Even though Jonathan Lucroy invoked his no-trade clause to scuttle the Indians' dreams of adding an All-Star catcher to the best team in the American League, it is clear from the Indians reaching an agreement with the Brewers on the deal in the first place, and from the Tribe’s deal for Yankees closer Andrew Miller , that it’s all-in time on the shores of Lake Erie.
Being rebuffed by Lucroy only means that the Indians remain players on the trade market, with plenty of prospects and a couple of weaknesses to address – catcher, of course, and finding either a regular third baseman or an outfielder who can push Jose Ramirez to the hot corner and Juan Uribe to a reserve role. It is clear that Cleveland not only has the prospects available to put together deals in an attempt to win a first World Series since 1948, but that the Indians are willing to do what it takes to make a good team great.
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Cleveland’s aggressive approach means that the gauntlet is thrown down to other American League contenders: make yourselves better, or the team that already has the best record in the Junior Circuit might just run away with the whole thing, riding dominant starting pitching, a solid top-to-bottom lineup and a Miller-infused bullpen to the pennant.
The need for the Orioles and Red Sox to add pitching becomes more acute, as does the Rangers’ search for a bat and a catcher. It’s all the more important for the Blue Jays to figure out how Aaron Sanchez will be used down the stretch, and add pitching help accordingly, either to the rotation or the bullpen. The Tigers need to figure out, and quickly, whether it is worth a big-time expenditure to keep trying to chase down Cleveland in the Central. The Astros’ needs in the rotation and lineup are that much more pressing.
Cleveland paid a high price to get Miller, sending two dynamite prospects to New York in Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield, plus a couple of slightly older minor league relievers who have put up numbers everywhere they’ve been in J.P. Feyereisen and Ben Heller. By doing so, though, the Indians accomplished a few things.
Most obviously, Cleveland got its man in Miller, one of the best closers in baseball and a man signed to a reasonable contract through 2018. The Indians also put pressure on the rest of the American League contenders to take care of business, possibly resulting in even more of a seller’s market than has already been seen. Cleveland’s actions made it even more costly for rivals to be inactive, as seen last year when the Royals added Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist, the Rangers traded for Cole Hamels, the Blue Jays imported David Price and Troy Tulowitzki, the Astros picked up Carlos Gomez and the Yankees and Twins did little of consequence, then played a combined one playoff game.
Action at the deadline is not a guarantee of success in October, as the A’s showed two years ago. What we do know, though, is that Cleveland already had a top-notch roster, has improved significantly with Miller and are willing to do more to push to end a 68-year title drought. The message to the rest of the American League is clear: keep up or get left behind.