but OK so you can keep them around for a few years and keep the budget down.
The only way this helps this team this year and in the future is if they can spin some of these 10 MIF prospects into young controllable ML relievers and relievers. These are the types of trades Antonneti and Chernoff have not shown they are good at making. I mean, Yandy Diaz for Jake Bauers?
The Indians have, once again, not taken advantage of their assets to help keep their team competitive. Looking at the return for Bauer, the return for Clevinger and now the return for Lindor/Carrasco, the Indians are positioning themselves to supplant the Royals as the worst team in the AL Central. It won't happen this year, as they will still be better than the Royals and Tigers. But, down the road, they have a bunch of position player prospects who project to just be complementary starters in the majors and some intrigung pitching prospects who will be good when Plesac, Civale and Beiber are walking out the door.
If you think back to the 70s and the 80s, this is exactly what the Indians were: a bunch of complementary starters and a few very interesting prospects who never panned out. Unfortunately it looks like we are going down this road again with teams that likely will not be bad enough to get good draft picks or good enough to compete. Look for a series of teams over the next 5 years who finish within 5 games of .500, either way.
For anyone who thinks that Nolan Jones comes riding in on a white horse and gives us the star power that we have lost, remember that Jones looks right now like a platoon player and will not be the savior of this franchise like Lindor was.
This trade was not terrible but it did not give us anything that will help us to be competitive to get to the playoffs or compete IN the playoffs.
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