Hoping for better health (and luck), Cleveland Indians trying to bolster roster depth in 2012
Published: Saturday, February 04, 2012, 6:00 PM Updated: Saturday, February 04, 2012, 6:01 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
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Injuries to Shin-Soo Choo (above after breaking a thumb after being hit by a pitch from San Francisco's Jonathan Sanchez) and other prominent Indians in 2011 undid the team's good start. Has the team done enough to safeguard against similar mishaps in 2012?
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Manny Acta went down the check list. It was easy to tell that he wasn't doing it for the first time.
• Center fielder Grady Sizemore: "Grady has been throwing and hitting in Arizona. He's been doing baseball activities."
• Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo: "He's fine. He's 100 percent. He's completed his rehab."
• Left fielder Michael Brantley: "His hand is OK. He just started hitting."
• Right-hander Justin Masterson: "All the reports we've gotten on his left [non-throwing] shoulder are fine. ... No issues."
Acta is starting his third year as manager of the Indians. In the first two, he repeatedly made one point. His best players needed to stay healthy because the Indians didn't have similar talent behind them and the probability of going outside the organization to acquire such talent was remote.
Never were truer words spoken in regard to the 2011 season. The Indians used the disabled list 22 times. The Twins were the only American League team to use it more (25). Acta's top four hitters, Sizemore, Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera and Travis Hafner, were in the same lineup only 17 times.
On May 23, the Indians were 30-15 and in first place by seven games in the AL Central. They were the talk of baseball, but dark forces were already afoot. On May 16, Sizemore went on the disabled list with a bruised right knee. Sizemore, who opened the year on the DL following microfracture surgery on his left knee in 2010, was hitting .282 (22-for-78) with 10 doubles, six homers and 11 RBI in 18 games. He returned May 27, but never hit the same way and was back on the DL in July.
On May 18, Hafner strained his right oblique during batting practice in Chicago. He went on the DL May 20. Hafner was hitting .345 (39-for-113) with five homers and 22 RBI. He returned in June only to go back on the DL in August with a right foot injury, although he managed to finish the season healthy.
By the time Choo was placed on the DL on June 25 with a broken left thumb, the Indians were 40-35 and tied for first. They never did stop the long slow slide.
When Brantley went on the disabled list Aug. 23 with a broken hamate bone in his right hand, it meant the Indians' top three outfielders would end the season unable to play. Brantley and Choo were on the disabled list and Sizemore's sore right knee required surgery at the end of the year.
"In terms of days lost to the disabled list, 21 teams lost more days than we did last year," said Indians head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff. "Our issue was that we had a few guys like Choo, Hafner and Grady go on and off the DL a couple of times.
"We were in the thick of the race and our whole outfield went down. The injuries hurt us and in our market we have to be perfect in every factor of baseball operations."
Soloff and his staff have been in Goodyear, Ariz., working with Sizemore, Choo and other players since mid-January.
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The addition of veteran right-hander Derek Lowe will be expected to help counter the loss of Carlos Carrasco to Tommy John surgery.
Masterson, the Tribe's No.1 starter, had surgery on his left shoulder after the season. Masterson, said Soloff, has been throwing without restriction in preparation for pitchers and catchers reporting to Goodyear on Feb. 20.
After the season, GM Chris Antonetti and Acta formulated three goals to strengthen the Indians for 2012: improve the starting rotation and the offense at the corner positions and create more depth for protection against injuries and poor performances.
Starting pitchers Derek Lowe and Kevin Slowey were acquired in trades. Free agent first baseman Casey Kotchman just signed a one-year deal and outfielder Aaron Cunningham and INF/OF Russ Canzler were acquired in trades.
Regarding depth, the Indians went with one of the battle scenes from "Braveheart" by inviting 20 non-roster players to camp. Fifteen have big-league experience.
Relievers Robinson Tejeda, Jeremy Accardo, Hector Ambriz, Chris Ray, Chris Seddon and Dan Wheeler all have been in the show. Ditto for outfielders Ryan Spilborghs, Felix Pie, Fred Lewis and Chad Huffman, catchers Luke Carlin, Michel Hernandez and Matt Pagnozzi and infielders Jose Lopez, Andy LaRoche and Gregorio Petit.
"We spent a lot of time trying to identify guys that we felt could come in and win spots," said Antonetti. "If they didn't win spots, they could provide quality alternatives for us."
Antonetti said last year's injuries forced the Indians to use several players from the minor-league system who weren't ready for the big leagues. But inviting big-league players to camp on minor-league deals has a catch. Most of their contracts have out clauses which allow them to become free agents if they don't make the club out of camp or aren't in the big leagues by a certain date.
Accardo and Lewis, for instance, can request their release on June 1. Ray has an April 3 out clause.
"A number of these guys have outs ... but I think there will also be guys who understand that while there may not be an opportunity to start the season, those opportunities could be a week away," said Antonetti. "We expect some of these guys to come in and compete for spots on the major-league team. It's not just about building depth."
Finally: The Indians sent Tampa Bay $100,000 to acquire Canzler last week. He was the International League MVP at Class AAA Durham last year.
