Tucumcari has the Roadrunner Lodge which is stuck in the 1950s (by choice). Very retro, and has a dog run. We had been stopping at Santa Rosa for the last couple years, but their dog-friendly hotels were lacking...walking along old Route 66 is pretty rough there.

Vic P - thanks I'll take it under consideration - it's on the list!

If you come up to Phoenix, and spring training is a go, let me know and we'll hit Goodyear Park. I stay about 3 miles from Diablo Park (Tempe/Angels) and saw the Tribe visit there just a few days before it shut down.

GM Chernoff to stay with Indians (source)


By Mandy Bell @MandyBell02
CLEVELAND -- The Indians won’t have to worry about filling a vacancy at general manager this offseason.

Indians GM Mike Chernoff will remain in Cleveland, a source told MLB.com on Saturday. The club has not confirmed. Earlier this week, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reported that the Mets had requested permission to talk to Chernoff about their president of baseball operations position.

Chernoff has been with Cleveland for 17 seasons, shifting into the GM role in October 2015, but because of his New York roots, the idea is at least compelling. He grew up in New Jersey, played baseball for Princeton University and his father, Mark -- whom he's very close with -- oversees WFAN radio in New York. In '18, there had been rumors that Chernoff would interview for the Mets’ GM opening, but he did not decide to go through the interview process.

Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and Chernoff have worked closely together since Antonetti moved into the GM role in 2010, with Chernoff as his assistant GM.

M

that will be nice for the Tribe; maybe he likes the challenge of putting a playoff quality team on the field with a $30 million budget.

Maybe he agreed to stay with a raise.

I concede on Ernie Clement as a useful addition to the roster. He's not hit as high as 270 since Rookie ball, he walks rarely and has zero power, but he also is one of the hardest guys to strike out and is a dependable defender at many positions. I still can't see him more than a 25th or 26th man but Jim Callis joins Tito Francona, Baseball America and TFIR in singing his praises.

Callis called out 10 "intriguing 40 man roster additions" and we got 2 of them:

Ernie Clement, SS, Indians
Part of Virginia's 2015 College World Series championship club, Clement was a fourth-round pick in 2017 and is the best contact hitter in the Minors. He led NCAA Division I with a 2.5 percent whiff rate in 2017, then ranked second in the Minors in 2018 (7.4 percent) and third in 2019 (7.6 percent). He also has plus speed and the versatility to play all over the diamond.

Callis also paid attention to the Indians best short pitcher with subpar fastball and curveball:

Eli Morgan, RHP, Indians
Morgan has a below-average fastball and curveball, but he also features one of the best changeups in the Minors and can locate his pitches where he wants, giving him a chance to make it as a back-of-the-rotation starter. An eighth-round choice from Gonzaga in 2017, he has a 3.08 ERA and a 360/83 K/BB ratio in 319 pro innings.

Cavs are signing cheap free agents. Indians will probably have a similar off season.

Except the Indians will also be trading their version of LeBron James, or at least Kevin Love.

Every team will be signing cheap free agents this offseason. Supply and demand and the supply is crazy!

The very few expensive ones will be taken by the usual suspects. With the Mets added in.

Indians claimed RHP Jordan Humphreys off waivers from the Giants.

Humphreys was designated for assignment by the Giants last week. The 24-year-old has yet to appear in a major league game but owns a promising 2.60 ERA with 177 strikeouts in 169 2/3 career minor league innings.

Non room on the roster unless they've made the decision to drop Beau Taylor, which is inevitable. Let me look this guy up.

Dumped Cimber. I agree he's not very good but what is the point in keeping Taylor on the roster? He's your classic Minor League Free Agent catcher.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Right-hander Adam Cimber and his unique delivery have apparently made their last appearance for the Indians.

Cimber, one of seven players eligible for arbitration for 2021, was designated for assignment after the Indians claimed right-hander Jordan Humphreys on waivers from the Giants. Humphreys, who missed the 2018 season with Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, has never pitched above Class A. Last year he made two appearances for the Class A Gulf Coast League Mets and four more in the Arizona Fall League.

That's not much of a career for a 24 year old. But you never know.

Humphreys is 13-7 with a 2.60 ERA in 35 games, including 28 starts, in his minor-league career. He took Cimber’s spot on the big league roster, which is full at 40 players.

The Indians acquired Cimber and closer Brad Hand from San Diego for catcher Francisco Mejia in July of 2018. Cimber now joins Hand as a free agent. The Indians did not exercise Hand’s $10 million option for 2021 after he led the big leagues with 16 saves in 16 chances in 2020.

On Dec. 2 the Indians had to offer Cimber a contract for 2021 or turn him loose. Francisco Lindor, Tyler Naquin, Delino DeShields, Austin Hedges and Phil Maton are arbitration eligible and must be offered a contract on Dec. 2. The Indians say they are cash strapped so there may be more moves/trades like this coming in the immediate future.

Cimber led the Indians with 68 appearances in 2019. He went 6-3 with one save and a 4.45 ERA. Right-handers hit .244 (40-for-164) against him, but lefties hit .296 (16-for-54).

He worked hard after the 2019 season to improve against lefties and he did. Lefties hit .143 (2-for-14) against Cimber in the 60-game sprint, but right-handers wore him out, hitting .355 (11-for-31).

Cimber went 0-1 with a 3.97 ERA in 14 appearances in 2020. He was sent to the alternate training site and recalled on Sept. 1. He made an appearance in Game 1 of the wild card series against the Yankees.

The Giants acquired Humphreys, 24, from the Mets on Aug. 2 in a deal for outfielder Billy Hamilton.