The Indians have already traded two veterans as part of their midseason dismantling. C.C. Sabathia and Casey Blake have been traded, and with the way Paul Byrd has pitched lately, it's possible the Indians could trade a third veteran.
Although Byrd's record is not pretty -- he is 5-10 -- he has pitched effectively in his last two starts, winning both of them. That includes his win over Detroit on Monday night in his best start of the season. Byrd pitched 7 2/3 innings, holding the Tigers scoreless on four hits. One of the keys for Byrd is that he has not given up a home run in his last two starts, although he still leads the league in that category.
Byrd is in the last year of his contract, which pays him $7 million this year. With his performance in his last two starts being much better, it's not out of the question that some contending team might be interested in taking a flyer on him for the last two months of the season.
The 37-year-old veteran relies on deception and a variety of pitches that make up for his mid-80s fastball. He does have postseason experience, however, which might appeal to some teams.
If Byrd isn't traded by the July 31 non-waiver deadline, he would, if he continues to pitch well, be a candidate to be traded after clearing waivers in August.
INDIANS 5, TIGERS 0: RHP Paul Byrd and RHP Edward Mujica combined on a four-hit shutout. The Indians got home runs from C Kelly Shoppach and 2B Asdrubal Cabrera.
