Cleveland Indians Scribbles on Coco Crisp coming, Josh Tomlin struggling, awesome Andrew Miller -- Terry Pluto
on August 31, 2016 at 8:02 AM, updated August 31, 2016 at 3:43 PM
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my Cleveland Indians notebook:
1. It appears Coco Crisp coming back to the Tribe to bring some depth to the outfield. Crisp is now 36. He's dealt with a lot of injuries in his career. Crisp was batting .234 (.698 OPS) with 11 HR and 47 RBI for Oakland. Crisp has been excellent in the clutch, hitting .424 with runners in scoring position.
2. Crisp will probably replace Abraham Almonte on the playoff roster, assuming the Indians make the postseason. Even though Almonte served his 80-game suspension for flunking a PED drug test, that failed test means he can't appear in the playoffs this season. So the Indians wanted another veteran outfielder.
3. Crisp is making $11 million this season. The Indians and Athletics are sharing the final $2 million of that. If Crisp appears in 130 games, he is owed $13 million for 2017. That's doubtful. Crisp has played in 102 games this season.
4. Like Almonte, Crisp is switch-hitter. He was once an outstanding center fielder, but probably is better in left field at this point. He's never had a strong arm. He's played 55 games in left and 35 in center for Oakland.
5. Crisp was one of my favorite players when he was with the Tribe from 2002-05. He was never a top prospect, a seventh-round draft pick by St. Louis. The Indians acquired him from the Cardinals for Chuck Finley. In parts of four seasons with the Tribe, Crisp batted .287 (.756 OPS). In his last two seasons, he was a .299 hitter.
6. The Crisp rumors made me recall the trade after the 2005 season. Crisp had batted .300 (.810 OPS) with 16 HR and 69 RBI for a Tribe team with a 93-59 record. Fans loved him. The Indians were looking for a third baseman. Andy Marte was a hot prospect. The Tribe sent David Riske, Josh Bard and Crisp to Boston for Guillermo Mota, Kelly Shoppach and Marte. Crisp played for Terry Francona in Boston for three seasons (2006-08). He's in his 15th big league season. It's been quite a career.
7. Marte was with the Tribe for part of every season between 2006-10. The Indians desperately wanted Marte to become their third baseman. He had a big, slow swing. Marte batted .224 (.650 OPS) with 20 HR in 858 plate appearances with the Tribe. After 2010, his only other MLB appearance was 16 at-bats with Arizona in 2014.
8. Where is Marte today? He's hitting homers for the KT Wiz in Korea -- 22 in 91 games. His teammates in Korea are Grafton and Midview High product Ryan Feierabend and former Tribe farmhand Travis Banwart. It's hard to believe, but Marte is only 32.
The Cleveland Indians' starting rotation has a 6.13 ERA in August. If that continues, you can forgot the playoffs. Fixes are needed.
9. I've long admired Josh Tomlin, one of the best people I've met in baseball. That's why it pains me to write that it's time Tomlin went to the bullpen. I wrote this before his latest start, giving up four runs to the Twins in 1 2/3 innings. Tomlin is 2-6 with a 7.90 ERA after the All-Star break.
10. The Indians know Tomlin tends to wear down. I have suggested the Indians put him in the bullpen and add Mike Clevinger to the rotation. Before the game, Francona indicated he planned to keep Clevinger in the bullpen. Clevinger was 11-1 with a 3.00 ERA as a starter in Class AAA. He has a 3.18 ERA in the bullpen for the Tribe.
11. Of course, Francona's plans can change as Tomlin just can't put things together right now. Clevinger is the best candidate to start. At Class AAA Columbus, Cody Anderson was moved to the bullpen. I prefer Clevinger over Anderson at this point.
12. In Class AAA Scranton, former Tribe prospect Clint Frazier went on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. He is batting .229 (.657 OPS) with 2 HR and 6 RBI in 102 plate appearances since being traded by the Tribe to the Yankees as part of the Andrew Miller deal.
13. Miller picked up the save in Tuesday's 5-4 victory. The lefty has struck out 24 (and walked one) in 14 2/3 innings with the Tribe. Or look at it this way: 24 of his 44 outs with the Tribe are strikeouts. He has allowed only two earned runs.
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5447Frazier is just a kid, 2 years younger than Zimmer and with far better splits. He'll be a good one, if not a great one, for the Yankees. But we got a great reliever in return, so good deal for both teams.
