Approaching the Deadline on a Lazy Sunday

You’ll have to forgive me if this week’s edition of Lazy Sunday is both short and a little discombobulated. I started writing it earlier in the week, and then got a bit sidetracked when I was forced to spend all day Friday and most of Saturday in the hospital. Long story short, I woke up at 3am with horrible stomach pain and finally went to the ER at around 7am Friday morning. A quick ultrasound later, I come to find out that I have gall stones and my gall bladder has to come out, immediately. Immediately is a relative term in a hospital of course, but I suppose that it’s a miracle of modern medicine that about 12 hrs after arriving at the hospital, I was lying in a recovery bed sans gall bladder. So much of this week’s article will be written under the influence of perchocet as I lie in bed on the road to recovery. Please forgive both the brevity of the piece as well as any misspellings, but with the trade deadline fast-approaching, I wanted to get some thoughts out there for you all. So with that said, let’s kick off the first ever Lazy Sunday under the influence of drugs…

The first domino in the annual July trade deadline fell at the beginning of last week, when the Texas Rangers acquired starting pitcher Matt Garza from the Chicago Cubs for minor league 3B Mike Olt and a pair of young arms. The Indians, looking to shore up their starting rotation heading down the stretch, were reportedly interested in Garza as well. With few legit starters on the market though, it was a sellers’ market, and the Rangers were able to meet the steep price that the Cubs were asking for the righty. Garza is going to be a free agent following the 2013 season, and with the new collective bargaining rules, the team that loses Garza won’t even be eligible for draft pick compensation since he was traded mid-season. The lack of club control and the high cost in prospect currency combined to keep the Indians out of serious contention for Garza’s services, and with good reason. A very rough guess as to a comparable package from the Indians would have included Lonnie Chisenhall, Scott Barnes and T.J. House. That’s an awful steep price for 2 ½ months of Matt Garza.

Speaking of Chisenhall, his defensive struggles are overshadowing the fact that he’s been a pretty good hitter of late. In 15 games in the month of July, Chiz is hitting .269/.333/.462 with 4 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 BB and 5 strikeouts. He’s not setting the world on fire, but he’s put together a solid stretch of games since being recalled from AAA Columbus. Chisenhall is still just 24 years old, and if he can just figure out how to hit lefties at the ML level (.374 OPS against LHP in 36 plate appearances with Cleveland), he can be a very solid player at the hot corner for the Tribe.  

This of course brings us to the question of what the Indians are going to do here at the trade deadline. As of now, it appears that three options are on the table; buy a bullpen arm and a starter on what has become a sellers market, try to take advantage of the sellers market by moving players of their own, or simply doing nothing. The Padres have made relievers Huston Street and Luke Gregerson available, and Gregerson would look awfully good as a setup man in what has become a terrible Indians bullpen. But in my mind, buying is the least attractive option for the Indians this season. With the market shaping up like it is, the prospect currency it would take to add even one impact arm looks to outweigh the benefit. Detroit isn’t running away with the division, but they’re a talented club that looks primed to improve their overall winning % down the stretch, not collapse. So that leaves the team with the choice to sell or sit pat.

I received an e-mail from Pauly C. down at Del Boca Vista earlier this week pointing me in the direction of this piece in the Chicago Tribune. I’ll snip the most relevant section here:

The Sox are listening to proposals. They turned down a deal involving pitcher Carlos Martinez, the Cardinals third-highest rated prospect, for shortstop Alexei Ramirez, according to a scouting source.

Martinez, 21, is 4-2 with a 2.05 ERA in 11 starts at Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. Martinez, who possesses a fastball in the high-90s mph range, has struck out 44 hitters in 52 innings.

