Cleveland Sports Forum

Cleveland Indians unlikely to make playoffs: Terry Pluto's scribbles

Published: Thursday, July 19, 2012, 7:04 PM Updated: Thursday, July 19, 2012, 10:41 PM
By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Scribbles in my notebook after spending four days on the road with the Tribe.
1. The Indians come home with a 47-45 record, and can count themselves among 10 American League teams in contention for some type of playoff spot. That's right, 10. It's easier to name those who don't have an outside shot at two wild card slots: Seattle, Kansas City, Toronto and Minnesota. And Toronto may even disagree.

2. That said, I just don't see it happening for the Tribe. Not with this roster. Unlike a year ago when the Tribe was chasing only Detroit in the Central Division, the Indians are competing with both the Tigers and the White Sox. Lots of other teams are contending for the wild card. The Tribe has a 4.53 team ERA, 13th out of 14 AL teams. You don't make the playoffs those numbers.

3. That said, you don't make it with such inconsistent offense. The Indians were 3-4 on this trip. Twice they were shutout. They won, 1-0, in Toronto. They scored more than three runs only twice in these seven games. Some days, you can make the case that they need better pitching, other days insist hitting is a priority. That's a strange place to be as a team looks at the trading market.

4. The Indians do one thing extremely well: They hold heads. Chris Perez (26-of-28 in saves) deserved to be the All-Star closer. Vinnie Pestano (1.60 ERA) is a closer in waiting, and owns the eighth inning. Joe Smith (2.90) is dependable, and Esmil Rogers (2.04) is emerging. The bullpen is impressive, especially since Tony Sipp seems to pulling himself together.

5. Adding Casey Kotchman at first, the dramatic improvement of Jason Kipnis at second (only 3 errors in 91 games) has transformed the right side of the infield. Michael Brantley has been a pleasant surprise by playing a solid center, some Tribe operatives wondered about that happening -- why else would they have spent $5 million hoping Grady Sizemore would come back. While fielding average isn't everything, the Indians ranked No. 3 in the American League -- and they certainly seem above average, especially when Jack Hannahan is a third.

6. But a great late bullpen and good gloves is not enough. It was really disappointing to watch back-to-back failed starts by Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez against Tampa. They combined to give up nine runs in 10 innings, and the Rays have a .232 batting average. Among the starters, only Zach McAllister (3.17) has an ERA under 4.29. They have two starters -- Josh Tomlin (5.51) and Jimenez (5.29) -- over 5.00.

7. You can look to Columbus and say bring up Matt LaPorta. Or Russ Canzler. Or someone. And maybe one of those guys can try to be part of a left field platoon. But the Indians need so much more. The broken wrist suffered by Lonnie Chisenhall (.278) was a huge blow because he was starting to hit and help the lineup.

8. It's great that the Indians found Jose Lopez as a free agent, but he finished this trip 2-of-15. He's hitting .258 with four homers and 28 RBI. He's walked only six times in 53 games. He's a decent bench guy, but he hits anywhere from No. 4 to No. 6 in this batting order.

9. Carlos Santana awoke the last two games. Yes, there was that homer (his first since May 15) in Wednesday's 10-6 victory. He also lined a base it. He drew two walks off Tampa Bay ace David Price, then grounded out in Thursday's 6-0 loss. He did look better.

10. Before the game, Santana admitted that he had been "worried...thinking too much." He said he knew people were counting on him to join Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Kipnis and Brantley as productive hitters. He mentioned all four by name. He said he has stopped some of the head and foot movement before the pitch comes, and that should help. The Tribe must hope so, because they need his power.

11. Thank goodness for Brantley emerging as a .300 hitter. OK, he's at .299. But the fact that Manny Acta has been batting Brantley (4 HR) cleanup outlines the problem with the offense. Not enough consistent hitters. Brantley had a superb trip, 10-of-22 with seven walks.

12. This is not about writing off Scott Barnes (8.10 ERA in 10 innings), but the young lefty reliever must improve. He entered Thursday's game with two outs and a runner on second base in the sixth inning. He heaved an 81-mph changeup that went BEHIND Carlos Pena for a wild pitch, allowing B.J. Upton to take third. Barnes then gave up an RBI single to Pena. Lefties were only 2-of-14 vs. Barnes when Pena got that hit.

