Signings reported yesterday (although I suppose this fits more appropriately in Minor Matters)

CLEVELAND -- Planning for next season extends beyond the big league roster. Ballclubs must also tend to the depth chart that extends into the upper tier of their farm system.

On Thursday, Cleveland took a pair of steps in that direction, signing infielder Luis Hernandez and re-signing pitcher Hector Rondon to Minor League contracts. Both will receive an invitation to attend Spring Training with the big league team.

While Hernandez and Rondon could help the Major League club at some point, they are viewed primarily as Minor League depth.

Hernandez, 28, joins the Indians' organization after spending the majority of last season with Triple-A Round Rock in the Rangers' farm system. In 129 games at Triple-A, the infielder hit .262 with eight home runs, 23 doubles, 64 runs scored and 70 RBIs. Hernandez appeared in two games for the Rangers last year.

For his career, Hernandez has appeared in 122 games in the Majors between stints with the Orioles, Royals, Mets and Rangers. He has a .243 career average in the big leagues, but is known more for his skill and versatility in the field. Hernandez has mostly played shortstop, but he has experience at second and third base as well.

This winter, Hernandez has suited up for Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League, hitting .316 (6-for-19) through six games.

Once considered a starting prospect, the 24-year-old Rondon will continue his comeback from two elbow injuries as a reliever. Rondon underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow in August 2010, and subsequently fractured the same joint during winter ball in Venezuela in 2011.

Last season, Rondon worked his way back on the mound, appearing in four games between the Arizona League Indians and Double-A Akron in the Indians' system. In that abbreviated showing, the right-hander struck out nine and walked two over seven innings, hitting as high as 97-98 mph on the radar gun with his fastball.

Rondon's last full season for Cleveland was in 2009, when he went 11-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 27 outings between Double-A and Triple-A. Through 10 games with Leones del Caracas in the VWL this offseason, Rondon has a 6.48 ERA with three strikeouts and four walks in 8 1/3 innings.

As usual it was posted a couple days ago in both minors and articles.

Gordon: Mozeliak has quality chips to play


The Indians are listening to trade offers for All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera this winter. The Cardinals lack an immediate replacement for veteran shortstop Rafael Furcal, whose torn elbow ligament makes him a major 2013 question mark.

So as Post-Dispatch scribe Joe Strauss noted in his live chat, the Cardinals should be one of many teams exploring the Cabrera option this winter. As luck would have it, John Mozeliak has some attractive assets stacking up on his depth chart.

Both sides are positioned and motivated to deal.

Cabrera has two years left on his current deal, so Cleveland can demand plenty for him in a trade. He is not merely a rental.

He will make an affordable $6.5 million in 2013 and a still-reasonable $10 million in 2014, so general manager Chris Antonetti doesn’t have to move him to make budget.

On the other hand, newcomer Mike Aviles could fill in at shortstop while the Indians wait for Juan Diaz, Tony Wolters, Ronny Rodriguez or Francisco Lindor to develop into the long-term answer. Aviles played shortstop for the Red Sox much of last season and is a credible option.

The Indians have no chance to contend next season, so this would be an optimal time to move some near-term assets for longer-range prospects.

The Cardinals have players Cleveland could use. The Indians are OK at shortstop for the near term, but they have plenty of needs elsewhere.

Here are a few possible chips Mozeliak could play without flinching:

Seth Blair, SP: He sits behind power pitchers Trevor Rosenthal, Shelby Miller, Joe Kelly, Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha in the Cardinals pecking order. But he still offers more promise than many of the current Indians starting pitching prospects. Blair’s Arizona Fall League performance should send his stock soaring. In five starts, he is 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings. He was the 40th overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Arizona State, so he would come with a strong pedigree.

Matt Adams, 1B/DH: He drove in 13 runs during his first 86 big league at bats last season. The Slippery Rock slugger rose quickly through the minors. His demolished the Texas League in 2011 (.300, 31 homers, 102 RBIs, .923 OPS) and continued that production this season (.986 OPS at Memphis). After surgery to remove a bone chip from his elbow, he should be ready for regular MLB duty last season. But Allen Craig seems entrenched at first base for the Cardinals, especially with blue-chip outfield prospect Oscar Taveras ready to bid for big league work.

