Cleveland Sports Forum

I do.

Pitching is the name of the game not a shortstop.

I'd even throw in JoeZ's favorite punch-and-judy hitter, Jose Ramirez.

Who will replace Ubaldo Jimenez in Cleveland Indians' starting rotation?

By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group

on November 11, 2013 at 9:49 PM, updated November 12, 2013 at 7:28 AM


ORLANDO, Fla. –- It is important to remember, especially where player salaries are concerned, that baseball is not the real world.

What other explanation can there be when 13 healthy, and presumably sane, men each turn down a one-year deal worth $14.1 million with all the concern of someone brushing a spec of lint from their shoulder?

Ubaldo Jimenez, who pitched the Indians into the postseason this year for the first time since 2007, was one of the 13 free agents who said no to a $14.1 million qualifying offer Monday on the first day of the general managers meetings. The Indians, who made the offer, can still try to negotiate with Jimenez, but the most likely scenario has them receiving a 2014 draft pick between the first and second round when he signs with another team.

GM Chris Antonetti wouldn’t say it, but it sounded as if the Indians turned the qualifying offer into a multiyear offer to try and keep Jimenez.

“We talked about a lot of different ways to bring Ubaldo back,” was all Antonetti would say.

Now the talk must turn to who will replace Jimenez in the No. 2 spot in the rotation behind Justin Masterson? Jimenez went 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA in 32 starts covering 182 2/3 innings this year. In 2012, when Jimenez was as bad as he was good this year, he still made 31 starts and pitched 176 2/3 innings.

The Indians aren’t preoccupied with who fits where in the rotation.

“We just want to build the best pitching staff that we can,” said Antonetti.

But it doesn’t take a pitching guru to figure out that Danny Salazar Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister are the most likely to replace Jimenez. All that could change, of course, with a trade or free agent signing, but right now those are the three leading candidates.

“I think Danny Salazar, Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister are capable of doing that,” said pitching coach Mickey Callaway. “But we need them to stay healthy and log innings like Ubaldo did the last two years.”

Callaway likes the three candidates in this order: Salazar, Kluber and McAllister. Salazar started the year at Class AA Akron, but made it to the big leagues for 10 starts, including the wild-card playoff game against Tampa Bay.

Kluber went 11-5 with a 3.85 ERA in 26 games, including 24 starts. McAllister was 9-9 with a 3.75 ERA in 24 starts. Kluber and McAllister each missed a significant amount of time with sprained right middle fingers.

The way this off-season is going, Jimenez might not be the only starter the Indians have to replace. Lefty Scott Kazmir is a free agent and he seems headed out of town as well. So in the big picture, the Indians have one open spot in the rotation behind Masterson, Salazar, Kluber and McAllister. The three arms competing for that spot are Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer.

“The way I see it,” said Callaway, “is that we’ve got seven guys battling for five spots. We know what we’re going to get from Tomlin. He’s going to come in and throw strikes. With Bauer and Carrasco, the sky is the limit.”

Callaway was asked if he felt Bauer would be ready to help the Indians in 2014.

“There’s no doubt,” he said. “He just got into a funk with his mechanics and it took him all year to get straightened out. I’ve seen a couple of videos of him this off-season and he’s looking good. You know he won’t stop. He’ll keep working.”

Callaway received a lot of credit for his work with Jimenez and Kazmir. Now the chances are good that they’ll be pitching for another team next year.

“This is just part of the process,” he said. “Ubaldo probably pitched himself into a multiyear deal. You can’t blame any player for trying to take care of himself and his family like that.”

Kazmir hadn’t taken a regular turn in a big-league rotation since 2010 before he signed a minor-league deal with the Indians last winter. He went 10-9 with a 4.04 ERA in 29 starts, striking out 162 in 158 innings.

“It’s pretty gratifying to see,” said Callaway. “I care about these guys. I care about them as pitchers. Then you see them reap spoils of their work. My job is to coach, and I’ll coach the guys we have, but I don’t care if Ubaldo and Kazmir sign for three, four or 10 years. I’ll be satisfied.”

Matt LaPorta's career with Cleveland Indians could be over

By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group
on November 11, 2013 at 11:05 PM, updated November 11, 2013 at 11:28 PM



ORLANDO, Fla. – Matt LaPorta quietly became a minor league free agent earlier this month. It’s unclear if the Indians will re-sign him.

On July 7, 2008, the Indians traded Cy Young winner CC Sabathia to Milwaukee for LaPorta, Rob Bryson, Zach Jackson and a player to be named, who turned out to be Michael Brantley. LaPorta, a 6-2, 215-pound right-handed power hitter, was the key to the deal from the Indians’ perspective.

Yes, Sabathia was headed for free agency at the end of the year. The Indians, however, said they wouldn’t have made the deal without getting LaPorta, the seventh overall player selected in the 2007 draft.

In parts of four injury-filled and disappointing seasons, LaPorta hit .238 (230-for-967) with 31 homers and 120 RBI for the Indians.

LaPorta, 28, did not play in the big leagues this year. In 2012, he played just 22 games.

“We’re sorting through all our alternatives,” said Ross Atkins, Indians director of player development, when asked if LaPorta would be re-signed. “We’re trying to see where he would fit.

“I would say that for him to come back, we would want to know there is a great chance for him to impact our major league team. As we consider major league alternatives and minor league alternatives, it’s hard to say.”

