Cleveland Sports Forum

I was hoping that we would gain a roster spot for an actual baseball player this year with Hafner jettisoned. I'd prefer either Carrera or Phelps.

The Cleveland Indians have issued several roster moves that will set up their roster for the start of the 2013 season:

They released right-handed relief pitcher Matt Capps from his minor league contract.
They optioned Catcher Yan Gomes to Triple A Columbus.
They optioned Infiedler Cord Phelps to Triple-A Columbus.
They purchased Jason Giambi's contract from Triple-A Columbus, then placed him on the 15-day Major Leage DL with a lower back strain. He'll be eligible to be activated on April 9th.
They placed right handed relief pitcher Frank Herrmann on the 60-day DL.
The told lefty Nick Hagadone, righty Bryan Shaw and utility player Ryan Raburn that they will open the year on the 25-man roster, barring injury.
LHP Scott Kazmir will be added to the Indians 25-man roster prior to his first scheduled start on April 6th in Tampa. He is the fifth starter. He will overlap with Carlos Carrasco though, so it will be interesting to see how the Indians handle that situation during the first week of the season. Perhaps that's why only 23 names have been listed so far.
Carlos Carrasco will start the year off on the 25-man roster, and will spend the first six games of the season serving his six-game suspension.
UPDATE: Rich Hill and Matt Albers have made the team, round out the 25-man rotation. They will officially have eight pitchers in the pen, but will only have 12 pitchers overall while Carrasco serves his suspension.

Terry Pluto's scribbles on Cord Phelps, Jason Giambi and the Cleveland Indians' fifth starter

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
on March 25, 2013 at 7:36 PM, updated March 25, 2013 at 7:44 PM Print


Scribbles in my notebook from spring training in Arizona:

1. While Cord Phelps was among the final Tribe cuts, the good news is he easily could have made the team. The main reason that Ryan Raburn was selected over Phelps is that Raburn can "play the outfield." That's how Terry Francona answered when I asked why Raburn was picked over Phelps.

2. Raburn has had a strong spring, hitting .359 (1.233 OPS) with four homers and 11 RBI in 39 at-bats. He'll be 32 on April 17, and the Tribe wants to see if Raburn is still the guy with a .256 career batting average (.740 OPS) who played 566 games for the Tigers between 2007-2112. If he repeat last season (.171), then they will drop him and turn to Phelps, who will be nearby in Class AAA Columbus.

3. This is the first time Phelps looked big-league ready. He was promoted in the summer of 2011, and it was a dismal experience. He made five errors in 25 games at second base. I remember writing, "Phelps can't be this bad, because he'd have been cut from his high school team, given all the problems he's having with routine grounders." He hit .155 and looked overwhelmed.

4. By 2012, Jason Kipnis had established himself at second base in Cleveland. Phelps had a late-season promotion, hitting .212 in 33 at-bats. He probably wondered if he had any future with the Tribe.

5. To his credit, he had a monster spring (.375, 1.135 OPS) with three homers in 48 at-bats. Francona said, "His future is really bright, he was as professional as can be." While the Indians have Mike Aviles and Raburn as backup infielders, guys do get hurt. Someone may slump. At 26, the switch-hitting Phelps has played his way back on to the prospect board with the Tribe.

6. I would not worry about Jason Giambi (on the disabled list) having a major back problem. He's 42, so there are times when his back flares up, and it also is very helpful as the Tribe puts together its final roster.

7. Giambi did hit three homers in 29 at-bats, so he still has power.

8. No surprise that Scott Kazmir made the final roster. He was hit hard (13 hits, five runs, five innings) in his last start against Seattle. But the Indians believe he's had a strong spring (3.46) and just may be coming back from his arm problems.

9. If Kazmir fails, they can pick from Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber -- all part of the Class AAA rotation. Carrasco will open the season on the 25-man roster, serving his six-game suspension dating back to 2011. Then he will be sent to the Clippers. The Tribe wants Carrasco's suspension finished so when they do need him, they don't have to worry about him needing to miss six games.

10. The most impressive reliever in camp has been Bryan Shaw, who has fanned 14 in nine innings, walking only one. He allowed six hits and one run. He was clocked consistently at 95 mph.

Tony Lastoria ‏@TonyIBI 16h


I have zero problem with Giambi on the team as the 25th guy. THose not in camp have no idea how much of an impact he has on the team.

Not surprised......Tony never takes off the rose-colored glasses. I guess "cheerleader" is a new position on a baseball team.

