Re: Articles
3002J.R. wrote:Give that man an RG Dunn!civ ollilavad wrote:Maybe it's just the Holiday spirit of happiness and joy, but I think they'll make a real offer and a real effort to sign Swisher.
Did I say that??? Wishful thinking wins out!
Re: Articles
3003By numbers alone the offense is not that much better:J.R. wrote:As I said, I wouldn't have bet on it, but I'm glad we have him now. The question is, have we improved our team this offseason?
Kotchman couldn't hit a lick; Reynolds has power but a much worse average and fans way more.
Swisher is good, but Choo has more to offer offensively, including his speed.
The LF collection in 2012 was terrible, but Stubbs is a 220 hitter with 200 Ks.
Hafner was barely useful at DH, but we don't have anyone for that role yet.
But despite all that it's still a better lineup because there are actual live RH hitters for a change. And more guys who can hit it out of the park. So we shouldn't have the huge difference vs. LH compared to vs. RH. And teams can't bring in a lefty reliever to fact back to back to back to back lefty hitters.
At least this winter they're trying to create an actual baseball team.
Bullpen has some new names but overall quality should be basically unchanged, which is not a bad thing.
Starting pitching has a kid with very serious potential to be an ace. Return of Carrasco is a big deal, too, if he's healthy. He got a few innings in at the end of last summer, but I haven't seen him on Joe's Winter League reports (although I cannot say I read them all). We need a quality LH starter of 3rd or 4th starter quality.
Re: Articles
3004Swisher is good, but Choo has more to offer offensively, including his speed.
Stats say they are equals and Swisher is much more consistent against LH and RH pitchers.
Stats say they are equals and Swisher is much more consistent against LH and RH pitchers.
Re: Articles
3005It will be interesting to see what Choo ends up getting next year.
AC can still be traded for pitching.
AC can still be traded for pitching.
Re: Articles
3006Merry Christmas everyone!
The definition of insanity being the thing about doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results, I was starting to wonder if Dolan and the braintrust were insane the last few years.
I'm very happy to see they're trying something different. Regardless of the results we get to see how a different kind of team can go through the season. And that's entertainment.
The definition of insanity being the thing about doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results, I was starting to wonder if Dolan and the braintrust were insane the last few years.
I'm very happy to see they're trying something different. Regardless of the results we get to see how a different kind of team can go through the season. And that's entertainment.
Re: Articles
3007Ok, the Tribe has temporaraily piqued my interest. Still need one more major pick up to really pull me back in....Someone like Soriana would be nice but only if we gave up very little and picked up only half his salary.
Re: Articles
3008Cleveland Indians give their fans a Christmas gift: reasons for hope -- Terry Pluto
Published: Monday, December 24, 2012, 4:21 PM Updated: Monday, December 24, 2012, 11:13 PM
I never dreamed the best news on the local sports front would be coming from the Tribe.
Since October, virtually everything coming from Progressive Field has been . . . well, a sign of progress.
Maybe it won't matter.
Maybe the Indians will be yet another baseball team that "wins the offseason press conferences," but loses on the field when the games count.
Maybe Trevor Bauer will spend more time in battles with his coaches and catchers than opposing hitters. And maybe Mark Reynolds and Drew Stubbs will set franchise strikeout records, and deliver little else.
Maybe it will be June and Terry Francona will be wishing he was back in the ESPN broadcast booth rather than in the Tribe's dugout.
Or maybe not.
With Christmas here, I'm thankful that we can actually talk Tribe on Christmas without launching into a long lament of complaints.
The signing of Nick Swisher ($56 million for four years) is a sign that ownership knows it has to do something.
This is a team that has lost at least 93 games in three of the last four years, the worst four-year stretch in the history of the franchise. Fans have been so turned off by the Tribe that another do-nothing winter would tear out the hearts and stomp the life out of the few who remain interested.
The Dolan family will be coming into some extra cash whenever the sale of STO is finalized. They also will receive about $24 million in 2014 when the new national television contract kicks in.
The Dolans insist they lost money last season. Forbes Magazine will probably differ, as it usually does. Because the Indians are a private company and do not have to make any of their financials public, it's impossible to make an accurate guess about the bottom line.
But Tribe fans needed to see the team aggressively recruit and then sign a free agent the caliber of Swisher, a durable outfielder who puts 25 homers and 90 RBI next to his name every season. He also is an upbeat guy, an Ohio State product.
While the Yankees weren't thrilled with Swisher's postseason slumps (.162 in the last four postseasons), Tribe fans will embrace his usual regular-season production and worry about the playoffs if Swisher and Tribe actually play October baseball.
That's not likely to happen this season.
But the Tribe believes Swisher can be an effective player throughout the four years on his contract.
Yes, he's 32 and it's likely his skills in right field will diminish in the next few seasons. But he is a solid first baseman, and can move to that position if needed.
The fact is the Tribe has no prime prospects in the outfield or first base at the upper levels of the farm system. It was imperative that they spend for Swisher to fill one of the gaps.
Pitching needed
Unless general manager Chris Antonetti can find some more starting pitching, this team may not even finish at .500.
For all the impressive offseason moves starting with the hiring of veteran manager Terry Francona, the Tribe remains the team with the highest earned-run average in the American League.
It must be said that the 21-year-old Bauer may not be opening-day ready. The rest of the rotation begins with Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez, both coming off the worst seasons of their careers. The remainder of the rotation will come from several young guys with huge question marks next to their names: Carlos Carrasco, Zach McAllister, Corey Kluber, Jeanmar Gomez and Bauer.
An already strong bullpen added more depth when the Tribe picked up Matt Albers and Brian Shaw in the Shin-Soo Choo/Bauer deal.
From the moment the season ended, I have expected them to trade Chris Perez. Not because of his mouth, but because he will be paid more than $7 million in 2013 as he is arbitration-eligible. Also, they have Vinnie Pestano ready to close, and several candidates (Joe Smith, Cody Allen, Albers) to move into Pestano's eighth-inning set-up role.
I hear the Tribe has about another $7 million to spend. If they deal Perez, it could be as much as $15 million -- depending upon whom they receive in return.
The Indians have retooled their outfield with Swisher and Stubbs joining Michael Brantley. That group is superior offensively and defensively to what Tribe fans have watched the last few seasons.
They do have Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera (if he's not traded) coming back. Third base now belongs to Lonnie Chisenhall; Reynolds takes over at DH. The Tribe would like to find someone who can DH and perhaps play some outfield.
If they trade Cabrera for pitching, newly acquired Mike Aviles is the shortstop. He may be a slight upgrade in the field, but won't supply the same offense as Cabrera.
Moves had to be made
Some baseball people have questioned the signing of Swisher, saying why overpay for a 32-year-old when your team is not ready to contend. The Indians know that these experts don't fully comprehend the gloom hanging over the franchise. There is justified skepticism in the fan base about ownership being willing to spend to improve the franchise in the short term.
From the outside, it's easy to say, "Blow it up, trade everyone, go young."
Tribe fans have endured two of those scorch-the-diamond approaches -- in 2002 and again in 2009. The first one worked, the second one didn't.