Matt Carpenter, Utility: Manager Mike Matheny loves his lively bat, strong work ethic and defensive versatility. He wants to get Carpenter plenty of 2013 at bats. To do that, he will give him a look at second base in the spring. But what if Furcal ends up playing some second base after the Cardinals add a shortstop? And what if second base prospect Kolten Wong (currently hitting .329 in the AFL) has a great spring? Carpenter is a corner infielder by trade and the Cardinals have starters entrenched in those spots.

Eduardo Sanchez, RP: Back in 2011 he played a critical role in the team’s playoff push, going 3-1 with five saves, a 1.80 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 30 innings. Shoulder soreness cut short his '11 campaign and poor command derailed him last season. Sanchez, 23, remains a commodity. But three Cardinals appear set at the back of the bullpen next season with Jason Motte, Mitchell Boggs and Edward Mujica.

Jorge Rondon, RP: The Cardinals recently added this hard thrower to their 40-man roster. He remains unpolished, but solid stints at both Springfield (3.44 ERA) and Memphis (3.60 ERA) last season suggest he is finally progressing. Several power pitchers block his path to the majors, however, so he could become a trade chip.

Cleveland could hold out for one of the big three Cardinals pitching prospects (Rosenthal, Miller and Kelly). The Indians could even demand Lance Lynn while driving up the bidding for Cabrera among multiple suitors.

Our standard position in this corner of cyberspace is to oppose any trade that swaps quality pitching for position help, given the industry-wide shortage of quality pitching.

Would Mozeliak heed that advice if the right opportunity came along? Or would he be willing to deal from his long-term team strength to fill his major lineup need?

Other teams will come calling, so Mozeliak should be a popular man at the GM meetings and beyond.

Jeff Gordon

It's only a matter of when Shin-Soo Choo becomes a former Cleveland Indian

Published: Thursday, November 08, 2012, 10:51 PM Updated: Thursday, November 08, 2012, 10:58 PM

By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — One way or the other, Shin-Soo Choo is gone.

The Indians can trade him this off-season. They can trade him at the non-waiver or waiver deadlines in July or August.

Or they can keep him the entire 2013 season and make him a qualifying offer after he becomes a free agent so they can be compensated through the draft. The qualifying offer this off-season for players who spent their final year before free agency with one team was $13 million for a one-year deal.
Choo's agent is Scott Boras. The Indians have tried to extend Choo's contract at least twice.

Boras does not believe in negotiating extensions with players in their final season before free agency.
Boston is facing the same situation with center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. The Braves are seeing it unfold right now with center fielder Michael Bourn, who received their qualifying offer, but is expected to reject it.
Ellsbury and Bourn are Boras clients.

So what is the market for Choo, 30, and how can General Manager Chris Antonetti make it work to his advantage?

Boras, not surprisingly, sees a bright horizon for Choo.

"We all know he's one of the best young outfielders in the game," Boras said. "There is really a demand for a guy who gives you offense and defense. He's shown the ability to lead off and hit in the middle of the lineup.

"He's really a valued player."

Choo made $4.9 million this year. He's eligible for arbitration in January and mlbtraderumors.com estimates his salary could climb to $7.9 million for 2013.

Antonetti said the door is still open for an extension. He added there has to be interest on both sides to get a deal done.

Boras, talking to reporters Thursday at the general managers meetings, said he will continue to negotiate for Choo on an "annual basis" in regard to 2013. He also fired a shot across the bow of owners Larry and Paul Dolan.

"Choo's let it be known that he has a desire to win," Boras said. "I think the ownership in Cleveland, foundationally, they're going to have to illustrate some dynamics with new revenues and where they stand about what they do to show their fan base and their players who they are in competing.

"That's a new calling that they are going to have to bring forth to give players, and everybody involved, [an idea] about what their intentions are in their ownership."

If Choo is traded, his new team will have him for only the 2013 season. Then he's a free agent. That won't help Antonetti max out Choo's value when dealing with teams that have small to mid-range payrolls. For those teams, the more control they have over a player in terms of years, the better they like it and the more they are willing to part with in a trade.

