February 21: Indians fans can breathe a sigh of relief, it seems. Bell tweets that the MRI revealed a mild strain of Carrasco’s hip flexor but nothing more serious. The club has listed him as day-to-day.
February 20: In more ominous news surrounding an already banged-up Indians rotation, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that righty Carlos Carrasco is slated to undergo an MRI on his right leg. MLB.com’s Mandy Bell tweets that Carrasco entered the clubhouse this morning using a crutch after experiencing discomfort in his most recent workouts. The club offered no further specifics, Hoynes adds.
Carrasco, 33 next month, won American League Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2019 after stepping away from baseball in May following a leukemia diagnosis but returning to great (and well-deserved) fanfare just three months later. He struggled in a bullpen role down the stretch, but the results were secondary to the rapid, remarkable recovery for one of the game’s best and most respected pitchers.
Cleveland is already down a starter following Mike Clevinger’s meniscus surgery. There’s hope that he won’t be sidelined for much of the regular season, but he’s still very early in the recovery process. Regardless, the pair of injuries to two of the Indians’ three most notable starters is a worrisome development — particularly in light of the offseason trade that sent Corey Kluber to Texas.
Right-hander Shane Bieber is the top healthy name in the rotation mix at present. The Indians have a characteristically deep mix of alternatives from which to draw. Right-handers Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale, Jefry Rodriguez and Adam Plutko all threw in the big leagues last season. Lefties Logan Allen and Scott Moss could be options, too, and well-regarded prospect also Triston McKenzie looms in the upper minors. If the Indians want to add some depth from outside the organization, there are still a few notable names who’ve yet to sign (e.g. Jason Vargas, Andrew Cashner, Clay Buchholz, Clayton Richard, Matt Harvey).
2 starters down before Spring training games even started. YIKES!
But do you really hate your father?
ugh.. Duh… lol
Indians and the Yankees too. But the Angels are all healthy. What is really going on?
Indians, “hey LA, you like Lindor?”
Dodgers, “Jeez! Is this Indians? Quit calling already!”
Indians, “how about Lindor and Carassco for Seager and Joc?”
Dodgers, “I’m intrigued.”
Dodger fans are getting to be as bad as Yankee fans. Two years of the best shortstop in the game and four affordable years of a good starter for one year of a platoon outfielder and two years of a lesser shortstop. Keep dreaming Ejemp. And it is the Dodgers pushing for Lindor not the other way.
“Dodger fans are getting to be as bad as Yankee fans.”
HA! That’s rich, coming from an Indian’s fan, after all the nonsense we heard about what Kluber was worth. And then look what they got!
@Mo4ever
Had the Indians traded Kluber before the start of the 2019 season, they would have gotten a major haul in return for him.
I myself was opposed to them trading him at that time. It’s easy now with hindsight to say that they should have traded him at that time seeing as we know that he missed most of that season. But I still think that at that time it would have been stupid to have traded him, as you should not trade your ace pitcher when you are trying to contend!
As for the Kluber trade that did happen, because of the injury from the season before, his age, (although, 33 isn’t that old) and most of all because of the cheap-ass Dolan’s, it was primarily a salary dump.
Before certain posters freak out, yes, I think that Clase will be a good to possibly even great reliever for the Indians. But the Dolan’s main motive was to dump salary.
Overall, most Indians fans are realistic about what the Indians SHOULD get in return for their players.
Congrats Ejemp2006! You now officially are the owner of the dumbest post on MLBtraderumors.com history. What an honor!
Best wishes, Carrasco. I hope it isn’t serious.
Hope it’s nothing serious. Their margin for error with the Twins getting JD and Maeda is already thin enough.
Not to mention the emergence of the White Sox.
Chisox haven’t won more than 81 games since 2012. Might want to wait until they actually do anything before saying they’ve emerged.
Twins fans are so quick to forget their meteoric rise from 2018 to 2019. Hasn’t happened yet doesn’t equal won’t happen.
I know winning the offseason is no guarantee of anything, but do you really look at the White Sox’ roster changes and don’t think they’ll win over 81 games, considering that’d only be an 9-game increase from last year? Twins fans shouldn’t be afraid of the Sox knocking them out of 1st this year, but enough with the arrogant “they still suck” BS.
