Cleveland Sports Forum

Indians have trade chips to dangle if market is right
Having acquired Aviles, Cabrera and others could bring back promising young talent

By Anthony Castrovince | Archive
11/05/12 9:28 AM ET

The Indians didn't acquire Mike Aviles over the weekend in order to trade Asdrubal Cabrera. In fact, when asked if he still envisioned Cabrera as his starting shortstop on Opening Day 2013, this was general manager Chris Antonetti's precise, plain-as-day reply:

"Yes."

Hmm. Not a whole lot of room for shades of gray there.

But heading into an awfully interesting and important winter for the Indians organization, Antonetti has the option to be a little bit more open-minded about his shortstop situation. Because while he has multiple trade chips he can dangle the next few months as the Tribe figures out how best to surround its championship-caliber new manager with a championship-caliber ballclub, no one, in this moment, is more attractive and more ready to reap an impactful return than Cabrera.

The Indians know their roster as currently constructed is too flawed, too fragmented, to be a realistic contender in 2013 -- even in as winnable a division as the American League Central, where the eventual AL champion Tigers needed just 88 victories to claim the division crown in 2012.

A glaring lack of upside arms in the rotation and a lineup that leans too heavily left-handed were major culprits in the Tribe's fall from grace in the second half of 2012. And while Terry Francona was an applaudable acquisition who could create a winning culture in Cleveland, this club was clearly much more than a managerial switch away from making major strides in the standings.

The front office, then, will be forced to evaluate its assets.

Some have viewed Francona's arrival as a sign that the Tribe is not focused on a full-scale rebuild. Perhaps that's the case. But no matter the profile of the skipper, the Indians are not in position to field a high-profile payroll. And the state of the roster and the state of the farm system presents a strong case for being opportunistic in the trade market, exploring the possibility that two birds in the bush could, in fact, eventually outweigh the bird in hand.

Who are the birds in hand?

There's Shin-Soo Choo, an impact hitter against right-handed pitching who has proven adept in both the leadoff spot and No. 3 hole. Great arm. Great competitor. But a year away from free agency, the Scott Boras client could have a limited market, especially when you factor in his struggles against lefties.

There's Chris Perez, the colorful and quotable closer. He's a reasonably reliable ninth-inning option for a team in need, and the Indians have Vinnie Pestano ready, willing and able to step into that role. But Perez's expanding arbitration worth -- he could make $7 million or more in 2013 -- and open mouth don't bode particularly well for his trade value.

There's Justin Masterson, who was emerging as an ace in 2011 but took a drastic step back in '12. Teams would line up to take a chance on him, but the Indians would be selling low.

There's Carlos Santana, not so long ago viewed as a superstar in training. But he, too, had a subpar season, and his position has come increasingly into question, as even the Indians seem unsure of whether his future is behind the plate or at first base. Either way, Santana is signed through at least 2016, so dealing him now -- when it still seems his best days are firmly in front of him -- does not appear to be an attractive option.

In a rebuild, you trade away just about all of the above and bring back as many warm bodies as you possibly can. The Indians, though, have given no indication that they're going the full-rebuild route. The road they would rather take is the one Oakland traveled a year ago, dealing from depth and going young but feisty. The A's proved feisty enough to stunningly win the AL West -- a method easy to admire and all but impossible to replicate. But for the Indians, Cabrera at least fits the formula.

Why? Because he's a 27-year-old All-Star shortstop locked into a reasonable deal ($16.5 million over the next two seasons). There is always a demand for up-the-middle talent, and Cabrera -- even with some concerns about his conditioning and fading range -- has value as a starter at either short or second. And for teams like the A's, Red Sox and Mariners, there could be particular demand in the trade market, because the free-agent market this winter is definitely dim.

It's true that the Indians also have use for a 27-year-old All-Star shortstop with an affordable deal. But the Aviles acquisition buys them some flexibility. Aviles, who hit .250 with a .663 OPS in 136 games as Boston's primary shortstop last season, could be a stopgap before the Indians start dipping into their Minor League system -- Juan Diaz, who spent the bulk of 2012 in Double-A, and Tony Wolters and Ronny Rodriguez, who spent the whole season at the high Class A level.

Francisco Lindor, the Tribe's No. 1 pick from the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, is viewed as the club's shortstop of the future, but even in an environment in which clubs are speeding up the timetables of their top picks, Lindor is only going to be 19 next year. So he's still a ways away from the bigs.

You deal Cabrera and lean on Aviles and the organizational depth if and only if you can bring back some young and projectable starting pitchers. That will be the goal in any trade the Tribe makes at this juncture, but Cabrera has the ability to bring back more than any other trading chip the Indians can reasonably dangle.

If Cleveland explored that route, it would be dealing Cabrera at his perceived peak -- though his 2011 season, in which he hit 25 homers and drove in 92 runs, was likely his actual peak.

