Hey everyone, I know it's been a while since I last posted - hope everyone is well. :-)

Sterling got knocked out in .2 IP w/ this line this evening:

0.2 IP/4 H/6 R/6 ER/2 BB/0 K

This was after his last start 5 days ago:

2.1 IP/5 H/12 R/12 ER/2 HR/5 BB/1 K

Outside of a little high BB rate before his two horrendous starts (17 BB/46.2 IP), and that's grasping at straws for someone who is 19-YO and skipped Mahoning Valley, he was cruising along quite well at Low-A. While a bad start or two is to be expected, the horrendous starts and lack of any command is making me think that this could be more than just a bad start or two.

I suppose fatigue could be a factor, but would seem unlikely at this point (has made just 10 or 11 starts this season). Therefore, is there something physically wrong with him?

I hope not - between Adams, Sturdevant, Barnes (who's back now), Stowell (in and out), Lee, and a few others - most of our top pitching prospects haven't been able to stay on the field in 2012 - Sterling and House were two of the few who did.

Hopefully, everything checks out with Sterling, but I'd definitely keep my eyes and ears open, as such a drastic falloff isn't usually a good sign - hope I'm wrong in this case.

Let's get and stay healthy - go Tribe!

Hello everyone, I think there is little question that this 2009 season will end in only one way, without making the postseason.  I think these two Indians articles (here & here) from TheClevelandFan.com mention several ways that we should prepare for 2010, most of which I agree with (the only ones I'm questionable about are whether Radinsky should become the bullpen coach or the pitching coach and whether I want Victor to be the everyday catcher as Cousineau is wanting, though I think I can understand that Victor's trade value would be higher if we did decide to trade him if he plays virtually everyday at catcher, plus the fact that LaPorta would have a permanent spot at 1B, so I could maybe warm up to the idea, but I fear that Victor's bat wouldn't be as consistent if he's playing at catcher everyday, and certainly, his bat will be needed at peak condition if we're going to make a run in 2010).

Just a few highlights I wanted to discuss:

- It's pretty likely there will be no comeback this year - 1-8 in our last 9 games, sweeps at the hands of the Brewers at home, the Cubs on the road, and a near-sweep by the Pirates on the road has pretty much decided that the 2009 season will be without a postseason run for the Indians.  Add to that the fact that Pavano has fallen off considerably performance-wise and Sowers is still an ineffective starter, and I think it's obvious that we shoul be looking toward 2010.

- Like the authors of those pieces, the time for guys like Herges, Aquino, and Vizcaino, has come and gone (and the last two are no longer here) - it's time to begin figuring out things for 2010.  That means that all possible candidates, including all relevant Minor League pitchers (this includes Herrmann, Wright, Stiller, Putnam, etc.) to get some time up here during the rest of this season to see if they can be viable 2010 options.  It's better if we start learning about them the rest of this season than to give them "try-outs" in 2010, a season in which we expect to contend, and the possible final seasons of Lee and Martinez.

- I also agree with the idea of removing Chuck Hernandez as the bullpen coach.  It's debatable how much fault lies with him in regards to the 2009 bullpen, but it seems that his skills do not include being able to get guys to repeat their deliveries and to avoid walking people - the guys in this bullpen are walking guys at an exorbitant rate that do not match up with their career norms (this includes guys like Wood and Perez), so it would seem that Hernandez has had some effect, at least in that he has not been able to "fix" them and get them back to pitching at or near their career norms in terms of their command.  Additionally, I'd hate to have Scott Radinsky, who is highly-touted and is "on the rise" in most people's eyes, as well as very familiar with many of our up-and-coming pitching prospects, get away as someone else's pitching coach; I'm torn between having him as the pitching coach or as the bullpen coach, but utilize him in some fashion before he gets away (which seems likely to occur sooner rather than later).

- Like Cousineau mentioned, move Sowers into a long-relief role; his skills would seem to match perfectly in that role, and we haven't had a true "long reliever" for a while, and while in past seasons, we may not have needed one, that has not been the case in 2009, and if we rely on more young pitchers in 2010 (Huff, Carmona, maybe Lofgren or even Rondon), it would seem likely that a long reliever may be beneficial to have.  Plus, if Sowers could fill that role, at least he wouldn't be a total loss as a first rounder (like Guthrie, Denham, Dittler, Smith, etc.), unlike many of the first-rounders have been in recent years.

- I also agree that we should look to trade, not just DeRosa (that's pretty obvious to most everyone), but also Pavano (we likely wouldn't get much, but he's not a long-term fixture either, and his trade value will likely continue to drop) and even Shoppach (the article mentions why he still would have some value, despite providing inconsistent offense and poor defense), even if that means including him with DeRosa.  The main reason is that Toregas is likely every bit of Shoppach's equal defensively (if maybe not even a hair better than Shoppach), and while Toregas likely wouldn't match Shoppach's power offensively, it's conceivable to think that Toregas would provide a more stable BA (he seems to have a better grasp of the K zone, specifically when it comes to K, even taking into account the AAA to ML transition), and thereby, be no worse offensively (and perhaps a bit better).  Not to mention the fact that Toregas would be cheaper and be under control for longer.  Plus, as Cousineau mentioned, you could mix in Gimenez from time to time as your 3rd catcher if you wish to give Victor and/or Toregas off.

- I also agree with the idea of bringing up guys like LaPorta and Brantley - let them get their feet wet consistently at the ML NOW.  Don't wait until 2010 for these guys to get extended ML playing time.  Sure, they'll likely go through some struggles, as did LaPorta his first time around (and LaPorta should have gotten more playing time the first time he was up here), but it's better if they learn to overcome those struggles NOW, rather than try to do it on-the-fly in 2010 while we try to make a run at the AL Central in what could be Lee's and Martinez's final seasons here.  It's likely that guys like LaPorta and Brantley will be counted upon pretty heavily to come through in 2010 if we are truly going to make a sustained run at the postseason - it would seem reasonable to conclude that having them work out the "kinks" now at the ML level would help to better prepare them to contribute more meaningfully and consistently at the ML level in 2010.