The Choo deal (the Indians added $3.5 million to make it happen) along with the signings of Swisher and Reynolds ($6 million for one year) have at least made the Tribe relevant in this offseason.
The Indians can't lose 90-some games again. They can't have another season where every significant move seems driven by cutting payroll. They can't pretend the hiring of Francona is a magic pill that leads to legitimacy.
The Swisher signing indicates they know that.
Now, we'll see what else they do before spring training. At the very least, this offseason at least has their hard-core fans paying attention once again.
Published: Monday, December 24, 2012, 4:21 PM Updated: Monday, December 24, 2012, 11:13 PM
I never dreamed the best news on the local sports front would be coming from the Tribe.
Since October, virtually everything coming from Progressive Field has been . . . well, a sign of progress.
Maybe it won't matter.
Maybe the Indians will be yet another baseball team that "wins the offseason press conferences," but loses on the field when the games count.
Maybe Trevor Bauer will spend more time in battles with his coaches and catchers than opposing hitters. And maybe Mark Reynolds and Drew Stubbs will set franchise strikeout records, and deliver little else.
Maybe it will be June and Terry Francona will be wishing he was back in the ESPN broadcast booth rather than in the Tribe's dugout.
Or maybe not.
With Christmas here, I'm thankful that we can actually talk Tribe on Christmas without launching into a long lament of complaints.
The signing of Nick Swisher ($56 million for four years) is a sign that ownership knows it has to do something.
This is a team that has lost at least 93 games in three of the last four years, the worst four-year stretch in the history of the franchise. Fans have been so turned off by the Tribe that another do-nothing winter would tear out the hearts and stomp the life out of the few who remain interested.
The Dolan family will be coming into some extra cash whenever the sale of STO is finalized. They also will receive about $24 million in 2014 when the new national television contract kicks in.
The Dolans insist they lost money last season. Forbes Magazine will probably differ, as it usually does. Because the Indians are a private company and do not have to make any of their financials public, it's impossible to make an accurate guess about the bottom line.
But Tribe fans needed to see the team aggressively recruit and then sign a free agent the caliber of Swisher, a durable outfielder who puts 25 homers and 90 RBI next to his name every season. He also is an upbeat guy, an Ohio State product.
While the Yankees weren't thrilled with Swisher's postseason slumps (.162 in the last four postseasons), Tribe fans will embrace his usual regular-season production and worry about the playoffs if Swisher and Tribe actually play October baseball.
That's not likely to happen this season.
But the Tribe believes Swisher can be an effective player throughout the four years on his contract.
Yes, he's 32 and it's likely his skills in right field will diminish in the next few seasons. But he is a solid first baseman, and can move to that position if needed.
The fact is the Tribe has no prime prospects in the outfield or first base at the upper levels of the farm system. It was imperative that they spend for Swisher to fill one of the gaps.
Pitching needed
Unless general manager Chris Antonetti can find some more starting pitching, this team may not even finish at .500.
For all the impressive offseason moves starting with the hiring of veteran manager Terry Francona, the Tribe remains the team with the highest earned-run average in the American League.
It must be said that the 21-year-old Bauer may not be opening-day ready. The rest of the rotation begins with Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez, both coming off the worst seasons of their careers. The remainder of the rotation will come from several young guys with huge question marks next to their names: Carlos Carrasco, Zach McAllister, Corey Kluber, Jeanmar Gomez and Bauer.
An already strong bullpen added more depth when the Tribe picked up Matt Albers and Brian Shaw in the Shin-Soo Choo/Bauer deal.
From the moment the season ended, I have expected them to trade Chris Perez. Not because of his mouth, but because he will be paid more than $7 million in 2013 as he is arbitration-eligible. Also, they have Vinnie Pestano ready to close, and several candidates (Joe Smith, Cody Allen, Albers) to move into Pestano's eighth-inning set-up role.
I hear the Tribe has about another $7 million to spend. If they deal Perez, it could be as much as $15 million -- depending upon whom they receive in return.
The Indians have retooled their outfield with Swisher and Stubbs joining Michael Brantley. That group is superior offensively and defensively to what Tribe fans have watched the last few seasons.
They do have Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera (if he's not traded) coming back. Third base now belongs to Lonnie Chisenhall; Reynolds takes over at DH. The Tribe would like to find someone who can DH and perhaps play some outfield.
If they trade Cabrera for pitching, newly acquired Mike Aviles is the shortstop. He may be a slight upgrade in the field, but won't supply the same offense as Cabrera.
Moves had to be made
Some baseball people have questioned the signing of Swisher, saying why overpay for a 32-year-old when your team is not ready to contend. The Indians know that these experts don't fully comprehend the gloom hanging over the franchise. There is justified skepticism in the fan base about ownership being willing to spend to improve the franchise in the short term.
From the outside, it's easy to say, "Blow it up, trade everyone, go young."
Tribe fans have endured two of those scorch-the-diamond approaches -- in 2002 and again in 2009. The first one worked, the second one didn't.
The Choo deal (the Indians added $3.5 million to make it happen) along with the signings of Swisher and Reynolds ($6 million for one year) have at least made the Tribe relevant in this offseason.
The Indians can't lose 90-some games again. They can't have another season where every significant move seems driven by cutting payroll. They can't pretend the hiring of Francona is a magic pill that leads to legitimacy.
The Swisher signing indicates they know that.
Now, we'll see what else they do before spring training. At the very least, this offseason at least has their hard-core fans paying attention once again.
Re: Articles
3009Here's a silly article by someone getting carried away a bit
The Cleveland Indians are the favorites in the AL Central after signing Nick Swisher to a four-year, $56 million deal.
Cleveland's signings of Swisher and Mark Reynolds give the Indians a powerful punch in the middle of their lineup.
While some will point to the Detroit Tigers having Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander, the Indians are showing signs of improvement.
So, why are the Indians now the favorite?
Offseason Moves
The Indians are showing they want not only to compete this year, but also to build towards the future.
Cleveland traded Shin-Soo Choo, Jason Donald and some minor leaguers in a three-team trade that brought them Drew Stubbs and Trevor Bauer, among others.
The deal gave the team something for Choo, who would have likely walked in free agency next year anyways. Bauer provides a future No. 1 starter who will get a chance to prove himself this year.
Bringing in Swisher and Reynolds via free agency gives the Indians pop in the middle of the lineup. Last year, Carolos Santana had a team-leading 18 home runs.
The number at the top of that stat sheet will surely be higher this year.
If that's not enough, bringing in Terry Francona to be the manager was the biggest move of the offseason. He's been a winner everywhere he goes, and there's no reason to believe he won't do the same in Cleveland.
Middle of the Lineup
Nothing against Choo, but he's not a feared hitter in the middle of the lineup. As for Santana, when there's nobody protecting him, he can't do the damage he's expected to. The same goes for Asdrubal Cabrera.
Now, with Reynolds and Swisher in the lineup, there is protection in the middle of the order. No longer is power a problem in Cleveland, and it's something other teams will be on the lookout for.
Any team that has experienced success over the course of a season has had a good middle of the order. Cleveland has struggled over the last few years because of the lack of power.
