As they have for the last 14 months, the Cleveland Indians continue their search for an outfielder who can not only hit for power and do so from the right-handed side of the plate. The potential answer, per CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, is San Diego Padres slugger Carlos Quentin.
Heyman reports that Quentin, potentially the best hitter who ends up getting dealt before the late-July trade deadline, is sought after by the Cleveland Indians as well as the Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays were thought to be in the mix for the 29-year old, but are now both said to be in the market for pitching. The Tigers had recently been linked to Chicago Cubs bat-misser Matt Garza.
To trade Quentin, San Diego would reportedly have to receive something better than the draft pick they’d get if he left as a free agent. The fact that there are multiple teams interested in the San Diego native could eventually lead to a bidding war, a scenario where the Indians are not exactly the most successful, having recently lost out on Kevin Youkilis (Chicago White Sox) and Carlos Lee (Miami Marlins).
On the season, Quentin is hitting .268 with seven home runs and 17 RBI.
[Realted: The Case for Trading Chris Perez]