13. Travis Hafner is 6-of-32 (.188) with 2 HR and 3 RBI since returning to the lineup from knee surgery. Like Santana, Hafner is critical to the lineup. But he's battled injuries for years, and he still is not close to 100 percent when it comes to running or his timing at home plate.

Pluto's stealing material from my posts again

This forum is essentially dead but Fausto is back:

Cleveland Indians RHP Roberto Hernandez receives U.S. visa; will serve three-week suspension
Published: Saturday, July 21, 2012, 11:22 AM Updated: Saturday, July 21, 2012, 2:44 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
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Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer
Roberto Hernandez has been granted a U.S. visa.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Roberto Hernandez is back
The pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona is scheduled to arrive in Cleveland on Saturday night after receiving his visa from the U.S. Consulate in the Dominican Republic on Thursday. The visa was approved Monday, but it had to be OK'd by the Department of Homeland Security.
Hernandez will meet with reporters Sunday at Progressive Field.
Stephen Payne, a visa expert and lobbyist who worked with Hernandez's agents, said Hernandez will serve a "brief' MLB-imposed suspension before he is able to join the big league club.
The suspension, which starts Saturday, will last three weeks. Hernandez would be eligible to rejoin the Indians on Aug. 11.
It will probably take that much time for Hernandez to get back in pitching shape. He has been throwing simulated games at the Indians baseball academy in the Dominican.
"I do know Roberto will be playing baseball for the Cleveland Indians -- if he's physically ready -- sometime in August," said Payne.
Hernandez is scheduled to throw a simulated game next week for the Indians coaching staff. He will then go on a rehab assigment to the minors. He'll need at least three to four starts to get ready.
The suspension comes as a bit of a surprise because the Indians insisted that Hernandez renegotiate his contract once they found out he'd been pitching for them under a false identity. Hernandez, who is 31 instead of Carmona's listed age of 28, forfeited a possible $7.5 million when he re-did his contract in spring training.
It was believed that by taking such a cut in pay, Hernandez could avoid a suspension.
Miami right-hander Juan Carlos Oviedo, formerly known as Leo Nunez, was arrested in September in the Dominican Republic for the same offense. He is currently serving an eight-week suspension. Oviedo's suspension ends Monday, but he sustained an elbow injury earlier this week while pitching for Class AAA New Orleans.
Hernandez was arrested on Jan. 19 in Santo Domingo when he tried to get his visa renewed to report to spring training. Dominican authorities held Hernandez in custody for one day before releasing him on $13,000 bail.
Officials in the U.S and Dominican Republic were tipped of Hernandez's true identity by a woman who claimed she doctored a false birth certificate for Hernandez at the request of Hernandez's father. When Hernandez's father didn't pay her a reported $26,000, she went public.
Sources with MLB's Investigative unit said the woman's story, along with other evidence, helped lead to Hernandez's arrest.
Before Hernandez's arrest, he was guaranteed a spot in the Tribe's rotation. When he returns, he could be reinserted in a rotation that is leaking oil in several places.
This is Hernandez's 12th year with the Indians. He signed on Dec. 28, 2000.
His best year was 2007 when he went 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA. Outside of that season, the 6-4, 230-pound right-hander has been wildly inconsistent.
Last year Hernandez was 7-15 with a 5.25 ERA.

He can't do any worse than Derek Lowe has been doing.

