The 5-Hole: Blue Jackets News and Notes – 12/08/09
December 8, 2009On Randy Lerner, Credible Leaders and Charlie Weis
December 8, 2009
Remember last year at the MLB Winter Meetings when the Indians hand their hands in the cookie jar of free agent closer Kerry Wood; were trading OF Franklyn Guitierrez to Seattle in a three-way deal that netted them reliever Joe Smith and 2B Luis Valbuena; and were looking at ways to fill the hole at third base. At this time last year, the Indians were supposed to be contenders.
Fast forward a year and the Wahoo Warriors are as close to a rebuilding project as they could be without actually calling it one. Perhaps the most telling number is in reference to utility man Jamey Carroll and his salary. JC, one of the most under-appreciated utility guys in the game, had a club option with the Indians for $2.5 million, which they declined. Had they picked it up, Carroll would have been the sixth highest paid player on the team.
Yikes.
Speaking of salaries, GM Mark Shapiro and his trusty staff would do anything if they could get out from under the 10,000 pound gorilla of Travis Hafner’s contract (Pronk is scheduled to make over $14 million in 2010). But with Pronk’s diminishing skills and inability to play in the field, they are stuck with him. Another contract Shappy would love to move is that of closer Kerry Wood.
Wood signed his two year, $21.5 million deal at the winter meetings last year with the thought that he was the final piece to the puzzle at the back of the Indians bullpen. He chose Cleveland because he wanted to close on a contender. Not only did that not happen, but Wood barely got a chance to prove his worth on a 97 loss team. His 2011 vesting option of 55 games closed seemed like a formality when he signed it, but he only got to close out 50 games in 2009. With a young team set for 2010, Wood may bot reach that number again.
Through it all, Wood hasn’t complained and hasn’t asked to be traded. However, he doesn’t need to ask. The PD’s Paul Hoynes reported that Wood is indeed on the market. However, the Indians are more than likely looking to dump his entire salary on someone; something that will not be easy to do. If you consider the 2011 vesting option, it may be even harder to reach, unless Shapiro can find a team willing to take on Wood as a very expensive set up man. New York Yankees, anyone?
I know the Yankees have other priorities and aren’t looking to increase payroll, but considering they may move Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes back to the rotation, they would have the need for a legit eighth inning guy. If he wasn’t closing, he would be just a one-year commitment and Wood could have his best ever shot at a ring. Just putting it out there.
As for the rest of the team, the Indians still need a utility man to replace Carroll, who says he hasn’t ruled out a return to Cleveland (though he is being pursued by several teams who can pay him more, the Reds being one of them), as well as a potential veteran arm to compete for a spot in the rotation with the bevy of young arms behind Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona.
Don’t expect much, if any, movement from the Indians until the dust settles and the non-tender list comes out later this week. One thing is for sure, this winter will be nothing like last winter with Shapiro and his crew.
12 Comments
I wonder if Hafner will end up being a pariah in this town if he can’t turn it around. I’m pretty sure there will be some people out there who won’t appreciate his situation, and would gladly let him know if they see him.
What exactly is Hafner’s situation?
His 4 year / $57 million extension kicks in this year and he sucks, in a nutshell.
We have Hafner under contract through 2012 (so just three more years; that’s better, right?). Here are the figures:
2010: $11.5 million
2011: $13.0 million
2012: $13.0 million
2013: Club Option (either $2.75 million buyout or–gulp–$13.0 million)
For all the love that Shapiro gets in the stat community, he had to pick two of these four to sign long-term due to budgetary constraints:
Travis
CC
Jake
Victor
As the knight in Indiana Jones says, “You chose……..POORLY.”
Back to Wood, I’d love for a team to take his contract off our hands for the sake of good business moves, but honestly, it doesn’t really matter. If Dolan saves the money on Wood, it’s not likely that he’s going to reinvest it in the 2010 club to make a run, so really it’s just adding to his bottom line.
And in other news, the Yankees continue to ruin baseball by aquiring Curtis Granderson.
Another year of awesome MLB action to look forward to.
The Yankees acquire Granderson, Kerry Wood, and Roy Holliday. Bud Selig refuses to admit baseball is unfair. Baseball officials refuse to acknowledge that football is number one now. In other news the Indians get rid of everyone but Hafner, because no one wants him.
Exciting hot stove news for the Tribe! While other teams add key pieces and look to improve, the Dolan’s search for exciting ways to cut payroll and add to their bottom line.
FA asking over the league minimum, move on, too rich for our blood! Catch the 2010 Tribe and see if the Dolan dream of fielding an entire team making league minimum can be realized. Great tickets still available!
Loved that the idea of a Salary Cap/Floor was at least mentioned among the owner meetings – even if they were voted down. While a cap would likely be exponentially higher than anythin the Indians would spend, at least it would curtail growth in that top end number.
I’m actually the glad the Indians won’t be doing all that much. They need to let the kids play this year and figure out what they’ve got. If they deal Wood for salary reasons, fine, only because he’s not part of the long-term plans, but if they have to keep him I think that certainly doesn’t hurt from a baseball perspective. Hafner’s albatross of a contract on the other hand…
Why on earth would the Tigers do that deal????
Rule of thumb for Cleveland…
Never, EVER make another candy bar for anyone again.