Cleveland Sports Forum

The Tribe has what every team wants, a deep rotation.

But wow, what a flawed lineup.

Somebody at the Indians organization has WAY too much time on their hands! I can't believe they bothered with this:

Postseason scenarios: What needs to happen for the Cleveland Indians to come out on top in the wacky AL Wild Card race

http://tribevibe.mlblogs.com/2015/09/22 ... 6104914520

The Indians' "tragic number" is TWO - any combination of two Indians losses and Angels or Astros wins will knock us out.

Post season can be easily eliminated today. Doesn't matter, going to game Thur night. Section 146

Some interesting food for thought from Pluto - nice article.

Cleveland Indians have Terry Talkin' about Corey Kluber, free agents and Jose Ramirez -- Terry Pluto



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Given how he pitched in his final three starts (0-3, 6.59 ERA), Corey Kluber probably should have just ended his season in late August. That was when he pulled a hamstring muscle.

But Kluber wanted to come back and pitch. He knew he wasn't close to 100 percent. The Tribe did have an outside shot at a playoff spot, at least for a while. The team also had rewarded him with a contract extension in the spring.

Manager Terry Francona praised Kluber's integrity and grit for coming back. Kluber wanted to keep pitching, including his final start of the season Saturday night.

Entering the weekend, Kluber had an 8-16 record with a 3.62 ERA. The record is discouraging and deceiving.

He received the third-worst run support of any big league starter (3.35). That's out of 80 pitchers who are considered regular rotation members by ESPN. His 3.62 ERA is 16th best out of 80.

Now, consider how Kluber had a 3.85 ERA in 2013 with an 11-5 record for the Tribe. Run support really helps with a pitcher's record. In 2013, Kluber was backed by 6.0 runs per game, the second-highest support in the American League.

Kluber didn't have a repeat of the 2014 Cy Young Award season of 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA. He may never do that again. But he is still a very good starter.
One difference this season is how Kluber struggled in the first inning -- a 5.81 ERA. He allowed 20 runs in 31 starts.

One difference this season is how Kluber struggled in the first inning -- a 5.81 ERA. He allowed 20 runs in 31 starts. A year ago, it was 2.12 ERA in the first inning. In fact, he never had a bad inning. His worst was 3.31.

Because Kluber loves to throw a first-pitch strike, some hitters are swinging at the first fastball that they see. His breaking ball wasn't quite as sharp in some starts as a year ago. That would have helped him.

Kluber is third in the American League with 236 strikeouts. He remains very productive.

Here is the contract that Kluber signed in the spring. He will be 30 on April 10, 2016:

2016: $4.5 million.
2017: $7.5 million.
2018: $10.5 million.
2019: $13 million.
2020: $13.5 million (team option).
2021: $14 million (team option).

ABOUT TRIBE FREE AGENTS

The bottom line is that the Tribe has no free agents who are considered core players.

Mike Aviles is a free agent, but he is expected to be replaced by Jose Ramirez as the team's utility man. The 34-year-old Aviles batted .232 (.600 OPS) with 5 HR and 17 RBI in 285 at bats.

His 4-year-old daughter Adriana continues to receive treatments for leukemia. Early results have been positive. Aviles is one of the most popular players on the team, but it's obvious that the 23-year-old Ramirez is being groomed to take his place.

Reliever Ryan Webb (1-0, 3.20 ERA) also is a free agent. The Indians will probably offer him a chance to return on a modest contract. They claimed him on waivers late in the spring and he did a decent job in middle relief.

As for signing any expensive free agents, you can forget it. Trades will be the way the front office will try to make major upgrades.

ABOUT JOSE RAMIREZ

1. Ramirez took over at shortstop on July 30, 2014. He finished last season by making only four errors in 56 games. His defense was well above average. He batted .262 (.646 OPS) overall. After the All-Star break, it was .283 (.702 OPS).

2. The Tribe had enough confidence in Ramirez to open 2015 with him at shortstop. They thought he'd at least continue his good defense. But Ramirez made eight errors in 46 games. His range had decreased. He was batting .171 when sent to the minors in June, replaced by Francisco Lindor.