Roberto Hernandez eager to get back on the mound: Cleveland Indians Insider


Published: Sunday, July 22, 2012, 8:55 PM Updated: Sunday, July 22, 2012, 9:28 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After Roberto Hernandez talked to reporters before Sunday's game against Baltimore, his teammates held a "gathering" for him. At least that's what it was called on the clubhouse message board.
At 2 p.m. Hernandez was presented with three birthday cakes inside the locker room as his teammates sang "Happy Birthday". The three cakes represented Hernandez's leap in age from 28 to 31. The discrepancy was revealed in January when Hernandez was arrested in the Dominican Republic for identity fraud.
It turned out that Fausto Carmona, the pitcher employed by the Indians since Dec. 28, 2000 was really Hernandez. Besides a new name, Hernandez was three years older than the team was led to believe.
Never let it be said that baseball players are an overly sensitive group.
"It's nice to see a friendly face and have a good guy back," said Justin Masterson, who had been planning the birthday cake gag since spring training. "I'm sure a lot of weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He can finally be himself, literally.
"Shoot, I think any of us in a similar situation would have done exactly the same thing. It doesn't make it right, but you can understand. For him, at a point like this, it's better for him to be back here and, hopefully, play some baseball."
The prevailing thought among the amateur psychologists among us is that Hernandez, freed of the burden of living under an assumed name, will be able to take the mound after he serves a three-week MLB-imposed suspension and pitch better than he has since 2007.
"His mind will be free now," said teammate Ubaldo Jimenez. "He doesn't have to look over his shoulder anymore. Now he can just concentrate on pitching."
Hernandez, speaking through agent/interpreter Charisse Dash, was not so sure.
"I want to forget about the past and move forward," he said. "I don't know if I'll be better, but I'm really going to work at giving what I am as a person and a player."
Hernandez, 7-15 with a 5.25 ERA in 32 starts last year, won't have to morph into Pedro Martinez to improve on that.
"I felt it a little on my shoulders last year, but I will not use it as an excuse," said Hernandez.
Manager Manny Acta believes Hernandez should be more relaxed now that his secret is out. As far as pitching better, he's unsure.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain Dealer
Roberto Hernandez warms up in the outfield before Sunday's game.
"He won 19 games in 2007," said Acta. "At this level, when those guys get out on the mound, they're pretty good at blocking things out."
Masterson agreed.
"I think when people asked him for his autograph he might forget which name to write down and that may have affected him," said Masterson. "When you're out on the mound, you're doing your thing."
After Hernandez finished running and throwing Sunday, he signed for fans along the left-field grandstand. Yes, he signed "Roberto Hernandez."
Hernandez said lying about his age was the only way he could sign a professional contract. As for spending 11 years pitching under an assumed name, Hernandez said, "I tried not think about it, but I knew one day this would happen."
Acta said Hernandez will throw a bullpen session at Progressive Field Monday. Then he'll go to the minors where he's scheduled to make three or four starts. The suspension ends Aug. 11.
"Physically, I feel ready," said Hernandez.
He's been pitching simulated games, bullpen sessions and amateur games in the Dominican Republic waiting for the United States State Department to approve his visa.
"I was impressed with his physical shape," said Acta. "I know at times he was discouraged, but he never stopped working and that showed."
It's still unclear how Hernandez fits in the rotation.
"It's three weeks and a lot can happen in three weeks," said Acta.
The July 31 trading deadline is nine days away.
What is clear is that the Indians are looking at Carmona as a starter.
"He's got to go through the process," said Acta. "I hope everything works out the way we've planned and we can add him."
Finally: Hernandez said the real Fausto Carmona was a "distant relative.' . . . During the news conference, Masterson snuck into the interview room and asked Hernandez, "Who is your favorite Indian?" Hernandez smile and said, "Justin Masterson."

All Roberto has to do is pitch like he did in 2007 and Indians could finish about 500 and beat out the WhiteSox for a second place finish. Lot to look forward to.

Giants Interested In Chris Perez
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [July 23 at 10:31am CST]
The Giants are interested in Indians closer Chris Perez, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report. The Indians, 47-48 after losing four consecutive games, are not planning a massive overhaul in the next week, since they intend to contend in 2013. Yet the Indians constantly gauge trade interest in their roster and could move established players strategically before the end of the month.

If the Indians trade Major Leaguers such as Perez and Shin-Soo Choo, they’d look to obtain players who could strengthen their current team, Rosenthal and Morosi report. GM Chris Antonetti has been monitoring the trade market for a starting pitcher and a right-handed bat.

Perez, 27, has a 3.06 ERA with 10.4 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and 26 saves so far this year. The right-hander earns $4.5MM in 2012 and can expect a raise to $7MM or so after the season, when he's arbitration eligible for the third time. Perez, a super two player, will remain under team control through 2014.