LaPorta was a spring-training invitee to big league camp this year, but did not play because he was rehabbing from surgery on his right hip. It was the second surgery on LaPorta’s hip in four years.

This year LaPorta hit .293 (12-for-41) with four homers and 12 RBI in 13 games for the Arizona Rookie League Indians in Goodyear, Ariz. LaPorta moved to Class AAA Columbus where he hit .238 (39-for-164) with 10 homers and 28 RBI in 44 games.

“I think injuries played a huge part for him,” said Atkins. “He was never able to get consistent at-bats. Then it’s so hard to really gauge how he’s feeling when he’s playing and how it impacts his swing.

“It’s just really hard to focus when you’re dealing with other things. I think if you asked him, he wouldn’t blame it on injuries. Playing in the major leagues is a very hard thing to do for a lot of reasons.”

When the Indians acquired LaPorta, he was hitting .288 with 20 homers and 66 RBI at Class AA Huntsville.

"He worked extremely hard and he was very professional with us," said Atkins. "We hope he has a lot of success in his career."

Long-term deal? GM Chris Antonetti would not discuss the possibility of the Indians offering Justin Masterson a multiyear deal. Masterson, the Tribe’s No.1 starter, will be a free agent after the 2014 season.

“I will tell you how much we value Justin and what he’s brought to this team since we acquired him in 2009,” said Antonetti.

Why I voted for the Cleveland Indians Terry Francona as American League Manager of the Year: Terry Pluto

on November 12, 2013 at 9:09 PM, updated November 12, 2013 at 9:55 PM



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I was one of the voters for American League Manager of the Year.

And yes, I had the Tribe's Terry Francona at the top of my ballot. So did 15 other writers, which is how Francona (16 first place votes) beat out Boston's John Farrell (10).

The voting was done in the final week of the regular season, which is why the results sometimes appear odd when they are announced after the World Series. But even if the voting happened today, my ballot would remain the same, in this order:

1. Terry Francona

2. John Farrell.

3. Bob Melvin.

That's because I find it much easier to believe that Boston would rise from the trash heap of 2012 to reach the World Series than it would be for the Tribe to improve from 68 to 92 victories and reach the wild-card playoffs.

I'm still surprised Francona wanted to manage the Indians. This is a franchise that had lost at least 93 games in three of the previous four years. It was near the bottom in attendance and payroll. Why would an established manager who had won twice in the World Series want to come to Cleveland?

Francona said he believed in team president Mark Shapiro and General Manager Chris Antonetti. In fact, Francona has a contract clause that allows him to terminate his four-year deal if that front office is fired. Some people saw that and insisted Francona just wanted to work for his friends.

He wanted Cleveland

But for Francona, coming to Cleveland was a chance to help build a team and do it for people whom he trusted.

"We reached out to Tito (Francona) right after Manny (Acta) was let go," said Shapiro. "We are close to Tito, so I wasn't surprised that he was willing to talk about the job. I was a bit surprised at his strong level of interest, right away."

Shapiro and Antonetti spent a lot of time talking about what Shapiro called "the limitations" of managing the Indians. The payroll would be modest. The team didn't have many position player prospects at the top levels of the minors. Cleveland was not high on the destination list of most free agents.

The Indians were 68-94 in 2012 and team morale was low. The fan base was depressed. None of that intimidated Francona.

He believed in this front office and was impressed with ownership. It's doubtful he believed the Tribe would win 92 games this season -- but he certainly didn't expect to lose more than 90 again.

"We knew Tito would change the culture in the clubhouse, and that he'd have great relationships with the players," said Shapiro. "We knew he'd also bring a bit of fun to the job. And we knew he was a strong leader and he'd be prepared for each game. But the level of intense competitiveness -- that was so impressive."

Consider this: The Indians had an eight-game losing streak. A six-game losing streak. And THREE losing streaks of five games.

How many times did it seem the season was lost?

"Tito never showed real frustration or any level of panic," said Antonetti. "He didn't like to lose, but everything was pointed at winning the next game. That's why those streaks didn't (ruin the season)."

Home at the ballpark

Antonetti said Francona would arrive at the park most days by 10 a.m. for a night game. Because of his leg problems and other health issues, he needs to swim. He did that first each day. Then he did his homework with the coaches and the front office. He lived only two blocks from Progressive Field, although the clubhouse really was his home.

"By the time the players arrived (in the middle of the afternoon), Tito's preparation was finished and that gave him time to keep building the relationships with the players," said Antonetti.

In his final season (2011) in Boston, the Red Sox blew a nine-game lead and had a 7-20 record in September, missing the playoffs. This season, the Tribe was 21-6 in September and roared into the playoffs. He never made excuses when losing, never took credit for winning.

Francona's response to his first Manager of the Year award? "This is an organizational award," he said. "I'm honored to have my name on it and I take it as an honor, but it is such a huge organizational award. That's what makes me so happy."

And yes, he deserved it, too.

AL Manager of Year Terry Francona did more with less: Paul Hoynes

Print By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group
on November 12, 2013 at 11:19 PM, updated November 13, 2013 at 7:06 AM


ORLANDO, Fla. –- Terry Francona deserved to win the American League Manager of the Year award over runner-up John Farrell because he did more with less.

