It was a move that will go unnoticed by most Indians fans, but late yesterday, GM Chris Antonetti sent Left-hander Aaron Laffey to the Seattle Mariners for minor league Infielder Matt Lawson. (No, its not the return of Matt Lawton people). Laffey was in a group of pitchers vying for the fifth spot in the Indians starting rotation.
That group has now been reduced by one.
Laffey was a guy who I felt was really jacked around with by the Indians brass. Some of it was his own doing because he showed such versatility. Rewind to 2007, Cliff Lee was a mess and the Indians were in desperate need of a fifth starter. They turned to the minors where Laffey was excelling in both AA and AAA. He combined to go 13-4 with a 2.88 ERA and was given the call to join the big club. He made nine starts and went 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA. His ability to induce the ground ball impressed the Tribe enough to put him on their postseason roster ahead of Lee. [Read more...]
The Indians fell to the Rays last night, losing their 4th in 5 games, without putting up much of a fight. They finished the game with a measly 3 hits. Matt Garza, who struggled mightily in his last start, mowed through the Indians lineup retiring the last 13 hitters he faced. Garza, who was on a pitch count, pounded the strike zone throwing 64 of his 88 pitches for strikes. He finished off his night with a tidy 6th inning when his bullpen picked up over the final 3 innings and completed the shutout.