Leaving the fact that the White Sox must be crazy not to take that deal, let’s put it in the context of what the Indians could offer the Cardinals. Yes, we’re back to the possibility that Asdrubal Cabrera could be dealt to St. Louis to strengthen the most vulnerable part of their roster. If the Cards were willing to offer Martinez for Ramirez, who hasn’t posted a OPS+ over 100 since his rookie season back in 2008, what would they be willing to offer for Asdrubal? Cabrera is coming off of back-to-back all-star seasons in 2011/12, and while not setting the world on fire this year, his .737 OPS in 2013 far outpaces Ramirez’s .664 figure. Going back to that e-mail from Pauly, would the Cardinals be willing to part with Martinez, Matt Adams (blocked at 1B) and another arm for Asdrubal and a lower-level prospect? It sure seems that way, although we of course don’t know for sure. If that deal is on the table, I think that Chris Antonetti and company would be crazy to let it pass by. Martinez is a top-50 prospect who could break in out of the bullpen this year and assume a role in the starting rotation next season. Adams is under club control, and could be a long-term solution to the DH/1B woes that have plagued the Indians for so long. It wouldn’t kill the Indians playoff hopes this year due to the presence of Mike Aviles, and would really go a long way towards strengthening next year’s team. If you’re still not convinced, humor me and read this scouting report on Martinez from the good folks at Baseball Prospectus:

Martinez has always drawn considerable praise for his exceptional fastball. He consistently sits in the 94-97 mph range with his four-seamer and has regularly touched 99 mph in the past. Even his sinking two-seamer has excellent velocity, sitting in the 92-93 mph range and touching 95 when he wants a little more. Martinez likes to attack with his fastball and shows the ability to move it around the zone when he doesn’t overthrow. To back up up his fastball, Martinez offers both a very good curveball and changeup. His curveball will occasionally work as a plus pitch with tight rotation and good depth.

As if that weren’t enough, Martinez’s changeup could be a second legitimate plus-plus offering. He has tremendous arm speed when throwing it, affording him excellent deception. Martinez routinely throws strikes with all three pitches and over the last two seasons has developed his ability to work outside the zone and make the “pitcher’s pitch.” If the Cardinals decide to keep Martinez in the bullpen long term, he could become an All-Star-level closer. But many scouts still believe Martinez has a future as a no. 2 starter in a championship rotation.

That of course all depends on the Cardinals putting the right offer on the table for Cabrera. If not, I think the Indians would be served to sit tight at this year’s deadline. Normally, I’d be strongly against this option, as I feel like teams should either go all-in or move everything not nailed down in an effort to improve next year. But when you look at this Joe Ponanski piece on the Royals offseason trade for James Shields, you can see how the desire to make a move, any move, can sometimes backfire. With Salazar, Bauer and Carrasco as rotation options next year, a healthy Vinnie Pestano reclaiming the 8^th inning and an intelligent offseason addition or two, the Indians are really built more for 2014 than 2013 anyhow. That’s pretty much the thesis of this ESPN Sweet Spot article, which closes with this paragraph:

With a core of Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana, Justin Masterson, Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, the Indians are close to contending. However, this probably isn't their year. So while it would be fun if they tried to make a splash at the deadline, the lack of available upgrades and the fact they are not quite as good as the Tigers suggests the will (and should) stand pat. 

And that article doesn’t even mention the Indians three young starters who could contribute next year.

Everyone who expected Scott Kazmir to be pitching effectively for the Indians through August, stand up and be recognized. I was bullish on Kazmir going into the season, but didn’t expect him to stick in the rotation for this long. I figured he’d either be injured and on the DL or replaced due to ineffectiveness. Instead, the 29-year old lefty seems to be getting stronger as the season goes on. He’s pitching his best baseball of the season of late, and hasn’t given up more than 3 ER in a start since June 15. In his 7 starts since then, Kazmir has gone 4-3 with a 1.60 ERA, 35 K and 12 BB in 45 innings pitched. Opposing batters are hitting just .148 against him, and he’s allowed only 2 HR. Kazmir’s emergence as a consistently reliable option helps the Indians front office, as they don’t have to make a panic move to acquire a starting pitcher in a difficult trade market. When the Astros are reportedly asking for not one, but two “top prospects” in return for Bud Norris, you know it is not exactly a buyer’s market. Kazmir might just be pricing himself out of an Indians uniform, as if he can stay healthy and effective he’s in line for a decent payday this offseason. That was pretty much unfathomable just a year ago, when he was pitching in the independent leagues.

