These outfielders could make sense for Indians after Brantley's latest setback
Brantley has been limited to only 11 games this season by ongoing shoulder trouble
By
Mike Axisa
•
4 min read
Michael Brantley's return to the Indians hit another bump in the road this week. A few days after being shut down with continued shoulder woes, Brantley underwent surgery to break up scar tissue Friday, the club announced.
Michael Brantley will resume baseball activities next week after an outpatient procedure to relieve scar tissue buildup in his shoulder.
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 22, 2016
The good news: this is a relatively minor setback. Brantley did not have "surgery" in the sense that they had to cut him open to break up the scar tissue. They basically stuck a needle in his arm to break it up. That's all. The procedure was minor enough that he can begin baseball work as soon as next week.
That said, this is another setback for Brantley, who has played only 11 games this season following offseason surgery. He had the surgery, worked hard to get back ahead of schedule, then landed back on the DL with renewed soreness. Brantley had been working his way back for several weeks prior to Friday's outpatient procedure.
The Indians own the best record (56-38) and run differential (+95) in the AL, as well as a comfortable seven-game lead in the AL Central, so there's no real urgency to get Brantley back in the lineup this very second. They can afford to let him rehab at his own pace to make sure that once he does return to the lineup, he stays in the lineup the rest of the year.
Given Brantley's season to date and his latest (albeit minor) setback, it wouldn't be a bad idea for the Indians to look into adding outfield depth prior to the trade deadline. They're getting by just fine now thanks in large part to rookie Tyler Naquin, who has hit 13 homers in 47 games since being recalled from Triple-A in mid-May.
Brantley is not some role player, however. He is the club's best all-around hitter when healthy, and surely the Indians are looking forward to the offensive boost when he returns. But when will that be, and will he be able to stay in the lineup and produce as expected? With each passing day and each new setback, the chances of that being answered in a positive way decrease.
The good news for the Indians is they're not desperate. They can let the market play out and be opportunistic. After all, they don't need outfield help. Other postseason contenders are in obvious need of help and will be more aggressive. The Indians can let sellers come to them.
Here are some possible outfield trade targets:
Jay Bruce, Reds: Bruce is very available and is having a nice bounceback seasons. He's hitting .263/.314/.530 (121 OPS+) with 19 home runs overall, and as an added bonus, the Indians would hold a $13 million club option for 2017. Bruce doesn't have to be a rental.
Carlos Beltran, Yankees: If the Yankees take the plunge and sell, Beltran may be the best outfielder on the market. He's hitting .300/.339/.548 (133 OPS+) with 20 homers on the season and remains a total pro, the kind of veteran bat who can hit third or fourth for a championship team. Beltran is a pure rental, so there's no long-term commitment.
Jeff Francoeur, Braves: The sexiest name on the market? No, but Francoeur is hitting .296/.339/.463 (114 OPS+) with four homers in 118 plate appearances against lefties, so he'd be a nice right-handed complement to the lefty hitting Naquin and Lonnie Chisenhall. The Braves would practically give him away too.
Desmond Jennings, Rays: The reclamation project. Jennings has authored a miserable .202/.286/.352 (75 OPS+) batting line this season, but he is a career .264/.347/.431 (117 OPS+) hitter against lefties and a solid defender. He's someone the Indians could pick up on the cheap and hope becomes a serviceable platoon piece.
Josh Reddick, Athletics: Reddick is the best player in this group and would represent the big "go for it" move, even moreso than Bruce or Beltran. He's hitting .300/.378/.441 (124 OPS+) with nearly as many walks (27) as strikeouts (31) in 60 games played around a thumb injury, and he's an excellent right fielder. Reddick won't come cheap even though he's a rental. He's the guy the Indians would go out and get if they don't expect Brantley back at all.
Even though the Indians are said to be ready to make a big move, I would be surprised if they made a play for a big-name outfielder like Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies or Ryan Braun of the Brewers. Would those guys help? Absolutely. But they come with substantial contract commitments and would require giving up a sizable package of prospects. There are more cost-friendly options available.
The Indians right now are doing just fine with Naquin, Chisenhall, Rajai Davis, and Jose Ramirez. Brantley's most recent setback is a minor one in the grand scheme of things, and there's still enough time before the deadline to see how he responds when he resumes workouts next week. Remember, this is a guy who hit .319/.382/.494 (139 OPS+) from 2014-15. He's a potentially significant second-half addition.
For now the Indians figure to focus on more pressing needs, like the catcher position and a late-inning lefty for the bullpen. They've been tied to all the big names (Jonathan Lucroy, Andrew Miller, etc.) and hey, why not? The Indians have a great team and a chance to do something special, and when you have an opportunity like this, covering all your bases and bringing in some outfield depth to protect against another potential Brantley setback is just smart business.
