Lazy Sunday on the Hot Stove

Lots of Hot Stove League Talk to get to on a Lazy Sunday:

Paul Hoynes hits on all of the high points of rumors to this point.

The most interesting parts of the story include the fact that the Indians wouldn’t play Akinori Iwamura at 2B, but would use him to help Marte at 3B and to play the OF (doesn’t sound like the perfect fit that it once did), that the Indians are likely to add one Japanese arm to the bullpen, that the Tribe wants 2 lefties in the pen (one a veteran, late-inning LOOGY, the other an in-house option), and that Craig Counsell is on the Indians radar, which means that either Hoynes reads Ken Rosenthal or there’s validity to this point.

Speaking of Rosenthal, he lists the Tribe as a suitor for Marcus Giles, among others. It's someting that's been heard before, but Rosenthal looks at it from all angles, not just the Indians.

Terry Pluto quashes that Ronnie Belliard’s Return talk, while exploring the middle infield options.

He also touches on the confusing fact that Kouzmanoff is playing 1B in the Arizona Fall League, giving the Indians 2 young RH 1B in K2 and Garko-my-God-did-you-see-how-far-he-hit-that. Pluto’s answer is that one of the two will be dealt, but the Front Office better be right about which one to keep as either would have to be dealt before Spring Training (as that’s when most deals get done), not giving them the luxury of pitting the 2 in direct competition in Winter Haven.

Pluto also senses (and he usually has someone directing these “senses”) that the Tribe is looking to add that corner OF, probably via trade.

One corner OF option that has been entertained has been Luis Gonzalez, who had lunch with Shapiro. As long as the Tribe doesn’t need to commit to a multi-year deal or a big number, Gonzalez would actually be a good fit, as a RH doubles hitting bat that would slot in nicely between the 3 and 6 holes.

Lots of talk, without any REAL information - but that's what the Hot Stove League is all about.

Sit back, get creative, and wait for the fur to fly.

Smoke Signals and the King

As the snowflakes fall, let’s turn up the Hot Stove with some recent happenings:

In a surprise to no one, K2 and Adam Miller won the Indians’ Minor League Player and Pitcher Awards. Interestingly, Miller may follow the same path as the 2005 Bob Feller Award winner, Jeremy Sowers – start at AAA with the possibility of helping the Tribe, if needed, around July/August if he blows away folks in Buffalo as he has at every other stop in his young career.


Billy Dot got busted for PED’s and will sit out the first 50 games of 2007. I’m not sure if this makes me feel better about Mota’s inability to handle the 8th inning. His inefficiency blew the back end of the Tribe bullpen which, among other things, played an instrumental role in a disappointing 2006 season.

While I’m no expert on steroids (picture the “Before” guy in any of those NordicFlex commercials and you’ve got the visual), Mota’s “rebirth” with the Mets may have a final explanation. But when did he start taking them? While he was in Cleveland or when he went to NY, sparking a rise in confidence, or recovery time, or a few extra MPH?

Regardless, the success that Mota experienced in NY won’t earn him any kind of guaranteed money in a contract, which counts for something, I guess.

Let’s all hope that Mota’s locker wasn’t next to any other struggling relievers when he was in Cleveland, particularly those with one strike against them already…I’m looking in your direction, Mr. Betancourt.

For Buster Olney’s take, check out T-Bone’s post from the comments section of the last post.


Pronk and The Stick topped the Elias’ annual player rankings at their respective positions in the AL.


The list of Free Agents is growing and will continue to do so, but here’s the current list. It’s not a real impressive list and, with the new labor agreement in place, there will be a number of bidding wars for marginal players.

The bidding wars could make players like Paul Byrd and Jason Michaels more attractive for a trade. Who wouldn’t want Byrd at $7M the Adam Eatons of the world are going to command $9M-$10M?


The Newark Star-Ledger is reporting that the Indians (along with Houston and San Francisco) are interested in acquiring Gary Sheffield after his one-year option (for $13M, $4.5M of which is deferred) is picked up by the Yankees. In a perfect world, this move would make a lot of sense for the Indians, who would add a power-hitting RH hitter and fill the hole in RF (Blake would move to LF) for the 2007 Tribe.

Sheffield, however, has already said publicly that he doesn’t want the Yankees to pick up the option as he feels that he should be playing under a 3-year deal and, if he were traded, would expect his new team to extend his deal.

The stance furthers the idea that Sheffield is a malcontent and a potential clubhouse cancer, regardless of the numbers he is capable of putting up, which are pretty incredible.

One wonders how much the “flaxseed oil” that his buddy Barry sent him will affect his immediate future. Taking his age (he turns 38 on November 18th) into consideration and what seems like a natural fit doesn’t look like such a natural.

If this is the TYPE of player that the Indians are targeting – fantastic…just as long as it’s not THIS player.


With the Cavaliers season underway, be sure to get your tickets to next Tuesday’s game, when they’ll be giving away a LeBron Bobblehead with LBJ in the old CAVS oranges.

It’s actually a pretty realistic King, so get your PayPal ready if you can’t make it.

Personally, I’m waiting for the time that the Q becomes “The Kingdom” and every paper’s headline reads “The King and His Court” or something to that extent when describing LeBron’s exploits. The nickname of King James seems to have disappeared for a while, but it remains my favorite one because of its simplicity and perfection on so many levels.


Finally, did anyone know that Chris Jent is the new Cavaliers’ Assistant Coach/Director of Player Personnel? Yes, THAT Chris Jent.

Lazy Lazy

Has MLB replaced the NFL for parity?
That “On Any Given Sunday” credo may have more credence in baseball, which crowned its 7th Champion that had not won previously in the past 7 seasons. In those 7 Series, there have been 12 different teams to reach the World Series.

It’s a fantastic direction to see MLB going in, with more teams given the opportunity to compete and win, but when will this exciting trend reach the North Coast?

Call it unbridled enthusiasm because it's possible that I’ve read one too many Billy Mumphrey stories, but confidence is high here (again) that the 2007 Tribe will be able to compete and contend to become either the 8th new Champion, or at least another new participant in the Fall Classic since 2000.

It’s time for a little Lazy Sunday:
Fire up the “Welcome Back Wagon”, Terry Pluto has returned with his usual balance of insight and logic, hitting on Victor’s long-term future behind the dish, among other things.

Terry has been missed, as we’ve been forced to suffer through what constitutes a Plain Dealer “sports column” (and that term is used loosely) in his absence. The passive voice, dangling participles, and dreadful analogies that litter the musings of Livy and Shaw have become nearly unreadable.

Take Livingston’s column yesterday which, whether you agree with his premise or not (and there’s no way that more than 10% of intelligent sports fans ever do), puts his writing style on display. And…there’s no nice way to say this, he writes poorly.

Hoynes takes on some softball questions, but to expound on the question regarding Front Office salaries, here’s a little nugget – not to go all Roger Brown on you – Assistant GM Chris Antonetti just signed a deal to build a house for just south of 7 figures. So, he does OK for himself.

Between the lines of that transaction is the fact that Antonetti’s going to be in Cleveland for a while (remember, he’s building – not buying), which represents fantastic news for Tribe fans. Antonetti is a very highly thought of young executive whose name comes up every time a GM post opens up.

Heading down to the lakefront to witness the beginning of the Jeff Davidson Era, which hopefully washes the nasty taste of the Mo Carthon Era out of our mouths.

Desert Days

With the sun making a rare appearance on the North Coast today, it’s time to think about some fellas playing ball under the bright Arizona Sun. That’s right, cue the applause…it’s time for an Arizona Fall League Update!

A few position players have started very strongly for the Peoria Javelinas, whose hat could be the most repulsive piece of headgear seen since the old Expos multi-color lids, so let’s start there:

Super Joe Inglett has played primarily at 2B and continues to put up decent numbers, though power will certainly never be his strength as his 11 hits are all singles. He’s hitting at a .458 clip with an OPS of .958 in 24 AB’s. Truthfully, Inglett should thrive in this setting as he is 28 years old and likely figures to be a Big League utility infielder, barring a miraculous re-discovery of Hector Luna’s glove.

The Kouz has picked up where he left off, hitting .387 with an OPS (surprise, surprise) over 1.000 at 1.151. K2 has 22 RBI in 7 games and an amazing SLG of .710 thus far. He’s seeing some time at 1B, presumably to improve his versatility. One has to wonder why, with Garko at 1B and an unsettled OF, Kouzmanoff wouldn’t see some time in LF to see if he can handle the position. As evidenced by his continued success, his bat doesn’t seem to be the issue; his defense and health are the big question marks.

