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Neck spasms put Cleveland Indians' Jason Kipnis on bench, but what's wrong with his bat?
Updated on July 5, 2017 at 9:43 PM Posted on July 5, 2017 at 9:22 PM

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

phoynes@cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Indians waited to post their lineup for Wednesday night's game to see if second baseman Jason Kipnis could play. When the lineup was posted, Kipnis' name wasn't on it.

He didn't start because of neck spasms. It's the second time this season he's had to sit out because of the problem.

Kipnis originally jarred his neck while making several diving plays at second base on June 13 against the Dodgers. He missed two games before returning to the lineup.

Acting manager Brad Mills had to make a number of changes in the Wednesday's lineup with Kipnis sitting and first baseman Carlos Santana placed on the paternity list. He moved center fielder Bradley Zimmer into the leadoff spot, started Erik Gonzalez at second base, Edwin Encarnacion at first and dropped Abraham Almonte into the DH slot. Almonte came off the disabled list to take Santana's spot.

It was Encarnacion's first start at first base since May 30.

Kipnis has been struggling offensively. He entered in a 7-for-45 skid, including 1-for-14 in July. Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, was asked if Kipnis' problems at the plate could be linked to him missing much of spring training with a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

"It's hard to say precisely because each guy is unique, but I think we've seen in the past that when guys miss time in spring training, it's difficult to catch up once the season starts," said Antonetti.

Kipnis opened the season on the disabled list. He was activated on April 21.

"Whether or not it's still affecting Kip, it's kind of hard to say because at this point we're a couple of hundred plate appearances into the season, so usually at this point it kind of corrects itself," said Antonetti. "But Kip has gone through stretches before in his career where he hasn't really performed to his career rates. But when you look up at the end of the year, he usually finds a way to be a really productive and contributing player for us. I think that's our expectation for the balance of the season."

Kipnis pinch-hit for catcher Roberto Perez in the sixth Wednesday, and struck out with two runners on base.

There's more: Shortstop Francisco Lindor, Kipnis' double-play partner, is also struggling at the plate.

He went into Wednesday's game hitting .118 (2-for-17) in July. He hit .214 (24-for-112) in June. The Indians have stressed to Lindor to hit the ball up the middle.

"That's one of the cues to his approach," said Antonetti. "It's one thing to be able to do it in batting practice, but when things speed up in the game and there are other factors in play, it becomes more difficult to execute."

Lindor, in his first three at-bats Wednesday night, had three hits. He singled and doubled to center in the first and third innings. Then he lined a double off the pitcher in the fifth.

"He's not the first player that has to continue to work on things in an effort to try and get back to how he has performed in the past," said Antonetti. "But I know he's relentless in his work to try and get there and I believe the results are right around the corner."

Kipnis has blown very cold and very hot over his career. I'm ready for him to catch on fire. Not helping at the top of the order. In fact which of our potential leadoff hitters has been getting on base? Not Kipnis or Lindor or Santana. Zimmer has led off some and might do so more.

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona is no stranger to the operating room


By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

phoynes@cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is Terry Francona's 17th season managing in the big leagues. That's a lot of stress, a lot of road trips and a lot of winning and losing.

Who knows what that does to a human body, but emotional scars can't be seen. Francona has plenty of the real ones to prove it.

On Thursday, Francona underwent an operation on his heart at Cleveland Clinic. The procedure is called a cardiac ablation and it was done to correct Francona's irregular heartbeat.

Francona will not manage the America League All-Stars next week in Miami, but the Indians are hopeful he can rejoin the team on July 14 when they open the second half of the season in Oakland. The Indians, in a statement by the Indians, said Francona will be released from the Clinic in the next couple of days.

Francona's health concerns with the Indians started last year when he didn't manage an Aug. 9 game against the Nationals because of chest pains. He returned the next day and managed the team to Game 7 of the World Series without further health concern. During the World Series, he regaled reporters about ordering over $40 of room service ice cream in the wee hours of the morning.

This season his problems first became public when he left a game on June 13 against the Dodgers because of a rapid heart rate and dizziness. He had a similar episode on June 26, which forced him to leave a game against Texas. He was taken to the Clinic after both games.

