Potential Returns if the Cleveland Indians Trade Greg Allen
It’s no secret that the Cleveland Indians have had a revolving door in the outfield to start the season. With a sort of logjam at the MLB level in the outfield, it makes sense the Indians would look to move an outfielder or two on the open market to help bolster another part of the roster, or even just to add a couple of prospects instead. Keep in mind though that only players on the 60-man roster pools for each team are eligible to be traded, which means things are a bit more limited in terms of prospects this season.
Greg Allen has had his fair share of struggles at the plate to open up the season, but he has proven to be a reliable depth outfielder in the past. He’s still only 27 years old, and he has yet to hit arbitration, which means that he’s under team control for a few more years. Allen can provide speed and defense with some raw ability at the plate with the potential to develop into a table-setter at the top of the order if his bat comes along. Three teams who could use a depth outfielder like Allen are the Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, and Oakland Athletics.
Miami Marlins Receive: OF Greg Allen
Cleveland Indians Receive:
LHP Alex Vesia, Cash Considerations
The Cleveland Indians seem to have two electric young relievers in James Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase, the latter at the ripe young age of 22 years old. Karinchak seems to be quickly turning into a fan favorite due to his stellar performances on the mound that include plenty of filthy curveballs, strikeouts, and f-bombs. Don’t forget that he also wears number 99 and comes out to the song “Wild Thing” paying homage to the movie Major League. Clase was suspended for violating the MLB’s policy regarding performance-enhancing drugs this past offseason, but if he can stay clean, he has loads of potential with a cutter that ranges from 97-102 miles per hour and a hard slider in the upper 80s.
If they could add a young lefty with good stuff to the mix, they might have the makings for the best young bullpen in the MLB. Lefty hurler Alex Vesia could be a perfect fit with a mid 90s fastball, solid low 80s changeup, and a deceptive delivery with high spin rates that suggest he’s only scratching the surface of his potential.
Washington Nationals Receive: OF Greg Allen, RHP Hunter Wood
Cleveland Indians Receive: RHP Joan Adon, PTBNL
If the Cleveland Indians have the opportunity to acquire Joan Adon from the Nationals for one of their expendable outfielders, they should jump at the opportunity. To put it simply, Adon throws heat. His fastball showed great life out of the pen, but he is currently trying to transition to becoming a starter where he sits around 95-96 mph deep into the game. He has an above-average hard slider and a respectable changeup sitting in the high 80s that he is trying to slow down to create more separation from his fastball velocity. If Adon can sharpen his breaking pitches, he could remain a starter long-term, but, at worst, he can develop into a live arm on the back end of a MLB bullpen.
Throwing in a player to be named later could be a great option in a Greg Allen and Hunter Wood trade because if the two players make contributions on the MLB roster, the Nationals might be willing to give up a higher regarded prospect like C Jackson Reetz along with Adon. However, if the two didn’t really make any contribution to the Nationals, the team might not want to give up much of anything. The former seems likeliest though because the Nationals are quite thin at both OF and RP, so it might be a gamble the Cleveland Indians are willing to take that could make the trade a huge win for them.
Oakland Athletics Receive: OF Greg Allen, OF Jordan Luplow
Cleveland Indians Receive: C/1B Kyle McCann, OF Buddy Reed
Allen and Luplow would both be involved in this trade for two reasons. First, the Oakland Athletics are a very good baseball team, but their outfield is relatively thin. Second, Cleveland would be getting a near big league ready outfielder in Buddy Reed in return, so it would only make sense to get rid of two OFs to compensate.
Kyle McCann is the Athletics 25th ranked prospect while Reed is their 26th. The left-handed-hitting McCann generates a ton of power to all fields, but with that comes a ton of strikeouts. He’s still developing defensively, but it’s worth taking a chance on his bat because he likely has enough power to make his way into a lineup one way or another whether it be as a catcher, designated hitter, or first baseman.
Buddy Reed is an incredible athlete with a ton of potential and raw tools. The 25-year-old OF strikes out a little too much, but he stole 51 bases last year between high A and AA. He has an extremely high ceiling due to his athleticism and great speed allowing him to be a great defender and constant threat on the base paths, so if he can tap into his power and increase his contact rate, Reed could develop into a very good player at the big league level.