Trevor Crowe’s successful young career continues its upward trend, with him hitting .357 with an OPS of .869. He’s playing exclusively in the OF and hitting 3rd in most games, so there’s no doubt that Crowe is on the fast track. Crowe is very highly thought of in the organization, and, obviously throughout the AFL.

The final position player, Javier Herrera has seen only 10 AB’s in 3 games (the Javelinas have played 15 games), but has played well with a 2B and an RBI.

Pitcher-wise, Tony Sipp is the most recognizable name there and one VERY poor outing (how about 4 BB, 1 H, 3ER in 1/3 of an inning) has influenced his numbers as his ERA has leaped to 7.71. The organization has high hopes for Sipp, as he projects as that homegrown LOOGY that the Indians have never really had. Sipp will get a look in the Spring, but will likely start in the Buffalo bullpen with the rest of the reinforcements.

Reid Santos has had the best showing of any Tribe pitcher, throwing relief innings in 5 games without letting up a run. Santos pitched out of the bullpen in Kinston last year and as a lefty, like Sipp, could always be fast-tracked as a LOOGY if success comes quickly. He made the transition from being a starter in Lake County in 2005 to the bullpen in Kinston and figures to play the role this year in Akron, and possibly Buffalo, this year.

Kyle Collins, like Santos and Sipp, has pitched out of the bullpen in the Tribe organization and has done so in Arizona, with mixed results. He’s been up and down, with 2 awful outings, that have led to the 9.00 ERA through 5 IP. With Collins, the Indians are trying to give him some extra innings, under their watchful eye, to determine where he slots into the future of the bullpen.

Jake Dittler has been asked to leave the team, and has been replaced by another prospect. After getting outrighted off of the 40-man roster and clearing waivers, it’s not been a good 2 months for the 23 year old former #1 pick.

By the way, for those inquiring minds in the group, here’s what a Javelina is.

Quick Lazy Sunday

Not too much in the way of Lazy Sunday today, with attention focused squarely on the World Series, the Browns, and the Cavs, but here’s a quick run-down:

Paul Hoynes mentions that there could be some Asian flavor to the Indians’ roster next year with Japanese 3B/2B Akinori Iwamura getting permission to play in MLB next year, as well as the possibility that there could be some bullpen help in the Pacific Rim.

Iwamura looks to be a power-hitting, slick-fielding player who strikes out quite a bit.

Interestingly, here’s a picture from earlier this year on his website that shows him at Chain o’ Lakes Park with…Tribe Bench Coach Jeff Datz!

If anyone who speaks Japanese wants to translate his website for the common good, it would be greatly appreciated.

That’s it for local print, but here’s a few more random thoughts:

Hopefully, if this Paul Byrd to Atlanta idea has any legs, it happens at a time when Bob Wickman is sitting up in a deer stand in Northern Wisconsin. The deer stand may have his shotgun and a cooler full of High Life tall boys, but a cell phone is unlikely. So when John Schuerholz calls for Sticky’s blessing on acquiring Byrd, Wickman is unreachable to discount the accomplishments of his sparring partner. Schuerholz will pull the trigger, Byrd will return to Atlanta, and maybe bring some protective headgear in anticipation of a reunion with his one-time sparring partner.

The PD announced some cuts in their newspaper staff and, while you never want to see anyone lose their jobs, Mr. Swerb over at Swerb’s Blurbs captures the feelings on this news very eloquently.

Finally, and having nothing to do with the Indians, I’ve recently been introduced to a website, Pandora Internet Radio, which allows you to listen to music (for free) while online. The site asks you to create your own “radio station” by identifying your favorite musical group or song, and then plays similar music along the same genres. If a song plays that you don’t like, you simply click on “thumbs-down” for the song and the site records it in your personal profile and attempts to find more songs to your liking.

It’s completely free to sign up (as long as you can put up with a banner ad on the side of the page), and you can even ask not to receive newsletters, e-mails, etc. It’s an amazing way to find out about new artists in your musical wheelhouse that you would never have heard about otherwise, and provides great background music to anytime that you spend online.

As the DiaBride said, “I don’t know how this benefits anybody, but us…and I’m all for that.”

Take some time to check it out, particularly if you like music and spend a good deal of time online.
You can thank me later.

Indians in the Outfield

The OF situation for 2007 is an area that has not gotten the attention, or ink, that 2B and the bullpen have received. However, it projects to be just as interesting in the off-season, in that there are multiple options that the Indians can explore - both in-house and from elsewhere.

There’s Sizemore in CF, and that’s a good start. SuperSizemore entered some rarified air in 2006, establishing himself as one of the elite players (not outfielders) in all of ML (not just the AL). What Grady’s capable of, who knows, but watching Carlos Beltran play for the Mets, one realizes that he is what Grady projects to – a perennial 30-30 guy who anchors a team.
And that’s on the low end of Grady’s potential.

The fact that Sizemore is locked up until 2012, when the Tribe holds an $8.5M option on the 29 year old (in 2012) is absolutely staggering and should bring a smile to your face every time you remember that nugget.

The second player almost certain to be in the mix somewhere in the outfield next year is Casey (the K is gone after 2006) Blake, whose ability to play both corners as well as 3B and 1B (with Marte and Garko the likely starters for 2007) nearly ensures the fact that he’ll be in Cleveland.

Before the AAAA player comments start flying, consider what Blake’s 2006 numbers project out to with 550 AB, instead of the 400 that he got - 26 HR, 95 RBI, .835 OPS. Why is that production not acceptable for a corner outfielder? Plus, his 2006 compares closer to the 2004 season that led the Indians’ contract offer and not his 2005 season that made them re-think the same offer.

Blake’s a solid defender, a smart base runner, and doesn’t take plays off. There’s a lot worse that the Indians could have at $3.75M, especially with his versatility that protects the Indians if Marte or Garko REALLY struggle out of the gate.

With 2/3 of the outfield spoken for, it’s time to evaluate our good friend Michootierrez – the three-headed monster that the Indians need to squeeze one quality outfielder from.

Unfortunately for the Indians, this isn’t like Voltron, where the sum of the parts is greater than individuals. Instead of getting the “Defender of the Universe”, combine these three and we’re stuck with a ballplayer with a perpetually wet mullet who wears a batting helmet with two flaps and left his power stroke (and limitless potential) somewhere in Vero Beach, Florida.

Jason Michaels proved in his first season as a full-time player that…he’s not a viable full-time player. The Phillies were onto something when they only played him in a platoon, and the Indians learned that Michaels is effective as a platoon OF, not as a regular. The fact that he’s due to make multiple millions of dollars in arbitration in the off-season makes it all the more unlikely that Michaels will be part of any platoon in Cleveland in 2007.

Michaels might be able to be moved for a reliever that needs a change of scenery, much like Arthur Rhodes did last year (how did the Phillies get him again?). Some NL team, like the Pirates, might be interested in Michaels as a stopgap until their next “prospect” emerges. If the Tribe could pry Damaso Marte from Pittsburgh straight up for Michaels or even package him with some cheap, young arms (like Guthrie, Brown, or Davis) to get Mike Gonzalez into a Tribe uniform, one would hope that Shapiro makes that trade the moment the World Series ends.

Of the 3 options, the BLC offers the most complete package of speed, defense, arm, hustle, and approach. Choo’s downfall thus far in his career has been his inability to hit LH pitchers (a .225-point difference in Slugging % vs. LH & RH), but there’s more to work with and room to grow. Where Michaels has proven over time that he plays better in a platoon, Choo has not yet been given that full go at attempting to hit all pitchers in the Bigs.

Choo, because of his arm, projects into more of a RF and would likely play there if given the job on a full-time basis. Playing Choo in RF and allowing Blake to play LF improves the outfield defense dramatically from 2006 edition.

And, finally, there’s good ol’ Frank the Tank. The perpetual prospect has yet to recapture his power numbers that he enjoyed in the lower levels of the minors, due in part to his swing shortening to cut down on strikeouts. Gutz, with all of his speed, doesn’t project into a leadoff hitter now, or seemingly at any time. Though he’s considered by most the best defensive outfielder in the system, his lackadaisical approach to line drives and bloops and his predilection for throwing to the wrong base do not bode well for his long-term prospects with the parent club.

