Apparently the Manny Machado trade wasn’t the only major move being worked up behind the scenes during the All-Star break.
Brad Hand to #Indians, sources tell me and @ByRobertMurray.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2018
The return isn’t out there yet, but given Hand’s significant value – both because he’s a stellar reliever and because he’s under cheap team control through 2021 – I wouldn’t be surprised if it cost a tip top prospect like Francisco Mejia.
The Indians would at least have their Andrew Miller replacement (he’s a free agent after this season), and also would improve their bullpen for this year’s run. They struggled a bit out of the gate, but when you really look at their roster, the Indians are freaking loaded.
As for the market implications, that’s a big-time reliever chip already off the board before we even get to July 20, and it’s a guy the Cubs had been connected to many times over the past year. I certainly would have loved to have him on the Cubs, but I never saw a trade fit, given that the Cubs didn’t really have the prospect pieces to get him, and I don’t think you could justify trading big league guys for Hand at this point.
Just go get a really good rental reliever and starter, and I’m happy.
UPDATING as I type:
Source: #Indians acquiring Adam Cimber from #Padres along with Hand.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2018
Catcher Francisco Mejia headed to #Padres, sources tell me and @ByRobertMurray.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2018
Wow. So, yes, the Padres do get an elite prospect in Mejia, but the Indians are also getting a breakout reliever in Cimber, who is only now a rookie (age 27). That’s a ton of control over a guy who could be very solid and very cheap for a long time. Very nice get for the Indians, even as they paid a steep price.