Cleveland Indians have Terry Talkin' how cheap pitching gives Tribe lots of options -- Terry Pluto


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Washington Nationals recently signed Stephen Strasburg to a complicated seven-year, $175 million contract extension. The agent for the deal is Scott Boras, who also signed Max Scherzer to a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Nationals.

Boras has nine clients with Washington, most of them extremely well paid even by baseball's inflated standards.

So what does this have to do with the Indians?

They have their starters all under contract at least through the 2020 season. The only exception is Josh Tomlin. He is under team control through 2018.

With the price of established big league starting pitching reaching levels no one ever imagined, the Tribe is in an excellent position with its rotation.

Here's a breakdown of the starters and their contract situations:

Carlos Carrasco signed through 2018, team options for 2019-20.
Corey Kluber signed through 2019, team options for 2020-21.
Tomlin signed through 2017, team option for 2018.
Danny Salazar can't be a free agent until 2021.
Trevor Bauer can't be a free agent until 2021.
Cody Anderson can't be a free agent until 2022.

In a mlive.com story, Chris Iott writes about how Detroit's Justin Verlander will make $28 million this season, "more than twice what the Indians are paying their entire starting rotation.

Here's is how Iott reported the payrolls of the starting rotations in the American League Central:

Detroit Tigers, $71 million.
Minnesota Twins, $40 million.
Chicago White Sox, $34 million.
Kansas City Royals, $30 million.
Cleveland Indians, $12.5 million.

The cost of the Tribe's rotation will soar in a few seasons when the big money years for Carrasco and Kluber kick in, but it's nothing like the huge dollars that go to pitchers heading into free agency.

This is good news for Tribe fans for a few years.

First, it means the Tribe is not in position where it will trade back-to-back Cy Young winners as happened with C.C. Sabathia (2008) and Cliff Lee (2009). Those deals came because the Indians didn't think they could re-sign either pitcher.

The Tribe still has Michael Brantley and Carlos Carrasco on their roster as products of those trades.

They also are developing starters in the minors. Here are the top starting prospects at Class AAA and Class AA:

Mike Clevinger: 5-0, 3.03 ERA at Class AAA Columbus.
Ryan Merritt: 3-2, 2.54 ERA at Columbus.
Adam Plutko: 2-2, 2.87 ERA at Class AA Akron.
T.J. House: 2-2, 6.36 ERA at Columbus. Still working back into form after shoulder problems last season.
Shawn Morimando: 6-0, 1.96 ERA at Akron.
Rob Kaminsky: 1-2, 4.75 ERA at Akron. On the disabled list with a back strain.
Will Roberts: 3-1, 2.06 at Columbus. Roberts doesn't throw that hard and came into the season with a 37-44 career record (4.28 ERA). He pitched well at the end of last season at Columbus (3-4, 3.04 ERA). At the age of 25, he might be having a break through. He walks fewer than two batters per nine innings.

Obviously, not all of these prospects will become viable big league starters. But odds are a few of them will. I really like Clevinger, and so do the Indians.

That puts them in position to trade a starter if they need to make a major move. You also will hear a lot of trade rumors about Tribe starters as others teams would love to have several of them.


ABOUT THE TRIBE

1. One of the signs something was wrong with Michael Brantley's shoulder is that he had only two extra base hits (both doubles) in 39 at bats. Brantley led the American League with 45 doubles last season. The Indians think his shoulder soreness is nothing more than just that ... soreness. He pushed very hard, taking extra batting practice wanting to perfect his swing.

2. Brantley had surgery on his right shoulder after last season. He is a lefty hitter, meaning his right arm is the one that powers his swing.

3. It's been a frustrating season for Yan Gomes, who entered the weekend batting .163 (.529 OPS) 4 HR and 15 RBI. He has been especially helpless against righties (.122) and has walked only five times in 104 plate appearances. With Roberto Perez injured, the Indians really need Gomes to pull himself together at the bat. In his first two seasons with the Tribe (2013-14), he hit .285 (.802 OPS).

4. Gomes was a career .288 hitter in the minors. Scouts all thought his bat was his best asset until he really developed as a catcher with the Tribe in 2013. Last season, Gomes battled a knee injury and batted .231. Gomes showed some life Friday with a homer and walk.

5. A very good sign was Tyler Naquin going down to Columbus and still hitting. He was 7-of-22 (.318) with six singles and a double. He was batting .315 when the Tribe sent him to the minors last weekend, and he stayed positive. Now, he's back in Cleveland.

