Will the Cleveland Indians hold on to starting pitcher Mike Clevinger? David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

MLB insider: Don't be surprised if Indians trade Mike Clevinger

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 8/27/20

The Cleveland Indians may not be actively shopping right-handed pitchers Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac, but the team also reportedly isn't rejecting calls about those starters.

A day after CBS Sports' Jim Bowden explained the Indians are more likely to deal Plesac than Clevinger ahead of Monday's trade deadline, MLB insider Jon Heyman said on Cleveland's 92.3 The Fan that he would not be surprised if the Indians sent Clevinger in a trade for some needed offense.

.@JonHeyman tells @BullandFox #Indians have taken chances before, I'm not going to be surprised if Clevinger is traded; they're going for it, can absorb that loss a little bit more easilyhttps://t.co/VIpbXTC4Dv pic.twitter.com/u8ETXCHNC4
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 27, 2020

Heyman believes the Indians could get New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier and infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar in such a transaction.

.@JonHeyman on @BullandFox on idea of a trade of #Indians Mike Clevinger for #Yankees Clint Frazier, Miguel Andujar: "I think the Yankees will take that trade right now. Indians have taken chances before...I'm not going to be surprised if Clevinger is traded."
— Keith Britton (@KeithBritton86) August 27, 2020

The Indians dealt Frazier to the Bronx Bombers ahead of the July 2016 trade deadline in a package that landed the club southpaw reliever Andrew Miller in return.

New York optioned Andujar to the club's alternate training site on Aug. 20 but called him back to the main roster earlier this week.

Both Clevinger and Plesac were demoted to Cleveland's alternate training site after the pair violated MLB health and safety protocols when they left a team hotel for a social dinner in Chicago on Aug. 8. While Plesac remains relegated and away from the big league club, Clevinger faced the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old allowed two earned runs in six innings.

Per ESPN, the Indians began Thursday with the league's fourth-worst team batting average (.217) and third-lowest team OPS (.667).

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