Lonnie Chisenhall seizes third-base job with hot spring: Terry Pluto

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
on March 25, 2013 at 7:52 PM, updated March 25, 2013 at 7:58 PM Print

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Lonnie Chisenhall said the phone call mattered.

It happened not long after Terry Francona was hired as the new Tribe manager.

" 'Tito' said I was going to be his third baseman, and he expected me to hit the ground running," Chisenhall said. "It's so much different from last spring."

A year ago, the Indians weren't sure Chisenhall was ready to take over at third base. They had Jack Hannahan and wanted to have a strong glove there.

But if Chisenhall hit well in Arizona, he could win the job.

"I was terrible," he said. "I didn't hit a thing. I had some of the worst at-bats of my life. I felt a lot of pressure on almost every pitch and every swing."

His voice trailed off.

Chisenhall batted .205 last spring (8-of-39), with one double and no walks.

This spring, he is hitting .404 (1.217 OPS), with four homers, 12 RBI and seven walks in 47 at-bats.

"He has a really quick bat," Francona said. "He can flat-out hit a fastball. You like to see that. And the exciting part is that he has room to grow."

In 89 major-league games, Chisenhall has 16 errors -- a high rate for a third baseman.

This spring, he has made only one.

"He's a major-league average third baseman with a very accurate arm," Francona said. "And he'll get better."

While it seems as if Chisenhall (the Tribe's first-round pick in 2008) has been a prospect ever since the days of Al Rosen, he will play the entire season at age 24.

Players are aware that the front office comes into spring training with plans for certain players. They may be written in pencil -- as was the decision to open 2012 with Hannahan at third. But they still are plans.

Sometimes, a team is still learning about a player. Certain athletes perform better when they know the job has to be earned -- that someone else can take their place.

Their biggest enemy is complacency.

For others, they need security.

The Indians do have super-utility man Mike Aviles, who has played 61 games at third in his career. And Mark Reynolds came up as a third baseman, although his defense is iffy and he's slated for designated hitter and first base.

Third belongs to Chisenhall, especially given how he has performed this spring.

When sent to Class AAA Columbus to open 2012, Chisenhall hit .314 (.858 OPS), with four homers in 30 games.

He was promoted to the Tribe and batted .268 (.741 OPS), with five homers in 142 at-bats. But he was on the disabled list for two months with a broken arm after being hit by a pitch.

"I was 22 when I had my first big-league [spring] camp," he said. "This is the third time that I've had a chance to make a team out of spring training, and I know I'm ready. There are times when you stop being a prospect and you need to produce."

The lean 6-2, 190-pound Chisenhall has one of the sweetest, smoothest left-handed swings on the team.

In 354 big-league at-bats (.260 batting average) in two seasons, he has walked only 16 times.

"He doesn't swing and miss that much," Francona said. "So we want him to look for a pitch in the middle of the plate and really square up and hit it. We're not worried about him drawing more walks, we just want him to get the right pitches to hit."

Which is exactly what he has been doing this spring.

Bleacher Reports full pre-season rankings with lineups and rotations for all teams. Indians are now rated No. 18, which means 3rd in the ALC just behind KC and just above Chi. I note that Pomeranz is no longer listed in Rockies' projected rotation. I guess Indian No. 1 draft picks don't work out anywhere they go (except of course for Sabathia)

TFIR wrote: You need leadership in the form of vets who kids look up to.

I won't argue that point, but is it really too much to ask to get a vet that can actually contribute on the field as well as off it?

As the 25th man on the team, how much actual playing time will he get? Would you rather have a younger player sit and not provide anything substantial while having whatever skills they possess slowly erode?

I would rather a player with some potential play every day in Columbus than sit on the bench. The out of options rule is designed to allow a player to move on if they do not fit in the plans for the team. It is part of baseball life.

I don't think we're talking about a player like Francisco Lindor, Dennis. We're talking Ezekiel Carrera. His legs alone are worth a year of Giambi. I liken Carrera to Mike Aviles. Would you rather have Jason Giambi or Mike Aviles? It's a moot point now I suppose. That was my arguement though. By the way, I think Swisher could easily be a team leader and role model. He's got all the pre-requisites.

My vote would be for Carrera.

Here's an old scouting report from the old Indian Ink by Chuck Murr.