Maybe that's not the route the Indians are inclined to go. But that's the sort of aggressive approach a small-market club that has struggled in the drafting and development departments needs to take to build a winner on a budget.

well Rusty, I'll let you know when I'm overwhelmed.

I probably won't live long enough for that.

Dolan seems to have a backwards understanding of business. His idea of business is you come then maybe he might spend. Of course he wont spend why would he? He is laughing all the way to the bank. The interesting thing is that there are still suckers (Dolanites) like Rusty is who believe the BS from the brain trust.

There are people that still believe in "trickle down" baseball. Fill my stadiums and I will give you money to improve the team.

Ownership, bad trades combined to sink Indians: Analysis

Published: Sunday, November 04, 2012, 7:00 AM Updated: Sunday, November 04, 2012, 7:09 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — If a baseball team is built the right way, the advance elements of its incoming talent should blend with the remnants of the old like waves crashing onto a beach. As the old seeps into the sand, the new washes over it.

When the Indians didn’t exercise future Hall of Famer Omar Vizquel’s option at the end of the 2004 season, he represented the last remnant of the franchise’s emergence from the muck and mire of 40 years of disappointment. As Vizquel disappeared into the sand, the next wave had already started to hit the beach to bid him farewell.

CC Sabathia, Jake Westbrook and Cliff Lee were in the rotation. Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, Victor Martinez and Casey Blake were making inroads in the lineup. Bob Wickman and Rafael Betancourt were in the bullpen.

Last week, the wave that said bon voyage to Vizquel finally ran its course. Sizemore became a free agent for the second time in as many years on Monday. Hafner and Roberto Hernandez, who came ashore as Fausto Carmona in 2006, became free agents Wednesday when their 2013 options were declined. Unlike Vizquel, who still had quality baseball left in him, it’s questionable how much Sizemore, Hafner and Hernandez have left. It’s even more questionable if they’ll ever wear an Indians uniform again.

For the last several years, Sizemore and Hafner have been irrelevant from a production standpoint because of injuries. Sizemore didn’t play this year and Hafner was limited to 66 games. Lies and deception cost Hernandez almost the entire season following his January arrest in the Dominican Republic for identity fraud.

The right wave can lead to great things for a ballclub. The Indians appeared to have just that in the surge that dissipated last week at the steps of Progressive Field. It produced two Cy Young winners, a 20-game winner, 14 All-Star game appearances, a 30-30 season, the most productive DH in team history, the franchise leader in saves, two Gold Gloves, three Silver Slugger awards, one manager of the year award and two executive of the year awards.

From all that came exactly one postseason appearance — which explains what’s wrong about the current Indians.

The tease began in 2005. Propelled by a 46-28 record after the All-Star break, the Indians finished 93-69. On Sept. 25 at Kauffman Stadium, they trailed Chicago by 1.5 games in the AL Central. In the ninth inning of a 4-4 tie, Sizemore lost a fly ball by Kansas City’s Paul Phillips in the sun and it fell for a game-winning double. Whatever mojo the Indians possessed vanished.

They lost six of their last seven, getting swept by Chicago at home in the last three games of the season. After former Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen capped the sweep by giving Tribe fans the choke sign, the Indians finished six games out of first and two behind Boston in the wild card. Chicago went on to win the World Series.

Still, the wave was impressive. Hafner hit .305 with 33 homers and 108 RBI followed by Martinez (.305, 20, 80), Sizemore (.287, 22, 81, 111 runs) and Peralta (.292, 24, 78). Lee went 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA followed by Sabathia (15-10, 4.03), Westbrook (15-15, 4.49) and Wickman (45 saves).

The glare of expectations ruined the Tribe in 2006. So did a bullpen with the fewest saves in the league. Wickman was traded in July to Atlanta for a minor-league catcher. They finished fourth at 78-84, 18 games out of first place.

But the production continued: Martinez (.316, 16, 93), Hafner (.308, 42, 117), Sizemore (.290, 28, 76, 134 runs), Blake (.282, 19, 68), Lee (14-11, 4.40), Westbrook (15-10, 4.17), Sabathia (12-11, 3.22).

The crest came in 2007. The Indians won the division — their only Central title in the last 11 years — and tied Boston for the most victories in the league with 96. They beat the Yankees in the division series and took a 3-1 lead over Boston in the ALCS before losing three straight. In Game 7, third-base coach Joel Skinner mistakenly stopped Kenny Lofton, acquired from Texas for the stretch run, at third base for what should have been the tying run. The Red Sox went on to beat the Tribe, 11-2, and sweep the Rockies in the World Series.

