June 19, 2013

MLB News: Indians agree to two-year deal with Mike Aviles

February 7, 2013 by 1 Comment

The Cleveland Indians officially avoided arbitration once again by agreeing to a two-year contract with infielder Mike Aviles. The contract is worth $6 million with an option for 2015.

Aviles, who earned $1.2 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility last season, had requested a salary of $3.4 million, Cleveland countered with an offer of $2.4 million for the coming campaign.

In 2012, Aviles hit .250 with 13 home runs, 14 stolen bases, 28 doubles, 57 runs scored and 60 runs batted in through 136 games with the Boston Red Sox. Spending the majority of five seasons with the Kansas City Royals, Aviles provided a slash line of .277 /.308/.408 slugging percentage though 475 career games.

The versatile 31-year old was acquired via trade this past offseason and will likely spell the Indians throughout the diamond. Having Aviles under contract through 2015 will allow the Indians to have depth behind All-Star Asdrubal Cabrera who becomes a free agent after 2014.

The Indians have not gone to an arbitration hearing with a player since 1991.

[Related: Hafner Heads East…..PEACE]

 

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MLB News: Indians agree to one-year deals with Drew Stubbs and Lou Marson

January 18, 2013 by 8 Comments

‘Tis the season to avoid arbitration on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. Kicking things off is recently acquired outfielder Drew Stubbs and catcher Lou Marson, both agreeing to a one-year deal with the Indians late Thursday evening.

Stubbs, one of the team’s seven eligible players, inked a one-year agreement said to be worth $2.825 million with as much as $50,000 also available through performance bonuses as reported by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. Marson’s deal, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, is reportedly for $1 million.

Marson made $491,000 in 2012 while Stubbs reportedly made $527,500 1 .

Stubbs was acquired by the Indians on Dec. 11 in a three-team, nine-player deal which involved the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona D-backs, one which also netted the team starting pitcher Trevor Bauer. The 28-year-old Stubbs hit .213 with 14 home runs and 40 runs batted in in 136 games for the Reds. It is expected that he plays center field for the Tribe in 2013, hitting near the bottom of the order.

The Indians’ remaining crop of arbitration cases include closer Chris Perez, Justin Masterson, Mike Aviles, Joe Smith, Matt Albers. All players are expected to earn an increase over last season, with Perez potentially netting north of $7 million.

Any unsigned arbitration-eligible players are required to exchange proposed salary figures with their team by 1 p.m. ET on Friday. Arbitration hearings are scheduled to take place from Feb. 4-20, though the sides can reach a deal at any point leading up to that meeting. The Indians have avoided arbitration every year since 1991 with pitcher Greg Swindell and infielder Jerry Browne.

[Related: How Improved are the 2013 Indians?]

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Cleveland Indians Sign SS Asdrubal Cabrera for One Year, $4.55 Million

February 10, 2012 by 23 Comments

With the player’s arbitration day looming, the Cleveland Indians have signed shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to a one-year contract worth $4.55 million.

The Indians were reportedly in talks with Cabrera for a multi-year deal, but apparently could not lock up the 2011 Silver Slugger winner beyond his current club control status. Cabrera had reportedly asked for $5.2 million with the team originally offering $3.75 million. The 26-year-old glovesman, who started for the American League in the 2011 All-Star Game, hit .273 with 25 home runs and 92 RBIs in 151 games for the Indians last season

Having avoided arbitration since 1991 with Greg Swindell and Jerry Browne, the Indians successfully signed all seven eligible players before the start of the 2012 MLB season, increasing their combined compensation by 98.8 percent year-over-year. Pitchers and catchers are set to report to Goodyear, Arizona in ten days.

The Indians presently have zero players under contract beyond 2012.

[Related: Tribe Offseason Review and What Happens After 2013?]

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Indians Agree to Terms with RP Rafael Perez

February 2, 2012 by 2 Comments

The Cleveland Indians have avoided arbitration with relief pitcher Rafael Perez, agreeing to a one-year contract that will net the veteran left-hander $2.005 million with another $25,000 possible in incentives.

Perez, in his seventh season, posted a record of 5-2 with an ERA of 3.00 in 71 appearances through 2011.  He had reportedly asked for $2.4 million with the team, at one point, offering $1.6 million.

He joins Chris Perez, Shin-Soo Choo, Justin Masterson, Jack Hannahan and Joe Smith as players who will avoid the arbitration process with the Indians.  Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera remains the only unsigned arbitration-eligible player with the team receiving their date for the player’s hearing earlier this week. Sides can agree to terms at any point prior to their hearing.

