It was ten years ago when Scott Boras infamously compared his client, Oliver Perez, to Sandy Koufax. Perez has never been Koufax, obviously, but a decade later he’s still pitching and he’s about to embark on his 17th big league season.

That 17th season will be played for the Cleveland Indians, who just re-signed him for 2019 with a vesting option for 2020, so it could be 18. He’ll make $2.5 million this coming season. He’ll get $2.75 million if his option vests for 2020.

As noted, Perez’s career lacks the quality of Koufax’s career — which lasted only 12 seasons, by the way — but he hasn’t been all quantity either. Indeed, Perez was excellent for the Indians last season, posting a 1.39 ERA and 43/7 K/BB ratio across 32.1 relief innings. That was an outlier season for him — he hasn’t been that effective on a consistent basis — but he’s a lefty whose job it is to get lefties out and he does it pretty well. At least when deployed carefully, as Terry Francona did in 2018.

We all laughed at Boras back in the winter of 2008-09 for his silly Koufax comp, but I bet none of us would’ve guessed that Perez would still be chugging along like he is.

Carlos Pena was commenting on this on MLB Network and he (being a lefty) was getting spooked just remembering how tough an at bat Perez was.

But it goes without saying this is a small piece and some larger ones still need to happen. I still think it happens via trade.

MLB.com's Jon Morosi writes that the possibility of a Corey Kluber trade is "diminishing by the day."

Kluber has drawn trade interest from a range of clubs, including the Dodgers, Padres, Reds, and Brewers, but Cleveland's asking price for the 32-year-old ace remains understandably sky-high and we're now just two weeks away from the beginning of spring training.

Look for Kluber to take the bump on Opening Day for the Tribe. He finished third in the American League Cy Young Award balloting last season after going 20-7 with a 2.89 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 222/34 K/BB ratio in 215 innings. Kluber is due a $17 million salary for the 2019 season and carries club options for both 2020 ($17.5 million) and 2021 ($18 million).

I am thinking perhaps the plan was to dangle him and Bauer to see what the market could fetch them.

Plan B, perhaps if they got to February and no deal looked good - might be to look at the remaining free agents to fill the (outfield) holes. Guys like Adam Jones and Carlos Gonzalez still look awfully good to me and their prices must have fallen by now.

In honor of our old buddy J.R. I will post this news, that he was always so happy to report.

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Spring training is almost here: Cleveland Indians' trucks leave for Arizona
It's the first sign of spring...
Author: Ryan Haidet
January 31, 2019

CLEVELAND — Today is a reminder that baseball season really isn't that far away.

The Cleveland Indians' equipment trucks left Progressive Field this morning for Goodyear, Arizona, where the team will begin spring training in the weeks ahead.

We streamed live video of crews packing up the trucks:
Post by WKYC.Channel3.

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Goodyear on Feb. 12, with their first workout set for Feb. 14.

The full squad reports on Feb. 16, with the first full-squad workout set for Feb. 18.

Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports that the Marlins' interest in getting Francisco Mejia from the Padres as part of a J.T. Realmuto trade is "not especially high."

It would make sense for Mejia to be part of the potential deal from the Padres' perspective since they would have a glut of catchers if they hung on to him and acquired Realmuto. However, it appears that the Marlins might want some of the Padres' other top prospects instead. In addition to the Padres, the Reds, Dodgers and Braves are believed to be the most serious bidders for Realmuto.

Jon Heyman @JonHeyman
The Reds’ position on 3B prospect Jonathan India, No. 5 overall pick in 2018 draft, is that while they like him very much, he’s behind their big 3 (Senzel, Greene and Trammell). They deny he’s being shopped; he’s only been on table in talks for Kluber, Bauer and now Realmuto.

Thrilling off season for the native americans. When are they going to change the name so some of us can be following the team again?

welcome back

This may end up an under the radar nice pick up by the Tribe.

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MLB on FOX’s Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Cleveland Indians are set to acquire right-handed relief pitcher Nick Wittgren from the Miami Marlins in exchange for an as yet unnamed minor league pitcher. Wittgren had been designated for assignment back on Jan. 29 to make room on the Marlins’ roster for free agent signee Neil Walker.

The 27-year-old Wittgren is a former ninth round pick out of the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft and has bounced between Triple-A and the Marlins’ bullpen for the last three seasons. In 127.2 big league innings over that span, Wittgren has produced a 3.60 ERA and amassed 116 strikeouts. He had offseason surgery prior to the 2018 season, which saw him record a career-best 2.94 ERA, 3.13 FIP, and .220 BAA in 32 games with the big league club.

This is a solid but not spectacular acquisition that is very much in line with the low-key offseason we’ve seen thus far from the Indians’ front office.

kenm wrote:Thrilling off season for the native americans. When are they going to change the name so some of us can be following the team again?

Hopefully never......

An update on trade. We gave up Milbrath. This is a deal I like very much. Even if Wittgren doesn’t help we gave up nothing of consequence.

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The Indians added to their bullpen on Monday, acquiring right-hander Nick Wittgren from the Marlins in exchange for Minor League righty Jordan Milbrath. To make room for Wittgren on the 40-man roster, Cleveland also designated for assignment righty A.J. Cole.

Wittgren was the Marlins' ninth-round pick in the 2012 Draft and had spent parts of each of the past three seasons with Miami. The 27-year-old owns a career ERA of 3.60 in 118 games, all in relief. In 2018, he pitched 33 2/3 innings across 32 appearances, producing a 2.94 ERA with 15 walks and 31 strikeouts. He held opponents to a .629 OPS, with success against both righties (.661) and lefties (.600).

Milbrath was the Indians' 35th-round pick in the 2013 Draft and had spent the past six seasons in the organization's Minor League system. The 27-year-old rose to Triple-A for the first time in '18.

Cole was claimed off waivers from the Yankees last month. He split last season between Washington and New York, posting a 6.14 ERA in 32 games (two starts).

kenm wrote:Thrilling off season for the native americans. When are they going to change the name so some of us can be following the team again?

Cleveland Block C's....Wahoo gone this season.

Enough pieces for a possibly acceptable bullpen. The outfield and the catchers are another matter. Lineup could be truly dreadful in its bottom half.

Agree - they need a very good setup man addition to make this a REAL bullpen.

As frustrated as I am with the roster so far, so is the REST of MLB frustrated with the pace of the offseason. So many things are contingent on Harper/Machado AND also Realmuto! Teams are kind of stuck until some of those get resolved.

I do think in a perfect Tribe front office world, they trade that starting pitcher and get back bullpen and outfield help. But the stuck market has everyone frustrated. No teams will move until they know they are in or out of the Harper/Machado/Realmuto running. I might add Madison Bumgarner is likely being shopped by the Giants as well, guys like Keuchel are still out there which makes the starting pitcher trade situations difficult.

So I am not convinced whatsoever that the Indians are done. Their problem is shared by a great many teams. Market slowdown. Once a few of these things break up, like an ice jam, the market will free up.