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Cleveland Indians: 3 Up and 3 Down

February 20, 2013

by Joe White

The 2012 version of the Cleveland Indians was a disaster. Only the wretched Minnesota Twins saved them from the worst record in the American League. Nobody gave up more runs in the AL than the Tribe’s dismal staff. Across all of MLB only the Colorado Rockies allowed more runners to cross home plate. And when that’s the company you keep, it’s time for a change.

GM Chris Antonetti conducted his version of an extreme home makeover this offseason. New bodies suiting up by the lake this season include Michael Bourn, Mark Reynolds, Drew Stubbs, Nick Swisher, Mike Aviles, Ryan Raburn (gasp!), Brett Myers, Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers, and Bryan Shaw. That is potentially more than 40% of the roster turning over, and rightfully so.

Perhaps the biggest ‘get’ by Antonetti wasn’t a player at all, it was luring Manager Terry Francona out of the broadcast booth and back into the dugout. Francona is one of the best around, is beloved by his players, and has a track record of winning a lot of baseball games.

Significant contributors from 2012 that are no longer in Cleveland include longtime standbys such as Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner. Shin-Soo Choo and Casey Kotchman were also sent packing, among others.

Now that the rubble has settled and a roster has been assembled, the question is simply: how much can they improve?

3 Up

Best Case Scenario for 2013

The starting pitching is going to keep this team from competing for a playoff spot but playing in the relatively weak AL Central affords them the opportunity to fight for 2nd place if things come together quickly. Francona will keep things loose and make sure his guys play hard. If Stubbs and Reynolds can have positive seasons at the plate then the offense should be really strong. But again, due to the lack of talent in the starting rotation, the best-case scenario is a surprising 2nd place finish and a near miss in the Wild Card race.

Most Important Indians
Nick Swisher

It’s hard to pin this on a newcomer, but I truly feel that Nick Swisher is the most important position player on this team. Things could go very badly for the Tribe this year, but not if Swisher’s fun loving character has anything to say about it. The big knock on Swisher is that he doesn’t produce in the playoffs. Well, then Cleveland is just the place for him! He will come over from New York and show the young guys like Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall, Michael Brantley, and Carlos Santana what it means to train, practice, and play like a champion. Since becoming a full-time player back in 2005 with Oakland, Swisher has averaged just under 26 homers and a shade over 83 RBI’s per season. His .361 career on-base % will land him near the top of Francona’s lineup. Watch Swisher relish his role as a veteran leader, something he never had to be in New York. With Bourn coming in via free agency, that likely squeezes Swisher out of the outfield and over to 1st base and moves Reynolds to the DH role.

On the mound, the Indians put a lot of eggs in the Ubaldo Jimenez basket and so far have been utterly embarrassed for doing so. In 31 starts in 2012, Ubaldo was 9-17 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. When Jimenez broke in with the Rockies in 2007 his average fastball speed was 96.7 MPH. In 2012 it was a career-worst 92.5. Power was the element that put him on the map and allowed him to break out in 2009 and ’10. At age 29, Jimenez is unlikely to recapture the upper 90’s heat that made him so special. And the fact remains that he doesn’t have the type of command to pitch effectively with finesse. Cleveland picked up his $5.75M option this year and have another club option next year. If nothing else, they figure he can take the mound every 5th day but if this team is to take a big step forward, it desperately needs a huge rebound year from Jimenez.

Potential Breakout Players

Catcher Carlos Santana will turn 27 in April and it’s time for him to become the star that he seems destined to be. He has shown plenty of flashes but has yet to put the full package on display. He flexed his muscles in 2011 with 27 homers but hit just .239. In 2012 he hit only .252 with 18 homers. Santana has lightning quick hands and legitimate thunder in his bat. He was a career .290 hitter in the minors and his last 3 full minor league seasonal averages looked like this: .326, .290, and .316 and his lifetime on-base % in the minors was .401. If he can finally put it all together in his 3rd full season in the big leagues he has the capability to put up a .280 average, 30 homers, and 90+ RBI’s.

