Browns: How Should Cleveland Improve Going Into 2016? by Torrelle Howard

August 16, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig (66) reacts after striking out in the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The hot stove season started with Cleveland Indians trade rumors of the Tribe potentially talking to the Los Angeles Dodgers about star outfielder Yasiel but it turns out, the Indians aren’t interested in the Cuban slugger.

A marriage between Yasiel Puig and Cleveland Indians seemed like a stretch to begin with, but the Tribe needs outfield help and the Dodgers are looking to part with the one-time budding star.

Yet it’s the Indians that don’t want to facilitate a trade.

Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto wrote:

“Yasiel Puig is not coming to the Tribe. The Dodgers have talked to the Indians about their troubled outfielder. The Tribe has no interest in him. Puig batted .255 (.758 OPS) with 11 HR and 38 RBI last season. There are reports that several Dodger veterans want him traded. He had hamstring and attitude problems.”

Puig struggled last season, as injuries limited him to just 79 games. He slashed a career low .255/.322/.436 with only nine homers and a .758 OPS and is set to make approximately $25 million in the final three years of his contract.

Puig will be 25 when the season starts, and if there was one reason to be optimistic that he could turn things around in Cleveland, it is manager Terry Francona.

Francona managed Manny Ramirez, one of the biggest headcases in baseball, en route to winning two World Series championship with the Boston Red Sox.

The idea of adding Puig became even more intriguing because rumors of a potential trade popped up before it was revealed Michael Brantley is expected to miss at least the first month of the season.

After the Brantley news broke, and it was revealed that Indians were incredibly desperate for a outfielder, a Puig trade even made more sense.

What would Puig have cost? Probably names such as Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar. Adding him would’ve come with risks that just might not have been worth dealing young, controllable, starting pitching.

In other trade news….

The Indians talked with the Yankees about trading for corner outfielder Brett Gardner. He’s 32, and offers little excitement to the fan base. Plus he has three-years, and $38 million left on his contract. The Yankees don’t want him and would love to dump him on the Tribe.

Earlier in the week, I wrote that the Indians can do better than Gardner, and it appears that the Tribe front office feels the same way, as top Yankees product Aaron Judge has now been tied to the trade if Gardner is moved.

Judge was the Yankees’ first-round pick in 2013. He batted .255 (.777 OPS) with 20 homers and 72 RBI between Class AA and AAA in 2015.