Cleveland Sports Forum

civ ollilavad wrote:as long as no one's given up the Tribe, it's ok, but I think the problem remains that this forum has too small a population.

If you and TFIR would volunteer to be admins here, I will let Ryan know.
I know that when it was set up for anyone to register, I would get a dozen or so emails every day from people with names like ytbgfdx, who were logging on from Russia or someplace overseas, who I assume were looking for a place to post spam, and none who seemed to be real Indians fans.

I think these types of forums have given way to Facebook, Twitter, etc.

I wonder if any serious thought is being given to dumping Raburn or Murphy? Neither is hitting much. With Moss in RF, healthy and hitting, these two will only be subs and potential DHs. Both are of course under contract for 2015.

Murphy this spring is hitting 214 with nothing peripheral, his OPS is 481. One positive stat: he's strike only once.
Raburn, usually Mr. March, is hitting 217, and 1 for his last 15. He's fanned seven times in 27 At Bats.

Aguillar has been hitting lots of singles and the last couple days doubles and finally a homer. Spring avg 407, OPS 1043. He can DH from the right side.
Holt is a better defensive OF than Murphy or Raburn. For the spring he's at 286; not much of a power hitter, he does have one double and one triple. 3 stolen bases. 4 walks vs. 5 strikeouts.

I'm still here but I'm afraid work takes precedence over spring training games.

Regular season, welllllllll ... that could be a different matter.

I know that when it was set up for anyone to register, I would get a dozen or so emails every day from people with names like ytbgfdx, who were logging on from Russia or someplace overseas, who I assume were looking for a place to post spam, and none who seemed to be real Indians fans.

Yikes!

Another nonproductive game for Raburn on Monday. What's he being paid this year? $4M I think. Eat it and replace him with someone who can contribute, at least a little: Holt, Sands, Aguillar or Hood

Don't forget Cookie

Carlos "Cookie' Carrasco, facing Class AAA Charlotte (White Sox), threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings Tuesday. He struck out 10, walked one and allowed one hit.

OK, that's crazy! I don't care whom he was facing.

that's pretty much a standard line for "Cookie" the last couple months of 2014. Maybe he'll be our Cy Young winter in 2015.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Outfielder Jerry Sands showed off some impressive power Tuesday night, launching a tape-measure home run off San Francisco's Ryan Vogelsong to help the Indians claim a 9-5 Cactus League victory over the Giants at Goodyear Ballpark.

Sands' shot came in the third inning, when he crushed a 3-0 pitch from Vogelsong to deep center field, where the ball easily cleared a roughly 55-foot-tall batter's eye behind the wall. The blast was the first of Spring Training for Sands, who is competing for a spot on Cleveland's bench as a utility man.



"I'm glad I wasn't pitching," Indians starter TJ House said. "That's impressive. That's a lot of strength. Not many guys have that."

Indians manager Terry Francona was blown away by Sands' home run, too.

"That's what you do with a 3-0 pitch," Francona said. "That was worth the price of admission. Man, that was a pretty swing."

The home run was one of two surrendered by the veteran Vogelsong, who is a leading candidate for a spot in San Francisco's rotation. The right-hander worked 4 2/3 innings, in which he allowed six runs on six hits and ended with a pair of strikeouts and one walk. Vogelsong also gave up a three-run homer in the first inning to Indians slugger Brandon Moss.

"That ball was hit pretty well, too," Francona said. "He doesn't get cheated. He's going to strike out but, man, he swings like he's mad and he's strong. That's a welcome addition."

Vogelsong, who was coming off 4 2/3 shutout innings last Thursday against Milwaukee, observed that he "pulled" too many pitches across home plate, making them more hittable..

"My tempo was a little off, and it was weird because I came out of the bullpen right where I wanted to be," said Vogelsong.

Moss, who now has three Cactus League home runs, served as the designated hitter while playing in a second consecutive game for the first time this spring. In October, Moss underwent surgery on his right hip, but he has enjoyed a setback-free recovery to this point.

"I felt a lot better," Moss said of his comfort level in the batter's box. "There were some things that I wanted to make an adjustment with. I didn't feel like I was waiting back on offspeed [pitches] very well, and then today, I got a lot of offspeed, and I felt like I was staying back better and staying balanced better. I hit a ball pretty well and just missed another one. I felt good."

Moss' homer bounced off a tin roof behind the right-field wall, but Sands one-upped him with the shot to center.

"I was hoping I was going to get 'Swing of the Day' for once," Moss said with a laugh. "It doesn't look like that's going to happen now."

House is fighting for one of the two openings in Cleveland's rotation, along with Danny Salazar, Zach McAllister and Josh Tomlin. In five innings against San Francisco, the left-hander gave up four runs on six hits, finishing with three strikeouts and two walks. All four runs came in a 24-pitch third inning, when the Giants pieced together four hits, including three doubles.

"If it's going to happen, I'd rather have it happen here," Francona said. "Then, he bounced back and had a couple good innings."

In that four-run third, Joaquin Arias contributed an RBI single, Casey McGehee came through with a run-scoring double and Justin Maxwell added a two-base hit off House that knocked in another pair.

