Rocky:

I assume you're right:

Could be they are concerned he won't be able to build up the arm strength to go back into the rotation in 2011.

Masterson, last 32 starts:

Total - 32 GS, 211.1 IP, 72 ER, 11-11, 3.06 ERA, 159 SO, 65 BB


Pretty damn good.

Tribe attendance is up about 3800 per game at the Prog in 2011 vs 2010.

Television ratings up 80%.

I don't buy the concept of the team being a year ahead of schedule.

No one knows the future.

In the present, the Tribe is one game out of the playoff picture.

The future is now.

Just do it.

Indians rookie RHP Alex White, out since May 21 with a sore right middle finger, threw a simulated game. Acta said trainers will see how White feels Tuesday before putting together a timetable for his return -- but it will be as a reliever. The Indians want to get White back as soon as possible and think that it will take too long to build up his arm strength to get back into the rotation. .

Shapiro was just on XM.

He said the team could be improved at any area except the bullpen and shortstop. But if he had to prioritize, he'd say the biggest needs are starting pitching and outfield.

He added that despite the talk of being ahead of schedule as a contender, he realizes that projections often don't pan out and that it is imperative for the Tribe to incrementally improve the club for the run this year. He said he has experienced the contention window close way sooner than they thought. He said Antonetti has cauliflower ear from being constantly working the phones on potential deals.

He feels the asking price on the market right now is too high. He says teams continue to ask the Tribe for the top 4 or 5 prospects in a deal. He says those turn out to be short conversations.

He stated that the farm system is now built up with some quality depth that they can realistically look at making deals with some of them.

He feels both Kipnis and Chisenhall are MLB ready with the bat, not so much with the glove. He actually compared Lonnie to a young Jim Thome.

He thinks Grady is still young enough to make a full recovery.

Shapiro calls Manny the steadying hand and he is impressed with his in game managerial style.

That's it.

Kuroda?

Rosenthal tweeted...

Source: Three hottest teams on Kuroda are # Tigers, #, Indians # Rangers. # MLB

He feels the asking price on the market right now is too high. He says teams continue to ask the Tribe for the top 4 or 5 prospects in a deal. He says those turn out to be short conversations

Considering how low-rated the prospects were that we picked up last year, either we signficantly undersold ourselves or the key is just to wait until the last minute; or to find a team that really wants to cut payroll.

The Indians, Giants, Braves, and Pirates are among the teams in on Upton, report Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal. The Royals are not seriously pursuing Upton, while the Brewers, Rangers, and Phillies are not involved.

For the season, Hafner is hitting .439 with RISP.

That ranks #1 in MLB.

Does Anybody Really Want Kosuke Fukodome?

By Josh Benjamin (Featured Columnist) on July 24, 2011 57 reads 30 comments

Earlier this afternoon, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reported that at least four teams are interested in Chicago Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukodome. When I read this, I literally laughed out loud. I laughed even louder when one of the teams rumored to want the Japanese import's services was the Cleveland Indians, currently a game and a half behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central and making a push for the playoffs.

Now, I just have one question. Why would any team want this guy???

Much like the Cubs season, Kosuke Fukodome has been flat out terrible. This year, he is batting .272 with three home runs and a whopping 13 RBI. Keep in mind, he is the team's starting right fielder and has appeared in 84 games.

On top of that, in his four-year MLB career, Fukudome has been a horrific underachiever. Since making his debut in 2008, Fukudome has batted .261 with 37 homers and 169 RBI. Looking at his Japanese stats, he has been a bust and a half in the United States.

In nine seasons with the Chunichi Dragons of the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, Fukudome posted a .305 career average with 192 career home runs and 647 RBI. He even won the Central League MVP Award in 2006.

Thus, given his disappointment thus far in the states, any team would be crazy to trade for Fukudome. He has no valuable assets and is an average player at best. Throw in his $12 million salary, and trading for him becomes, as Comic Book Guy would say, "WORST...IDEA...EVER."

Fukodome is the exact type of player the Indians are trying to get. One they can buy versus one they have to give up prospects for.

Fukodomes' OBP would rank #2 on the Tribe.

His SLG would be 9th best.

OPS #5.

He is reportedly a good defensive player.

I read somewhere that he has a limited no trade clause that includes 6 teams. No detail on which ones.

Royals sure made a good deal signing Melky Cabrera this past off season. $1.25M on a one year contract.

Tribe gave Kearns $1.3M.

This is my water under the bridge post for the month.

From Peter Gammons:

One morning recently, Indians GM Chris Antonetti left a message for his good friend, the Pirates' Neal Huntington, "from one dumb general manager to another." Never mind that the rise of the Tribe and Bucs have been two of the feel-good stories of the season, now Antonetti and Huntington are facing criticism for not running out and trading prospects for veterans.

Never mind that the Indians did offer to pick up all of Carlos Beltran's remaining Mets contract and give up a good player in return. The deal Scott Boras negotiated with the Mets for Beltran includes a no-trade clause, which Boras refers to as a "ring clause," meaning that if things ground to an end in New York, Beltran had the right to choose where best to go get a ring before entering the free-agent market, and Cleveland did not fit.


And to trade Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis, Alex White or Drew Pomeranz for a two-month rental would be absurd. Just as it would be foolish for Huntington to trade Jameson Taillon, Stetson Allie or the likes for Josh Willingham.