Report: Indians Talking With Rangers About Possible Trade Involving Pitching

With opening day upcoming, there’s rumblings from Texas that the Indians and Rangers are chatting about a deal that could send one of the Indians starter to the Rangers for a relief pitcher.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that the two teams are talking, and names that were mentioned as possible trade bait from the Indians include Josh Tomlin, Cody Anderson and Trevor Bauer, with Bauer being a player that Grant says Rangers manager Jeff Banister ‘likes.’

With Coppell’s Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco solidified at the top of the Indians rotation, Cleveland might be willing to deal from the group of Tyler’s Josh Tomlin, Cody Anderson or Trevor Bauer. According to reports from Cleveland, the Indians set their rotation this week with Anderson and Tomlin in the Nos. 4-5 spots and Bauer headed to the bullpen.

Bauer, 25, is the kind of hard-thrower that Rangers manager Jeff Banister likes, but he struggles with command. He led the AL in walks (79) last year and has 139 over the last two years, ranking second in the league only to Ubaldo Jimenez (145). Bauer also has 313 strikeouts over that same time.

In 2014, he averaged 94 mph with his fastball, which he threw 50 percent of the time. It was the ninth highest average velocity for a major leaguer with at least 150 innings. The velocity last year, however, dropped to 92.8 mph, right in line with San Diego’s Tyson Ross and Oakland’s Sonny Gray. Bauer complements the fastball with a big overhand curve.

As Grant points out, the Rangers did look this past winter around the Majors for a starter, with them chatting with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Two relief pitchers that the Rangers dangled to the D-Backs were Shawn Tolleson and Keone Kela.

Tolleson is 28 years old, and last season was 6-4 with a 2.99 ERA in 73 games. He threw 72.1 innings, striking out 76 and walking 17.

Kela is just 22 years old, and was 7-5 with the Rangers in 2015 with a 2.39 ERA in 68 games. He struck out 68 and walked 18.