Francona and Farrell took over their respective teams from almost identical spots after the 2012 season. The Indians finished fourth in the AL Central at 68-94. The Red Sox were last in the AL East at 69-93.

Their general managers had the same idea of how to fix what was broken – free agency.

GM Chris Antonetti, in an uncharacteristic splurge by Indians’ ownership, signed Nick Swisher to a four-year $56 million deal, Michael Bourn to a four-year $48 million deal, Brett Myers to a one-year $7 million deal and Mark Reynolds to a one-year $6 million deal.

While the ideas may have been the same, they carried more weight in Boston. GM Ben Cherington added free agents Mike Napoli, David Ross, Jonny Gomes, Ryan Dempster, Shane Victorino, Stephen Drew, Koji Uehara and Mike Carp. He also re-signed David Ortiz, the World Series MVP, after he had filed for free agency.

That is the difference between the Red Sox $150 million payroll and the Indians $80 million payroll. Cherington just multiplied everything by two . . .or maybe five.

It sure seemed to work that way with closers. When the Red Sox lost Andrew Bailey and Joel Hanrahan to injuries, they were still able to turn to Uehara, who pitched well enough to be named MVP of the ALCS.

When closer Chris Perez went on the disabled list for the Tribe with a sore right shoulder, Francona had to give the ball to Vinnie Pestano, who had a sore right elbow. When Perez returned from the DL, he got his old job back even though he produced a nightly horror show because there were no other options.

In Boston, there would have been another option.

When the Red Sox needed a starting pitcher for the stretch drive, they didn’t call somebody up from Class A, they traded for former Cy Young winner Jake Peavy. Yes, it cost them shortstop Jose Iglesias, he of the magic hands, but they had another infielder just like him in Xander Bogaerts to take his place.

A sold-out ballpark, ownership with deep pockets and a rich farm system can make things easy on a manager.

Francona didn’t have the players that Farrell did. Yes, the win totals were similar, the Indians winning 92 and the Red Sox 97. But the Red Sox never lost more than three games in a row. The Indians had five losing streaks of five or more games, followed by a 10-game winning streak at the end of the season.

It takes talent to grind through a season like Boston did. It takes good fortune and something else to slip and slide through 162 games like the Indians did and still make the postseason.

Farrell pulled the Red Sox out of the ashes that Bobby Valentine left in his wake in 2012. He deserves credit for that. But the pull was longer and harder for Francona because he was doing it from Cleveland.

One more thing. I did not cast a BBWAA ballot for AL manager of the year. I voted for the AL MVP.

Justin Masterson will listen if Cleveland Indians want to pitch multiyear deal


ORLANDO, Fla. – As crazed as it seems at times, there is a pace to the baseball offseason, a natural rhythm that determines when things happen.

Teams usually handle the most pressing concerns first: firing/hiring a manager, dissecting the free agent list, exercising or declining options, contacting free agents, exploring trades, preparing arbitration cases. That’s pretty much standard operating procedure for the 30 teams in the big leagues.

Talking multiyear deals with a player already under contract usually isn’t broached this early. In the Indians’ case such deals usually start to percolate just before spring training and could culminate in a deal in late March or early April.

Randy Rowley, the agent for Justin Masterson, understands that. He is in no hurry to start the give and take of negotiations, but he is interested in hearing whether or not the Indians see Masterson as part of their future.

Masterson, the Tribe’s No. 1 starter, can be a free agent after the 2014 season. When a player enters his fifth or final year before free agency, it is almost impossible to sign him. The lure of free agency just gets stronger and stronger.

“I have not heard from the Indians, but we will be responsive to what their thoughts are,” said Rowley. “They have a lot of decisions to make regarding their own free agents and who they want to bring back.

“Right now they have a lot on needs to address before they get to Justin.”

Time is on Masterson’s side.

The game is flush with money because of the new national TV contracts that start paying off in 2014. The pitching market, part of which will be set by two of Masterson’s rotation mates from last season, Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir, has yet to be determined.

“We’re not in any hurry, “ said Rowley. “We have to wait and see what the market is going to be. There is going to be an increase of dollars from the national TV contracts. It have an idea it will be a lucrative year for free agents.”

Mlbtraderumors.com estimates Masterson could be in line for a five-year deal worth between $65 million and $85 million should the Indians try to steer him away from free agency.

Masterson is one of nine Indians eligible for arbitration. Eligible players will file on Jan. 14 and exchange salary numbers with their teams on Jan. 17. If the two sides do discuss a multiyear deal, arbitration will probably be the driving force.

“It can happen at different junctures in the offseason,” said Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti. “There might be guys you approach earlier. With some guys, it’s just a natural part of negotiating their arbitration contracts just because you’re working through a contract for the following season anyway. At times that will lead to talks about a multiyear contract.”

Could that happen with Masterson, who avoided arbitration last season by signing a one-year deal worth $5,687,500?

“Potentially,” said Antonetti.

Masterson, 28, had a career season cut short by a strained left oblique muscle in September. He still set career highs with 14 victories and 195 strikeouts in 32 appearances, including 29 starts.

Over the last week of the season, Masterson returned from his injury to make three relief appearances. He threw the last pitch of the regular season on Sept. 29 as the Indians clinched the AL wild card with a 5-1 victory over the Twins. Since Masterson threw the first pitch of the season on April 2 against Toronto, symmetry was on his side.