There are exceptions.

GM Brian Sabean, whose Giants won their second World Series in the past three years last month, took a chance on Carlos Beltran in 2011. He acquired him midway through the season from the Mets even though Beltran was eligible for free agency at the end of the year.

"We were coming off the World Series [2010]," Sabean said. "We'd just lost Buster Posey and really had no offense to speak of. If we wanted to survive, which we almost did, and get back to the postseason, you have to cross that bridge.

"The fans demand it. The organization and the players expect it. To get a good player, you have to give somebody up, even though you know it could be a rental. If Beltran doesn't get hurt, it might have been different. But he did and the rest is history."

The Indians are coming off a 94-loss season. In terms of trading his top players such as Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Chris Perez and Justin Masterson, Antonetti has an "open mind."

"If there is the right deal, and it makes sense, we'll move on it," he said. "But we like a lot of the players we're bringing back. We still have a lot of good major-league players. We need to find a way to build a championship team around them."

It's believed Boston and the Yankees have an interest in Choo. Other teams in need of outfield help include Texas, Atlanta, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Detroit and Seattle.

Choo hit .283 (169-for-598) with 43 doubles, two triples, 16 homers and 67 RBI. He scored 88 runs and stole 21 bases.

He hit just .199 (41-for-206) with two homers and 13 RBI against lefties. Against righties, he hit .327 (128-for-392) with 14 homers and 54 RBI.

Defensively, he was a finalist for a Gold Glove award.

One scout said there has been a slight drop in Choo's overall ability simply because of age. He added that Choo is still a good major-league player with a strong left-handed bat.

Now it's up to Antonetti to turn that into something that can help the Indians in 2013 and beyond.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

"foundationally???"

Agent Scott Boras says MLB investors are thriving: GM Meetings Insider

Published: Thursday, November 08, 2012, 11:26 PM Updated: Friday, November 09, 2012, 6:37 AM

By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Agent Scott Boras says there should be a lot of smiling baseball owners walking around these days.

Boras, who has always claimed owners are a lot richer than they say, said the recent sales of the Dodgers, Cubs and Padres have made a lot of fat cats even fatter. He threw in Boston as well, but there have only been rumors about the Red Sox being sold.

"This last year we had a re-appraising of the baseball industry," Boras said Thursday at the general managers meetings. "We had the Cubs' sale for $750 million to $800 million. Then when the Padres sold for $800 million and the Dodgers for over $2 billion, the range of evaluation has changed.

"Now we have owners who have become instant billionaires, or have made over a billion dollars by this re-evaluation. Those top-level franchises that were worth $700 million in the early 2000s, are worth well over $2 [billion] or $3 billion based on appropriate evaluation of the industry.

"I don't think we need Forbes [magazine] anymore to tell us what franchises are worth . . . I think there are a lot of smiling faces by the people who invested in this industry in the early 2000s."

Boras turned his attention to MLB's new TV contracts with FOX, Turner Sports and ESPN. The eight-year deals begin in 2014.

"The new TV contracts will bring each club $25 million to $26 million annually to each team," Boras said.
All of which means a lot more money for Boras and his clients.

Still searching: The Blue Jays are the only team without a manager. The Rockies hired Walt Weiss on Wednesday. Weiss, coaching his son's high school baseball team, received only a one-year contract.
It appears the Blue Jays are looking for an experienced manager, which would eliminate Tribe bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr.

Invitation for two: The Indians re-signed right-hander Hector Rondon and invited him to spring training with the big-league club.

General Manager Chris Antonetti said Wednesday that switch-hitting infielder Luis Hernandez had been invited to camp as well. Hernandez, who signed a minor-league deal, played two games with Texas last season.

Rondon, 24, was one of the Indians' top pitching prospects before two elbow injuries all but shut him down over the past three years. He had Tommy John surgery and then fractured the same elbow pitching winter ball.