Ezequiel Carrera: Plenty of playing time

by Chuck Murr of IndiansInk.net, November 21, 2010 at 9:23 am ET

Ezequiel Carrera Profile

Ezequiel Carrera is playing plenty in the Venezuelan Winter League -- which is just fine with the Cleveland Indians.

Carrera, acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a trade for first baseman Russell Branyan in June, is hitting .264 (28-for-109) in 28 games for Navegantes de Magallanes. The slender outfielder has six doubles, but no triples or homers with 11 RBI and eight stolen bases in 12 attempts.

Carreras game is built upon defense, speed and making contact at the plate. It could be good enough to earn a spot in Cleveland as a reserve outfielder in 2011.

In 481 career games in the minors, Carrera is a .292 hitter. He has only 12 home runs since signing with the New York Mets as an undrafted free agent at age 18 in 2005. He does have 54 doubles, 31 triples and 126 steals, however.

Carrera will turn 24 in June (turning 26 this June) and the slap-hitting lefty is a very good outfielder and baserunner. If he could learn to drive the ball into the gaps for some extra-base hits, he could develop into a solid big-leaguer.

[I don't think Murr was incorrect in stating that Carrera's game is built on defense, speed, and contact and we know he is a very good outfielder and baserunner. I'd rather have a strong bench than a clubhouse presence. Aviles = infield utility and Carrera = outfield utility. That would have been nice options late in the game for players that clog the bases. Just more options available to Francona late in ballgames. Never too late to play some small ball when the situations call for it.]

McGuiness hoping to stick around with Tribe

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Chris McGuiness' baseball life is currently in limbo. The Minor League first baseman has been in camp with the Indians all spring as a Rule 5 Draft pick, but it remains unknown whether Cleveland will be able to keep him in its farm system.

McGuiness is currently exposed to waivers and can be claimed by any team through Wednesday afternoon. If he clears waivers, the Indians must offer him back to the Rangers for $25,000, or attempt to work out a deal to keep the first baseman in the fold.

"I'd love to stay here," McGuiness said. "I like the coaching staff and from the Minor Leagues up to [manager Terry] Francona, everyone's been really good. I just want to play somewhere. I'm just ready to get into a routine and find a team that I'm going to be with for a while. I want to go get the at-bats and start building."

In December, Cleveland spent $50,000 to select the 24-year-old McGuiness from Texas during the Rule 5 Draft. Players added in that manner must remain on the acquiring team's 25-man roster all season, or be offered back to the original club at half the cost.

It became increasingly clear this spring that McGuiness -- with no career at-bats above Double-A -- was not going to make the Indians' Opening Day roster. He was still thrown into plenty of Cactus League contests, but McGuiness only hit .195 (8-for-41) in the 24 games he played through Monday.

"I couldn't ask for anything else," McGuiness said of his playing time. "I was in there every day. I got 40 at-bats. You couldn't have asked for more chances. I started a few games. The chances were there. I just couldn't really get into a groove. I couldn't find a rhythm, but that's part of baseball. It goes and comes. It's one of those springs."

Last season, McGuiness hit .268 with 23 home runs, 25 doubles and 77 RBIs in 123 games for Double-A Frisco in the Rangers' system. He was then named the Most Valuable Player of the Arizona Fall League after hitting .283 with four homers and 27 RBIs in 25 games for Surprise in the offseason.

"I've said it before, I wish he wasn't a Rule 5," Francona said. "It's hard for a position player to skip Triple-A and come to the big leagues. It's not altogether fair to expect them to be able to put up numbers. There's so much to like about him.

"I don't know if it's going to work or not -- if we could keep him -- but I wish we could. I don't know how that's going to work. I know [GM Chris Antonetti] is going to try."

McGuiness is just ready to know one way or another.

"Spring Training has kind of been a whirlwind," he said. "I'm ready for this season to start, wherever it may be, and go from there."

Carrera is a terrible base runner. Fast does not make you a great base runner.

TribeVibe
Between the lines, into the clubhouse, on the road and inside the front office with the Cleveland Indians.
Need advice? Have a pressing question? Ask TERRi!
First, he rode a scooter all over Goodyear.

Then, he kicked off our “Harlem Shake” video with his, uh, best dance moves.

Now, Terry Francona has broadened his horizons into the counseling field, offering players Nick Swisher, Jason Kipnis, Vinnie Pestano and others advice on very serious matters.

It’s Ask TERRi. Enjoy.
http://tribevibe.mlblogs.com/2013/03/27 ... ask-terri/