Ideally, Gutierrez would fill the role of the 4th OF, capable of pinch running or spelling Choo against the wicked LH pitchers tend to face (see Santana, Johan). If another team becomes enamored with Gutz, the Indians may be able to fill another need and move Ben Francisco into the 4th OF role for 2007.

The wild card in the mix for 2007 remains Trevor Crowe, whose 2B Experience is over so he can concentrate on developing his offense. Crowe is the homegrown answer to who can bat leadoff, improve team defense, team speed, and allow the Indians to not overpay for a Juan Pierre-type player.

If Crowe blows away the Minors this year, he can move into CF (or LF) and let the Tribe either move Blake into the super-utility role (if Choo is thriving) or move Blake back to RF (if Choo is struggling).

Put Blake in LF, St. Grady in CF, Choo in RF, and Gutierrez as the 4th OF…and let it ride.

The bottom line on the outfield is, sure, it could be upgraded. Free Agents like Carlos Lee and Mike Cameron are an immediate upgrade and players like Pat Burrell can be had on the trade market.

But what have we learned is the key to creating a consistent winner – one that wins games, divisions, playoff series, and World Series championships? PITCHING, PITCHING, and more PITCHING!

Spend the available money to fortifying the bullpen or upgrading the bullpen, not an outfield anchored by Grady. If, come July, a big bat is available to make a push to the playoffs, so be it.

But, off-season, let’s stick to adding arms.

Trying to Catch Up

With a trip to Wisconsin (and another UW football game) in the rearview, let’s catch up on some happenings since the end of last week:

John Sanders is out as announcer for STO’s TV broadcast and will be replaced by Matt Underwood, who joins Rick Manning in the TV booth (except for the WKYC games, which Jim Donovan will do). Mike Hegan will remain with Tom Hamilton in the radio booth, as the Tribe’s 2-man broadcasting booths are set.

Sounds good to me – Sanders never added much to the broadcasts, constantly deferring to Manning, and with good reason. Actually, this is a very good idea, but where oh where have I heard this before. It’s familiar; it must’ve been somewhere. Thaaat’s right, the same 2-man booth idea (without Sanders) was suggested last February when the creation of STO was announced.



Paul Hoynes has thrown some gas on the “Marcus Giles to play 2B for the 2007 Tribe” idea. Would the Braves take Paul Byrd (remember that Byrd did pitch for Atlanta in 2004) to return him to the NL and allow the Tribe to better use our 5th starter Byrd’s salary by filling 2B?

Hoynes also mentions that John Farrell is in the running to be the Red Sox pitching coach (which did come to fruition today), which leads to the question: How many executives/coaches are floating around baseball that cut their teeth in Cleveland? Off the top of my head – Dan O’Dowd, Josh Byrnes, Bud Black, Charlie Manuel, and Tito Francona.

Farrell will be missed in the Front Office and we wish him the best, hoping that he has some thick skin as the pitching coach in Boston.



After the Wisconsin-Minnesota football game, the Badgers ran around Camp Randall with Paul Bunyan’s Ax to a raucous ovation. It was a phenomenal scene and one that got me thinking:

What would be wrong with teams in the same region (say the Great Lakes) to take their season records against the other teams in the region and have the team with the best record win some sort of trophy?

Follow me on this – the Tribe, White Sox, and Tigers play each other all season with the team that finishes with the highest record against the other 2 winning some arbitrary object (like an ax, or a Little Brown Jug…or a huge anchor). The players can champion the object to their adoring fans and keep it at their facilities until next year. How fantastic would it be to see Pronk lead the team around Jacobs Field holding a giant anchor?

Is it hokey? Absolutely, but give the players some incentive. The players from the winning team all get a $100,000 bonus from the corporate sponsor.

This year, the Tribe went 17-21 against their Great Lakes counterparts; the Tigers and White Sox both went 20-18, with the tiebreaker going to the White Sox, who went 12-7 against the Motor City Kittes.

It would never happen, I know, but it’s time to bring some emotion back to the sometimes-sterile pro game and accentuate the natural rivalries that exist between teams in close proximity to each other.



Is anyone else getting the sense watching the playoffs that the Indians HAVE to get to the playoffs to throw their rotation against ANYBODY? After watching retreads like Oliver Perez, Steve Trachsel, Jeff Weaver, Woody Williams, and Jaret Wright get playoff starts makes me long to see the Tribe throw C.C., Westbrook, and Sowers up against any team out there. If the series runs long, I’ll take Lee on a full rest over ANY 4th starter or another pitcher on short rest.
That potential playoff pitching lineup, again, shows the dispensability of Paul Byrd and how his salary can be better spent on this team.



Next, it’s time to take a look at the quandary in the corner of the OF where Blake, Michaels, Choo, and Gutierrez need to be massaged and kneaded into 2 legitimate corner OF.

Putting Some Ink in the Pen

As the ALCS begins, it’s time to take a look at the Tribe’s options for fixing the bullpen. It’s been said that the Indians will likely fill 4 slots from current players, with Betancourt and Cabrera being the only “for-sures”. The other 2 will come from Davis, Miller, Mastny, Mujica, Lara, and even Carmona.

The rest of the bullpen will be filled with guys like Steve Kline or Mike Stanton as the LOOGY and Octavio Dotel or Justin Speier as the 8th inning RHP. All of those players have closing experience and can be had in the FA market.

None would project as a bona-fide closer, but they would add some veteran leadership to a bullpen badly in need of some. These type of veteran arms don’t come cheap (each would cost between $3M and $4M per), though, so that’s where a good deal of budgeted money should go to.

As for that “bona-fide” closer, expect him to come via trade with the Astros’ Brad Lidge or the Pirates’ Mike Gonzalez being the most likely targets who closed last year. Other options would include Scot Shields, Scott Linebrink, Salomon Torres, Brandon League, and Dan Wheeler or Chad Qualls, though they’ve mainly been a set-up man in their careers.

Personally, I’m pulling for Chad Qualls…mainly because I loved his brother DJ in “Road Trip”.

Expect the Tribe to acquire one of those “closer” types, but to surround him with veteran arms in case of emergency or meltdown. Don’t be surprised if Shapiro loads up the bullpen with arms for Spring Training as he doesn’t ever want to be reminded of 2006, when he thought the bullpen was in decent shape coming out of the Spring, when in reality…well, you know the rest of the story.

The Bronx Zoo on a Lazy Sunday

Has there ever been a more vivid illustration of how October baseball is won than the Yankees getting taken out by the Tigers? The Yankees, with their “Greatest Lineup in History” and an All-Star at every position were knocked out by a team that starts Marcus Thames and Brandon Inge every day because of…(cue the trumpets)…PITCHING!

No matter how good of an offense can be put in the batter’s box, good pitching beats good hitting more often than not. If the last week wasn’t enough to illustrate that point, ask John Hart how many WS rings he has using a similar strategy in the mid-90s.

The Yankees lost because their high priced arms (Unit, Mussina, Wright) were no match for the TALENTED, not expensive arms, of Verlander, Zumaya, and Bonderman.

You would think that with $200M to spend that the Yankees would be able to send someone other than Jaret Wright out to try to salvage the series (paging Carl Pavano…oh, that’s right), but the Yankees have spent their money in the rotation on items whose expiration date has past or is rapidly approaching.

To bring the relation to Cleveland, it emphasizes the importance of this franchise’s emphasis on starting pitching and how, with a vastly improved bullpen, this team (despite its detractors) is NOT far away from pulling off a playoff run.

If you don’t think that the bullpen is an important piece to this puzzle, consider this, here are the top 5 bullpen ERA’s in 2006:
Twins – 2.91
Mets – 3.25
Padres – 3.42
Tigers – 3.51
A’s – 3.60

The Cards, Dodgers, and Yankees come in 14th, 15th, and 16th; but you get the point.
The Indians 2006 Hellpen was 24th of 30 teams.

The starting pitching (with or without Byrd) is more settled than most teams, so a revamped bullpen could go a long way.

With that off the chest, let’s take a whirl at a Lazy Sunday:
Paul Hoynes has a superb (and that term is not often used in regards to PD Tribe coverage) recap of the season, offering both an insider’s look (in particular B-Phil dressing down John Farrell in the Bisons’ locker room in 2005) and a look to the future. Take the time to catch the whole piece online if you’re out of town, as it is worth a read.

Terry Pluto takes one last look at B-Phil and examines the Wedgiro dynamic.

