MLB trade rumors: Indians’ Corey Kluber for Yankees’ Justus Sheffield, Clint Frazier?

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is shopping for starting pitching. The Cleveland Indians are willing to trade two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber. Would prospects Justus Sheffield and Clint Frazier get the deal done?

The Cleveland Indians have made it known that they are willing to trade ace Corey Kluber.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has made it know he is shopping for starting pitching.

Could he strike a deal to pick up the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner?

Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes looks at what it would take for the Yankees to pry Kluber from the Indians:

The Indians aren’t conducting a fire sale. If they trade Kluber, (Carlos) Carrasco or Trevor Bauer, they need big league ready players coming back because they need help in the outfield and bullpen. If they do something like this, they can’t miss. 

If the Indians traded Kluber or another starter to the Yankees, they’d have to get a starter back and it’s possible (Justus) Sheffield could fill that role. They’d need another major-league ready player to fill a hole in the outfield or bullpen. They’d also need at least one of the Yankees top prospects.

(Clint) Frazier, an outfielder and the Indians’ No. 1 pick in 2013, could help in the outfield. But he played only 69 games last year after suffering a concussion in spring training. He appeared in 15 games with the Yankees. That would have to be taken into consideration.

The Indians sent Sheffield and Frazier to the Yankees in 2016 as part of the Andrew Miller trade.

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If the Yankees trade for Kluber, here is what they would be getting:

• Kluber is a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner (2014, 2017).
• Kluber has been an American League All-Star in each of the last three seasons.
• Kluber is durable: he’s made at least 29 starts in each of the last five seasons.
• Kluber is a winner: he’s won at least 18 games in four of the last five seasons.
• Kluber can control the ballgame: he’s had an ERA of 3.14 or less in four of the last five seasons.
• Kluber is 32 years old, but only has eight years of MLB service, so his arm should have some extended life.
• Kluber is cost-controlled: his contact has team options for 2019 at $15.5 million and 2020 at $16 million.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.