Michael Bourn placed on DL with a hammy problem. Tyler Holt gets call up, and he's pretty happy about it.

Holt is a player who has never done much to distinguish himself and moved up step up by step through the minors. His offense has been much improved this year so he makes a reasonable option for 5th outfielder (which doesn't help him much since teams usually keep only 4) but he is versatile and can run and hit some. AAAA career role is probably his ceiling but nice to see a kid get a chance.

Bourn continues to establish himself as having been a bad long-term signing. But probably better than Swisher. And their professionalism did help in 2013 as the team returned to the playoffs. Not sure what we'll get out of either of them for the balance of their multiyear deals.

I like Holt. Certainly as a 4th OF'er and pinch runner, and possible solid starter some day.

BTW, picture above is not Holt. Just dorky guy looking excited. Holt is actually a heart throb.
So if nothing else he can give Grady's Ladies something to cheer about again.

Civ - is Holt a RH bat? I assumed that might be part of the appeal.

Quote from Loufla in Minors folder:

Not that I am a huge Mcallister fan but I also wonder why he stays down. House is being kept because he is a lefty starter, but it would have been better to try to resign Kazmir.....that is not hindsight he came on pretty strong at the end of last season.

That is so true - at this point anyways. The way I look at it, they did good by letting Ubaldo go (his contract with Baltimore is crazy) but they did NOT do well with the Kazmir situation. The 2 year contract he signed is quite the bargain it appears at this point.

I remember Jason Stanford commenting last year he would let Ubaldo walk but re-sign Kazmir. Score for you Jason.

The way Brantley has really blossomed this year (2014), makes me think back to the CC trade (2008) !!!

6 years. Just goes to show the futility of judging prospect trades. And Brantley was perceived as the lesser part of that deal. Amazing.

Now it seems he is blossoming into quite the superstar. Hits for average, power, excellent fielder!

Meanwhile CC is old, and busted up. And making an absurd sum to do so.

So much of this is just luck, you'd be hard pressed to find Tribe front office people who would have predicted Brantley would be the only remnant of that deal shining in 2014.

Here's CC's contract:

C.C. Sabathia lhp
5 years/$122M (2012-16), plus 2017 option

5 years/$122M (2012-16), plus 2017 vesting option
signed extension with NY Yankees 10/31/11
12-15:$23M annually, 16:$25M, 17:$25M vesting option ($5M buyout)
2017 salary guaranteed if Sabathia 1) does not end 2016 on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury, 2) does not spend more than 45 days in 2016 on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury or 3) does not make more than six relief appearances in 2016 because of a left shoulder injury
no-trade protection
perks: suite on road trips

So the Yankess will have wasted almost 100 million dollars over 4 years.

Still wating to prove that we won the Cliff Lee trade. Jason Donald is playing in AAA. Jason Knapp is pitching in Class A for someone else. Lou Marson may still be around in the minors. Carlos Carrasco looks like a pitcher, but Tito doesn't use him.

Maybe in a few years Carrasco will be our steady closer and Lee will be gone and we will have won that trade too. But not too likely.

Agreed, unlikely. But with Brantley that's pretty much the lotto jackpot.

Now for something completely different:


Chris Dickerson - OF - Indians

Indians acquired OF Chris Dickerson from the Pirates for a player to be named later or cash.

Dickerson has posted a strong .309/.407/.479 batting line with seven home runs and 12 stolen bases in 65 games this season at the Triple-A level.

The 32-year-old could see semi-regular action for Cleveland while Michael Bourn recovers from another hamstring strain.

Kinda shocked Dickerson is a left hand bat.

Well, maybe the Indians aren't crazy about Holt either!

Indians Acquire Chris Dickerson, Designate George Kottaras

By Steve Adams [July 7, 2014 at 1:42pm CDT]

The Indians announced that they have acquired outfielder Chris Dickerson from the Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Dickerson’s contract will be selected for tonight’s game, and George Kottaras has been designated for assignment to create roster space.

The 32-year-old Dickerson has a spotty Major League track record, but he was having an excellent season for Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates organization. In 280 plate appearances, Dickerson batted .309/.407/.479 with seven homers and 12 steals.

Dickerson grades out as an excellent defender at all three outfield spots, per Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved — an attribute that likely appealed to Cleveland with Michael Bourn on the shelf for the next three to four weeks due to a hamstring strain. That glove has come along with a questionable bat for much of his career, however, as he’s batted just .233/.275/.361 over his past four stints in the Majors — a span of 287 plate appearances. Dickerson did have a strong start to his big league career with the Reds, however, hitting .283/.383/.440 through his first 421 PA in 2008-09.

The 31-year-old Kottaras has a strong .286/.385/.714 batting line for the Indians this season, though it’s come in a sample of just 27 PA. Nearly all of his production came in his first game with Cleveland, when he went 2-for-3 with a pair of homers. Nonetheless, Kottaras has long been known to have an excellent eye at the plate and some power. The career .216/.326/.415 hitter has 14 percent walk rate in 847 Major League plate appearances, and his .199 isolated power mark (slugging minus batting average) is well above-average for any hitter, let alone a catcher.

Dickerson is in lineup tonight. Playing LF and batting 9th.

Is Holt still on the team?

Yes. They designated George Kottaras for assignment to make room for Dickerson. Holt was placed on roster for Bourn who was placed on DL.