Fangraphs Trade Value Rankings: Four Indians make top 50

Fangraphs released their annual trade value rankings over the All-Star break that attempts to gauge the most valuable players in MLB as a function of talent, age, and contract status. So, younger players with more team control will usually win out over older players even if the youth have statistics that lag slightly behind as older players tend to be more expensive with statistics that may fall off a cliff¹ .

For the 2015 rankings, Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Yan Gomes, and Jason Kipnis all made the list. The track record combined with the relative youthfulness of these players led Fangraphs to include them despite the overall Indians performance that has been inconsistent thus far. In fact, it was a bit surprising that Francisco Lindor was not included on the list as other first-year MLB players such as Byron Buxton and Addison Russell made it into the rankings.

Here are the rankings with a small snippet of why they ranked them at that spot. The full reasoning can be found by clicking the link on their name to go to the associated Fangraph page.

#19 Corey Kluber

Due to the fact that he’s already pushing towards 30, Kluber’s more of a present value play than a long-term building block, but the contract he signed with the Indians this spring does give the team plenty of chances to reap some significant savings down the line if Kluber keeps pitching well. He’s now due just $35.5 million over the next four years, and if he ages well (or free agent prices continue to soar), they can pick up a couple of options for a grand total of $27.5 million in years five and six.

It should be no surprise that a statistic-based website is ignoring Corey Kluber’s subpar record and digging further into what his stats actually mean about his performance. As those who have watched him pitch can attest, he has continued to be a dominant frontline rotation ace for the team despite his lack of run support in most games² .

#39 Carlos Carrasco

his success in relief prompted the Indians to move him back into the rotation, and in 28 starts since then, he’s ran a 2.99 ERA/2.35 FIP/2.50 xFIP in 177 innings. By xFIP-, the only pitchers better over the past calendar year have been Clayton Kershaw and Corey Kluber.

Carrasco is almost certainly not going to keep this up, of course, and his career trend of underperforming his peripherals make him less valuable in the trade market than xFIP would suggest, but there’s no question that teams would be lining up to see what Carrasco could do with a better defense behind him, especially considering that he took a cut-rate deal from the Indians this spring.

Perhaps Carlos Carrasco would be higher on the list if he had a longer track record. In MLB-terms, a calendar year of statistics demonstrates the ability, but he will still need to prove he can keep up the consistency long-term to gain further acknowledgement. Regardless, having two starters on a list of top 50 MLB players does show just how strong the Indians rotation has been.

#43 Yan Gomes

And his contract makes him a remarkable bargain even with the offensive struggles. He’s due just $20 million in salary over the next four years, then has two team options for another $20 million combined in years five and six; even if he’s nothing more than a part-time player by that point, he still might be worth $10 million a year, given baseball’s economy.

The most surprising entry on the entire list, let alone from the Indians, is likely Yan Gomes. Gomes has not had a good year at all though it could perhaps be attributed to his ongoing injuries³ . However, his cheap contract, Silver Slugger history, and ability to play catcher have him on the list anyway.

Plus, Fangraphs is also calling Yan Gomes one of the top five bounce back candidates for the second half of this season.

#44 Jason Kipnis

And because the Indians locked him up a couple of years ago, he’s going to remain a bargain for the next few years, and even when his contract begins to escalate in price, the deal remains pretty friendly to the organization, as the 2020 season is a team option, giving additional upside without much risk.

If Jason Kipnis was a tad younger, then he would likely soar up such a chart. There are few players in MLB that can compare to his statistical output this season. However, there is also some caution with regards to how his player will age as there is with all players. Thankfully, the contract should be reasonable, and his current play has been beyond encouraging.

With the overall talent and youth of the Cleveland Indians that might continue to develop in the oncoming seasons, perhaps even more players will be on subsequent lists. And, of course, hopefully that youthful talent will translate into more wins as well.

1. Indians fans should note Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn. [↩]
2. Though hopefully that is changing as the Indians offense gave him nine runs on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. [↩]
3. Both his knee injury that kept him out six weeks and the back/neck stiffness that has been an intermittent issue since that time. [↩]