He's currently pitching for Caracas in Venezuela where he has made six straight scoreless appearances.
Hernandez, 28, hit .262 (136-for-519) with 23 doubles, six triples, eight homers and 70 RBI in 129 games for Class AAA Round Rock (Texas) last year. He appeared in two games with the Rangers when Michael Young went on the paternity list.

He's free: Right-hander Kevin Slowey, acquired last off-season by the Indians from the Rockies, refused his outright assignment and has become a free agent. There's still a chance the Indians will try to re-sign him.

The Indians acquired Slowey to protect the rotation after Roberto Hernandez was arrested in the Dominican Republic for identity fraud. They sent Zach Putnam to the Rockies in exchange for Slowey and $1.25 million to help pay his one-year $2.75 million contract.

Unfortunately, Slowey opened the year at Class AAA Columbus and suffered a rib injury while pitching. It sidelined him for the season.

Second-time around: The Indians recently lost Scott Maine on waivers to Toronto. Well, the left-hander is available.

The Blue Jays signed infielder Maicer Izturis and traded for reliever Jeremy Jeffress on Wednesday. Maine was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Finally: Boston has interest in free agent Grady Sizemore. How far the interest extends depends on Sizemore's health.

Boston has interest in free agent Grady Sizemore. How far the interest extends depends on Sizemore's health.

That's something the Indians might have though about doing last winter.

Cleveland Indians: Do they rebuild or regroup?

Published: Sunday, November 11, 2012, 8:53 PM Updated: Sunday, November 11, 2012, 9:30 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

General Manager Chris Antonetti really hasn't tipped his hand yet. Will it be rebuild or regroup for the Indians this winter?

In the same situation, there would be no hesitation on Billy Beane's part. The Oakland general manager always rebuilds. Last winter, he not only rebuilt, but also added on to an Oakland team that went from 88 losses in 2011 to 94 victories and an American League West division title in 2012.

Until the A's beat Texas on the final day of the regular season to win the division, no one really believed the team with the second smallest payroll ($55,372,500) in the big leagues could do it.

"We just kept getting better and better," said Beane last week at the general managers meetings in Indian Wells, Calif. "We were under the radar. No one really noticed us until the last week of the season. It was like, 'They're playing for the division?' "

Beane transformed the A's in his usual manner, by trading his best players for a ton of prospects. After the 2011 season, he traded All-Stars Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey for 10 players. Many of them helped the A's reach the postseason in 2012.

•Gonzalez was traded to Washington for A.J. Cole, Brad Peacock, Tommy Milone and Derek Norris. Milone went 13-10 with a 3.74 ERA and Norris, a catcher, hit .201 with seven homers and 31 RBI for the A's.

•Cahill was traded to Arizona for Jarrod Parker, Ryan Cook and Collin Cowgill. Parker went 13-8 with a 3.47 ERA for the A's.

•Bailey was dealt to Boston for Josh Reddick, Raul Alcantara and Miles Head. Reddick hit .242 with 32 homers and 85 RBI for the A's.

What made Gonzalez, Cahill and Bailey so attractive was not only their talent, but also their lack of big-league service time. Cahill and Bailey had three years in the big leagues, Gonzalez had two years and 162 days. Bailey and Gonzalez were eligible for arbitration for the first time when they were traded. The A's had already signed Cahill to a five-year deal through 2015 before the deal.

It meant the Nationals, Diamondbacks and Red Sox were getting players they could control, or who were already under control, for three or more years. Right after the Nationals traded for Gonzalez, they signed him to a five-year, $42 million contract.

"We were a third-place team to begin with after the 2011 season, so we weren't holding onto anything special," said Beane. "I've always felt that in our market, you either have a playoff team or you're building one. This in-between stage is really a no-man's land in our marketplace."

Will Antonetti take the same approach this winter?

He has two two-time All-Stars in shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and closer Chris Perez. Cabrera signed a two-year extension last season that runs through 2014 for $16.5 million. Perez is arbitration eligible for the third time, but still has two years left before he can file for free agency after the 2014 season.

St. Louis, because of Rafael Furcal's physical problems, is among the teams that have expressed an interest in Cabrera. Perez has been an effective closer the past two years and contenders such as the Tigers, Angels and Yankees have a need at that position.

Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo and right-hander Justin Masterson have also drawn plenty of interest. Choo is on a shorter leash than Cabrera, Perez or Masterson. He can be a free agent after the 2013 season.
Masterson, erratic as a full-time starter the past two years, has two years left before free agency. He also has a track record as a playoff-proven reliever.

Antonetti has been listening to offers on all four players since the Indians collapsed in the second half last season to finish in fourth place in the AL Central with 94 losses.

"It's important to understand how other teams value your players and explore different fits," said Antonetti.

But what goes into taking the plunge?

"There's definitely risk to it," said Antonetti. "You have to weigh what the alternatives are. Billy and Dave [Forst, A's assistant general manager] did an exceptional job of identifying how their players were valued in the market and made some shrewd trades.

"Then they signed some free agents to complement that group and added that to the nucleus of players they already had."

Beane drew the usual criticism following the trades of Bailey, Cahill and Gonzalez. "You can get stupid awfully fast when you rebuild the team every two years," said Beane.

After the three trades, Beane told his worried PR staff, " 'In another month we're going to have a story to tell.' No one really cared to hear the story then."

After the three trades lowered the payroll, Bean traded for Colorado outfielder Seth Smith, signed Bartolo Colon, re-signed Coco Crisp and shocked baseball by signing Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36 million deal. Smith hit .240 with 14 homers and 52 RBI. Crisp hit .259 with 11 homers, 46 RBI and 39 steals. Colon went 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA before being suspended for 50 games for a positive PED test, which did not stop Beane from re-signing Colon for the 2013 season.

Cespedes, playing in the big leagues for the first time, hit .292 with 23 homers and 82 RBI.

"We wanted to see where we ended up after trading the three players," said Beane. "Everyone sort of shut us off after that, which was fine, but our off-season didn't end in December. The perfect marketing tool for a general manager is to underpromise and overdeliver. The other way isn't a good way. I learned that a long time ago."

Can Antonetti underpromise and overdeliver in 2013? Can he help the big-league club and strengthen the upper levels of the farm system by trading his best talent? Will ownership then give him the ability to conduct a second front in the off-season to acquire talent?

He must also deal with the nagging fact that the Indians have spent more time in first place in the AL Central over the past two years than any team in the division. So how much help is really needed?

"That didn't happen by accident," said Antonetti. "You have to have good players to go out and win that many games. We haven't been able to finish it off."

Antonetti, at the same time, knows change is coming.

"Our focus is to always upgrade the talent," he said. "No one has a perfect team. You look at every opportunity in the off-season to improve your team."

He must also deal with the nagging fact that the Indians have spent more time in first place in the AL Central over the past two years than any team in the division. So how much help is really needed?

"That didn't happen by accident," said Antonetti. "You have to have good players to go out and win that many games. We haven't been able to finish it off."

What a moron. When the truth slaps you in the face...deny, deny, deny.

No big deal yet. Any time though.

Indians face tough decision on Choo

Outfielder is set to hit free-agent market after next season

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 11/12/12 1:40 PM ET

CLEVELAND --

The clock appears to be ticking on Shin-Soo Choo's time in Cleveland. The only question seems to be whether it expires this winter or if the Indians will ride things out and let the right fielder walk in free agency next offseason.

Extending Choo's contract was a popular topic and seemed possible a few winters ago. The concept was floated again last offseason with no results. Signing Choo to a multi-year contract now -- in his final winter of arbitration eligibility -- seems like wishful thinking.

"We have, on numerous occasions, looked to try to extend Choo's stay in Cleveland," Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said Monday morning. "We've looked to extend his contract. We just haven't been able to reach an agreement."

That makes trading Choo a real possibility this winter.

An important part of the equation during negotiations over the past few years is the fact that Choo is represented by agent Scott Boras. History has shown that Boras' clients have consistently tested free agency when they become eligible in order to seek robust contracts. Rare is the player who -- under Boras' watch -- signs an extension during his arbitration years.