“Justin very much enjoyed pitching in meaningful games in the second half of last season for the first time in several years,” said Rowley. “He also has enjoyed taking a number of the younger pitchers under his wing.

“He believes the organization is built to win for years to come. He does not think that this year was a one and done deal.”

The Indians and Masterson talked about a multiyear deal two years ago when he first became eligible for free agency. It appears they’ll repeat the process in the near future.

“Each guy is different,” said Antonetti, when asked about the difficulty of signing a player to a multiyear deal when he’s so close to free agency. “It depends what their interests are, what their expectations are and how it fits into our planning and what makes sense to us economically. “

Masterson came to the Indians on July 31, 2009 in a trade with Boston for catcher Victor Martinez. If the two sides can’t reach a multiyear deal, there’s a chance he could leave the same way. It would not be the first time the Indians traded a No.1 starter with free agency so close at hand.

Omar Vizquel has been named the Tigers' first base coach under new manager Brad Ausmus.
Vizquel officially ended his playing career after the 2012 season and spent 2013 as a roving infield instructor with the Angels. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times was the first to confirm the reports of the Vizquel hire that began streaming Monday morning out of Venezuela.


Related: Tigers
Source: Mike DiGiovanna on Twitter Nov 18 - 12:30 PM

2013 40-man roster review: Who do the Indians add?

By Tony Lastoria

November 18, 2013

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The Major League Baseball roster deadline on November 20th is quickly approaching.

While not highly publicized, this is a key date in the offseason. The 40-man roster deadline is but a blip on the radar for most casual baseball fans, but is a big part of the core construction to a major league team’s roster as they make decisions about which young players from the minors to add and not add to the 40-man roster.

The offseason 40-man roster process does not get a lot of attention because the names being added are unknowns to most people and the names coming off are players who underwhelmed and the fans are ready to move on to other options. But the offseason roster process is very important to follow as it is one of the first steps teams take to finalize their roster for the upcoming season.

This is also a big deal for the players. Those that come off the roster take a big hit to their big league dreams and face the likelihood that they may never get another shot and may have to toil in the minor leagues for several more seasons before they hopefully get another chance. For those players that are added to the roster it is a big moment for them as it is their biggest step to date in their quest to make the big leagues and get an opportunity in the future.

It is a very stressful time filled with a lot of hope and anxiety for those hopeful to be added and those hopeful to stay on the roster. It’s not just for the bump in pay and a legit big league chance potentially coming their way in the future, but also it is also for the feeling of accomplishment for what they have done in the minor leagues and that they have value and have been noticed. Since only about 10% of any drafted player ever reaches the big leagues, getting rostered means everything because so few ever get that chance.

As the Indians get set to maneuver through the minefield that is the MLB Hot Stove season which will crank up here very soon, the first thing they need to do is add important players from their minor league player development system that are eligible for roster protection from the Rule 5 Draft this December. With that being said, let's take a look at the players in the Indians’ minor league system that are eligible for roster protection and the likelihood any are added (click here for a full list of Rule 5 eligibles):

In Consideration

Austin Adams, RHP
2013 stats: 3-2, 2.62 ERA, 45 G, 55.0 IP, 44 H, 19 R (16 ER), 3 HR, 29 BB, 76 K, .215 BAA

Adams is yet another intriguing bullpen option on the come for the Indians. The Indians of late have really developed some nice options for their major league bullpen and have created a lot of depth there, something that was a problem for them four to five years ago. What separates Adams from most of his bullpen brethren is his ability to throw 97-99 MPH consistently and he has a pretty effective power breaking ball to boot. He underwent shoulder surgery in 2012 and missed the entire season, but he came back even better this year as his velocity was all the way back, he performed, and his strikeout rate climbed to a career high 12.4 K/9. The one negative is the walks as a 4.8 BB/9 is not going to cut it in the big leagues, but the Indians believe they can get that number down to more on the low side of four which is acceptable for a guy who can blow the ball by guys as much as he can. It wouldn’t surprise me if he went unrostered since many in the industry only see him as a middle reliever, but teams typically gamble on power arms so the Indians should protect him.
Prediction: Rostered

Jesus Aguilar, 1B
2013 stats: 130 G, .275 AVG, 66 R, 28 2B, 0 3B, 16 HR, 105 RBI, 56 BB, 107 K, .776 OPS

Aguilar may be the surest thing on this list to be added to the 40-man roster. There are no sure-fire front-to-middle of the rotation arms that need added, and power is in big demand right now – particularly from the right side. It is important to note that while Aguilar had a good season his RBI total is an opportunity based stat and inflates the perception of his season overall. It was definitely a good season, but hardly great. It should also be noted he had a better season in 2012 when he hit .280 with 15 HR, 71 RBI and .833 OPS in 127 combined games between High-A Carolina and Double-A Akron, yet he was not rostered after last season. While there is a small chance that he could be passed over for roster protection, he is having an exceptional winter ball campaign where in 32 games he is hitting .315 AVG with 10 HR, 31 RBI, and .959 OPS and most importantly he has much closer proximity to the major leagues. He is a depth option for the Indians and should be the first option called upon next year if Nick Swisher or Carlos Santana are injured.
Prediction: Rostered

Erik Gonzalez, INF
2013 stats: 132 G, .254 AVG, 75 R, 32 2B, 12 3B, 9 HR, 76 RBI, 29 BB, 109 K, 11 SB, .710 OPS