6. At Columbus, Gio Urshela was hitting .378 in the last 10 games. That raised his average to .283 (.706 OPS) with 2 HR and 17 RBI. But he injured his hamstring and will be out for a while.

7. I know it's early but it's also fair to expect more from Juan Uribe. The 37-year-old entered the weekend batting .224 (.613 OPS) with 1 HR and 6 RBI. The veteran right-handed batter is supposed to hit lefties, but he's 4-of-23 against them -- all singles.

8. The Indians do have options at third base besides Uribe. The 24-year-old Urshela is the top prospect. He is excellent in the field. The Indians have been pleasantly surprised with Jose Ramirez at third. He had played only 12 games at third in his minor league career. He entered the weekend with no errors in 17 games at third.

9. Ramirez is forcing the Indians to keep him in the lineup. He is batting .309 (.808 OPS) with 1 HR, 12 RBI and 8 doubles in 90 plate appearances. He now looks like the Jose Ramirez who had a .304 career minor league batting average. He's only 23 and can play second, short, third and left field.

10. Former Indian Nick Swisher is batting .258 (.658 OPS) with 3 HR and 8 RBI in Class AAA for the Yankees.

If Cleveland Indians are going to be contenders, they need Michael Brantley and more


CLEVELAND, Ohio – If the Indians are going to be serious contenders in the AL Central this year – right now they're more like paper tigers – they need a healthy Michael Brantley in the lineup and playing left field.

Then they're going to need even more help.

Brantley joined the Indians in Chicago on Monday after being shut down for a week after receiving an anti-inflammatory shot in his right shoulder. He will begin yet another "return to hit program' Tuesday. He's currently on the disabled list for the second time this season and the Indians aren't sure when he'll be able to return to the lineup.

He could be ready when his current stay on the 15-day DL expires. Or it might take a few more weeks.

A healthy Brantley would mean so much for the Indians, who split Monday's doubleheader against Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field. They lost the opener, 7-6, and won the nightcap, 5-1.

It would mean Jose Ramirez could fill the role he was meant to fill – utility man. He could get out of left field, where he's been an adventure, and play a lot more third base. The Indians didn't sign Juan Uribe, 38, to be their everyday third baseman, but that's what he's become with Ramirez playing left field in place of Brantley.

Uribe can still hit, as he showed in Boston over the weekend and with his home run in Monday's second game, but it's clear he's getting exposed at the plate and in the field.

The Indians could also use Rajai Davis the way he should be used – playing mostly against lefties. He could platoon in center field with either Tyler Naquin or Lonnie Chisenhall. Yes, Davis hit a key two-run homer Monday night in the second game of the doubleheader, but strange things seem to happen when he's playing center field on a regular basis.

Brantley could also share some of Mike Napoli's burden in the middle of the lineup. Napoli homered in his first at-bat in Monday's opener, but that kind of return hardly seems to be worth his lost weekend in Boston. Napoli, hitting cleanup in all three games against the Red Sox, went 0-for-13 with nine strikeouts. Before he lined out in his final at-bat on Sunday, he struck eight straight times.

The presence of Brantley hitting cleanup would allow manager Terry Francona to hit Napoli lower in the order.

Now for the real question that the Indians must answer. If Brantley returns to the lineup, he probably won't be at full strength strength until 2017. Two years ago Jason Kipnis never really recovered from a strained oblique muscle he suffered early in the season. Last year Yan Gomes injured his right knee in early April and struggled the rest of the season.

So would the Indians go out and make a trade for more offense? Right fielder Jay Brue has been available since last offseason. They are close to being a good team. If Cody Anderson did turn some kind of corner Monday night with seven strong innings, and with Carlos Carrasco continuing on the comeback trail from his left hamstring injury, the pitching should stay solid.

The one thing that will keep the Indians out of the postseason, with or without Brantley, will be a lack of offense. They need some help when it comes to scoring runs and they've known that since spring training.

Major League Baseball PED penalties not enough to outweigh the potential benefits

By Ryan Lewis
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published: June 4, 2016 - 10:46 AM

Major League Baseball has made significant strides in its crusade to increase performance-enhancing drug testing and punishment in recent years.

But as we’ve been reminded several times this season, the issue is far from resolved.

