I think they should still be working on a trade with a team like Dodgers. They have like 7 OF'ers on roster right now. Screw the washed up bums on the markets. Trade a young arm for a good young OFer.

Related:


Juan Uribe - 3B - Mets

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Giants have talked to Juan Uribe about a utility role, "but the salary ask has been too expensive for them."

Uribe, who turns 37 in March, had two of his most productive seasons as a Giant back in 2009 and 2010. However, he's also being pursued by the Indians and would likely be in line for quite a bit more playing time with them.

Uribe sported a 253/.320/.417 batting line with 14 homers and 43 RBI last season between the Dodgers, Braves, and Mets.

37 year old 250 hitter. Just drives me crazy

Please sign him, Giants

Drives me nuts too. Don't know why they would even consider signing these geezers.

Show some balls. Take a chance on a young guy for a change.

I couldn't agree more. This has been my concerns for years.

Good free agents still on the radar

Paul Hoynes

phoynes@cleveland.com

The Indians are still trying to improve their offense and bullpen, with spring training fast approaching. Here are 10 free agents who could help the process.

On the infield, the Indians are focusing on third base, where Giovanny Urshela showed last season that he was ready for the big leagues defensively but not at the plate.

Before we start naming names, one programming note: It's highly unlikely that the Indians will part with their No.1 pick in June. That eliminates center fielder Dexter Fowler and shortstop Ian Desmond. They are free agents but would cost the Indians their No.1 pick if they signed them because they received qualifying offers from their old teams.



1. Juan Uribe, 36: Much has been written about the Indians' interest in Uribe. He's a right-handed hitter who hit 14 homers last year with the Dodgers, Braves and Mets. Uribe played 92 games at third and eight at second base last year.

2. David Freese, 32: He played 113 of his 121 games last season at third for the Angels. He's a right-handed hitter who batted .257 with 14 homers and 56 RBI. Freese didn't hit lefties well last year, but in his career, he's a .296 hitter against them.

3. Pedro Alvarez, 29: Yes, it's a stretch, and he certainly is an adventure defensively at third base, but Alvarez hit 27 homers last year. That's eight more than anyone hit who finished the 2015 season with the Indians. Maybe Travis Fryman and Mike Sarbaugh could double-team him in spring training.

Outfielders

1. Marlon Byrd, 38: The right-handed hitting Byrd hit .247 with 23 homers and 73 RBI for the Reds and Giants last year. It took him 506 at-bats, which he probably wouldn't get in Cleveland, but certainly the Indians have enough uncertainty in left and right field to give him adequate playing time.

2. Austin Jackson, 29:

Nothing against Abraham Almonte, who did a nice job for the Tribe last year in center field, but the righthanded hitting Jackson covered the vast expanse of center field at Comerica Park for 4½ seasons. He hit .267 with nine homers and 48 RBI in 136 games last season for Seattle and the Cubs.

3. Alex Rios, 35: This would be a gamble because Rios hasn't done much the last two years because of injuries. The right-handed hitting Rios has power and has a higher career batting average against lefties than righties. He could platoon with Lonnie Chisenhall in right field. Rios made $11 million last year for the Royals, but if he comes to Cleveland, it will be for a lot less.

Bullpen

1. LHP Matt Thornton, 39:

The Indians don't have a proven left-on-left reliever on the 40-man roster. Thornton was 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in 60 appearances last season for Washington. Lefties hit .198 and righties .229 against him.

The Indians do have three nonroster lefties coming to camp in Joe Thatcher, Tom Gorzelanny and Ross Detwiler.

2. LHP Brian Duensing, 32:

Duensing made 55 or more appearances for the Twins over the last four years. Last season, he went 4-1 with a 4.25 ERA in 55 games. His control was not good — 24 strikeouts and 21 walks in 48⅔ innings — and he was better against righties (.235) than lefties (.288).