Francona, after rejoining the team on June 27, told reporters that he had had other episodes of rapid heart rate and lightheadedness this season, but "took a deep breath" and handled it.

About a month ago, Francona stopped meeting with reporters in the dugout during road games. He was saving his steps for the game after undergoing right hip replacement surgery after the Indians lost the World Series last year.

When the Indians returned from a three-game trip to Detroit last weekend, Francona was admitted to the Clinic on Tuesday for more tests. On Thursday he underwent surgery.
Indians manager Terry Francona wearing a heart monitor

Francona's health issues go back several years. By his own admission, he's had over 20 surgeries on his knees and other parts of his body. He has two artificial knees to go along with his artificial hip.

"If I get the other hip done I'll be the bionic man," joked Francona after the surgery.

In 2002, when Francona was interviewing to be Seattle's manager, he suffered a blood clot in his lungs after returning from the interview. The interview came shortly after he had one of his many knee surgeries.

Francona suffered a pulmonary embolism on each side of his lungs. The Boston Globe reported that the embolism traveled from his leg to his lungs. He was hospitalized for four days and was treated with blood thinners.

The Globe reported that Francona has a permanent filter in his abdomen to block blood clots from his heart and lungs.

A couple of years ago in Seattle, Francona told Cleveland reporters about a postgame interview he did as Boston's manager. He'd bitten the inside of his mouth and he couldn't stop the bleeding because he was on blood thinners.

"I was answering questions and trying to stop the bleeding with a towel," said Francona.

When Francona and the Red Sox parted ways following the 2011 season, The Globe reported that Francona was "distracted' by his use of pain medication. Francona denied that, saying he was using prescribed medication from a team doctor following a 2010 knee operation. He had the same knee drained of blood several times during the 2011 season.

In 2005 Francona was hospitalized as manager of the Red Sox when the team was in New York to open the season against the Yankees. It was determined that he did not have a heart attack, but he was hospitalized for several days.

Francona's relationship with operating rooms started early.

He was the Montreal Expos No.1 pick in 1980 after leading the University of Arizona to the College World Series title as a junior. In 1982 he was hitting .346 for the Expos when he caught a spike running into an outfield wall in St. Louis, tore the ACL in his right knee and missed the rest of the season.

In 1984 Francona was hitting .321 with Montreal when he injured his left knee trying to elude a tag. He missed the rest of that season. After the second knee surgery, he was a bench player for the rest of his career.

In 2002 Francona developed staph infections after having arthroscopic surgery on his knees. According to ESPN, Francona needed two more surgeries on each knee to stop the infections. Then he needed another surgery to stop the bleeding in his right thigh.

ESPN described the series of operations as life threatening.

For years Francona has tried to combat his maladies by swimming every day. He said it helps him get through the day.

But even that has its downside. Last year he came to the interview room at Progressive Field with bandages on several of his fingers. Francona said he kept hitting the ends of his fingers on the team's Swim-X pool.

Cleveland Indians need to shape up, stats don't tell entire story -- Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- What's happening with the Cleveland Indians this season doesn't make much sense.

The respected analytics website FiveThirtyEight even wrote an article claiming "This year's Indians are better than last year's."

Oh, boy.

Author Neil Paine's point is the Tribe has a +55 advantage in run differential.

That's fourth best in the American League, behind Houston (+142), New York (+102) and Boston (+66).

Outscoring your opponent by that much often produces a very good record. But not always.

The Yankees have that 102-run advantage, yet their record was 44-39 heading into Thursday night.

The Indians were the same 44-39 before Thursday's game with the Padres.

The website claims the Indians should have an 8 1/2 game lead over Kansas City, 11 games in front of Minnesota.

But heading into Thursday night, their lead was 1/2 game over the Royals, 1 1/2 games ahead of Minnesota in the Central Division.

Since the Indians have already played 84 of 162 games, this is not an early-season aberration.

The standings are telling the truth. This is a team that is underachieving, a team that is too often frustrating and not much fun to watch.

Finally, it's a team that can't simply expect to win because it won the American League pennant last season.

A DIFFERENT YEAR

Manager Terry Francona has often said he doesn't want to hear any more about 2016. Every season is different.