In the big 3-team deal the Indians made in the offseason, Trevor Bauer was the most intriguing name that switched teams. For some reason the D’backs quickly soured on the unique Bauer and Antonetti took the opportunity to scoop up one of the game’s brightest prospects. He was recently ranked the #17 prospect by MLB.com. He made 4 rocky starts for Arizona last year but otherwise dominated the minors in his first full season of professional ball. Between AA and AAA he went 12-2 with a 2.42 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. Using his wide ranging arsenal he struck out 157 hitters over just 130.1 innings. He did walk 61, which he will need to cut down. Bauer will be given a shot at making this team’s rotation out of camp and I’d be shocked if he didn’t, given the rest of the competition. Projecting his stats seems a bit premature but it’s a certainty that fans far and wide will be tuning in to watch him pitch.

3 Down

Worst Case Scenario

4th place in the AL Central is certainly on the table. I think the Twins have done their best to lock up the basement yet again in an effort to continue stockpiling their farm system. Meanwhile, Cleveland went out and grabbed some veterans to try and mesh with their young talent in order to win now. The Tribe will battle with Kansas City and Chicago for 2nd-4th place behind the Tigers. If Bauer doesn’t produce, Ubaldo keeps being Ubaldo, and Justin Masterson and Myers can’t pick up the slack, a losing season is very likely, and a 4th place finish their worst-case scenario.

Areas of Concern

It all boils down to the starting rotation. Bringing Albers and Shaw in via the Choo trade to help complement the dynamic 8th and 9th inning combo of Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez will immediately add credibility to the pen. A rotation without an ace is usually a rotation in trouble. Cleveland has no true #1. Their most accomplished pitcher is probably Bret Myers but he pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for Houston and the ChiSox last year. If he can effectively convert back to being a starter then that would be a major plus for Francona. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see Myers get the ball on Opening Day. A best-case scenario rotation is probably Myers, Masterson, Jimenez, Carlos Carrasco, and Bauer. Well, that might be optimistic. Zach McAllister might very well be a more effective option than Jimenez at this point. Same goes for newly acquired Daisuke Matsuzaka. Carrasco will be on an innings limit as he missed all of 2012 after Tommy John surgery so McAllister will factor into the rotation at one point or another.
Justin Masterson

Who Needs to Bounce Back From a Down 2012

Drew Stubbs has almost gone overlooked as a key piece in the Choo-Bauer trade. Stubbs is still just 28 years old but is coming off what was far and away his worst season in the big leagues. His power-speed combo should land him in one of the corner outfield spots for Francona’s Indians on most days, but he has to find a way to put the bat on the ball with greater regularity. Stubbs, despite all of his upside, is a virtual strikeout machine. Over 4 seasons with the Reds he struck out in 33% of his at-bats. That is a sickening number and leads straight to his paltry career on-base % of .312. His downside is obvious but let’s not forget that he has stolen 100 bases and hit 51 homers over the past 3 seasons. He has hit leadoff a lot in his career but Francona will have him in the bottom 3rd of the order to take the pressure off and hope he can find a way to tap into his vast potential. Since Bourn’s signing, Stubbs’ name has already popped up as a potential moveable piece in a trade for a much needed upgrade to the starting pitching.

I can’t pick on Jimenez anymore but I’ve barely scraped the surface on Justin Masterson. When he came over from Boston he was projected to be a #1 or #2 type of pitcher. Which, technically, he is that in Cleveland, but I’m not sure it counts. He appeared to put it all together in 2011 by posting a 12-10 record, 3.21 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Two things really stand out with Masterson: his inability to get lefties out and his elevated walk rate. Left-handed batters hit .296 with a .376 on-base % against him in 2012 as compared to .232 and .308 numbers v. righties. Regarding the walks, in 10 less innings in 2012 than in ’11, Masterson walked 23 more hitters. That might not sound like much, but it directly correlates to his bloated ERA and WHIP. His hits allowed and strikeout numbers were right on par with his strong 2011. He must find a way to command the strike zone with consistency and keep left-handed batters off balance.

