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THIS. STOVE. IS. HOT
In what has been a much more eventful day in terms of speculation and rumors than most expected, the 2020 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is a return to some sort of normalcy that was needed. And after already completing one trade for Tommy Milone earlier today (initial reviews aside), it seems the Braves may not be done.
And this time, they seem to be focusing on a much grander scale.
Two executives believe the Braves are making an aggressive play for Clevinger, which would make sense given @BNightengale’s report that the Padres are no longer viewed as favorites.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 31, 2020
Over the past few hours, the Mike Clevinger trade saga has been a whirlwind of updates. At one point, it seemed as if the Padres were the favorite and had a good chance of landing the highly sought after right-hander. However, there seems to be a push from the Braves that now has them on the same level as the Padres, if not ahead.
Of course, with as much as this story has quickly changed, nothing is for certain until a deal is actually agreed to. However, it does seem highly likely that Clevinger is going to be moved, and it does seem the Braves are certainly making a push for him. There is more proof than ever that the Braves need another talented and controllable arm, and though Clevinger has been a source of negative headlines lately, he certainly would be a welcome addition.
However, due to Clevinger’s talent, cost control beyond this year, and with multiple teams chasing him, his price will be high in terms of prospects. The Indians have a need for outfielders, and the Braves certainly have a few talented ones. As a result, it seems a match may make sense.
Source: #Indians have asked for #Braves OF Drew Waters during the Mike Clevinger trade talks. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 31, 2020
Waters, the 27th ranked prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, would be a worthwhile piece for the Indians to pursue in a return for Clevinger, and would fill a need in their organization. It seems logical that a deal could make sense for both sides as they would be addressing areas of need by dealing from sources of strength. However, as we have seen over the past few years, Alex Anthopoulos has been highly reluctant to make moves involving his top prospects.
Now less than twenty hours until the 2020 MLB Trade Deadline, it seems there is still plenty of details to sort out. After Milone’s less than stellar debut tonight, the Braves still have a clear need to add to their rotation. Hopefully, if the price is right, they will find a solution that will strengthen the rotation for the present and future.