If Swisher and Reynolds can put up the same type of numbers they have over the last few years, Cleveland will have a strong year.
Leadership
It goes without saying, but a leader on and off the field is imperative to the success of any team.
Swisher brings that veteran leadership to a team that is full of players under the age of 30.
He plays the game the right way and knows how to be a leader.
His playoff experience will also be valuable to the team, as not many have played in the playoffs before. He knows how to prepare to win, and that will pass along to his teammates.
Conclusions
There are many things that could happen over the course of a season that could throw this prediction out of whack. But, when looking at the Indians on paper, Swisher makes them a better team and puts them next to the Tigers at the top of the division.
While Fielder, Cabrera and Verlander are sexier names than Reynolds, Swisher and Bauer, there's no doubt this will be a tight race.
And, just look at the Oakland Athletics. It doesn't take the biggest group of highly paid stars to have success.
The Cleveland Indians are the favorites in the AL Central after signing Nick Swisher to a four-year, $56 million deal.
Cleveland's signings of Swisher and Mark Reynolds give the Indians a powerful punch in the middle of their lineup.
While some will point to the Detroit Tigers having Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander, the Indians are showing signs of improvement.
So, why are the Indians now the favorite?
Offseason Moves
The Indians are showing they want not only to compete this year, but also to build towards the future.
Cleveland traded Shin-Soo Choo, Jason Donald and some minor leaguers in a three-team trade that brought them Drew Stubbs and Trevor Bauer, among others.
The deal gave the team something for Choo, who would have likely walked in free agency next year anyways. Bauer provides a future No. 1 starter who will get a chance to prove himself this year.
Bringing in Swisher and Reynolds via free agency gives the Indians pop in the middle of the lineup. Last year, Carolos Santana had a team-leading 18 home runs.
The number at the top of that stat sheet will surely be higher this year.
If that's not enough, bringing in Terry Francona to be the manager was the biggest move of the offseason. He's been a winner everywhere he goes, and there's no reason to believe he won't do the same in Cleveland.
Middle of the Lineup
Nothing against Choo, but he's not a feared hitter in the middle of the lineup. As for Santana, when there's nobody protecting him, he can't do the damage he's expected to. The same goes for Asdrubal Cabrera.
Now, with Reynolds and Swisher in the lineup, there is protection in the middle of the order. No longer is power a problem in Cleveland, and it's something other teams will be on the lookout for.
Any team that has experienced success over the course of a season has had a good middle of the order. Cleveland has struggled over the last few years because of the lack of power.
If Swisher and Reynolds can put up the same type of numbers they have over the last few years, Cleveland will have a strong year.
Leadership
It goes without saying, but a leader on and off the field is imperative to the success of any team.
Swisher brings that veteran leadership to a team that is full of players under the age of 30.
He plays the game the right way and knows how to be a leader.
His playoff experience will also be valuable to the team, as not many have played in the playoffs before. He knows how to prepare to win, and that will pass along to his teammates.
Conclusions
There are many things that could happen over the course of a season that could throw this prediction out of whack. But, when looking at the Indians on paper, Swisher makes them a better team and puts them next to the Tigers at the top of the division.
While Fielder, Cabrera and Verlander are sexier names than Reynolds, Swisher and Bauer, there's no doubt this will be a tight race.
And, just look at the Oakland Athletics. It doesn't take the biggest group of highly paid stars to have success.
Re: Articles
3011The guy probably thinks Trent Richardson is the answer for the Browns.
In football, it's the quarterback. In baseball it's the pitching.
In football, it's the quarterback. In baseball it's the pitching.
Re: Articles
3012I would suggest that in the regular season pitching is not quite as important as it is during the postseason.
Re: Articles
3013Corner of Carnegie and Ontario: The Gifts keep flowing
Brett Myers
By Jim Pete
December 27, 2012
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The winter holidays are firmly upon us here at the Corner of Carnegie and Ontario, and while Christmas is officially in the rearviewmirror, I can’t help but feel that the holiday is just beginning for the Cleveland Indians and their fans. There have already been a bevy of presents under the tree of all varieties:
The Indians re-gifted Esmil Rogers for arguably much more than his value when we dealt him for infielder Mike Aviles and catcher/first baseman/outfielder Yan Gomes.
They headed to K-Mart and picked up first baseman Mark Reynolds for a blue light special. You know, he was one of those deals where you aren’t quite sure whether you got a good deal or not, but you don’t have anything like it to begin with, so…why not.
They traded a used but valuable gift in starting right-fielder Shin-Soo Choo for a sparkling brand new present in starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, and got the bonus gifts of starting centerfielder Drew Stubbs, right-handed relievers Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers. While it left a massive hole in right field, you acquired something of a replacement by filling the left field hole (with Brantley or Stubbs), grab one of the top three pitching prospects in all of baseball, and stack an already loaded bullpen.
They picked up a former All-Star caliber starting pitching present in Scott Kazmir at the Goodwill for nearly nothing, as a low risk present that could pay off as a bottom-of-the-rotation gem.
They rolled out a present straight out of the top-of-the-line electronics store when they picked up one Nick Swisher, who has been one of the most consistent and underrated offensive weapons in all of baseball over the past eight seasons. Not only does he give the Indians their poster-boy for the coming seasons, but he directly replaces Choo, and gives the Indians one of their best outfields in recent memory.
Finally, the front office brought in the best gift of all, and it just happened to be the first gift of the pre-holiday season: one that keeps on giving long after the holidays are over. In Terry Francona, the Indians received a manager who not only wanted to come here, who not only can sell the team to free agents, but who has brought a whole new way of viewing the hot stove season.
So while we pick up and throw out the last of the shredded wrapping paper from our over-abundant Christmas holiday, it’s time to pack up the Family Truckster for the rest of our winter break, being careful to leave a bit of room for gifts from the relatives we’ve yet to see.
The Indians have an abundance of commodities that they could trade, should the right deal present itself. Many may have to read that last sentence a few times before there’s any sense of actually believing it, but it remains true. When this offseason started, it seemed likely that the only way the Indians would be able to make a move of consequence would be to trade away their only two 2012 all-stars in shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, and closer Chris Perez.
It was seemed relatively clear, even after the hire of Terry Francona, that the Indians were taking a risk-averse plan of bringing in talent. The belief would be that the Indians either wouldn’t offer enough money, enough years, or just wouldn’t have the free agent pull to sign anyone of consequence.
Yes, the Aviles trade was promising, but it really wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for this front office to do over the past couple of seasons. They did turn Esmil Rogers into a diamond out of a piece of coal, but the move, in singularity, wasn’t anything special. Of course, it did give the potential to trade Asdrubal Cabrera, but that still wasn’t likely. While Aviles is a good, solid utility player, he was arguably one of the lowest rated overall starting shortstops in all of baseball last season. Still, he has the ability to start, so in a worst-case scenario, the Indians could move Cabrera and have a better fill-in than current options.