- I also agree that Gimenez should get more consistent playing time if he's being groomed for the super-utility role (which will be needed after DeRosa is traded away).  Gimenez should be getting regular ABs at AAA until DeRosa is traded, then have him move around and get consistent ABs up here once DeRosa is traded.  Letting these guys sit on the bench (Gimenez now, LaPorta before, even Valbuena before until Cabrera was injured) is not going to help them get acclimated to the MLs.

- I also agree about Carmona, Lewis, and Westbrook - there's NO point in rushing these guys back.  Even if all three were to come back and consistently pitch at the top of their games (this is more unrealistic than the bullpen actually finding itself and pitching decently for an extended stretch), it's not likely this team would reach the postseason.  And, as Cousineau mentioned, all three (and especially Carmona and Westbrook) will be vital to the Indians' postseason chances in 2010 and beyond - there's no reason to set timetables or to rush them back in the hope that we can get ourselves "back into the race," being "only" 12 games out.

The Indians need to realize, if they haven't yet, that 2009 will NOT result in a postseason birth - pretending that this season will turn around and playing like we're "still in the race" is not the best course of action if we truly want to compete in 2010 and beyond.  Continuing to pitch "retread" pitchers, having players in roles that they are not best suited for (Francisco getting regular ABs, Shoppach continuously catching Lee - I understand Lee has pitched well with him, but I don't think that Lee will fall apart if Shoppach doesn't catch him continuously, plus it's debatable whether Shoppach will be here long-term), and having players who are expected to be future contributors either sitting on the bench for most games and/or down in Columbus facing AAAA players that they likely won't see at the ML level is not going to help the Indians make the most out of what remains in a disappointing 2009 season.   The main objective for the rest of this season should be to make ourselves stronger for 2010 so that we can make the postseason next year when we have a more realistic chance of making it, rather than try to convince ourselves that we are still in the race and are just a "hot streak" away from getting back into the thick of it.  The way the Indians are playing, a "hot streak" of that magnitude is NOT realistic, regardless of whether we get back Cabrera, Westbrook, Lewis, Laffey, Carmona, Betancourt, etc.  After all, we are very close to the beginning of July, virtually half the season is over, and the trading deadline is only about a month away, and you have at the very least, one viable trading chip (DeRosa), who has been a pretty significant part of the offense to this point.  Would it be better to keep him for that so-called "hot streak" or better to trade him for a piece or pieces that can help you in 2010 and beyond?  I think the choice is the latter, being that our chances of putting everything together for that so-called "hot streak" are slim, in my opinion.

Hello everyone, I haven't had a chance to read through all the game threads, so perhaps someone mentioned this and I missed it, but I am curious - what happened to Michael Brantley?  I've noticed that he's been missing from the Columbus lineup the last three games, and while I can see him getting a day off, I know there has to be more to his absence than just getting a day off when he misses three straight games.  Is he injured, was there a death in the family, or is there another reason? 

Has anyone heard anything and when will he likely return to the Columbus lineup?  Any information would be greatly appreciated - thanks!

Hello everyone, I hope everyone has a great holiday season!

Amidst this busy time, I had a chance to read a couple of recent ESPN articles and think they could have relevance to the Indians for next season.

The first one, located here, is from Buster Olney's blog.  It talks mostly about Sabathia getting a large amount of money at some point, but the downtrodden economy is slowing down any moves by all teams from being made.  It also goes on to mention that guys like Bobby Abreu and K-Rod will likely not get as much as was expected just a few months ago.

Therefore, my question is, would it seem more realistic that we could pick up a guy like Fuentes, Abreu, or even K-Rod, being that the dollar amount mentioned for K-Rod is now "only" $10-$11 million/year, something that the Indians could probably afford if they really wanted to go that route (though I question whether K-Rod can remain healthy with that violent delivery of his and whether he can maintain good enough command with such a delivery long-term)?   

Granted, those dollar amounts may not turn out to be true, but they seem more realistic than just a few short months ago, and if K-Rod will only get that much, Fuentes probably would be under $10 million/season - would he be the better option over Hoffman or would it be better to try instead for Hoffman, even if he is only here for one season? 

And it seems Abreu might only get $8 million/season - again, the Indians could come up with that amount of cash if they wanted to - would you want Abreu for that or do you think he wouldn't be the best way to spend our money?

The other ESPN article involves the Mariners signing Russell Branyan to a 1-year, $1.4 M contract (so much for him coming here).  However, that article also mentions that there are GMs inquiring about both Putz and Beltre - my question is, could the Indians be one of those teams, and if so, what would be a reasonable package to acquire both of them, and would you do it?

Hello everyone,

ESPN is reporting that Josh Beckett injured his oblique in a bullpen session and will not start Game 1 of the ALDS against the Angels.  Tentatively, he's now scheduled to start Game 3 of the ALDS when the series moves to Boston.

Since Dice-K started in Sunday's first game and would only have 2 days' rest, I presume Jon Lester will start Game 1 (maybe it will be Wakefield, but it's likelier to be Lester). 

This could be a big blow to the Red Sox, since oblique injuries often linger, especially when the weather starts changing like it often does this time of the year in the NE.

Hello everyone,

I was reading in the Plain Dealer on Sunday (the article was called "Still Looking For Work" by Paul Hoynes on Page C6) about how Borowski was auditioning for several teams (10 was implied) and threw for Boston and Detroit in Tempe, Arizona on Saturday.   You can also see the online version of that article here.

Borowski claims that his arm feels "attached to his body again" and that his stuff seems to be crisper after Brett Fischer's Sports Therapy massaged and loosened up a knot under his right lat muscle. 

