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Cleveland Indians reportedly telling teams they "have some money to spend" at deadline

Oooooooh really now?

Jason Miller/Getty Images

While speaking on ESPN earlier today, Buster Olney made comparisons between the 2015 New York Mets and the2016 Cleveland Indians. That's all well and good, and I can see where the comparisons exist between the two clubs, but more importantly is what Buster Olney said in the last few seconds of the clip, which can be seen here.

I'm hearing from other teams the Indians are telling other clubs, 'Look we're going to have some money to spend going up to the trade deadline.'

This sounds like some "source of a source" type information, but if what Buster is hearing is correct, that is a huge sign for the Indians heading into trade season.

According to numbers from Spotrac, the Indians are currently paying their 25-man roster roughly $66 million. ninth-lowest in the majors. Factor in the money they owe to players on the disabled list, players no longer on the team (Chris Johnson, Nick Swisher, etc), and that number rises to $103 million, still ranked No. 23 in the league. No matter how you look at it, the Indians do not have a large payroll.

What they do have, however, are roster holes.

As we approach the trade deadline, the Indians could be looking at positions like a catcher, third baseman, outfielder, or a reliever. While a reliever probably would not carry a huge price tag, if the Indians really are willing to take on a large sum of money, that could help them land a big-name outfielder to make up for the loss of Michael Brantley. Either way, hold onto your butts, this trade deadline is going to eventful.