Socker gets Shapiro’s wish list and (surprise!) revisits the Phillips situation.

Everyone’s favorite optimist, Jim Ingraham, is back with his Indians’ 2006 grades. If you want to save yourself the rise in blood pressure, he gives C.C. a B+, mainly because C.C. hasn’t reached #1 status.
Any time you start to wonder where Tribe “fans” get their sour outlooks, visit the Ingraham archive.

Andy Call reports that Kevin Kouzmanoff will play 1B in the Arizona Fall League instead of Michael Aubrey, who remains injured. For Ryan Garko’s sake, the hope is that K2’s trial at 1B is only to see if he can play at 1B to add that feather to his cap, or to show other teams that Kouz can play there. Also, Trevor Crowe will stay in the OF for the Arizona Fall League, so the Band-Aid approach for acquiring a 2007 2B is not an option.

It also means that Crowe, a natural CF, may eventually push Sizemore to LF…and before you spit your coffee out on the keyboard, consider the fact that Sizemore’s daredevil antics in CF are awfully entertaining. But, ask Darin Erstad and Aaron Rowand how easy it is to go through a season unscathed playing CF like a strong safety. Sizemore’s bat is too valuable to have him extended periods of time to the DL, like Ken Griffey, Jr. did when he broke his left wrist in Seattle making a phenomenal catches.

Lastly, back to the playoffs (where my Twins-Dodgers WS is now laughable), here are a few players no longer playing who could figure into some Tribe offseason plans:

Mike Mussina – Would the Boss pick up a $17M option on him, or would that money be better used to sign a Schmidt/Zito AND a solid set-up guy. Mussina’s a PA native (Montoursville to Cleveland is about a 4 ½ hour drive) who may take a short contract to pitch close to home to close out a stellar career. He would really fit into the Tribe rotation, as he wouldn’t be counted on to be an ace, but would be an obvious upgrade over Byrd and would allow the Indians to fill holes by moving Byrd.

Nomar Garciaparra – His 1-year deal with the Boys in Blue is done, and he played well enough to merit a long-term deal. Is he healthy enough to play SS again? Would a promise to play SS full-time be enough to lure him to the North Coast. How would he look between Sizemore and Hafner?

Greg Maddux – He hits the FA market again and, while he certainly is not what he once was, he may provide the veteran leadership that Millwood provided a year ago. This is a long shot at best, but worth mentioning. Again, signing him would allow the Tribe to move Byrd for a reliever/2B/corner OF.

Gary Sheffield – This, too, could be a pipe dream. But, he fits the profile of a RH power-hitting corner OF, assuming that his body hasn’t been ravaged by flaxseed oil. He may end up playing 1B in the Bronx next year, but all bets are off for what the Yanks are planning for 2008 if they feel their Fantasy Baseball approach isn’t working.

Why do I get such pleasure out of the knowledge that the Yankees will be watching the ALCS and the WS from the same place as me…the COUCH!

Prioritize

It’s true that a lot of question marks exist and the possibilities for player movement are seemingly endless, but there are some things that the Indians can do to set the team up for success in 2007 and beyond.

Here’s the short list:
Priority #1)
Add 3 years to Pronk’s deal through 2011, even if you have to rip up his current deal to add the years. David Ortiz’s contract (4 years/$52M) signed this past April is probably a starting point. If those numbers look big, they are – and rightfully so. Hafner’s numbers the past few years justify the contract and giving those dollars to a player who has worked his way into becoming a fan favorite would be a perfect way to show the fickle Cleveland fans that the Dolans are willing to spend money. Ensuring that Hafner’s bat will be anchoring the lineup when all of these young players (Grady, Marte, Garko, Peralta, Crowe) are hitting their peaks isn’t going to hurt run production in coming years.

Priority #2)
Add 2 years to C.C.’s current contract to keep him under Tribe control through 2010. This, like Hafner’s, isn’t going to be cheap as he’ll be 28 when his current deal ends at the end of 2008. The fact that his maturation as an ace may be even further along at that point will make C.C. the top FA pitcher on ANY market. He still has not had a serious injury and continues to rack up IP, regardless of the constant criticism about his body type. The bottom line is that power LH studs don’t grow on trees, so when you have exclusive negotiating rights with such a player, you take advantage.

Priority #3)
Add 3 years to Jake’s current contract to keep in Cleveland until 2009. Pulling that off, with C.C. and Lee, keeps these 3 and Sowers (and Carmona and Miller and Lofgren…you get it) on the club until 2009. If starting pitching is what wins championships, an innings-eater (over 210 IP for the last 3 years) that’s going to average 15 wins a season is a nice #3 starter for a playoff team. Seeing as how Westbrook would hit the open market after this year (to much fanfare, particularly to teams with superb defensive infields), it’s not going to a contract done on the cheap. Noticing a trend here?

If Shapiro does lock up C.C. and Westy, with Lee and Sowers, there’s a surplus of starting pitching, right? Um…there are worse things to have a surplus of. If Fausto/Miller/Lofgren turn into what we hope they can, it allows the Indians the luxury of dealing from a position of strength to fortify weaknesses.

A case can be made that such an environment exists right now, with the strength of the team being pitching. Can any of those arms be moved to fortify the bullpen, 2B, or a corner OF? If so, Byrd would be the first candidate, then Westbrook (but only if they can’t extend his contract) – and it would take quite a bit to give up Jake.

Assuming that the team simply adds years to these deals and doesn’t completely re-negotiate them, none of these moves adds to the 2007 payroll as all are under contract for next year. These moves, though, would go a long way to showing that the ownership will “lock up their own” and spend money on homegrown talent.

While PR should be the last thing on any team’s agenda when making moves, none of these moves will be criticized and they wouldn’t hurt the team’s image, not to mention ticket sales.

By the way, the Brewers picked up Francisco Cordero's option today, so cross another potential FA closer off an already pitiful list.

Young and Restless

Last Friday night, serial commenter T-Bone was down at the South Side in Tremont with some friends when SuperSizemore made his appearance around midnight, bellying up to the bar with another guy. After our buddy Dozer cozied up to Grady’s friend (in town from Seattle for the last weekend of the season) to work the angle of becoming friends with the celebrity to no avail, the night quietly came to an end.

That is, until bar time, when Sizemore and his buddy stuck around – conceivably to hang out with the improbably hot South Side wait staff. T-Bone’s sister-in-law’s sister then suddenly put up a fuss that Grady could stay, while nobody else could; so much so that she was carried out of the bar as Sizemore looked on.

T-Bone was mortified, enough so that he refused to yell, “Grady, see you at the South Side tonight for the Seahawks game” from the bleachers during Sunday’s finale, for fear of being recognized as being with “that girl” on Friday by Saint Grady.
Trust me, he was asked to get Sizemore’s attention. Again, to no avail.

It led to the bleacher discussion of what a life this 24-year-old must lead, barhopping, famous and ridiculously rich on the North Coast. Granted, Manhattan it’s not, but it’s not a bad racket. Anyone who’s been to the South Side knows that even if Sizemore ended up with the lower rung of employees, he did OK for himself on a Friday night.

As if his partying around town (not in the Jaret Wright sense, more in the “catch a ballgame and a beer” sense) wasn’t enough to move Sizemore into the upper echelon of favorite players (his numbers aren’t bad either), his intro music during the final 2 weeks was Warren G’s “Regulate”.

Personally, I’d like to think that he went to the Tribe brass saying that he wanted to come out to Dre’s “Nuthin’ But A G Thang”, but they were unable to find two consecutive lyrics that don’t refer to something that most season ticket holders took offense to. They settled, then, on Dre’s stepbrother and the impresario of the “G-Funk Era”.

Maybe that’s what Sizemore sees himself as – the innovator of his own G-Funk Era.

Middle Infield Options

The off-season has started with the Tribe picking up the options for Jake Westbrook and Casey Blake and declining Aaron Boone’s option. If you’re surprised by any of that…well, you haven’t been paying attention.

With all of the possible moves that the Indians can make, one seems to be a certainty – the Indians need to add either an everyday 2B or move Peralta to 2B and acquire an everyday SS. With that in mind, this is the list of available players (or possibly available players) that we’re working with:
2B
Ronnie Belliard
Jose Castillo
Mark DeRosa
Ray Durham (FA)
Marcus Giles
Orlando Hudson
Adam Kennedy (FA)
Mark Loretta (FA)
Brian Roberts
Jose Vidro

SS
Alex Gonzalez (FA)
Bill Hall
Julio Lugo (FA)
Jack Wilson
Michael Young

Obviously, the players without a (FA) after their names would need to be acquired via a trade, with the costs ranging from minimal (think Jose Castillo, who may not be that much of an upgrade over Inglett/Luna) to steep (think Michael Young, who would bolster this lineup and infield in innumerable ways).