Paine's contention about the Tribe is some things just don't add up. He correctly fingers one of the team's major problems, hitting poorly with runners in scoring position.

It's .243 with runners in scoring position ... and .199 with two outs and runners in scoring position.

Both of those numbers rank 13th out of 15 American League teams. Sometimes, hitting in these situation is considered "random," it changes from year-to-year.

I can't explain it, but I know hitting in the clutch is contagious. It's why the Tribe had 11 walk-off victories at home last season.

This is basically the same roster. Brad Zimmer has replaced Tyler Naquin in center, Edwin Encarnacion has taken over for Mike Napoli as the DH.

Yet, the confidence in the clutch has been replaced by doubt.

The only player hitting over .300 with runners in scoring position is Lonnie Chisenhall (.340). Players struggling the most in those situations are Encarnacion (.205), Yan Gomes (.207), Francisco Lindor (.231) and Brandon Guyer (.188).

ON A MISSION

You can't put a number on this: A year ago, the Indians played with passion and a sense of purpose.

The 14-game winning streak in late June brought the team together. They leaped from 35-30 to a 49-30 record and a seven-game lead in the AL Central Division.

They were at 51-34 at this point last season, and they had yet to trade for bullpen star Andrew Miller.

I don't want to hear about the Indians not having Mike Napoli. He is batting .192 (.707 OPS) with 18 HR and 39 RBI for Texas.

Perhaps the Tribe doesn't have proper respect for the Central Division, where they clearly are the most talented team.

DOESN'T ADD UP

It's been a strange season.

Danny Salazar went from the 2016 All-Star team to trying to working with coaches in Akron. Jason Kipnis (shoulder, neck) has dealt with injuries. Corey Kluber missed a month (back injury), but still is an All-Star.

Francona is dealing with his own health problems.

Lindor made the All-Star team, but is not having an All-Star season. Encarnacion has not been the same RBI machine as he was with Toronto.

But Jose Ramirez and Chisenhall are having monster years. Michael Brantley made the All-Star team. He missed nearly all of last season with shoulder problems. The bullpen remains excellent.

It's just that something is missing, something beyond the stats. It starts with their home record of 18-23 compared to 53-28 a year ago.

Paine concluded his story this way: "You wouldn't guess it from the standings, but if the Indians just keep playing the way they have been, they should be right in the thick of things come October."

I hope so, but it will only happen if the Indians play better than this. What they are doing now may be enough to make the playoffs, but they won't last long in October.

Cleveland Indians players know what makes Terry Francona special -- Terry Pluto


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You could hear the relief in the voice of Cody Allen.

The Tribe reliever was talking about Terry Francona, the Indians manager who had a cardiac ablation procedure at Cleveland Clinic to fix an irregular heart beat.

"We know what it is, and we know he'll be back soon," said Allen. "He's our leader. He sets the tone. He puts us in position to succeed."

Francona will miss the weekend series at Progressive Field. He also will rest during the All-Star break, rather than manage the American League team in Miami.

But Tribe President Chris Antonetti said Francona will be at the stadium for Thursday's workout and back managing when the season resumes next Friday.

Finding out exactly what was wrong with the 58-year-old Francona "puts your mind at ease," Antonetti explained.

This is Francona's fifth year managing the Tribe. He's never had a losing season in Cleveland. He led the team to the 2013 Wild Card game and the 2016 World Series.

"He came in here and changed the culture," said Allen, who has been with Francona ever since he began as manager here in 2013.

I asked Allen what makes Francona special.

"It doesn't matter if you're a rookie or a veteran or who you are," he said. "He treats you the same. When you walk out of his office, you feel important."

Some managers tell players, "My office door is always open to you."

That's true, but their minds are closed, as they really don't listen to what the player is saying.

Francona has a knack of making a person feel as if he's been heard, even if Francona doesn't agree with the opinion.

THE SECRET?

"He treats everyone with respect," said Josh Tomlin.

I talked to Tomlin and Allen because they have been with Francona ever since he came to Cleveland.

"Rain or shine, he is the same guy," said Tomlin. "He brings a sense of calm. He has shown a lot of trust in me, and that leads to confidence."

Tomlin has been up and down with the Tribe.

He was coming off elbow surgery in 2013. He struggled in 2014 and was sent to the minors for part of the season. He had shoulder surgery in 2015.