3. RHP Tyler Clippard, 30:

The Tribe has three good right-handers at the back end of the pen with Zach McAllister, Bryan Shaw and closer Cody Allen. Clippard could make it four. He made $8.3 million last season, which is way more than the Indians want to spend, but the longer he stays unsigned, the more open he might be to a deal. Clippard went 5-4 with a 2.92 ERA in 69 games last year with the A's and Mets. He went 19 for 25 in save situations, with 17 of those saves coming with Oakland.

3a. RHP Burke Badenhop, 32: Badenhop is another right-hander who could fit in the pen for a lot less than Clippard. He's not going to break the radar gun, but he's durable, can pitch more than one inning and produces ground balls. Last year Badenhop went 2-4 with a 3.93 ERA in 68 games for the Reds.

Pluto

About the Indians

Can the Indians count on Giovanny Urshela to play third base?

With the glove, absolutely. At the bat … well … we don't know.

If the Tribe had power hitters in the outfield, then they could go with a younger version of a smooth-fielding Jack Hannahan at third base. But fans know about Michael Brantley being out at least for the first month of the season because of shoulder surgery. It could be longer.

The projected opening day outfield is Lonnie Chisenhall (RF), Abraham Almonte (CF) and Rajai Davis (LF). Those three combined for 20 homers last season. The Indians are looking to platoon at some position in the outfield. Tyler Naquin could make the team, but he's not a power hitter.

That's why it would help the Tribe to have someone at third base who can drive in some runs.

On June 9, the Tribe promoted Urshela from the minors. Five days later, Francisco Lindor came up from Columbus. The goal was to stabilize the left side of the infield.

A story by Ben Lindbergh in Grantland (now defunct) discussed how the Indians went from ''the worst-fielding team in modern history'' in early May to one of the best in the majors by the end of the season.

Four big moves happened: 1. Lindor replaced Jose Ramirez at shortstop.

2. Urshela replaced Chisenhall at third base.

3. Chisenhall took over in right field for Brandon Moss and others.

4. Almonte replaced Michael Bourn in center.

Fangraphs.com rated the Tribe as the second-best defensive team in the American League. The World Series champion Kansas City Royals were first.

That's why the Indians hope Urshela can hit enough to hold down third base.

It's hard to judge Urshela's performance last season. He was leading Venezuela's winter league with a .398 batting average (43 of 108) when he hurt his knee a year ago. He didn't have surgery, but the knee needed time to recover. He played only five spring training games in 2015.

Urshela opened at Class AAA Columbus but hurt his back. He missed three weeks.

The Indians probably should have kept Urshela longer in the minors, but the Cleveland situation was a mess.

The pitchers were justifiably discouraged by the defensive problems. Manager Terry Francona believed the Lindor/Urshela promotions would help the team, even if they struggled to hit.

It took 100 at-bats, but Lindor began to find his swing. By the end of the season, he was a .313 hitter (.835 OPS) with 12 HR, 51 RBI in 99 games.

What about Urshela?

■ He was a .253 hitter at the All-Star break. That was in 103 plate appearances.

■ After the All-Star break, he batted .208 in 183 plate appearances.

■ He batted only .207 vs. righties, compared with .275 vs. lefties.

■ His final totals were .225 (.608 OPS) with 6 HR and 21 RBI.

Until 2015, Urshela had been healthy since signing with the Indians in 2009. Then came the knee, the back, and he had a shoulder issue late in the 2015 season. In 2014, Urshela batted a combined .280 (.865 OPS) with 18 HR and 84 RBI between Class AA and Class AAA. So there is reason to believe he can be respectable at the plate. He is only 24.

The Indians intend to contend for a playoff spot in 2016. One of the questions hanging over the team is Urshela. Can they count on him now?

They don't know. On the roster right now, the other third base option is Jose Ramirez. His best position is second base. He is considered the team's utility infielder for 2016.