If you’re looking for the defensive whizzes to help out Peralta and the groundball pitchers on the staff, Hudson and Roberts are the best at 2B, while Gonzalez, Wilson, and Young are all superb defenders.

While it would be nice to have the pick of the litter of these players, this off-season for the Indians for the Indians will not happen in a vacuum. The Red Sox, for instance, will be looking for both a 2B and a SS if they don’t re-sign Loretta and Gonzalez. Not to mention the Mets, the Cardinals, etc.

A lot of these possibilities are going to hinge on how Trevor Crowe performs in the field at 2B in the Arizona Fall League. He struggled in Akron in his limited time there and if he does so in Arizona, the Indians will look for a more long-term solution. If he proves to be proficient in the field, he could join the Tribe at some point in 2007, meaning that the Indians will look only for a Band-Aid until he’s ready.

Taking a cue from the Air Force, it’s time to Aim High – so here’s the wish list:
#1) Michael Young
It would likely take a package of 2 (maybe even 3 top prospects) to pry him out of Texas, where he’s reportedly not happy with Buck Showalter. He’s scheduled to make $3.5M in 2007, with a $4M club option for 2008, so he’s VERY affordable. His RH 200-hit seasons would absolutely nestle into that 2 hole between Grady and Pronk, but he’s not going to come cheap. The Tribe would have to give up one of the big 3 pitchers (Carmona, Miller, Lofgren), another prospect close to the Majors (Gutierrez for example) and a lower level pitcher to get him. If he was coming though, Peralta could be part of the package.

#2) Brian Roberts
Like Young, Roberts won’t come cheap. With Orioles’ fans fed up with Peter Angelos as an owner, you would think that they’d like their team built around guys like Roberts, not see him moved. But with Angelos exerting absolute power, anything is possible, even absolute madness. Roberts is a grinder-type of player that Wedgie seems to prefer, so he could be on the radar. He could, like Young, slot into the 2 hole and be the situational hitter and table-setter that would complement the top of the lineup very well.

#3) Orlando Hudson
If you’re looking for a defensive wizard to be the glue of the infield’s defense, the O-Dog is your boy. The fact that his OPS is .820 this year doesn’t hurt. The D-Backs would look for quite a bit in return (they’ve always loved Jake Westbrook), but they have a top prospect in Alberto Callaspo (isn't he the Spanish bullfighter that Elaine Benes once claimed to date?) in AAA in case they part with Hudson.

#4) Jack Wilson
Place Wilson at SS and suddenly, a very suspect infield defense becomes palatable. He’s a decent #2 hitter in that he’s a contact hitter who doesn’t strike out too much; but he hits for very little power (.675 career OPS). Also on the “negative” side of the ledger, he’s also due to make $5.25M in ’07, $6.5M in ’08, $7.25M in ’09, and an $8.4M club option for ’10, so he’s not cheap. As an aside, if you’re still wondering how the Pirates are perpetually awful - they give contracts like that to a slick-fielding SS to pacify their fans when signing deals like that are absolute killers on a small-market payroll. Like Hudson, he would dramatically improve the infield defense, which is a priority in the off-season. But can you accept his scatter-shot single approach at the plate to get his glove in the field?

#5) Adam Kennedy
Kennedy would appear much higher on this list if he WEREN’T the top FA 2B; yes, if he weren’t. With the Cardinals, Mets, and Red Sox (just to name a few) in need of a 2B this off-season, Kennedy is going to be that vastly overpaid middle infielder whose contract has too many years and too many zeroes on it. It will be the type of contract that a team like the Red Sox or Mets can absorb when he’s making $9M a year in 2011, when his currently underwhelming stats become putrid. He would fit the Tribe’s needs at 2B, but not at the price that some poor schmuck’s going to pay.

Honorable Mention:
#6) Ray Durham – Nice pop, but palatable only with a short-term deal
#7) Marcus Giles – Numbers have fallen significantly off (loss of 100 pts. in OPS) in 2006
#8) Mark Loretta – Great glove and pivot in the DP, but BoSox may throw $ his way
#9) Jose Vidro – OPS has dropped every year since 2002
#10) Ronnie Belliard – Only as a last resort for the Jelly

Before you say that Julio Lugo would solve the problem, in that he’s a solid glove and would be a nice addition to the top of the lineup, realize that there are reports that his agent is looking for a 4 year-$40M deal (yes, you read those numbers right).

The other line of thinking floating in the wind is to bring Omar back to play SS in his last contract year, allowing Peralta to play 2B, and to pave the way for AAA SS Asdrubal Cabrera. As long as Omar, and the Tribe Front Office, can put their egos aside (remember that Omar, in a shocking turn of events for a guy who has called out Jose Mesa and Albert Belle in print, took some shots at the organization on his way out of town), this move does make sense on paper.

It would allow Omar to retire an Indian and solidify the infield defense while bringing back his still-consistent bat to the lineup.

They can also make plans for the Omar statue between NCB Park (in case you missed it, National City Bank is close to acquiring naming rights to the Park, and I can’t decide if it will go by NCB or “The Nat”) and the Q.

Expect the Indians to be creative in their acquisition of a middle infielder (and with most of their acquisitions this off-season), so a simple list a FA isn’t going to paint the entire picture.

Whatever direction they decide to go in, there WILL be a new middle infielder added as they’ve gone on record to say that Inglett and Luna are viewed as utility IF for 2006.

That’s, at least, a good first step.

And...Ballgame!

With a tear in the eye, it's time for the last 2006 regular season Lazy Sunday:

Paul Hoynes throws out two names to watch this off-season, Seattle P Gil Meche (a FA) and Phillies OF Pat Burrell (a trade possibility due to make…wait for it…$13M in ’07 and $14M in ‘08).

Terry Pluto intimates that the Tribe is comfortable enough with Carmona’s last 3 starts to consider moving a SP in a trade. Pluto’s guess (and it’s a good guess) is the Byrdman.

Socker defends the Indians’ readiness as a ballclub for 2007 and thinks that Matt Miller will be a part of the rebuilt bullpen.

In the same vein as the LS, Baseball America has named their 2006 Overall Minor League All Star teams.
Indians’ farmhands making the list:
Kevin Kouzmanoff – Overall 1st Team DH
Brian Barton – Overall 2nd Team OF
Adam Miller – Overall 2nd Team SP
Chuck Lofgren – Overall 2nd Team SP
Shin-Soo Choo – AAA OF (with Tacoma)
Jeremy Sowers – AAA SP
Scott Lewis – High A SP

I think the most fascinating thing to do when looking at a Minor League All Star team like that is to examine the prospects, their positions, and their teams. Then, it’s easy to determine who’s blocked by solid Major Leaguers, making them (or the players blocking their path) trade candidates.

Some things that stand out:
The Angels have two 2B on the list (Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar), both in the upper levels. As has been mentioned before, if Scot Shields is a closer possibility, could one of those players be a possible solution at 2B? Add the fact that they have a SS on the list in Brandon Wood, while having Orlando Cabrera topside and it’s a situation worth watching.

Kevin Kouzmanoff is blocked by Travis Hafner, Andy Marte, and Ryan Garko. Oh wait, we knew that already. Add that to the fact that he has recurring back and hamstring problems and we’ve got a logjam on the North Coast. That is, unless, Kouzmanoff can play LF. Allegedly, 1B may still be in the mix for K2's future, but hasn’t Gonnie Garko earned it?

The White Sox have Josh Fields in AAA at 3B along with some great minor league arms, so don’t be surprised if they try to make a splash in the trade market (Carl Crawford) as Kenny Williams is unafraid to pull the trigger on a big trade, for better or worse. Podsednik is gonzo for next year, so Crawford could be a legitimate option for the South Siders.

The Diamondbacks are absolutely stacked with OF & 2B prospects, so if the Tribe is looking for a trade partner for some young talent, Phoenix may be the place to watch. The fact that Josh Byrnes has a relationship with Mark Shapiro won’t hurt.