Choo, 30, earned $4.9 million last season and could net a salary in the $7-8 million range for the 2013 campaign through the arbitration process. Cleveland should (and will) listen to trade offers for Choo simply because due diligence dictates such an approach. One way or another, the right fielder seems destined to don another team's jersey in 2014.

During last week's General Managers Meetings, Boras took a jab at Indians ownership when asked if he thought Choo would be traded before next season.

"Choo's let it be known that he has a desire to win," Boras told a group of reporters. "I think the ownership in Cleveland, foundationally, they're going to have to illustrate some dynamics with new revenues and where they stand about what they do to show their fan base and their players who they are in competing.

"That's a new calling that they are going to have to bring forth to give players, and everybody involved, [an idea] about what their intentions are in their ownership."

Antonetti did not see the need to respond to Boras' criticism of Cleveland's way of doing things.

"I don't think we really need to react to that," Antonetti said. "We obviously have to conduct business the way we think it makes sense for the franchise."

Trading Choo is a possibility, but Antonetti also sees value in keeping the right fielder.

Last season, Choo hit .283 with 16 home runs, 21 stolen bases, 43 doubles, 67 RBIs and 88 runs scored in 155 games. He joined Roberto Alomar (1999-2000) and Grady Sizemore (2008) as the only players in club history to enjoy a season with at least 15 homers, 20 stolen bases and 40 doubles.

Over the past five years, Choo has hit .291 with a .384 on-base percentage and a .471 slugging percentage. He has an average of 16 homers, 30 doubles and 69 RBIs per season during that span. The right fielder thrived as a leadoff hitter in 2012 and finished as a finalist for a Gold Glove Award.

"I had goals," Choo said of his performance this past season. "My first goal was for the team to make the playoffs. We didn't make the playoffs this year. The second goal was I wanted to play as many games as possible. I think I met that goal this year. I played 155 games this year.

"I'm really happy. I didn't hit 20 homers or .300, but I played many games and I was healthy. I'm happy with this season."

Cleveland could try to get as much out of Choo as possible next season and then aim for a compensation Draft pick by making the right fielder a qualifying one-year offer next winter. The value of qualifying offers this offseason was $13.3 million. The Indians could also explore trading Choo before the non-waiver Trade Deadline next year.

Antonetti continues to think highly of the Tribe's young core and is using this offseason to try to complement that group. Players such as Kevin Youkilis, Melky Cabrera and Jason Bay have been rumored to be on Cleveland's radar -- evidence that the Indians are weighing rebuilding against retooling for a possible run next year.

Keeping players such as Choo, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, starter Justin Masterson and closer Chris Perez would signal the Indians' belief that the team can turn things around swiftly in the American League Central next year. Trading away those pieces could mean the organization (following a 94-loss showing) feels it has to target a later season for contending.

"We're looking to improve," Antonetti said. "We've had conversations with a number of different free agents to try to make us more competitive next year. We continue to feel strong that we have a good nucleus of talent around which to build.

"We're open to multi-year deals for the right guy. It just has to be the right guy. There are a number of free agents for whom we've contemplated multi-year deals."

A multi-year deal to keep Choo, however, seems increasingly unlikely.

At the end of last season, Choo was asked if he wanted to be back with the Indians in 2013.

"I want to stay here," Choo replied. "But it's not that easy. The team makes the decision. If the team says, 'Go,' I'll go. But I hope I can come back here. Yeah, next year, I want to come back."

What lies beyond next year is where the situation becomes more complicated.

Players such as Kevin Youkilis, Melky Cabrera and Jason Bay have been rumored to be on Cleveland's radar -- evidence that the Indians are weighing rebuilding against retooling for a possible run next year.

Or evidence that the Indians are feeding those rumors to make fans think they're retooling. Maybe those 3 could be available for bargain basement prices, which would appeal to the Tribe; but even then I expect Antonetti can easily get himself outbid on all three.

Who are this year's FA equivalents to Casey Kotchman and Johnny Damon? Those are the names we can expect to see with the 2013 Tribe.

Civ is starting to sound like a broken record too !

None of those 3 will be a bargain basement free agent signing.

Maybe the Indians will break some records.

Tribe will shop for leftovers. Not going to outbid anybody.