Indians Part of Three-Team Deal, Trade Encarnacion and Diaz, Get Back Santana and Bauers

The Indians final day out in Vegas came with a gamble, as the team on Thursday were part of a three-way deal which allowed them to move two of players from their lineup.

The club moved Edwin Encarnacion to the Seattle Mariners, and Yandy Diaz to the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Rays send 22-year-old first basemen Jake Bauers to Cleveland, and Seattle is sending a familiar face back to the Tribe.

The Indians get back Carlos Santana from Seattle, a longtime player with the Tribe who spent one-year away with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Santana spent eight seasons with the Indians, hitting .249 in his career with 149 homers and 547 runs batted in.

He also put up 726 walks in those eight seasons, leading the American League in that category in 2014 with 113 walks.

In his final season with the Tribe, Santana hit .259 with 23 homers and 79 runs batted in with 88 walks and 94 strikeouts.

Jon Heyman tweeted out that Santana is ‘thrilled’ to be back with the Tribe, as he never sold his residence in Cleveland.

Bauers in 96 games last season with the Rays hit .201 with 11 homers and 48 RBI.

He started hot for Tampa, but struggled by the seasons end.

As for Diaz, it’s an interesting move as just Wednesday the teams President Chris Antonetti said that the infielder could see 500-600 at bats this season and be the teams’ starting third basemen.

Now the team’s infield looks like this:

1B Carlos Santana/Yonder Alonso
2B Jason Kipnis
SS Francisco Lindor
3B Jose Ramirez
C Roberto Perez

Don’t hold your breath that’s how it will look come opening day, as this might just be the beginning for moves for the Tribe.