[Follow me on Twitter @isportsJoe]

Indians trainer wears Speedos to pay off BCS championship bet

Cleveland Indians trainer Michael Salazar lost a bet with strength and conditioning coach Joe Kessler over last month's BCS National Championship college football game between Notre Dame and Alabama. To pay it off, Salazar attending Friday's spring training session wearing red Speedos and an Alabama baseball cap.

Salazar was also without a shirt, but that was only because pitcher Justin Masterson allegedly stole it, making things that much more awkward for Salazar...and that much more humorous for everyone else.

That pic wasn't taken today. Big storm rolled through and now it's cold....real cold.

According to the description, it was taken Friday.

It woulda been ok with me if it had never been taken at all--or at least never posted.

not a pretty sight for sure!

Francona's energy reflects throughout clubhouse
First-year skipper attracts talent to Cleveland, forms relationships with players

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 2/22/2013 3:41 P.M. ET

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Terry Francona knew he made the right decision months ago. When the Indians came calling with an offer to manage their ballclub, he jumped at the opportunity without looking back, fully aware of the challenge ahead.

Since taking the job, Francona began running through a series of firsts: first press conference, first offseason, first Spring Training, first time donning Cleveland's uniform. Nearly two weeks ago, when he put on the Tribe's red and blue in his spring office, Francona savored the moment.

"The first time I put my uniform on," Francona said, "I was as proud as I've ever been. I knew I would be."

Francona stepped into a dugout as a manager Friday afternoon for the first time since 2011, when his storied run in Boston came to a forgettable close. The new-look Indians began their Cactus League schedule with a tilt against the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark, giving Francona his first chance to take a look at his team against competition.

Francona has not been the only one getting used to his new surroundings.

Cleveland's players -- many returning from last summer's 94-loss squad, and others added over the offseason -- have used the past two weeks to get to know their new manager. They have witnessed an energized Francona in the clubhouse and on the practice fields at the Tribe's spring complex, and the team has responded accordingly.

Each spring, every big league camp is filled with optimism.

The buzz in Goodyear seems genuine.

"It's easy to see why he's had winning teams under him," Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "The guy has meetings every morning. He's here with a purpose every single day. He doesn't want to waste a day. He wants to do things the right way. He takes things serious.

"You can have as much fun as you want, as long as you're getting the job done and getting work done. He wants people who are excited to play the game of baseball and excited to play the right way."

Francona is best known for helping end the Curse of the Bambino. The Red Sox had not won a World Series since 1918 -- a streak that ended when Francona guided Boston's band of self-proclaimed "Idiots" to the title in 2004. To prove it was no fluke, the Red Sox won another World Series crown in '07.

During Boston's run, Francona's reputation as a player's manager became well-documented. In 2011, however, he was tested down the stretch when the Red Sox suffered a late-season collapse. Boston went 7-20 in September, lost a nine-game lead in the American League Wild Card standings and were eliminated from the postseason on the final day of the season.

When the smoke cleared, the Red Sox and Francona parted ways.

Indians utility infielder Mike Aviles was with the Red Sox during that slide two seasons ago and said Francona never changed how he acted around his team. If anything, Aviles said the manager went out of his way to protect the players.

"It was a pretty tough time, it really was," Aviles said. "Sometimes, you might get that one person who cares more about saving their job. He cared more about the players and their livelihood, and fighting for the players, than him getting fired or not getting fired. That's how I took it. That's how I saw it."

Francona spent last season serving as an analyst for ESPN and said on multiple occasions that he was prepared to stay with the network this year. The lone exception was if the Indians, led by Francona's long-time friends Mark Shapiro (team president) and Chris Antonetti (general manager), came calling with a job.