My question is:  Should the Indians' medical staff have figured this out and tried to loosen or dissolve that knot under his right lat muscle? 

It sounds like Borowski told everything that was going on with him to Fischer's, something perhaps he didn't do with the Indians' medical staff, but even so, shouldn't the Indians' medical staff have examined that area and perhaps figured out that that knot may have had something to do with the sudden decline in his stuff from 2007 to 2008?  After all, lat muscles are pretty important to all pitchers, so I'd think that they would have examined his lat muscles - how then did they not discover the knot and at least try to dissolve it or loosen it up?

I'm not trying to blame the Indians' medical staff, but for the many accolades they have received about their medical care and keeping the Indians healthy throughout most of the past seasons, I would have thought they would have discovered this and tried to dissolve or loosen it and see if that might have helped Borowski pitch better before releasing him. 

Even if the season had still been lost with Borowski bouncing back, at the very least, we might have been able to pick up another promising prospect if Borowski had pitched more like he did in 2007.  It's likely someone would have been interested in him, being that most contenders' bullpens have issues (including the Red Sox's, Yankees', Rays', Brewers', Cubs', Cardinals', White Sox's, Twins', etc. - everyone virtually except for maybe the Angels' bullpen), so the possibility of gaining another worthwhile prospect was probably at least decent, provided Borowski's stuff rebounded and he had decent control like he did in 2007, which may have been possible if the Indians' medical staff had discovered and loosened that knot and the Indians allowed Borowski to pitch after that before releasing him.

Just a question to consider and my 2 cents.

Hello everyone,

On the latest Farm Report, Ross Atkins talked about two players in particular:

3B Wes Hodges - had 7 RBIs, a go-ahead Grand Slam that turned out to be the game winner against Binghamton (NYM,) and a clutch 2-run single up the middle after a quality, tough at-bat.  He's also playing good defense at 3B.  The main points with him are to continue to get him to focus on the process and not think he's ready for the Majors right now.

LHP David Huff - he's progressing at the rate the Indians thought he would.  His command of his three pitches has improved; is doing well after a good stint at Kinston and in the Arizona Fall League.  The Indians will reevaluate him after 5-6 more AA starts to see where he is at, so it sounds like a possible promotion to AAA Buffalo is not out of the question if he can demonstrate he's ready over the next 1-2 months.

Hello everyone,

Indians (MLB) - lost to the Oakland Athletics 6-1. 

Cabrera and Garko each have 2 hits, but the offense as a whole is not generating much.  Outside of a Hafner RBI 2B to score Cabrera in the 1st, they did not produce much.  Peralta was 0-4, while the bottom part of the order (Gutierrez, Blake, and Shoppach) went a combined 0-11 with 3 Ks.  Jason Michaels, batting in the 3rd spot today, drew the only walk, versus 10 Ks as a team for the Indians' offense.

Meanwhile, pitching-wise, Sabathia with another poor outing, and another poor outing in Oakland, as he's now a career 1-4 with a 7.12 ERA (lone win coming in July 2003):  5.1 IP/6 H/4 R/4 ER/4 BB/2 K/1 HR (solo to Ellis,) 1 HB (Sweeney); 61 S/46 B; 6 G/8 F (7.59 - in my opinion, the big question is, will the pressure of not resigning with the Indians and being up for FA affect him the whole year as he tries to "work" for a large contract?)

RHP Rafael Betancourt didn't pitch well today either, giving up 4 H and 2 runs (both earned) in 0.1 IP.  Conversely, Lewis went 0.2 scoreless and hitless IP and Kobayashi had a scoreless inning, though he gave up 2 hits.

Conversely, LHP Dana Eveland was stellar for the A's in his Oakland debut:  7.0 IP/6 H/1R/1 ER/1 BB/7 K; 62 S/39 B; 5 G/9 F (1.29 - put up a line one would expect from Sabathia.)

Indians vs. A's at 4:05 P.M. EDT - LHP Cliff Lee vs. RHP Joe Blanton.

AAA Buffalo - their game with Norfolk (BAL) postponed due to rain - no makeup date announced.

AA Akron - lost the suspended game from Thursday against Harrisburg (WAS) 8-5 in 10 innings - 1B Luis Jimenez hit a game-winning 3-run HR off RHP Timothy Burton.

The regularly scheduled game - lost to Harrisburg (WAS) 8-5 (again!) - 50 degrees, partly cloudy - 5 MPH wind out to LF:

SS Josh Rodriguez - 1-4, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 E (1-throw) (.125)
DH Michael Aubrey - 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB (.333)
3B Wes Hodges - 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI (.333 - 2-run shot the opposite way to right-center field.)
RF Ryan Goleski - 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 K (.333 - back-to-back with Hodges.)
C Chris Gimenez - 1-2, 1 2B, 1 K (.286 - his 2B followed the back-to-back shots of Hodges and Goleski in the 3rd.)
2B Brandon Chaves - 1-2, 2 BB, 1 CS (1-2B) (.200)

LHP David Huff - 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (2-run); 4 G/7 F (6.75 - a bit of a rough outing for his first AA start.)
RHP J.D. Martin - L (0-1) - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (2-run,) 1 PO (2B); 2 G (9.00 - one mistake, but otherwise, not bad for his first healthy outing in a while, especially the K/IP rate.)
RHP Sung-Wei Tseng - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (2-run); 3 G/2 F (9.00 - also struggled with the long ball in his AA debut.)

Harrisburg:

RHP Shairon Martis - 4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR (2-run to Hodges & solo to Goleski,) 1 WP; 5 G/5 F (9.00)
RHP Jim Ed Warden - S (1) - 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K; 1 G/1 F (6.75 - 1s are wild for the former Indians' reliever, who nailed down the save today after blowing the one on Thursday.)