Re: Articles
1277Pluto:
About Casey Kotchman...
1. The Tribe signed Kotchman to be a first baseman against right-handed pitching. At $3 million a year, he is paid as a platoon player.
2. The lefty-hitting Kotchman actually can play against all types of pitching -- he batted .313 vs. righties, .298 vs. lefties last season. For his career, it's .269 vs. righties, .263 vs. lefties.
3. The problem is he doesn't hit for power. Very few teams say, "We need a great defensive first baseman." The Indians actually wanted that, and Kotchman will impress with the glove. He has only 11 errors in his eight-year career -- the Indians made 12 as a team last season at first base.
4. In 500 at-bats, Kotchman had only 10 homers and 48 RBI. He's never hit more than 14 in a season. So why play him over Matt LaPorta (11 homers, 53 RBI last season)? Because Kotchman had a higher average (.306 to .247), higher on-base (.378 to .299) and higher OPS (.804 to .711).
5. The Indians don't know if Kotchman will be a .300 hitter again. His career mark is .268 with a .336 on-base. But they will be OK with those career numbers because of Kotchman's defense and the fact that he doesn't strike out a lot. He does reach base.
6. Kotchman hits a lot of grounders. Last year, he batted .250 on "ground balls in play." The league average was .237, and Kotchman's career was .194 on those grounders. So it's possible that the .306 was helped by a little luck -- the grounders found some holes.
7. Kotchman had 18 infield hits last season, ranking 17th in the league. Asdrubal Cabrera had 13 to lead the Tribe. So it does seem some things simply went well for the 28-year-old.
8. But Kotchman said he had Lasik surgery after 2010 (when he hit .217, 9 HR, 53 RBI in Seattle) and better vision made him a better hitter.
9. He batted .307 with runners on base, .250 with them in scoring position. He hit .315 on artificial turf in Tampa, and .298 on the road.
10. Tampa signed Carlos Pena for $7.5 million to play first. The Indians will be Kotchman's sixth team in five years (Angels, Braves, Red Sox, Mariners, Rays). It seems most teams want Kotchman for his defense, but then decide that they need more power. For the Indians, this is a decent addition with virtually no-downside because of the modest contract.
About the Indians...
1. The payroll is heading above $75 million. They ended last season at $52 million. It's doubtful they will add any more payroll after Kotchman's signing. The will still try to trade for a right-handed hitting outfielder.
2. They did pay $100,000 to Tampa Bay for Russ Canzler. That's right, the Tribe has both Tampa's 2011 big-league starter (Kotchman) and Class AAA prospect (Canzler). At Durham, Canzler batted .314 (.930 OPS) with 18 homers and 83 RBI, earning MVP honors in the International League.
3. Being the MVP of the International League is no guarantee of success. The previous five were Dan Johnson, Shelley Duncan, Jeff Bailey, Mike Hessman and Kevin Witt. In 2004, a young Jhonny Peralta won the award.
4. Duncan is out of minor-league options and should open on the Tribe roster. It appears Aaron Cunningham, Ryan Spilborghs and Canzler will compete for a spot, with Cunningham (no options) having an edge. Canzler's best position is first. He did play some third in the minors, but it wasn't pretty (41 errors in 118 career games). He also played 133 games in the outfield.
5. Dan Wheeler has a chance to earn the veteran bullpen spot that Chad Durbin had last season. Wheeler, 34, was 2-2 with a 4.38 ERA last season. The previous three years, he had a 3.25 ERA. The Indians want a veteran who can pitch multiple innings in games where a starter is knocked out early -- or pitch several days in a row to protect the bullpen.
About Casey Kotchman...
1. The Tribe signed Kotchman to be a first baseman against right-handed pitching. At $3 million a year, he is paid as a platoon player.
2. The lefty-hitting Kotchman actually can play against all types of pitching -- he batted .313 vs. righties, .298 vs. lefties last season. For his career, it's .269 vs. righties, .263 vs. lefties.
3. The problem is he doesn't hit for power. Very few teams say, "We need a great defensive first baseman." The Indians actually wanted that, and Kotchman will impress with the glove. He has only 11 errors in his eight-year career -- the Indians made 12 as a team last season at first base.
4. In 500 at-bats, Kotchman had only 10 homers and 48 RBI. He's never hit more than 14 in a season. So why play him over Matt LaPorta (11 homers, 53 RBI last season)? Because Kotchman had a higher average (.306 to .247), higher on-base (.378 to .299) and higher OPS (.804 to .711).
5. The Indians don't know if Kotchman will be a .300 hitter again. His career mark is .268 with a .336 on-base. But they will be OK with those career numbers because of Kotchman's defense and the fact that he doesn't strike out a lot. He does reach base.
6. Kotchman hits a lot of grounders. Last year, he batted .250 on "ground balls in play." The league average was .237, and Kotchman's career was .194 on those grounders. So it's possible that the .306 was helped by a little luck -- the grounders found some holes.