"They were aggressive, but some pitches were up and they made it work," said House, who has allowed eight runs on 15 hits in his past two appearances (eight innings). "[My spring has been] great except for a couple innings just kind of eating me up a little bit. Besides that, I've got some good work and I think we're just moving forward and going in the right direction."

Up next: Right-hander Tomlin is scheduled to log five innings Wednesday, when the Indians head to Tempe Diablo Stadium for a 4:05 p.m. ET Cactus League clash with the Angels. All-Star Michael Brantley is slated to make the trip for the Tribe. The game will be available on MLB.TV.

Marcum, Chen and Downs were returned to AAA rosters and the first two have opt-out clauses with the choice of moving on to another team.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians have told veteran pitchers Bruce Chen, Shaun Marcum and Scott Downs that they will not make their big-league club. Manager Terry Francona said all three pitchers have been told they can stay in camp until they decide their next move.

"We told them to talk to their agents and their families, but they were welcome to stick around," said Francona. "They have some things to think about. We weren't telling them they couldn't pitch because all three have done pretty well.
"But right now we have guys ahead of them. ... But we do like them and we'd like to keep them around."

They gave infielder Ryan Rohlinger the same message. Rohlinger can stay in camp until the big-league club leaves Arizona on April 4. He will then be reassigned to the minors.

"We'd like them to stick around," said Francona, referring to Chen, Marcum and Downs. "Downs is going to pitch in a game for us on Wednesday."

Chen and Marcum have outs in their contracts that they can exercise instead of accepting an assignment to the minors. Marcum, earlier in the spring training, said he might go to Class AAA Columbus based on the way the Indians treated him last year while he was recovering from a stress fracture in his right shoulder.

Downs, like Chen and Marcum, came to camp on a minor-league deal. Unlike Chen and Marcum, Downs ended last season on a big-league contract with Kansas City. If the Indians do not release him with at least five days left before the season opener, and he is not on the 25-man roster or the disabled list, he'll receive a $100,000 bonus and go to the minors with an June 1 opt out date.

Chen is 1-1 with a 5.00 ERA in three Cactus League games. He signed a minor-league deal right before the start of spring training. Marcum, who is at home in Missouri with his wife and newborn baby, is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three games this spring. Downs is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA in six relief appearances.

Swing away: Second baseman Jason Kipnis is expected to get some minor-league work Wednesday after taking 50 swings in the cage Monday to test his sore back.

"He's doing a little bit better," said Francona. "It's not etched in stone, but he could get some minor league at-bats on Wednesday." Kipnis, to date, has missed six games with back spasms. He's hitting .222 (4-for-18) in seven games this spring. [But note that Ramirez has NOT been getting game time at 2nd]

It's been pretty much understood that Roberto Perez will be the backup catcher this season, but GM Chris Antonetti confirmed it. "He came in with a leg up based on what he did last year," said Antonetti. "At this point, Roberto hasn't done anything to lose the spot." That means spring-training invitees Adam Moore and Brett Hayes will probably be headed for Columbus.

Perez will catch Trevor Bauer in a B game against the Angels Wednesday morning in Tempe, Ariz.

Finally: David Murphy, hobbled by a sprained right ankle, is expected to be back in the lineup DHing Wednesday against the Angels. ... Francona talked to Nick Swisher on Tuesday after it was reported Monday that he wouldn't be ready to open the season on April 6 in Houston. "We reiterated that opening day is not the final deadline," said Francona. "We told him when you're ready, and not just ready to DH, we'll (activate you). We want him to be the best he can be and the sooner the better, but we don't want artificial deadlines."

Tito calls out Sands as a valuable player on Monday. Jerry follows up with a monster homer on Tuesday. I think he's got a job. Perhaps just until Swisher returns. But he could easily bump Raburn off the roster; Holt could, too.

More paring down of the roster:

CC Lee optioned to Columbus. Looked good until his last couple outings. Not sure if he's going to be a major leaguer or not; he should have won a spot by now.

The other 7 are all on AAA contracts. Lindor is the only one we can expect back. Also OF Destin Hood, IF Audy Ciriaco, C Adam Moore, pitchers Bryan Price, Michael Roth, Dustin Molleken [the only one of these guys who actually looked good].

Francona says about Lee: He has "to believe in himself as much as we believe in him" "It has taken Lee time to adjust at every level he's reached in the minors, just not yet in the majors," Hoynes paraphrases

That leaves 28 of the 40 man roster in camp excluding the 3 injured [Walters, Swisher, Floyd] plus non-roster players Sands, Swarzek, Hayes and Martinez. The latter two are sure to be optioned back. Of the remaining 30 there are:

15 pitchers, with Swarzek unlikely to stay and Salazar and Tomlin making themselves more and more expendable.

15 position players:
2 catchers
6 infielders
6 outfielders plus Sands a 1B/OF.
2 probably will go, which means 2 among Holt, Aguillar, Sands and Raburn. Haven't read anything suggesting Raburn may be dumped, but his continued total lack of productivity should earn him a release.

Have to wonder about David Murphy. Doesn't have an extra basehit this spring.

Would they eat 2 contracts of unproductive outfielders? Holt is a much better defender than Murphy, is a good baserunner so could do some pinch-running, and if he doesn't hit for extra bases no one will be surprised.