Gonzalez is an extreme longshot to be rostered, but I listed him as in consideration because there is a growing buzz in the industry that he could fill a utility role very soon. For those who understand the Rule 5 Draft and how it works, the power arms and utility types are two of the most sought out commodities from other teams because of how much easier it is to carry them on a 25-man roster all year. After a few poor seasons in short season ball, Gonzalez really broke out this season showing an ability to handle the shortstop position and with the athleticism and tools to play anywhere else on the diamond. He also showed some extra base hit ability and some aggressiveness on the basepaths. The Indians plan to have him be the regular shortstop at High-A Carolina this year, but his future looks to be that of a utility player. I won’t be rostered now, but with another good season in 2014, he might get strong consideration for it at this time next year.
Prediction: Not rostered

Tyler Holt, OF
2013 stats: 133 G, .267 AVG, 83 R, 24 2B, 9 3B, 2 HR, 42 RBI, 55 BB, 90 K, 28 SB, .697 OPS

Holt has really impressed during his time in the minor leagues. He came in as a guy many in the industry considered as brash, cocky and arrogant coming out of college, and he displayed some of those qualities in his first few games as a pro. But his maturation as a player and teammate has been exceptional. He has learned to step off the gas a little and control his fiery and sometimes overbearing mentality, and at the same time has made some significant adjustments with his swing. The result has been a much more consistent offensive player and potential tablesetter at the top of a lineup. When you combine that with his ability to run on the bases and his excellent defensive skills in center field, you have a guy who has a lot of value to the organization in the short term as a depth outfield option and potential fourth outfielder - maybe even a starter down the road in center field. The Indians rostered Tim Fedroff last offseason - and no offense to him - but Holt is a better prospect because he can do much of the same things at the top of a lineup but also play great defense.
Prediction: Rostered

Carlos Moncrief, OF
2013 stats: 129 G, .284 AVG, 77 R, 26 2B, 7 3B, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 55 BB, 98 K, 15 SB, .824 OPS

Moncrief had a breakout campaign in 2013 and made significant strides in his plate discipline, something not typically seen from an older player in Double-A. If you take the RBI out of the equation, he had a more impressive season statistically than Jesus Aguilar by showing better plate discipline, power, and on base ability. Unlike Aguilar, Moncrief also runs well, has some good athleticism, and has a plus-plus arm in the outfield. He is viewed as a potential everyday player and is the prototype right fielder with the power arm and run producing power bat. It remains to be seen how good of an everyday right fielder he can be in the big leagues, but he has no doubt raced up the priority list for the Indians and has garnered lots of interest from other teams because of his wide base of tools, still untapped potential, and near proximity to the big leagues. He is too valuable to leave unprotected.
Prediction: Rostered

Matt Packer, LHP
2013 stats: 28 G, 12-9, 3.27 ERA, 154.0 IP, 172 H, 71 R (56 ER), 8 HR, 44 BB, 119 K, .286 BAA

Packer had a nice bounce back season and pretty much put himself back to where he was at the end of the 2011 season. He doesn’t have a high velocity fastball or knee buckling secondary offering, but he knows how to pitch and compete. He reminds me a lot of a left-handed version of Josh Tomlin – though it should be noted that Tomlin was never rostered in November because of the lack of an exciting arsenal or upside. Also, last offseason the Indians had lefty TJ McFarland up for roster protection and they did not roster him after he went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA in 27 combined starts between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus (149.1 IP, 149 H, 11 HR, 51 BB, 115 K). The numbers for McFarland in 2012 and Packer in 2013 are nearly identical with the one glaring difference being McFarland made 17 starts in Triple-A and had some success there, meanwhile Packer spent all season in Akron. Teams often don’t reach for command control specialist backend lefty starters in the Rule 5 Draft, so the Indians probably will take the gamble once again like they did on McFarland last year with the hope that not pitching him in Triple-A is the difference and teams pass on him.
Prediction: Not rostered

Bryan Price, RHP
2013 stats: 47 G, 2-3, 2.04 ERA, 75.0 IP, 57 H, 21 R (17 ER), 5 HR, 16 BB, 92 K, .206

Price is maybe the most intriguing roster candidate. He has the pedigree as a former first round pick, was involved in a high profile trade, and is a former high end prospect. But he slipped in value in recent years only to bounce back with an exceptional season in 2013. The thing working against him is he is 27 years old with limited upside, and while the arsenal is interesting and has some power, it is not the consistent power at 96-100 MPH that teams crave in the Rule 5 Draft. Remember, he was up for roster protection last season with the same stuff, yet the Indians did not roster him and he was passed over in the Rule 5 Draft as well. It is also worth noting that even after an impressive showing this year he was not a September callup. The key here is how scouts and team personnel perceive his 2013 season beyond the stats. Did he really show improvement with the quality of his stuff? Were there notable strides made with his delivery mechanics, command and/or pitch ability? Is there any upside? Those are the questions the Indians will consider when rostering him, and the questions teams will ask if the Indians don’t roster him. The Indians have limited spots on the 40-man available, and they have tons of depth with right-handed pen arms, so unless they pass on rostering Adams or they clear a spot by letting go of Blake Wood, they very well may not roster him. This is as close to an on the fence roster decision as there is.
Prediction: Not rostered