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54484. Like Almonte, Crisp is switch-hitter. He was once an outstanding center fielder,
Little overboard there........
Little overboard there........
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5449For Tomlin, I'd skip a turn for him, get him extra rest. Go from there.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
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5450Tribe thrilled Gomes on cusp of returning
Catcher rehabbing shoulder, homers in Triple-A playoffs
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 8:31 PM ET
MINNEAPOLIS --
No matter what the statistics next to Yan Gomes' name read for this season, the Indians are very much looking forward to having the catcher back in the fold. Backup catcher Chris Gimenez said he has been following Gomes' progress closely over the past few days.
"I saw he hit a bomb yesterday," Gimenez said on Friday afternoon at Target Field. "I was fired up. He's such an integral part of the team."
Gomes, who has been sidelined since July 18 with a separated right shoulder, has appeared in five Minor League rehab games, including the past two with Triple-A Columbus during the International League playoffs. Gomes worked behind the plate in Thursday's rehab appearance and belted a home run in three at-bats for the Clippers.
Indians manager Terry Francona noted that Gomes was scheduled to work as the designated hitter for Double-A Akron in that affiliate's Eastern League playoff game on Friday night. Through Thursday, the catcher had hit .357 (5-for-14) with two walks and five runs scored on his rehab assignment.
"He's doing good," said Francona, who added that Gomes would likely play Saturday and rest Sunday. "And then we'll kind of reconvene again. But, he's doing really well."
While Gomes has been sidelined, Gimenez has split the catching duties with Roberto Perez, who has garnered the bulk of the playing time of late. Cleveland is also carrying catcher Adam Moore as its third-string option for the rest of September. At some point before the end of the regular season, the expectation is that Gomes will be activated from the 60-day disabled list. He is eligible to return Sept. 16.
"Not that he would be back catching every inning of every game, because I don't think that's realistic," Francona said, "but he's a really good catcher. And, our catchers have been hitting ninth all year. We have the ability to pinch-hit and all that. It would be really valuable [to get him back]."
Gomes won an American League Silver Slugger Award in 2014, but dealt with a knee injury in '15 and a prolonged slump this season. Prior to the shoulder injury, sustained on July 17 in a game against the Twins at Target Field, the catcher was batting .165 with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 71 games for Cleveland.
"We all hope that, not that you ever wanted him to have a break," Gimenez said, "but that this break from baseball, just mentally, would kind of refresh and kind of reboot the system. We told him, too: 'When you go back up there and it says whatever it says by your name, you have to think of it as a fresh start.'
"And I really do think he's had that chance. Now, he's fresh. He's obviously got the energy level and the excitement to be back out there."
Catcher rehabbing shoulder, homers in Triple-A playoffs
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 8:31 PM ET
MINNEAPOLIS --
No matter what the statistics next to Yan Gomes' name read for this season, the Indians are very much looking forward to having the catcher back in the fold. Backup catcher Chris Gimenez said he has been following Gomes' progress closely over the past few days.
"I saw he hit a bomb yesterday," Gimenez said on Friday afternoon at Target Field. "I was fired up. He's such an integral part of the team."
Gomes, who has been sidelined since July 18 with a separated right shoulder, has appeared in five Minor League rehab games, including the past two with Triple-A Columbus during the International League playoffs. Gomes worked behind the plate in Thursday's rehab appearance and belted a home run in three at-bats for the Clippers.
Indians manager Terry Francona noted that Gomes was scheduled to work as the designated hitter for Double-A Akron in that affiliate's Eastern League playoff game on Friday night. Through Thursday, the catcher had hit .357 (5-for-14) with two walks and five runs scored on his rehab assignment.
"He's doing good," said Francona, who added that Gomes would likely play Saturday and rest Sunday. "And then we'll kind of reconvene again. But, he's doing really well."
While Gomes has been sidelined, Gimenez has split the catching duties with Roberto Perez, who has garnered the bulk of the playing time of late. Cleveland is also carrying catcher Adam Moore as its third-string option for the rest of September. At some point before the end of the regular season, the expectation is that Gomes will be activated from the 60-day disabled list. He is eligible to return Sept. 16.
"Not that he would be back catching every inning of every game, because I don't think that's realistic," Francona said, "but he's a really good catcher. And, our catchers have been hitting ninth all year. We have the ability to pinch-hit and all that. It would be really valuable [to get him back]."