@axis, I hope so, but I think they’ll have to be satisfied with 2nd place, at best, and maybe still 3rd, though a much closer 3rd than last year if that happens. Too much would have to go right this year (and wrong for the Twins) for them to make up a 28.5 game difference and the Twins getting JD and Maeda. Indians have a shot of taking the Twins down with that rotation, which could be one of the best in all of baseball, but these injuries seem to be mounting quickly.
I agree- ChiSox fans have a lot to look forward to. Giolito, Moncada and Jimenez all raisied their floors last yr and IMO have huge ceilings. Roberts looks like a stud. Although the Twins have a deep lineup I’m not so sure about their rotation. Odorrizi had about a 4.30 xFIP last yr- that points to an ERA (career avg) of North of 4.00. Outside of Berrios they have average SP’s who’s ceiling’s are not that high. If healthy and free of suspensions Pineda has potential to be above avg. but you get my point- Yankees exposed that rotation in the playoffs. Not sure the Twins will repeat that many Wins
ChiSox possibly will go after Kris Bryant and put him in RF or 2B/3B.
That would make the ChiSox lineup formidable and WS favorites (vs. LAD).
KB wants to stay in Chicago, the Cubbies will get some prospects, and Cubbies will get under the luxury tax threshold. Poor Cubbies; no money.
Cubs have no money, but there is no one left to spend it on, anyway. Bryant stayed because they are trying to contend. They will have to fall flat for him to be back on the market before next off season..
If it happened, it’d only be to put him in RF. They won’t displace Madrigal before he even gets a shot and Moncada was actually better than Bryant last year. Depending on the cost, I could be ok with it, but it’s a big gamble considering the ground the Sox have to make up on the Twins. KB would get them closer to a WC spot, though.
Great plan trading kluber, now all you have to rely on is Bieber who is only 24 with one good season under his belt
By the advanced metrics, Bieber’s 2018 was better than 2019. The Indians have plenty of depth, they just need the young guys to step up like they did last year.
Yet he was absolute crap in 2018.
And they were somehow supposed to foresee injuries to 2 starters in the opening days of spring training? I think they got hosed on the Kluber deal, but the idea of trading him was itself a good one.
Ben can we get the lottery numbers for Saturday nights drawing? Just asking since it seems you’re the only one here to see into the future…
This guy can’t catch a friggin break
The depth we have is disappearing. If cookie is going be out for some time, I wonder if they would they give McKenzie a legitimate shot
McKenzie didnt throw a single inning last year, there is zero chance he breaks camp with the major league team. He’ll either be in AA or AAA, and if things go well he is am option midseason.
He just needs to eat more cookies. They’d be great for his protein intake.
Surely that’ll be what he needs to stay healthy…
CLE might’ve just emerged as the axle, to this BOS-SD trade.
You guys are ghouls. We have yet to see the results of the MRI and already pouncing.
Ghouls? Mmk, good one. Cookie is receiving surgery, so either way it’s probably not looking to great for him or the Tribe (as far as spring training goes). Franky, has been in the trade rumor mill the entire offseason. And CLE has a lot of needs, if they want to stay competitive these next few years. Anything is possible
Francona has not heard the results of the MRI yet you are already giving him surgery. Ghoul absolutely fits you, Bob.
Also, Bob, Cleveland won 93 games in 2019 better than the Red Sox, and much, much better than the Padres.
Do you know what a ghoul is? How is it ‘fitting’ to this discussion? It’s not funny or creative. CLE winning 93 last year is irrelevant to this. Also, John, CLE being ‘better’ than the Sox and Pads in 2019 is irrelevant to this.
This dude called these guys ghouls. Rofl, that’s hilarious.
I’m not sure how this changes anything in the bos/sd trade. Unless your suggesting sd is now willing to part with gore Cleveland still doesn’t add Lindor to this. I’m not sure why people think trading prospects to get rid of a bad contract makes a third team more likely to jump in. They still want what they want for the people they would them trade. Nothing coming from Boston in this trade would move the needle for Cleveland to jump in, and they already didn’t like sd trade purposely, so what has changed?
I hope it is nothing serious. But, the Reds should go back to the Indians and offer Mahle, Santillan and Senzel for Lindor.
And the Indians will still say no
I think Cleveland would work through their backup options rather than trade for a Mahle, who has had no success in the majors. Let’s see what is MRI says before more Ghouls come out with their lousy trades.