That opportunity arose after the Tribe cut ties with former manager Manny Acta in September.

Francona forged friendships with Shapiro and Antonetti while working in Cleveland's front office in 2001. Francona's father, Tito, played for the Indians from 1959-64. All signs pointed toward Francona reuniting with the organization and returning to the dugout with a chance to end another championship drought; Cleveland has not won a World Series since 1948.

There has been a chain reaction on the roster ever since Francona's arrival.

"He brings something to the table that players are drawn toward," Kipnis said. "Players want to play for him."

Cleveland reeled in a pair of big-ticket free agents in Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher. The Indians also signed free agents Mark Reynolds and Brett Myers to one-year deals and added an assortment of players on Minor League deals, including Scott Kazmir, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jason Giambi and Matt Capps.

"I guarantee he had a big part in bringing some of these guys here," Kipnis said.

From the time he was hired, Francona also made a point to reach out to all his players, whether via phone or text message. He traveled to the Dominican Republic and visited with a handful of players, then met a few others in Florida on his journey back to Cleveland. Communication -- both away and at the ballpark -- has been an obvious strength early on.

It has been a way to begin forming relationships and gaining trust.

"I just think that it works better," Francona explained. "Inevitably, you're going to tell guys things they don't want to hear. When that happens, you don't want to lose them. They might be angry for a day or two, or aggravated. But when they trust you, it just works better.

"Plus, the fact is I just like it. I just enjoy walking in the clubhouse, seeing the guys in the morning. It's fun. It's where I'm more comfortable."

Francona has been in the clubhouse plenty already this spring, and his leadership on the field has led to an increased intensity during workouts.

"Guys are taking it a little more serious," Kipnis said. "They're not just going through the motions like another Spring Training. I think we know what kind of players we have and the kind of potential this team has. It's a new environment.

"Now we've got players where we expect to win this year. We have a good team and we feel we can win, so we don't want to cheat ourselves by not taking this serious or not getting work done."

That attitude has been a joy for Francona to see in these early days as the team's new skipper.

"I told them I was proud of them," Francona said. "I meant that. I would not tell them that if I did not feel that way."

Glad to know that these bozos were not taking it seriously in the past.

I remember watching PFP (pitchers fielding practice) in WinterHaven. Could not believe the lack of effort and enthuiasm during the drills. The coaches were just as bad.

If that was a Little League team of mine, they would still be running laps.

Kenny Lofton says playing in the steroid era killed his Hall of Fame chances

By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
on February 23, 2013 at 8:30 PM, updated February 23, 2013 at 8:48 PM


Goodyear, Ariz. -- Kenny Lofton's first time on the Hall of Fame ballot was his last. He blames steroids.

No, Lofton wasn't using them. He says he played clean his whole career.

Lofton blames steroids for knocking him off the ballot and keeping him out of Cooperstown because he had to play against players who were using them. To add to his frustration, several players who have been linked to steroids through positive tests or rumors are still on the ballot.

In December, Lofton and 23 other players, including the steroid-tinged foursome of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mike Piazza, appeared on the ballot for the first time. To get elected to Cooperstown a player needs 75 percent of the votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America with 10 or more years experience. For a player to stay on the ballot he needs to get at least 5 percent of the vote.

Lofton received 18 votes, 3.2 percent of the 569 votes cast. Bonds (36.2), Clemens (37.6), Sosa (12.5) and Piazza (57.8) easily made the cut.

"It crushed me," said Lofton, a spring-training instructor with the Indians.

Lofton played in the big leagues from 1991 through 2007. For much of that time, he was considered one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. He won four Gold Gloves for his play in center field, went to six All-Star games and ranks 15th all time with 622 steals.

In his career, he hit .299 with 2,428 hits, 1,528 runs, 383 doubles, 116 triples, 130 homers and 781 RBI. He appeared in the postseason 10 times, making two trips to the World Series.