Gomes won an American League Silver Slugger Award in 2014, but dealt with a knee injury in '15 and a prolonged slump this season. Prior to the shoulder injury, sustained on July 17 in a game against the Twins at Target Field, the catcher was batting .165 with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 71 games for Cleveland.
"We all hope that, not that you ever wanted him to have a break," Gimenez said, "but that this break from baseball, just mentally, would kind of refresh and kind of reboot the system. We told him, too: 'When you go back up there and it says whatever it says by your name, you have to think of it as a fresh start.'
"And I really do think he's had that chance. Now, he's fresh. He's obviously got the energy level and the excitement to be back out there."
“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller
-- Bob Feller
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5451MINNEAPOLIS --
Lefty Ryan Merritt had already tasted the big leagues twice before his promotion from Triple-A Columbus on Sunday. That made things a little easier for the Indians rookie, as he prepares to potentially help Cleveland in its postseason chase for the rest of this month.
"It takes a little bit of the stress out of coming in the clubhouse," Merritt said. "The first time you come, you're a little more on your toes. It's a little more draining, I guess. It wears on you a little bit. You get home to your hotel after the game and you're ready to crash, just because you've been wide open all day.
"So, it's nice to come up here and, I wouldn't say relax, but it's a little more comfortable."
Prior to Sunday's game against the Twins, Merritt and first baseman Jesus Aguilar got the call to The Show by the Indians. The left-handed pitcher will join the army of relievers in manager Terry Francona's bullpen, while Aguilar will offer a right-handed bat off the bench. Cleveland is now carrying 36 players, including 19 pitchers.
The wealth of players gives Francona a plethora of options as the Indians attempt to lock down an American League Central title.
"In September, there's no reason to ever get caught short," Francona said. "We'll try to balance the pitching the best we can. Some of the position players, they're probably not going to play much, and they know that."
In the 24-year-old Merritt, Cleveland has a consistent strike-thrower who went 11-8 with a 3.70 ERA in 143 1/3 innings for Triple-A Columbus this season. In 10 starts in the second half, Merritt went 6-1 with a 2.72 ERA for the Clippers. Francona said his ability to to log multiple innings and pump strikes can be helpful if the Tribe encounters any one-sided games down the stretch.
Aguilar, 26, hit .247 and led the International League with 30 home runs and 92 RBIs this season at Triple-A. The big first baseman had stints with Cleveland in each of the past two seasons, and the manager said Aguilar earned the call again this month. With Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana splitting the first-base and designated-hitter duties, though, Aguilar is unlikely to garner much playing time.
"Being really honest, as of right now, we don't have at-bats here," Francona said. "But, he had a really good year."
The Indians also discussed calling up utility man Yandy Diaz, who hit .318 with 35 extra-base hits and an .854 OPS between Double-A Akron and Triple-A this year, while bouncing between third base and the corner-outfield spots. That conversation changed after the acquisitions of outfielders Brandon Guyer and Coco Crisp last month. With the 40-man roster at capacity, the Indians did not feel the time was right to promote Diaz, their No. 11 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com.
"We did talk about him a lot," Francona said. "Not just adding him to the roster, but we talked about him a lot, because the people that have seen him think he's got a chance to be a really good player. I just think right now, there wasn't really a place for him to play."
Lefty Ryan Merritt had already tasted the big leagues twice before his promotion from Triple-A Columbus on Sunday. That made things a little easier for the Indians rookie, as he prepares to potentially help Cleveland in its postseason chase for the rest of this month.
"It takes a little bit of the stress out of coming in the clubhouse," Merritt said. "The first time you come, you're a little more on your toes. It's a little more draining, I guess. It wears on you a little bit. You get home to your hotel after the game and you're ready to crash, just because you've been wide open all day.
"So, it's nice to come up here and, I wouldn't say relax, but it's a little more comfortable."
Prior to Sunday's game against the Twins, Merritt and first baseman Jesus Aguilar got the call to The Show by the Indians. The left-handed pitcher will join the army of relievers in manager Terry Francona's bullpen, while Aguilar will offer a right-handed bat off the bench. Cleveland is now carrying 36 players, including 19 pitchers.
The wealth of players gives Francona a plethora of options as the Indians attempt to lock down an American League Central title.
"In September, there's no reason to ever get caught short," Francona said. "We'll try to balance the pitching the best we can. Some of the position players, they're probably not going to play much, and they know that."
