Are We There Yet? Opening Day 2012
Last night we watched the boy’s favorite movie “The Sandlot” and he eventually fell asleep on me. It is usually the other way around. I then put in “The Bad News Bears”, which he woke up to and ask
ed “what is this movie Dad?” Another great baseball movie boy, which I will let you watch when you are old enough to understand ” All we got on this team are a buncha Jews, spics, niggers, pansies, and a booger-eatin’ moron! “ Nights like last night I cherish. The boy had T-ball practice yesterday and he has been asking me to practice with him. He told the teachers at school when he grows up he wants to play baseball for the Cleveland Indians. I was floored when I heard that. I have tried not to push him into baseball. Although I did purchase Hendrix a 20 game package this season. How many six-year old have season tickets? Needless to say baseball plays a major role in my family’s everyday life.
The Indians made each day last summer fun and exciting. Their great start had everyone asking if they won the night before, what time the game started, and who was pitching. You could feel the enthusiasm growing throughout Northeast Ohio. It certainly made for a fun summer. Today me and the wife celebrate the beginning of a new season, Opening Day 2012. I am going with the boy to game 2 on Saturday. This is the “Real Opening Day”, when the true baseball fans attend and leave those just wanting to party at home. Hopefully the Tribe can once again capture our attention for the summer and let us enjoy the warm and long summer days.
The Indians have assembled a team that they say is ready to compete for the playoffs. Here is what the Indians had to say in a letter sent to season ticket holders:
“The Tribe’s strong campaign in 2011 positioned us well to achieve our ultimate goal of bringing a championship to Cleveland. Our talented young group of players has shown success at the Major League level and has propelled us from a developing team to contenders”
Sounds to me like they think they should be in the playoff chase this year. I certainly hope so. I am usually the eternal optimist when it comes to the Tribe. Just ask my “Beer Man” Tim at the games. So I am going to try and give some of my thoughts on the upcoming season and try to be objective.
How many wins does the Tribe end up with? 83
Do they make the playoffs? No
Why not? Everything that could go wrong seems to have went wrong for the Indians so far this spring. The Detroit Tigers who won the division last year sign Prince Fielder. Who the hell do they think they are the New York Yankees? The Tribe signs Ryan Spilborghs! Fausto Carmona one of the starters they would be depending upon turns up not to be who he said he was. Fausto Arrested I was surprised he wasn’t arrested wearing women’s clothing. He is going to be lucky to make it back before the All Star break, and then how long will it take him to get ready? They re-sign Grady Sizemore as their big free-agent acquisition and he goes down for a majority of the season with a bad back. Grady Back Surgery THE FIRST WEEK OF SPRING TRAINING! Ubaldo Jimenez the next to last game of the Cactus League season decides to settle a dispute with a former teammate by throwing a baseball at him. Ubaldo surprised by suspension How about telling him to shut up by striking him out? Tanner Boyle didn’t throw a baseball at someone, he kicked them in the groin and then faught the entire seventh grade.
Not a good start before the season even gets under way.
The starting pitching is not as strong as it needs to be with an offense that can be prone to striking out. Justin Masterson had an incredible year last season. Some believed he needed to be in the bullpen, but I thought he looked like a great starter to me. He murders right handed hitters and last year figured out how to limit lefties from destroying him. I hope he has as good as year as last but that could be hard to repeat. Ubaldo Jiminez had one incredible year and has been mediocre at best since. The is the one player that they really need to come through. I believe the Indians will regret the day they traded Drew Pomeranz for Ubaldo. I really hope I am wrong on this. They brought in a 38 year old Derek Lowe who completely collapsed at the end of last year with Atlanta. I like that they brought in a veteran on the staff, but they are still hoping for a lot. Josh Tomlin defied all of the scouts last year and had a very good year. Again the Indians are hoping that he can repeat last years performance. The final spot of the rotation goes to Jeanmar Gomez. If Fausto was still with the team Gomez would not be in this discussion. I like Gomez but again they are counting on an unproven pitcher. The starting pitching is dependent upon players who don’t have a long track record or their record is trending toward not good.
