Ensconced in last place in the AL Central with a 10-16
record, it's safe to say the Indians' 2015 season has not gone according to
plan. The Tribe was the chic pick by
many pundits to end the Tigers' run of four consecutive division titles and
post its first first-place finish since 2007.
Heck, even Sports Illustrated
picked Cleveland to advance to the World Series. But a leaky bullpen, an anemic offense, and
porous defense have all played major roles in the Indians' poor start.
The Brewers, on the other hand, entered this season with far
more modest expectations, with almost all national writers picking Milwaukee to
finish in the middle of the pack or lower in the suddenly-competitive NL
Central. However, the Brew Crew's NL-worst
9-19 start has been far worse than anyone could have imagined, leading to the
May 4th ouster of Manager Ron Roenicke as well as sparking talk that the team
will start to auction veterans as part of a full-scale rebuild.
As we discussed last week, what makes Milwaukee's
situation even more precarious is the fact that three of the teams ahead of it
in the standings -- St. Louis, Chicago, and Pittsburgh -- have stockpiled
tremendous young talent and are currently much better positioned for the future.
Given the Indians' need to strengthen multiple weaknesses
before this season spirals out of control and the good sense it would make for
the Brewers to gear up for 2017 and beyond, we've thought up a trade that would
satisfy both team's objectives.
The Trade: The Brewers trade CF Carlos Gomez to the
Indians for the Tribe's top OF prospect, Bradley Zimmer, and their best minor
league pitcher, Justus Sheffield.
What the Indians
are getting: A legitimate 5-tool
player. Period. The
29-year-old Gomez is a 2-time All Star and former Gold Glove winner
whose WAR of 13.7 in 2013-14 lags only Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen among
center fielders. Equally as important,
Gomez is under contract through next year, when he will earn a measly $9
million. Gomez' broad offensive skill
set would be an excellent fit in Cleveland's predominantly left-handed lineup
and his sterling glovework would be a
welcome addition for the defensively-challenged Tribe, whose Zone Rating, as
measured by Baseball Reference ranks as the 2nd-worst in the American
League.
Michael Bourn, Cleveland's incumbent center fielder, is on
the books thru next year, when he will earn $14 million and has a $12 million
vesting option for 2017. However, it's
evident that his best days are behind him and he should be replaced. From 2012-14, the Houston native's OPS declined
from .739 to .674 and is at a measly .499 on the young season. His steals during the 3-year period also fell
from 42 to just ten (while his success rate declined from 76% to 62%). And if that's not enough, Bourn's defense has
also taken a dramatic turn for the worse -- his range factor has dropped from 2.52
in 2012 to 1.86 this season, nearly a full run lower than the league average of
2.73.
What the Brewers
are getting: SS Francisco Lindor
is easily Cleveland's best prospect, and it's doubtful GM Chris Antonetti would
let the 21-year-old stud be a part of any trade. However, Zimmer and Sheffield would make
excellent consolation prizes. Zimmer,
22, swings a high-octane lefty bat and as his .474 slugging percentage in the
pitcher-friendly Carolina League and 14 steals suggest, he would offer
Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin a dynamic talent to pair with RF Clint Coulter in the
Brewers' outfield of the future.
Despite his smallish 5-10, 190-pound stature, Sheffield has big stuff, including a fastball that routinely hits 97 mph and devastating slider. 18-year-old pitching prospects are always lottery tickets, but Sheffield's sterling 3.7 K/BB ratio demonstrates that he already has an excellent idea of how to pitch and his learning curve shouldn't be as steep as most other pitching prospects in Low A. The arrival of Sheffield would give Milwaukee another precocious arm to team with fellow left-handed fireballer Kodi Medeiros, their top pick in last year's draft.