7. Kotchman had 18 infield hits last season, ranking 17th in the league. Asdrubal Cabrera had 13 to lead the Tribe. So it does seem some things simply went well for the 28-year-old.
8. But Kotchman said he had Lasik surgery after 2010 (when he hit .217, 9 HR, 53 RBI in Seattle) and better vision made him a better hitter.
9. He batted .307 with runners on base, .250 with them in scoring position. He hit .315 on artificial turf in Tampa, and .298 on the road.
10. Tampa signed Carlos Pena for $7.5 million to play first. The Indians will be Kotchman's sixth team in five years (Angels, Braves, Red Sox, Mariners, Rays). It seems most teams want Kotchman for his defense, but then decide that they need more power. For the Indians, this is a decent addition with virtually no-downside because of the modest contract.
About the Indians...
1. The payroll is heading above $75 million. They ended last season at $52 million. It's doubtful they will add any more payroll after Kotchman's signing. The will still try to trade for a right-handed hitting outfielder.
2. They did pay $100,000 to Tampa Bay for Russ Canzler. That's right, the Tribe has both Tampa's 2011 big-league starter (Kotchman) and Class AAA prospect (Canzler). At Durham, Canzler batted .314 (.930 OPS) with 18 homers and 83 RBI, earning MVP honors in the International League.
3. Being the MVP of the International League is no guarantee of success. The previous five were Dan Johnson, Shelley Duncan, Jeff Bailey, Mike Hessman and Kevin Witt. In 2004, a young Jhonny Peralta won the award.
4. Duncan is out of minor-league options and should open on the Tribe roster. It appears Aaron Cunningham, Ryan Spilborghs and Canzler will compete for a spot, with Cunningham (no options) having an edge. Canzler's best position is first. He did play some third in the minors, but it wasn't pretty (41 errors in 118 career games). He also played 133 games in the outfield.
5. Dan Wheeler has a chance to earn the veteran bullpen spot that Chad Durbin had last season. Wheeler, 34, was 2-2 with a 4.38 ERA last season. The previous three years, he had a 3.25 ERA. The Indians want a veteran who can pitch multiple innings in games where a starter is knocked out early -- or pitch several days in a row to protect the bullpen.
Re: Articles
1278So if Wheeler replaces Durbin, that leavers Herrmann vs. Hagadone for the final bullpen spot, unless Smith or Perez or Sipp is traded for that RH OF we've been hearing about all winter.
Re: Articles
1280Tribe Happenings: Are the Indians going up for sale?
Tony Lastoria
Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Indians notebook…
To sell or not to sell
First off, let me just be up front and note that before I get into any of this I am merely speculating. No one from SportsTime Ohio or the Indians has told me anything, I am simply just putting two and two together with some recent events surrounding the Indians.
That having been said, things are starting to get a little interesting with the Cleveland Indians of late. No, not because a new season is on the horizon, but because it looks like there may be some plans in motion to either sell the team or at least take a peek into the market to see who might be interested in buying the team.
Rumors came forth back in July that the Dolan ownership group was taking offers for SportsTime Ohio, their cable TV network and home of over 150 Indians television broadcasts a year. Not surprisingly those rumors have been denied, but where there is smoke there may be fire.
Suddenly in the past week I have been getting emails, texts and calls from all sorts of people with varying connections to me, and they all keep asking the same thing, “Are the Indians being put up for sale?”
I found it odd that with no knowledge of each other that all of these people would suddenly be asking such a question. Something may indeed be up, so here is a brief look at the situation to see if indeed the team could be up for sale.
From the sounds of things, the Dolan ownership may be putting out feelers to potential buyers. While it may not yet be public knowledge that the team is available for sale, the startup process to a long, convoluted process to sell the team may have already started quietly behind the scenes. The new CBA - which has drawn criticism for its unfairness to smaller market teams like the Indians - may be what finally pushed the Dolan ownership into considering offers for the team, and conceivably their cable TV network too.
The best evidence to support a possible looming sale of the Indians is their current payroll structure where not one single player has a guaranteed deal past this season. There are a few players that have club options for the 2013 season and there are some arbitration eligible players, but right now they have absolutely zero commitments in regard to salary for 2013. Nadda. With no long term monetary commitments it would certainly seem to make them more attractive to a potential buyer.
This may also explain what has been a strange offseason where the Indians have been very quiet on the free agent front and limited just about all contract discussions with players to a maximum of two years.
So who could be a potential suitor to buy the Indians? How about Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert?
In addition to the Cavaliers, Gilbert already owns the Lake Erie Monsters minor league hockey team and just recently purchased the arena football team the Cleveland Gladiators. With Quicken Loans Arena chock full of entertainment options between his three teams, he could look to continue to monopolize the sports market in the Cleveland area by purchasing the Indians.
One thing to remember is that before buying the Cavaliers back in 2005, Gilbert had tried to buy the Milwaukee Brewers, so interest in a Major League Baseball team is certainly there. With his new casino opening up later this year in downtown Cleveland, he could look at ways to use his sports teams to tie into it, and having a baseball team in town for 81 games a year might be inviting.
