WaitingForNextYear

This morning, the Cleveland Indians announced that they have purchased the contracts of seven players and added them to their 40-man roster.  Among the seven is Jordan Brown, whom we have discussed around these parts for a good portion of the last two seasons.

With Andy Marte getting his just due with the big boys last season, the move kept Brown with the Columbus Clippers.  In fact, Brown was in Triple-A for two straight seasons – something that is not very common among top prospects.  But with the influx of young talented outfielders like Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley, Brown had been placed on the back burner despite solid hitting statistics.

The team press release had the following on Brown: (more…)

It is amazing how dates like this can sneak up on you when your expectations are nil.  The Indians were semi-active last season in free agency.  They went out and signed Mark DeRosa, Carl Pavano, and Kerry Wood.  This season?  Not so much.  At this point, it is tough for me to even sit here and tell you what the Indians’ needs are.  I know the Tribe could use a lot of proven players in a lot of positions.  Then again, they are so filled with youth and prospects all over the field that you never quite know when you will want a veteran to just get out of the way.  Unless that veteran is David Dellucci.  I always wanted him to get out of the way. (more…)

By now, Tribe fans are likely aware that former All-Star catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. has been named to the Indians coaching staff as a first base coach.  It was only a few months ago when Alomar was inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame.  It was at this time that the ex-catcher was spending time with the New York Mets.

In fact, up until this past week, it was widely thought that Mets general manager Omar Minaya would not be letting Sandy look for a position elsewhere in the bigs as he had spent two years in New York. 

In today’s conference call, Alomar stated that he was a bit surprised as to how quickly things unfolded and he became a member of the Tribe’s staff in about a weeks time.

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News flash: The Cleveland Indians are in rebuilding mode.  A young core group of guys – at least on the offensive side of things – that may allow this team to once again compete, albeit in three years.  A part of that core is center fielder Grady Sizemore.  But for how long?

When Mark Shapiro and company put up the white flag to the fans by shipping both Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee to contenders despite both players still having one year on their respective contracts, the radar then turned to the only real “star” left on the squad. 

Sizemore, 27, is coming off of a season where his numbers were hampered by injury.  Fresh off of the operating table, the two-time gold glove winner will look to rebound for the good of the Indians as well as himself.  Yes, he is under contract until 2012, but that last year is a team option for $8.5 million with a $500,000 buyout. (more…)

One year after singing a true closer, it appears that the Indians could already be regretting the move.  ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that Mark Shapiro and staff would entertain offers for their 32-year old flame thrower.

Kerry Wood was given a two-year deal that could become three if certain criteria was met just a year ago.  Two years does not seem all that bad until you realize that Wood will make $10.5 million this season – with a possible $11 million in 2011.  Under normal circumstances, this is not a ton of money for a pitcher that can throw bullets; especially on a team that has had such turmoil in late innings.

Then again, the Cleveland Indians are not “normal” by any stretch of the imagination when it comes to paying players.  (more…)

Though the Cleveland Indians will be coming off of a season that saw 97 losses, those that were traded away in said season will look to be a little more successful with their respective teams.  Fortunately for both Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez, they will get at least one more crack at the post season with their new squads.

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has already picked up the club option on ace lefty Cliff Lee.  Costing the Phillies $9 million, hopes are that Lee can replicate his successes in 2010 that he saw in 2009 where he saw a postseason record of 4-0 with an ERA of 1.56.

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Yesterday’s hire of Tim Belcher as Cleveland’s pitching coach gave a glimpse at what the Indians are looking to accomplish this season at the Major League level. Belcher, who has been all around the organization for the past eight years, had a relatively solid MLB playing career under some of the top pitching coaches in the business including Bud Black over for the Angels. With this hire in place, it is now the perfect time to analyze what he and new manager Manny Acta will have to assemble their opening day rotation.

Beginning from #13 and advancing to your projected opening day starter, I preview all of the different individuals that could have an impact as a starter for the Cleveland Indians this season. I included all of the recent stats at the top levels of the minor leagues as well as their career MLB record and age for the start of this season. I have heard grumblings that the team might be interested in acquiring an extra starting pitcher to help all of the youngsters, but we will see later how that affects this early breakdown.

