As a contender, the Cleveland Indians aren't the kind of team that's going to make a really sexy addition, but that doesn't mean they aren't looking to improve. On Thursday, they pulled off a Kosuke Fukudome trade with the Cubs. And now, on Friday, Ken Rosenthal tells us they're going after another outfielder as well:
MLB Trade Rumors: Indians Charging After Ryan Ludwick
#Indians making strong push for Ludwick.
Why would the Indians go after an outfielder, a day after adding an outfielder? Because they're playing without the injured Shin-soo Choo and Grady Sizemore, and have lately played a lot of Austin Kearns, Ezequiel Carrera and Michael Brantley. Brantley's useful, but Kearns hasn't done anything, and Carrera looks like he's in over his head. As the Indians are only 1.5 games out of first, improvements are needed, and though both Choo and Sizemore are expected to return before the end of the year, the Indians can worry about an outfielder surplus if and when they have an outfielder surplus. The focus now is on remaining in contention.
Ludwick has been an Indian before, between 2003-2005. He's had a down season with the Padres, but he's an affordable, short-term get with power upside, so he's a sensible target for a team like Cleveland. The San Diego Union-Tribune mentioned some trade rumblings on Thursday, so Ludwick could go at any moment.
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