I don’t expect Asdrubal Cabrerra to repeat his past season. I do think that Shin Soo Choo should come back strong and again be one of the premiere players in Major League baseball. Carlos Santana is also an emerging star. Lets just hope he can keep that batting average up. The Tribe infield with Casey Kotchman and Jack Hannahan should be exciting to watch defensively. Jason Kipnis is the one player who I am excited to see play a full year. I believe he will become one of the city’s favorite players and will be the spark plug on this team. The offense may not be great but it shouldn’t be horrible. The one big hole that the offense has is left field. The Indians brought in numerous players to try and fill that position this spring. The only person who stood out was Shelly Duncan. If we have to watch Shelly Duncan all year in left field something terribly will have went wrong this season. Hopefully the Tribe will get off to a fast start again and quickly try and remedy left field. The only other option is try and hold on till Sizemore gets back and hope he stays healthy.
The bullpen is the strength of this club. I am not worried about the bullpen as they have quality arms at every spot in the bullpen. The Indians have numerous arms in the minors ready to contribute now such as Nick Hagodone and C.C. Lee. (Both are very good) As I have mentioned before, I would not be surprised to see the Tribe trade from this strength to solve a short coming (Left Field?)
I gotta run the wife is yelling at me to go to the game
In the movie ” The Bad News Bears” they didn’t beat the Yankees to win the championship, and the Tribe probably will not win one this year.
“Hey Yankees… you can take your apology and your trophy and shove ‘em straight up your ass!“
They don’t have to win. No matter what happens I will be excited to follow along this summer as the Tribe takes me on my daily journey. Enjoy the season!
Thank you God!
OK, so you probably heard that the Tribe traded for a player by now. If not then his name is …. Drum Roll Please…. Russ Canzler! Indians acquire Russ Canzler from Rays Wow that counteracts the Tigers Prince Fielder signing. I am not into reacting to other clubs actions, but it is another brick laid in this teams perception of being cheap. If it walks like a duck, and looks like a duck… well.
Back to the trade. If you read my earlier blog 50 Guesses 50 Guesses then you will know that I called this trade back in early December.
“Antonetti said we could never guess so I would expect the Tribe to announce a trade that involved players who were uninspiring or we have never heard of.”
So I didn’t say Russ Canzler, but I was hot on the trail! I know how this organization works. Canzler is 25 years old and played last year for the Rays Triple A team in Durham. He was actually the International league MVP, batting .314 , 18 HR’s, 83 RBI’s and a .914 OPS. He is versatile in that he could replace any number of players that the Tribe is hoping and praying has a comeback year, or finally finds it. He played 41 games in right field, 33 in left field, 40 at third base, 17 games at first, and he bats right handed. Just what the Tribe has been looking for. Thank you GOD!
If you haven’t sat down yet, now would be the time. The bad news. This is Canzler’s third organization in the last two years. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 30 round in 2004. Last year the Cubs released him as a free agent and he signed with the Tampa Rays. Now the Rays are trading him to the Tribe for CASH. Not the biggest ringing endorsement when two clubs basically say your free to go. Especially after an MVP season. The Rays actually dropped Canzler off their 40 man roster after signing Carlos Pena (who the Tribe was rumored to be after), and Jeff Keppinger. Yes that Jeff Keppinger who has been with 5 teams in his seven year career, and has a .281 average with 32 lifetime home runs.
This is another example of the Tribe taking a free spin at the Giant Slot Machine at the entrance to the casino. The Indians lose nothing by adding Canzler to the roster. At worst he provides depth at Triple A Columbus and becomes another 4AAAA player in the mold of Jordan Brown. Maybe at age 25 Canzler is beginning to figure it out and the Tribe gets lucky. I am pulling for Keppinger and hope he turns out to be that MVP, I just wont be counting on it. I could see the Cubs making a mistake and releasing him, but the Rays have been pretty good the last few years evaluating talent.
The Indians didn’t have to trade any players for this lottery ticket. In fact they actually spent money, so for all you who think the Tribe is cheap, take a seat. At least until they lay the next brick in the foundation.
I feel like Charlie Brown
The Dolans are called cheap by many fans. I don’t actually think they are the worst owners the Indians could have and they have spent some money before. Not a lot but some.