It was the last hurrah for the core and it was a good one: Martinez (.301, 25, 114), Peralta (.270, 21, 72), Blake (.270, 18, 78), Sizemore (.277, 24, 78, 114 runs) and Hafner (.266, 24, 100). Sabathia went 19-7 with a 3.21 EA to win the Indians first Cy Young award since Gaylord Perry in 1972. Hernandez was almost as good at 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA. Westbrook and Lee were held back by injuries and poor performances. Lee didn’t even make the postseason roster.

The lead element of the current wave helped as well. Asdrubal Cabrera (.282, 3, 22, 30 runs) replaced Josh Barfield at second base to assist in the stretch run. Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo played six games, but underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in September after spending most of the season at Class AAA Buffalo.

After the season Eric Wedge was named AL Manager of the Year. Two years later, he was fired. Why couldn’t the wave regenerate itself? Four words: ownership and bad trades.

When the Indians came out of spring training in 2008, Hafner, Martinez, Westbrook and Joe Borowski, who recorded 45 of the bravest — but most unlikely — saves you’ll ever see in 2007, were all playing hurt. They quickly broke down and the season went with them.

Borowski was released on July 4. Sabathia, a free agent-to-be, was traded to Milwaukee on July 7 because the Indians couldn’t afford to keep him. Blake, who went from spring training invitee to core player, was traded to the Dodgers on July 26. Paul Byrd, who won 15 games for the Tribe in 2007, was traded to Boston on Aug. 12.

Sabathia turned into Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Rob Bryson and Zach Jackson. LaPorta has been a bust, Brantley finally put together a solid year in 2012. Bryson and Jackson were non-factors.

The deal for Blake worked out better as the Indians acquired catcher Carlos Santana.

Amidst the bodies flying off the roster, members of the core were still producing. Lee went 22-3 to win the team’s second straight Cy Young award. Sizemore, meanwhile, became only the second Indian to go 30-30 in a season (38 steals, 33 homers). For Sizemore, 2008 would be his last healthy season. For Lee, it guaranteed that he wouldn’t be an Indian long.

The fire sale continued in 2009 when ownership told GM Mark Shapiro that deals had to be made to offset what at one time was thought to be $16 million in losses. The two biggest deals involved Lee and Martinez, each with a year left on their contracts.

Lee and Ben Francisco were traded to the Phillies on July 29 for Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Jason Knapp and Lou Marson. Knapp, supposedly the key to the deal, was released by the Indians earlier this year after two shoulder operations.

Martinez was traded to Boston on July 31 for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price. The trading continued in 2010 as Peralta was sent to Detroit for a minor-league pitcher and Westbrook to St. Louis for right-hander Corey Kluber, who made 12 starts for the Tribe this season.

A big part of the latest wave is already ashore. Cabrera, Santana, Jason Kipnis, Brantley, Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Zach McAllister, Kluber, Chris Perez, Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith, Tony Sipp, Cody Allen all played a part in the Indians’ 94 losses this year.

Can they do a better than the previous wave? Will ownership and management give them more to work with than they did the previous core of players? It all depends what the next wave brings in.