In the 24-year-old Merritt, Cleveland has a consistent strike-thrower who went 11-8 with a 3.70 ERA in 143 1/3 innings for Triple-A Columbus this season. In 10 starts in the second half, Merritt went 6-1 with a 2.72 ERA for the Clippers. Francona said his ability to to log multiple innings and pump strikes can be helpful if the Tribe encounters any one-sided games down the stretch.
Aguilar, 26, hit .247 and led the International League with 30 home runs and 92 RBIs this season at Triple-A. The big first baseman had stints with Cleveland in each of the past two seasons, and the manager said Aguilar earned the call again this month. With Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana splitting the first-base and designated-hitter duties, though, Aguilar is unlikely to garner much playing time.
"Being really honest, as of right now, we don't have at-bats here," Francona said. "But, he had a really good year."
The Indians also discussed calling up utility man Yandy Diaz, who hit .318 with 35 extra-base hits and an .854 OPS between Double-A Akron and Triple-A this year, while bouncing between third base and the corner-outfield spots. That conversation changed after the acquisitions of outfielders Brandon Guyer and Coco Crisp last month. With the 40-man roster at capacity, the Indians did not feel the time was right to promote Diaz, their No. 11 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com.
"We did talk about him a lot," Francona said. "Not just adding him to the roster, but we talked about him a lot, because the people that have seen him think he's got a chance to be a really good player. I just think right now, there wasn't really a place for him to play."
“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller
-- Bob Feller
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5452CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You can hear it in the voice of Chris Antonetti.
There's excitement. There's caution. There's apprehension.
"It's all there," said Antonetti, the Cleveland Indians president. "It's what you want to feel this time of year, the most exciting time of year."
It's the Tribe vs. the Detroit Tigers for three games at Progressive Field this weekend.
It's a weekend when the Indians could come very close to winning the American League Central Division...
Or suddenly find themselves with the Tigers on their tail.
"We should embrace this time of year," said Antonetti.
It's a weekend worthy of the attention of fans, even with the Browns also opening at home Sunday.
Antonetti talked about how it all started in the final two months of last season, when the Tribe traded several veterans and went with younger players.
"At the end of last season, we began planning with the goal of having big games like these," said Antonetti. "Then it starts in spring training, and it's a 5 1/2 month journey to where we are right now."
Where the Indians are right now is leading the Central Division by six games. Their 84-61 record is the second-best in the American League.
Who saw this coming at the end of 2015, when the Tribe finished 81-80?
"It's a credit to our players and how they have handled the adversity we've faced," said Antonetti. "To me, that's one of the most fun things to watch ... how we reacted when faced with adversity."
Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff also should be praised for their recent moves, starting with the free-agent signings of Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis to the mid-season additions of Andrew Miller, Brandon Guyer and Coco Crisp.
DON'T LOOK AT THE PHONE!
Miguel Cabrera gave his Detroit Tigers team a pep talk complete with a bit of show-and-tell. That was after the Tigers' 9-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
Cabrera talked to the players and the Detroit media, his main message being: "Stay positive Detroit."
He also held up a cellphone, saying: "This is dangerous."
The Tigers star was talking about social media from discouraged fans and regular media reports about the Tigers.
It's been a strange season for the Tigers.
"Chaotic," is how Detroit manager Brad Ausmus described it in a Detroit Free Press column by Drew Sharp.
Ausmus then compared Detroit's season to a "roller coaster ride in terms of record and injuries. I think you get tunnel vision ... Things look bleak. Then, things look great. That's the game."
There is one major difference between the Tigers and Tribe this season: The Tribe's 11-1 record vs. Detroit.
The Indians so dominated Detroit, the Tigers lost 11 in a row before beating the Indians 12-2.
That was on July 6, and the two teams have not played since.
AGONY OR AWESOME?
On August 22, Tribe manager Terry Francona talked about what the last few weeks of the season will be like for everyone who cares about those wearing Wahoo red, white and blue.
"Your heart is in your throat, but you like it," Francona said. "It's agony. It's awesome."
It's why Tribe fans should be fired up. As of Thursday, the Indians have sold about 25,000 tickets for the games on Friday and Saturday, about 20,000 for Sunday. They expect those numbers to grow.
The Indians are asking their fans to wear red this weekend. They are handing out red pom-poms. The Indians are 47-25 at home, second-best in the American League.
They are 21-8 when playing in front of home crowds above 20,000.
When Francona came to the Tribe in 2013, one of his goals was for the Indians to consistently play meaningful games in September and make the playoffs.
