The Cleveland Indians are facing some financial constraints heading into the 2019 season, and they may have to part ways with one or more of their core players in order to keep their payroll where it needs to be.
ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that the Indians will listen to trade offers this winter for several of their veteran players, most notably 2017 Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber. They will also field calls from teams interested in starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, slugger Edwin Encarnacion and second basmeman Jason Kipnis.
Kluber is scheduled to make $17 million in 2019, which sounds like a bargain after he put together another Cy Young-caliber season in 2018. The 32-year-old finished with a 20-7 record and a 2.89 ERA after posting an 18-4 record and 2.25 ERA in 2017.
Encarnacion, who belted 32 homers and drove in 107 RBI this season, will turn 36 this winter and is owed $21.67 million in 2019. It makes sense that the Indians want to unload him, and the same could be said for the 31-year-old Kipnis, who is on the books for $14.7 million and hit a career-low .230 in 147 games.
Kluber has club options of $15.5 million and $16 million in 2020 and 2021, so there should be plenty of teams interested in the right-hander.
The Indians are also not expected to extend qualifying offers to several top free agents this winter, so they could have a much different look when the 2019 season begins.