Going, Going, Gone | Timeline of the Tribe's core group

Major Indians developments since 2000
July 25, 2000: Jake Westbrook and Zach Day acquired from Yankees for David Justice and Ricky Ledee. 
July 28, 2000: Bob Wickman acquired from Milwaukee for Richie Sexson, Kane Davis, Paul Rigdon and Marco Scutaro. 
April 8, 2001: CC Sabathia goes 5 2/3 innings against Baltimore in his big-league debut. 
Feb. 23, 2002: CC Sabathia signed a four-year, $9.5 million deal. 
Dec. 18, 2002: Casey Blake signs minor-league contract with the Indians. 
June 27, 2002: Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Lee Stevens acquired from Montreal for Bartolo Colon, Tim Drew and cash. 
Sept. 10, 2002: Victor Martinez goes 1-for-4 against Toronto in his big-league debut. 
Dec. 6, 2002: Travis Hafner and RHP Aaron Myette acquired from Texas for RHP Ryan Drese and C Einar Diaz. 
June 13, 2003: Jhonny Peralta starts at shortstop against San Diego in his big-league debut.
July 13, 2003: Rafael Betancourt lost to the White Sox in his big-league debut. 
April 5, 2005: Victor Martinez signed a five-year, $15.5 million deal. 
Sept. 18-24, 2005: Travis Hafner homers in six straight games. 
March 6, 2006: Grady Sizemore signs five-year, $23.45 million deal; Jhonny Peralta signs
six-year, $13 million deal. 
April 15, 2006: Roberto Hernandez, known as Fausto Carmona, won his big-league debut with a victory over Detroit. 
May 7, 2006: Bob Wickman saved his 130th game as an Indian to make him the team’s all-time leader. 
July 20, 2006: Bob Wickman traded to Atlanta for Max Ramirez.
April 7, 2007: Jake Westbrook signs three-year, $33 million deal. 
May 20-June 17, 2007: Casey Blake hits in 26 straight games, longest AL streak that year. 
July 12, 2007: Travis Hafner signs four-year, $57 million extension, biggest in team history. 
Aug. 8, 2007: Asdrubal Cabrera starts against Chicago in his big-league debut. 
Sept. 28, 2007: CC Sabathia beat Kansas City for his 19th victory on his way to the Cy Young Award. 
Oct. 5, 2007: Hernandez/Carmona pitches nine innings in Game 2 of ALDS against the Yankees at bug infested Progressive Field. The Indians won, 2-1, in 11 innings. 
April 10, 2008: Hernandez/Carmona, signs four-year, $15 million contract. 
July 7, 2008: CC Sabathia traded to Milwaukee for Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Rob Bryson and Zach Jackson. 
July 26, 2008: Casey Blake traded to the Dodgers for Carlos Santana. 
Aug. 25, 2008: Grady Sizemore, facing Detroit, hit his 30th and 31st homer to become the second 30-30 man in team history. 
Sept. 1, 2008: Cliff Lee threw a five-hit shutout to beat the White Sox for his 20th victory on the way to Cy Young Award. 
May 1, 2009: Jhonny Peralta homered against Detroit to pass Woodie Held and become the Indians’ all-time home run leader among shortstops. 
July 3, 2009: Shin-Soo Choo went 4-for-5 with two homers, four runs and seven RBI against Oakland. 
July 29, 2009: Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco traded to the Phillies for Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco and Jason Knapp. 
July 31, 2009: Victor Martinez traded to Boston for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price. 
July 29, 2010: Jhonny Peralta traded to Detroit for Giovanni Soto. 
July 31, 2010: Jake Westbrook traded to St. Louis as part of a three-team deal in which the Indians receive Corey Kluber. 
Oct. 29, 2012: Grady Sizemore granted free agency. 
Oct. 31, 2012: The Indians declined the 2013 options on Travis Hafner and Roberto Hernandez, making them free agents. 
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158 
On Twitter: @hoynsie 

GM meetings might be lively this time
Shin-Soo Choo is one of several Indians players who could be a fit with the Red Sox.

SHARE THIS STORY

UPDATED NOV 6, 2012 1:38 PM ET

In baseball, the general managers’ meetings long have lacked the mystique and functionality of the winter meetings. Often, they are held too early in the offseason for deal-making to occur onsite. They act as the kickoff event, where agents gauge interest in clients and GMs discuss potential trade fits with their colleagues.

This year could be different.

A collection of executives and agents will gather in Indian Wells, Calif., beginning Wednesday, and the possibility exists that a significant trade or signing will be announced there. The exclusive window for free agents — during which they can’t discuss financial terms with other teams — has passed. And GMs know which players have been tendered qualifying offers — a meaningful change from previous years, when the arbitration process wasn’t resolved until December.

Next month’s winter meetings in Nashville loom as the bigger swap meet, but here are five questions that could be answered by the time the proceedings adjourn Friday in Southern California.

1. How much of a “legend bonus” will the New York Yankees give Mariano Rivera — and potentially Andy Pettitte?

When shortstop Derek Jeter became a free agent two years ago, the Yankees signed him for more money (three years, $51 million) than his recent production suggested he was worth. But that wasn’t viewed as a mistake, because this was Derek Jeter. Besides, the Yankees had a limitless budget, right?




Turns out, that’s not the case anymore. Or so they say. Under Hal Steinbrenner’s plan to reduce their payroll to $189 million by 2014, the Yankees need to make every (million) dollar count. And while the coming austerity will be a greater issue at this time next year, it could impact the Yankees’ ability to afford players in this winter’s free agent class.

Against that backdrop, their closer Rivera, soon to be 43, has told the club he intends to return, and 40-year-old starting pitcher Pettitte might do the same. Now the question is how much they will cost. Rivera earned $15 million this year, Pettitte $11.75 million in his most recent full season (2010). Can the Yankees afford to give them similar deals now, at a time when they also need a catcher, right fielder, designated hitter, setup man and another starter?

2. How long until the first trade between the Indians and Red Sox?

It will be a mild surprise if the two franchises don’t strike at least one trade this winter.
The environment is ideally suited to a deal: The front offices know each other well, and they have been frequent trading partners. The Indians are coming off a 94-loss season and could begin another rebuild by trading the likes of outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, closer Chris Perez and starting pitcher Justin Masterson. Each could fill an area of need for the Red Sox, who have financial flexibility thanks to their August blockbuster with the Dodgers.

On top of that, new Cleveland manager Terry Francona has intimate knowledge of Boston’s prospects through his tenure with the Red Sox. John Farrell, the new skipper in Boston, had a good relationship with Masterson when the right-hander was a Red Sox prospect during Farrell’s time as the Boston pitching coach.