The Detroit Tigers though have a way of making the Dolans seem like biggest cheapskates in the world. If you haven’t heard the Tigers don’t dilly dally with Ryan Spilborgh, Gregorio Petit, Aaron Cunningham and the Jason Michaels of the world. The Tigers go for the Prince as in Prince Fielder. Tigers sign Prince Fielder The same guy who the Tribe desperately needs to man first base with his powerful right handed bat. He is way out of the Tribe’s price range and probably was never even given the time of day by the Indians. The Tigers said late last year that he was to expensive for them and they could not sign him. They did what they needed to do after losing Victor Martinez for the year. Even if that meant bringing in another first baseman to play a position that their best player Miguel Cabrera currently plays.
Notice to the Dolans. You better start playing hard ball and play with the big boys. Detroit does it and doesn’t complain about the small market. Yea baseball needs to fix its finances for small market clubs. But instead of complaining about your inabilities to compete with the big boys, just do it. Detroit does it and so can you.
50 Guesses
Ok the winter meetings have ended in Texas where it was below freezing occasionally. They could have had the meetings in Cleveland.
The Tribe has been connected to a lot of rumors. I really don’t expect the Indians to be big players in the free agent market, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they went with a trade. Free agent Josh Willingham’s name keeps coming up and there have been rumors since last summer. I assume the Indians are serious about Willingham, but so are a few other clubs. Tribe talking to Willingham They could sign Willingham and still make a trade. If they don’t sign Willingham I expect that they will actively pursue a trade for a right handed bat. As I have mentioned before they have plenty of relief pitching available. The Tribe has quality relief pitchers at the major league level and at about every stop of their minor leagues system. This is a position of strength in the Indians organization. Don’t be surprised if any relief pitcher is traded, including closer Chris Perez. Free agents and ex-Indians Mark DeRosa and Casey Blake have also been mentioned as potential Tribe targets. They both are at the end of their careers and would come cheap. I am not sure how they would help, but wouldn’t it be nice to see Blake in a Tribe uniform again. Tribe interest in Blake
Here is the real news. Chris Antonetti was quoted at the meetings that he had a trade in the works and if it goes through you couldn’t guess it in 50 tries. Antonetti hints at surprising deal in works So I decided that I would give it a try. I don’t think the Tribe would be able to trade for a majority of the players that I am about to list. The player’s salary and the probability of the other team parting ways with a star player being the main reasons the Indians would never make these moves. But Antonetti did say we couldn’t guess who it was so I can take some liberties and guess wildly, maybe even dream.
Antonetti said we could never guess so I would expect the Tribe to announce a trade that involved players who were uninspiring or we have never heard of. My first choices and probably the most likely are:
The “who the hell are you”, better known as the David Dellucci/Jason Michaels group:
50. Jason Michaels HOU – Yes he is still playing and he batted .199 with 2 HR’s last year. Wow.
49. Kyle Blanks SAN – Career #s 420 AB – 20 HR – .219 AVG. Just what the Tribe doesn’t need.
48. Brian Bixler WAS – Career .187 hitter who plays SS. He is from Sandusky.
47. Drew Stubbs CIN – Actually a tough player, with lots of energy. Great 4th outfielder.
46. Chris Carter OAK – Who?
45. Russell Branyan LAA – He is in fact a free agent.
You make way too much money for the Indians to ever consider group. (This group could include all of the remaining players) Any trades made for these players would require the Indians giving up high prospects and/or current players, and the other participating team taking on a majority of the players’ salary.
44. Jason Bay NYM – Two down years in a row, maybe on the down side of his career.
43. Joey Votto CIN – Do the Reds trade a past MVP? He is due a big raise soon making it a possibility. I doubt the Tribe would want to deal with that raise.
42. Matt Holiday STL – Do the Cardinals begin to retool since losing Pujols?
41. Vernon Wells LAA – 26 million per year. The Tribe would have to send half their team to cover that salary.
40. Alfonso Soriano CHC – The Cubs would love to get rid of Soriano, but would they eat that much of his contract? He is getting up there in age, but he might fit into the Tribe’s window.
39. Carlos Zambrano CHC – The Cubs would do anything to drop this head case. He is the Milton Bradley of pitchers. They played on the same team! Reality show.