The Tigers have been a roadblock to that. In Francona's first three Tribe seasons, Detroit had a 41-19 record vs. Cleveland.
Now, that has changed. And it gives Tribe fans a reason to dream.
As the Kansas City Royals demonstrated in the last two seasons, a mid-sized market team that makes the postseason can get hot and reach the World Series.
COMING HOME
The Tigers won the Central Division each season from 2011-14. But they missed the playoffs last season. Despite a $200 million payroll -- one of the top four in baseball -- the Tigers are vulnerable.
Every game is important for the Tigers, because they also are trying to claw their way in to the postseason via the wild card.
Friday, it's Tribe ace Corey Kluber on the mound against rookie Michael Fulmer.
Saturday, it's Carlos Carrasco against Detroit ace Justin Verlander.
Since the All-Star break, Kluber (7-1, 2.14 ERA) and Verlander (6-2, 2.29) are two of the best pitchers in baseball. These are high-stakes games with big-time pitchers. Fulmer (10-6, 2.76) is a promising rookie. Carrasco (11-8, 3.32) has the talent to be a top-flight starter.
Even Sunday's matchup is intriguing -- the Tribe's Trevor Bauer and Detroit's Danny Norris, a very gifted rookie pitcher.
This has been a remarkable season for the Tribe. They have stayed away from major slumps, being the only team in baseball not to lose more than three games in a row.
The starting rotation seemed to be shaking with Danny Salazar's arm injury and when Josh Tomlin was taken out of the rotation.
Tomlin had an 0-5 record and 11.67 ERA in his last six starts, then was given two weeks to figure things out while working in the bullpen. He started Wednesday night, allowing one run in five innings.
The entire team was lifted by that performance.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are trying to stay positive, as Cabrera advised. The Detroit star is hitting .340 with 15 HR and 38 RBI since the All-Star break.
The Indians are in a great frame of mind as they have the second-best record in the American League.
And the fans have a chance to watch the most important games of the season for both teams.
There's excitement. There's caution. There's apprehension.
"It's all there," said Antonetti, the Cleveland Indians president. "It's what you want to feel this time of year, the most exciting time of year."
It's the Tribe vs. the Detroit Tigers for three games at Progressive Field this weekend.
It's a weekend when the Indians could come very close to winning the American League Central Division...
Or suddenly find themselves with the Tigers on their tail.
"We should embrace this time of year," said Antonetti.
It's a weekend worthy of the attention of fans, even with the Browns also opening at home Sunday.
Antonetti talked about how it all started in the final two months of last season, when the Tribe traded several veterans and went with younger players.
"At the end of last season, we began planning with the goal of having big games like these," said Antonetti. "Then it starts in spring training, and it's a 5 1/2 month journey to where we are right now."
Where the Indians are right now is leading the Central Division by six games. Their 84-61 record is the second-best in the American League.
Who saw this coming at the end of 2015, when the Tribe finished 81-80?
"It's a credit to our players and how they have handled the adversity we've faced," said Antonetti. "To me, that's one of the most fun things to watch ... how we reacted when faced with adversity."
Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff also should be praised for their recent moves, starting with the free-agent signings of Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis to the mid-season additions of Andrew Miller, Brandon Guyer and Coco Crisp.
DON'T LOOK AT THE PHONE!
Miguel Cabrera gave his Detroit Tigers team a pep talk complete with a bit of show-and-tell. That was after the Tigers' 9-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
Cabrera talked to the players and the Detroit media, his main message being: "Stay positive Detroit."
He also held up a cellphone, saying: "This is dangerous."
The Tigers star was talking about social media from discouraged fans and regular media reports about the Tigers.
It's been a strange season for the Tigers.
"Chaotic," is how Detroit manager Brad Ausmus described it in a Detroit Free Press column by Drew Sharp.
Ausmus then compared Detroit's season to a "roller coaster ride in terms of record and injuries. I think you get tunnel vision ... Things look bleak. Then, things look great. That's the game."
There is one major difference between the Tigers and Tribe this season: The Tribe's 11-1 record vs. Detroit.
The Indians so dominated Detroit, the Tigers lost 11 in a row before beating the Indians 12-2.
That was on July 6, and the two teams have not played since.
AGONY OR AWESOME?
On August 22, Tribe manager Terry Francona talked about what the last few weeks of the season will be like for everyone who cares about those wearing Wahoo red, white and blue.
"Your heart is in your throat, but you like it," Francona said. "It's agony. It's awesome."