Speaking of Arizona, with T-Crowe going to the Arizona Fall League to see if he can play 2B, expect Shapiro and the boys to spend some time watching the Peoria Javelinas.

Inexplicably, I’ll be heading down to the last game today (with serial commenter T-Bone) to bid a farewell to the 2006 Indians. Last year’s last game didn’t finish well - the enduring images were Sizemore going Ned Braden in Slap Shot, disrobing on his way back from 1B after making the last out, Ozzie giving the choke sign, and Wickman running around the ballpark giving out baseballs. In case you don’t remember here was the scene in the Tribe dugout:



Not as much to play for today, but we’ll try to solve the Indians’ problems…and make it to a TV for the beginning of the Browns' game.

View(s) from the Mezzanine

After spending the last couple of games with some different folk, who all have different opinions on what the Indians should do during the off-season – I thought it would be interesting to see how some of these perspectives stack up against each other.

Opinion #1
The Indians need only to add a 2B/SS and fortify the bullpen.
This line of thought says that the Indians’ offense is strong enough as it is (mainly at 1B with Garko, 3B with Marte, and in the corners with Blake, Michaels, Gutierrez, and Michaels…maybe even Kouzmanoff) otherwise to compete in 2006. The rotation is set for next year and the bullpen needs to add 3 back-end arms to join Cabrera, Betancourt, Davis, and a pitcher already in the organization to be determined later.

This is the most optimistic view – one that believes that this team is very close to contention and only needs to make nominal moves to contend in 2007.

Option #2
Take Option #1 and add a run-producing corner OF.
Perpetuated by those tired of seeing “AAAA” player Casey Blake in the lineup everyday (their words, not mine) and nervous about a platoon of Choo and Michaels to fill another spot in the lineup, the answer would come in the form of a corner OF to slot behind Hafner in the lineup.

One problem with this option is that these players do not simply grow on trees and generally don’t play for the league minimum (Manny Ramirez ain’t donning the Chief next year). Either Garko-my-God-did-you-see-how-far-he-hit-that? and Marte (nice adjustments Andy!) could mature into that RH run producer, but putting that onus on a young player can wreak havoc on a lineup (Exhibit A: Jhonny Peralta in the 3 hole, circa 2006).

Option #3
Take Option #1 and trade Paul Byrd to fill other roster spots, move Carmona into the rotation.
With the knowledge that the FA class (particularly at 2B/SS) is very weak, the Indians may have to move a valuable chip (valuable being a relative term here) to get some value back. Some NL teams could be interested in Byrd, where he could find a little more success than he did this past year.

With the contract that Byrd’s working off of, he’s much more attractive than other FA’s out there – so this option may not be that far-fetched. That is, of course, considering that the Indians think that Carmona can move into the rotation next year. His last few starts have been encouraging, but 2 starts does not a season make. It’s possible that the Indians give Carmona first shot and keep guys like Guthrie, Slocum, and even Miller on speed-dial in case Fausto struggles out of the gate.

Option #4
Blow it up and start over because this team sucks.
Oh, wait…that was from the idiot who was sitting behind us last night, who must call WKNR in his spare time. He also doesn’t realize that C.C. has become a true ace, Hafner is among the top 3 hitters in baseball, and that Sizemore has 92 extra base hits (third in Tribe history, behind Joey’s 103 in 1995 and Hal Trosky’s 96 in 1936) and that he turned 24 on August 24th.

There’s merit to all of the first 3 options and I expect some combination of them to determine the roster for 2007. Option #1 is pretty much a given, but how and where Shapiro decides to spend the Dolans’ money and use the cards in his hand are going to make this the most interesting off-season in memory.

Those are just a few of the seemingly endless options going forward, so submit your own if you didn't spend the ChiSox series in the Mezzanine.

Lots of options this off-season for the Indians means lots of fun for the DiaTriber during the cold winter months on the North Coast.

Final Chapter at the Jake

On an evening that served as a microcosm for the 2006 season (moments of excitement and promise, but ultimately short-lived optimism and, finally, disappointment), I have left Jacobs Field for the last time.

The next time I walk into the structure at the corner of Prospect and Ontario, it will no longer welcome me to “the Jake”; it will be “the Key” or “National City Field” or something else that will make us long for the originality (even if it was fan-created) of lovingly giving an identity to the ballpark.

Much more to come later in the week, but here’s the highlight of the last night - Big League Choo comes out to the song, “Trying to Catch Me Riding Dirty” by Chamillionaire.

There may not be anything funnier that has happened at the Jake this season.

A whole Hot Stove League off-season full of conjecture and second-guessing looms, but as the rain fell while we made our way out of the park, The DiaBride expressed the thoughts of Clevelanders everywhere:

“There’s always next year…right?”

Long Lazy Sunday

With the inexplicable 4PM start time (in Cleveland, no less) for the Ravens’ game, it’s time for an extended Lazy Sunday:

In lieu of Terry Pluto’s regular Sunday column, here’s his newsletter, Direct from Pluto, which discusses the whipping boy du jour, Jhonny Peralta.

This whole Peralta thing has become difficult to watch, in that Wedge has taken his frustration public and suddenly, Peralta has become the poster boy for what has gone wrong with the 2006 Tribe.

Has he been a disappointment? Sure, but let’s take a an overview here:
Is this not the same player who was 2nd in OPS for all SS last year, 2nd only to Miguel Tejada?

Is this not the same player who was the International League MVP in 2005 at age 22, then set the Tribe single season HR record at age 23, batting 3rd?

Isn’t he still 24 years old, and in his 2nd full season in the Majors?

Is there no leeway for pitchers adjusting to Peralta’s tendencies? It’s up to Peralta now to make the adjustments to thrive again, but why is everyone so certain that he won’t?

A lot of the frustration with Peralta has to do with his demeanor, or the look on his face that he simply doesn’t care or isn’t trying. Is it Peralta’s fault that he has an even demeanor and heavy eyelids? When other players keep an even keel, they’re seen as calm and in control, yet with Peralta, even his own team bashes him.

It’s true that this public display of frustration may be a motivational tactic for a coaching staff that may be running out of ideas, but to give up on Peralta at this point would be absolutely asinine.

Peralta’s defensive deficiencies have been magnified by the fact that he’s played with Aaron Boone, a less mobile Ronnie Belliard, Joe Inglett, and Hector Lunesta around him. We’re not talking about Robby Alomar and Matt Williams here.
Is it a coincidence that his 40 game errorless streak coincided with the arrival of a better defensive 3B in Andy Marte?
Give Peralta a DP partner that can turn the DP quickly and cover more ground and his defense becomes solid, if not spectacular, as it was last year.

It’s often been said that players have trouble leaving their difficulties in the field, and not taking them into the batter’s box. Perhaps that’s true of Peralta, whose defensive lapses and lack of confidence in the field could have affected his performance at the plate.

Bottom line, as long as Peralta understands that he’s being counted on for a rebound year for 2007, to prove that 2006 was the aberration, not 2005 – let’s allow this young player continue to develop without running him out of town before his confidence is shattered beyond salvation or only to watch him continue his maturation as a player elsewhere.

Elsewhere, Socker takes a look at where the Tribe rookies fit in for next year, concluding that some may be trade bait for veteran players.
But who? Isn’t this what everyone remembers about John Hart (rather than his building a championship-caliber team) – Giles for Rincon? Indians fans can’t have it both ways, they complain that there’s no home-grown talent (which is laughable – Sabathia, Sowers, Martinez, Peralta) and that the organization is unwilling to part with prospects in a move for a veteran (which has some merit, until you consider that other teams aren’t willing to part with regular contributors for young players off of the scrap heap).

Look at what the Red Sox did this past off-season, acquiring Josh Beckett. The move was heralded as being Boston’s masterstroke, that the one-two punch of Schilling and Beckett would be unstoppable. Um, except that they gave up Hanley Ramirez, and are now devoid of middle infielders, and Aribal Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter.

The point is that these moves are a crapshoot, you may think that you’re fleecing another team, getting much more than you give up, only to have that trade look dreadful in 20/20 hindsight.

The Indians do have some prospects, but the ones that other teams truly covet (Miller, Lofgren, Crowe) are the kind of players that you hate to give up on for two reasons. One, you hate to see your home-grown talent develop elsewhere (ask the Nationals if they’d like Lee and Sizemore in Washington), and two, those young players are under your control, at a manageable salary, for multiple years. So, when these deals get made, you either have to bring in an absolute stud, or you have to trade from depth so it doesn’t affect you long-term plans.