Stay tuned.

3. Will the Rays trade a starting pitcher before the likes of Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez and Kyle Lohse sign their new contracts?

With a modicum of power in their lineup, the 2012 Rays would have reached the postseason as a genuine threat to win the World Series. Their starting rotation was that good.

Instead, the Rays were eliminated during the final series of the season, largely because of their meager .243 batting average with runners in scoring position.


So, the time has arrived for general manager Andrew Friedman to part with one arm from his ample pitching stable. James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson are the most obvious candidates to be traded for the first baseman or corner outfielder the Rays so desperately need (e.g., Josh Willingham, Jason Kubel, Paul Goldschmidt, Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer or Allen Craig).

In order to maximize his return, it might behoove Friedman to trade the cost-controlled pitcher before teams remove themselves from the marketplace by signing someone else. This could be the week to do it, once GMs blanch after hearing the asking prices for Greinke, Sanchez, Lohse and others.

4. Are the Rangers going to be spectators in the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes?

The estimable John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus reported recently that Hamilton’s asking price is seven years and $175 million. If Hamilton sticks to those numbers, it’s difficult to imagine his current team will stay in the bidding for very long.

Despite their considerable resources, the Rangers might be a player in the Hamilton sweepstakes only to the extent that the Brewers pursued Prince Fielder last offseason: If the market collapses completely, the Rangers will be there with a short-term offer. Other than that, Hamilton is likely to find a more eager suitor elsewhere. The Rangers have too many concerns about Hamilton’s future durability and reliability to invest $175 million in him.

The Rangers, with a rich farm system, might choose to shop for what they need on the trade market instead.

5. Will the Dodgers continue spending their way to status as the Yankees of the West?


Talk about a parallel universe: The Yankees plan to tighten their budget while another club taps into a vault of limitless cash. The most recent example of L.A. largesse was last week’s three-year, $22.5 million contract for reliever Brandon League, who not long ago was deposed as closer of the last-place Seattle Mariners.

Despite massive spending under new ownership — Andre Ethier, Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett, to name a few more — the Dodgers have holes on their 2013 roster. Namely, they need another starting pitcher and additional bullpen depth.

And with the GM meetings held only a two-hour drive from Dodger Stadium, it would be very Hollywood of them to make a splash while all the executives, agents and reporters are gathered in the same hotel lobby this week.

Indians' Choo, Cabrera, Masterson, Perez expected to come up in trade talks

By Jon Heyman | Baseball Insider

November 6, 2012 6:30 pm ET


INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- The Cleveland Indians, willing to discuss their biggest players in trades, could be one of the centers of trade activity here at the GM meetings.

No less than four very good Indians players are already drawing calls -- starter Justin Masterson, closer Chris Perez, outfielder Shin-Soo Choo and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. And Cleveland will listen.

"I'm not looking to move those guys,'' Indiand GM Chris Antonetti said. "But we have to be open-minded.''

The Pirates, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers, Phillies and others could be a match for Choo, the one of the Indians quartet who's a free agent after 2013 (though Antonetti said he doesn't have to trade him, and that he could keep him through the year, make a qualifying offer and get a draft pick).

The Angels and others, potentially, might make sense for the Perez. Many teams would be interested in Masterson, possibly including the Blue Jays, Royals, Twins and perhaps his old Red Sox team.

The Red Sox, Tigers, A's and Rays could be a fit for Cabrera. He might be a tough one to trade, though, since there would be a big dropoff at shortstop for Cleveland to the just-acquired Mike Aviles.

The Indians' needs are for an outfielder, a starting pitcher and a first baseman, coincidentally the same as the main needs for Boston, a frequent trade partner. Those two teams will definitely talk, but it would seem that having similar needs would be an impediment to a deal.

Personally, I keep hearing that Asdrubal Cabrera is considered to be a bad influence on Santana and other young players in the clubhouse. Bad work habits and too lazy.

Cleveland Indians' needs are crystal clear, but solutions are always tricky


Published: Tuesday, November 06, 2012, 9:49 PM Updated: Tuesday, November 06, 2012, 10:29 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — The answers to all the Indians' problems, as usual, are in plain sight.

First base? Nick Swisher could fill the bill.

Starting pitcher? Zach Greinke is available.

Left fielder? B.J. Upton is listening to offers right now.

Designated hitter? Josh Hamilton has a for-sale sign around his neck.

That, as usual, isn't going to happen. Swisher, Greinke, Upton and Hamilton are at the top of this winter's free-agent class. In terms of money and length of contract, those four players are dealing with a different clientele than the team that calls Progressive Field home.