Lofton, who spent 10 seasons with the Indians, says all those stats ring hollow.

"With me being off the ballot, what I accomplished during the steroid era meant nothing," he said. "You look at the people who voted for the Hall of Fame. I think there might have been 600. They still voted for people who were cheating the game.

"It boggles my mind that the people you know cheated, who admitted they cheated, are still on the Hall of Fame ballot. That is sad. It's really sad for baseball."

MLB banned steroids in 1991, but did not start testing players until 2003. In general terms, the steroid era is said to have started in the late 1980s and lasted into the 2000s.

Lofton said he never used steroids or amphetamines and was never tempted. He was afraid of the long-term effect steroids would have on his body. As for greenies, he said: "They scared me. I'm hyper enough as it is."

There was another reason as well.

"That's not who I am as a person," he said. "I'm an honest person, I'm a straight-forward person. I will tell it like it is. I respect this game to a tee.

"For me to go out and cheat it that way, that's not respecting the game I love. I just feel the reason these guys cheated was because of the money. They didn't care about the Hall of Fame. If you would have cared about the Hall of Fame, you wouldn't have even thought about cheating. It was all about money."

A player can stay on the Hall of Fame ballot for 15 years if he keeps getting 5 percent of the vote. With Lofton on the outside looking in, and players such as Bonds, Sosa, Mark McGwire, Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro still on the ballot, he can only wonder "What if".

"I just felt my Hall of Fame chances got diminished because I was not using steroids," he said. "I felt like if I was a steroid user, I would still be on the ballot."

The knife does not stop cutting there.

"To this day, I am still glad I was never caught up in it," said Lofton. "I'm still glad I did it the way I did it. I'm just sad that my numbers are not being looked at the way they should be. Put me in the situation with the steroid era and say what would have happened if these guys weren't using steroids and where are my numbers at?"

Lofton, 40, blames MLB and the players association for "dragging their feet" and not instituting drug testing sooner.

"Now we're to a point where players are still doing it," he said. "The punishment is not severe enough. They're keeping Pete Rose out of the game because of the severity of what he did, but you see guys cheating consistently over and over, but they still have a chance to be in this game. This is not right.

"They need to say if you're cheating, you're out of the game for a year or two. And that's it."

Players who test positive for performance-enhancing drugs face a 50 game suspension for the first offense, 100 for the second and a lifetime ban for a third.

There is a school of thought among some BBWAA voters that says since so many players were using steroids during that period, the playing field was level and that it is all right to vote for players associated with steroids. Especially since testing wasn't introduced until 2003.

"That's wrong. They cheated and they knew they were cheating even if there wasn't testing," said Lofton. "There is still a quote-unquote secret list out there. If people want to find out who was cheating, they need to release that list. Maybe that would make it easier for the writers to vote.

"Everybody wasn't cheating in the game. Every year we have over 700 players in the big leagues. We've only had a couple of names publicized off that list. Why not let all them out?"

Lofton was referring to a list of 104 players who tested positive in 2003 during survey testing to determine whether baseball needed to test for steroids. Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Sosa and David Ortiz's named were leaked off that list.

Eighteen of the 24 players appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in December didn't get the required 5 percent of the vote. They included former Indians Sandy Alomar Jr., Julio Franco and Jose Mesa.

Lofton's only recourse is the Hall of Fame's veteran's committee, but its wheels grind exceedingly slow. If he gets a chance at all, he might need a walker to make his way to the microphone at Cooperstown to make his induction speech. Lofton knows that, but he also knows something else.

"In my heart, based on the era I played in, I'm a Hall of Famer," he said. "Everyone compares people's numbers to someone else. Tim Raines was a great player. I can't put anything against him."

Raines, a dominant leadoff hitter in the National League for 23 seasons, received 52.2 percent of the votes in December in his sixth year on the ballot.