If there ever was an owner that would be a perfect fit for the Indians, it would be Gilbert. Not because he would spend lots of money – I have news for you, his spending will be based on team revenues just like it has with the Dolan’s – but because of the big shadow the Indians would get out from under with the Dolan ownership. I have often shared my feelings how I think Larry and Paul Dolan are misunderstood by the fan base, but Gilbert is a hero in this city right now, and with his money from Quicken Loans, expanding his Flash Seats setup to the Indians, and getting all the teams onto one big giant Cleveland sports network might be too good to be true.
Like I said, it is merely speculation, but with the rumors of SportsTime Ohio being for sale, the Indians very cost-conscious offseason, and Gilbert buying up sports teams in the Cleveland area like a kid in a candy store…anything can happen.
Parting Shots
As of this writing, the Indians have not yet announced the player to be removed from the 40-man roster to make room for Casey Kotchman. … The Indians had agreed to terms with infielder Julio Lugo on a minor league contract over a week ago, but that deal has fell apart and he is no longer part of the Indians plans in 2012. … This is just a quick note to mention that my new book the 2012 Cleveland Indians Prospect Insider is nearing completion. The book is my annual offering that provides everything you need to know about the Indians farm system and then some, and I hope to have news on its availability very soon. I also plan to unveil a new redesign of my site sometime in the next week.
Tony Lastoria
Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Indians notebook…
To sell or not to sell
First off, let me just be up front and note that before I get into any of this I am merely speculating. No one from SportsTime Ohio or the Indians has told me anything, I am simply just putting two and two together with some recent events surrounding the Indians.
That having been said, things are starting to get a little interesting with the Cleveland Indians of late. No, not because a new season is on the horizon, but because it looks like there may be some plans in motion to either sell the team or at least take a peek into the market to see who might be interested in buying the team.
Rumors came forth back in July that the Dolan ownership group was taking offers for SportsTime Ohio, their cable TV network and home of over 150 Indians television broadcasts a year. Not surprisingly those rumors have been denied, but where there is smoke there may be fire.
Suddenly in the past week I have been getting emails, texts and calls from all sorts of people with varying connections to me, and they all keep asking the same thing, “Are the Indians being put up for sale?”
I found it odd that with no knowledge of each other that all of these people would suddenly be asking such a question. Something may indeed be up, so here is a brief look at the situation to see if indeed the team could be up for sale.
From the sounds of things, the Dolan ownership may be putting out feelers to potential buyers. While it may not yet be public knowledge that the team is available for sale, the startup process to a long, convoluted process to sell the team may have already started quietly behind the scenes. The new CBA - which has drawn criticism for its unfairness to smaller market teams like the Indians - may be what finally pushed the Dolan ownership into considering offers for the team, and conceivably their cable TV network too.
The best evidence to support a possible looming sale of the Indians is their current payroll structure where not one single player has a guaranteed deal past this season. There are a few players that have club options for the 2013 season and there are some arbitration eligible players, but right now they have absolutely zero commitments in regard to salary for 2013. Nadda. With no long term monetary commitments it would certainly seem to make them more attractive to a potential buyer.
This may also explain what has been a strange offseason where the Indians have been very quiet on the free agent front and limited just about all contract discussions with players to a maximum of two years.
So who could be a potential suitor to buy the Indians? How about Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert?
In addition to the Cavaliers, Gilbert already owns the Lake Erie Monsters minor league hockey team and just recently purchased the arena football team the Cleveland Gladiators. With Quicken Loans Arena chock full of entertainment options between his three teams, he could look to continue to monopolize the sports market in the Cleveland area by purchasing the Indians.
One thing to remember is that before buying the Cavaliers back in 2005, Gilbert had tried to buy the Milwaukee Brewers, so interest in a Major League Baseball team is certainly there. With his new casino opening up later this year in downtown Cleveland, he could look at ways to use his sports teams to tie into it, and having a baseball team in town for 81 games a year might be inviting.
If there ever was an owner that would be a perfect fit for the Indians, it would be Gilbert. Not because he would spend lots of money – I have news for you, his spending will be based on team revenues just like it has with the Dolan’s – but because of the big shadow the Indians would get out from under with the Dolan ownership. I have often shared my feelings how I think Larry and Paul Dolan are misunderstood by the fan base, but Gilbert is a hero in this city right now, and with his money from Quicken Loans, expanding his Flash Seats setup to the Indians, and getting all the teams onto one big giant Cleveland sports network might be too good to be true.
Like I said, it is merely speculation, but with the rumors of SportsTime Ohio being for sale, the Indians very cost-conscious offseason, and Gilbert buying up sports teams in the Cleveland area like a kid in a candy store…anything can happen.
Parting Shots
As of this writing, the Indians have not yet announced the player to be removed from the 40-man roster to make room for Casey Kotchman. … The Indians had agreed to terms with infielder Julio Lugo on a minor league contract over a week ago, but that deal has fell apart and he is no longer part of the Indians plans in 2012. … This is just a quick note to mention that my new book the 2012 Cleveland Indians Prospect Insider is nearing completion. The book is my annual offering that provides everything you need to know about the Indians farm system and then some, and I hope to have news on its availability very soon. I also plan to unveil a new redesign of my site sometime in the next week.
