Cleveland Sports Forum

MtFan wrote:No way in hell they keep Perez. And I disagree that he doesn't have trade value. He's an upper tier closer no matter what else anyone may think of him.

If they can't get decent value back then they truly suck as franchise management, which is becoming the consensus opinion everywhere but in Dolan's mind.

Those stating the opinion that Chris Perez has little trade value are only attempting to set the bar low for expectations of what our current front office might get for him....should that front office still be around to possibly work the trade.

Unless Dolan is as dumb as he is lacking in financial ability/commitment, our current front office will not be around. Check the reader comments on the Northern Ohio news website articles about the Indians over the last several weeks. Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti have minimal if any fan confidence out there, and that sure as heck will not set an atmosphere for folks to flock for 2013 tickets.

If they are kept on after the season, the abyss of eroding fan support....and falling revenues...will only grow deeper.

My frustration with Shapiro and Antonetti is only vented in comments here, where I know only Cleveland Indians Fans are reading.

Those stating the opinion that Chris Perez has little trade value are only attempting to set the bar low for expectations of what our current front office might get for him....should that front office still be around to possibly work the trade.


How about you stop flapping your lips and give us an example of the type of player the Indians might get ?

You must be drunk all of the time to think that anyone is attempting to set the bar low. Do you really think people are as petty as you are ?

Chris Perez is only interested in Chris Perez, nobdy else.

He only care about his "saves".

When Perez goes to arbitration, they don't ask how the team did.

Rusty, I take it you've decided to dump on everyone, not just Joe. Why? I think we're here for fun, aren't we. Anyway, I know I am. Off to the "block" option for me.

I'd like to see for Perez a young player that can hit the freaken ball past the warning track.

Even more, a sale by Dolan to someone that loves baseball.

Chris Perez is only interested in Chris Perez, nobdy else. He only care about his "saves".

I'll have to disagree Seagull. Nothing Perez said during his outbursts had anything to do with "me". At least that was my intrepretations.

He urged the fans to come out and support the "team" (even though they were playing some pretty bad baseball) not to urge them to come out and watch him go for 40 saves this year.

When he called out ownership and the front office, it was all about spending some cash and making the proper baseball decisions that would make the "team" better. I didn't read any "I" or "me" in his remarks.

Perez is just saying stuff that everyone else is or has been thinking but don't have the balls to come out a say it. I commend Perez for coming out and stating what's been the obvious for ten years now. Someone had to come out and say it publicly. Perez will get no arguments from me and if it comes down to a vote, cast mine for Perez.

Lots of people work for bosses that suck. You just don't say

my bosses suck

to the media.

Trade Candidate: Chris Perez

By Mark Polishuk [September 6, 2012 at 9:19pm CST]

Chris Perez is enjoying a nice comeback season in 2012 and made the All-Star team, but the Indians closer has mostly drawn attention for his statements off the field. Perez criticized Cleveland fans for low attendance and a perceived lack of support last spring, and now the right-hander has spoken out against team management in a recent interview with FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi.

Perez is clearly frustrated in Cleveland, and if his latest comments were the last straw for Indians' management, it might be best for both sides if they parted ways this offseason. The Indians have a deep bullpen that includes the likes of Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith and Tony Sipp, with Pestano the favorite to take over closing duties should Perez get traded.

There was talk, in fact, that Pestano could've taken over as closer in 2012 in the wake of Perez's shaky 2011 campaign. While Perez posted a 3.32 ERA, his advanced metrics (4.65 SIERA, 5.01 xFIP) weren't kind and he had a career-low 5.9 K/9, good for just a 1.5 K/BB ratio. Perez has bounced back nicely this season (3.51 ERA, 2.55 SIERA, 3.18 xFIP, a 10.4 K/9 and a career-low 2.0 BB/9) and the righty now has a career 3.20 ERA and 266 strikeouts in 270 innings over five seasons.

At age 27, Perez is in his prime and arguably has more upside than any of the free agent closing options on the market this winter. He will be arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter after agreeing on a $4.5MM contract for 2012, so you can guess Perez is looking at a raise to around $6MM in 2013. The escalating cost might've made Perez a trade candidate anyway for the cost-conscious Indians though other teams around baseball may also hesitate to take Perez given that he's on pace to earn even more in 2014 after his final arb year. Still, $6MM for a proven closer is not a bad price to pay.

