FIVE-PLAYER TRADE BETWEEN THE TRIBE AND BUCS
The Cleveland Indians acquired outfielder Jordan Luplow and infielder Max Moroff from the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Erik Gonzalez and pitchers Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza.
What does it give the Cleveland Guardians
The Indians could be a solid landing spot for the 25-year-old Luplow, who appeared in 37 games with Pittsburgh this past campaign. The right-handed power hitter may wind up forming a platoon at an outfield corner for Cleveland, though at present time he stands a very good chance of playing every day. As for Moroff, he will likely take over for Gonzalez as the Indians' utility infielder in 2019.
What does it give the Pittsburgh Pirates
In Gonzalez, the Pirates land a better hitter than Moroff (with just as much positional versatility, if not more). Gonzalez may be an option to play regularly at either shortstop or second base in '19, and is an underrated performer who may break out in Pittsburgh. Both Thomas and Mendoza have upside as 19-year-old pitchers (though both are extremely raw and need a lot of development time).
Fantasy impact
Both Luplow and Gonzalez head to their new teams with plenty of sleeper fantasy appeal heading into 2019. Both could be steals if selected in the final round of most draft formats. Moroff offers little fantasy value, while both Thomas and Mendoza are long-range prospects a few years away from landing on the fantasy radar.