High-A Kinston - both the suspended game from Friday, April 4 and the regularly scheduled game on Saturday against Winston-Salem (CHW) have been rained out.  No makeup dates announced.

Low-A Lake County - lost to Lakewood (PHI) 7-6; 58 degrees, partly cloudy - wind in from RF at 12 MPH.

LF Lucas Montero - 1-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 CS (1-2B) (.462)
3B Jeff Hehr - 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K (.417)
DH Chris Nash - 1-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 BB, 2 K (.308)
RF Matt Brown - 2-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB (.364 - also threw out a runner at 3B.)
1B Dustin Realini - 1-4, 1 BB, 1 K (.250)
CF Adam White - 1-4, 1 R, 2 K (.333)

RHP Christopher Archer - 5.0 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 4 K; 7 G/4 F (0.00 - very impressive 2008 debut for the 19-YO, 5th-Rd. 2006 pick out of Clayton HS, NC.  Had great stuff when he was drafted, but has had issues with command; today was a solid outing toward harnessing that stuff.)
RHP Garrison Campfield - (BS-1), 1.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1 HB; 1 F (36.00 - UGH!)
RHP Jonathan Holt - (BS-1, L 0-1), 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR (3-run); 2 F (40.50 - another UGH outing!)
RHP Kyle Landis - 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 K; 2 F; 0/2 IR scored (0.00 - only solid outing out of the bullpen today.)

Take care and have a great day!

Hello everyone,

The first farm report from Ross Atkins revealed the following:

- Looking for ML protection at AAA Buffalo; really came in handy last year.  Have much protection at Buffalo this year, especially in the rotation and with position players.  Laffey and Sowers, along with Adam Miller.  You also have Francisco and Barfield.

- AA Akron and High-A Kinston have several power-hitters and many good offensive players; the position-player front for both teams is strong.  You have athleticism and a quality prospect at almost every position.  Hodges, Rodriguez, Mills (who will start at Kinston,) Goedert, Todd Martin, Crowe (who will start at Akron.)

- Good, young pitching prospects; 5 exciting ones at Low-A Lake County, including 6'5", 19-YO LHP Kelvin De La Cruz and RHP Santo Frias.

- Looking forward to getting "under the lights" after spending a week in Spring Training games for the Minor Leagues and 6 weeks in Spring Training total. 

- Buffalo, Akron, and Lake County begin Thursday, while Kinston begins Friday.

Hello everyone,

While reading the other thread on "experts'" opinions on who will win the divisions and make the postseason, I came across this ESPN Magazine article from Buster Olney on C.C. Sabathia, including his early childhood, his competitive streak, and where his emotions have gotten the better of him (not during his early years with the Indians, but rather, his childhood playing days.) 

You can read the article here. 

It's also a main reason why Buster Olney picks the Indians to win the American League (or the World Series?  Not sure - I got the latter impression first, then got the former impression later,) and based on Olney's picking record from last season (the best of the ESPN experts according to crazymoloh's post in the other thread - 4 correct choices for division winners and 5 correct choices for playoff teams,) it could be a very good sign (hopefully!  :-)

Just my 2 cents. 

Hello everyone,

I just heard on ESPNews that Detroit RHP Fernando Rodney will start the season on the DL with tendinitis in his throwing shoulder (I think it was tendinitis, but it certainly had to do with his shoulder.)

Therefore, this means that both Rodney and Zumaya will be out again for the Tigers for likely a significant period (especially in Zumaya's case.)  

P.S. MinorLeagueBall.com has just switched to the new SBNation format.  Plus, I get to keep my "indiansfan" screen name - it seems the reason it was being held before was because they were waiting for me to claim the name at MinorLeagueBall/SBNation (or so it seems.)  

In any case, I'll still be known as "indiansfan."  I still appreciate the suggestions for a new screen name though - thanks!  :-)

Hello everyone, I hope you all are getting used to the new format.  It's going to take me some time to get used to as well, so please forgive if there are any errors - thanks!  :-)  The new site looks very good though, and I like some of the new features added.

According to Tony Lastoria of TheClevelandFan.com, it seems Salcedo has in fact been signed by the Indians for $2.9 million, but the deal will not be made official until he passes his physical, his birthdate and age have been confirmed, etc.

This LGT thread alerted me to this, while Tony's article explains in more detail (look toward the bottom of the page.)

While he does not name the source, Tony is not one to make unsubstantiated claims or rumors, so if he's reporting it on his blog, chances are, it is accurate.  We'll likely find out more details in the coming weeks.

Also of interest on that ClevelandFan page is the fact that supposedly, 3B Dominican prospect Kelvin Diaz's visa problems have been cleared up, so he should make his debut in the States this season with either the GCL Indians, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, or the Lake County Captains.

Five more interesting items on that page:

- C Matt McBride is out until July as he recovers from shoulder surgery he had on the right (? - not sure) shoulder that was bothering him since he was drafted by the Indians in 2006 out of Lehigh University.  This may explain to some extent why he was doing a poor job containing the running game last season. 

- OF Trevor Crowe blasted a booming opposite-field home run the opposite way in AAA Buffalo's 11-1 victory over the Richmond Braves Monday afternoon, finishing with a line of 1-2, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB.

- 1B Michael Aubrey had three hits in that same game, and would have had a grand slam if not for the fact a 20-25 MPH wind coming in from RF knocked down his laser shot. 

- 1B Ryan Mulhern is hitting .700 (7-10) with 5 2B and 4 RBI this spring.

- OF Nick Weglarz arrived in camp late Sunday night after playing with Team Canada in Olympic qualifiers in Australia and Taiwan.  Supposedly, as one of the youngest players in the entire tournament, he hit nearly .500 and led all players in HRs and SLG percentage.  Supposedly, at age 20-YO, he is now 245 lbs. and is "all muscle." 

