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by J.R.
Cleveland Indians have Terry Talkin' about the frustrating Carlos Santana, Mark Shapiro's future and Michael Brantley
on August 22, 2015 at 8:44 AM, updated August 22, 2015 at 10:09 AM
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The most disappointing Indian this season is Carlos Santana.
The overall numbers are so sad: .225 average, 14 HR, 57 RBI, .735 OPS. Making the situation even more depressing is the Indians thought Santana would have a good year -- and there were reasons for optimism.
Trivia question: Who was the Tribe's opening day third baseman in 2014? Since this story is about Santana, that's a safe guess. He also was serving as the backup catcher in 2014. But in June, the Tribe made him into a full-time first baseman. At that position, he batted .274 (.912 OPS) with 20 HR and 63 RBI in 94 games.
The Indians believed that catching was wearing down Santana, who suffered at least two concussions from foul tips and developed other injuries. It was affecting his hitting.
The theory seemed sound, based on how Santana finished 2014. So the Indians opened with him at first in 2015, only to receive his worst season in five full years in the majors.
Early in the year, the Tribe wanted him to bat second. He didn't like it (hitting .196), so he was returned to the middle of the lineup. He still didn't hit. In 2012 and 2014, Santana had poor starts, then finished strong. But this year he's only .236 with 4 HR and 17 RBI since the All-Star break and nearly helpless against off-speed pitches.
Then there's this. From 2012-14, he was a better hitter from the right side of the plate -- .281 (.847 OPS), 20 HR in 533 at-bats. From the left side: .235 (.781 OPS), 45 HR in 1,056 at-bats. But this season, he has 142 right-handed at-bats without a single home run. He's batting .218 (.635 OPS).
Santana is 29. He should be in his prime, not a decline. But this has been a miserable season, highlighted by his inability to adjust to all the soft stuff. His defense is worse. He's batting .221 with runners in scoring position. It's just discouraging.
Santana has an $8.5 million contract for 2016 and $12 million in 2017, but only $1.2 million in 2017 is guaranteed.
It may be time to trade Santana. The problem is finding his replacement.
THE INTERNAL OPTIONS
1. The Tribe hoped Jesus Aguilar would show more progress. The 25-year-old is batting .251 (.729 OPS) with 15 HR and 77 RBI at Class AAA Columbus. His big swing makes scouts wonder if he can produce in the majors.
2. Jerry Sands and Chris Johnson both have value because they hit lefty pitchers very well. Sands can also play the outfield, while Johnson is a natural third baseman. But neither seem likely to hit enough to play first on a regular basis.
3. At Class A Lake County, Bobby Bradley is breaking records. He has 26 homers and 83 RBI in 94 games, batting .264 (.884 OPS). At 19, he has enormous power. But he also has struck out 132 times in 356 at-bats. At first base, he has 16 errors. He is a young, exciting prospect in need of a lot of work in the field. His two-strike approach needs to improve.
4. Nelson Rodriguez has just been promoted to Class AA Akron, where he is off to a rough start (3-of-31). At Class A Lynchburg, Rodriguez batted .275 (.894 OPS) with 17 HR and 84 RBI in 108 games. So the best first-base prospects -- Bradley and Rodriguez -- are in the low minors.
5. Among starting American League first basemen, Santana ranks eighth in OPS, ninth in RBI, ninth in batting average and 11th in home runs. It's surprising he still ranks that high in some categories. It just demonstrates how hitting has dropped off in the majors.
ABOUT MARK SHAPIRO
1. The Tribe president is indeed a serious candidate to become what amounts to CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays. Shapiro is not commenting on the reports. He has been approached for GM roles with other teams in the past. But this job is different because he'd be in charge of the entire franchise.
2. Shapiro has been president of the Indians for the last five years after turning the baseball operation over to General Manager Chris Antonetti. That began with Antonetti's hiring of Manny Acta as manager in 2010. Shapiro and Antonetti worked together on the baseball end that season, which ended with Shapiro named team president.