3. The Indians now believe Ramirez was pressing. He knew Lindor was waiting to take his job. He struggled hitting in the cold weather, just as he did in 2014 when he was promoted in May and was 2-of-25.

4. Ramirez has played second, third and the outfield since returning to Cleveland. He's hitting .261 (.790 OPS) since the All-Star break. He is especially effective at second base.

5. The Indians believe Ramirez will hit. He is only 23. He has a career .306 average in the minors. He can bunt. He is 9-of-14 in stolen bases. A switch-hitter, he may play quite a bit at several positions next season.

ABOUT RYAN RABURN AND CHRIS JOHNSON

The Indians have a $3 million option on Ryan Raburn for next season. He batted .298 (.920 OPS) with 7 HR and 28 RBI in 168 at bats.

Raburn plays right field and mostly bats vs. lefties. He was 3-of-21 against right-handers this season. The Indians aren't sure if they will pick up his option.

Raburn has battled some minor injuries this season. But the real reason they may let him go is Chris Johnson. Johnson came to the Tribe in the Nick Swisher/Michael Bourn deal with Atlanta. The Braves wanted to dump Johnson partly because of his contract:

2016: $7.5 million,
2017: $9 million.
2018: $10 million ($1 million guaranteed).

Like Raburn, Johnson is a right-handed hitter, mostly effective against lefties. Between the Tribe and the Braves, Johnson batted .251 (.618 OPS) with 3 HR and 17 RBI.

But Johnson batted .315 (.726 OPS) vs. lefties this season. For the last four years, it's .337 vs. lefties.

Johnson played mostly first with the Tribe, and was better with the glove than Carlos Santana at that spot. He was primarily a third baseman with the Braves, where he was below average defensively.

But he can play third and first. He is learning to play the outfield, and told me that he's sure he can play right field. That's why I expect him to take Raburn's roster spot next season. Hard to picture the Tribe spending $10.5 million (the combined salaries of Raburn and Johnson) to fill the role of a platoon player.

ABOUT LONNIE CHISENHALL

When Lonnie Chisenhall returned to the Majors after the All-Star break to play right field, he proved to be superb at his new position.

Chisenhall opened the season at third base and was hitting .209 when sent to Class AAA in June. After being promoted, Chisenhall batted .289 (.760 OPS) with 3 HR and 23 RBI.

Chisenhall is such a streaky hitter. He batted .403 in August, but slumped to .173 in September.

Chisenhall is an asset in right field. Fangraphs.com ranks him the best defensive player at that position in the American League. ESPN gave Chisenhall its defensive player of the month award for August.

Perhaps the Indians can platoon the lefty hitting Chisenhall and righty Johnson in right field. To play right, the Indians will ask Johnson to lose some weight and become more flexible.

First off, seems to me $3 million is quite reasonable for Raburn - especially considering the Indians still suck vs. lefties.

Of course, they pretty much suck vs righties too, so hopefully any offensive solutions they bring aboard are right handed. Then I can see letting Raburn walk.

But Raburn alternates good years with bad years, and next year is scheduled to be a bad year.

Carlos Santana - 1B - Indians

Carlos Santana revealed Sunday that he's been bothered by a back injury all season.

The first baseman added that he asked Indians manager Terry Francona not to reveal the ailment in public. The injury would help explain why Santana's power has been down this season, as he enters play Sunday with a career-low .397 slugging percentage and just 19 homers after tying his career high with 27 bombs in 2014. Santana's back should be fine after an offseason of rest.

No tears here if they dumped Carlos in the offseason.

TFIR wrote:Carlos Santana - 1B - Indians

Carlos Santana revealed Sunday that he's been bothered by a back injury all season.

The first baseman added that he asked Indians manager Terry Francona not to reveal the ailment in public. The injury would help explain why Santana's power has been down this season, as he enters play Sunday with a career-low .397 slugging percentage and just 19 homers after tying his career high with 27 bombs in 2014. Santana's back should be fine after an offseason of rest.

So why didn't they rest him DURING the season, so it might have improved?