No comma needed before “too.” Why do writers use so many unnecessary commas?
Why do commas even exist? Give me the commas that had their tail cut off any day.
I like cooking, kids, and dogs.
I like cooking kids and dogs.
Commas are important.
But yet this is pretty innocent!
I like cooking kids, and dogs.
Commas are indeed important.
Hahahaha!
first off you didn’t replace with a period just omitted all together. You also need to provide context. Cooking kids and dogs could be kids and dogs that cook not being cooked. I would love it if my kid and dog cooked.
Further evidence that commas are important. Leaving the commas out leaves the sentence open to interpretation.
I like children when they are properly cooked
I’m a big Oxford comma guy myself
what is a “guy myself?” Sounds like a game show host. Guy Myself.
Indians were in trouble already with the white soxs and twins getting better in the offseason! With them staying status quote, and they were the weak link out of those three team and this news doesn’t help the cause for them to win a stack division already
I really wouldn’t call the Central a “stacked” division.
This is why Spring Training exists—to see what depth you have.
Allen, Moss, and Rodriguez will get more work now.
Allen also pitched in MLB last year
Vargas should be the go here. not a stud, but he keeps you in games.
The Indians’ injury karma has been a lot worse this season and last, which coincides with their belief that they were good enough to win the Central without adding to their roster.
It’s probably just a coincidence, but as an Indians fan, it’s notable. I don’t know if they got cocky or just complacent, but they thought they were good enough and overlooked the rest of the division, and it caught up with them.
Carrasco’s MRI results are slated to be announced tomorrow.. There was a comment that the area of concern was his upper thigh.. so it might be something as mild as a strained groin. We’ll just have to wait to see.. as there is no further information on whatever this is..
W/R to a deal with the Reds for Lindor.. that was mentioned above… Mahle would be redundant as the tribe has several SP’s (3 to 5) that are at or above his ability.. IOW, no Mahle.. A deal can be crafted in three pieces if the Reds are willing to pay the price for a top 5 player in MLB. That price is 3 or 4 prospects..
From the Reds pitching talent: the Indians would be interested in Hunter Greene provided if he can show he’s healthy, Nick Lodolo or Tony Santillan. If the deal includes Greene w/ that caveat.. he would be the only pitching prospect dealt and would also limit the rest of the trade a current roster player and another prospect that isn’t in the Reds top five..
This would exclude Senzel, who has a sensational pedigree..
IOW: w/ Greene.. the Indians would be wise to agree to a deal that sees Jesse Winker and Jose Israel-Garcia returning for Lindor.
With Lodolo or Santillan, then the deal would have to include Senzel, Jose Israel-Garcia and a Reds later than # 20 prospect like Joel Kuhnel..
If the Reds insisted on Lindor plus, such as a true CF’er, then Delino Deshields or Greg Allen could also be part of the return or international money or an exchange of Competitive Balance Lottery choices could be enough..
Thoughts?.
Gson, my thoughts are to wait and see the results of the MRI before jumping the gun on any trade talks. As long as Clevinger is back relatively early, I am keeping the team intact. I am not ready to give up on the 2020 season.
As far as your trade – Senzel must be part of any trade or no trade in my book. Winker does nothing for me. He is another platoon outfielder with poor defense. We already have Reyes and Santana that fit that mold. Why do we need another? Senzel and either Greene or Lodolo would have to start the package. If I am trading Lindor, I want the best that team can offer in return. Again, right now I am holding Lindor.
A trade for Senzel would have made more sense before the Indians signed Ceasar Hernandez. for 2B. You could have then put Senzel at 2B and signed a shortstop instead of Hernandez.. A trade now means Senzel to the outfield to join our other 10 outfielders and no one to play shortstop.
@hockeyjohn
Way too many injury/performance issues for me to get excited about Senzel, so I see no basis for any deals with the Reds. Any guy who is suffering through intermittent bouts with vertigo is someone I avoid unless it’s at a deep discount, and the Reds won’t be peddling him cheaply, nor should they. But neither should we pay dear for him.
I’m with you; it’s early in camp, would rather have these things happen now if they are to happen at all. This should make the competition for spots in the rotation quite frothy. But it’s not like the Tribe doesn’t have some talented options.
It’s a long year and Cleveland has a good club. And good clubs don’t panic.
