Antonetti said he went to Kipnis earlier this season to talk about the possibility of moving to CF. He said Kipnis was “incredible” about it, saying if the team can go out and get someone who can help, to do it. That type of a deal didn’t formulate, so Kipnis remains at 2B.<doc-sep>The Cleveland Indians have some options they could end up giving the go-ahead to upgrade their roster prior to the 2018 MLB Trade Deadline. For good reasons, the Cleveland Indians have been to some degree rumored as possible destinations for many trade deadline targets. Having already acquired two relievers, the Tribe are in a position to go out and fill the rest of their needs as they see fit. Since they did not end up with Manny Machado but could still use more help in the infield, their list of options may be longer than originally thought. Second base would be the upgrade as Jose Ramirez would move over to there if Cleveland acquired a third baseman. Despite the many players being linked to Cleveland, they very well could stay as-is. By doing so, their approach likely would be that they hope those that are injured can come back and help out tremendously. Plus, any potential minor leaguer being brought up would likely fall under the same expectations. So, what kind of trades are the Indians going to pull off while they still can? Here are three predictions on what is going to happen.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 22: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals runs in from the outfield in the first inning Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on July 22, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) The Cleveland Indians have reportedly discussed trading for All-Star outfielder Bryce Harper. If they want to keep up in the American League, they should pull the trigger. As the Cleveland Indians begin play on Tuesday’s trade deadline, they will be 16.5 games behind the American League-leading Red Sox. Make no mistake; the Indians are a solid team and are almost guaranteed to make the playoffs. In the AL Central, Cleveland has the luxury of not having to win 110 games to win the division. While the Indians are a playoff-caliber team, they will likely be the weakest bunch on the AL side of the bracket. The Red Sox and Yankees are each on pace to win well over 100 games, and the Astros should finish near the century-mark as well. The Indians, on the other hand, are not on pace to crack 90. To make matters worse, the competition is growing tougher. Boston has traded for Steve Pearce, Ian Kinsler, and Nathan Eovaldi, and they likely are not done. To match them, the Yankees have acquired J.A. Happ, Lance Lynn, and Zach Britton. Like the Red Sox, they probably have a few moves still up their sleeves. Finally, the Astros have traded for Roberto Osuna, Ryan Pressly, and Martin Maldonado. Needless to say, the AL champion will have earned their spot in the World Series. You never know what will happen in the postseason, but as things currently stand, the Indians are far and away the weakest team in the AL playoff picture. Cleveland has already bolstered their bullpen by acquiring Brad Hand and Adam Cimber, but they have some work left to do. If they are going to take home the pennant, they need to make a splash. Fortunately for the Indians, their perfect trade target became available on Monday night. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Nats are making Bryce Harper available. Harper is not having his typical MVP-caliber season, but he would still be a worthwhile acquisition. Looking past his batting average, he has been a productive hitter. His 25 homers rank second in the NL, while he leads the league in walks with 84. He has struck out too much, but his .241 BABIP leads you to believe that his average will regress to the mean. Even in his current form, Harper would make the Indians better. Their outfielders have combined for 2.5 WAR, good for 24th in the majors. Only the Rockies rank lower and have a shot at making the postseason. The Cleveland Indians right fielders have been exceptionally underwhelming. They have combined for a .724 OPS, which is well below Harper’s .842. Finally, Harper’s defensive versatility would be beneficial. Lonnie Chisenhall is currently on the disabled list with a calf strain, leaving a hole in right field for now. However, when he returns, Harper could slide over to center field. Although Harper is better-suited for a corner outfield role, he can hold his own in center. Obviously, Harper would be an excellent fit in Cleveland. After all, who would not want to add a generational talent? The only thing standing in the way is the Nats’ understandably high asking price. The Nats hope to re-sign Harper this offseason, and trading him away hurts their chances. Because of this, they want a substantial return if they are going to deal him. Nobody knows what the Nats have asked for, but there has been some speculation that they would want a package including Triston McKenzie or Shane Bieber. The Indians, on the other hand, would be hesitant to part with either young arm, especially for a rental. However, with Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, and Mike Clevinger each signed at least through 2020 and several promising arms in the farm system, the Indians could afford to part with one McKenzie or Bieber. They have already traded top prospect Francisco Mejia to San Diego; they might as well go all-in and deal one more prospect for one of the game’s best players. Want your voice heard? Join the Call To The Pen team! Write for us! Opportunities to acquire someone as talented as Bryce Harper do not come often. If the Cleveland Indians are serious about winning their first World Series title in 70 years, they will make a run for him.