Re: Articles
1281Gilbert would be cool and the realistic option, but personally I would hope for Mark Cuban. Extremely competitive and would spend. A nice combination for fans. But MLB would probably just nix him again.
Re: Articles
1282Terrible article by Tony. The basis for the article was all wrong. Internet posters are concerned because the Indians have no long term contracts. In turn they speculate about Dolan selling. In turn they ask Lastoria. In turn he writes a speculative article.
Not one shred of actual hard evidence of anything going on. Gilbert by far is the best choice by a wide margin.
Not one shred of actual hard evidence of anything going on. Gilbert by far is the best choice by a wide margin.
Re: Articles
1283Or maybe he got all those questions because, like me, lots o' folks read this rumor a few weeks ago. I read it here. Can't remember who started it.
Re: Articles
1284No way, Rusty. Cuban is the most competitive dude on the planet, and it has drove him to success in about everything he does. He would pay to compete even at a loss. Gilbert would run within budget, which means we would never compete for an extended period. Life as usual in Cleveland.
Hey, personally I would love to agree with you. I love Gilbert, and Cuban is a pinko commie billionaire political activist. But you would have to be nuts to not want Cuban as your owner in a sport with no cap while living in a small market.
Hey, personally I would love to agree with you. I love Gilbert, and Cuban is a pinko commie billionaire political activist. But you would have to be nuts to not want Cuban as your owner in a sport with no cap while living in a small market.
Re: Articles
1285Gilbert would run within budget, which means we would never compete for an extended period. Life as usual in Cleveland.
Gilbert had one of the highest payrolls in the NBA (paid luxury tax) when Lebron was on the team. He basically bought the first pick in the draft last year. I would have no problem with Cuban owning any team in Cleveland but Dan Gilbert is already there and is trying to save and revitalize the city.
Gilbert had one of the highest payrolls in the NBA (paid luxury tax) when Lebron was on the team. He basically bought the first pick in the draft last year. I would have no problem with Cuban owning any team in Cleveland but Dan Gilbert is already there and is trying to save and revitalize the city.
Re: Articles
1286http://thehoopdoctors.com/online2/2009/ ... -payrolls/
Cavaliers payroll in 2009/2010 was 4 million more then Dallas. 4th highest in NBA
Cavaliers payroll in 2009/2010 was 4 million more then Dallas. 4th highest in NBA
Re: Articles
1287http://thehoopdoctors.com/online2/2009/ ... -payrolls/
Cavaliers were 2nd in total payroll in the 2008 /2009 season. 90 million when the salary cap was like 45 million.
Dan Gilbert spends the money.
As his son says, "What's not to like ? "
Cavaliers were 2nd in total payroll in the 2008 /2009 season. 90 million when the salary cap was like 45 million.
Dan Gilbert spends the money.
As his son says, "What's not to like ? "
Re: Articles
1288Good point. But Gilbert still made money. Just knowing their personalities from afar I would guess Cuban would be more apt to compete with the NY's and Boston's if it meant being in the red but I may be wrong.
Re: Articles
1289Cleveland Indians' streak of avoiding salary arbitration could end next week; John Hart and Greg Swindell recall contentious 1991 hearing
Published: Thursday, February 09, 2012, 6:52 PM Updated: Friday, February 10, 2012, 12:28 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio — For 20 years the Indians settled their arbitration cases without going to a hearing. For a good chunk of that time Mark Shapiro, the team's president and former general manager, said, "One of these years it's going to happen."
This could be the year.
Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera's arbitration hearing is scheduled for early next week at the Vinoy Renaissance Resort hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla. Cabrera's representatives and the Indians have made little progress in talks aimed at reaching an agreement for 2012.
Cabrera is seeking $5.2 million for 2012. The Indians have offered $3.75 million. The midpoint is $4.475 million. After being named Cleveland's top professional athlete last week by the Great Cleveland Sports Commission, Cabrera told reporters that he wanted a long-term contract. GM Chris Antonetti said he was open to such a deal, but only if the two sides could agree on "value and term."
The two sides, to date, haven't been able to agree on a contract of any length.
The Indians haven't gone to arbitration since 1991, when left-hander Greg Swindell won and second baseman Jerry Browne lost. It was the Swindell hearing that caused former team executives John Hart and Dan O'Dowd to create a plan that helped produce the longest sustained run of success in franchise history.
Swindell won a salary of $2.025 million in the hearing, but came away mad because of critical remarks made by the attorney representing the Indians. The Tribe offered $1.4 million.
"I remember sitting across the table from John Hart and Dan O'Dowd and being furious that this was the team I played for, but they were telling me how bad I was," said Swindell earlier this week. "I realized it was the business side of the game, but I didn't like it."
Swindell added, "But I won."
Hart, now an adviser for the Texas Rangers, recalled that the hearing was: "a blood bath on both sides. We were on one side and Swindell and his agents, the Hendricks brothers, were on the other. The process was very uncomfortable."
