While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
“But it casts a light on the difference in philosophies between the two teams. The Nets are trying to win now, in an era dominated by super teams, and they have no fallback plan. The Cavs are trying to win later, and are hoping to give themselves the best chance at a super team, or a way out for the future.
It isn’t that the Cavs have been quiet or in stasis during free agency; they’re just not making moves for the sole sake of making moves (see: the Suns acquiring the amnestied Luis Scola). The club has worked out and talked with free agent point guards Derek Fisher and Jonny Flynn, made its qualifying offers to Harangody, Alonzo Gee (still pending) and Semih Erden (off to Turkey) and is still in talks to bring back Daniel Gibson (who is on a team option for 2012-13). Cleveland has been right in the thick of every Dwight Howard rumor as a third team with open cap space. That space is extremely valuable as an asset right now, and GM Chris Grant knows it.” [Rickman/SBNation]
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An interview with Tyler Zeller- “StepienRules: What are your initial impressions of Cleveland so far? Tyler Zeller: The people are fantastic. They are avid fans and they are very, very nice. I haven’t really gotten into the city of Cleveland much, I’ve got two tours of it, but I really haven’t done anything yet. We’ve been more in Independence where the practice facility is. That’s a fantastic practice facility, I went to the Q one time and that’s phenomenal also. So I know I’ll move there in August / September, and I’ll get more experience then.” [Bowers/Stepien Rules]
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Not Cleveland related, but this is a fantastic quote from Buhner on Ichiro- “Jay Buhner, the man Ichiro Suzuki replaced in right field for the Seattle Mariners more than a decade ago, doesn’t want to see his old team sign him to a contract extension this offseason. Ichiro might be putting together a Hall of Fame career, but Buhner has seen what everyone else has during the past season-plus: Suzuki is in decline, he turns 39 in October and he’ll be expensive to bring back.
When speaking to ESPN radio in Seattle on Tuesday, the man they called “Bone” cut right to it when it came to Ichiro possibly coming back to Safeco Field full time (text via the Seattle Times): “I’d vomit,” Buhner said. “I mean, really, no offense. No offense, we’ve got to get this organization turned around. You can’t be spending all the money on one guy.” [Brown/Big League Stew]
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Looking at potential trade options for the Tribe- “Headley was a second-round draft pick of the Padres in 2005 coming out of the Univerity of Tennessee and was fast tracked to the bigs, getting his first cup of coffee with the Padres in 2007 after destroying AA. He didn’t stick until 2009, playing left field while LGFT Kevin Kouzmanoff held down third. Kouzmanoff was dealt in the offseason (with Eric Sogard for Scott Hairston and (wait for it…….Aaron Cunningham!)), primarily to make room at third base for Headley.” [Let's Go Tribe]
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“Chicago is energized by a guy the Indians did not go after, and the Tigers finally are starting to look like the team they were supposed to be, winning eight of their last 10 and moving into the second wild-card spot. The Indians are one-half game back, but when it’s a Cleveland team, one-half seems like seven-and-a-half.” [McManamon/FSO]