When they picked up Reynolds at $6 million, it was another decent pick-up as a singular move, but nothing to howl at the moon about. While it was a better move than bringing in Casey Kotchman, Reynolds certainly had question marks. His power-hitting is unquestioned, but he has led the AL in strikeouts in four of the past five seasons, and hasn’t hit above .221 since 2009. The move was a bit frustrating in that the Indians appeared to be giving up on better “named” players like Kevin Youkilis, but was still a solid, if not spectacular move.
That’s when things really changed for this front office, and that starts with Shin-Soo Choo.
When you look back to the end of the year, Choo was believed to be at the top of the list to be moved. There were several teams that came knocking on the Indians door last July at the trade deadline to acquire Choo, but the Indians price was far too high. What they were looking for was at least one top prospect who would be ready to play, as well as other chips that either would be ready-to-play prospects, or current major leaguers. According to every major pundit and scout, the Indians were asking too much. I don’t think anyone reading this would disagree with that statement.
When the Indians were able to deal Choo, and not only that, acquire Trevor Bauer and Drew Stubbs as the centerpiece, it was clear that the front office was in aggressive mode, and that they were turning over every rock. I know I’m rehashing a bit, but think about it. They dealt one year of Choo for multiple years of Bauer. Is there anyone here that wouldn’t have considered that straight up? On top of that, they threw in lefty reliever Tony Sipp for Drew Stubbs, Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers.
While some will complain about the loss of Choo, that thinking is just insane. The deal was a steal for the Indians, and while there is the unknown of Bauer, I’ll argue that it’s a steal regardless of what Bauer does going forward. Why? Choo was gone after this year anyways, and there’s no way they get a better deal than this. Unless we find out that Bauer has massive issues with his arm (he doesn’t), then you can’t sell this as anything but a win, and anything but a change in thought. It was Antonetti, likely pushed by Francona, who wouldn’t give up on the idea of getting Bauer, even when the Diamondbacks said not to Cabrera.
They then “replaced” Choo with Nick Swisher, which has been discussed here at IPI/IBI at every level already. My point here is that the Indians nearly and completely filled up their lineup without giving up either of their biggest commodities. Now, as we head into 2013, the Indians are in the catbird seat.
They can keep Cabrera and Perez as centerpieces of their 2013 team. Both players still have two full seasons of control, and while there is an argument at their value over the next two seasons, there is still time to turn them into tradable pieces if 2013 is a wash heading into July. Then, they’ll still have a year-plus of control, and may be even more valuable should they replicate their first-half numbers of last season. Even if they don’t, there will still be value there.
That’s not even to say that a deal doesn’t fall into their lap this offseason.
The Pirates just dealt their closer to the Boston Red Sox in Joel Hanrahan, and to be honest, didn’t really bring in an abundance of major league talent. The best player they received was former closer Mark Melancon, who was a mess last year. In right hander Stolmy Pimentel, infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr. and first baseman/left fielder Jerry Sands, the Pirates received a bunch of seeming “not-quite” type players for their closer. When you take into account the fact that they had to include a decent prospect in Brock Holt, and the deal seems lopsided for the Red Sox. I actually think it was a decent haul for Neal Huntington, as there is upside there, but it’s not a deal screaming victory, as the obvious best player right now is Hanrahan.
So why mention it here?
Well, the Pirates moved quick on a deal for Hanrahan, saving them some cash that they likely needed after a few splash signings in catcher Russell Martin and pitcher Francisco Liriano. Hanrahan also has only one-year left of control before he becomes a free agent. While that isn’t much of a big deal for the cash-machine known as the Boston Red Sox, it is for the majority of the league, and the Indians in particular.
Let’s take a quick look at Hanrahan, and compare him to the Indians own closer commodity, Chris Perez:
Over the past two seasons:
Player
Games
Saves
IP
H
R
ER
HR
BB
K
ERA
Joel Hanrahan
133
76
128.33
96
35
32
9
52
128
2.24
Chris Perez
125
75
117.33
95
49
45
11
42
98
3.45
Clearly, you can see the similarities, and some will even make the case that the numbers are more similar because of the alleged offensive superiority between the American League and the National League. Others will showcase a couple of massively horrible games by Perez that skew his numbers. Regardless of your take, the numbers, as they are, are amazingly close over the span of two seasons.
There are two major differences between the two at this point, other than the fact that Hanrahan has already been traded. The first difference is that Perez has the aforementioned two years of control, compared to Hanrahan and his single year. The second reason is that the Indians aren’t in any position, as we speak, in which they HAVE to deal Perez. Sure, it would help with regards to salary, but it’s clear that it won’t put them over the brink at this point.
There’s also a third point that isn’t being mentioned all that much, but remains fairly important in the longevity of any future deal: Chris Perez is going to be 27 next season, which is four years younger than Hanrahan. As a closer, age can be tricky because of the implosive nature of the position, but it’s still something I’m sure the Indians will be noting in the future.
Perez now turns into a commodity. With Hanrahan setting the tone for Perez and his worth, it could put him at a premium with only a few decent options out there (Rafael Soriano is still available, as of this writing). There are several teams that could be looking at a closer as we head into 2013. Some of the interesting options could be the Detroit Tigers, the Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Angels, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. All the teams mentioned are questionable for various, and sometimes obvious reasons, but all could be viable candidates for different reasons. The point being that the Indians aren’t the hunters at this point, but may become the hunted.
The focus for Perez for fans will be on the Dodgers, who are in dire need of a closer, and who have an overabundance of needs for the Indians with regards to starting pitching. I’m not sure that a deal will ever get done, but there could come a point where the Dodgers, who have had talks with the Indians over this hot stove season, come knocking on the Tribe door. The Indians will surely be waiting from their catbird seat.
It’s a really good way to drum up interest for a player that may not have had that much interest to begin with (see Choo, Shin-Soo).
Asdrubal Cabrera is the more interesting of the two players with regards to a trade, and should generate far more interest. While each of the teams I mentioned for Perez (and there are more than I mentioned) have reason for pause in acquiring a closer for too much, the market for Cabrera may end up larger simply because Cabrera is an every day player.
The top candidate still remains the St. Louis Cardinals. While there hasn’t been any clear communication between the two clubs regarding the Tribe shortstop, the Cardinals are clearly concerned about their current shortstop, Rafael Furcal. Furcal was terrible last season, and at 35, he’s not likely to get any better any time soon. He tore his ulnar collateral ligament, and chose not to have surgery, instead choosing rehab. In a magically delicious moment, a recent MRI revealed that Furcal’s elbow was healed and 100%.
The Indians are asking for a lot for Cabrera, and they are now sitting in their offices here at the Corner standing firm. Teams know that their asking price for Cabrera is an equivalent deal to the Choo deal, for better or…well…better. There’s no downside to a deal for Cabrera, as the Indians no longer need it right now.
Are the Cardinals bluffing with regards to Furcal, hoping to seem in a non-needy position? Perhaps. If not, so be it. The Indians go into 2013 with their starting shortstop intact, and a pretty darned good one.
Like I said, it’s a good position to be in.
The Indians have addressed many of their issues and still have their commodities. As hard as I’ve been on this front office, I have to say that I’m impressed. If this team implodes in 2013, it’s not out of a failure of effort. They’ve done their job.