Ramirez batted only .219 (.631 OPS) with 6 HR and 27 RBI last season. He was awful in the spring and sent back to the minors. He eventually returned and batted .259 after the All-Star break.

Urshela is better defensively at third, and it's doubtful Ramirez would supply a lot of offense.

The Indians are excited about Yandy Diaz, who played third and hit .315 with 7 HR and 55 RBI for Class AA Akron last season. But he's not ready to open the 2016 season in Cleveland.

The 24-year-old Diaz is fascinating, a Cuban defector who has played only two years of pro ball in the U.S. He could move up quickly.

The questions hanging over Urshela are why Juan Uribe rumors keep popping up. Uribe will be 37 on March 22. He's a very wide body, 245 pounds on a 6-foot frame.

Uribe batted .253 (.737 OPS) with 14 HR and 43 RBI with three teams last season. He had nine errors in 92 games at third. In 2014, he was a .311 hitter (.773 OPS) with 9 HR and 54 RBI for the Dodgers.

If the Indians do sign Uribe, he will join veterans Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis as right-handed hitters who are more effective against lefties than right-handed pitching.

Who were the surprise late FA pickups in recent years? Bourn was one, wasn't he? Not that we got him for a bargain price. I think we snapped up someone just before ST a year or two ago too, but don't recall details.

Haven't done any analysis, but it seems to me, FAs, especially position players, are not usually worth the money they're signed for.

Once in a while you get a pitching bargain.

Countdown to Indians’ Opening Day


Craig Gifford | On 08, Feb 2016

As Did The Tribe Win Last Night helps fans count down the days until the Indians retake the field in an official Major League game, we look back at some of the players who wore the Cleveland jersey with pride.

In 2015 the Indians had one of the top pitching staffs in baseball. However, a major Achilles heel for the Tribe for about half the season was the number five starter role.

For the better part of the campaign’s first three months, Cleveland tried throwing anything and everything against the last starter wall in the hopes it would stick. From young guys like T.J. House, to a reclamation project in Zach McAllister, to veteran journeyman like Shaun Marcum and Bruce Chen, nothing worked.

House, a rookie breakout sensation in 2014, got hurt. McAllister proved to be far better in a long-relief, bullpen role. Chen and Marcum were not nearly the trusted arms they were when they were young and less-traveled.

On June 21, the Tribe decided to dip into its minor league pool of talent to see if a fifth starter, who could be trusted, could be found. The little-known Cody Anderson got the call. In his first big-league game, the right-hander stymied the Tampa Bay Rays for seven and two-thirds scoreless innings. It was easily the best performance by a Tribe starter out of the last rotation spot.

Before the game, it was questionable as to whether or not Anderson would head back on a return trip to Columbus shortly after his Major League debut. Instead, he stuck around and stuck around for the long haul.

Anderson finally answered the months-long question of who would slot in after the Tribe’s big starting four of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer.

Anderson ended up putting together an eye-opening final three months of 2015. He finished with 15 games started, going 7-3 with a 3.05 ERA. Add another month or so to the resume, and the now 25-year-old may have entered the American League Rookie of the Year conversation.

Anderson’s stunning rookie season came out of nowhere as he was not near Cleveland’s radar during spring training. He had struggled significantly in 28 games at Double-A Akron prior to last year. His ERA in those outings was 5.65. He was certainly headed back to the Aeros for the 2015 campaign and it seemed he had a lot of work to do just to get to Columbus, let alone Cleveland.

However, something seemed to click and the lights went on for the pitcher entering his mid-20s. He was lights out in ten outings to start the Double-A season. He went 3-2 with a 1.73 ERA, earning a promotion to Columbus and looking more like an early round draft pick rather than the 14th-rounder he was when selected by the Indians in 2011 amateur draft.

Anderson got off to a very good start with the Clippers. In three games, he split a pair of decisions and carried an excellent 2.33 ERA. Thanks to some other injuries at the Triple-A level and the mess that the fifth starter job in Cleveland had become, the Tribe went calling for its previously unheralded hurler.