That is, unless you can get someone to bite on a tantalizing package of Jeremy Guthrie, Jason Davis, and Hector Luna for a regular contributor at 2B or in the OF.

Andy Call weighs in on Jason Michaels and his role for 2007. The fact that the Indians haven’t definitively said, “this is one of our guys going into next year” doesn’t bode well for Wet Haired One.

Ken Rosenthal examines the 2007 FA starting pitching class, wondering what player will be vastly overvalued and overpaid. It’s a great piece, pointing out the lack of quality starting pitching in the Majors and teams’ willingness to overpay for it.

Next time that you think that the Indians are in a lot of trouble for next year, read the piece and realize that those players (Cory Lidle, Ted Lilly, etc.) are going to be signed by a rival team to compete with the Tribe rotation. The Indians’ rotation is not a lock-down unit, but I’m glad that we don’t have to think about what Vincente Padilla or Jason Marquis is worth in the off-season.

Another thing about the Rosenthal piece, Miguel Batista is a name that has been forgotten as a potential closer, because of the fact that he started in Arizona this past year. However, 2 years ago, he saved 31 of 39 games for Toronto. Don’t be surprised if this is the “out-of-the-box” thinking that is going around the Tribe offices.

One final thought on the Rosenthal piece, do you think that Jake Westbrook’s agent reads something like that and absolutely salivates? Compare Westbrook to any of those guys, most of whom will likely get 2 to 3 year deals worth between $5M and $8M (yes, $8M) a year. Say what you will about Westbrook (too many hits, not dominant stuff), but he consistently takes the ball every fifth day and keeps the team in the game. With a solid infield defense around him, he could approach Brandon Webb numbers (not match, approach) in that both are sinkerballers who pitch to contact.

For as much grief as I gave Jake at the beginning of the season, I’ll take a serving of crow and say that Westbrook is (at worst) the #3 starter in this rotation and should be considered this off-season for an extension. Think about it this way, both Byrd and Westbrook will be FA at the end of 2007, is there anyone who prefers Byrd? How about Westbrook and Five-And-Fly Cliff Lee?

Finally, for the sake of serial poster, the Baltimoran, who teaches 12 and 13-year olds who are past the “at-risk” stage in their lives in Greater B-more, let’s all hope that the Browns can take out the Ravens.
Otherwise, it'll be another “case of the Mondays” in Maryland.

Bay Area Butchery

The Drive for the .500 season became a pipe dream today with loss #82. This has to be one of the most frustrating seasons in recent memories, with the unfulfilled high expectations.

A quick barrage of Tomahawks:

• Do you think that Peralta is in the Atomic Wedgie’s doghouse? This quote came after Thursday’s non-play that contributed to a 4-run inning:"[Peralta] should have made the play," manager Eric Wedge said, clearly frustrated with a season's worth of watching his defensively challenged infield. "I'm tired of talking about the guy. We've challenged him in about every way you can -- in terms of his pregame work, in terms of his first step and just what he needs to do out there. He's going to have to do better for him to be the defensive shortstop that we need him to be."
  
• The way this bullpen audition is going, it’s apparent that there’s a LOT of work to be done in the off-season to cure the ills.
  
• How about this nickname for the perpetually sleepwalking Hector Luna? Lunesta.
  
• During Wednesday’s game, the camera showed Carmona in the dugout talking to Victor. Suddenly Garko appeared in the foreground. It took a while to figure out what he was doing, pacing around the dugout, bending over, walking somewhere else, bending over. Then I saw it – the stack of used cups in his hand. He was picking up TRASH in the dugout! It made me think of the beginning of “Dazed and Confused” when O’Bannion says to Melvin, “What are you doing? Picking up trash?!?”
  
• How sweet would it be if the White Sox got hot, climbed back into the WC race, only to have the Tribe keep them out of the playoffs in the last weekend? On second thought, who cares who puts them out of the playoff race, so long as they’re sitting the same place as me on October 2nd – at home.
  
• In case you missed it, Wickman re-upped with the Braves for next year for a little over $6M. Meaning he isn’t retiring, he isn’t coming back to Cleveland for a swan song, and the FA closer market for 2007 just got a little thinner. Guys with real closer experience still out there are down to Octavio Dotel, Francisco Cordero, and Eric Gagne. No sure thing there.
  

Since it looks more and more like the additions to the 2007 Tribe are going to be coming via trade, I’ll take a look at the players that may be out there at the positions of need that would be attractive to the Indians.

Final Harvest of the Season

With the Tribe on the Left Coast, I thought it would be a good time to take a final look at the top players in the upper levels of the Minor League system.

The final numbers for the players show the numbers achieved at the highest level at which they appeared for an extended period of time.

I kept the list to prospects only or players who may fit into the Indians’ long-term plans, mainly guys that we didn’t get to see too much of in Cleveland.

Buffalo Bisons (73-68)
Player – BA – HR – RBI – OPS
Kevin Kouzmanoff - .353 – 7 – 20 – 1.056
Franklin Gutierrez - .278 – 9 – 38 - .806
Ben Francisco - .278 – 17 – 59 - .799
Asdrubal Cabrera - .263 – 1 – 14 – .632

Guys like Marte, Inglett, and Garko were excluded from this list because of the extensive time that they spent in Cleveland. Cabrera will get another year in Buffalo to season him as a hitter, because, by most accounts, his defense is already ML-ready. A decision will have to be made on Francisco, who needs to be added to the 40-man roster or he’ll be exposed to the Rule 5 draft. Gutierrez and Kouzmanoff will be given a shot to make the 25-man, though both have options remaining for 2007.

Pitcher – Won/Loss – ERA – WHIP – K/BB
Edward Mujica – 3/1 – 2.48 – 1.10 – 29/5
Andrew Brown – 5/4 – 2.60 – 1.41 – 53/36
Brian Slocum – 6/3 – 2.61 – 1.22 – 91/37
Tom Mastny – 2/1 – 2.61 – 1.08 – 46/16
Rafael Perez – 0/3 – 2.63 – 1.02 – 33/8
Juan Lara – 1/1 – 3.00 – 1.33 – 15/3
Jeremy Guthrie – 9/5 – 3.14 – 1.23 – 88/48
Jake Dittler – 5/12 – 4.70 – 1.55 – 54/50

Obviously, Sowers and Carmona are missing from the list as we’ve all seen the good (Sowers and Carmona as the set-up guy) and the bad (Carmona’s rapid descent from “This Guy Can Save Games” to “We’ve Got To Save This Guy”). These players have all made the trip West to Cleveland, except for Dittler. The results have been fair to middling in Cleveland with Mastny and Lara having the most success. Guthrie and Brown are out of options and may not fit into the 2007 plans; but, then again, maybe none of these guys do.

Akron Aeros (87-55)
Player – BA – HR – RBI – OPS
Brian Barton - .351 – 6 – 26 - .919
Ryan Goleski - 296 – 17 – 63 – .898
Brad Snyder - .270 – 18 – 72 - .796
Ryan Mulhern - .268 – 15 – 69 - .773
Wyatt Toregas - .258 – 4 – 29 - .711
Eider Torres - .273 – 2 – 42 - .650
Trevor Crowe - .234 – 1 – 13 - .643

Barton, Torregas, Goleski, and Crowe all spent most of the season in Kinston, where they justifiably earned the trip to Akron. Goleski, who is 2 months younger that Brad Snyder is starting to outpace the former 1st rounder from Ball State as a possible future corner outfielder. Mulhern will likely move up to Buffalo to take the spot vacated by Garko (assuming he’s in Cleveland). Torres, who is a slick-fielding MI, has numbers that show why he doesn’t fit into the Tribe’s immediate plans at 2B. Overall, it was an underwhelming offensive year for Akron as the brighter prospects, like Crowe, were brought in to help the team with their playoff push. The disappointing offensive output is what makes the pitching performances even more impressive.

