Looking to add quality arms to a rotation in dire need of such, the Cleveland Indians are reportedly in talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks, discussing a deal that could ultimately net them Trevor Bauer, a highly touted right-handed prospect. The price: All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.
MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince reports that the two teams have been in talks about the potential deal for asmuch as two weeks, and it appears those talks have escalated at the Winter Meetings.
The 27-year-old Cabrera, hit .270 with a .762 OPS, 16 homers and 68 RBIs in 143 games last season. His OPS ranked third among all Major League shortstops. ESPN.com adds that that the Diamondbacks-Indians talks could involve as many as two other teams, and FoxSports.com has reported that the Indians are interested in Arizona left-hander Tyler Skaggs.
Bauer, 21, was the third-overall selection in the 2011 Draft. In 2012, he went 1-2 with a 6.06 ERA in four starts at the big league level, but went a combined 12-2 with a 2.42 ERA and 11.2 strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio in 22 starts between Triple-A Reno and Double-A Mobile. He was the ninth-best prospect in all of baseball heading into 2012 with Baseball America stating that “the unique ones are the hardest to project, and no one’s as unique as Bauer.” Organizationally, Bauer and Skaggs ranked first and third, respectively.
[Related: Tribe At The Winter Meetings: Will They Add, Or Blow It Up?]