It is all about the brain trust-which basically is the same brain trust since Hank Peters took over the team. It has been a succession of hires from within without any new blood. Chernoff is supposed to be the new guy. He has been with the team a while.

So CC is a drunk. Who knew?

The Yankees have a long history of having players play while loaded. Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin come to mind. I dont really pay attention to baseball anymore but I guess Sabathia has pitched better recently. Maybe he gained the weight back with all the drinking he has been doing and now can throw the ball again.

I would suggest thinking this one through. One only admits to a drinking problem right before his teams playoff chance when it is the lesser of the evils to admit to.

I would suggest that CC got busted by his wife.

#MLBFrontOffice: What's next for the Cleveland Indians?


Jim Bowden, ESPN Insider



The Cleveland Indians have three good hitters -- second baseman Jason Kipnis, Rookie of the Year candidate Francisco Lindor and team MVP Michael Brantley -- atop their lineup, yet as a team they're 11th in the American League in runs scored and 13th in home runs. Their offense must be improved this offseason if the Tribe are to contend in 2016.

Cleveland also needs to improve its defense. That area did get a dramatic boost midseason with the call-ups of Lindor (at shortstop) and third baseman Giovanny Urshela, but as a team, the Indians will finish in the bottom third in the majors in park-adjusted defensive efficiency.

Unlike most teams, the Indians are actually in a good place with their starting rotation. In fact, Cleveland starters lead the majors in strikeouts and complete games and are third in WHIP. It's a formidable rotation that includes Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Cody Anderson, who are all controllable for the foreseeable future. The Indians also have one of the better bullpens in the American League; they're second in the league in bullpen ERA.

So it's just a matter of addressing a handful of spots in the lineup while upgrading their defense.

Departing free agents: Mike Aviles, Gavin Floyd, Ryan Webb

Objective No. 1: Upgrade offensively in center field and right field

The Indians have gotten just seven home runs from their center fielders this season, which is in the bottom six in the majors, and their right fielders have a .695 OPS, which is in the bottom five. Due to their financial limitations, it's unlikely they will try to sign one of the big free-agent power bats available, but they could seek to trade for one.

Cleveland has a good young starting pitcher and a strong farm system to trade from -- thanks to three years of solid drafting. They could put together a pretty strong package to acquire a 20-homer outfielder as they wait for top prospects Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier to develop.

The Indians match up well with the Diamondbacks, who are desperate for starting pitching and have outfield depth to trade. While they probably couldn't get A.J. Pollock from Arizona, they might be able to pry away David Peralta. There have been rumors the Marlins are interested in trading talented outfielder Marcell Ozuna. Oakland's Josh Reddick could be available for the right prospect package, and the Rockies could deal Charlie Blackmon. There are certainly enough trade options for the Indians to upgrade at least one of these positions this winter.

Objective No. 2: Improve at first base, third base and DH

The Indians have been pleased with Urshela's defense at third base, but he just doesn't have enough bat to be an everyday big league third baseman. Meanwhile, across the field, first baseman Carlos Santana has a career-low 0.9 WAR.

The power-hungry Indians could look for help through the trade market at players like Mark Trumbo, who could be their everyday first baseman (moving Santana to DH), and/or Pedro Alvarez, who could play third base or first base (with Urshela being a late-inning defensive replacement). Both have the power this team needs and probably can be had with a modest return.
Objective No. 3: Upgrade the defense

Obviously upgrading the offense and defense at the same time can be tricky, but what I'm suggesting here is of their four (or five, if you count DH) positions to upgrade, make one or two of them a defensive upgrade. Hit the market looking for offense at all four to five positions (1B, 3B, RF, CF, DH), but if it's looking doubtful for a few positions, switch the focus to defense. They could even go the free-agent route there; it's more affordable.

Free-agent options the Indians could be interested in are: outfielders Denard Span, Dexter Fowler and Gerardo Parra and first baseman Mike Napoli.

rusty2 wrote:I would suggest thinking this one through. One only admits to a drinking problem right before his teams playoff chance when it is the lesser of the evils to admit to.

I would suggest that CC got busted by his wife.

I think I agree with you on that one Rusty.