Even if it were possible, loading up on the best available free agents is no guarantee for success. The Los Angeles Angels and Florida Marlins made all the headlines last winter with the signings of Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell and Jose Reyes. The Angels won 89 games in the American League West but didn't make the postseason. The Marlins lost 93 games, finished last in the National League East and fired manager Ozzie Guillen after the season.

Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti arrived Tuesday at the general managers meetings here. His goal is to find "the best way to build a championship team. That's our focus."

He didn't say what he's focusing on, but after a 69-94 finish in the AL Central, Antonetti has been active.
Terry Francona was hired as manager Oct. 6. Ubaldo Jimenez's $5.75 million option for 2013 was exercised Wednesday, while options on Travis Hafner and Roberto Hernandez were declined, making them free agents. The same day, Francona's new coaching staff was announced. On Saturday, Antonetti sent reliever Esmil Rogers to Toronto for infielder Mike Aviles and catcher/infielder Yan Gomes.

To some, the addition of Aviles, Boston's starting shortstop last season, signaled that the Indians were planning to rebuild. Asdrubal Cabrera, an All-Star shortstop the past two seasons, is signed through 2014 for $16.5 million. If the Indians were looking to start over, Cabrera would bring young talent to Cleveland, while Aviles would be a much cheaper fit at short.

In the past, Kansas City, for instance, has expressed interest in Cabrera. The Royals, who have already acquired right-hander Ervin Santana in a trade this off-season, like Cabrera at second base, which would allow them to keep fluid Alcides Escobar at short.

At the time of Saturday's trade, Antonetti said Cabrera was staying and that Aviles would be used at second, short and third.

When asked if the Indians are set to rebuild or add to their present core of players, he said, "We're going into the meetings with an open mind. At the GM meetings, the intensity increases as to finding out where you might have a possible fit with certain teams."

If the Indians want to start over, Shin-Soo Choo, Chris Perez, Justin Masterson and Cabrera would certainly draw interest. Outside of Choo, eligible for free agency at the end of the 2013 season, Perez and Masterson aren't eligible for two more years. Cabrera, coinciding with his two-year extension, won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2014 season.

The Indians have been talking to free agents since the end of the World Series. In years past at the GM meetings, teams could usually only try to re-sign their own free agents. This year, it became open season on all free agents Saturday.

The Indians are going to try to re-sign Hernandez after declining his $6 million option.

"We remain interested in bringing him back," Antonetti said. "Right now, he's studying his alternatives and so are we."

Hernandez spent his first 11 seasons in the Indians organization known as Fausto Carmona. His real name and age (31 instead of 28) came to light in January, when he was arrested for identity fraud in his native Dominican Republic.

Familiar names: Houston hired David Stearns as its assistant general manager. Stearns spent the 2011 season with the Indians. The Astros also signed former Indians Dennis Martinez and Eduardo Perez as coaches.

Martinez has been a pitching coach in the minors for St. Louis for six years. Perez will manage Colombia in the World Baseball Classic.

Trading Asdrubal Cabrera makes sense for Cleveland Indians: Terry Pluto

Published: Tuesday, November 06, 2012, 8:57 PM Updated: Tuesday, November 06, 2012, 9:47 PM
By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — "Yes."

That's how General Manager Chris Antonetti answered a question about Asdrubal Cabrera being the Tribe's Opening Day shortstop in 2013.

Here's what I think: "Maybe" Cabrera will be back.

Of course, Antonetti will never say that. In the real world of running a baseball team, you say that your two-time All-Star shortstop will be coming back next season.

Unless you change your mind.

Antonetti is at the general managers meetings this week. You can be sure that a general manager from some shortstop-starved team will ask him, "Are you really going to keep both Aviles and Cabrera?"
Aviles is Mike Aviles, the Tribe's newest acquisition. He also happened to be the starting shortstop for the Boston Red Sox last season. And he played for new Tribe manager Terry Francona when they both were in Boston in 2011.

No doubt, Antonetti will tell the GM in Search of a Shortstop that the Indians are thrilled to have Aviles. Antonetti will add that Aviles can play all the infield positions -- and the Tribe had no real backup for Cabrera last season.

Aviles gives them depth, right?

Absolutely.

But the Indians need more than infield depth. They need players: first base, designated hitter, left field and perhaps right field (if Shin-Soo Choo is traded as expected).

Setting up a trade

So let's think about this for a moment.

The Indians need all kinds of players. They don't have much in the upper levels of the farm system. But they do have two guys who started at shortstop last season.

My guess is the Tribe is very open to doing what I suggested in my Sunday notes of Oct. 28 -- trading Cabrera. That story was written before the Indians traded Esmil Rogers to Toronto for Aviles and minor-league catching prospect Yan Gomes.

The 27-year-old Rogers could end up being a very good reliever for the Blue Jays. The Indians paid $150,000 to buy him from Colorado, where he battled control problems for years. With the Indians, he was 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA.