Out of that acrimony, the Indians decided to try to sign their young players to multiyear deals to avoid the pitfalls of arbitration. The deals offered young players security at the most vulnerable stage of their careers in exchange for signing away their arbitration years and, in some cases, a club option for at least one free agent year.
One by one, players such as Charles Nagy, Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlos Baerga, Kenny Lofton and Omar Vizquel went for the deals. Albert Belle was one of the few holdouts. It took him a year to come around.
The players' agents were not thrilled with the concept because their clients, in exchange for security, were badly outearned by their peers by the end of the contracts. The players association investigated the Indians' actions, but couldn't stop them.
"What we wanted to do was build something where we not only could win, but could keep our players in Cleveland," said Hart. "Up until then, players were just coming in and out of Cleveland."
A player is eligible for arbitration after he has three years in the big leagues. He can also be eligible as a Super Two player --- players with fewer than three years, but in the upper 22 percent of those with more than two years.
Players are eligible for free agency after six years in the big leagues.
"We had a core of 15 to 18 guys who had zero to two years in the big leagues," said Hart. "We didn't want to go through arbitration with all of them around the same time."
Hart left the Indians following the 2001 season to become general manager of the Rangers. O'Dowd left the Tribe in 1998 and has been GM of the Colorado Rockies since 1999.
Shapiro, who replaced Hart as general manager, continued the practice by negotiating multiyear deals with Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, CC Sabathia and the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona. The Indians have not signed a pre-arbitration player since Carmona. They did offer Shin-Soo Choo such a deal, but Choo and his agent, Scott Boras, said no.
Seven Indians players filed for arbitration in January. Cabrera is the only one left unsigned.
Published: Thursday, February 09, 2012, 6:52 PM Updated: Friday, February 10, 2012, 12:28 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio — For 20 years the Indians settled their arbitration cases without going to a hearing. For a good chunk of that time Mark Shapiro, the team's president and former general manager, said, "One of these years it's going to happen."
This could be the year.
Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera's arbitration hearing is scheduled for early next week at the Vinoy Renaissance Resort hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla. Cabrera's representatives and the Indians have made little progress in talks aimed at reaching an agreement for 2012.
Cabrera is seeking $5.2 million for 2012. The Indians have offered $3.75 million. The midpoint is $4.475 million. After being named Cleveland's top professional athlete last week by the Great Cleveland Sports Commission, Cabrera told reporters that he wanted a long-term contract. GM Chris Antonetti said he was open to such a deal, but only if the two sides could agree on "value and term."
The two sides, to date, haven't been able to agree on a contract of any length.
The Indians haven't gone to arbitration since 1991, when left-hander Greg Swindell won and second baseman Jerry Browne lost. It was the Swindell hearing that caused former team executives John Hart and Dan O'Dowd to create a plan that helped produce the longest sustained run of success in franchise history.
Swindell won a salary of $2.025 million in the hearing, but came away mad because of critical remarks made by the attorney representing the Indians. The Tribe offered $1.4 million.
"I remember sitting across the table from John Hart and Dan O'Dowd and being furious that this was the team I played for, but they were telling me how bad I was," said Swindell earlier this week. "I realized it was the business side of the game, but I didn't like it."
Swindell added, "But I won."
Hart, now an adviser for the Texas Rangers, recalled that the hearing was: "a blood bath on both sides. We were on one side and Swindell and his agents, the Hendricks brothers, were on the other. The process was very uncomfortable."
Out of that acrimony, the Indians decided to try to sign their young players to multiyear deals to avoid the pitfalls of arbitration. The deals offered young players security at the most vulnerable stage of their careers in exchange for signing away their arbitration years and, in some cases, a club option for at least one free agent year.
One by one, players such as Charles Nagy, Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlos Baerga, Kenny Lofton and Omar Vizquel went for the deals. Albert Belle was one of the few holdouts. It took him a year to come around.
The players' agents were not thrilled with the concept because their clients, in exchange for security, were badly outearned by their peers by the end of the contracts. The players association investigated the Indians' actions, but couldn't stop them.
"What we wanted to do was build something where we not only could win, but could keep our players in Cleveland," said Hart. "Up until then, players were just coming in and out of Cleveland."
A player is eligible for arbitration after he has three years in the big leagues. He can also be eligible as a Super Two player --- players with fewer than three years, but in the upper 22 percent of those with more than two years.
Players are eligible for free agency after six years in the big leagues.
"We had a core of 15 to 18 guys who had zero to two years in the big leagues," said Hart. "We didn't want to go through arbitration with all of them around the same time."
Hart left the Indians following the 2001 season to become general manager of the Rangers. O'Dowd left the Tribe in 1998 and has been GM of the Colorado Rockies since 1999.
Shapiro, who replaced Hart as general manager, continued the practice by negotiating multiyear deals with Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, CC Sabathia and the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona. The Indians have not signed a pre-arbitration player since Carmona. They did offer Shin-Soo Choo such a deal, but Choo and his agent, Scott Boras, said no.
Seven Indians players filed for arbitration in January. Cabrera is the only one left unsigned.
