Trevor Bauer Trade Scores the Indians a Huge Return

Trevor Bauer was on the move Tuesday night, as the Cleveland Indians traded him across Ohio to the Cincinnati Reds. While it was clear Bauer had worn out his welcome in Cleveland, the franchise was able to net a huge return for its enigmatic starting pitcher.

In a three-way trade, the Indians sent Bauer to the Reds, while receiving Yasiel Puig, Franmil Reyes, Logan Allen, Scott Moss and Victor Nova. The San Diego Padres will receive Taylor Trammell, Cincinnati’s top prospect.

Here’s a look at the main pieces the Indians will receive:

Yasiel Puig

Puig will give the Indians an immediate boost offensively. He’s hitting .255 with 22 home runs, 60 RBI and an OPS of .785. That said, Puig has stepped it up in June and July. He hit .287 with an OPS of .949 in June, and is hitting .306 in July with an OPS of .908. He’s also a phenomenal defensive outfielder. He’s a rental, as he’ll hit free agency after the season.

Franmil Reyes

Reyes is a 24-year-old power hitting machine. At 6’5″ and 270 pounds, Reyes is huge and likely a designated hitter moving forward. The Padres have been playing him in right field, but only out of necessity. So far this season, Reyes is hitting .253 with 27 home runs and an OPS of .847. He’s under team control through 2024 and should be a key piece of the franchise for the foreseeable future.

Logan Allen

Allen entered the season as a top 100 prospect but has really struggled at the big league level. He’s 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA, a 1.78 WHIP and 14 strikeouts against 13 walks in 25.1 innings. He’s just 22 years old and could develop, but he looks like a back-end of the rotation starter at this point.

Scott Moss and Victor Nova

Moss is a 24-year-old starting pitcher at Double-A. He has a 6-5 record with a 3.44 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP and 123 strikeouts in 102.0 innings. Nova is a 19-year-old third baseman who is hitting .330 with an OPS of .871 in the Arizona League.

Moss and Nova are both lower-tier prospects without much helium, essentially organizational pieces.

In exchange for a starting pitcher the Indians had grown tired of, they wound up getting a huge haul.

Bauer in under team control through 2020, so he isn’t a rental, but he’s also stumbled a bit this season. The 28-year-old is 9-8 this season, with a 3.79 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 156.2 innings.

In exchange for that guy, they landed a streaking bat for the end of this season, a DH with huge power potential and upside, and a young lefty starting pitcher.