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The Tribe’s new coaching staff is slowly taking form as the team announced today that they have promoted/hired Tim Belcher to Major League Pitching Coach.

The first overall pick in 1983 (as well as the 1984 secondary draft) has spent the last eight years with the Indians as Special Assistant to Baseball Operations. 

Per the Indians media relations:

Tim worked extensively within the Indians Player Development System, providing instruction and evaluation at each level of the organization.  (more…)

In what is a relatively bad day for Indians fans, we can at least take solace in the fact that we have one of the top prospects in baseball in Carlos Santana.  The young catcher continues to rack up awards, with his latest just being released today as Santana was named Topps/Minor League Player of the Year for the Eastern League.

The Indians media relations had the following:

[Santana was] also named league MVP at the end of the season as he led Akron to the Eastern League title… The 23-year old batted .290 (124-for-428) with 30 2B, 2 3B, 23HR, 97RBI and 91 runs scored in 130 games…He led the league in slugging% (.530), OPS (.943) and walks (90), was second in home runs, RBI and OBP (.413), and was third in runs scored…His 90 walks were a new franchise record…Santana was an Eastern League mid and postseason all-star selection and played for the World Team in the Futures Game in St. Louis.

Just remember that we received Santana in a mid-year deal for Casey Blake. 

Does that help a little?

Yes, Larry. We're tired too.

Not that it will help ease the pain today when we look through the images of CC Sabathia and the Yankees celebrating yet another MLB championship, but exactly ten years ago today, Dick Jacobs sold the Cleveland Indians to Larry Dolan for a whopping $320 million.

A quick look back at the New York Times article that chronicled the purchase, there is one comment that sticks out the most.

”I don’t want one World Series for the Indians, I want a string of them. I want to reach the Holy Grail,” said Dolan.

Unfortunately, Dolan has attempted to reach said Grail without spending money and due to such and has only seen the Indians achieve the postseason twice – never once making it to the World Series.

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I’m sure you know by now, but the New York Yankees are the World Champions of Baseball. I didn’t bother to stay up and watch the end as I find it tough to watch the evil empire collect their 27th ring. My favorite is how some Yankee fans actually that nine years is actually a long time to wait for a title. I mean how laughable is that?

I’m not here to rant and rave about how unfair the current system in baseball is (which it is) or to talk about how the Yankee fans don’t deserve another ring (the don’t).  I want to celebrate a guy who indeed earned his first ring and the happiness that goes along with it – our old friend CC Sabathia. (more…)

While I was hoping for some Cavaliers talk from Terry Pluto this weekend, one takeaway from his Indians post was at least refreshing from a “what else can go wrong in Cleveland” way.  All-Star center fielder, and perennial 30/30 guy, Grady Sizemore is reportedly 100 percent from a health standpoint and continues to work out in Arizona during the team’s offseason.

If you recall, Sizemore was shut down towards the end of the season to have his elbow and abdomen receive separate surgical procedures.  His 2009 season was considerably weaker than that of 2008 (like everything else Tribe-related), but it could be said that he was not healthy for the bulk of the campaign.

Sizemore will likely start the 2010 season in center field with Michael Brantley to his right and Shin-Soo Choo to his left.  Where his bat is slotted in Manny Acta’s lineup remains to be seen. 

Good news is that Grady is signed through 2012.  Bad news is, if the team does not extend the 27-year old outfielder prior to that time, he could be as good as gone just in time for the “rebuild” to be complete. 

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(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

It was much easier to watch the World Series last night sans Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia.  The Yankees tied up the World Series at a game a piece last night. While I was watching A.J. Burnett scowl at the catcher all night, it occurred to me that he looked like Jim Varney from the Earnest movies.

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In what was likely one of the toughest two-year periods for any manager, former Tribe skipper Eric Wedge invited Fort Wayne’s Ben Smith into his Richfield, Ohio home to discuss the downward spiral that took place since being one game out of the World Series in 2007.

From the trades to the backroom issues, Wedge discussed most but hinted towards the rest. 