In between, he's had a 32-29 record under Francona.

Tomlin was the 581st pick in the 2006 draft. He was never on anyone's hot prospect list.

Allen was the 698th selection in the 2011 draft. Like Tomlin, he defeated enormous odds to simply make the majors, much less survive.

Francona once told me that he identifies with the low-round picks and guys coming back from injuries.

While he was a first-round draft pick by Montreal in 1980, he soon suffered a devastating knee injury. Then came other injuries.

He was cut by six different teams. He tells a long story about being taken off the team bus in spring training, then being cut in the parking lot.

He vowed never to treat players like that if he ever became a manager.

OLD & NEW

"He brings an old school mentality with the new age system," said Tomlin.

Francona respects analytics and stats, but isn't ruled by them.

Unlike some managers, he doesn't alienate young executives who didn't play pro ball.

His sense of decency allows him to make the new baseball guys feel part of the team -- even if he isn't buying everything they suggest.

Mickey Callaway was promoted from the Tribe minor league system to be Cleveland's pitching coach in 2013. Many veteran managers have their own pitching coaches who go with them from job-to-job.

When Francona came to the Tribe, he had enough clout to bring in his own coaching staff. He did that with bench coach Brad Mills and bullpen coach Kevin Cash. The other coaches really didn't have a relationship with him before being hired in 2013.

"Even more important, Tito empowers the coaches," said Callaway. "I got the job and he told me, Do your job with the pitchers. He doesn't micromanage."

Francona's ability to communicate and his stable personality is why his teams tend to finish strong.

In his first four seasons with the Tribe, they had a .570 winning percentage after the All-Star break compared to .526 in the first half of the season.

That's why the Indians are so happy to have him coming back so soon.

"First of all, he's a friend, one of the best friends many of us have," said Callaway. "And we all know what kind of a manager he is. It's not the same without him."

Ever since this guy was hired, it's been a whole new day for the Tribe.

Cleveland baseball was damn lucky that day.

Ranking baseball's best putaway pitches

Mark Simon ESPN Staff

It’s the Year of the Strikeout in baseball, with career highs, records and milestones being reached seemingly every day. Whether it’s a result of higher fastball velocities, more eager-to-chase hitters or just better performance by pitchers, the numbers have reached astounding levels across the board.

All of that got us wondering: Who has the best strikeout pitch among starting pitchers?

We’ll use the stat "putaway rate" to determine our list. It's a simple concept that asks the question, “How often does a pitcher finish off a hitter with a specific pitch?”

The formula for it is: Strikeouts with pitch divided by two-strike pitches of that type thrown.

For example, if a pitcher records 50 strikeouts with his changeup and throws 200 changeups with two strikes, his putaway rate is 25 percent (50 divided by 200). It allows us to sum up who is the most effective and most efficient in one number.

From that, we can tell you that the top putaway pitch for a starting pitcher this season is ...

Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians: Curveball (and slider)

Kluber just broke the Indians record for consecutive games with at least 10 strikeouts, and it’s easy to see why. He has two outstanding “finish-you-off” pitches. His curveball has a putaway rate of 39 percent (61 strikeouts on 158 two-strike curves). But how does that translate into batting average? Opposing hitters are batting .099 (10-for-101) against the Kluber curveball this season.

Kluber’s slider -- or cutter, if you prefer -- comes in a couple mph harder. And though he doesn’t use it as often, it’s still netting him a 36 percent putaway rate, which ranks third on our list. In his past four starts, opponents are 3-for-35 with 12 strikeouts against it.

Put these two together with a pretty good fastball and his combination of pitches is downright nasty.

Kluber is a master of manipulating the arc and velocity on three to four different looks of his slider and curveball,” a longtime scout said. “He has great touch and feel, and his pitches rarely stay in the strike zone. Rather, they’re late, sharp breakers that finish outside of the good hitting zones.”

Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals: Slider

This wasn’t No. 1 on the list, but it easily could have been. Scherzer’s mastery of opposing hitters starts with a fastball that hitters can’t square up, but it ends with a supremely nasty slider.

Scherzer throws two variants of it -- one with a late cut and the other with a sharp break -- and they’re both extraordinarily challenging to hit.