It's why Tribe fans should be fired up. As of Thursday, the Indians have sold about 25,000 tickets for the games on Friday and Saturday, about 20,000 for Sunday. They expect those numbers to grow.
The Indians are asking their fans to wear red this weekend. They are handing out red pom-poms. The Indians are 47-25 at home, second-best in the American League.
They are 21-8 when playing in front of home crowds above 20,000.
When Francona came to the Tribe in 2013, one of his goals was for the Indians to consistently play meaningful games in September and make the playoffs.
The Tigers have been a roadblock to that. In Francona's first three Tribe seasons, Detroit had a 41-19 record vs. Cleveland.
Now, that has changed. And it gives Tribe fans a reason to dream.
As the Kansas City Royals demonstrated in the last two seasons, a mid-sized market team that makes the postseason can get hot and reach the World Series.
COMING HOME
The Tigers won the Central Division each season from 2011-14. But they missed the playoffs last season. Despite a $200 million payroll -- one of the top four in baseball -- the Tigers are vulnerable.
Every game is important for the Tigers, because they also are trying to claw their way in to the postseason via the wild card.
Friday, it's Tribe ace Corey Kluber on the mound against rookie Michael Fulmer.
Saturday, it's Carlos Carrasco against Detroit ace Justin Verlander.
Since the All-Star break, Kluber (7-1, 2.14 ERA) and Verlander (6-2, 2.29) are two of the best pitchers in baseball. These are high-stakes games with big-time pitchers. Fulmer (10-6, 2.76) is a promising rookie. Carrasco (11-8, 3.32) has the talent to be a top-flight starter.
Even Sunday's matchup is intriguing -- the Tribe's Trevor Bauer and Detroit's Danny Norris, a very gifted rookie pitcher.
This has been a remarkable season for the Tribe. They have stayed away from major slumps, being the only team in baseball not to lose more than three games in a row.
The starting rotation seemed to be shaking with Danny Salazar's arm injury and when Josh Tomlin was taken out of the rotation.
Tomlin had an 0-5 record and 11.67 ERA in his last six starts, then was given two weeks to figure things out while working in the bullpen. He started Wednesday night, allowing one run in five innings.
The entire team was lifted by that performance.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are trying to stay positive, as Cabrera advised. The Detroit star is hitting .340 with 15 HR and 38 RBI since the All-Star break.
The Indians are in a great frame of mind as they have the second-best record in the American League.
And the fans have a chance to watch the most important games of the season for both teams.
Re: Articles
5453I don't think he needed time to figure it out personally.Tomlin had an 0-5 record and 11.67 ERA in his last six starts, then was given two weeks to figure things out while working in the bullpen. He started Wednesday night, allowing one run in five innings.
This happens to Tomlin a lot. He is a good, smart pitcher. But he runs out of gas. He's the kind of guy you need to skip some starts and limit his innings.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
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5454As the Cleveland Indians grow ever-nearer to a postseason appearance, it seems the team is missing out on a clear opportunity to improve. As it stands, one of the team’s few weak points lies in their platoon-heavy outfield. The Indians do not have a single outfielder who can be defined as a clear everyday player, which sometimes leaves them with a platoon-disadvantage.
When the postseason arrives, Cleveland is posed to start Rajai Davis, Brandon Guyer and Coco Crisp against strong left-handed starting pitchers like David Price, Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ. While Guyer has mashed lefties in 2016 (168 wRC+), and Davis has been tolerable (89 wRC+ in 2016) with a track record of success (career 116 wRC+ vs. LHP), Crisp has been flat out abysmal against southpaws in 2016, only managing a 56 wRC+.
To date, it hasn’t been much of issue for the Indians, with Abraham Almonte typically hitting where Crisp would and performing admirably with a 112 wRC+ despite a poor career track record against lefties. However, as most fans know by now, Almonte is ineligible for the postseason, leaving the switch-hitting Crisp as the seemingly obvious pick to fill his place despite his immense struggles against southpaws this year. In theory, the Indians could forego lefty/righty matchups and try Lonnie Chisenhall or Tyler Naquin in Crisp’s spot to get better production, but the two have been platooned for a reason. They never have been above-average against lefties in their careers. Further, with both enjoying successful seasons, the Indians wouldn’t want to change either player’s role at such a crucial stage.