Just my 2 cents.

I wish everyone who celebrates it a happy and safe Easter!  :-)

Hello everyone,

I just spent a little time looking at some headlines and thought I'd mention a few:

Red Sox RHP Josh Beckett will probably be out for a while, and quite possibly, miss Opening Day in Japan due to back spasms, which progressively became worse from Sunday to Monday.

Tigers RHP Jordan Tata was so annoyed by his latest Spring Training start (and his Spring Training to this point, as he's had some serious command problems) that he punched a door with his pitching hand.  The bone at the base of his pinky has swelled up and he'll definitely be out for the rest of Spring Training and beyond.

Cardinals' manager Tony LaRussa plans to bat his pitchers eighth, figuring a position player will get on more often than a pitcher will, which will likely lead to more men on base for #3 hitter Albert Pujols.  Supposedly, in two prior periods (including 1998 when Mark McGwire was the #3 hitter) of having pitchers eighth, the Cardinals' offense and W-L record has been quite positive; combine that with their offense struggling last year, and that's why LaRussa is enacting it again.

According to the Cardinals' latest mailbag, Juan Gonzalez, Colby Rasmus, and Brian Barton are contenders for one spot on the team. The mailbag writer, Matthew Leach, thought that Gonzalez was the front-runner a few days, but seems to think Barton may have a strong chance of grabbing that spot. I'm guessing he probably thinks Rasmus isn't quite ready yet to make his ML debut, even though he is one of the most highly-touted prospects in the Minors at this point.

Interesting news, to say the least, around the Majors.  :-)

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing very well!  :-)

I learned of this piece in the Cleveland Plain Dealer regarding Adam Miller and the finger injuries he dealt with last year.  The renowned Dr. James Andrews says that injuries of these type "aren't rare, but aren't common" (he reportedly gets about 6 cases a year.)

He says that Miller's "big hands, long fingers, and the fact he throws hard" is a good combination for this type of injury to occur.  Hopefully, it doesn't continue to be a recurring problem, though I suspect his hands, fingers, and velocity will probably remain the same for a while (and especially the first two.  :-)

Right now, Miller is in camp and is just a few bullpen sessions behind the other Indians' pitchers - they threw 50 pitches in their bullpen sessions; he threw 45 pitches.  For now, Miller seems healthy, though he does say the finger "feels different, though there's no pain."

You can read more of Miller's comments here.

Regarding Gallardo, it's expected he'll miss the next 4 weeks due to torn cartilage in his left knee.  He's expected to have arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday.  You can read more about that here.

Regarding Salcedo, supposedly, the Yankees have offered him a $5 million contract. A scout who has seen him says that "he's a big, strong kid with a good arm, good hands, and some power." He also mentioned though that he'd "like to see him play against some tougher competition." I'm guessing that's probably why the Yankees, Indians, and others have not signed him yet - they're probably not THAT willing to spend that much on a guy who can dominate his own age-group, but may have questions on whether he can perform at a comparably high level against more seasoned competition.

Take care and have a great day!

Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing very well!  :-)

It's not official yet, but according to some threads on MinorLeagueBall, based mostly on a report made in the Seattle Times' Mariners blog by writer Geoff Baker, there is growing speculation that a Erik-Bedard-Adam Jones (and others) deal could come down soon between Baltimore and Seattle.  

The main reason why is because of an interview that was done with Adam Jones, who was told to leave his Venezuelan Winter League team and report to Baltimore for a physical on Monday.  

Baker also points out that players are not usually removed from a Winter League Team during their postseason unless it's for a very good reason, like an injury or a trade, and if Jones was injured, that likely would be reported, so an imminent trade seems likely, as Jones, Mariners' spokesperson Tim Hevly, and the Venezuelan Winter League team's manager, Luis Soto, have all confirmed that Jones is returning to the U.S., with Jones and Soto both saying he's reporting to Baltimore for a physical on Monday.

You can read more about that here.

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a great Holiday season!  :-)

Sorry I haven't been around much lately - been quite busy and will be in the near future as well, but will try to come around as often as I can.

In case you missed these (and I apologize if these have already been posted or mentioned,) here are some interesting links about the Indians' farm system and Trevor Crowe, including a health scare he went through recently.

Indians' Organizational Review

Trevor Crowe's 2007 and Recent Health Scare

I wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2008!  :-)

Take care and have a great day!

Hello everyone,

Thinking about the proposed Haren trade more (for Miller/Laffey/1-2 other prospects, whoever you want to include, though Cabrera is certainly not one I'd do, and probably a couple others I wouldn't either,) the trade could really benefit us in 2008, but could leave us in a bit of a pickle for 2009, especially if Sabathia is not resigned and Byrd presumably leaves.

Essentially, you'd have the following rotation:

Carmona
Haren
Westbrook
?
?

If that weren't enough question marks, your first two alternatives to fill those spots could be Lee and Sowers IF they're still here next offseason.  That's not the most promising rotation, even with Haren onboard.

I know that 2009 is a long way off, and likely, one would not immediately think about that in regards to making this trade, but I think it's something that still should be considered.  That's why I think the Indians are still going to try hard to retain CC, even if they do trade for Haren.  While some are saying, getting Haren protects us if we lose CC, in some ways, it really doesn't - you won't have Miller and Laffey to fill the two possible holes in the future rotation if both Sabathia and Byrd leave if you add Haren to the rotation, so I think the improvement we'd get from adding him will really only be felt in 2008 unless we can resign CC.

Otherwise, you either count on Lee and Sowers both delivering, you hope you can get a quality FA pitcher that can fill one of those holes and have Lee or Sowers fill the other, or you hope that Slocum bounces back from injury at AAA and/or guys like Lofgren, S. Lewis, and Huff can handle AA and AAA in 2008 and be ready to start the 2009 season in the ML rotation.  While you could make an argument for Lewis to start 2008 at AAA, Huff almost certainly won't, and I wouldn't start Lofgren's 2008 season at AAA either, as he still needs to develop a little more consistency before he's really ready to handle AAA consistently.