The Indians still are attacking the free agent bin for some starting pitching. As Tony mentioned the other day, they are still going to be looking for either a solid middle-of-the-rotation guy, or go after a couple of bottom-of-the-rotation options, and no, Kazmir doesn’t count.
So, who is available at this point? There are some interesting options out there, for sure, but some just aren’t realistic. Let’s take a look at a few, what they may cost, and the realities of the situation:
Kyle Lohse: Lohse is certainly a top five pitcher on the market right now, and many are pointing to a diminishing market as a potential bonus for the Indians. Lohse would cost most teams a first-round pick, but would only cost the Tribe a third rounder, since they’ve already given up their second rounder when they signed Swisher. The wildcard here is the fact that Scott Boras is Lohse’s agent. There are other enigmas to Lohse. While he’s had his best two year stretch of his career, going 30-11 with a 3.11 ERA (16-3 last season), he’s also 34 and likely on the fiscal cliff of his career. Will he take a two-year deal for 15-18 million? C’mon, he’s a Boras client, there’s no flippin’ way, right? Even so, would the Indians even want to do it? I’m on the fence here. I’m not sure what I would spend for Lohse, but if he’s still out there, would take two years, and would do it at something reasonable, I’m all in. But with every player in his free-agent caliber signing in the ballpark of $15 million a year, I don’t see it happening.
Shaun Marcum: I consider Marcum a top ten pitching free-agent this season, and while he’s not someone that jumps out as special, I would love to get him on the cheap. The market for him is a mixed bag right now when you consider guys that are similar to him in potential are getting anywhere from $7-to-$13 million a year, and anywhere from one-to-three years. The Indians would clearly be in on a one-year contract for Marcum, and I would have to believe it would be below $7 million. No, I don’t think they are going on the cheap at this point, but I do think they are looking to get a guy on the low-end of his worth. They likely value Marcum a bit higher than a few guys I’m about to mention, so they could press the issue, but there are red flags about Marcum’s health. When you talk about potential elbow and shoulder issues, that old risk-aversion habit could come into play. He is a buy-low guy though, so he could be a steal if he continues to go unsigned.
Joe Saunders: I don’t even know that I consider Saunders third on this list, but there are things about him that I really like. First off, he’s a lefty who has been extremely effective at times throughout his career. He’s an innings-eater, and he would really fit in well with the Tribe rotation. At 32, he’s a guy that you could legitimately offer a two-year deal to, and not feel all that bad about it. When you look at the Indians current rotation of Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Trevor Bauer, Zach McAllister and Corey Kluber, if you were to plug in Saunders at #3, you’d improve your rotation to the point of moderate respectability. If you squint your eyes a bit, you could see some upside there. Say Masterson rebounds and Jimenez stabilizes. You know what you are going to get with Saunders, and Bauer is a plus-wildcard. I really think that McAllister is better than many give credit for, and while he’ll never be a top-of-the-rotation guy, I really think he can be better than average. If you plop him in that #4 or #5 slot, he really could surprise…if there’s no pressure on him. Sorry…got away from Saunders, but you can see why he could be a plus get. The money has to be right though.
Brett Myers: Alright, I honestly don’t know what to think about Myers. When he was a starter from 2003-2006, 2008, and 2010-2011, he averaged 202 innings a year. He went 89-79 as a starter, with a 4.27 ERA in 1560 innings. He struck out 1,254 batters, and walked 514. I don’t know what any of that means other than the fact that he was an innings eater, and not a bad one. The big thing with Myers is his asking price. He made 11 million last year with the White Sox, and he won’t get anywhere near that this year. For the right price, he’s definitively someone you look at. How much though? You’d have to think that a one-year, $3-4 million would be the right money. That’s just a stab in the dark, as I’m sure Myers is selling himself as much more than that.
Kevin Millwood: He has history with the Tribe, but is clearly on the downside of his career. Still, he’s a guy that can give you 170-ish innings, and a guy that should have a solid ERA. While he was 6-12 last year, his 4.25 ERA would have been sparkling for this club. I still think Millwood is a considerable step below the top four guys, so we’re talking a one-year deal here, and in the $2-$3 million range, if that.
Jair Jurjjens: Jurrjens is the last guy I’m going to mention here, and by no means do I think he’s sixth on the list of total guys that are available to the Indians. He’s just a guy that intrigues me as a potential low money side that could bring high upside with the right coaching. Truth be told, if you brought in Myers and Jurjjens, I’d be all for it. Could they? I’m not sure, as I do think Myers is looking for more money than the Indians will be offering. Still, the market will be shaking itself out, and the Indians appear to be in a good place right now, so they could get a steal.
At the end of the day, the Indians likely aren’t going to be staring at a massive rotation change at the start of the year. Here’s what you shouldn’t forget though my faithful readers…if the Indians are in play in July, they will make a deal, you can count on that. You also can’t forget one Carlos Carrasco, who if they handle right, could be a July add of note. You also can’t take Danny Salazar out of the equation completely. He certainly is a fringe 2013 guy right now, but you just. never. know.
With that, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and as the crew here at Corner of Carnegie and Ontario load up and head off to Wally World, have a fantastic New Year. I appreciate every IPI/IBI reader, and look forward to a fantastic 2013!
Time to take off on that holiday road (and admit it, you all just started singing that Lindsay Buckinham song)….
Jim is currently the co-site editor, the ATF/Carolina Mudcats/Indians/General Site Columnist, and the co-host of IPI's weekly online radio show, Smoke Signals. You can follow Jim on Twitter @Jim_IPI, or contact him via e-mail at jpete@indiansprospectinsider.com.
Brett Myers
By Jim Pete
December 27, 2012
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The winter holidays are firmly upon us here at the Corner of Carnegie and Ontario, and while Christmas is officially in the rearviewmirror, I can’t help but feel that the holiday is just beginning for the Cleveland Indians and their fans. There have already been a bevy of presents under the tree of all varieties:
The Indians re-gifted Esmil Rogers for arguably much more than his value when we dealt him for infielder Mike Aviles and catcher/first baseman/outfielder Yan Gomes.
They headed to K-Mart and picked up first baseman Mark Reynolds for a blue light special. You know, he was one of those deals where you aren’t quite sure whether you got a good deal or not, but you don’t have anything like it to begin with, so…why not.
They traded a used but valuable gift in starting right-fielder Shin-Soo Choo for a sparkling brand new present in starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, and got the bonus gifts of starting centerfielder Drew Stubbs, right-handed relievers Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers. While it left a massive hole in right field, you acquired something of a replacement by filling the left field hole (with Brantley or Stubbs), grab one of the top three pitching prospects in all of baseball, and stack an already loaded bullpen.
They picked up a former All-Star caliber starting pitching present in Scott Kazmir at the Goodwill for nearly nothing, as a low risk present that could pay off as a bottom-of-the-rotation gem.
They rolled out a present straight out of the top-of-the-line electronics store when they picked up one Nick Swisher, who has been one of the most consistent and underrated offensive weapons in all of baseball over the past eight seasons. Not only does he give the Indians their poster-boy for the coming seasons, but he directly replaces Choo, and gives the Indians one of their best outfields in recent memory.