Chris Colabello of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Miami Marlins’ Dee Gordon — one of the slimmer, speedier players in the league — were both slapped with suspensions for failed drug tests that revealed performance-enhancing drugs this season.

Then Indians outfielder Marlon Byrd was suspended 162 games by MLB on Wednesday for failing a drug test in May. It’s the second suspension in Byrd’s career, and it’s probably a career-ender, as he told teammates when he addressed them in the clubhouse.

Byrd claims it was a “tainted” supplement that triggered the failed test, and that he did not knowingly take anything to enhance his performance. That’s what they all say, and he’s had to essentially do it twice.

Byrd will leave the game of baseball as tainted as that alleged supplement he allegedly didn’t knowingly take. But in the end, he won, didn’t he?

Byrd was suspended for 50 games in the 2012 season. Since that time, he made a total of $17 million in the major leagues until being caught a second time. That’s nearly half of his total career earnings, and it came with the PED-user tag.

And that’s the problem. As the league and its 30 teams have shown, the potential financial earnings have been worth the risk of suspension. Look at former Indians shortstop Jhonny Peralta. He was suspended for PEDs in 2013 while with the Detroit Tigers and then signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The public scrutiny can be tough. You might have a tough conversation with your kids. But if a major-league player is told, ‘You can make an extra $10-20-30-40 million if you take this risk, and even if you get caught, you can make more money later,’ how many would turn it down?

The higher-profile cases — such as the fringe Hall of Famers who get caught — are awarded most of the public spotlight. But the bigger problem involves the young minor leaguer who starts to see his only shot to make the big leagues diminishing, or the major-leaguer who’s nearing a demotion back to Triple-A and needs to reach that next contract.

Or, in Byrd’s case, the aging veteran looking to hold on just a little longer. It’s a difficult problem to truly resolve. But it’s certainly one that’s still tilting baseball’s culture.

Many players around the league — most vocally Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander — have voiced their frustration with so many of their colleagues playing outside of the rules. After all, every team has a small army of trainers and medical personnel to ensure nothing banned by the league is accidentally ingested.

Still, the punishment absolutely does not outweigh the possible benefits right now, even when coupled with the potential health risks. Will it disqualify a player from making the Hall of Fame? At least right now, probably yes. Will it keep players from making millions and increase their chances that they can reach that level in the first place?

That answer is no, and that’s the problem. Not looking at it strictly through a baseball lens, it’s one person roughly between the ages of 20 and 40 making a calculated financial risk that affects the rest of his life.

If the penalties related to searching for the buried treasure aren’t severe enough, some will gladly go hunting.

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ

Mike Napoli, Mark Reynolds and the division that is there for the taking: Zack Meisel's musings


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mike Napoli knows the Indians' standing in early June isn't what's imperative.

"We don't want to be anywhere else," he said of his first-place club. "But it doesn't mean anything right now."

It's like learning your flight is on schedule about 12 hours before its anticipated departure. It's the preferred situation, but it means little if the plane doesn't actually take off on time. Plenty can change at the airport in 12 hours. Plenty can change in four months of a baseball season.

For now, let's examine a few encouraging signs from the 31-24 Tribe. Here are a handful of thoughts about the Indians and their rather pedestrian division.

1. Right-handed power bat: Is Mike Napoli the next Mark Reynolds?

Through 55 games:

Reynolds, 2013 with Cleveland: .251/.333/.492 slash line (.825 OPS), 13 home runs, 41 RBI, 23 walks, 60 strikeouts, 30 runs scored

Napoli, 2016 with Cleveland: .239/.311/.513 slash line (.824 OPS), 14 home runs, 42 RBI, 20 walks, 76 strikeouts, 38 runs scored

Reynolds warned reporters that season that he would eventually endure a dreadful slump. He was spot-on. The Indians severed ties with the slugger in early August, when Reynolds' OPS dipped to .680 and he went more than a month without a home run.

Francona doesn't want to take Napoli out of lineup

Francona doesn't want to take Napoli out of lineup

"I told him one of these days, I'm going to make him take a day off," Francona said, "because I think it would be good for him. He's a pretty big body. He's got some wear and tear. I just want to make sure we don't run him into the ground."
Napoli on the Indians' offense Mike Napoli discusses the Indians' power display vs. KC.