However, the Indians don’t have to be stuck with Crisp’s pitcher-like hitting hitting against left-handers. Rather, it seems they are choosing to that route. As it would happen, a 25 year-old, MLB-ready, positionally versatile, lefty-masher is already in the Indians’ system and is sitting at home. His name is Yandy Diaz.
While Diaz wasn’t regarded as a top prospect when he signed with the Indians out of Cuba in 2013, his monster production at AA and AAA quickly turned him into one. In 2015, Diaz posted a 143 wRC+ during 132 games in Akron and went on to put up an even stronger 149 wRC+ in 95 games in AAA Columbus in 2016.
The most impressive part about Diaz’s game is his plate discipline and contact ability, which have combined to give him a career .403 OBP in the minor leagues. For reference: Jose Ramirez and Michael Brantley had very similar numbers and those players have worked out pretty well in Cleveland.
Exactly what is it that makes Diaz such a perfect fit? Firstly, as expected from a right-handed hitter, Diaz has destroyed left-handed pitching this season in AAA to the tune of a .387/.475/.605 slash line in 119 at bats. Further, he can play Crisp’s position in left field. While he only began playing outfield this year, reports from scouts indicate he projects to be fringe-average to average in the outfield corners. At the very least, it would be hard for Diaz to do worse that Crisp’s -11.4 UZR/150 in left this season. To continue to strengthen his case, Diaz is typically regarded as a roughly average second basemen and an above-average third basemen, which would allow him to take away any at bats from utility-man Michael Martinez and his historically bad career 37 wRC+ (ed. note: league average is 100, Martinez ranks 4,708th of 4,718 non-pitchers with at least 500 PA in all of MLB history).
Clearly, Yandy Diaz could provide a tangible improvement to the Indians’ major league roster during September and in the playoffs, so why hasn’t he been called up? Originally, it seemed Cleveland wanted to wait until Columbus’ season ended, so Diaz could continue to receive regular playing time, but the Clippers were eliminated this past Saturday and Diaz remained home despite teammates Jesus Aguilar and Ryan Merritt being recalled by the Indians.
Perhaps the biggest hang up is the fact that Diaz isn’t currently on the 40-man roster, so promoting him would require Cleveland to cut someone currently rostered. From a baseball standpoint, this shouldn’t be an issue, which I wrote about earlier. The team’s reluctance to cut a player currently rostered could be more political, with the team not wanting to cut hard-working players, but with a championship on the line that motivation should be discarded.
Maybe the reasoning could somehow be financial, with the team not wanting to start Diaz’s service-clock. However, even if that were the case, it would be extremely petty given Cleveland’s aforementioned championship aspirations.
All things considered, the Indians snubbing Yandy Diaz is one of their more puzzling moves in recent memory. Diaz has virtually nothing left to prove in the minors leagues and with him sitting at home, he isn’t missing out on any playing time elsewhere. Without question, the Cuban would provide at least some level of improvement for the team, even being limited to a part-time role. While usually Indians’ fans frustrations are misguided, any complaints about the team failing to call up Diaz are perfectly within reason. Should Coco Crisp struggle in October versus lefty pitching, fans maybe be left wondering, “what could have been if Diaz would have been in Crisp’s place?”
When the postseason arrives, Cleveland is posed to start Rajai Davis, Brandon Guyer and Coco Crisp against strong left-handed starting pitchers like David Price, Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ. While Guyer has mashed lefties in 2016 (168 wRC+), and Davis has been tolerable (89 wRC+ in 2016) with a track record of success (career 116 wRC+ vs. LHP), Crisp has been flat out abysmal against southpaws in 2016, only managing a 56 wRC+.
To date, it hasn’t been much of issue for the Indians, with Abraham Almonte typically hitting where Crisp would and performing admirably with a 112 wRC+ despite a poor career track record against lefties. However, as most fans know by now, Almonte is ineligible for the postseason, leaving the switch-hitting Crisp as the seemingly obvious pick to fill his place despite his immense struggles against southpaws this year. In theory, the Indians could forego lefty/righty matchups and try Lonnie Chisenhall or Tyler Naquin in Crisp’s spot to get better production, but the two have been platooned for a reason. They never have been above-average against lefties in their careers. Further, with both enjoying successful seasons, the Indians wouldn’t want to change either player’s role at such a crucial stage.
However, the Indians don’t have to be stuck with Crisp’s pitcher-like hitting hitting against left-handers. Rather, it seems they are choosing to that route. As it would happen, a 25 year-old, MLB-ready, positionally versatile, lefty-masher is already in the Indians’ system and is sitting at home. His name is Yandy Diaz.
