Cleveland Indians Roundup: Tribe Interested in Juan Uribe; Dexter Fowler Notes

Rumors continue for the Cleveland Indians that they might not be done yet adding pieces. Juan Uribe has been mentioned, as well as Dexter Fowler.

News broke the other day that the Cleveland Indians demonstrated interest in Juan Uribe; and as Nicholas Blazek noted, this could be a smart addition for the Indians. Adding Uribe would allow the Indians to ease Giovanny Urshela into the major leagues. Urshela showed defensive prowess last season, but he struggled mightily with his skills at the plate.

Juan Uribe, 36, played for three teams last season and had a productive year. While his .253 batting average did not wow anyone, his 14 home runs and .320 on-base percentage helped lead him to being an above-average batter. All in all, FanGraphs valued him as 1.9 wins above a replacement player. Steamer projects the right-hander to slash .260/.312/.396 with good defense, which amounts to a 1.5 fWAR.

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In other news, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago wrote that Dexter Fowler had yet to develop a notable market, and he stated that Indians could still be a fit for him. Fowler, 29, had a career year in 2015. In his first season with the Cubs, he blasted 17 home runs with posting a .346 on-base percentage. Complementing this with uncharacteristically average defense, FanGraphs rated his season as being worth just over three wins above a replacement player.

Finally, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com answered several questions related to the Cleveland Indians. Perhaps the most notable was a fan asking if the Indians should have held onto Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn. Hoynes’ response was that the Indians ended up saving a bit of money, and they have since found replacements for the two expensive veterans.

More from around the AL Central:

Cleveland Indians: Juan Uribe could be a smart addition – Wahoo’s on First

Did the Cleveland Indians trade Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher too soon? Hey, Hoynsie – Cleveland.com

Levine: Dexter Fowler Continues to Play the Waiting Game – CBS Chicago

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