Giants relievers have combined for a 3.41 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 so far this year. However, closer Brian Wilson will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and Guillermo Mota is on the restricted list following a 100-game suspension.

Indians facing critical decisions


59 minutes ago by KenRosenthal


The Cleveland Indians sure don’t look like contenders. But after several weeks of trying to add a starting pitcher and right-handed hitter, would they suddenly turn into sellers?
It’s too simple a question.
The Indians, like many teams, constantly gauge interest in their players without necessarily shopping them. They are not planning a massive overhaul over the next week because they intend to compete next season. But they could make strategic trades, regardless of how they fare in a pivotal home series against the Detroit Tigers that begins on Tuesday night.
As it stands, the Indians are 3-7 since the All-Star break, 4½ games back in the AL Central and four back for the second wild card, with six teams ahead of them.
Their potential free agents include right-hander Derek Lowe, first baseman Casey Kotchman and left fielder Johnny Damon. But their most attractive pieces are two players who are still eligible for arbitration – closer Chris Perez and right fielder Shin-Soo Choo.
The San Francisco Giants, seeking late-inning help, are interested in Perez, according to major-league sources. The Indians could entertain moving Perez for two reasons – they are deep in relievers, and Perez likely will earn about $7 million next season in his second year of arbitration.
Choo would be more difficult to replace than Perez – he ranks fourth in the majors with a .928 OPS out of the leadoff spot. But he is eligible for free agency after next season, and the Indians’ chances of signing him to an extension are slim. Choo is represented by Scott Boras, who generally prefers his clients to establish their values on the open market.
If the Indians trade players such as Perez and Choo – players under control beyond this season – they would not want prospects in return, but players who would strengthen their current club, sources said.

-Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

Report: Indians could sell, but don't want to rebuild

By Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com

July 23, 2012 11:21 am ET

The Indians may not be in for a complete overhaul, but they could make some “strategic trades,” according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

The team still wants to contend next season, so there's no urgency to trade away all of their players.

Rosenthal mentioned that Derek Lowe, Casey Kotchman and Johnny Damon are all free agents at the end of the season, and the Indians could move them.

Closer Chris Perez and outfielder Shin-Soo Choo would likely be the most attractive pieces the Indians have to offer.

The Giants have shown some interest in Perez, who is under team control until 2015. Choo is arbitration-eligible next season, and wouldn't be a free-agent until 2014.

Rosenthal noted that it would be tough for the Indians to sign Choo to an extension since he's represented by Scott Boras.

The Indians aren't looking for prospects, but players who would be able to contribute to their team immediately.

That takes away all of the fun. Just when I got used to the novelty of having to rebuild every couple of years.

Trade deadline preview: AL Central

Sports Illustrated

Cleveland

Playoff odds: 16.2% Division/14.2% Wild Card/30.4% Total

Buying/selling: Buying

Top needs: Leftfield, first base, starting pitching

Their record says they’re in the playoff hunt, but the Indians’ −30 run differential is the league’s fourth-worst, so there’s risk of trying to upgrade a mirage. The team’s offense is a middling one, with above-average production from three of their four up-the-middle players (Jason Kipnis, Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Brantley) but subpar production from first baseman Casey Kotchman and a leftfield contingent (Shelley Duncan, Johnny Damon and Aaron Cunningham) that’s combined to hit .217/.296/.349. With Grady Sizemore still recovering from a microdiscectomy and hardly to be counted on for a full-strength return, they’ve shown interest in Carlos Quentin (signed 3 year extension with the Padres) and Shane Victorino, but they’ll have heavy competition for either, and the word is that they don’t want to take on a significant contract or surrender top prospects. That’s at least somewhat understandable given the way they cleaned out the system last year to acquire Ubaldo Jimenez.