Here are a few teams who may be looking for a new closer this offseason....

Mets. Frank Francisco is set to earn $6.5MM next season and the Mets may not have much payroll space to work with this winter. Still, the Mets are known to be looking for bullpen help and could be looking for a longer-term option than Francisco, who has pitched better (3.55 SIERA, 10.07 K/9) than his 5.49 ERA would indicate.

Dodgers. A very borderline candidate, as L.A. would only be looking for closing help if Kenley Jensen's heart problems proved to be career-threatening.

Astros. Wilton Lopez was recently named closer and the rebuilding Astros will likely look for young arms and low-cost veterans in their bullpen rather than pursue a bigger name this offseason.

Red Sox. It's probably unlikely that the Sox would pursue another closer but Perez would provide depth given Andrew Bailey's injury history.

Tigers. Jose Valverde is a free agent this winter and the Tigers could look for a younger upgrade to finish games. It's doubtful the Indians would deal Perez to a divisional rival, especially in this case since Perez singled out the Tigers for praise as a team who spends despite their medium market size.

Yankees. If Rafael Soriano leaves for free agency, the Yankees could want a proven closer on hand should Mariano Rivera have a setback in his recovery from a torn ACL.

There "might" be 2 or 3 teams interested in a closer.

"Might" be the same reason that Perez is still an Indian. No one is that desperate for a closer.

civ ollilavad wrote:Rusty, I take it you've decided to dump on everyone, not just Joe. Why? I think we're here for fun, aren't we. Anyway, I know I am. Off to the "block" option for me.

Civ, I'd recommend not blocking Rusty. He shares good stuff here. He just has inexplicable support for the front office. He denies it, but he slaps at anyone who calls the front office to task.

The timing doesn't work, but if it did I might be thinking he is Mark Shapiro's wife's mother or something.

Sometimes I think he is just assuming the role of "helpful villain" as it has been discussed in sports fandom that fan support goes up when there is a despised team, or persona.

rusty2 wrote:There "might" be 2 or 3 teams interested in a closer.

"Might" be the same reason that Perez is still an Indian. No one is that desperate for a closer.

Mark Shapiro played pi$$ poor poker getting an itchy finger and incredibly trading Sabathia almost four weeks before the '08 trade deadline. When we judge Brantley, LaPorta, et al we received in return, we must remember that Shapiro tired of the trade dilemma and got his decision over with before the market really had a chance to heat up that season.

I don't know what Shapiro and Antonneti would get for Perez.....and I hope I never have to find out. Any two warm bodies would be no worse than those two.

Rusty was one of the first people I ever heard or read who dissed Terry Pluto. Terry Pluto formerly of The Akron Beacon Journal and now with The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

I later agreed with Rusty that Terry was writing seemingly as if he was tired or bored with his job and duties.


Today Pluto was credited in the PD today with saying this:

Terry then talked about Chris Perez's latest comments and stated that Chris should be saying these comments to local media, not national.

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-bl ... o_tal.html

And why does Terry believe Perez should have first and shared only with the local media?

So it could be softened, washed and blunted to keep the front office and ownership from feeling any hurt, pain or embarrassment??

Is that the role the local Northern Ohio press perceives they have to play to survive?

Shouldn't either the ownership or front office or all feel some pain and embarrassment over this franchise. Just TWO WINNING seasons since Shapiro became GM in 2001?

When the local media thinks their role is to listen to the players and participants and filter with no communication to the national media, then there is something wrong in State College PA or Northeastern Ohio.

So the Indians, in need of a good right handed hitter, bring up Rottino and let
Canzler stay at columbus all year. There have been a lot of bad decisions this past year alone.
Willingham was really bad. He had close to 30 homers and 98 rbis last year. This year should
have not been a surprize to Antonelli.