38. Jose Bautista TOR – Does Toronto sell a player at his highest value. One who has been linked to stealing signs?
37. Carl Crawford BOS – They were not happy with his performance last year on the field or in the clubhouse.
36. Alex Rio CWS – The White Sox regret picking up Rios and his contract.
35. Hunter Pence PHI – They were renting him last year. Yea right.
I wish (The Tribe would have to sell the farm for any of these players)
34. David Wright NYM – Goodbye Chisenhall, Chris Perez and others…
33. Ryan Braun MIL – Never happening.
32. Andrew McCutchen PIT – Would Pittsburgh trade the face of their franchise for enough players?
31. Paul Konerko CWS – Perfect player for the Tribe clubhouse, but not going to happen.
30. Kevin Youkilis BOS – Another great player and club house leader the Indians need. Not going to happen.
29. Pablo Sandoval SF – A young third baseman with a low salary. The Giants would require a lot to trade him, Chisenhall plus others. He does have weight problems and just maybe the Giants sell high.
28. Justin Upton ARZ – Back up the truck full of major league talent for a player of this caliber.
27. Jason Heyward ATL – He is a lefty and the Braves are looking for another bat. This trade would never work out. Just my wish to have instead of Beau Mills who the Indians drafted one spot ahead of Heyward in the 2007 draft.
26. Desmond Jennings TB – Tampa Bay giving up young, cheap talent. Not likely.
25. Adam Jones BAL – The Orioles have numerous holes. Do they trade a star player to quickly fill those holes?
24. Mike Stanton MIA – Young player with power. Would the Marlins trade him if they sign Fielder for other parts? Doubt it.
Possible, but I really doubt it group. The Tribe would have to send multiple players and have the other team take on a majority of the contract, or this group may have other problems complicating a trade.
23. Carlos Gonzalez COL – Colorado needs more parts and is not ready to compete yet. They would ask for a lot and probably major league talent. He is a lefty and the Tribe is looking for a right handed bat
22. Delmon Young DET – The Indians were linked to Young in the summer. Would they make a trade with Detroit?
21. Denard Span MIN – Again would the Indians trade with a division opponent? Twins need relief help.
20. James Loney LAD – Career .288 hitter with 15 HR power. The problem is he is left handed.
19. Shane Victorino PHI – Would be a great fit on the Tribe. Philly is getting old and needs bullpen help. They also have younger outfield options to maybe fill in for Victorino. His salary is getting up there.
18. Lance Berkman STL – He is getting older and only makes 8 million. Cardinals could retool and take on some of the salary?
17. . Michael Young TEX – He is 35 and has no set position with Texas. He also makes 16 million per year.
These trades I could possible see working.
17. Seth Smith COL – Left handed but has a nice average with average power. We need a righty.
16. Adam LaRoche WAS – He has 25 HR power and is a .267 career hitter as a lefty. Last year he had shoulder problems and was finished early in the season. He posted career lows and is signed for one more year with a club option for 2013. LaRoche might be out of the Tribe’s price range.
15. Jeff Francoeur KC – The Tribe had interest last year at the trade deadline in Francoeur.
14. Carlos Quentin CWS – I am not so sure how feasible this is really, but the White Sox need to get younger and are in a state of transition.
13. Chris Young ARZ – Good HR totals with a low lifetime average. Would the Diamondbacks consider letting him go for pitching?
12. Mitch Moreland TEX – With the Rangers looking to spend money and may be on Fielder, someone is available.
11. Mike Carp SEA – Seattle is looking into 1st baseman Prince Fielder also.
10. Justin Smoak SEA – The Mariners received the highly touted Smoak in a trade last year for Cliff Lee. If they are looking at Fielder they may be looking to trade Smoak for other talent.
9. Marlon Byrd CHC – The Cubs need a fresh start and almost anyone should be available.
8. Mark Reynolds BAL – Great power, but man does this guy strike out a lot. 196 times last year and that was his best in the last 4 years. WOW! Look out Branyon Russell.