[Related: Asdrubal Cabrera’s Curious Contract Situation]

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Report: Indians Arbitration Dates Set with Cabrera, Perez

January 30, 2012 by 6 Comments

For the first time since 1991 with starting pitcher Greg Swindell and infielder Jerry Browne, the Cleveland Indians could head to arbitration after not agreeing to terms with shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera or relief pitcher Rafael Perez. The team has reportedly received their dates at which the two men could receive their final compensation totals.

The Indians had seven player eligible for arbitration heading into this offseason with five avoiding their hearings by agreeing to one-year deals: Jack Hannahan, Chris Perez, Justin Masterson, Joe Smith, and Shin-Soo Choo.

Cabrera has reportedly asked for $5.2 million with the team offering $3.75 million.  The 26-year-old glovesman, who started for the American League in the 2011 All-Star Game, hit .273 with 25 home runs and 92 RBIs in 151 games for the Indians last season. He set a franchise record for home runs by a shortstop and was awarded an American League Silver Slugger Award as a result. He pulled in $2.025 million in a one-year deal which was agreed upon prior to any arbitration.

As speculated by our own Jon, Asdrubal could be offended by the team’s unwillingness to move off their low-ball offer ultimately not boding particularly well for the team’s chances of keeping him beyond 2013 with last season’s first-round pick Francisco Lindor waiting in the wings.

The left-handed Perez, who was 5-2 with an ERA of 3.00 in 2011, has reportedly asked for $2.4 million with the team offering $1.6 million.

This year’s arbitration hearings are scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg from Feb. 1 through Feb. 21. The team and the players in questsion still have the chance to settle prior to their dates.

[Related: Asdrubal Cabrera’s Curious Contract Situation]

(Source: Paul Hoynes)

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Greener Grass, Revisionist History and Chris Perez

October 18, 2011 by 7 Comments

In 2009, the Cleveland Indians were not good.  You might remember it as the season that Tomo Ohka was allowed to throw 71 sub-replacement level innings.  Or the season that saw Ryan Garko man 28 innings in the outfield.  Or the year that Masa Kobayahsi was actually paid to be on a Major League roster.  These were heady times to be an Indians fan.

We’ll likely remember 2009 as the nadir of the organization’s rebuild: the front office was in pure sell-off mode, shipping out everything that wasn’t nailed down for assets aimed to restock the club for another run at contention.  Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, Carl Pavano, Kelly Shoppach.  Give us your poor, your tired, your Mitch Talbots and Yohan Pinos.

But there’s one trade that seems to get overlooked when we think back to these days: moving Mark DeRosa to the St. Louis Cardinals for Chris Perez and Jess Todd. [Read more...]

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Figuring Fausto’s Contract Status: Declining the Option?

July 22, 2011 by 9 Comments

Yes. I’m going to keep ignoring trade rumors.  There’s only so much I can write about players who aren’t on our team, considering all the interesting aspects of those who are.

Take, for instance, one Fausto Carmona.  In early 2008, the Indians and Fausto agreed to what could only have been considered an immensely team-friendly contract extension.  Coming off a season that saw him finish third in the AL Cy Young voting (behind teammate C.C. Sabathia), Fausto agreed to terms on a deal that would pay him on the following schedule: [Read more...]

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The Indians & Arbitration: A Shift in Philosophy or Market?

January 18, 2011 by 7 Comments

The day is finally here, Tribe Fans. 

I’ve been writing about the impending arbitration cases of Shin-Soo Choo, Chris Perez, and (to a lesser extent) Rafael Perez for what feels like years.*  We’ve addressed how the process works and how the Indians can use it to their benefit.  We’ve discussed what these players might do and how the Indians can respond.  If you think you’re tired of reading about it, God knows I’m getting tired of writing about.

*Much of this piece was written before Asdrubal Cabrera and Chris Perez signed their one-year deals.  We’ll see, but the rest of the analysis should still hold up.

Luckily, today is the day that the Indians and their arbitration-eligible players exchange figures, so the guessing-game is almost over.  I’ll be back once the figures are made public to dissect some of the details, but today I wanted to address what has, for years, seemed like a fundamental tenet of the Indians’ philosophy when it comes to dealing with first-time arbitration-eligible players, and how and why it might be changing. [Read more...]

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The Bare Bones: Some Early Notes on the Indians’ 2011 Payroll

October 18, 2010 by 13 Comments

In the interest of full-disclosure, I should begin with a warning.  Despite the title, this isn’t going to be a post about how the Dolans are cheap or how baseball is unfair or about how I’m not going to watch Indians games until they institute a salary cap.  It just isn’t.

