May 21, 2013

Jon talks Vinnie Pestano, NFL salary caps and more – WFNY Podcast – 2013-03-12

March 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

WFNY Podcast LogoI was able to grab Jon on location in Arizona. Unfortunately “on location in Arizona” for his purposes has nothing to do with the Cleveland Indians spring training location. Anyway, we battled the time zones (and my bed time) for a chat.

Here’s what we talked about.

  • Scott Kazmir’s great day
  • Daisuke Matsuzaka injury
  • Matt LaPorta cut and crickets respond
  • Vinnie Pestano and his new contract
  • Mike Trout and his pre-arbitration deal
  • The Angels short-change Mike Trout. How short-sighted is it?
  • What did the Indians offer Vinnie Pestano?
  • Who do you have ill will for?
  • NFL Free agency and waiting for the efficiency
  • Market inefficiencies and roster dynamics
  • PECOTA and Nate Silver’s book
  • The Belichick tree is dead after Bill Belichick
  • Bob Kraft and his willingness to give people leeway
  • Dealing with parents as a coach

[Read more...]

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Indians add Rich Hill to 40-man roster, release Ben Francisco

March 11, 2013 by 10 Comments

The Cleveland Indians today announced the following roster moves relative to the Major League spring training roster:

- Selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Rich Hill from the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, adding him to the 40-man roster.

- Placed right-handed pitcher Blake Wood (right elbow rehab) on the 60-day Disabled List.

- Optioned outfielder Tim Federoff, right-handed pitcher Trey Haley, lefth-handed pitcher TJ House, right-handed pticher Chen-Chang Lee and right-handed pitcher Danny Salazar to Triple-A Columbus.

- Re-assigned non-roster invitees infielder Matt LaPorta, right-handed pitcher Fernando Nieve and catcher Roberto Perez to Minor League camp.

- Granted the unconditional release of ourfielder Ben Francisco 1

The addition of Hill to the 40-man is relatively surprising and puts him in line for a spot with the team’s bullpen. In 2007, Hill tossed 195 innings for the Chicago Cubs and was worth 3.2 wins. With today’s nine-player reduction the current Major League spring training roster now stands at 51 players (26 pitchers/5 catchers/13 infielders/7 outfielders).

[Related: McAllister Clinches, Kazmir vs. Dice-K, The Race For Bench & The Harlem Shake]

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  1. Francisco. That’s fun to say. [back]

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Indians Roster Moves: Matt LaPorta outrighted to Columbus

November 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It appears we missed the memo on Tuesday, but we wanted to be sure to cover it today on Thanksgiving.

Earlier in the week, the Cleveland Indians announced a flurry of roster moves pertaining to the official 40-man as the Rule 5 Draft approaches on Dec. 6. Most notably, first baseman/outfielder Matt LaPorta was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus, ending his reign as an official member of the Indians roster. He cannot refuse the assignment and must report to Columbus, as the Indians still retain control over his MLB status. Utility man Brent Lillibridge also was outrighted to Columbus, but can opt out for free agency if he so chooses.

In the corresponding additions, the Indians added relievers Chen-Chang Lee and Trey Haley, outfielder Tim Fedroff and lefty starter T.J. House to the 40-man roster. Lee, likely the highest-touted prospect of the bunch, missed almost the entire 2012 season after Tommy John surgery in May. But Fedroff is likely the closest to the pros, as he’s hit .301/.383/.446 in 131 games with the Clippers over the past two years. Haley and House were both 2008 draft picks who pitched primarily with Akron in 2012.

[Related: Prospect ranking turnover shows that Indians might still be bad at drafting]

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MLB News: Indians’ LaPorta undergoes hip surgery

October 19, 2012 by 7 Comments

Cleveland Indians first baseman Matt LaPorta underwent a left hip arthroscopy Thursday morning in Nashville, TN. The procedure was performed by Dr. Thomas Byrd of the Nashville Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center where Byrd performed a debridement of the left hip joint.

The Indians expect LaPorta’s recovery and rehab to take 3-to-4 months with the expectation Matt will be unrestricted for the start of exhibition play in 2013.

In 22 games for the Tribe in 2012, LaPorta his .241 with one home run, five RBI and two runs scored. Since being obtained for CC Sabathia in 2009, the player who was thought to be the team’s next 40-home run threat has provided a slash line of .238/.302/.393 (.694 OPS) with 31 home runs. Combined.