7. Carlos Lee HOU – Houston needs talent at many positions. Lee is one of the few tradable commodities the Astros have.
6. Brett Wallace HOU – I have talked about Wallace in prior post. If the Astros keep Lee which they have said they will, I assume they would try and trade Wallace.
5. Prado Martin ATL – Atlanta is looking for a bat and Martin has been connected to multiple teams in trade rumors. 10-15 HR power with the ability to hit over .300.
4. Gabby Sanchez MIA – Miami flirted with Albert Pujols and now are mentioned in the Prince Fielder talks. If Fielder ends up in Miami then Sanchez will be moved. 20HR power with a .270 average.
3. Yonder Alonso CIN – The Reds have Joey Votto and can use Alonso to help fill holes. Alonso has power and hits for average, the downside………. He is left handed.
2. Mark Trumbo LAA – The Angles just signed Albert Pujols. Trumbo was a rookie last year and batted .254 with 29 HR. Oh if Matt LaPorta could do that.
1. Hanley Ramirez MIA – What? He plays shortstop! So does Jose Reyes that the Marlins just signed. The Tribe could move him to 3rd base like the Marlins are planning on doing. Ramirez has been mentioned in trade rumors and reports are he is not happy about moving to 3rd base. He is a high maintenance player that Miami may look to get rid of. His name was mentioned quit frequently at the winter meeting, and where there is smoke there is a fire. Ramirez has a career .306 average and 25 homerun power. Would the Tribe consider going with a young established player over Lonnie Chisenhall. Reality check for Ramirez
Who do think Antonetti was talking about? Post your ideas in the comments section.
Let’s have an Eric Berger Look-A-Like Day at the Ballpark
My new favorite Tribe player.
Sweet Stash!
Please let this player make it to the big leagues with his mustache intact. Berger is a left handed pitcher who spent the majority of the season in AA Akron. He moved up to AAA Columbus at the end of the year, so a possible promotion to the show could be close (maybe by the end of the year). Lets just hope he doesn’t shave.
The Tribe’s next move
This is a little long, but here goes. I was going to write about the Indians next move when news broke today about Grady Sizemore possibly returning to the Tribe. Sizemore on verge of deal I have been wondering for a few weeks now what the front office was thinking by not picking up Sizemore’s contract. I just can not see them replacing Grady with any comparable player without paying a huge sum of money. And as we all know the Tribe is very unlikely to jump in on a big free agent, especially at this point in the teams development. The Dolan’s have spent money before contrary to popular belief, but I don’t see the front office spending money at this time. Especially with the uncertainty about this team and what exactly they have. The Tribe could sign Sizemore to incentive laden one year contract. Possibly worth more than the 9 million he was to make. If he plays the entire year and meets the goals that is great. Hopefully the rest of the team will perform as expected and the Indians will have a great season. If he excels but the rest of the team falters the Tribe could easily trade him and get back a good prospect or needed piece. Suppose he is still hurt and plays randomly or he has a lackluster year. The Indians would not be stuck with a multiyear contract. The price to bring in a free agent would probably be much more than taking the risk with Sizemore. I have been researching some of the players that are free agents and players the Tribe may target in trades.
I will start out with the 2011 free agents. Jim Bowden on ESPN.COM has an article on the projected price of each free agent. Obviously the Indians will not be pursuing Pujols or Fielder. Count out Carlos Beltran as he would be to expensive and reportedly he already nixed a midsummer trade to the Tribe. Here is a list of possible free agents with their batting stance and age.
Michael Cuddyer – Twins – Righty age 32 Cuddyer is considered a great clubhouse presence and he hits lefties which the Tribe sorely needs both. He is a career .270 hitter with 20 HR power. He can play multiple positions, but does not excel defensively. Here is the main problem. He will probably command a 10 million dollar annual salary and his name had been linked to numerous high profile teams. He will be to expensive for the Cleveland Kinks (I’m on a Low Budget- as Ray Davies once said).
The next three players played on an Oakland team that made the Tribe’s offense look like Murderers’ row.
Josh Willingham – Oakland – Righty age 32 The Tribe was linked to Willingham in the summer before the trade deadline. He made 6 million last year while battting .246. He is a career .262 hitter with 20 – 25 HR power. Unlike Cuddyer he does not hit lefties, is an outfielder only, and he is not a great defender. Bowden reports he should command a salary around 7 million a year. Seems like a lot for a player that puts up numbers similar to Sizemore’s. Sizemore offers the potential to improve.