Why do I eschew these themes?  Well, frankly, I’m tired of them.  They’re not interesting.  They’re not compelling.  They’re not thoughtful.  They don’t teach me anything.  They’ve been done to death.

What I want to do instead is look at what the Indians can realistically accomplish with their roster and payroll over the next few months and to begin the conversation about when we might find an end to the current “reloading” phase and get back to the 2005-2007 years when the team was contending.  For whatever it’s worth, I believe that the team can contend again, and this post is going to begin to look for a path toward that contention. [Read more...]

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What’s Next for Shin-Soo Choo?

October 7, 2010 by 19 Comments

I’ve written about Shin-Soo Choo a lot this season.  It’s not that I don’t like Jason Donald or Lou Marson or Mitch Talbot; it’s just that when one player contributes about half of your team’s value, you tend to get some serious tunnel-vision.

But now that the season’s over, we get to anticipate perhaps the most interesting Choo-performance of his career: what will he and Scott Boras do this off-season and how can the Indians respond?

Let’s cover some familiar bases first.  I know that many of you know the rules, but in case you don’t, Choo has now accrued three full years of major league service, so for the first time in his career, he’s due a significant pay raise.  In other words, he’s eligible for arbitration for the first time.  If he goes to arbitration, the Indians and Choo both come to the table with a number they think he should make for 2011.  Then the arbiter decides which number is fair.  That’s it: one side wins and one side loses.  Choo can avoid arbitration by signing a contract.  I’ve written before why I think that’s the wise course for all parties, so I won’t rehash that here. [Read more...]

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On Choo’s Production and Earning Potential: a Power-Outage?

September 2, 2010 by 15 Comments

One of the things I like most about Shin-Soo Choo is that so much of his value seems to fly under the radar.  Because he’s not likely to lead the league in batting average or home runs or RBI, a lot of people don’t quite understand the sort of contribution that he brings to a club.  Couple that with a last place team, and it’s easy to forget just how good a player he is.

So let’s look at a few stats that I think do a pretty good job of estimating Choo’s contributions to his team.  You’ll remember that wOBA does a nice job of taking all the things that a batter can do and assigning a number to his performance; it’s basically a better version of OPS.  But, much like OPS, wOBA is a raw number that doesn’t account for playing time.  We all know that a player with a .900 OPS is good, but if he only had a few at bats, we’re likely not going to be all that impressed. [Read more...]

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Theory vs. Practice: What Grady Moving to Left Would Mean

August 19, 2010 by 12 Comments

I’ve been grilled by some really smart people about my belief that Michael Brantley should be starting everyday for this team for the foreseeable future—preferably at the top of the lineup.  These smart people make good points: Brantley’s line this season is not lead-off material; his bat isn’t quite ready for the big leagues; he needs more seasoning, so we might as well delay his service time in Columbus while he gets it.  These are, in my mind, totally legitimate points that some highly respected Tribe Scribes have suggested.

But I’m kinda dumb and obstinate, so I’m going to stick to my guns, and suggest that when the Indians break camp next spring, Michael Brantley, Grady Sizemore, and Shin-Soo Choo should be our three starting outfielders.  Further, I would suggest that Brantley leadoff for the rest of this season, and probably to start next season as well.  I’ll take my lumps for that if I turn out to be wrong, but like I’ve said many times before: I believe in his ability to get on base, and I take some comfort from his good play since rejoining the team earlier this month.  So for the purposes of what I’m going to do today, I will project Brantley as a .290/.360/.410 (.770 OPS) hitter.  That may be wildly optimistic.  So be it.  The site is called Waiting For Next Year, after all.  We live on freaking optimism. [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… On the Z Rumors, Shaqtus Lawsuits, and Rafy Gets Paid

January 20, 2010 by 21 Comments

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.

nike-hypermax-david-west-black-purple-04Do the Hyperdunks come in Wine and Gold? “The latest rumor (from Bob Finnan of “The Morning Journal”) is that the Cavs have offered Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the New Orleans Hornets for their star power forward David West. There has been talk of the Cavs’ interest in West, but now they’ve apparently made an offer. Well, of course they have.

Finnan attributes this rumor to an unnamed “league source,” but for simplicity’s sake, I’m going to go ahead and verify this for you:

It’s true. 100%.

Ferry would give up Z in a heartbeat to land West, straight-up. Who wouldn’t make this trade? (With the obvious exception of every single Hornets fan.) [The Wine and Goldrush]

[Read more...]

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