It is expected that the Indians will, once again, attempt to upgrade their first base position this coming offseason.

[Related: 15 Years Ago: The Team Of (Almost) Destiny]

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Happy Trails: An Ode to Matt LaPorta

September 19, 2012 by 17 Comments

I love Twitter. I can honestly say it has changed my life. Its my one-stop shop for news, sports, and comedy. The beauty of Twitter is also that you can interact with others who are reading about the same subjects as you are if you so shall please. I think back to late May/early June when my Twitter timeline was FLOODED with Tribe fans asking me how the team could not be bringing up first baseman Matt LaPorta. After all, he was “tearing up AAA pitching.”

Sure he was.

He was also 27 years old, on his FOURTH stint in AAA and had home/road splits that proved otherwise. The guy may have had nice numbers in the hitters paradise of Huntington Park in Columbus, but really, did you just forget about the fact that he looked so bad at the Major League level? I haven’t even mentioned his subpar glove, but I am getting there. [Read more...]

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Sunday Tribe Notes: Indians Look to Avoid Another Sweep, Aeros Claim Eastern League Title Again

September 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Isn’t it unbelievable to consider that the Cleveland Indians are 9-8 against the Detroit Tigers this season? Think of all of the things that had to go right for that to occur.

Yes, it kind of makes some sense when you hear that Detroit has won five of seven since the Indians’ latest six-week nose dive, but it’s still an unbelievable fact.

It means that even if the Tribe falls today – which would mark a scintillating seventh series sweep since July 26 – they’d still perfectly finish at .500 against the superstar-heavy Tigers.

After today’s contest at Progressive Field – which many have called Comerica Park this weekend because of the lack of Cleveland noise and influx of Motor City fans – the Indians will have 15 games remaining in 2012. It’d be a huge miracle if the team even manages 70 wins, a crazy concept if you had asked me on July 26 when we were 50-49. [Read more...]

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A’s 12 Indians 7: Someone Please Save Me! I Am Going Insane!

August 31, 2012 by 6 Comments

Which route should I take this time after another loss and a sweep at the hands of the Oakland Athletics?

Should I discuss how after another uninspiring outing, Justin Masterson continues to be unimpressive while catching about 2% of the heat Ubaldo Jimenez does, despite the fact that they have been essentially the same exact pitcher most of the season?

Masterson couldn’t get out of the fifth inning, giving up eight runs on eight hits, including three home runs to an A’s team that is 12th out of 14 AL teams in runs, 13th in batting average, 13th in on base percentage, and 12th in OPS.

“Without a doubt I’m just as perplexed as anybody,” said Masterson. “I feel good. Then I look up and I’m not where I want to be.”

We’ve seen way too many starts like this from Masterson this season. He was supposed to be the ace, the work horse, the stopper on this team. Instead, he has spent the season searching for his mechanics and pitching like a middle of the rotation guy.

Should I go in on Shin-Soo Choo, who is the master of driving in runs with groundouts to second or when the Indians are trailing by seven runs? [Read more...]

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A’s 3 Indians 0: Small Attendance, Smaller Offense

August 28, 2012 by 37 Comments

If you were one of the alleged 13,018 in attendance last night, I salute you. You are a real diehard. The rumor is the Indians season ticket base is about 8,500 or so. When STO made the not so wise decision to show overhead or long view shots of Progressive Field, it looked as though there were 3,500, maybe 4,000 tops in the stands. The Dolan family, Mark Shapiro, Chris Antonetti, and the rest of the front office should prepare themselves for crowds like this not only the rest of the way, but into next season. When the product on the field looks like it did last night, or for the last five weeks for that matter, can you blame people for not wanting to come?

The Oakland Athletics, a team constructed the same way as the Indians (i.e. low payroll) rolled into town as one of, if not the, hottest teams in baseball. Look up and down their lineup, and it won’t impress you. Their biggest name is Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, who is essentially toiling in anonymity because he plays in Oakland. Next to him, the biggest name you know is Coco Crisp. The difference between these two teams is simple – the A’s have terrific young starting pitching, while the Indians don’t. [Read more...]