<doc-sep>At the trade deadline Tuesday the Cleveland Indians and the St. Louis Cardinals made an unusual prospects-for-prospect transaction. The Cardinals are sending outfielder Oscar Mercado to the Indians in exchange for outfielders Conner Capel and Jhon Torres. Here’s a quick look. Oscar Mercado, OF: The Cardinals drafted Mercado in the second round in 2013 from high school in Tampa, Florida. Originally an infielder, he was a mediocre hitter for four seasons and lost most of his prospect status. He converted to the outfield in late 2016 and took off with the bat in ‘17, hitting .287/.321/.428 last season in Double-A and .285/.351/.408 this year in Triple-A, restoring his lost luster as a prospect. Mercado is 23 years old, a right-handed hitter, listed at 6-2, 175. His impact tool is speed: he swiped 38 bases in 2017 and 31 more this season. He’s improved his plate discipline and has learned to leverage his wiry strength into gap power. The former shortstop is also an above-average defensive outfielder more than capable of handling center. He’s ready for a trial. Conner Capel, OF: Capel was drafted by the Indians in the fifth round in 2016 from high school in Katy, Texas. He whacked 22 homers in the Low-A Midwest League in 2017 with a .246/.316/.478 slash line but has produced less power this season in the High-A Carolina League, with a .261/.351/.388 mark. He’s hit six homers, well down from last year’s pace, but has hit for a higher average and shown more patience at the plate. Capel is a left-handed hitter, listed at 6-1, 185, age 21. He has above-average running speed that he’s still learning to use and has a shot as a double-digit power/stolen base producer down the line. He’s not as good as Mercado with the glove but may provide more long-term pop. Jhon Torres, OF: Torres was signed by the Indians in 2016 out of Colombia. He hit .255/.363/.408 last year in the Dominican Summer League, then moved up to the Arizona Rookie League this season with a .273/.351/.424 line. Torres is listed at 6-4, 199, a right-handed hitter, age 19. He’s a long way off but has shown solid power potential and strike zone judgment to this point in his career. He also has a throwing arm that fits well in right field.<doc-sep>
With back-to-back losses to the Marlins this weekend, there's some thought the Nationals should sell prior to the trade deadline. General manager Mike Rizzo was said to be on the fence about selling prior to the four-game split in Miami. The big question is whether they'll consider trading franchise icon and outgoing free agent Bryce Harper. Recent indications are that they may indeed be moving in that direction ... As for some specifics, the Nats and Indians have had at least cursory trade discussions involving Harper ... Yes, Morosi indicates there's no momentum toward a deal. That said, there's still plenty of hours left until Tuesday afternoon's deadline, and it's possible that the Indians and Nats have discussed a general framework. The Indians are focused on adding an outfielder -- specifically a center fielder -- prior to the trade deadline, reports ESPN's Buster Olney. Olney opines Cleveland may be better off adding an infielder and shifting Kipnis to center field, where he played late last season and in the postseason. At the moment the Indians are using a Greg Allen/Rajai Davis platoon in center field with Melky Cabrera and Brandon Guyer sharing time in right. All-Star Michael Brantley is entrenched in left and both Tyler Naquin (hip), Lonnie Chisenhall (calf), and Bradley Zimmer (shoulder) are injured. The Indians can go in a number of different directions before the deadline, though it is clear they need an upgrade in center. While Harper isn't a natural in center he has put in more than 1,000 career defensive innings at the position. Yes, Harper's batting just .220 in his age-25 season, but his high walk and home run totals lift his OPS+ to 122. Needless to say, he's also got the skills to find his customary level at any moment. Given the low bar at the position, Harper would be a big upgrade for Cleveland even if he isn't a standout defender in center and even if he continues producing at the current level. The question for the Indians is whether they could put together a persuasive package after dipping into the farm system quite often for major trades in recent years -- including the Brad Hand deal with the Padres earlier this month. As for Rizzo and the Nationals, a case can be made the Nationals should trade Harper, though if they want to re-sign him, the best way to do that is to keep him at the deadline. Even if the club trades Harper with the intention of re-signing him after the season, the odds of re-signing him go down as soon as he's traded. Any sense of loyalty is eliminated and Harper gets a taste of life in another organization. Whatever the case, it appears that trading Bryce Harper is no longer an unthinkable proposition for the Nationals.