It’s hard to believe that Danny Salazar’s electric debut was just over two weeks ago; it feels like an awful lot has happened since then. Since returning to AAA Columbus, Salazar has allowed a pair of earned runs in 7 IP, striking out 10(!) without walking a batter. He’s biding his time with the Clippers, waiting until injury or ineffectiveness necessitates a return trip up I-71 for the talented young righthander. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A more effective use for Salazar this season might be out of the Indians bullpen, especially with the recent struggles of the relief corps on the North Shore. Salazar could be a dominant, multi-inning force out of the pen, and even act as a “piggyback” for Ubaldo every 5^th day. The Big U has been somewhat effective of late, but he’s been a 5-and-fly guy who can’t get through a lineup the third time through the order. If Ubaldo can go five solid innings and turn it over to Salazar for three, the Indians could have a sort of two-headed monster at their disposal. Salazar’s already electric stuff would play up even further in shorter bursts, and it would allow the Indians to manage his innings coming of Tommy John surgery last year. It would get him valuable experience pitching in pressure situations against major league hitters, and allow the Indians to shore up what has become the weakest aspect of the club this year.

As we discussed going into the all-star break, Indians top prospect Francisco Lindor was promoted to AA Akron from high-A Carolina. Lindor has appeared in 11 games with the Aeros as of Friday, and has been nothing short of sensational. The switch-hitting shortstop is batting a robust .395/.531/.579 with a HR, one 3B, 2 2B and 6 RBI. He’s walked an impressive 10 times while striking out just once. He’s 5-7 in stolen base attempts, and has scored 9 runs from the top of the Aeros lineup. When you watch the youngest player in the Eastern League (turns 20 in November) tear through opposing pitching like that, it makes it hard to believe that his best tool is his defense. I don’t expect Lindor to sport a 1.110 OPS at the end of the season, but watching him dominate AA pitching is a sight to behold. I was lucky enough to see him twice last week when the Aeros took a road trip to play the Bowie Baysox, and there’s no doubt that he’s the best player on the field when he steps between the chalk. Baseball Prospectus, Keith Law and Baseball America all rated Lindor as their #5 prospect in all of baseball when their mid-season rankings were released, and it’s easy to see why. Lindor is a special talent, a kid who could be an all-star shortstop for many, many years down the road. If the Indians do end up moving Asdrubal Cabrera, it will be because they have the talented Lindor waiting in the wings, remarkably ready to move up to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario as soon as the 2014 season.

Lastly, I’d like to wish former Indians manager Eric Wedge best wishes and a speedy recovery from his recent health issues. In case you hadn’t heard, Wedge suffered what was described as a minor stroke earlier this week when the Indians were in Seattle to take on the Mariners. I don’t think the words “stroke” and “minor” should really even appear in the same sentence, as something like that is always serious. At age 45, Wedgie is way too young to have to worry about things like that, and hopefully the docs can figure out what’s wrong in a hurry so it doesn’t happen again. 

Approaching the All-Star Break on a Lazy Sunday

It’s been a while since we’ve shared a Lazy Sunday together. It’s been a busy summer, with a perfect storm of work and personal life conspiring to sap me of nearly all of my free time, so I’ve unfortunately had precious little chance to write. I hope you’ve missed this column as much as I’ve missed writing it, and if I had my way there would be 6,000+ words up here at least once a week. I still have interviews with several minor league players and coaches to write up as well, and you’ll hopefully be seeing those again on a regular basis very soon. I’m not one for excuses though, so let’s jump right into what you actually came here for on this Sunday morning; a look at our 2^nd place Indians leading up to the all-star break.

The most newsworthy item of the past week occurred early Thursday afternoon, when pitching prospect Danny Salazar turned his major league debut against the Blue Jays into a 6-inning coming out party. Salazar threw 5 no-hit innings to begin his major league career and wound up allowing just one run on two hits through six innings, walking one and striking out seven. Salazar nearly wound up with a hard-luck no-decision, but the offense came alive in the bottom of the sixth, plating a pair of runs en route to a 4-2 victory in the series finale against Toronto. I’ve had a front-row seat on the Danny Salazar bandwagon since he dominated for the Aeros down the stretch last season after his return from Tommy John surgery. While I can safely say I expected him to find success last week, I didn’t see that level of dominance coming.