Re: Articles
1290No long-term deal, but Asdrubal signs for 2012
Cabrera avoids arbitration; extension talks on hold for now
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 02/10/12 4:14 PM EST
CLEVELAND -- With an arbitration hearing looming, putting Cleveland's impressive streak of avoiding such an event in jeopardy, the Indians and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera found some common ground in contract negotiations.
The two sides were not able to agree on a long-term deal, but the Indians were nonetheless able to settle its lone remaining arbitration case before heading to a hearing. On Friday, the Tribe inked Cabrera to a one-year pact worth $4.55 million for the upcoming season.
"We're appreciative of Asdrubal's contributions," Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said. "We certainly value him as a member of the organization and a member of our team. He was a key part of our team over the last few seasons, and we're looking forward to him contributing in the time that he's with us.
play video
"How long that extends, it's going to be at least two years, and it certainly could extend beyond that."
By signing Cabrera, the Indians kept their long run of avoiding arbitration intact. Cleveland has not gone to an arbitration hearing with a player since 1991, when the club had a panel decide the salaries for Greg Swindell and Jerry Browne.
The Indians were reportedly in talks with Cabrera about a multi-year contract, but that process will be put on hold for the time being. It is possible that Cleveland will continue to explore such a deal during Spring Training.
When asked about that possibility, Antonetti did not discuss Cabrera specifically.
"Generally," Antonetti said, "we're always open-minded on alternate contract structures with a variety of players. If there's something that makes sense, and there's a value and term that makes sense for both parties, we'll certainly explore it."
Cabrera's case was unique in the sense that his 2011 performance in terms of run production was a drastic improvement over earlier seasons in his career.
The 26-year-old Cabrera, who started at short for the American League in the All-Star Game in July, hit .273 with 25 home runs and 92 RBIs in 151 games for the Tribe last season. He set a franchise record for homers by a shortstop and was awarded an AL Silver Slugger Award for his impressive effort.
Heading into last season, Cabrera had averaged only four homers and 42 RBIs from 2007-2010. Six home runs (2008 and 2009) and 68 RBIs ('09) represented his previous single-season career highs. The shortstop posted a .460 slugging percentage last year after having a .394 mark in the previous four years.
The contrast in production between 2011 and the rest of his career added a wrinkle to the negotiation process. Cabrera, who earned $2.025 million in 2011, initially sought a salary of $5.2 million for this season. Cleveland's original counter offer was $3.75 million.
His arbitration hearing was scheduled for next week.
"He was a unique case," Antonetti said. "Asdrubal may not have had some of the consistency that his peers may have, but his platform year was certainly a very productive platform season. How you weigh the platform season versus the career is certainly part of the negotiation in trying to arrive at the right value.
"Each case is always a little bit unique in its respects, and that was certainly the case with Asdrubal."
The midpoint of Cabrera's initial salary figures for 2012 was $4.475 million, so his new deal leans slightly in his favor in that regard.
Prior to finalizing the deal with Cabrera, the Indians also avoided arbitration this winter with Justin Masterson, Shin-Soo Choo, Jack Hannahan, Chris Perez, Joe Smith and Rafael Perez. Last season, those seven players combined to earn roughly $11.4 million. Their combined salaries will be around $22.7 million this season.
"It didn't really deviate from what we expected in total," Antonetti said of the payroll needed to cover this winter's arbitration class. "It was certainly within the range we expected."
One issue that the Cabrera signing did not resolve was the fact that Cleveland has no guaranteed contracts in the fold after 2012. The Indians have a wealth of young players under contractual control after the coming season and three club options for 2013 (Travis Hafner, Ubaldo Jimenez and Fausto Carmona), but no guaranteed deals.
That has led to unsubstantiated rumors that the team might be in the process of being put up for sale.
Antonetti addressed the issue when discussing Cabrera's signing.
"I don't want to make too much out of that," Antonetti said. "That's just where we are right now and just circumstances that led us to this point. There's no hidden or ulterior motive behind that. I would expect at some point we will have commitments that extend past 2012. Whether that happens at some point this offseason, or at some point this spring, or next offseason, we'll see.
"But it's not necessarily a calculated strategy. We as an organization, and our ownership, have demonstrated that when multi-year commitments make sense, we're certainly prepared to make them. We'll continue to evaluate those opportunities along the way."
Antonetti noted that the Indians have discussed multi-year contracts both with free agents and with internal players.
"There needs to be an alignment in both value and term from both the player and the team," Antonetti said. "To date, we have not been able to align on those values."
As for Cabrera, the Indians have not necessarily ruled out continuing to explore a long-term contract. In the meantime, the Tribe is hoping for another strong season from its shortstop.
"We're hopeful that he'll continue to build on last year," Antonetti said, "and the progress he made as a player. Now, I'm not saying we necessarily expect the same results in home runs or RBIs or some of the power numbers. Where that ends up at the end of the year, we'll see.
"What we're counting on is that, as a player, Asdrubal will continue to mature and continue to develop and continue to become more consistent. If he does that, I think we'll look up at the end of the year and the production will be in line with what we all would expect."