2. Keeping pace: What does Reynolds' Tribe tenure teach us? That one-third of a season, no matter how prolific, does not secure a statue outside of Progressive Field. Napoli is on pace to register 41 home runs, 124 RBI, 112 runs scored (and 224 strikeouts). He is also on pace for 645 plate appearances, which would shatter his previous season high. He logged 578 plate appearances in 2013, 510 in 2010 and 500 in 2014. Since 2009, he has averaged 477 trips to the plate each year.

3. Long division: The Indians are 18-7 against AL Central opponents this year. Last season, the amassed a 32-43 record against division foes, with a losing mark against each.

Oddly enough, the Indians have handled every AL Central adversary save for the Twins, who own the AL's worst record, at 16-40. The Indians are 2-4 against Minnesota. They are 16-3 against the Tigers, Royals and White Sox, who all sit at .500 or better.

This is a division with five flawed teams, some far more than others.
ALCstandings6616.pngZack Meisel, cleveland.com

4. South side: The White Sox have lost 18 of 24 since a 23-10 start. They were swept by the Tigers at Comerica Park over the weekend. They acquired James Shields, who posted a 4.28 ERA (4.41 FIP) in 11 starts with the Padres. The right-hander's best days are behind him -- he surrendered 33 home runs while calling spacious Petco Park home last season -- but he should round out Chicago's rotation, which is the club's strength.

5. Pitching jesters: For two years, the Royals excelled despite an unimposing starting rotation. They thrived defensively, boasted a stout bullpen, slapped singles and doubles all over the place and ran the bases, as Terry Francona likes to say, "like their pants were on fire."

Well, now, the rotation owns a 4.86 ERA, 23rd in the majors. Third baseman Mike Moustakas is out for the season with a knee injury. Left fielder Alex Gordon is on the shelf. Real humans named Cheslor Cuthbert and Whit Merrifield -- not Downton Abbey characters -- are playing on a daily basis.

Still, the Royals arrived in Cleveland riding a six-game winning streak. The Indians did well to capitalize on their lack of health and on their shaky rotation and defeat them four straight days.

CLEVELAND, Ohio --
Zach Meisel from Cleveland.com

Here are five thoughts on the Tribe.

1. Rotating: The Indians have surrendered fewer runs than any other American League club. Can you match each starting pitcher to his stat line?

Pitcher A: 3.59 ERA, .215 average against, 1.01 WHIP, 9.0 K/9

Pitcher B: 3.32 ERA, .255 average against, 1.08 WHIP, 5.9 K/9

Pitcher C: 2.23 ERA, .183 average against, 1.12 WHIP, 10.7 K/9

Pitcher D: 3.26 ERA, .256 average against, 1.21 WHIP, 8.0 K/9

Pitcher E: 3.20 ERA, .225 average against, 1.16 WHIP, 8.4 K/9

All five hurlers have produced admirable numbers this season. After some searching and some healing, the Indians have identified the five starters who can carry this roster for the long haul.

Answers: Corey Kluber (A), Josh Tomlin (B), Danny Salazar (C], Carlos Carrasco (D), Trevor Bauer (E)

2. Rotating, II: How do the Indians' starters stack up with the rest of the AL?

When considering ERA, here is where each ranks among qualified starting pitchers.

Salazar: 2nd

Bauer: 9th

Tomlin: 13th

Kluber: 18th

Carrasco has not logged enough innings, since he missed about six weeks with a strained hamstring. Otherwise, he would slot in between Bauer and Tomlin.

"The potential on this staff is really high," Bauer said. ... "When we get on a roll like this, it's a lot of fun watching everyone go out there and compete."

3. Home cooking: The Indians completed an 11-0 stretch at home to record their first undefeated month at home (of at least 10 games) in franchise history. In those 11 affairs, they limited the opposition to 21 runs.

Cody Anderson and Mike Clevinger experienced their share of struggles earlier in the year. The five who currently comprise the Indians' rotation, however, have combined to post a 3.20 ERA, with 8.5 K/9 and only 7.5 hits per nine innings.

"They're really pulling for each other and trying to outdo each other, which is great," said pitching coach Mickey Callaway.

4. Record-setting: The Rays mustered 26 hits in 180 at-bats against the Indians in six meetings this season, good for a .144 average. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that's the lowest average by one AL team against another in major-league history.

5. You complete me: Kluber and Bauer registered consecutive complete games to close out the series against the Rays. The Indians needed only two innings from their bullpen in the three-game set. They also have an off-day on Thursday. It sure doesn't seem as though they need an eight-man bullpen and a shortened bench. Tribe hurlers rank second in the AL in innings per start.