While Diaz wasn’t regarded as a top prospect when he signed with the Indians out of Cuba in 2013, his monster production at AA and AAA quickly turned him into one. In 2015, Diaz posted a 143 wRC+ during 132 games in Akron and went on to put up an even stronger 149 wRC+ in 95 games in AAA Columbus in 2016.
The most impressive part about Diaz’s game is his plate discipline and contact ability, which have combined to give him a career .403 OBP in the minor leagues. For reference: Jose Ramirez and Michael Brantley had very similar numbers and those players have worked out pretty well in Cleveland.
Exactly what is it that makes Diaz such a perfect fit? Firstly, as expected from a right-handed hitter, Diaz has destroyed left-handed pitching this season in AAA to the tune of a .387/.475/.605 slash line in 119 at bats. Further, he can play Crisp’s position in left field. While he only began playing outfield this year, reports from scouts indicate he projects to be fringe-average to average in the outfield corners. At the very least, it would be hard for Diaz to do worse that Crisp’s -11.4 UZR/150 in left this season. To continue to strengthen his case, Diaz is typically regarded as a roughly average second basemen and an above-average third basemen, which would allow him to take away any at bats from utility-man Michael Martinez and his historically bad career 37 wRC+ (ed. note: league average is 100, Martinez ranks 4,708th of 4,718 non-pitchers with at least 500 PA in all of MLB history).
Clearly, Yandy Diaz could provide a tangible improvement to the Indians’ major league roster during September and in the playoffs, so why hasn’t he been called up? Originally, it seemed Cleveland wanted to wait until Columbus’ season ended, so Diaz could continue to receive regular playing time, but the Clippers were eliminated this past Saturday and Diaz remained home despite teammates Jesus Aguilar and Ryan Merritt being recalled by the Indians.
Perhaps the biggest hang up is the fact that Diaz isn’t currently on the 40-man roster, so promoting him would require Cleveland to cut someone currently rostered. From a baseball standpoint, this shouldn’t be an issue, which I wrote about earlier. The team’s reluctance to cut a player currently rostered could be more political, with the team not wanting to cut hard-working players, but with a championship on the line that motivation should be discarded.
Maybe the reasoning could somehow be financial, with the team not wanting to start Diaz’s service-clock. However, even if that were the case, it would be extremely petty given Cleveland’s aforementioned championship aspirations.
All things considered, the Indians snubbing Yandy Diaz is one of their more puzzling moves in recent memory. Diaz has virtually nothing left to prove in the minors leagues and with him sitting at home, he isn’t missing out on any playing time elsewhere. Without question, the Cuban would provide at least some level of improvement for the team, even being limited to a part-time role. While usually Indians’ fans frustrations are misguided, any complaints about the team failing to call up Diaz are perfectly within reason. Should Coco Crisp struggle in October versus lefty pitching, fans maybe be left wondering, “what could have been if Diaz would have been in Crisp’s place?”
Re: Articles
5455"Maybe the reasoning could somehow be financial, with the team not wanting to start Diaz’s service-clock. However, even if that were the case, it would be extremely petty given Cleveland’s aforementioned championship aspirations."
I think that might be it!
I think that might be it!
Re: Articles
5456I guess Francona is smart enough to lead a rag tag team of players to a Central Division championship but not smart enough to decide whether a hot shot minor league player should be called up or not !
Geez ! Just a terrible article......
Geez ! Just a terrible article......
Re: Articles
5457Tito probably hasn't seen one of Yandys games this year. All he knows is that he's an unproven youngster and he'd rather have an experienced washed up bum like Crisp playing every day.
Re: Articles
5458I am sure that he is fully aware of who Yandy Diaz is and what he is capable of doing and why he does not want him on his team this year.
Re: Articles
5459We haven't made a serious effort to sign any Cuban ballplayers since Danys Baez. The majority of these kids coming out of Cuba are major league ready and I believe Diaz is one of them. In my opinion, he should not be sitting at home or getting ready to head off for Venezuela.
“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller
-- Bob Feller
Re: Articles
5460If a stranger happened to drop in on the Forum she certainly would not sense a fandom excited about their team heading to a division crown and the postseason. All mistakes all the time, but somehow the team wins despite owners, front office and skinflint approach to their business. I keep telling myself to bail out of here and since the minor league season ended yesterday I think it's time. Good luck to all despite the eternal pessimism and see you in the minor league folder.