Written by Paul Cousineau

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According to a report over the weekend from the Twin Cities, the Indians inquired about acquiring Kansas City's Zach Grienke. As an aside within the discussion that the Twins are still looking to add to their rotation, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune drops this one:

The word on Zack Greinke, who was dealt by Kansas City to Milwaukee, is that the Royals never wanted to talk to the Twins about a trade within the AL Central. Cleveland apparently reached out to Kansas City about Greinke and also was shot down.

 

Wait...what?

Certainly that's the first that has been reported about the Indians having any interest in Grienke, who would have had to waive his no-trade clause to join the Tribe, something he did to go to Milwaukee. It is possible that this is a throw-away line and merely represents the Tribe doing their due diligence on seeing what it would take to nab Grienke, only to be “shot down” by virtue of being a division rival.

 

Nevertheless, it does qualify as the first item we've seen about the Indians attempting to be active on the trade market as a player like Grienke, under contract through the 2012 season, would represent more of a long-term fit (and a pretty attractive one at that) compared to the dregs of the FA market that we keep reading about.