After a full season like Anderson enjoyed last year, having success at all three levels at which he pitched, he should seem a lock for Cleveland’s 2016 rotation. However, when it comes to Cleveland’s starting five, nothing is a given considering how strong the options are.

The 2014 Cy Young award winner Kluber will anchor a staff considered by many to be a top five rotation in baseball and arguably the best in the AL. Carrasco and Salazar, following strong years of their own, are likely numbers two and three. Josh Tomlin, who was coming off Tommy John surgery and not in the rotational picture until August, showed enough good stuff to earn a two-year deal last month and could slot into the number four spot in the starting pecking order.

We have yet to mention Bauer. That is because if there is an odd man out from last year’s top four, it could well be Bauer. The extremely talented, but somewhat head-strong, Bauer struggled so much down the stretch last season that he ended the year in the bullpen. His still potentially bright future is in the rotation.

However, if he does not come into spring training as the starter who began last season on fire, he could enter the conversation of players needing some more fine-tuning. In a world where the Indians have such good pitching and playoff hopes, fine-tuning is not happening at the big league level.

Should Bauer falter or Tomlin show that last year’s final two months were a mirage, Anderson will be back in a Tribe uniform. However, he will probably go to Goodyear, Arizona, as the Indians’ sixth starter. That a guy who had the success Anderson had last year will start the Cactus League season on the outside looking in says more about the state of Cleveland’s starting pitching than it does about the player himself.

Anderson breathed life into a spot on the team a year ago that was lifeless for periods of last season. He may find himself back in Columbus come April, which would not necessarily be all bad. His time there was so short, there may well be things for him to learn. The last thing the Indians want is another House, who looked lost in his second season a year ago even before injuries totally wiped it out.

If Anderson does indeed start the year in the minors, it is a safe bet he will not be there for keeps. No rotation in baseball goes a full year completely in tact. Injuries and unforeseen ineffectiveness take over at some point. Somewhere along the way, the Indians will need to call upon someone to rescue a spot in the starting rotation at some point. Anderson was so good at that last year; why not do it again this summer?

Anderson’s stunning rookie season came out of nowhere as he was not near Cleveland’s radar during spring training

Sort of. Anderson had an excellent 2013 and was highly touted entering 2014. He then got out of shape and pitched badly but the Indians and prospect guides still thought well of him coming into last spring. He arrived in much better condition and thus resumed the upward trend he had been on 2 years before. Had 2014 gone as anticipated he would have debuted in AAA that year and been a "depth starter" in spring 2015.

I'd think he's ahead of Tomlin the rotation now, with Josh possibly a swing man in the bullpen and/or rotation. Of course, if the Indians want to keep the 6th starter as a fulltime starter, that would mean Anderson would be starting in Columbus and Tomlin who's finally out of options, would be in the big league rotation.

Mike Clevinger is right behind now, too, so I think Trevor Bauer better get his act together or he could easily be an odd man [literally in his case] out.

You have to wonder if Bauer's stuff might really translate well into the bullpen as well. Should be interesting.

The more you think about the winter moves, the Tribe added a very good (we'll see about his bat) defensive first baseman - to round out a very good defensive infield.

The Kansas City model?

So much will depend on the seasons of Gomes, Kipnis, Lindor, Santana and Brantley when he comes back. If Lindor would just stay the same, you have to think Gomes, Santana and Kipnis have room to do better than last season.

Santana and Kipnis might have just dropped back to their "mean". I consider Gomes the most likely to return to his previous offensive success. He had better.

I consider Gomes the most likely to return to his previous offensive success. He had better.

I hope so. I'm not real keen on Perez as a backup though. I wish we could have showed some interest in Alex Avila this winter.

Perez seems just right. Good defender, that's mostly what's needed for a backup. A little power at the plate.