The Wick is Out

The dominoes have started to fall and the Tribe started with Fats Domino (that’s said with love, Bobby). Wickman was dealt to the Braves, a team in desperate need of bullpen help.

Here’s the official release to the press:
The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has completed atrade with the Atlanta Braves, sending RHP BOB WICKMAN to Atlanta in exchangefor C MAX RAMIREZ.

Ramirez, 21, has spent the entire 2006 season with the Class A Rome Braves where he has hit .285 (76-267) with 17 doubles, 9 homers & 37 RBI in 80 games and was selected to the 2006 South Atlantic League All-Star Game. He has also scored 50 runs and walked 54 times in 80 games. The 5-11 right-handed hitter ishitting .396 (36-91) with 3HR & 13RBI off left-handed pitching and has appeared in 53 games batting in the clean-up position.

In 2005 he was named the Co-Most Valuable Player of the Appalachian League after hitting .347 (83-239) with 19 doubles, 8 homers and 47RBI in 63 games. He led the Appy League in hits, was 2nd in the league in average and was 3rd in RBI, doubles and total bases (126). He was named to the Post-Season All-Star Team and after the season was ranked by Baseball America as the 5th best prospect in the entire Appy League.

The native of Venezuela was signed by the Braves as anon-drafted free agent in October of 2002. He spent the 2003 campaign at the club's academy in the Dominican Republic and 2004 in the Gulf Coast League where he was named the GCL Most Valuable Player by the Braves organization.

Wickman has compiled a record of 1-4 with 15 saves and a 4.18ERA in 29 appearances for the Indians (28.0IP, 29H, 13ER, 11BB, 17K). He departs the Indians after parts of 7 seasons and is the club's all-time career saves leader with 138.

It’s true that we would have liked to see the Indians get a little more for their closer, but Wickman is not exactly a lights-out, slam-the-door closer and he’s truly a 2 month rental as there’s no chance he’s going to stick around in Atlanta (or anywhere else) next year.

Because Sticky is a 10-5 guy, he could’ve vetoed the deal, so give the Big Fella credit for accepting a trade that allowed the Indians to get a prospect.

Ahhhh, the prospect.
After the Nationals fleeced the Reds for two middling middle relievers, anything less than a ML-ready player was going to be a disappointment. But a Single-A Catcher?

Realizing that the organization is devoid of catching prospects after Kelly Shoppach, who’s still an unknown quantity, it makes sense to get a catcher. Ramirez is rated the Braves 6th best prospect by John Sickels, has proven that he can hit if he’s not too flexible in the field, and will report to Lake County – so he’s not some middle-of-the-road prospect.

Prospects are prospects – there’s no way to predict the future for anybody, but Ramirez looks like a solid prospect with ML-potential. But that’s all it is right now: potential. We’ll see in 2 years where Max Ramirez is at (add MaxRam to AstroCab as in-season acquisitions over the last month), so like any other deal it’s too early to really judge.

You would think that more pressing needs existed (MI, OF), but only the Indians’ Front Office knows what players were offered for Wickman.

The Reds-Nats deal set the bar too high for any trade that’s going to happen for the rest of the season, which is unfortunate for all other GM’s on the selling side of things because the inevitable “the Nationals got 2 starters for middle relievers” card will be played until August 31st.

Another factor in the decision has to do with the 40-man roster and the off-season decisions facing the Indians. It’s a complicated scenario, but the Indians have to add players like Kevin Kouzmanoff to the 40-man roster at the end of the season or they are exposed to the Rule 5 draft. By acquiring a younger prospect, the Indians avoid another difficult 40-man decision. Still think it’s easy to be a GM with cut-and-dry decisions?

More moves are coming, but right now this means that Carmona will be given an opportunity to close for the rest of the year. Who pitches the 8th and how the rest of the bullpen shakes out will be an interesting development to keep your eye on.

For now, we bid a fond adieu to the Indians’ All-Time Saves Leader – a man who seemed more likely to be sitting in the stands sipping a tall frosty one than actually trotting out of the bullpen with the game in the balance since 2000. It won’t stop me from sporting the Wickmans’ Warriors at the Jake for years to come.

Who’s next? Boone…to San Diego (or the waiver wire)? Broussard…to San Francisco? Hollandsworth…to New York? Mota…to…who knows?

The trade winds have started blowing. Just sit back, open a cold beverage, and let the breeze take you away…perhaps to a happier place.