Giovanni Soto, LHP
2013 stats: 9 G, 0-1, 5.19 ERA, 8.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R/ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 8 K, .267 BAA

Soto went from a no doubt roster add at some point during the 2013 season to a guy missing in action. At the outset of the season he was all but pegged as the first left-handed relief option the Indians would call upon if the trio of Nick Hagadone, Scott Barnes and David Huff struggled. Well, all three had their struggles and the Indians moved on from them, but were unable to pull Soto from the minors because a back injury suffered in April shut him down. It became problematic enough for him that he was never able to get back on the mound and ended up missing the rest of the season. It was an opportunity lost for him as he surely would have been added to the roster and been given a shot in Cleveland if the injury did not crop up. The Indians have since added Marc Rzepczynski and Colt Hynes as lefty options, and have Kyle Crockett in a similar place as Soto was going into last season as a near major league ready option, so suddenly Soto is not a sure thing anymore. The Indians do not have as much depth with their left-handed relief as they do with right-handers, but they may gamble that teams pass on him because of the uncertain nature of his back injury. He never came back and pitched at Columbus, missed Instructional League and has yet to appear in winter ball, so teams have no updated information on his status. Remember, they cannot request to view his medical records. With that much uncertainty, it may prove to be a wise gamble for the Indians to leave him off the roster and see if he can bounce back and have a healthy 2014 season.
Prediction: Not rostered

Enosil Tejeda, RHP
2013 stats: 47 G, 2-3, 1.23 ERA, 58.1 IP, 34 H, 13 R (8 ER), 0 HR, 22 BB, 66 K, .173 BAA

Like with Gonzalez, Tejeda is included here simply because of his 2013 campaign and a changing view in the industry that he may soon be a major league option. That said, he has little chance to be rostered. Tejeda is a soft tossing righty who sits in the upper 80s with his fastball, but has such a good feel for pitching, commands all of his pitches well, and has some good secondary stuff. This is a guy who in 196.1 career minor league innings and 113 appearances has allowed just two home runs with a career 1.02 WHIP and 1.74 ERA. He just doesn’t allow very many baserunners and does not give up the big hit. As impressive as the numbers are, they are not yet worthy of roster protection simply because teams do not take soft tossing Double-A relievers in the Rule 5 Draft. That said, this is a guy who may be on the Preston Guilmet path as a guy who just continues to exceed expectations and eventually is added to the roster – possibly at some point in the 2014 season.
Prediction: Not rostered

Out of the picture

Elvis Araujo, Chun Chen, Joseph Colon, Alex Monsalve, Bryce Stowell, Giovanny Urshela, LeVon Washington

These players represent the best remaining options that may be up for consideration for the 40-man roster because of varied value to the organization and as potential major league options down the road. But while they may have some major league value in the future, they all appear to be very limited possibilities for the Rule 5 Draft, so the Indians will probably pass on rostering any of them at this time. Remember, players like Preston Guilmet and Matt Langwell were not rostered last November but were added during the season.

The reasons these players are not added can vary, but they mostly center around value, talent, performance, health, and skill set. Araujo and Washington are both very talented, but they both have little experience above Low-A and have not been able to stay healthy. Chen has an interesting bat, but he was inconsistent in Columbus and is basically a DH. Colon has upside as a starter, but hasn’t broken through yet in the industry. Monsalve has the size and tools to catch, but is still unproven and inconsistent. Stowell has a power arm and Urshela has an amazing glove, but both don’t offer much more beyond that at the moment.

Conclusion

At the moment the Indians roster is as 36 players, so they have room to add four players. They can add more than four players, but it would mean they have to clear space by designating someone for assignment or non-tendering them by Wednesday night. In my “who do they remove” piece from a few weeks back, I mentioned how Blake Wood, Drew Stubbs and Lou Marson are non-tender candidates and that any of Scott Barnes, Trey Haley, Cord Phelps or Matt Carson could be DFAed, so there is certainly the possibility they create more space to add additional players.

That said, often times the Indians have already done their roster housecleaning in advance of the roster deadline. In only a few instances have they designated a player for assignment when they announced their roster deadline additions, although it did happen last year when they designated Matt LaPorta, Brent Lillibridge and Fabio Martinez for assignment when they added Fedroff, Haley, Chen-Chang Lee, and T.J. House.

Marson and Wood appear to be non-tender options prior to the December 2nd tender deadline. Lillibridge was a player up for arbitration last offseason and they DFAed him on the November 20th roster deadline well before the tender deadline, so we could definitely see one or both of Marson and Wood get the same treatment this offseason.

There are surely other players that appear to be in danger of losing a roster spot, players like Cord Phelps because he is out of options and Matt Carson since he is a journeyman minor league outfielder. But even if they survive a roster cut it would be by design as the roster would be full and the Indians would need options on the roster to remove with little consequence in order to create roster space for any new acquisitions they pick up in free agency or in a trade.

So at the moment, if the Indians do not remove anyone else from the roster I am going to predict that Adams, Aguilar, Holt and Moncrief are added to the roster. If a player or two is designated for assignment, then I predict one or both of Price and Soto are added.

