Infield Chatter: Trade Fair: Gomez Goes to ClevelandThe creator and lead writer of Infield Chatter is a huge baseball fan who wrote the Strategy Session column for MLBTalk.com from 1999-2001. Infield Chatter is designed to provide coverage on all aspects of baseball -- from the hot stove league to college baseball and everything in between. Feedback is encouraged.Ensconced in last place in the AL Central with a 10-16record, it's safe to say the Indians' 2015 season has not gone according toplan. The Tribe was the chic pick bymany pundits to end the Tigers' run of four consecutive division titles andpost its first first-place finish since 2007.Heck, even Sports Illustratedpicked Cleveland to advance to the World Series. But a leaky bullpen, an anemic offense, andporous defense have all played major roles in the Indians' poor start.The Brewers, on the other hand, entered this season with farmore modest expectations, with almost all national writers picking Milwaukee tofinish in the middle of the pack or lower in the suddenly-competitive NLCentral. However, the Brew Crew's NL-worst9-19 start has been far worse than anyone could have imagined, leading to theMay 4th ouster of Manager Ron Roenicke as well as sparking talk that the teamwill start to auction veterans as part of a full-scale rebuild.As we discussed last week, what makes Milwaukee'ssituation even more precarious is the fact that three of the teams ahead of itin the standings -- St. Louis, Chicago, and Pittsburgh -- have stockpiledtremendous young talent and are currently much better positioned for the future. Given the Indians' need to strengthen multiple weaknessesbefore this season spirals out of control and the good sense it would make forthe Brewers to gear up for 2017 and beyond, we've thought up a trade that wouldsatisfy both team's objectives.The Trade: The Brewers trade CF Carlos Gomez to theIndians for the Tribe's top OF prospect, Bradley Zimmer, and their best minorleague pitcher, Justus Sheffield.What the Indiansare getting: A legitimate 5-toolplayer. Period. The29-year-old Gomez is a 2-time All Star and former Gold Glove winnerwhose WAR of 13.7 in 2013-14 lags only Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen amongcenter fielders. Equally as important,Gomez is under contract through next year, when he will earn a measly $9million. Gomez' broad offensive skillset would be an excellent fit in Cleveland's predominantly left-handed lineupand his sterling glovework would be awelcome addition for the defensively-challenged Tribe, whose Zone Rating, asmeasured by Baseball Referenceranks as the 2nd-worst in the AmericanLeague.Michael Bourn, Cleveland's incumbent center fielder, is onthe books thru next year, when he will earn $14 million and has a $12 millionvesting option for 2017. However, it'sevident that his best days are behind him and he should be replaced. From 2012-14, the Houston native's OPS declinedfrom .739 to .674 and is at a measly .499 on the young season. His steals during the 3-year period also fellfrom 42 to just ten (while his success rate declined from 76% to 62%). And if that's not enough, Bourn's defense hasalso taken a dramatic turn for the worse -- his range factor has dropped from 2.52in 2012 to 1.86 this season, nearly a full run lower than the league average of2.73.What the Brewersare getting: SS Francisco Lindoris easily Cleveland's best prospect, and it's doubtful GM Chris Antonetti wouldlet the 21-year-old stud be a part of any trade. However, Zimmer and Sheffield would makeexcellent consolation prizes. Zimmer,22, swings a high-octane lefty bat and as his .474 slugging percentage in thepitcher-friendly Carolina League and 14 steals suggest, he would offerMilwaukee GM Doug Melvin a dynamic talent to pair with RF Clint Coulter in theBrewers' outfield of the future.his smallish 5-10, 190-pound stature, Sheffield has big stuff,including a fastball that routinely hits 97 mph and devastating slider. 18-year-old pitching prospects are alwayslottery tickets, but Sheffield's sterling 3.7 K/BB ratio demonstrates that healready has an excellent idea of how to pitch and his learning curve shouldn'tbe as http://www.stlcardinalsfansshop.com/mitch-harris-cardinals-jersey steep as most other pitching prospects in Low A. The arrival of Sheffield would give Milwaukeeanother precocious arm to team with fellow left-handed fireballer Kodi Medeiros, theirtop pick in last year's draft.Good stuff, but do the Brewers need to get more than just two low minors guys for an all-star. At some point being respectable is important.i dont see the indians doing this with CarGo looking like he has. Maybe if the brewers take on bourn with some of his salary being paid by the indians and a lottery ticket prospect going both ways.This isn t enough of a return for the Brewers. They re going to want more than two lower level guys for probably there hottest commodity, unless they decide to shop Lucroy. I doubt they will trade Gomez anyway, since he appears to be a favorite of the owner. They also don t have anyone ready to take over in CF should they decide to sell him.