“I know what happened the last couple of years,” he says, as Merle Haggard plays softly in the background. “I don’t broadcast it just out of respect to everybody that’s involved. Plus, you can’t really talk about that, because then it makes it look like you’re making excuses. And that’s the last thing I want to do.” (more…)

Can you hear me, Bud?

Don’t hate the player.  Hate the game.  No, I am not going to talk about urban slang from the 1990’s.  Then again, the message of that statement is so true.  It certainly describes my current feelings about the game of baseball which have been changing and shifting since the Indians traded Victor Martinez to Boston.  That trade was a tipping point for me.  I had talked myself into the trades of Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia over the last two years.  I had cast myself in the role of small to mid-market underdog with business realities.  I felt ok.  I felt above the hurt and pain of watching these two pitchers go elsewhere.  Then the Indians traded Victor Martinez and the world changed.

Up until that point, whenever the big vs. small market conversation arose, I would automatically key in on two parties.   (more…)

That’s right friends of the feather; your worst nightmare has officially arrived. Tonight is Game One of the 2009 World Series. The Fall Classic features two big market, big payroll teams from the East Coast with stars galore. Their are storylines galore, but perhaps the biggest and best one heading into tonight’s opener is the fact that former Indian teammates and the last two AL Cy Young award winners, CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, will face off head to head in the Bronx.

Most Indians fans I know refuse to watch one second of it. I for one, will be glued to the TV. Will it make me sick? Absolutely. Seeing two former Indian aces face off against one another, knowing that just one year ago, they were in the same rotation in our city, is nausiating. But the thing of it is, we all knew CC would leave for the big bucks after his contract was up last winter. The 2008 team was given every chance to contend, but they started poorly with some of the kids (Franklyn Gutierrez, Asdrubal Cabrera, Ryan Garko, Fausto Carmona) failed to take the next step forward in their development. Throw in a mess of a bullpen and a horrific start, and the Indians had no choice but to deal Sabathia to the Brewers before the trading deadline. (more…)

Let me just get this out of the way first.  Hiring Manny Acta is not a sexy, “get the fans excited,” kind of move.  I am guessing that there will be no uptick of ticket sales in the Cleveland Indians’ offices today.  So, then what should we all think of the Indians’ latest hire? Much like Terry Pluto said, I have no idea.

In all fairness to Acta and his record with the Nationals, I don’t think Joe Torre deserves all the credit he gets for the 90’s New York Yankees either.  Acta had horrible results as manager of the Nationals.  Then again, how would Joe Torre have performed there?  Torre has been out there turning around the Dodgers.  He also has been able to get management to bring in Manny Ramirez and a host of other players including the incomparable Casey Blake.  In Washington, I am guessing Acta would have considered the addition of an aging journeyman like Casey Blake to his roster as an absolute blessing. (more…)

Whoever coined the phrase “a picture says 1000 words” must have had this photo in mind. Yes, folks, Mark Shapiro’s worst nightmare has come true – Wednesday night is Game One of the 2009 World Series and will feature the last two AL Cy Young award winners. Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia. Hey, did you all know they are former Indians?

To quote Mr. Gump: “That’s all I have to say about that.”

Yesterday, the Indians made their big announcement – the new manager of your baseball team is Manny Acta. I know I know, this hire is far from sexy. All I’ve heard since the news came down is the following:

“Who is Manny Acta?”

“This is the best we can come come up with?”

“How is this guy going to sell any tickets?”

“Another boring hire from a boring team.”

I feel your pain. But there are some stark realities here that need to be addressed. First and foremost, Acta was actually in serious demand. (more…)

John Heyman from Sports Illustrated is reporting that former Washington Nationals manager Manny Acta has been hired as the Cleveland Baseball Indians’ manager.

Heyman followed up by stating he things Acta is a good hire.  The Houston Astros were also reported to desire the services of the Dominican skipper.  Acta impressed in his post-interview press conference earlier this week.

The Indians other options included Bobby Valentine, Ron Roenicke, and Torrey Luvullo.

Updates will follow as more details are available.

3:10 – Anthony Castrovince is reporting the same.

3:20 – Paul Hoynes reports that the deal is a three-year contract with Acta, who reportedly turned down an offer from the Houston Astros.