Finally, the front office brought in the best gift of all, and it just happened to be the first gift of the pre-holiday season: one that keeps on giving long after the holidays are over. In Terry Francona, the Indians received a manager who not only wanted to come here, who not only can sell the team to free agents, but who has brought a whole new way of viewing the hot stove season.
So while we pick up and throw out the last of the shredded wrapping paper from our over-abundant Christmas holiday, it’s time to pack up the Family Truckster for the rest of our winter break, being careful to leave a bit of room for gifts from the relatives we’ve yet to see.
The Indians have an abundance of commodities that they could trade, should the right deal present itself. Many may have to read that last sentence a few times before there’s any sense of actually believing it, but it remains true. When this offseason started, it seemed likely that the only way the Indians would be able to make a move of consequence would be to trade away their only two 2012 all-stars in shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, and closer Chris Perez.
It was seemed relatively clear, even after the hire of Terry Francona, that the Indians were taking a risk-averse plan of bringing in talent. The belief would be that the Indians either wouldn’t offer enough money, enough years, or just wouldn’t have the free agent pull to sign anyone of consequence.
Yes, the Aviles trade was promising, but it really wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for this front office to do over the past couple of seasons. They did turn Esmil Rogers into a diamond out of a piece of coal, but the move, in singularity, wasn’t anything special. Of course, it did give the potential to trade Asdrubal Cabrera, but that still wasn’t likely. While Aviles is a good, solid utility player, he was arguably one of the lowest rated overall starting shortstops in all of baseball last season. Still, he has the ability to start, so in a worst-case scenario, the Indians could move Cabrera and have a better fill-in than current options.
When they picked up Reynolds at $6 million, it was another decent pick-up as a singular move, but nothing to howl at the moon about. While it was a better move than bringing in Casey Kotchman, Reynolds certainly had question marks. His power-hitting is unquestioned, but he has led the AL in strikeouts in four of the past five seasons, and hasn’t hit above .221 since 2009. The move was a bit frustrating in that the Indians appeared to be giving up on better “named” players like Kevin Youkilis, but was still a solid, if not spectacular move.
That’s when things really changed for this front office, and that starts with Shin-Soo Choo.
When you look back to the end of the year, Choo was believed to be at the top of the list to be moved. There were several teams that came knocking on the Indians door last July at the trade deadline to acquire Choo, but the Indians price was far too high. What they were looking for was at least one top prospect who would be ready to play, as well as other chips that either would be ready-to-play prospects, or current major leaguers. According to every major pundit and scout, the Indians were asking too much. I don’t think anyone reading this would disagree with that statement.
When the Indians were able to deal Choo, and not only that, acquire Trevor Bauer and Drew Stubbs as the centerpiece, it was clear that the front office was in aggressive mode, and that they were turning over every rock. I know I’m rehashing a bit, but think about it. They dealt one year of Choo for multiple years of Bauer. Is there anyone here that wouldn’t have considered that straight up? On top of that, they threw in lefty reliever Tony Sipp for Drew Stubbs, Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers.
While some will complain about the loss of Choo, that thinking is just insane. The deal was a steal for the Indians, and while there is the unknown of Bauer, I’ll argue that it’s a steal regardless of what Bauer does going forward. Why? Choo was gone after this year anyways, and there’s no way they get a better deal than this. Unless we find out that Bauer has massive issues with his arm (he doesn’t), then you can’t sell this as anything but a win, and anything but a change in thought. It was Antonetti, likely pushed by Francona, who wouldn’t give up on the idea of getting Bauer, even when the Diamondbacks said not to Cabrera.
They then “replaced” Choo with Nick Swisher, which has been discussed here at IPI/IBI at every level already. My point here is that the Indians nearly and completely filled up their lineup without giving up either of their biggest commodities. Now, as we head into 2013, the Indians are in the catbird seat.
They can keep Cabrera and Perez as centerpieces of their 2013 team. Both players still have two full seasons of control, and while there is an argument at their value over the next two seasons, there is still time to turn them into tradable pieces if 2013 is a wash heading into July. Then, they’ll still have a year-plus of control, and may be even more valuable should they replicate their first-half numbers of last season. Even if they don’t, there will still be value there.
That’s not even to say that a deal doesn’t fall into their lap this offseason.
The Pirates just dealt their closer to the Boston Red Sox in Joel Hanrahan, and to be honest, didn’t really bring in an abundance of major league talent. The best player they received was former closer Mark Melancon, who was a mess last year. In right hander Stolmy Pimentel, infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr. and first baseman/left fielder Jerry Sands, the Pirates received a bunch of seeming “not-quite” type players for their closer. When you take into account the fact that they had to include a decent prospect in Brock Holt, and the deal seems lopsided for the Red Sox. I actually think it was a decent haul for Neal Huntington, as there is upside there, but it’s not a deal screaming victory, as the obvious best player right now is Hanrahan.
So why mention it here?
Well, the Pirates moved quick on a deal for Hanrahan, saving them some cash that they likely needed after a few splash signings in catcher Russell Martin and pitcher Francisco Liriano. Hanrahan also has only one-year left of control before he becomes a free agent. While that isn’t much of a big deal for the cash-machine known as the Boston Red Sox, it is for the majority of the league, and the Indians in particular.
Let’s take a quick look at Hanrahan, and compare him to the Indians own closer commodity, Chris Perez:
Over the past two seasons:
Player
Games
Saves
IP
H
R
ER
HR
BB
K
ERA
Joel Hanrahan
133
76
128.33
96
35
32
9
52
128
2.24
Chris Perez
125
75
117.33
95
49
45
11
42
98
3.45
Clearly, you can see the similarities, and some will even make the case that the numbers are more similar because of the alleged offensive superiority between the American League and the National League. Others will showcase a couple of massively horrible games by Perez that skew his numbers. Regardless of your take, the numbers, as they are, are amazingly close over the span of two seasons.
There are two major differences between the two at this point, other than the fact that Hanrahan has already been traded. The first difference is that Perez has the aforementioned two years of control, compared to Hanrahan and his single year. The second reason is that the Indians aren’t in any position, as we speak, in which they HAVE to deal Perez. Sure, it would help with regards to salary, but it’s clear that it won’t put them over the brink at this point.
There’s also a third point that isn’t being mentioned all that much, but remains fairly important in the longevity of any future deal: Chris Perez is going to be 27 next season, which is four years younger than Hanrahan. As a closer, age can be tricky because of the implosive nature of the position, but it’s still something I’m sure the Indians will be noting in the future.
Perez now turns into a commodity. With Hanrahan setting the tone for Perez and his worth, it could put him at a premium with only a few decent options out there (Rafael Soriano is still available, as of this writing). There are several teams that could be looking at a closer as we head into 2013. Some of the interesting options could be the Detroit Tigers, the Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Angels, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. All the teams mentioned are questionable for various, and sometimes obvious reasons, but all could be viable candidates for different reasons. The point being that the Indians aren’t the hunters at this point, but may become the hunted.