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New York Takes Two of Three at Yankee Stadium Midwest…Errrrrr….Progressive Field

August 27, 2012 by 2 Comments

It felt like they were on the road, but the Indians actually were the home team as they welcomed the New York Yankees to Yankee Stadium Midwest……errrrrrr…..Progressive Field over the weekend. Yes, the Bronx Bombers won the series, but hey, the Indians actually won a game! The nine-game winning streak came to end Saturday night thanks to stellar pitching from Justin Masterson, but overall, the weekend was just more of the same from our Wahoos. Not enough clutch hitting with average starting pitching for the most part. That and a lot of Yankee fans. So lets take a look back at the weekend that was in Wahooland. [Read more...]

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Indians Recall Matt LaPorta from Triple-A Columbus

August 24, 2012 by 11 Comments

Likely suffering from burning ears with all of the hindsight trade discussion, outfielder Matt LaPorta has received a bump to the big leagues today as the Cleveland Indians announced his promotion from the AAA Columbus Clippers.  To allow room for LaPorta, right-handed pitcher Frank Herrmann optioned to Columbus following Wednesday’s game at Seattle.

 LaPorta, 27, has spent nearly the entire season at Columbus where he has hit .264 (99-375) with 19 doubles, 1 triple, 19 home runs and 62 RBI in 101 games (.350OB/.472SLG/ .822OPS).  He currently ranks 9th in the International League in slugging pct. (.472) and home runs (19), tied for 10th in RBI (62) and 11th in OPS (.822). He has appeared in 52 games at first base for the Clippers and 25 in left field. He was previously with the Indians over one stint, June 3-12, and appeared in 3 games (2-11, RS).

During Friday afternoon media availibility, general manager Chris Antonetti stated that LaPorta will be up in Cleveland for the balance of the season; his playing time will depend upon his production.

 Herrmann recorded an ERA of 4.76 in 4 relief appearances (5.2IP, 5H, 3R/ER) after being promoted from Columbus on August 7.

[Related: Paul Dolan Changes: Not Coming Soon]

 

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Indians Roster Notes: Lopez Released, Tomlin to Have Arm Evaluated

August 12, 2012 by 7 Comments

For the fourth time this month, the Indians announced today they have released a veteran player DFA’d 10 days earlier. This time, it was utility infielder Jose Lopez, following in the footsteps of, chronologically, Johnny Damon, Jeremy Accardo and Derek Lowe.

Indians beat writers, who had a nice Twitter fling with Lopez throughout the season, were saddened by the announcement:

In other notable Indians roster notes, recently-converted reliever Josh Tomlin will have his right arm examined in Cleveland this week. He was originally rumored to see well-known specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum while the team is in Southern California this week, but supposedly the doctor is unavailable.

According to various Twitter reports, Tomlin has fought elbow soreness dating back to last season, possibly resulting in his poor performance to date this year: 5-8 with a 5.82 ERA in 20 games (16 starts).

It’s very possible that Tomlin will be moved to the DL this week to make room for Roberto Hernandez, who is scheduled to start Wednesday. It is also possible that lefty Chris Seddon or righty Corey Kluber also could go back to Columbus, while outfielders Matt LaPorta or Russ Canzler could be activated from the Clippers roster (h/t @MLBastian).

[Related: Contention Windows and Depth Charts: Analyzing the Cleveland Indians’ Future]

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WFNY Wednesday Wahoos: Indians Minor League Weekly Review 6/27

June 27, 2012 by 3 Comments

And we’re back on normal time this week. As usual, every Wednesday I bring you all of the news and notes from the Cleveland Indians minor league system.

Last night was exciting in the ninth, but it doesn’t hide the fact the Indians have lost four straight by a margin of 28-7. Yikes. So, since the Indians declared they’re likely to make improvements from within, what possibilities are there down on the farm? General manager Chris Antonetti shared some names yesterday and I’ll provide some insight on those now.

[Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… A Tale of Two Cities, Matt LaPorta’s Future, Will Barton, Rivalry BBQ

June 15, 2012 by 7 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.

Literature and summer baseball. What could be bad? “To that end, I’ve been reading Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities, to be specific. It’s a gorgeous novel about love, both unrequited and not, about sacrifice and atonement. The plot of the book revolves around the French Revolution of 1848. It is not a baseball novel. Now you may ask what A Tale of Two Cities has to do with the Indians 12-5 loss to Cincinnati. As it turns out, there are a number of surprising parallels.” [Susan Petrone/It's Pronounced "Lajaway"]

[Read more...]