There remains the possibility of a surprise roster addition like in 2009 with Wes Hodges or 2011 with Juan Diaz; however, unlike in recent years, the roster protection options seem more clearly defined. Either way, we will know for certain on Wednesday night.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Indians are close to finalizing a two-year contract with David Murphy in excess of $10 million.
Murphy is coming off a very disappointing season that saw him bat only .220/.282/.374 for the Rangers, but he hit .291/.356/.445 while averaging nearly 13 homers per season the three years prior. He's a career .280/.347/.469 hitter against right-handed pitching and seems likely to serve on the long side of a platoon in right field with Drew Stubbs, assuming Stubbs isn't non-tendered. If Stubbs doesn't return, Ryan Raburn would be the likely platoon mate with Murphy.


Related: Indians
Source: Dallas Morning News Nov 19 - 10:16 PM

paul hoynes ‏@hoynsie 30m


#Indians signing of OF David Murphy confirmed if he passes physical. Reports say he signed two-year $10 million deal.

Cleveland Indians signing free-agent outfielder David Murphy from the Texas Rangers, pending physical

November 20, 2013 at 2:45 AM, updated November 20, 2013 at 3:42 AM


CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Indians are finalizing a two-year deal with free agent David Murphy that will bring him to Cleveland from the Texas Rangers, according to a report in the Dallas Morning News.

A source close to the negotiations said the deal wasn't official, but was close to being completed. It's believed the Indians are waiting for Murphy to pass his physical.

The Morning News cited an unnamed source in reporting the deal, which is expected to be worth more than $10 million.

Murphy, 32, a left-handed batter, started for the Rangers in left field last season and hit .220 with 13 homers and 45 RBI in 142 games. The down year made him affordable to a club such as the Indians.

Murphy owns a .275 average and .778 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in his eight seasons. The .220 average was a career low.

The outfield has become crowded in Cleveland. It includes Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn, Ryan Raburn and Drew Stubbs.

Look for Murphy to be the Indians' primary right fielder. The question is, with whom will he platoon: Raburn or Stubbs? Because Raburn signed a two-year extension last season and Stubbs struggled in the second half, the answer would appear to be Raburn -- if he can stay healthy. Raburn missed a lot of time in the second half with calf and Achilles' tendon problems.

Stubbs, acquired from Cincinnati last winter in the Shin-Soo Choo trade, is arbitration eligible. The Indians might have determined that Stubbs, although still young (29), is not going to get much better and therefore non-tender or seek to trade him. His name frequently has been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason. Stubbs, a good defender with above-average speed, struggled at the plate during the playoff push in September, batting .192 (10-for-52) with 21 strikeouts.

Murphy, in his career against right-handed pitchers, is batting .280 with a .347 on-base percentage and .469 slugging percentage. Raburn, in his career against lefties, is .263/.336/.492. It means the Indians would have an .800-plus OPS on either side of the platoon.

Murphy's addition seemingly ensures that Nick Swisher becomes the Tribe's regular first baseman and only ventures into right field in an emergency. Last year, Swisher made 26 starts in right, 101 at first base and 17 at DH. He injured his left shoulder early in the season while throwing from the outfield and played with discomfort the rest of the way.

With Swisher at first and Yan Gomes having taken over at catcher, most of Carlos Santana's at-bats will need to come as DH. Santana, arguably the Tribe's best hitter, would back up Gomes and spell Swisher. Being a regular DH will be a significant mental adjustment for Santana, who is young (27) and still considers himself an every-day catcher.

In 2012, Murphy sought $6.5 million and the Rangers offered $5.05 million. The sides settled at $5.7 million. Murphy hit .304 with 15 homers and 61 RBIs in 147 games in 2012. He ranked sixth in the AL with a .380 on-base percentage.

Though Murphy struggled in 2013, the Indians always seem to see him at his best. He has hit .343 (46-for-134) with seven homers and 22 RBI lifetime against the Tribe.

“Tell me how do we get this thing started?”
By Anthony Castrovince/MLB.com
On Twitter: @Castrovince

NOTE: This post has been updated with news of the Indians coming to an agreement with David Murphy.

A small sliver of insight into the Tribe’s offseason spending strategy rests in the simple fact that when Tim Hudson fielded final offers earlier this week, the Indians had made what they felt to be an aggressive one — and that offer constituted pretty much the extent of their cash on hand.

murphySpurned by Hudson, they apparently turned their attention elsewhere, because reports swirled Tuesday night that they had come to terms with former Rangers outfielder David Murphy. The Dallas Morning News’ Evan Grant had it at two years and more than $10 million for Murphy, who would likely see ample time in the outfield corners.

Murphy’s defense and his personality are unassailable, but his offensive numbers took a nose-dive after a 2012 surge that proved unrepeatable. This is once again a matter of the Indians making a modest (yes, in this market, two years and $10 million is modest) investment in an asset that could help them maximize the impact of their pitching staff. Murphy’s presence could/should allow the Indians to shop Drew Stubbs, who is due a raise in arbitration and has value (that’s why I would resist, for now, the temptation to compare Murphy to Stubbs until we see what the Indians have up their sleeve on the trade front).

But the primary question still looms: Who will be added to that pitching staff, and how much will it cost?

The first and most fundamental thing that must be understood here is that the spending spree borne out of special circumstances one year ago isn’t going to be duplicated here in 2013-14. The Indians might still go heavy on one short-term starting pitching solution (and the market offers a few interesting options in that regard), but don’t expect much beyond that.