Essentially, you won't have many promising options to fill those two holes as it looks like now.  Of course, things can change, and hopefully, will change during the 2008 season, or otherwise, our rotation could look pretty solid in the first 3 spots, but really fall off in the last two spots, moreso than the 2007 rotation and the projected 2008 rotation look as of right now or with the projected Haren deal.  And our rotation 1-5 was one of the main reasons we were able to win the division in 2007; with it being potentially weaker in 2009 if CC and Byrd don't return, that could really put more pressure on us to win it all in 2008 if we do trade for Haren, making it essentially a one-shot deal for us to win that WS.

Just my 2 cents and something to consider regarding the proposed Haren trade and how the deal will affect our projected rotation for 2009.

Hello everyone,

Just reading this rumor from the LA Times here that the Dodgers may consider parting with OF Andre Ethier for a mid-level pitcher.

I wonder if RHP Sean Smith would have sufficed/will suffice (if he's not traded for Carroll.)  If not (and I admit, Smith probably wouldn't be enough,) would trading someone like Lee and a minor prospect do it?  What if you substituted Sowers or Laffey in place of Lee (though I'd prefer dealing Lee if possible)?

I'm not entirely sure of Ethier's control rights, but I'd think that his first full season was in 2006 that he would be under team control for at least another 2-3 seasons (could be wrong on that.)  Plus, he seems to have decent power and will only be 26 in early April.  He probably also wouldn't cost as much as Bay and would add another LH hitter to the lineup (though that would take away from Dellucci's ABs - would it be possible to include Dellucci in the trade along with Lee, maybe for Ethier and a lower-level prospect?)

You can see his stats here.

Just a random thought that came to me when I read that piece - sorry if the Ethier idea has been mentioned before.

Hello everyone,

Word is coming across that Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has died from the gunshot wound he suffered in his thigh/groin yesterday in an apparent robbery attempt at his home in Miami, FL.  

He never regained consciousness, though there were reports he did squeeze his nurse's hand.

More info. can be found here.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, the Washington Redskins organization, and all who knew him.

RIP Sean Taylor

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  :-)

Sorry, I've been busy of late, so I didn't get a chance to mention that the Indians signed their first Japanese FA - 33-YO Masahide Kobayashi, on Tuesday:  2-years, $6 million, along with a $3.25 million option for 2010, with a $250,000 buyout.

Supposedly, Kobayashi (no relation to the hot dog-eating champion  :-) features a fastball that reaches the mid-90s, a hard, downward-breaking slider (reportedly his best pitch,) and an occasional forkball.  He has stayed healthy for the most part while with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League and has recorded 20+ saves for 7 straight seasons, with a grand total of 227 saves and a 2.79 ERA for his career in Japan.

You can read more about the signing here and some LGT analysis here.

You can also see a YouTube video and more thoughts here.

Kobayashi's Japanese career statistics are here.

According to ESPN, via Chicago-media reports, the White Sox have signed 31-YO RHP Scott Linebrink to a 4-year $19 million contract, pending approval of his physical.  

I talk more about what I thought of the deal here - essentially, while I think Linebrink could help the White Sox's bullpen (which had a 5.47 ERA,) I think the 4-year contract could come back to hurt the White Sox long-term, being that that length and amount is a lot to pay for a non-closer who has never pitched regularly in the AL and who showed a few troubling signs in 2007, particularly in his HR rate with San Diego (4 of those 9 HRs coming at spacious Petco Park in 25.2 IP) and his BB rate with Milwaukee (11 BB in 25.1 IP.)

Sorry about all the links - I just thought it would save time and cut down on the amount you'd have to read here (as well as how much I'd have to write!  :-)

Just my 2 cents.

Take care and have a great day!  

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  :-)

According to ESPN (via Chicago-media reports,) the White Sox have signed 31-YO RHP Scott Linebrink to a 4-year deal worth $19 million, pending approval of his physical.

I know the White Sox had a 5.47 ERA last season, but one still has to wonder about this signing because of the length of the deal, especially since Linebrink won't be more than a set-up man to Jenks, plus the fact his 2007 season was solid, but not without some concerns, especially in regards to the HR rate he had with San Diego (4 of those 9 HR coming at spacious Petco Park in 25.2 IP) and the BB rate he had with Milwaukee:

With San Diego:

45.0 IP/41 H/19 R/19 ER/9 HR/14 BB/25 K/4 WP

With Milwaukee:

25.1 IP/27 H/14 R/10 ER/3 HR/11 BB/25 K/2 WP

Overall:

70.1 IP/68 H/33 R/29 ER/12 HR/25 BB/50 K/6 WP

While Linebrink has a good arm and has the potential to help the White Sox's bullpen, giving a 4-year deal and an average salary of nearly $5 million/year to a guy who will be no more than a set-up man and who has a few concerns could come back to bite the White Sox if Linebrink isn't stellar throughout most of his tenure.  

Chances are, the Brewers might be regretting giving up all they did (Will Inman, Steve Garrison, Joe Thatcher) for Linebrink, considering that they didn't reach the playoffs with him in 2007 and don't have him now for 2008 and beyond.

However, one benefit the Brewers will get from losing him are two high draft picks, since Linebrink is a Type A free agent, according to the link above.

Just my 2 cents.  :-)

Hello everyone,

I just found out about this from LGT poster Kenyafan - Indians' RHP Adam Miller and LHP David Huff threw in the Surprise Rafters' Tuesday AFL game, with nice results from both.

There is more about both of them from a scouting perspective here, as well as information on other prospects, including Blue Jays' OF Ryan Patterson.