David DeJesus – Oakland – Lefty age 31 DeJesus made 6 million last year and is reportedly going to be in the 4 mill this year. He bats left handed and the Tribe could really use a righty. He struggles with left handers like the rest of the Tribe. He has no arm in the outfield and is not the best defender. He is a career .284 hitter but only hit .240 last season and has 10 HR power. At 4 million a year he is an option, but I believe Sizemore brings so much more possible upside to the offense and defense.
Coco Crisp – Oakland – Bats Switch age 32, Can you believe that this is a name that could resurface with the Tribe. Crisp was rumored in trades with the Tribe this summer and again during free agency. He made 5.75 million last year will make approximately the same in his new contract. Another player who has troubles with lefties, but he did steal 49 bases last year. A career .275 hitter, but only a .736 OPS. The Indians need more offense than that and Crisp is not a superstar in the field.
Jason Kubel – Twins – Lefty age 29 Kubel will receive a salary around 5 mil a year. He is a career .271 with 20 HR power. A majority of those coming off the Tribe it seems like. He is a poor defender and actually probably better suited to DH. Just what the Tribe doesn’t need, another DH.
Johnny Damon – Tampa Rays – Lefty age 38 The end is coming for Damon. If the Tribe could sign him to a short term contract around a couple million, I would say maybe. He made 5 mil last year while hitting .261 with 16 HR. For Detroit in 2010 he hit .271 with 8 HR. He has a proven track record but the age is a concern.
Andrew Jones – Yankees – Righty age 34 Jones had his best year since 2006. He hit .247 with 13 HR last year. Jones has never been a high average hitter and he is 5 years removed from his monster home run years. He is no longer a premiere outfielder either.
Cody Ross – Giants – Righty age 30 Cody made 6.3 million last year while hitting .240 with 14 HR. He is a career .268 hitter with 20 HR potential. I am not sure I would give him a long term contract, but this may be one player I would add as insurance. If Sizemore was unable to play or another outfielder was injured Ross would be a great insurance policy to have. He could also fill in regularly and give Sizemore, Choo and Brantley a day off. He is also the right handed bat the Tribe has been looking for. I would not want the tribe to replace Sizemore with Ross but to possibly add him to the team.
Kosuke Fukudome – Indians – Lefty age 34 Fukudome joined the Indians last year at the trade deadline. His stats with the Tribe were unimpressive, but I believe he would be a great 4th outfielder. Would he settle for that? I doubt it.
J. D. Drew – Boston – Lefty age 35 Drew has had one good year in his career in my opinion and should NOT be considered.
Rick Ankeil – Washington – Lefty age 32 See J. D. Drew!
The majority of free agents are at an age that most players begin to slow down and most are left handed (like Grady). The Tribe is in search of a right handed bat. I believe that Cody Ross due to his age and that he puts up the same numbers as other free agents, should be on the Indians phone list. He has 20 HR potential will probably command a lower salary than most of the free agents I have discussed. David DeJesus and Johnny Damon could also be low cost options, but I don’t know if either would come to possibly be a part time player. Possible Damon, but each has their own warts. DeJesus no defense, doesn’t hit lefties and little power. Damon is getting up there in age and is also left handed.
Two players that are free agents that I did not talk about are first basemen Casey Kotchman and Carlos Pena. The Tribe could try and sign either one of these players to replace Sizemore or add offense to the team.
Pena – Cubs – Lefty age 33 Pena could possibly platoon at first base since he has problems with lefties. I don’t see the Tribe wanting to add a first baseman that needs to platoon. Pena does take a lot of walks and has a high on base percentage. It is strike out, home run, or walk for Pena. He will reportedly earn 10.5 million this next contract and I pretty sure that will exclude the Tribe.