After 2012, the Indians had some salary relief on the books with the departures of Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, among others, and, most importantly, they had a protected top-10 pick that freed them up to pursue guys tied to Draft pick compensation. Giving Chris Perez the boot saved the Tribe some salary, but with a Justin Masterson extension an expected item on the to-do list and the Draft compensation system no longer working in their favor, the Tribe has to be quite a bit more careful this time around.

That said, they’re not completely out of the picture.

While I’m not privy to the actual number Chris Antonetti and Co. placed before Hudson, it’s believed to have been competitive with the two-year, $23 million pact he made with the Giants. If Hudson eschewed more or similar money with the Indians in order to sign elsewhere, he’d be far from the first, even though Terry Francona’s arrival has undoubtedly improved the attractiveness of the Cleveland clubhouse (and, indeed, Hudson and Francona talked at length a couple weeks back).

But the decision made by Hudson, who was always considered a good fit for San Francisco, is not the focus here. The point is that the Indians, with Ubaldo Jimenez long gone and Scott Kazmir possibly right behind him, rightly prioritized the purchase of a proven, innings-eating arm in their bid to extend the magic act of 2013. Perhaps the Murphy news is an indication that Hudson was the one guy they would go to great lengths to attain and now they’re applying their available assets elsewhere.

We knew long ago the Indians would be perusing the bargain-bin for free-agent finds, but, if anything can be gleaned from the early days of the Hot Stove season, it’s that there really is no such thing as an outright bargain in this cash-crazed market. Ervin Santana is looking for $100 million. Tim Lincecum had the 11th-highest ERA among qualifiers and got two years, $35 million (you’ve got to really, really love FIP to love that one). Hudson is 38 and coming off a gruesome ankle injury, and he still commanded more than $20 mill.

All of which serves to give Ubaldo, who is arguably the top stateside starting option on the open market (and all on the basis of about six months of work – the first half of 2010 and the last half of 2013), the leash to get a four- or possibly five-year commitment. And Kazmir, who has both age (29) and occupation (lefty starter) on his side, should get at least the second year the Indians are reluctant to give him, if not a third.

Letting Ubaldo walk in these conditions is a no-brainer. He’s high-upside but high-maintenance, and the Indians, literally and figuratively, can’t afford to commit half a decade to his unpredictability.

Kazmir is as wild a wild card as they come, because there’s no discernible forecast to be gained from his bizarre trajectory from Sugar Land to C-town. Kazmir could probably do quite well for himself on a one-year deal with more money (eight figures, perhaps) up front, in which case the Indians would still have a shot at securing his services (there’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal… well, unless it’s a one-year deal given to Brett Myers). But if he wants a greater semblance of security (two years, possibly with a vesting option) that changes the formula.

With neither guy expected back, the Indians turned their attention to the second (or is it the third?) tier — a tier that, as the quick-hit Hudson deal illustrates, could actually thin out more swiftly than the so-called upper echelon. Jimenez, Santana, Matt Garza and Japanese posting posterboy Masahiro Tanaka make up the upper-echelon, so the term is used quite loosely. And in these market conditions, Bronson Arroyo, Ricky Nolasco and Jason Vargas are also likely to get three-year commitments, at minimum.

ImageThe market is flush with cash but also with the recent example of a Red Sox team that gained great value from short-term, high-dollar investments, and that model will be aped across the landscape, for better or worse. That’s why Hudson didn’t twist in the wind for long, and neither did Josh Johnson, who reportedly came to terms on a one-year, $8 million pact with the Padres.

With those guys off the board, the Tribe would still seem to have the flexibility and would, indeed, be wise to make a strong push for the 30-year-old Scott Feldman “…From Across the Hall!”, who posted a solid 1.183 WHIP despite a 5.60 ERA in nine starts at Camden Yards. Age is on his side. Same goes for Phil Hughes, who could be a classic change-of-scenery type after he was unable to live up to unrealistic expectations in the Bronx.

Guys like Scott Baker, who spent basically all of 2013 enduring a Tommy John recovery road littered with potholes, Jason Hammel, who has endured forearm and knee issues since 2012, and former World Series hero Ryan Vogelsong, who missed two months of 2013 with a broken hand suffered while he was hitting (gotta love pitchers batting), fall in the justifiable-risk realm. If they don’t strike you as outright attractive, well, neither did Kazmir a year ago. You never know.

What we do know is that the Indians have at least been active in the starter’s market, and that should remain true in the wake of the Murphy signing, which, like the Indians’ offseason in general, seems to be focused more on run-prevention than run-creation.

~AC

Olney: Drew Stubbs drawing trade interest
Bill Baer Nov 16, 2013, 10:45 PM EST
6 Comments
Drew Stubbs
AP
In a column behind ESPN’s Insider paywall, Buster Olney writes that Indians outfielder Drew Stubbs is drawing trade interest from multiple teams. The 29-year-old is entering his second year of arbitration eligibility and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to take home $3.8 million.

Although Stubbs has posted a sub-.700 OPS for three consecutive seasons, he has been a serviceable outfielder because of his versatility, plus defense, and ability to run the bases well. For a pursuing team, Stubbs would be a good fit as part of a platoon, as he carries a career OPS nearly 150 points higher against left-handers.

The Indians acquired Stubbs in December last year as part of a three-team trade involving the Indians, Reds and Diamondbacks in which current free agent Shin-Soo Choo moved downstate from Cleveland to Cincinnati.

We got Murphy. He is our ticket.