MIL RHP Jeremy Jeffress
The Brewers closer should be on the market and is the second Brewers pitcher on the list. With him being the closer I think he is the one more likely to be dealt of the two. He’s 23 of 24 on save chances this year with a 2.41 ERA. He’s nothing overly special for a closer, only tallying 26 strikeouts over 37.1 innings of work with a 1.31 WHIP but he’s gotten the job done for them. He’s a former first round pick and 28 years old hitting arbitration next year. Like Smith, I think it will take a good prospect to land, but nothing that will break the bank. The Indians need somebody to move Shaw to the seventh and Otero for jams.
Chances: 25%
CIN OF Jay Bruce
Jay Bruce is a player that would fit well with what the Indians do. While he is not a big for average hitter, he’s having the second best batting average of his career at .264, he has power. He’s got 18 home runs and 62 RBI’s this year for Cincinnati. For comparisons, Mike Napoli is at .242 with 18 home runs and 61 RBI’s. Bruce also strikes out a little less than Napoli although both do at a high rate. He can take a spot in the outfield and provide that extra power bat that can scare teams. I think they would need to be separated in the lineup a little bit, with one batting fourth and the other six or seven just due to the high strike out rates could strand early runners. It would also allow for guys hitting in the middle of the lineup like a Ramirez or Santana who have good on base percentages to get on base to add more runs off the long ball. He does have Cleveland in his no trade clause but said he would likely waive it to play for a contender. There’s also a 13 million dollar club option for next year which would be smart to pick up to allow a little more time for Zimmer and Frazier to progress before setting them up to take over long term. They might be able to do this move without giving up the big two, but might have to include another highly regarded prospect like Bobby Bradley to get it done. This would be a fan favorite move and would upgrade one of the team’s biggest weaknesses and make the lineup even more dangerous.
Chances: 30%
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