Take care and have a great day!

Hello everyone,

Now that the Indians have secured a playoff spot, I was thinking about who would have the advantage if two teams had identical records.  

I believe it is based on head-to-head matchups (and intradivisional record if the head-to-head matchups are even,) correct?

If so, then I believe it breaks down like this:

Teams:  Record of team with tiebreaker advantage.

Angels hold tiebreaker over the Yankees:  6-3
Yankees hold tiebreaker over the Red Sox:  10-8
Yankees hold tiebreaker over the Indians:  6-0
Indians hold tiebreaker over the Angels:  4-3
Red Sox hold tiebreaker over the Indians: 5-2
Red Sox hold tiebreaker over the Angels:  6-4

Therefore, here is the list of teams a team has the tiebreaker advantage over:

Indians:
Angels

Angels:
Yankees

Red Sox:
Indians
Angels

Yankees:
Red Sox
Indians

All teams have a tiebreaker advantage over at least one opponent.  For the Indians, they can finish tied with the Angels and earn the higher seed, but against the Red Sox or Yankees, we need to finish at least one game ahead of them to finish with the higher seed (this just goes for the AL East winner; the Wild Card still is the away team even if they have the better record over the Division Winner hosting their series, so we only need to finish one game ahead of whichever team wins the AL East, NOT both.)

Hopefully, this is helpful!

Hello everyone,

Reading this LGT thread, BA had a blog entry today about Edward Salcedo - you can read it here.

In it, you'll see that Boras, Salcedo's agent, is waiting for an offer in around the $3.5 million dollar range.  So far, no team has matched that offer, but supposedly, at least 5 clubs are in negotiations with Boras, and the Indians ARE supposedly one of them.

Thanks to LGT's ken from alexandria for the update - greatly appreciated!

Take care and have a great day!

Hello everyone,

Indians (MLB) - defeated the Royals 6-0; RHP Fausto Carmona continues his impressive season with this line:

W (17-8) - 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 9 K; 7 G/8 F; 73 S/30 B (3.07 - currently, the lowest ERA in the AL; possibly the first time I can recall that Carmona had more FOs than GOs, but not much of a problem, considering that he also struck out 9 Royals, gave up 0 ERs, and just 1 XBH - a 2B by Jason Smith.)

RHP Zack Greinke had these thoughts about Carmona:

"He was amazing today.  Just watching him pitch, he would have shut anybody down. The stuff he had was really impressive. There's not much you can do about it."

LHP Rafael Perez finished up the strong pitching performance by having a perfect 9th against the Royals, striking out the side.

2B Asdrubal Cabrera has now hit in 12 of his last 13 games, as he delivered an RBI 2B to RF to bring in Sizemore, who got on via a throwing error by 1B Billy Butler.

DH Travis Hafner hit his 22nd HR, a solo shot, off Greinke in the 3rd.

1B Ryan Garko left the game in the bottom of the 8th inning as SS Jason Smith's errant throw hit Garko in the middle finger of his right hand.  Garko did say that his finger felt better after the game and he hopes to play Sunday.

The Indians remain 5.5 games up on the Tigers, who defeated the Twins 4-3, and reduce their Magic Number to clinching the AL Central down to 9.  The Indians remain tied with the Angels for the 2nd-best record in the AL after the Angels defeated the White Sox 2-1, but due to the tiebreaker (having a better intradivisional record,) the Indians currently hold the #2 seed, with the Angels currently holding the #3 seed.

RHP Billy Buckner vs. LHP Aaron Laffey at 1:05 P.M. EDT Sunday afternoon (ironically, both rookies come in with identical 5.29 ERAs.)

AA Akron - lost to Trenton 10-5, losing the best-of-5 Eastern League Championship Series 3-1, as Trenton (NYY) wins their first EL Championship in their 14-year history.  RF Matt Carson was named EL Championship Series MVP.  Congratulations to the Trenton Thunder and their fans:

CF Trevor Crowe - 3-5, 1 R, 1 SB (8-2B) (.355)
DH Jordan Brown - 0-5, 1 R, 1 K (.343 - made the final out of the game.)
1B Michael Aubrey - 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 K (.344)
RF Stephen Head - 1-4, 1 R, 1 GIDP (.367)
C Armando Camacaro - 1-4, 1 2B (.143 - got to play in this series because regular C Wyatt Toregas had a viral infection that hospitalized him for the past two days - he was reportedly feeling better, and was even listening to the games on the radio from his hospital room.)
2B Argenis Reyes - 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K (.379)

RHP Bobby Brownlie - L (1-1) - 3.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K; 1 G/5 F (9.72 - very disappointing start for the former Cubs farmhand, and overall, did not pitch well in this postseason, even though he did have a win.)
LHP Ryan Edell - 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K; 3 G; 0/1 IR scored (10.80 - his first 2 AA appearances resulted in multiple runs being given up, but the 24-YO had very encouraging BB/IP and K/IP ratios - he's definitely one to watch in 2008, and will likely begin at AA Akron.)
LHP Reid Santos - 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HB; 2 F (2.08 - faltered a bit down the stretch, but the recently-turned 25-YO (8/24) is still one to keep an eye on in 2008 as well, as he should see AAA Buffalo, and maybe even Cleveland next season.)
RHP Michael Finocchi - 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB; 1 G/1 F (2.45 - the 22-YO is also one to keep an eye on
LHP Rich Rundles - 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 HR (solo to Carson); 3 G (2.25 - is part of the Indians' AFL roster.)
RHP Jim Ed Warden - 1.0 IP, 1 K; 2 F (3.38 - the former Rule 5 pick of the Phillies finished up strong.)

Trenton:
CF Austin Jackson - 0-4, 1 BB, 1 K (.200)
RF Matt Carson - 4-5, 3 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K (.344 - HR #1, RBIs #3-#5; won MVP honors.)