Speaking of whom, the rotation is in no great shape, with a disconnect between their 4.63 ERA (10th in the league) and 54 percent quality start rate (fourth). No Indians starter has an ERA better than the park-adjusted league average; Justin Masterson, Derek Lowe and Jiminez have combined for a 4.53 ERA but still managed to deliver quality starts 64 percent of the time, meaning that their whuppings have been consolidated. Fill-in Zach McAllister has delivered a 3.17 ERA while striking out 8.6 per nine, but there’s still a whole lot of room for improvement among this collective. Even so, the Indians haven’t been mentioned in connection with any of the market’s top starters, or even the mid-tier ones, suggesting that whomever they drum up will provide only a modest improvement.

Cleveland Indians P.M. links: Trade away rather than trade for;

Esmil Rogers could be a find

Published: Monday, July 23, 2012, 5:24 PM Updated: Monday, July 23, 2012, 5:39 PM

By Mike Peticca, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio --

The Cleveland Indians try to avoid being swept in a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles when the teams meet tonight at Progressive Field.

The Tribe is 47-48 and beginning to fade in the American League Central Divison race, trailing the first-place Detroit Tigers (52-44) by 4 1/2 games and the second-place Chicago White Sox (50-45) by three games.

Right-hander Justin Masterson (6-8, 4.29) takes the mound tonight for the Indians. The O's counter with righty Tommy Hunter (4-4, 5.71).

The Indians have lost four straight games and eight of their last 11. They are 3-7 since the All-Star break. In eight of those 10 games, Cleveland has totaled 12 runs.

Since May 24, the Indians are 21-30. After that night's games, the Indians were in first place, leading the White Sox by 3 1/2 games and the Tigers by six.

The non-waiver trade deadline is July 31. As the Indians, with a flawed roster, struggle to stay in playoff contention, some observers believe the Tribe should trade veterans to playoff-hopeful teams, rather than dealing for players to boost potentially futile hopes for the stretch drive.

Leo Florkowski writes for the Bleacher Report that it's probably best for the Indians to be "sellers' instead of "buyers:"


The problem for the Indians is that they are simply not good enough as currently constructed to make up the ground they need to in the standings to make the playoffs. They have not rattled off more than four wins in a row all season. That simply will not cut it. With the presence of the second Wild Card spot there are far too many teams already ahead of the Indians in the standings. They are currently at the bottom of the heap for teams that are still "in the race".

The glaring weakness on the Indians is the lack of a formidable right-handed outfield bat. The second Wild Card spot available to teams this year has turned so many teams into playoff contenders that there are simply not enough sellers on the market to satisfy the demand of the buyers out there.

Indians story links

An analysis of relief pitcher Esmil Rogers' performance shows he may have benefited from joining the Indians via a transaction with the Colorado Rockies. (By Steve Kinsella, Wahoo's on First)

Baseball America analysis of big Tiger deal says that Detroit needs to improve to stave off the WhiteSox. Not a word about any other Central Division contenders. For good reason.

Tribe nears deal for Kevin Seitzer

CLEVELAND --- As the trading deadline approaches and playoff contenders stock up for the chase to the postseason, the Cleveland Indians are actively pursuing a right handed hitter to get them back to the top of American League Central Division.

Insiders report that the Indians are close to finalizing a deal for former veteran right handed hitter Kevin Seitzer to once again drive the Tribe offense. Previously acquired by Cleveland in 1996, the first baseman DH compiled a 1.022 OPS (even before the statistic had been invented) to help the Indians move to the postseason.

Seitzer last played professionally, with the Indians, in 1997. "We have keeping a careful eye on Kevin since," said Tribe GM Chris Antonetti, "and he still swings a good bat."

"We admit that we are short on right-handed hitting and we think Kevin will be able to step right in and give our offense a boost," Antonetti said.

The price for Seitzer, however, may be high. Marjorie Seitzer, Kevin's wife, is holding out for the Tribe's No. 1 prospect, shortstop Francisco Lindor, and a left-handed starter. She is said to be considering T.J. McFarland and T.J. House. Sources close to Mrs. Seitzer, say the suburban Omaha housewife is looking for someone to help with the lawn work and to take out the trash, and to coach third base on the Seitzers' elder daughter's Little League team.

The non-waiver trade deadline is July 31. Antonetti said he is confident this deal will get done. "I think he have the best offer on the table. We will do what it takes to bring a winner to Cleveland."