"If [the relievers] have to shake off a little rust this week, that's a pleasant thing to figure out," said manager Terry Francona, "because they'll all be used. Believe me."

Cleveland and Kansas City are among the teams interested in Oakland third baseman Danny Valencia, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.

It seems the Athletics will be in a position to move several players on their major league roster before the non-waiver trade deadline, since they entered play Sunday 10 games under five-hundred and 15.5 behind Rangers in the American League West.

Valencia, 31, has had a productive 2016 campaign, batting .333/.381/.552 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs over 54 games. Cafardo notes Valencia has been particularly effective in two-strike situations, batting .316, the best mark in the league. He will not be a free agent until 2018 and is making $3.15 million this season.

With Mike Moustakas, who was batting .240 before tearing his right ACL, out for the season, the Royals have a clear need to add a veteran and productive bat to their infield. Valencia could be an intriguing option for Kansas City, since he played for the Royals in 2014.

Over 36 contests with the Royals, Valencia batted .282.

Cleveland likely views Valencia as an option in the outfield, because he hasn’t had much success defensively at third base, committing 11 errors over 53 games. The Indians haven’t received much offense at third this season, though Jose Ramirez is batting .290 while splitting time between third base and left field.

New York was thought to be interested in Valencia, but that might no longer be the case after the club signed Jose Reyes to a minor league deal when he became a free agent Saturday afternoon.

ESPN Power Rankings



4. Cleveland Indians

Record: 44-30
Week 11 ranking: No. 8

In a week full of highlights, do you mention the game with four triples (three in the same inning), the game with four home runs, the game with four home runs in the same inning or the back-to-back complete games? Or do you just talk about the nine-game win streak? By any measure, the Tribe had a good week. -- Susan Petrone, It's Pronounced Lajaway

Cleveland Indians as contenders, do you believe it? -- Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Are you buying the Indians as contenders?

It's odd the question has to be asked about a team with a 44-30 record heading into Monday night's game in Atlanta. The Tribe entered with a five-game lead in the Central Division.

This is not April or May. It's nearly the end of June, approaching the midway point of the 162-game schedule.

In the minds of many Northeast Ohio sports fans, the Indians are deemed "guilty" about being a contender until proven otherwise. It has been that way for 15 years, ever since the end of the 1995-2001 playoff run.

I'm not going to reheat the old hash about ownership not spending, etc. I'm simply going to do more than point to the 44-30 record. I'm going to dig deeper.

The Indians are 24-10 in the Central Division! Want to make the playoffs? Dominate your division. It's where you play 76 of 162 games.

The only other team with a winning record in the Central is Kansas City (21-11). I expect the Tribe and Royals to duel for the rest of the summer. It wouldn't be a surprise if both teams made the playoffs.

But as the Indians learned painfully in 2013, it's so much better to win the division. That season, the Tribe finished 92-70. They were a game behind Detroit. They had a one-game wildcard playoff with Tampa Bay.

They lost, 4-0. Season over.

Cleveland Indians winning 92 games? Or is it 85? The numbers vary, but many experts have the Tribe being a playoff team.

MAYBE PREDICTIONS ARE RIGHT

A year ago, Sports Illustrated predicted the Tribe to win the 2015 World Series. Not quite. They were 81-80.

A lot of other places predicted the Tribe to win the 2015 Central Division title. Maybe they were a year early.

Fangraphs picked the Tribe to win the Central Division with an 85-77 record in 2016. The analytics website had the White Sox second at 81-81.

Baseball Prospectus (PECOTA) projected the Tribe to finish with an 92-70 record this season.

Both websites hate the Royals. The previous two years, the Royals made the World Series and they had the Royals under .500. They will probably be wrong about the Royals again.

But will they be right about the Tribe?

PITCHING AND MORE PITCHING

Many experts and analytics sites love the Indians for one reason -- the pitching. The Tribe's 3.51 ERA is the lowest in the American League. Seattle is next at 3.87.
Terry Pluto is talkin' Tribe Terry Pluto is talkin' Tribe ... and how about that pitching staff!

So the Indians aren't simply No. 1 on the mound, but they are tops by a significant margin. The rotation of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar and Josh Tomlin entered Monday night with a combined 33-15 record. That's big time.