Pitcher – Won/Loss – ERA – WHIP – K/BB
Bubbie Buzachero – 8/3 – 2.72 – 1.25 – 71/25
Adam Miller – 15/8 – 2.75 – 1.12 – 157/43
Tony Sipp – 4/2 – 3.13 – 1.08 – 80/21
Aaron Laffey – 8/3 – 3.53 – 1.37 – 61/33
Travis Foley – 4/5 – 3.83 – 1.38 – 86/31
Sean Smith – 10/5 – 3.88 –1.28 – 94/45
Bear Bay – 7/8 – 4.33 – 1.31 – 114/48
Dan Denham – 6/2 – 4.88 – 1.58 – 40/39
Nick Pesco – 6/8 – 5.81 – 1.58 – 64/40

Gaze upon the “Next Wave of Arms”, led by Adam Miller, who could be pitching in Cleveland this time next year. There may be one other spot in the rotation available in Buffalo, with Laffey, Smith, and Bay the most likely candidates. Sipp figures in, down the line, as a match-up lefty while Buzachero may not be in the organization after getting into a fight in the Canal Park locker room, breaking Eider Torres’ jaw. No word on whether Torres made fun of his name to provoke the onslaught.

Kinston Indians (85-54)
Player – BA – HR – RBI – OPS
Jose Costanza (OF) - .327 – 1 – 27 - .855
Jordan Brown (OF) - .290 – 15 – 287 – .831
Stephen Head (1B) - .235 – 14 – 73 - .696
John Drennan (OF) - .239 – 8 – 37 – .656
Matt Whitney (3B) - .206 – 10 – 39 – .656

Once again, like in Akron, the offense in Kinston was not the motor that took this team to a Mills Cup Championship. Jordan Brown is the most impressive of this largely unimpressive group. Drennan is still a youngster who started the season in Lake County (where he hit a HR off of Roger Clemens), and Matt Whitney has ceased to be a prospect, much less a top prospect.

Pitcher – Won/Loss – ERA – WHIP – K/BB
Scott Lewis – 3/3 – 1.48 –0.97 – 123/28
Chuck Lofgren – 17/5 – 2.32 – 1.16 – 125/54
Joe Ness – 9/6 – 3.62 – 1.31 – 120/55
Reid Santos – 2/0 – 3.44 – 1.17 – 65/28
Jensen Lewis – 7/6 – 3.99 – 1.28 – 94/29
Kevin Dixon – 6/3 – 5.19 – 1.43 – 40/23
TJ Burton – 2/5 – 5.36 – 1.69 – 46/18

Again, just like in Akron, the pitchers carried this team. 4 of the 5 starters had ERA’s under 4.00 and Chuck Lofgren cemented his top prospect status. Scott Lewis led all of the Minor Leagues in ERA, earning him the “Most Spectacular Pitcher” Award, three years after undergoing “Tommy John” surgery. Jensen Lewis (21) and Joe Ness (22) are the type of pitchers who progress through the system, never blowing anyone away – just winning

The fact that 2 of 3 of these teams were in the running to win their leagues (with Kinston winning, Akron losing) and the one team that was out of the running (Buffalo) was picked clean by the parent club is pretty encouraging for the future.

Now it’s time for Shapiro and the boys to make the difficult decisions on the 40-man roster so they don’t expose the wrong guys to the Rule 5 Draft and determine which of the higher level prospects will contribute, and when to keep the product at the corner of Prospect and Ontario exciting.

Place Your Bets

Starting off with a little Lazy Sunday round-up:
Paul Hoynes suggests that if the Tribe can’t find a proven closer this off-season, their attention could turn to set-up guys.

The top 10 pitchers leading the lead in “Holds”, or essentially the stat that measures how many 7th or 8th innings are pitched, without incident, by a set-up guy, are:
Scot Shields – LAA
Scott Linebrink – SD
Aaron Heilman – NYM
Joel Zumaya – DET
Juan Rincon – MIN
Dan Wheeler – HOU
Brandon Lyon – ARI
Arthur Rhodes – PHI
Luis Vizcaino – ARI
Kiko Calero – OAK

Shields, Linebrink, Wheeler, and Calero would fit that “emerging set-up guy” that Hoynes speaks of.

Terry Pluto examines the Dominican Dandy and how the 3B battle in Winter Haven may take shape next year.

Tim Kurkjian identifies the Tribe as a “spoiler” for the last 2 weeks.

Ken Rosenthal comes out as the 1st national writer (I think) to board the SuperSizemore bandwagon.

Andy Call thinks the Indians’ big problem is their defense and touches on Guillermo Mota taking some parting shots at Victor Martinez on his way out of town.

With the roll call out of the way, it’s time to head to the Clevelandalay Bay Sports Book:
Going with the idea that the rotation will stay in its current state for 2007, let’s look at how the Bullpen Casting Couch is going.

With apologies to Danny Sheridan, these are the odds I’d give the current Tribe relievers at being out in the good guys’ bullpen in 2007:
Betancourt – 4 to 3
Brown – 25 to 1
Cabrera – 1 to 1
Carmona – 30 to 1
Davis – 4 to 1
Guthrie – 250 to 1
Lara – 100 to 1
Mastny – 20 to 1
Miller – 10 to 1
Mujica – 100 to 1
Perez – 50 to 1
Sikorski – Google to 1
Slocum – 250 to 1

So, if you’re scoring at home – I have Betancourt, Cabrera, Davis, and Miller in the 2007 bullpen. The 3 relievers to be named later will join them to form the 2007 pen.

Mastny, Carmona, Lara, Mujica, Perez, and Slocum would go to the Buffalo staff to refine their pitches as they all have options remaining. Tony Sipp (who will be added to the 40-man in the off-season) will join that group in Buffalo. Carmona and Slocum (and possibly Perez) would likely start in the Buffalo rotation to join Adam Miller and either Aaron Laffey or Sean Smith

The team likely will cut ties with Brown, Guthrie, Sikorski as all are out of options and have done little to play their way into this team’s future. Whether the Indians can package Brown or Guthrie in a deal in the off-season remains to be seen. Sikorski should make sure that he has his passport in order, because his days of pitching stateside are through. Add Jason Stanford to that list of players unlikely to be in the organization next year as his options have also run out.

After the abomination that has been the 2007 pen, expect Shapiro to spend a lot more attention (ergo money) on the back end of the bullpen in the off-season. Whether the arms come in through FA or via trade, the bullpen should have a decidedly different look next year.

If things get ugly in Browns’ Town today (and they might), take a listen to the Aeros’ game as they try to capture the Eastern League crown at 1PM. It’s free on MiLB Gameday Audio.
Bear Bay gets the start over Adam Miller, who has reached his inning total for the year.

Filling Out the Lineup Card

Watching the lineups that have been trotted out there since Pronk’s injury, it’s frustrating to see guys like Boone, Michaels, Luna, and even Blake taking plate appearances away from players that need to be evaluated for next year.

Unless the Tribe is showcasing Michaels for an off-season trade, there’s no reason for him to take time away from Choo or Gutierrez; we know what we have with Michaels – a nice 4th OF who thrives only in a platoon situation. Do Choo or Gutierrez project to be more than that? We’ll never know without seeing them in the lineup with some regularity.

We also know what we have in Luna, an IF with less range than Peralta (never have I longed to see Jhonny at SS than when Luna takes the field) who is incapable of being a starting 2B, and is an even worse option as a Utility IF.

Not that anyone’s asking me to fill out the lineup card, but this is how the lineup should look for the last 16 games of the season- ½ of which are against playoff contenders:
C – Martinez
1B – Garko
2B – Inglett
SS – Peralta
3B – Marte
RF – Gutierrez
CF – Sizemore
LF – Choo/Blake
DH – Kouzmanoff

Kouzmanoff would rotate at DH with Blake, and Martinez/Garko when Shoppach catches so Victor’s legs don’t fall off.

That should be it.

Tell Michaels that you need to evaluate some of these young players and that you are aware of what Michaels brings to the table, other than his perpetually wet hair.

Tell Boone that you appreciate his professionalism and the influence that he’s had on this young team. Thank him for his time here in Cleveland and tell him to enjoy his lovely wife in the off-season.

Tell Blake that he hasn’t been the same since he came off of the DL and that he’s not going to play every day so he doesn’t overcompensate for his aches and pains during the remainder of the season, allowing him to keep his 2006 season a positive one to build on.

Tell Luna to take that frying pan that he calls a glove and make some crepes for the team.

The role of spoiler takes you only so far and evaluating players in Spring Training is far less productive than putting young players in game situations, particularly against teams like the Twins, White Sox, and the A’s – all of whom are still fighting for their playoff lives.

By the way, if you’re looking for Paul Byrd on a Saturday morning, he’s at First Watch at Crocker Park. His Lexus SUV is parked right next to Carl Monday, on his way out of Trader Joe’s with a case of wine.

Just in case you were wondering.