The focus for Perez for fans will be on the Dodgers, who are in dire need of a closer, and who have an overabundance of needs for the Indians with regards to starting pitching. I’m not sure that a deal will ever get done, but there could come a point where the Dodgers, who have had talks with the Indians over this hot stove season, come knocking on the Tribe door. The Indians will surely be waiting from their catbird seat.
It’s a really good way to drum up interest for a player that may not have had that much interest to begin with (see Choo, Shin-Soo).
Asdrubal Cabrera is the more interesting of the two players with regards to a trade, and should generate far more interest. While each of the teams I mentioned for Perez (and there are more than I mentioned) have reason for pause in acquiring a closer for too much, the market for Cabrera may end up larger simply because Cabrera is an every day player.
The top candidate still remains the St. Louis Cardinals. While there hasn’t been any clear communication between the two clubs regarding the Tribe shortstop, the Cardinals are clearly concerned about their current shortstop, Rafael Furcal. Furcal was terrible last season, and at 35, he’s not likely to get any better any time soon. He tore his ulnar collateral ligament, and chose not to have surgery, instead choosing rehab. In a magically delicious moment, a recent MRI revealed that Furcal’s elbow was healed and 100%.
The Indians are asking for a lot for Cabrera, and they are now sitting in their offices here at the Corner standing firm. Teams know that their asking price for Cabrera is an equivalent deal to the Choo deal, for better or…well…better. There’s no downside to a deal for Cabrera, as the Indians no longer need it right now.
Are the Cardinals bluffing with regards to Furcal, hoping to seem in a non-needy position? Perhaps. If not, so be it. The Indians go into 2013 with their starting shortstop intact, and a pretty darned good one.
Like I said, it’s a good position to be in.
The Indians have addressed many of their issues and still have their commodities. As hard as I’ve been on this front office, I have to say that I’m impressed. If this team implodes in 2013, it’s not out of a failure of effort. They’ve done their job.
The Indians still are attacking the free agent bin for some starting pitching. As Tony mentioned the other day, they are still going to be looking for either a solid middle-of-the-rotation guy, or go after a couple of bottom-of-the-rotation options, and no, Kazmir doesn’t count.
So, who is available at this point? There are some interesting options out there, for sure, but some just aren’t realistic. Let’s take a look at a few, what they may cost, and the realities of the situation:
Kyle Lohse: Lohse is certainly a top five pitcher on the market right now, and many are pointing to a diminishing market as a potential bonus for the Indians. Lohse would cost most teams a first-round pick, but would only cost the Tribe a third rounder, since they’ve already given up their second rounder when they signed Swisher. The wildcard here is the fact that Scott Boras is Lohse’s agent. There are other enigmas to Lohse. While he’s had his best two year stretch of his career, going 30-11 with a 3.11 ERA (16-3 last season), he’s also 34 and likely on the fiscal cliff of his career. Will he take a two-year deal for 15-18 million? C’mon, he’s a Boras client, there’s no flippin’ way, right? Even so, would the Indians even want to do it? I’m on the fence here. I’m not sure what I would spend for Lohse, but if he’s still out there, would take two years, and would do it at something reasonable, I’m all in. But with every player in his free-agent caliber signing in the ballpark of $15 million a year, I don’t see it happening.
Shaun Marcum: I consider Marcum a top ten pitching free-agent this season, and while he’s not someone that jumps out as special, I would love to get him on the cheap. The market for him is a mixed bag right now when you consider guys that are similar to him in potential are getting anywhere from $7-to-$13 million a year, and anywhere from one-to-three years. The Indians would clearly be in on a one-year contract for Marcum, and I would have to believe it would be below $7 million. No, I don’t think they are going on the cheap at this point, but I do think they are looking to get a guy on the low-end of his worth. They likely value Marcum a bit higher than a few guys I’m about to mention, so they could press the issue, but there are red flags about Marcum’s health. When you talk about potential elbow and shoulder issues, that old risk-aversion habit could come into play. He is a buy-low guy though, so he could be a steal if he continues to go unsigned.
Joe Saunders: I don’t even know that I consider Saunders third on this list, but there are things about him that I really like. First off, he’s a lefty who has been extremely effective at times throughout his career. He’s an innings-eater, and he would really fit in well with the Tribe rotation. At 32, he’s a guy that you could legitimately offer a two-year deal to, and not feel all that bad about it. When you look at the Indians current rotation of Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Trevor Bauer, Zach McAllister and Corey Kluber, if you were to plug in Saunders at #3, you’d improve your rotation to the point of moderate respectability. If you squint your eyes a bit, you could see some upside there. Say Masterson rebounds and Jimenez stabilizes. You know what you are going to get with Saunders, and Bauer is a plus-wildcard. I really think that McAllister is better than many give credit for, and while he’ll never be a top-of-the-rotation guy, I really think he can be better than average. If you plop him in that #4 or #5 slot, he really could surprise…if there’s no pressure on him. Sorry…got away from Saunders, but you can see why he could be a plus get. The money has to be right though.
Brett Myers: Alright, I honestly don’t know what to think about Myers. When he was a starter from 2003-2006, 2008, and 2010-2011, he averaged 202 innings a year. He went 89-79 as a starter, with a 4.27 ERA in 1560 innings. He struck out 1,254 batters, and walked 514. I don’t know what any of that means other than the fact that he was an innings eater, and not a bad one. The big thing with Myers is his asking price. He made 11 million last year with the White Sox, and he won’t get anywhere near that this year. For the right price, he’s definitively someone you look at. How much though? You’d have to think that a one-year, $3-4 million would be the right money. That’s just a stab in the dark, as I’m sure Myers is selling himself as much more than that.
Kevin Millwood: He has history with the Tribe, but is clearly on the downside of his career. Still, he’s a guy that can give you 170-ish innings, and a guy that should have a solid ERA. While he was 6-12 last year, his 4.25 ERA would have been sparkling for this club. I still think Millwood is a considerable step below the top four guys, so we’re talking a one-year deal here, and in the $2-$3 million range, if that.
Jair Jurjjens: Jurrjens is the last guy I’m going to mention here, and by no means do I think he’s sixth on the list of total guys that are available to the Indians. He’s just a guy that intrigues me as a potential low money side that could bring high upside with the right coaching. Truth be told, if you brought in Myers and Jurjjens, I’d be all for it. Could they? I’m not sure, as I do think Myers is looking for more money than the Indians will be offering. Still, the market will be shaking itself out, and the Indians appear to be in a good place right now, so they could get a steal.
At the end of the day, the Indians likely aren’t going to be staring at a massive rotation change at the start of the year. Here’s what you shouldn’t forget though my faithful readers…if the Indians are in play in July, they will make a deal, you can count on that. You also can’t forget one Carlos Carrasco, who if they handle right, could be a July add of note. You also can’t take Danny Salazar out of the equation completely. He certainly is a fringe 2013 guy right now, but you just. never. know.
With that, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and as the crew here at Corner of Carnegie and Ontario load up and head off to Wally World, have a fantastic New Year. I appreciate every IPI/IBI reader, and look forward to a fantastic 2013!
Time to take off on that holiday road (and admit it, you all just started singing that Lindsay Buckinham song)….