Salazar was every bit as good as the numbers would indicate, if not better. Using the fantastic Brooks Baseball pitchf/x data, let’s go a little deeper inside Salazar’s gem. He threw 89 pitches in the game, and 64 of those pitches were strikes. All seven of his strikeouts were of the swinging variety. Salazar worked primarily off of his fastball, throwing 51 4-seamers (39 strikes). Of those 51 4-seam fastballs, a whopping 35 were at or above 94 MPH. His AVERAGE fastball velocity was 96.58 MPH. Velocity isn’t everything of course, but a fastball with that kind of giddyup both allows for greater freedom within the strike zone and does an excellent job setting up one’s offspeed pitches. When you look at this strike zone plot of Salazar’s outing, pay special attention to the yellow squares down and out of the zone. Those are swings and misses, and they’re on pitches that aren’t particularly close to being strikes. Hitters have to make their mind up pretty early when looking at a 96+ MPH fastball, and less time for pitch recognition and selection can result in hitters offering at some pretty bad pitches.

Interestingly, Salazar threw 26 changeups (19 strikes, 6 of which were swinging) and just 5 sliders. Coming into 2013, Salazar was seen as having two potential plus pitches in his fastball and slider. His changeup was a developing offering that he was going to have to improve upon in order to have a long-term future in a major league rotation. It appears that Salazar put a lot of work in on his changeup, possibly even at the expense of his slider, because the change has been getting a much higher grade this season than his slider. If he can regain the feel for his slider and keep his changeup diving down and out of the zone, than the Indians will really have something in the young righty. He was my #6 prospect in the organization coming into the season and outperformed even that lofty ranking, going 5-5 with a 3.08 ERA, 100 K and 23 BB in 76 innings between AA Akron and AAA Columbus this season. He’s one of the most talented pitchers in the organization, and if the Indians are going to make a run at a playoff spot this season, Salazar will likely be a part of it. He’s not going to pitch like he did on Thursday every time out, but he has the physical and mental game to succeed at the big league level right now.

If you’ll allow me a brief umpire tangent; the first hit (and only run) allowed by Salazar never should have occurred. Leading off the 6^th inning, Toronto backstop Josh Thole fell behind 0-2 after chasing a changeup down in the dirt. On pitch 3, Salazar came back with another change that fooled Thole, and it crossed the plate pretty much right down the middle, thigh high. It was called a ball. Again using the Brooks Baseball chart below, you’ll see what I’m talking about; pitch #3 is a green square, indicating that it was inexplicably called a ball by home plate umpire Tony Randazzo. As usually happens, Thole singled later in the at bat and eventually came around to score on Jose Bautista’s RBI double.

By no means am I saying that Randazzo was out to get the Indians, or Salazar in particular. It’s just an example of the myriad of issues that have plagued MLB umpires all season long. The strikezone shrinks when the count is 0-2, and expands when it’s 3-0. It drove me crazy as a player, and continues to drive me crazy as a fan. A gift 3-0 strike allowing a pitcher back into an at bat can completely change the dynamic of an inning, and a 0-2 gift to the hitter can result in the pitcher losing a no-hitter, shutout, and possibly the game. That’s the beauty of baseball; every pitch fits in to the greater story of the game, and none is less important than any other. Umpires consistently changing the strike zone based on the count makes for a frustrating game to play and watch. It cost Salazar and the Indians on Thursday, and could have meant the game if the offense didn’t pick things up in the bottom half of the 6^th. Rant over, and thanks for bearing with me there.

The calendar tells us that we’re pretty much halfway through the month of July, which means that the non-wavier trading deadline is less than three weeks away. The Indians look to be in a similar position as the one they found themselves in back in 2011; close enough to contend, but a team that is likely ultimately too flawed to go deep in the postseason even if they make it past the Tigers for the Central Division crown. We all know what happened in 2011 though, as GM Chris Antonetti pushed all of his chips into the center of the table in a deal for Colorado Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. Antonetti is faced with a similar quandary here in 2013, as the starting rotation for the 2^nd place Tribe has been up and down as expected, and the bullpen has been surprisingly ineffective. We’re already hearing names like Matt Garza (who would be a ½ season rental) and Yovanni Gallardo (who has Cleveland on his no-trade list) getting thrown around as potentially helping to round out the inconsistent rotation. But ESPN’s Buster Olney threw out another interesting name in his (insider required) column on Friday; shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. While the Indians are far too close to 1^st place to wave the white flag, Cabrera remains an attractive candidate to move at or before the trading deadline. Olney reports that both the Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals have inquired about Cabrera, and you’d have to think that Antonetti would listen should either club make an attractive offer that includes a high-end, close to MLB ready pitching prospect. I’ll let Olney explain:

Sources say there has been more discussion about a possible swap that was talked about in the offseason: the Indians’ Asdrubal Cabrera to St. Louis. 