The Indians are 9-0 with a 2.00 ERA against Detroit. That's huge. That's why they are contenders. That's why you should take the Indians seriously.

When a team has a pitching staff that can turn the Tigers toothless in nine games, something is happening here.

IT STARTED IN 2015

Early last August, the Tribe was having a miserable season. Their record was 49-59. That's when the front office of Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff made what has become a franchise-changing deal. They shipped Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn to Atlanta. It was a salary dump, and a chance to put some younger players in the lineup.

After the trade, the Indians finished the season 32-21.

I don't exactly know how all the dots connect to the departure of Swisher and Bourn and the revival of the Tribe. But something changed, and it continued into this season.

The Indians are now 76-51 since that trade. Something is happening in Wahooville, something very, very good.



Despite all their problems, the Cleveland IndIans are a serious contender in the Central Division. But lack of hitting is catching up with them.

CAN IT CONTINUE?

Yes, it can. At least, the pitching can remain at an elite level. The only real surprise is Tomlin, who is 9-1. The other four members of the rotation have tremendous arms, and they are all under 30.

Will the Indians continue to hit at this level? They are fifth in runs scored. I have some doubts about that.

At the bat, this team is like the 2013 Tribe. Terry Francona demonstrated why he is one of the game's premier managers. He juggled veterans in and out of the lineup. He squeezed good years out of Ryan Raburn, Jason Giambi, Drew Stubbs and Mike Aviles. He got six powerful weeks from Mark Reynolds, before his massive slump.

This time, the names are Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis, Juan Uribe, Lonnie Chisenhall, Jose Ramirez, Michael Martinez, Tyler Naquin and Chris Gimenez. Some are old, some young. All are delivering.

And the team is being led by Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana. Yes, Santana ... who is batting only .231 but has 16 HR and 40 RBI.

The Indians still could use one more veteran hitter. In a recent story, MLB's Peter Gammons brought up Carlos Beltran. The 39-year-old outfielder is hitting .287 (.891 OPS) with 19 HR and 53 RBI for the slumping Yankees.

He makes $15 million, meaning about $8 million is left on the contract.

Would the Yankees be willing to pick up $5 million of that in exchange for a prospect? If so, the Indians should consider it -- assuming the prospect is not one of their top young players.

At the start of the season, I picked the Tribe to win 87 games and make the playoffs. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Winning 87 means finishing the year 42-45. They can and should do better than that. Not likely to finish with .600 which is where they are now, but perhaps.

In that article, Pluto talks about the turnaround last season, when Bourn and Swisher were traded.

I'd point to the installation of Lindor at shortstop. This kid is an amazing, incredible talent. He added BOTH speed and defense to the team. And Urshela's defense made a nice difference, as well as Chisenhall moving to the outfield.

To me, they simply continued that philosophy in the offseason. More speed, more defense. To compliment that amazing pitching. Hey, better late than never that they made that connection.

As well, as a bonus, the speed and defense came within a veteran, PLAYOFF proven, package as well. Signed reasonably so as not to repeat the Swisher, Bourn mistakes.

Lindor at shortstop. This kid is an amazing, incredible talent. He added BOTH speed and defense to the team.

Amazing and incredible are [amazingly and incredibly] not overstatements in describing Lindor. Add in his 300+ batting average, his totally unexpected home run power, and his enthusiasm and obvious pleasure in his and his teammates good play. He's a team leader and role model at age 22.

We do have lots pieces to deal and not sure if any minor leaguers should be off the table. Zimmer and Frazier are very solid prospects but we could probably get by without one of them. Maybe the only player who I would refuse to deal is Mike Clevinger, who is ready to step up and be another quality starter and I like having 6 of them available.

David Schoenfield ESPN Senior Writer

1. The Cleveland Indians just did something the Cavaliers didn't do. OK, sure, the Cavs won the NBA title. But they didn't win 11 in a row like the Indians have done after their 5-3 win over the Braves that included three runs in the ninth to break a 2-2 tie. It's the longest winning streak for the Indians since the 1982 team of Andre Thornton and Toby Harrah also won 11 straight. Amazingly, none of those powerhouse teams in the late '90s ever did it, so in some regards this is the best stretch of Cleveland baseball in 34 years.