Avory,
I agree that I am not excited by Senzel, due to his injury history. He would still be a much better option than Winker in my opinion. With that said, I do not see a good match with the Reds as well. I also do not see Lindor traded at this time. IF Lindor is ever traded, I would like the return to be more a more sure bet for success than Senzel. appears to be.
Took your advice.. turns out to be good advice.. Cookie’s issue appears to be a minor thing.. hopefully he won’t aggravate it into becoming more. It is soooo difficult to have patience during the start of spring training.. in spite of these guys really working to be ready to go from day one..
I would be okay with Senzel as part of the deal as well.. I see a lot of Andrew Benintendi in him.. perhaps more versatility.. His injury issues to give pause, though.. Maybe your own advice could be/should be followed w/r to patience..
IOW.. a deal involving Lindor may have to wait until the trading deadline.. perhaps a little sooner?>.
The Indians start the season with Lindor and see how it plays out like they have already stated so many times. Other teams asking isn’t them shopping. As fast as Cleveland lost 2 important pieces so can every other team…baseball predictions are just guessing that’s why they play the games
If the Indians could get any where near the return y’all are dreaming of- lindor would already be a Red.
Reds aren’t trading lodolo or Greene or Stevenson and prob won’t trade Garcia either.
It’s a senzel headliner w maybe santillian as the second piece and that’s about as good as it’ll get.
Mute point though- reds are going to give Galvis a chance to keep the spot and he’s locked to start season there.
I am fine with that. I will watch the top SS in Francisco Lindor play for Cleveland and the Reds can have Galvis.
The point was mute since Cleveland said they weren’t trading Lindor. But you can try and spin it so you feel the reds somehow decided. A lot of reds fans seem to think they have a lot to run their mouths about now days. Bet you a month in the season they disappear just like always
Matt Harvey or Andrew Cashner on a minor league contract?.
(insert vomit emoji here)
The Indians are as good as anyone at developing starting depth. Even if Clevinger and Carrasco were going to be out longterm, it would take a couple more hits to their rotation before they resorted to garbage signings like those.
As long as they start the year in Columbus and only make it to Cleveland in a disaster scenario, ok. I don’t see any need for them to start on the big club even if Clevenger and Cookie are out.
Day to day is great news
I will never understand how people can believe that their team’s no longer needed prospects or multiple low level pieces/junk will move the needle when shopping for a star player..
Comparing the Mookie Betts (one year at $ 10 MM more than Lindor this year alone) deal.. the Red Sox received Alex Verdugo who was the Dodger’s # 1 prospect.. & Jeter Downs who was in their top five and, finally, Wong.. a reasonable to mid-tier lottery ticket back stop prospect.
For two years of Lindor.. no added baggage getting the guys mentioned (Greene/Lodolo) Senzel and one lottery ticke (Kuhnel was mentioned) seems like a reason return for a top five player in all of MLB..
Of course.. Senzel has a lot of people wary due to his recent injury history (like Verdugo), but, he has a chance to be an exceptional player.. The deal is a reasonable comp to the Betts deal..
Thoughts?..
Verdugo played well when he came up, so no not the same. More importantly Boston had to cut payroll, Cleveland doesn’t. So unless blown away they don’t trade him. And just because a bunch of fans like a player/prospect, doesn’t mean every team values him the same. Cleveland has a vast history of letting position players walk after contracts expire, its pitchers they usually tend to trade before they walk. I don’t think they trade Lindor at all….unless someone throws a stupid deal they can’t turn down
Then they’ll settle for a fourth round QO pick.
Great news for the Indians and their fans. Happy for you, and honestly, I’d rather the White Sox lose to you when you’re at full strength than win with one of your best guys missing. It’d feel more like they earned it and there would be no excuses. Can’t wait for the season to start.
The Indians were known to be asking for Gavin Lux in the Dodger rumors and most likely Senzel from the Reds. The Padres would almost certainly have been asked for some combination of Gore/Patino/Abrahms/etc.
Two years of an elite SS whom the Dodgers would almost certainly have a chance to sign to an extension early (not so sure about the Reds or Padres) is definitely going to bring a better return than a one year rental with one foot out the door wherever he plays.
The Red Sox may not have gotten the sexy package of prospects that the fans were hoping for but they got a decent haul considering the fact that even the Dodgers know Mookie might be gone next winter.