It’s unclear just how far advanced these talks are, whether it’s more conceptual or internal at the moment, and undoubtedly, it’s a deal that would be more easily done in the offseason, with more time. 

But it’s a situation worth watching, because it could be an in-season match that could make sense for both teams. For St. Louis, Cabrera would represent an upgrade at shortstop: He’s 27 years old and a switch-hitting, two-time All-Star with power and experience. Cabrera has a .725 OPS and has demonstrated the ability to play multiple positions, which is why the Yankees have asked about him repeatedly. He could play shortstop, yes, but also third base or second or even first, so if the Yankees needed to fill in for Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez or Robinson Cano -- depending on developments ranging from injury (Jeter and A-Rod) to PED suspension (A-Rod) to free-agent departure (Cano, perhaps), Cabrera could step in. Cabrera makes $6.5 million this year, and will earn $10 million next season, before becoming eligible for free agency. 

Cabrera would be replaced by Mike Aviles in the short term, and Francisco Lindor (more on him later) in the long-term. The Indians impressive organizational depth at shortstop (and lack of impact SP prospects) would allow for the deal to take place without the team taking a significant step back in terms of playoff contention for 2013-15. Cabrera has a pair of all-star selections to his credit, but we are all very familiar with his lack of 2^nd half production and tendency to…have priorities other than conditioning. He’s as good as gone after 2014 anyway, as there’s pretty much no chance the Indians pay him $10 million or more a year with a guy like Lindor waiting in the wings. It would be a trade that doesn’t follow the “all-in” Ubaldo deal in 2011, nor would it be raising the white flag on the 2013 season because of the ability for Mike Aviles to step in and play a serviceable shortstop on a daily basis until Lindor is ready. Juan Diaz would be recalled from Columbus to play Aviles’ utility infielder role, and that would be a step down in terms of production there. But if the Indians are offered a legitimate future front of the rotation starting pitcher in return for 1 ½ seasons of Asdrubal Cabrera, I can’t see turning that down because of a downgrade in your backup SS. I’m not advocating dumping Cabrera for 75 cents on the dollar, but if the prospect-rich Cardinals make the Indians an offer that contains pitcher Carlos Martinez plus another arm, I’m certainly considering it if I’m Chris Antonetti.

Talk of trading Asdrubal midway through the 2013 season makes you wonder whether or not the Indians front office did enough to improve the team this offseason. If the Indians aren’t buyers at the deadline, then Antonetti and company failed, right? Well, not necessarily. Daniel Rathman of Baseball Prospectus took a look inside the numbers for the 2013 Indians, and found that there has been considerable improvement from the 2012 squad:

The Tribe entered play on Thursday ranked fifth in the majors in runs scored and sixth in True Average, a considerable improvement from last year, when Cleveland placed 22nd and 18th, respectively, in those categories. The Indians’ fielding also has been markedly better this year than it was in 2012, enough to bump their park-adjusted defensive efficiency up from 24th to 12th in the league.

As we all expected, the free agent signings and trades did a great job shoring up the offense, allowing the Indians to jump into the top echelon in baseball in both runs scored and TAv. Nick Swisher hasn’t set the world on fire, but he’s still managed a 118 OPS+ in an injury-effected 1^st half. Mark Reynolds has been downright terrible of late, but he carried the offense in April when other guys in the lineup were struggling, and no matter what he does this season it will be more than Casey Kotchman contributed last year. Michael Bourn has been pretty much as advertised at the top of the lineup. And just as important as the offensive contributions, having Bourn, Stubbs, Aviles and Swisher in the field has allowed the Indians to work their way from near the bottom to the top half of the league defensively. Last year’s Indians were succeeding despite being outscored by their opponents, doing it more with smoke and mirrors than anything else. The epic collapse after the Verlander game was disappointing, but not completely shocking. This year, the Indians have outscored their opponents by 21 runs going into Saturday, a number more commensurate with their 49-44 record. This team doesn’t just have a better record, but they’re better on the field (if that makes sense).