We have to start asking: Is this a good team hitting its stride or a mediocre team on a hot stretch? I definitely lean toward a good team starting to run over its competition, primarily on the strength of the best starting rotation in the American League. Corey Kluber followed up his three-hit complete-game shutout last Tuesday by allowing three hits in eight innings -- and, yes, those two games came against the Rays and Braves -- but his season numbers are still impressive: .209 average allowed, 110 K's and 23 walks in 110 2/3 innings. He's second in the AL to Marco Estrada in OBP allowed and fourth in slugging percentage allowed. With those numbers, why is his ERA at 3.50? Of 49 qualified AL starters, he's 49th in strand rate, at 62.8 percent. In fact, of the 98 qualified MLB starters, only Aaron Nola is worse.
Corey Kluber allowed two runs on three hits over eight innings on Tuesday. His ERA improved to 3.50. AP Photo/John Bazemore

That ERA is likely to improve -- even given that Kluber doesn't seem to pitch quite as well with runners on base -- and that means the Cleveland rotation may only get better, especially with Carlos Carrasco back off the disabled list. Given Trevor Bauer's improvement, the Indians have, what, four of the top 20 starters in the AL? Four of the top 15? Given the overall mediocre state of the other AL rotations, this is why Indians fans can dream of another big victory parade.

The offense has been better than anticipated, ranking sixth in the AL in wOBA. They've gotten some attention for their stolen bases -- they're second in the AL -- but the steals have been a little overhyped. Nobody runs much, so if you have one guy who does run like Rajai Davis (21 steals), that's going to significantly boost your team total. That said, the Indians have been good overall on the bases, ranking second to the Padres in team baserunning runs at plus-10.1 runs above average, according to FanGraphs (entering Tuesday). Compare that to division-rival Detroit at minus-8.8 runs and the Indians we're talking about added two wins in value so far.

Mostly, however, the Indians are scoring runs with depth more than anything, as Francisco Lindor, the team's best hitter so far, ranks a mere 51th in the majors in wOBA. Catcher Yan Gomes is the only obvious weak spot, but that doesn't mean they won't consider a trade, especially depending on what happens with Michael Brantley's health. If Brantley returns, they could slide Jose Ramirez over to third base in a time share with Juan Uribe. They could hedge against possible regression from Davis and Tyler Naquin and trade for another outfielder. I wouldn't discount the idea of the Indians digging into the potential Aroldis Chapman/Andrew Miller sweepstakes.

Bottom line: The Indians are absolutely legit.

THE CATCHER WHO HELPED UNLOCK BAUER

Recently I asked an Indians official about the emergence of right-hander Trevor Bauer, and the official said, "I think for whatever reason (Chris) Gimenez has helped him."

The numbers certainly indicate as such -- Bauer has a 2.76 ERA in 11 starts since the Indians acquired Gimenez from the Rangers on May 4 and began using the two together regularly.

So, I asked Gimenez how he connected with Bauer.

"I identified early what type of pitcher he is," said Gimenez, who had caught Bauer in the bullpen during a previous stint with the team in 2014, but not in games. "He's obviously very intelligent, the way he thinks about pitching. He's very numbers-oriented. My biggest thing with him is that I never want to take who he is away from him.

"People in the past have tried to make him a different pitcher than he really is. He's the type of guy who will throw all of his pitches, try to strike everyone out, which is fine. But he's a guy who lives at the top of the zone. People in the past have told him to throw fastballs down in the zone, breaking stuff down in the zone. Instead of making him a different pitcher, why not take what he does best and use his stuff at the top of the zone?"

Bauer also is throwing more changeups, Gimenez said --€“ 13.5 percent according to Fangraphs, which would represent a career-high.

"I've tried so hard to fluff him up on that," Gimenez said. "It's a pretty good pitch for him, especially to right-handed hitters. I don't think he realized that before. It took him throwing it and having success with it to gain trust in it. Now he'll throw it at any time."

Gimenez caught Yu Darvish with the Rangers. And he described Bauer's approach as similar.

"I understand him," Gimenez said. "He's misunderstood when it comes to pitching. He's very smart, very competitive. Sometimes, people take that as he's stubborn. He's not. You just have to understand him.

"Not that Darvish was stubborn but he's very similar to Bauer. I felt it was an easy transition."

How about this offense!

Cleveland Indians' offense during 12-game winning streak remarkably balanced

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians' 12-game winning streak, which is longest in the majors this season, primarily has been built on great starting pitching and a dynamic offense.

Where the latter is concerned, the numbers are staggering. The Indians are batting .311 with 22 homers and 76 runs.

