The Cleveland Indians Are Searching For Bats
July 22, 2011 - 2:41 pm by Ryan Phillips
The Cleveland Indians have been one of the surprise stories of Major League Baseball’s 2011 season. They currently sit just .5 games out of first place in the American League Central with a record of 51-46. But with news that star outfielder Grady Sizemore will miss four to six weeks with a knee injury and sports hernia surgery, the team is in the process of searching for some extra offense.
From what we’re hearing, the Indians have been in talks with the San Diego Padres about acquiring outfielder Ryan Ludwick. We don’t have a major update on those talks today, but it’s safe to say they are ongoing. The Tribe has also kicked the tires on Kansas City Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur and Oakland A’s outfielders Josh Willingham and Coco Crisp.
While the Indians won’t be willing to part with a top prospect to get help down the stretch, they are looking to deal. That said, don’t expect top prospects Jason Kipnis or Lonnie Chisenhall to be traded in any deal. Those guys are a big part of Cleveland’s future and that won’t change any time soon.
Manager Manny Acta has said that rookie Ezequiel Carrera will likely see the majority of time in center while Sizemore is out. The thing is no one knows how much Sizemore will be able to provide once he does return, so a trade for someone like Crisp would make sense.
All we know right now is that the Indians want to boost their offense and they are likely to make some kind of move before the deadline to strengthen their lineup.