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs
Cabrera avoids arbitration; extension talks on hold for now
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 02/10/12 4:14 PM EST
CLEVELAND -- With an arbitration hearing looming, putting Cleveland's impressive streak of avoiding such an event in jeopardy, the Indians and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera found some common ground in contract negotiations.
The two sides were not able to agree on a long-term deal, but the Indians were nonetheless able to settle its lone remaining arbitration case before heading to a hearing. On Friday, the Tribe inked Cabrera to a one-year pact worth $4.55 million for the upcoming season.
"We're appreciative of Asdrubal's contributions," Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said. "We certainly value him as a member of the organization and a member of our team. He was a key part of our team over the last few seasons, and we're looking forward to him contributing in the time that he's with us.
play video
"How long that extends, it's going to be at least two years, and it certainly could extend beyond that."
By signing Cabrera, the Indians kept their long run of avoiding arbitration intact. Cleveland has not gone to an arbitration hearing with a player since 1991, when the club had a panel decide the salaries for Greg Swindell and Jerry Browne.
The Indians were reportedly in talks with Cabrera about a multi-year contract, but that process will be put on hold for the time being. It is possible that Cleveland will continue to explore such a deal during Spring Training.
When asked about that possibility, Antonetti did not discuss Cabrera specifically.
"Generally," Antonetti said, "we're always open-minded on alternate contract structures with a variety of players. If there's something that makes sense, and there's a value and term that makes sense for both parties, we'll certainly explore it."
Cabrera's case was unique in the sense that his 2011 performance in terms of run production was a drastic improvement over earlier seasons in his career.
The 26-year-old Cabrera, who started at short for the American League in the All-Star Game in July, hit .273 with 25 home runs and 92 RBIs in 151 games for the Tribe last season. He set a franchise record for homers by a shortstop and was awarded an AL Silver Slugger Award for his impressive effort.
Heading into last season, Cabrera had averaged only four homers and 42 RBIs from 2007-2010. Six home runs (2008 and 2009) and 68 RBIs ('09) represented his previous single-season career highs. The shortstop posted a .460 slugging percentage last year after having a .394 mark in the previous four years.
The contrast in production between 2011 and the rest of his career added a wrinkle to the negotiation process. Cabrera, who earned $2.025 million in 2011, initially sought a salary of $5.2 million for this season. Cleveland's original counter offer was $3.75 million.
His arbitration hearing was scheduled for next week.
"He was a unique case," Antonetti said. "Asdrubal may not have had some of the consistency that his peers may have, but his platform year was certainly a very productive platform season. How you weigh the platform season versus the career is certainly part of the negotiation in trying to arrive at the right value.
"Each case is always a little bit unique in its respects, and that was certainly the case with Asdrubal."
The midpoint of Cabrera's initial salary figures for 2012 was $4.475 million, so his new deal leans slightly in his favor in that regard.
Prior to finalizing the deal with Cabrera, the Indians also avoided arbitration this winter with Justin Masterson, Shin-Soo Choo, Jack Hannahan, Chris Perez, Joe Smith and Rafael Perez. Last season, those seven players combined to earn roughly $11.4 million. Their combined salaries will be around $22.7 million this season.
"It didn't really deviate from what we expected in total," Antonetti said of the payroll needed to cover this winter's arbitration class. "It was certainly within the range we expected."
One issue that the Cabrera signing did not resolve was the fact that Cleveland has no guaranteed contracts in the fold after 2012. The Indians have a wealth of young players under contractual control after the coming season and three club options for 2013 (Travis Hafner, Ubaldo Jimenez and Fausto Carmona), but no guaranteed deals.
That has led to unsubstantiated rumors that the team might be in the process of being put up for sale.
Antonetti addressed the issue when discussing Cabrera's signing.
"I don't want to make too much out of that," Antonetti said. "That's just where we are right now and just circumstances that led us to this point. There's no hidden or ulterior motive behind that. I would expect at some point we will have commitments that extend past 2012. Whether that happens at some point this offseason, or at some point this spring, or next offseason, we'll see.
"But it's not necessarily a calculated strategy. We as an organization, and our ownership, have demonstrated that when multi-year commitments make sense, we're certainly prepared to make them. We'll continue to evaluate those opportunities along the way."
Antonetti noted that the Indians have discussed multi-year contracts both with free agents and with internal players.
"There needs to be an alignment in both value and term from both the player and the team," Antonetti said. "To date, we have not been able to align on those values."
As for Cabrera, the Indians have not necessarily ruled out continuing to explore a long-term contract. In the meantime, the Tribe is hoping for another strong season from its shortstop.
"We're hopeful that he'll continue to build on last year," Antonetti said, "and the progress he made as a player. Now, I'm not saying we necessarily expect the same results in home runs or RBIs or some of the power numbers. Where that ends up at the end of the year, we'll see.
"What we're counting on is that, as a player, Asdrubal will continue to mature and continue to develop and continue to become more consistent. If he does that, I think we'll look up at the end of the year and the production will be in line with what we all would expect."
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs