The MLB trade deadline is just over two days away, but the Cleveland Indians have yet to decide what they’ll do with their biggest trade chip.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Indians are still evaluating possible Bauer trades, and had not made a firm decision whether to buy or sell as of Monday morning.
The Indians continue to evaluate possible trade scenarios involving Trevor Bauer. Haven’t made a hard buy/sell decision either way.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 29, 2019
Cleveland is in an odd spot. They’re in the midst of a surge that has seen them climb to within two games of the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins, and they occupy the first AL wild card spot. The somewhat modest return the Toronto Blue Jays got for Marcus Stroman could also impact the team’s thinking. That said, they are also facing the reality of paying Bauer a hefty salary in 2020 before losing him to free agency, which has motivated them to seek trades now. It may also be that some of his antics are grating on the organization.
For what it’s worth, rival teams believe they know what the Indians will ultimately do with Bauer. It seems the team itself hasn’t quite committed either way.