But the Tribe believes it has other righties in the bullpen such as Joe Smith and Cody Allen to pitch those middle innings before turning to Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez for the final two innings.

Little was said about this, but the Tribe also was very happy with Frank Herrmann. He finally learned a breaking pitch to go with his 95-mph fastball. The Harvard product had a 2.23 ERA in 191/3 innings at the end of the season, walking only four and striking out 14.

So they not only could afford to trade Rogers, they also needed to trade Rogers to fill other holes.
The same is now true for Cabrera.

Aviles is 31. He's a right-handed hitter who batted .250, with 13 homers, 60 RBI and 14 stolen bases, for Boston last season. He's a career .295 hitter (.797 OPS) against lefties, a skill the Tribe desperately needs.

Defensively, Aviles was ranked in the middle of the pack among starting shortstops by most metric services. Cabrera was near the bottom, as he led the league with 19 errors and his range has been shrinking for the past two years.

Aviles also can't be a free agent until after the 2014 season, and he made $1.2 million last year.
Cabrera has two years left on his deal at $6.5 million and $10 million.

Cabrera averaged 20 homers and 80 RBI while batting .271 during the past two seasons, making the All-Star team. But his declining defense is alarming for a 27-year-old as he battles weight problems. His numbers have fallen down in the second half of the past two seasons. In 2011-12, he batted .290 (.834 OPS) before the All-Star break and .248 (.698) after.

Physical conditioning was an issue.

Meanwhile, the Indians are praising Aviles as a "professional hitter . . . plays the game the right way."

Depth at short

Aviles allows them to seriously consider trading Cabrera. While some fans would view Aviles as someone to hold down short until 19-year-old phenom Francisco Lindor is ready in a few years, they do have another option.

There's 23-year-old Juan Diaz, who batted .266 (.743), with 13 homers and 63 RBI, between Class AA and Class AAA last season. He played four games with the Tribe. He is considered an above-average shortstop and has a chance to hit for some power. He could be ready to at least arrive in Cleveland by the 2013 All-Star break.

So the Indians have Aviles, Diaz and Lindor as shortstop possibilities during the next few years. They also have another Class A shortstop prospect they love in Ronny Rodriguez. They drafted Tony Wolters in the third round of 2010 as a shortstop, but he has been moved to second base.

The point is, the Indians do have several shortstop possibilities. They have one shortstop in Cabrera who may be at his peak, both as a player and in terms of trade value.

So, yes, it's time to be bold and deal Cabrera. He is likely to bring more in return than others such as Perez and Choo, who also may be traded.

Cards have 'real' interest in Tribe's Cabrera


According to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals have "real" interest in Asdrubal Cabrera.
It's not a sure thing that the Indians will shop Cabrera this winter, but if they do the St. Louis front office will apparently be ready to pounce. Cabrera, 26, batted .270/.338/.423 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI in 616 plate appearances this past season for Cleveland. The Cardinals have Rafael Furcal under contract for 2013, but the 35-year-old's durability is a major question mark.


Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Nov 7 - 4:07 PM

Indians resign Rondon, lose Goedert

Jared Goedert (Photo: Lianna Holub)
By Tony Lastoria
November 7, 2012



The Indians lost a long time member of their minor league system today as free agent third baseman/outfielder Jared Goedert agreed to a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. They did, however, add two players earlier in the week as they signed free agent infielder Luis Hernandez and resigned right-handed pitcher Hector Rondon, both to minor league deals.

Goedert, 27, was drafted and signed by the Indians in the 9th round of the 2006 Draft out of Kansas State University. He played seven seasons in the Indians organization, and this past season in 121 combined games between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus hit .311 with 19 HR, 77 RBI and .875 OPS. He was officially free to speak to other teams as a free agent as of Sunday, and the Pirates were quick to call and very aggressive in their pursuit of him. The union with the Pirates reunites him with Neal Huntington who was a part of the front office in Cleveland that drafted him in 2006.

Rondon, 24, has missed most of the last three seasons because of two major elbow injuries. He tore the UCL in his right elbow early in 2009 and required Tommy John surgery, and in his return while pitching winter ball last offseason fractured his right elbow. He only made four appearances late in the season with a minor league affiliate and is currently pitching winter ball in the Venezuela Winter League to make up for lost innings. If healthy, he is expected to be a part of the Triple-A Columbus bullpen next season and could still be a factor as a possible big league pen arm sometime next season.

Hernandez, 28, played last season in the Rangers organization at Triple-A Round Rock. In 129 games he hit .262 with 8 HR, 70 RBI, and .679 OPS, and was a late August callup to the Rangers while Michael Young was on paternity leave and played in two games. He was designated for assignment by the Rangers just three days later and declined an outright assignment to the minors and became a free agent. He is signed as minor league depth, and if he makes the Triple-A Columbus roster next season would likely fill the role that shortstop Gregorio Petit did for them in 2012.