Kotchman – Tampa Rays – Lefty age 28 Here is a player that I would like to see the Indians pursue. Kotchman is known as one of the better defensive first basemen in the league. He is a career .268 hitter with 10 – 15 HR power. If LaPorta is not considered the first base man for the Tribe, I believe they should consider a superior replacement in the field. Kotchman is going to command a 4 million dollar contract according to Bowden. The Tribe should be able to afford that. They could offer Kotchman a little more money for a one year deal and send LaPort back to the minors. LaPorta does not have anything else to prove, but it may be message to him. I am not sure LaPorta is not major league material. He did have 53 RBI’s in 353 at bats last year, but his defense leaves something to be desired. If LaPorta could play everyday he may put up 100 RBI’s. If the Tribe believes in LaPorta and that he can fix his mental lapses on defense great. If not they should consider Kotchman.
Derrek Lee is another first basemen free agent. He is 36 and rarely is healthy anymore. Five years age he would have been a player the Indians would have been looking for.
Another route the Indians could take is trading for a player. Here are some of the players that names have been rumored in trades.
Denard Span – Twins – Lefty age 27 Span is speedy defensive center fielder who makes 1 million a year. He is a .285 career hitter who would fit in the Tribe’s budget. The only problem is that the Indians would have to probably trade a reliever, possibly Chris Perez. The Tribe has loads of talent coming up through the minors that are relief pitchers. It is the one are that the Indians will probably be set at for a few years. I could see the Tribe trading Perez as they have numerous possible replacements. If the Indians resign Sizemore I don’t see the need for Span.
B.J. Upton – Detroit – Righty age 27 Upton is the right handed bat the Tribe is looking for and he is only 27. He has 20 HR power could steal 40 bases. He strikes out a LOT (fits in with the Tribe nicely), and has a low career OPS .758. He also plays with Detroit and do we make a trade with such close competition?
Martin Prado – Braves – Righty age 28 Makes 3 million and can play multiple positions OF/3B. Contact hitter who is a .293 career hitter with 15 home run power. Braves are looking for impact outfield bat. I am not sure what the Tribe could offer.
Charlie Blackmon – Rockies – Lefty age 25 Blackmon was hurt and put on the 60 day DL last year with a fractured left foot. He has a .316 career minor league average and could blossom into a good player. Would be a great option as a 4th outfielder and would probably not take a top player to trade for. One of the Tribe’s many minor league relievers would hopefully do the trick.
Brett Wallace – Astros- Lefty 25 Wallace is behind Carlos Lee in Houston and has no position. He was 42nd best prospect in 2009 when LaPorta was the 14th. 2010 he was the 16th best prospect. He is known as a hitting machine, but his brief stints in he majors have shown little. Wallace has 20 plus home run power and a high batting average. He has limited range and he can only play first or DH. A major plus is Wallace makes the league minimum, a perfect fit for the Tribe (Cleveland Kinks). Wallace has been involved in 3 major trades. Once for Matt Holliday, once for Roy Holliday, and in he Roy Oswalt trade.
As I mentioned earlier that I think it is in the best interest of the Indians to bring back Grady Sizemore. The upside potential with Sizemore is greater than the other free agents available at comparable cost. If Sizemore fails it is for one year. If he returns to Super Sizemore the Tribe can sign him or trade him for other players. Adding a player such as Cody Ross, Charlie Blackmon, Kosuke Fukudome, or Martin Prado should be considered weather Sizemore resigns or not. I believe the Tribe should look seriously at possible adding a first baseman. The player may depend upon Sizemore signing. Kotchman would cost a little more money, but adds a great defensive first baseman. A trade for Wallace adds a big league ready bat that may not have had enough major league experience to show its true worth. In a perfect world the Tribe resigns Sizemore and adds another outfielder, and a first baseman. I am keeping my eyes on these names: Martin Prado, Cody Ross, Charlie Blackmon, Brett Wallace and Casey Kotchman. It would be nice to see two of those name with the Tribe come opening day along with Grady Sizemore.
Check back a the around the first of the year and I will try to post again. A little shorter also.
Welcome
I have decided to join the rest of the world and give my two cents on the Cleveland Indians. I don’t expect this to be a regular blog, but I will try to post comments on the Tribe at least once a week. I hope this blog allows family and friends to follow and discuss the Cleveland Indians. Anyone else who runs across this please feel free to join in. Comments are welcome.
Randall Gregory
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