Line drive that hit Oakland's Brandon McCarthy recalls scary moment for David Huff: Cleveland Indians Insider
Published: Friday, September 07, 2012, 10:39 PM Updated: Saturday, September 08, 2012, 1:31 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — David Huff sat in the visitor's locker room at Comerica Park before Wednesday's game against Detroit, watching the replays of Oakland right-hander Brandon McCarthy getting hit in the side of the head by a line drive off the bat of Angels shortstop Erick Aybar.
It brought back frightening memories.

"After being hit like I was, you're always concerned about what you went through and what another pitcher is going through," Huff said. "His injury was a lot more severe than mine."
McCarthy needed surgery after suffering an epidural hemorrhage, brain contusion and skull fracture.

On May 29, 2010, Huff was hit in the side of the head by an Alex Rodriguez line drive at Yankee Stadium. The ball glanced off his head and continued into right field for a double.

Huff was taken off the field on a stretcher, but he made his next start.

"It's a scary thing," Huff said. "You're only 60 feet away, and the ball is coming off the bat at 100 mph. You never know.

"You're up there trying to throw strikes. That's your main concern. You're concentrating on that. You can't be going up there saying, 'I might get hit if I throw this pitch.'

"But it does cross your mind. To see something like that happen is scary. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family."

No comment: Closer Chris Perez, after criticizing Indians ownership and the front office in a FOXsports.com story about the success that some small-market teams are having this year, told reporters Friday, "I'm not answering any questions."

Perez criticized Larry and Paul Dolan for not spending enough money to make the Indians competitive. He also criticized current General Manager Chris Antonetti and his predecessor, Mark Shapiro, for not making the right kind of deals.

Return engagement? Look for third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall to join the Indians as soon as Class AA Akron is done with the Eastern League playoffs. The Aeros lost the first two games against Bowie in the best-of-five series. Game 3 was Friday.

Manager Manny Acta said there has been discussion about letting Chisenhall play for Class A Lake County in the Midwest League playoffs. The Captains won their first-round series with a three-game sweep of Bowling Green, Ky.

"We have to make a decision if we're going to bring him here or continue to play him at Lake County," Acta said. "The fact is, he's not going to come here and play every day right off the bat. There's a very good chance we might add him on this trip."

The Indians opened a four-game series against the Twins at Target Field on Friday night. They continue a three-city trip with a three-game series against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas, starting Tuesday.
Chisenhall suffered a fractured right ulna bone above his wrist in late June when he was hit by a pitch. He needed surgery and is just now ready to play.

He was hitting .278 (20-for-72), with three homers and nine RBI, with the Indians at the time of the injury. He started the season at Class AAA Columbus, where he hit .314 (37-for-118), with four homers and 17 RBI in 30 games.

Looking ahead: Several Indians players are hoping to participate in next spring's World Baseball Classic. South Korea's Shin-Soo Choo is one of them.

"First, I want to concentrate on our team finishing strong in September before I start thinking about next year," Choo said. "The second thing is, I want to finish the season healthy. Then I'll think about it."

The last time Choo played with the Korean national team, he helped win the gold medal in the Asian Games in November 2010. As a reward, Choo didn't have to serve his required two years of military service.

"I really want to play because I have a lot of experience on the Korean national team," Choo said. "When you play for your country, it feels so much different than when you play in the regular season.

"At the end of the season, I'll think about it."

Indians Chatter
Clubhouse confidential: Carlos Carrasco pitched a scoreless inning for Class AA Akron on Wednesday in a rehab appearance during the Aeros' playoff opener against Bowie, Md. Carrasco, coming back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, opened some eyes with his velocity.

"He pitched from the mid- to high 90s," said Tribe manager Manny Acta. "He threw hard before, but this was only one inning. But remember, sometimes those guys come back stronger from that surgery."
Carrasco won't join the Indians this month but will compete for a spot in the starting rotation next spring. He was scheduled to pitch another inning against Bowie on Friday.

Good hands people: Asked what makes Casey Kotchman such a good first baseman, Acta said, "He's got a shortstop's hands to start with and terrific instincts. He turns that 3-6-3 double play better than most of the people I've seen play first base."

Stat of the day: The Indians' bullpen has thrown the third-most innings (171 1/3) in the big leagues since the All-Star break. Kansas City (175) and Colorado (227 1/3) are the only teams that have used their bullpens more.

-- Paul Hoynes