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LaPorta sent back to Columbus to make room for Rogers

June 13, 2012 by 5 Comments

The Indians today announced that Matt LaPorta has been optioned back to Columbus to make room for RHP Esmil Rogers. He will wear number 32.

[Related: Indians acquire Esmil Rogers]

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Indians Weekend Wrapup: A Conclusion To An Unimpressive Week

June 4, 2012 by 21 Comments

Is anyone else sensing trouble here in Wahooland? This was supposed to be the week where the Tribe got fat on the AL Central bottom feeders. The Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins each came to town for a three-game series. It seemed to be the perfect tonic for the banged up Indians. Instead, they lost four of six and fell two and a half games behind the first place Chicago White Sox. Maybe the best tonic is for this team to leave town. But one this is for certain, the Indians seem to be in a heap of trouble.

The starting pitching was a little better over the weekend, but not good enough. The lineup is still without big guns Carlos Santana and Travis Hafner. The clutch hitting has disappeared. I know, I sound gloomy, but the fact remains that the Indians have lost seven of nine since riding high after the sweep of the Detroit Tigers less than two weeks ago.

So what went wrong this weekend? What can be done to improve the offense (I don’t know)? Lets take our usual Monday morning look back on the weekend that was. [Read more...]

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LaPorta Recalled, Damon Placed on Paternity List

June 3, 2012 by 1 Comment

Many people have been calling for this for days and weeks, and it’s finally here. Although it’s likely not how people expected it. Matt LaPorta will make the move from AAA Columbus to Cleveland today, replacing Johnny Damon on the active roster. Here is the news from Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Left fielder Johnny Damon will to leave the Indians and go on the paternity list after Saturday night’s game. His wife recently had twins.

With Damon leaving the club, Matt LaPorta will be recalled from Class AAA Columbus to replace him. FOX TV, which broadcast Saturday night’s game, first reported the news. …

A player cannot stay on paternity leave for more than three games.

So it appears that LaPorta will get at least a three-day tryout with the big league club. Of course, he was hitting .307 with 14 homers and 42 RBI in 46 games for the Clippers, but struggled during most of the month of May. Who knows how this factors into the long-term situation, but it should be interesting to see how the offense performs over the next few days.

[Related: WFNY Wednesday Wahoos: Indians Minor League Weekly Review 5/30]

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While We’re Waiting…Browns Quarterback Competition, Calling Up LaPorta, Joe Carter Bobbleheads

May 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

Plenty, I’m sure: “Personally, having watched both players a number of times, I don’t think that Weeden has the tools to beat out McCoy unless the competition is rigged. The only advantage I see Weeden having over McCoy is height. In saying that, it will be interesting to watch how it unfolds this summer in both camp and the preseason. My money is on McCoy. Any takers?” [Greg Gabriel/National Football Post]

[Read more...]

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TD and Craig on More Sports and Les Levine 5-15-2012

May 16, 2012 by 1 Comment

In case you couldn’t tune in or live outside of the area, TD and I had a chance to talk sports with Les Levine yesterday. Les is the best in the business and honestly just as nice a guy as you could ever meet.  We talked about the Indians, the new Horseshoe casino, Dan Gilbert, MLB collective bargaining and all sorts of other topics. The hour flew by.

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WFNY Wednesday Wahoos: Indians Minor League Weekly Review 5/9

May 9, 2012 by 3 Comments

Every Wednesday, I bring you all the highlights from the week that was for the Cleveland Indians organization, along with some added insight on what it means for the major league squad.

The topic du jour in the Cleveland Indians organization has to be the bullpen. After last night’s disappointing 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox, people must be asking what is the future for the Tribe pen, or as many call it, the “bullpen mafia”? Are there any players down in the minors that could join it soon and what would they contribute? [Read more...]

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WFNY Wednesday Wahoos: Indians Minor League Weekly Review 5/2

May 2, 2012 by 2 Comments

Sorry for the delays y’all, but starting today, I’ll be bringing you all of the latest news from the Cleveland Indians minor league system every Wednesday. With DP’s departure from WFNY, there’s been a severe lack of regular minor league coverage following his awesome work with the Clip Show. Hopefully, this will serve as some sort of replacement in his absence.

The big story over the past week and more for the big-league club has been the lack of offensive production. While RHP Derek Lowe has led the rotation to a hot start and the team to first place in the AL Central, the hitters have not been keeping up their end of the bargain. [Read more...]

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