It would be one thing if several stars were carrying the load. What makes this streak so eye-popping is the balance of the offense. Incredibly, 10 of the 12 position players own at least nine hits.

The two who don't are reserve catcher Chris Gimenez and utility man Michael Martinez, who have combined for 10 hits in 31 at-bats.

Here is the composite line for Tribe position players during the streak:

Carlos Santana: 12 G, 13-for-44 (.295), 9 RBI, 10 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 4 BB, SB

Jason Kipnis: 11 G, 12-for-45 (.267), 11 RBI, 5 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 2 SB

*Kipnis has hit safely in all 11 games.

Francisco Lindor: 12 G, 15-for-45 (.333), 6 RBI, 12 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 5 BB, 3 SB

Mike Napoli: 11 G, 11-for-40 (.270), 7 RBI, 5 R, 2 HR, 6 BB, SB

Jose Ramirez: 12 G, 14-for-48 (.292), 8 RBI, 8 R, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 2 BB, 3 SB

Lonnie Chisenhall: 11 G, 14-for-39 (.359), 10 RBI, 6 R, 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 2 BB, SB

Juan Uribe: 9 G, 9-for-32 (.281), 8 RBI, 8 R, 2B, 5 HR, BB

Yan Gomes: 9 G, 9-for-32 (.281), 3 RBI, 5 R, 2 2B, HR, BB

Rajai Davis: 8 G, 11-for-28 (.393), 2 RBI, 6 R, 3 2B, 4 SB

Tyler Naquin: 9 G, 11-for-24 (.458), 6 RBI, 6 R, 4 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 5 BB, SB

Chris Gimenez: 5 G, 6-for-16 (.375), RBI, 2 R

Michael Martinez: 11 G, 4-for-15 (.267), 2 R, 2 BB

Terry Francona talks wallet, Cavs, and more on The Jim Rome Show
July 5, 2016 2:49 PM
Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona takes having an open door policy to a new level. The skipper of the AL Central leading Indians joined The Jim Rome Show on Tuesday and said he keeps a cigar humidifier in his office for all to use, and he added that if his players ever need some cash, they know where to find it.

“They know my wallet is on the corner of my desk. If somebody needs something they come and get it,” Francona said. “I don’t ever check it. I know if somebody needs to borrow money, they will put it back. It’s always been that way. It’s just the way it works, and I think it works the best.”

The 2013 American League Manager of The Year says he leaves his wallet on his desk out of convenience.

“Sometimes you got to do something, or you don’t have any cash on you or something. They know my wallet is sitting there, and I don’t think for one minute that they’re not going to put it back,” Francona said.

In his fourth season as the manager of the Indians, Francona has seen Cleveland’s struggles in professional sports firsthand. That’s why Francona said the city’s reaction to the Cavaliers winning the NBA Finals last month was such a joyful experience.

“It was really, really cool. I watched Game 7 in the little bar downstairs where I live, and it was hard not to get into it. I was probably 30 years older than everyone that was there. But it was hard. When Kyrie Irving stepped back and hit that 3 and then when LeBron [James] blocked [Andre] Iguodala’s layup, I mean, it was hard not to kind of give a fist bump,” Francona said. “Then to watch the city and the way it reacted, and then to watch the way the Cavs did, I thought it was really cool.

“Cleveland has been pushed around a little bit for a while, but now, it looks like they’re starting to push back, and I’m happy. I have been here long enough to care, and I’m really happy for the city.”

However, Francona didn’t get swept up in the camaraderie and failed to say whether his Indians have what it takes to bring another title to Cleveland.

“I do know one of our goals is to be special,” Francona said. “I mean that’s one of the things we talk about all the time. It’s hard to be good, it’s hard to be special. Shoot, if it was easy, every team would do it. We talk about that a lot.”

The manager said he will probably know in October if this current Indians team is special.

“I laugh when people say after you win a World Series, hey when did you know the team was special? As soon as that last out was made,” Francona said. “So much happens during the journey, and we try to tell our guys that all the time, like hey, embrace the journey, we don’t know how this thing is going to end and only one team can win, but so much happens during the season, and when it happens, you want your team to get that personality, that unique personality that forms kind of that bond and we’re working on that now. I’m proud of our guys, the stats are the stats, but the things I get proud about is the way we run the bases moving up on balls in the dirt, and I think that’s what’s going to separate us from other teams and so far our guys have done a really good job.”