But despite the improvements in the lineup and in the field, the pitching has been disappointing, both the starters and the bullpen. The Indians team ERA ranks 27^th in the league at 4.38, a number that has to come down if the club expects to contend for a playoff spot. The major move this offseason to address the pitching staff has proved ineffective, as Brett Myers has been injured and extremely homer-prone when he was on the mound. I’m just not sure the pitching staff as a whole is good enough for the Indians to win a playoff series, even if they do manage to make it past the Tigers. So a move to shore up the starting rotation for next season, even if it costs the Indians Asdrubal Cabrera, could set the Indians up for the 2014 season. If next year’s rotation options include Masterson, Kluber, McAllister, Salazar, Bauer, Carrasco and a high-level prospect or two obtained from a Cabrera trade, I feel pretty good about the 2014 Cleveland Indians and their chances for a deep playoff run.

Speaking of Lindor, get your DVR’s ready, because you’re going to have a chance to see the talented young shortstop on national TV this weekend when the MLB Futures Game is aired on Sunday (2pm, ESPN2). Lindor will be representing the Indians and his native Puerto Rico on the World Team for the 2^nd time, and for some Tribe fans it will be the first chance to see the #1 prospect in the organization in action. Lindor enters the game as a consensus top-10 prospect, as he’s the #4 player in Baseball Prospectus’ midseason rankings, and #5 in Baseball America’s list. Keith Law doesn’t release his midseason top prospects list until next week, but he lists Lindor as having the best hit tool in the Futures Game, and one of the best gloves. I had a chance to interview Lindor earlier this season, and came away extremely impressed with the 19-year old switch hitter. He’s an incredibly gifted fielder, a better hitter than he gets credit for (3^rd in the Carolina League in hitting) and a mature leader on and off the field. He’s hitting .306/.373/.410, has 20 stolen bases, and his glove is better than his bat or his legs. The .306 average is 3^rd in the Carolina League, trailing only teammate Joey Wendle and Red Sox prospect Garin Cecchini (who was promoted to AA a couple of weeks ago). The Indians announced that Lindor will be promoted to AA Akron following the Future’s Game, so Cleveland-based fans will have a chance to see him live and in person soon enough. Watching him on the field, it’s tough to remember that he’ll play the entire season as a19-year old. #LindorBC

While we’re talking prospects, I’d be remiss to not bring up the Indians most recent 1^st round draft pick, OF Clint Frazier. Frazier signed quickly and for slightly below slot, accepting a $3.5 million bonus when the Indians were allotted $3.787 million for the pick. He seemed genuinely eager to get the contract negotiations out of the way and get back out on the baseball diamond. He reported to the Indians Goodyear complex to play with the Arizona League Indians, and promptly hit a home run in his first professional at bat. Small sample size of course, but the 18-year old Frazier is hitting .327/.357/.571 with a HR, 3 triples, 3 doubles and 14 RBI in 13 AZL contests. Just for comparison’s sake, 19-year old D’Vone McClure, the Indians 4^th round pick in last year’s draft, is hitting just .197/.269/.262 in 15 games, and he came into this season with 24 AZL games under his belt. That’s not to pick on McClure, who is a talented player, but more to show that AZL success is far from assured from high draft picks. So while it’s a small sample from Frazier, it’s an encouraging sample, and I’d expect to see him in Mahoning Valley or even Lake County before the end of the 2013 season. He’ll be easy to spot on the diamond; just look for the kid who looks like former University of Wisconsin basketball player Mike Bruesewitz.

Finally, on a fun note, Scott Lewis over at The Score blog put together an oral history of the 1989 Cleveland Indians for your reading pleasure. No, not the 73-89 Indians that finished in 6^th place in the AL East, but the fictional 1989 Indians from the classic comedy Major League. Reading Charlie Donovan, Lou Brown and Harry Doyle (among others) “reminisce” about the Indians miracle run to the 1989 playoffs was a lot of fun for me, especially having seen the movie as many times as I have. Pretty much any kid growing up in Cleveland in the ‘90s has seen the movie at least once, and if you were anything like me and my friends, you’ve seen it close to 100 times. It’s a fun piece to read heading into the all-star break as we wonder if this year’s Indians have a similar run in them…