3. While Antonetti discussed the baseball moves with Shapiro, it was Antonetti who made the final decisions. Obviously, ownership was involved when it came to budget issues. That's true of every franchise. Shapiro gave Antonetti freedom to run the baseball side. If Shapiro does leave, Antonetti would remain as general manager.
4. The presence of Shapiro and Antonetti is why Terry Francona joined the team as manager in 2013. Francona has developed a very strong working relationship with Antonetti. I don't think Shapiro's decision will affect Francona's desire to stay.
5. Shapiro is 48. He has been with the Indians for 24 years, the only franchise he knows. In my book,
Dealing, I outlined many of the challenges he faced after the 1990s came to an end and the economics radically changed for the franchise. He rarely received credit for his role in putting together two teams -- 1995 and 1997 -- that won 93 and 96 games on a payroll in the bottom 25 percent of baseball.
6. The Blue Jays' average payroll is $130 million over the last three seasons. Toronto is a major market that is seeking its first playoff team since 1993. It is a strong contender this season.
ABOUT JOSH TOMLIN
In two starts since returning from shoulder surgery, Josh Tomlin has allowed three runs (all solo homers) in 13 1/3 innings. His ERA is 2.07.
The Tribe is thrilled with his comeback.
They have been looking for a veteran to claim the No. 5 spot in the rotation all season. Tomlin was one of the candidates in spring training, but had a shoulder problem that required surgery.
Tomlin now appears healthy. The 30-year-old was 12-7 with a 4.25 ERA in 2011. His average fastball is 89.1 mph in the two 2015 starts, slightly higher than his 88.8 career mark. His curve seems sharper. The key with Tomlin is control.
The Indians would like Tomlin to keep the fifth starter's spot. Cody Anderson (2-3, 4.31) had some initial success, but struggled later. He is now on the disabled list with an oblique injury, but expected to return fairly soon.
The Tribe may send Anderson to Class AAA. He pitched only three games at that level before being promoted to Cleveland.
ABOUT THE TRIBE:
1. Michael Brantley is batting .395 since the All-Star break, with 4 HR and 22 RBI in 108 at-bats despite battling back problems and other minor injuries.
2. Brantley is such a consistent player. This has been a discouraging season for the team, and Brantley has not been healthy. Yet, he keeps hitting. On the season, Brantley is batting .320 with 9 HR and 68 RBI. A smart baserunner, he is 13-of-14 in stolen bases this season, 36-of-38 in the last two years. He is a leader and role model without having to say a word.
3. Lonnie Chisenhall is batting .385 (20-of-52) since returning from the minors and moving to right field. He seems comfortable in the outfield. Will he be able to sustain his hitting? Last season, Chisenhall batted .332 in 70 games before the All-Star break. He dropped to .218 after. He was batting .214 when he went to the minors in June.
4. It feels as if Chisenhall has been around forever, but he's only 26. The Indians are looking for outfielders. The other day,
they started Jose Ramirez (LF), Abraham Almonte (CF) and Chisenhall (RF).
It's a wide open opportunity for Chisenhall.
5. Tyler Naquin opened the season batting .348 at Class AA Akron. After 34 games, he was promoted to Class AAA Columbus, where he is batting .264 with 6 HR and 17 RBI. He returned to the lineup Aug. 17 after missing two weeks with a concussion. The 24-year-old outfielder will probably be promoted to Cleveland in September.
6. Since being traded to St. Louis, Brandon Moss is having a terrible time. He is hitting .167 with 0 HR and 1 RBI in 48 at-bats. David Murphy is batting .263 (.679 OPS) with 2 HR and 7 RBI with the Angels. Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn are a combined 7-of-62 (.113) for Atlanta.
7. Looking at some minor-league stats, I found some old friends of hard-core Tribe fans playing for Class AAA Lehigh Valley of the Phillies' farm system: Cord Phelps is hitting .244 (.642 OPS) with 3 HR and 34 RBI. Russ Canzler is hitting .276 (.749 OPS) with 7 HR and 37 RBI.