Strauss: Cards interest in Cabrera 'real'

In today's chat with hundreds of STLtoday.com readers, Post-Dispatch baseball writer Joe Strauss addressed the Cardinals' shortstop situation in the wake of Rafael Furcal's late-season physical breakdown.

Strauss' bottom line? The Cardinals have "real" interest in pursuing Cleveland shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera if the Indians, as rumored, shop him this winter. Cabrera, who turns 27 next week, batted .270 with 16 homers and 68 RBIs in 2012; he hammered 25 homers with 92 RBIs in 2011.

Fans also are making a lot of noise about Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki, but Strauss said he would be "surprised" if the Cardinals were willing to take on such a hefty financial obligation. Strauss also downplayed Cardinals interest in Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus, saying only that he expected both teams' general managers to discuss the player's availability.

As for Stephen Drew ... the 29-year-old free agent would be a short-term fit at best.

Below is Strauss' insight into the Cardinals' shortstop situation, followed by a bonus reply on the prospect of Rick Ankiel returning as a pitcher — a possibility Strauss raised in last week's chat.

Or you can read today's entire Joe Strauss Live Q-&-A here.

* * *

QUESTION: With Asdrubal Cabrera apparently on the trade block, what is the likelihood of the Cards inquiring about his availability? Do you think guys like Lance Lynn and Matt Adams could serve as the pillars of a deal with the Indians? Do you think 'Mo' would trade from our RH pitching strength to find a long-term solution at SS?

Follow-up question: Joe, what odds do you have on one or two of these four pitchers being in a different organization come spring training: Kelly, Lynn, Rosenthal, Miller?

STRAUSS: I do believe the Cardinals' interest in Asdrubal Cabrera real. With such a flimsy free agent market for shortstops, a number of teams are intrigued by Cabrera if the Indians are indeed willing to shop him.

To compete for Cabrera, the Cardinals would have to part with multiple prospects. One of the names you mention would certainly be introduced into talks by the Tribe. The Cardinals' willingness to part with a current or future member of their starting rotation would then be tested.

This much is known: the club will not expose itself at shortstop to the same degree as it did this year. Whether or not Rafael Furcal requires surgery, he will not be viewed as a 145-game player in 2013. The team requires at least depth at the position. With Furcal's contract set to expire after next season, GM John Mozeliak can't ignore landing a potential long-term answer via trade.

Should that not pan out, a short-term fix becomes more palatable. My information is that Mozeliak does not envision Pete Kozma as a starting option. He projects as a utility middle infielder.

* * *

QUESTION: Do you think Tulowitzki would be a good fit? Would, say, Matt Adams and Skip Schumaker "start" some good discussions with the Rockies? I'm totally intrigued by the thought of 'Tulo' in a Cardinals uniform if he becomes available, just not sure the money he is due would be wise.

STRAUSS: Healthy, Tulowitzki is one of the game's 10 best players, maybe five best. I'd be surprised, however, if the Cardinals were willing to assume that kind of financial obligation at this time. Tulowitzki has become an injury risk even before reaching a six-year, $118 million extension set to begin in 2015. He is scheduled to make $20M in each of the first five seasons.

That's significant money when taking into account that Matt Holliday makes $17M two of those years and Adam Wainwright will receive close to $20M per annum if he forgoes free agency.

* * *

QUESTION: Stephen Drew had a very serious ankle injury. Is he capable of fielding the SS position to major league standards?

STRAUSS: Fair point. His performance the last two seasons has been wanting. However, his need to rehabilitate his value could make him a short-term fit for a team such as the Cardinals, if they fail to acquire a long-term answer.

* * *

QUESTION: Do you think the Cardinals will make calls to see if Elvis Andrus from the Rangers really is available, as has been rumored?

STRAUSS: (This week's) GM meetings serve as foundation for what happens between now and December's Winter Meetings. I'd expect 'Mo' to have a discussion with (Rangers GM) Jon Daniels, if not already. Again, I believe it more likely that the Cardinals seek a short-term fix at the position this winter, unless Furcal's elbow is ruled a no-go for next season.

* * *

FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi reports that the Red Sox have interest in Shin-Soo Choo and Justin Masterson.


The Indians may be thinking about a firesale this winter, as shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and closer Chris Perez are also being mentioned in potential trades. Choo, 30, batted .284/.373/.441 with 16 home runs and 67 RBI in 155 games this year for Cleveland and would add a nice dose of production to Boston's starting lineup. Masterson, 27, broke in with the Red Sox in 2008.

Related: Red Sox, Justin Masterson
Source: FOX Sports Nov 8 - 12:56 PM