Indians Spring Training: Trevor Crowe Has David Dellucci in the Crosshairs
Written By: Craig | Category: Cleveland Indians | Comments: 10
Photo / MLB.com
It is that time of year again. Of all the types of stories that pop up during Spring training, my absolute favorite is the one where the young guy starts to gain traction in gaining a major league roster spot. Without that storyline, we Indians fans don’t have the story about Charlie Manuel fighting hard to keep an impossibly large and young lefty on the major league club throwing fastballs almost exclusively. CC may be a Yankee now, but that story is ours.
Trevor Crowe is one of the many outfielders vying for a spot on the Indians this year. Some of the others (Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley) have bigger names with bigger expectations since Crowe failed to rise as fast as his own expectations out of the draft in 2005. Still, Crowe comes to camp with the most triple-a baseball experience, having played for the Bisons last season. He batted .323 with a .404 OBP and .485 SLG in 49 games with the Aeros before he got promoted. After making the jump, he dropped off his pace, but he didn’t fall off the table hitting .274 with .350 OBP, and .486 SLG.
Now, he has the chance to push a veteran, David Dellucci and his bloated veteran salary of $4 million. I have always hated that excuse that a ballclub had to play a certain guy because he had a contract that they needed to justify. It comes up from time to time, although I can’t think of someone off hand. It drives me crazy because the contract is guaranteed. It is a sunk cost. The only financial risk is allowing a young player to play so well in his place that he is eligible for more money. But wouldn’t that be a good problem to have as you have another player on your roster contributing in a meaningful way to the on-field product?
Apparently the Indians will not use that excuse this year with David Dellucci. Granted it might be lip service, but someone asked Mark Shapiro this question during the promo tour that I watched on STO despite my wife’s objections that it was boring. I am paraphrasing, but Shapiro came right out and said that he wasn’t satisfied with the production he has gotten out of that contract. He also said that Dellucci’s roster spot wasn’t guaranteed on the merits of the contract alone.
That is music to my ears.
Author: CraigLyndall
Craig Lyndall has been writing about all the Cleveland sports teams at WaitingForNextYear since September 2008. When he isn't, you can find him selling insurance or playing music. Follow WFNYCraig on Twitter.Craig Lyndall has written 338 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
Amen to that last paragraph. They obvioulsy learned from the Michaels/Dellucci experiment last season that failed oh so miserably. Francisco should have been up here from day one when you consider that we traded Michaels, got nothing in return, AND paid his contract.
I think Aaron Boone held onto his 3B job because of his terrible contract.
Man I wish I could get a contract at my job that was gauranteed for X # of years so I could sit on my butt and slack off Dellucci style. Instead I’d just get fired, without pay. Hopefully noodle-arm doesn’t make the roster, I can’t stand watching him lob it in to the cutoff man anymore.
Hasn’t the Tribe’s “big thinkers” seen enough of Delucci ALREADY? At his best, he’s a stiff. At his usual, he’s a weak armed bounce out to second. The mere fact he’s still on the roster is sad.
Somebody, anybody should be given this roster spot to grow with-whether it’s Crowe, Brantley, Barfield you name it. Let’s get on with it Dolan.
Somehow, I can’t see the Indians breaking camp or parting ways this early with $4Million. (even though that rationale is stupid as the only differential in replacing him is the major league minimum for one of the young prospects).
Viva la Michaels.
I have a hard time believing that shapiro will get rid DD before the all start break due to $$$. Is it a coincidence that we started winning two years ago once he got hurt? Hopefully I am wrong about this one.
I always assumed they kept him around because of his “post-season experience” (I hate that notion almost as much as the play-for-pay idea). I don’t see that as relevent anymore, personally. I just hope they don’t play him for awhile thinking/hoping someone will trade for him. We need to be in the mindset of contending from day 1, and that would be a step back.
@DP: totally agree. They really wanted Boone, in part, to offset the veteran and clubhouse leadership loss of Thome. Also, I think Wedge really loves those guys he sees as “grinders.” But it’s obviously Victor’s club now, he’s the leader and a few guys on the team have ACLS experience. Let’s have a meritocracy in giving out roster spots now.
Delucci both sucks and isn’t going anywhere…. Crowe and the AAA crew of outfielders all seem to be the types that need consistent AB’s and that isn’t happening with a team that’s going to contend for a division title.
I’d prefer to see some discussion of the pitching rather than beating the “David Delucci sucks” dead horse. CNNSI had it pegged right when they said we have a 1-2-5-5-5 rotation.
We shouldn’t need the Veteran presence of DD anymore, guys like V-mart, Wood, DeRosa, Pronk, Jhonny, and Grady have been around the league and around this club long enough to be the leaders. I can’t see a guy like Dellucci making a difference in Grady’s experience in the big leagues as far as leading him goes.
It’s freaking David Delucci people. He sucks. Did you not see him last year. I could freaking beat him out. Eric Wedge for some reason just loves these middle aged washed up players that just aren’t that good. We should be developing guys like Trevor Crowe in the big leagues more instead of putting a Delucci out there who has no future with the team.