"I don't think Tim Raines is that much better than me," said Lofton. "I've got to compare myself to guys I played against, but again, they don't look at leadoff hitters as important parts of the game anymore. My skill set got diminished by the steroid era. . . . People can say I'm crying wolf, but I'm just telling it like it is."

Poor Kenny

He was a whiner when he played and he's still a whiner.

Ryan Raburn doing his spring slugging for the Tribe this year: Cleveland Indians Insider
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
on February 23, 2013 at 10:15 PM, updated February 23, 2013 at 10:31 PM

Goodyear, Ariz. -- To manager Terry Francona and GM Chris Antonetti, utility man Ryan Raburn was an early target of interest. That's early as in real early.

"The day I got the job, Chris and I were talking," said Francona. "I said if this guy [Raburn] ever comes off the Tigers' roster, he's a guy I like. Chris said he liked him, too. So we targeted him early."

The early interest has turned into early dividends.

Raburn hit two homers, both two-run shots, Saturday to lead the Indians to a 13-10 Cactus League victory over Cincinnati at Goodyear Ballpark. Raburn has three at-bats this spring and has hit three homers, accounting for five RBI.

"That was fun to watch," said Francona after the game.


Last spring training Raburn hit six homers and drove in 19 runs to win Detroit's second base job. When the regular season started, he hit .171 (35-for-205) with one homer and 12 RBI in 66 games. The Tigers released him in November.

The Indians are looking at Raburn to play second, third, left and right field.

"The unfortunate year he had, may have helped us," said Francona. "He had a tough year. If he would have had a good year, we wouldn't have had a chance to get him. The Tigers felt he could be their starting second baseman, so there's something there."

Before last season, Raburn had three straight seasons for the Tigers in which he hit between 14 and 16 homers.

No problem: The Indians desperately need more innings from their top three starters. Not only will it protect the young starters in the fourth and fifth spots, but it will keep the bullpen from being overworked.

Brett Myers, who along with Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez form that trio, thinks they can do it.

"Our whole motto is to pound the strike zone," said Myers. "When you're talking about Masterson and Ubaldo, they have overpowering stuff. Teams don't want to face those guys when they're around the plate because they throw hard with a lot of movement. I've heard that from other guys around the league from playing with the White Sox last year."

Myers made his Indians' debut Saturday against the Reds. He pitched two innings and gave up two runs.

He threw only fastballs and change-ups, hitting a batter and forcing home a run in the first.

Last year, Myers made 70 relief appearances with Houston and the White Sox, but he's been a starter most of his career. He still doesn't know why the Astros moved him to the pen last spring, especially since he pitched 439 2/3 innings as a starter the previous two years.

"You'd have to call them," he said.

If Myers can give the Indians another 200-inning season, they'll be happy and so will he because it would vest his $8 million option for 2014 as long as he passes a physical at the end of this season.

"I always want to save the bullpen," said Myers. "Those guys work every day. Anytime I can make it so they're not out there is good for the team because it means they're fresh for the next day."

No problem II: Myers hit Cincinnati's left fielder Donald Lutz in the first inning. It looked as if Myers and Lutz exchanged words.

"I didn't say anything to Lutz," said Myers. "I was talking to the umpire. I said, 'Isn't he supposed to try and get out of the way of that? He didn't even move.' "

Testing, testing: Rule 5 pick Chris McGuiness will play some left and right field this spring to try and increase his versatility. McGuiness, normally a first baseman, must make the Tribe's 25-man opening day roster or be offered back to Texas for half of his $50,000 purchase price.

seagull wrote:Poor Kenny

He was a whiner when he played and he's still a whiner.

I agree, but I also think he should have received more than 5% of the votes.

Being surley and condescending with baseball writers though the years made it tough. Your numbers have to be overwhelming which Lofton's are not.

His "hired gun" personna over his last few years made him tough to vote for in the eyes of the writers that vote. When you bounce around that much, you become a "dime a dozen" player.

Omar may have the same problem except he was always good with the press.