Jim is currently the co-site editor, the ATF/Carolina Mudcats/Indians/General Site Columnist, and the co-host of IPI's weekly online radio show, Smoke Signals. You can follow Jim on Twitter @Jim_IPI, or contact him via e-mail at jpete@indiansprospectinsider.com.
Re: Articles
3014Nick Swisher joins the Cleveland Indians
Not that it was remotely unexpected, but Nick Swisher's official signing with a team other than the New York Yankees makes it pretty clear: The Yankees are not going to be quite as good a hitting team in 2013 as in the recent past.
Nick Swisher had 105 homers and 349 RBIs in four seasons with the Yankees.
This is a team that, as things currently stand, have speed-oriented players in Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki at either outfield corner, two aging left-side infielders with injury questions in Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, two sluggers who in recent seasons have begun trading batting average for power in Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson, and a mishmash of weak-hitting players at catcher. There is therefore little doubt that this team will struggle to meet or exceed last season's 804 runs scored, and that means diminished runs/RBI support for their hitters. And while there's still time for the Yankees to make a meaningful acquisition (or three) -- meaning one greater than platoon man Matt Diaz -- it's a good time to caution fantasy owners: Don't assume pinstripes equal instant fantasy production.
As for Swisher, he's one of the more underrated power/on-base players in the game, one of only eight players to have managed at least 20 homers and a .330 on-base percentage in each season since 2006. He's hardly a ballpark product, either: Of his 105 home runs during his four-year Yankees career, only 49 were hit at homer-friendly Yankee Stadium. In only two of those seasons did he hit more homers at home than on the road, and in each he managed only one more at home than on the road (15-14 in 2012, 12-11 in 2011).
In other words, Swisher's homers and walks should scarcely change in Cleveland, the only impact being a slightly weaker supporting cast, meaning he might be more of an 85-RBI, 70-run performer as a No. 3 or 4 hitter rather than the 93-75 performer he was with the 2012 Yankees. Much of that, though, will depend on how the Indians stack their lineup -- will they bat him behind on-base specialist Carlos Santana, boosting his RBI potential, or might they inexplicably bat Drew Stubbs in the top third, adversely impacting Swisher's RBIs?
Swisher is my No. 168 player overall and No. 53 outfielder. He's a fine fourth outfielder in mixed leagues, just as he was in New York.
Tristan H. Cockcroft ESPN
Not that it was remotely unexpected, but Nick Swisher's official signing with a team other than the New York Yankees makes it pretty clear: The Yankees are not going to be quite as good a hitting team in 2013 as in the recent past.
Nick Swisher had 105 homers and 349 RBIs in four seasons with the Yankees.
This is a team that, as things currently stand, have speed-oriented players in Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki at either outfield corner, two aging left-side infielders with injury questions in Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, two sluggers who in recent seasons have begun trading batting average for power in Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson, and a mishmash of weak-hitting players at catcher. There is therefore little doubt that this team will struggle to meet or exceed last season's 804 runs scored, and that means diminished runs/RBI support for their hitters. And while there's still time for the Yankees to make a meaningful acquisition (or three) -- meaning one greater than platoon man Matt Diaz -- it's a good time to caution fantasy owners: Don't assume pinstripes equal instant fantasy production.
As for Swisher, he's one of the more underrated power/on-base players in the game, one of only eight players to have managed at least 20 homers and a .330 on-base percentage in each season since 2006. He's hardly a ballpark product, either: Of his 105 home runs during his four-year Yankees career, only 49 were hit at homer-friendly Yankee Stadium. In only two of those seasons did he hit more homers at home than on the road, and in each he managed only one more at home than on the road (15-14 in 2012, 12-11 in 2011).
In other words, Swisher's homers and walks should scarcely change in Cleveland, the only impact being a slightly weaker supporting cast, meaning he might be more of an 85-RBI, 70-run performer as a No. 3 or 4 hitter rather than the 93-75 performer he was with the 2012 Yankees. Much of that, though, will depend on how the Indians stack their lineup -- will they bat him behind on-base specialist Carlos Santana, boosting his RBI potential, or might they inexplicably bat Drew Stubbs in the top third, adversely impacting Swisher's RBIs?
Swisher is my No. 168 player overall and No. 53 outfielder. He's a fine fourth outfielder in mixed leagues, just as he was in New York.
Tristan H. Cockcroft ESPN
Re: Articles
3015FOX Sports purchases STO for an estimated $230 million; will pay Indians $400 million in rights fees over next 10 years
Published: Friday, December 28, 2012, 10:27 AM Updated: Friday, December 28, 2012, 10:55 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- FOX Sports has purchased SportsTime Ohio for an estimated $230 million. The purchase gives Fox an estimated 10-year deal to broadcast Indians games worth an estimated $400 million.
FOX will pay the Indians about $40 million in rights fees per season to broadcast their games. STO was paying the Indians an estimated $30 million a year in right fees.
The Dolan family, which owns the Indians, created STO to carry Indians games in 2006. Before that, Indians games had been broadcast on Fox Sports networks from 1998 through 2005.
The influx of money is part of the reason that Indians were able to come to terms last week with free agent outfielder Nick Swisher on a four-year, $56 million deal. All MLB teams will receive an estimated $24 million to $25 million a year in national cable TV revenue in 2014 through 2021.
Whether or not FOX will operate in Ohio with two regional sports networks or one will be determined in the new year.
The Indians rights fees are expected to increase from $30 million to $40 million.
It was important for the deal to get done before the new year become of impending changes in the tax laws.
The purchase would make Fox the dominant sports programmer in Ohio. Fox Sports Ohio currently carries the Cavs, Cincinnati Reds, NHL Columbus Blue Jackets, Columbus Crew soccer, Lake Erie Monsters and the University of Cincinnati and Dayton.
Related topics: cleveland-indians, FOX Sports, STO
Published: Friday, December 28, 2012, 10:27 AM Updated: Friday, December 28, 2012, 10:55 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- FOX Sports has purchased SportsTime Ohio for an estimated $230 million. The purchase gives Fox an estimated 10-year deal to broadcast Indians games worth an estimated $400 million.
FOX will pay the Indians about $40 million in rights fees per season to broadcast their games. STO was paying the Indians an estimated $30 million a year in right fees.
The Dolan family, which owns the Indians, created STO to carry Indians games in 2006. Before that, Indians games had been broadcast on Fox Sports networks from 1998 through 2005.
The influx of money is part of the reason that Indians were able to come to terms last week with free agent outfielder Nick Swisher on a four-year, $56 million deal. All MLB teams will receive an estimated $24 million to $25 million a year in national cable TV revenue in 2014 through 2021.
Whether or not FOX will operate in Ohio with two regional sports networks or one will be determined in the new year.
The Indians rights fees are expected to increase from $30 million to $40 million.
It was important for the deal to get done before the new year become of impending changes in the tax laws.
The purchase would make Fox the dominant sports programmer in Ohio. Fox Sports Ohio currently carries the Cavs, Cincinnati Reds, NHL Columbus Blue Jackets, Columbus Crew soccer, Lake Erie Monsters and the University of Cincinnati and Dayton.
Related topics: cleveland-indians, FOX Sports, STO