RHP Daniel McCutchen - W (2-0) - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP; 5 G/7 F (4.09 - not his best performance, but enough to outduel Brownlie.)

I hope you enjoyed my Indians' Minor League reports throughout this Minor League season - I enjoyed bringing them to you!  :-)

Take care and have a great day!

Hello everyone,

Indians (MLB) - defeated the Royals 5-4; LHP C.C. Sabathia had an unusual pitching line:

7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 13 K; 5 G/2 F; 71 S/45 B (3.21)

The 4 ER broke a 10-straight start streak of giving up 2 ERs or less.  However, outside of the fifth inning, when the Royals strung 5 hits together (and really only one ball hit hard, and that was nearly caught by Sizemore,) CC was as dominant with the Ks as he has been in quite a while.  Most of the balls hit by KC in that 5th were of the seeing-eye variety, hit decent, but not rocket shots.

Meanwhile, outside of a Travis Hafner RBI single in the 1st inning, the Indians couldn't do anything against RHP Brian Bannister.  The one thing the Indians did do against him though was make him work hard, as Bannister threw 107 pitches in 6.0 IP.  That's when the Indians' offense took over, getting 4 ER off the Royals' bullpen.

RF Franklin Gutierrez hit a 2-run HR off of RHP Joel Peralta in the 7th inning, making it 4-3 Royals.

C Victor Martinez hit a 1st-pitch fastball from former Indians' RHP reliever David Riske, just out of the reach of RF Mark Teahen over the RF wall for a game-tying solo shot, making it 4-4.

Then, 3B Casey Blake, who hadn't hit a HR since Aug. 1 (144 ABs,) hit a first-pitch fastball game-winning HR off Riske, leading to the Indians' 5-4 victory.

The Indians as a team only had 6 hits, with no Indian getting more than 1 hit.

The Indians drop their magic number to 10 with the victory.  Their lead over the Tigers remains at 5.5 games, as the Tigers defeated the Twins 4-2.

Thanks to the White Sox's 5-3 win over the Angels, the Indians and Angels are now tied for the 2nd-best record in the AL, and if this LGT post is correct, the Indians actually now hold the #2 seed, while the Angels are #3.  

RHP Zack Greinke vs. RHP Fausto Carmona at 7:05 P.M. EDT Saturday night.

Onto the Minors:

AA Akron - defeated Trenton (NYY) 8-2, forcing a Game 4 in the best-of-5 series, as Trenton now leads the series 2-1:

CF Trevor Crowe - 1-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB (7-2B) (.308)
DH Jordan Brown - 1-3, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K (.400)
1B Michael Aubrey - 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB (.321)
RF Stephen Head - 2-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K (.385)
3B Rodney Choy Foo - 2-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI (.261)
2B Argenis Reyes - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K (.360 - HR #1, RBI #3)

LHP Jeremy Sowers - W (2-0) - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K; 12 G/2 F (0.68 - the K/IP may not have been impressive, but notice the improved G/F ratio; I don't recall Sowers ever getting that many GOs in a game at any level.  Perhaps he did, but usually, he was about even with his G/F ratios, or had more FOs than GOs, so perhaps the higher G/F ratio is still a sign of progress for him.)
RHP Jeff Stevens - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K, 1 WP; 3 G/2 F (0.00 - continues to be very solid as he has all year.)
LHP Shawn Nottingham - 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB; 3 G (18.00 - did not have good command.)

Trenton:
CF Austin Jackson - 0-4, 3 K (.226 - OUCH on the Ks!)

RHP Alan Horne - L (0-1) - 3.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K; 2 G/6 F (6.30 - the former 1st-Rd. 2001 pick of the Indians and EL Pitcher of the Year had a rough start, as both his control and command were off, something Trenton could not recover from in Game 3.)
RHP David Robertson - 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; 3 G/2 F (3.60 - the 22-YO, 5'11" 180 lb. 17th-Rd. 2006 pick out of Alabama in 84.1 Minor League IP between Low-A, High-A, and AA:  45 H/9 ER/0 HR/32 BB/113 K, 1.92 GO/AO, .154 BAA.)
RHP Kevin Whelan - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 HR (solo to Reyes); 1 G/2 F (6.00 - nearly "1s" are wild; the 23-YO, 6'0" 200 lb. 4th-Rd. 2005 former pick of the Tigers from Texas A&M in 54.1 AA IP:  34 H/18 ER/2 HR/42 BB/68 K, 0.76 GO/AO, .180 BAA.)

Game 4 of the Best-of-5 Series will continue at 7:05 P.M. EDT; RHP Daniel McCutchen vs. RHP Bobby Brownlie.

Take care and have a great weekend!

Hello everyone,

I thought I would create a new thread for Wednesday's playoff games; to see the list of playoff games, check out acerimusdux's original Minor League Playoffs thread here.

After 3.5 innings of Game 2 between Akron (CLE) and Trenton (NYY,) Akron leads 2-0.

Some early stats from that game:

CF Trevor Crowe - 1-2, 1 SB (5-2B) (.286)
DH Jordan Brown - 1-2, 1 R, 1 K (.440)
1B Michael Aubrey - 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI (.348)
RF Cirilo Cumberbatch - 0-2, 2 K (.000 - first playoff action in this series for the 21-YO Panamaian who spent most of this season at Low-A, and I think his first action in the postseason if I remember correctly.)

LHP Chuck Lofgren - 3.0 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 2 K; 3 G/4 F (4.50 - Ugh on the walks, but he's managing to this point.)

Trenton:
CF Austin Jackson - 0-1, 1 BB (.292)

LHP Chase Wright - 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; 4 G/4 F (0.84 - a couple of defensive throwing errors by the 2B and 3B have hurt him.)

More later - stay tuned!

Take care and have a great day!