His putaway rate is 37 percent, the best for any starter’s slider. Opponents are hitting .081 against it (11-for-135) with 77 strikeouts.

Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals: Slider

Martinez has a great two-strike weapon with his slider -- and he knows it. He throws it 45 percent of the time with two strikes, which ranks seventh highest in the majors, but Martinez’s putaway rate (35 percent) exceeds each of the six pitchers above him on the list.

What makes the Martinez slider so tricky is it moves a lot in the last 20 feet leading up to home plate (4.4 inches toward the left-handed batter's box). That also ranks seventh among starting pitchers. Hitters often swing thinking the pitch will end up in one spot when the ball moves to another. In other words, this pitch makes hitters look bad.

Trevor Cahill, San Diego Padres: Curveball

Charlie Morton, Houston Astros: Curveball

Nate Karns, Kansas City Royals: Curveball

Surprise!

Bill James often says that a good stat will wow you, and seeing these pitchers rank as high as they do on this list qualifies. Cahill (34 percent), Morton (33 percent) and Karns (33 percent) rank 5-6-7 for best putaways. Cahill and Morton are fascinating because they’re late bloomers for the Cubs and Astros, respectively. Historically, they’re best known for getting ground balls, not strikeouts, but both seem to have found the magic touch.

The dominance of Karns’ curveball emerged as an incredible pitch during a three-start run earlier this season for the Royals in which he ramped up its usage, relying on it to record 24 of the 29 strikeouts he notched in 17⅓ innings of brilliance. But this might have come at a price. Karns suffered an elbow strain in mid-May and is on the 60-day disabled list. His return date is still not known.

Honorable mention: Jimmy Nelson, Milwaukee Brewers

Nelson has the second-highest putaway rate with any pitch with his curveball (38 percent), but the infrequency with which he uses it (he throws it about 10 percent of the time with two strikes) is only enough to land him as an honorable mention.

Highest Putaway Rate Curveballs K
Corey Kluber 39% 61
Trevor Cahill 34% 29
Charlie Morton 33% 34
Nate Karns 33% 36
Lance McCullers 32% 85

Highest Putaway Rate Sliders K
Max Scherzer 37% 77
Corey Kluber 36% 23
Carlos Martinez 35% 76
Carlos Carrasco 32% 35
Chris Sale 32% 71

Danny Salazar: “My very first game, I started experiencing some soreness”

by Joe Gerberry WFNY

Baseball can undergo seismic shifts in a year’s time. The 2016 Danny Salazar was an All-Star for the Cleveland Indians coming off the strongest half season of work of his career. The 2017 Salazar spent the All-Star break making what was presumed to be his last rehab start for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers with the journey of the past year has been marked by a series of injuries and soreness which has plagued Salazar’s ability to be the dominant right-handed starter that he is capable of being.

In his post game interview on Tuesday night, Salazar admitted to spending 2017 with arm issues.

“After my first game this year, my very first game, I started experiencing some soreness in my shoulder,” said Salazar. “I’ve been throwing with that.”

Pitching through soreness certainly would explain why Salazar’s ERA had ballooned from his career average (5.40 ERA in 2017, 3.72 career ERA coming into season) alongside a parallel increase in his FIP (4.85 FIP in 2017, 3.85 career FIP coming into season). The Indians attempted to move him to the bullpen to limit his workloads, in hopes as he said to “listen to the pain.” According to Danny, however, the day on-day off nature of pitching in the bullpen taxed his arm worse.

“When they moved me to the ‘pen, I think throwing, one day off and throwing again, that was very different for me,” Salazar explain. “First time I’ve done that. So, the next day after that I had really bad soreness and a really sharp pinch. And, I think that was it. The toughest part for me was like OK they put me in the ‘pen now so they are going to use me a little less. You know I’m going to throw less pitches in the game and I’m going to rest my arm a little bit. but it didn’t work.”

The “sharp pinch” was revealed to be inflammation through a MRI, which landed him on the DL. Salazar said he is ready to re-join the major league club and the front office has previously confirmed that he is going to be brought back as a starter. The rehabilitation tour has not gone as well as many had expected. Pitching games for the Double-A Akron Rubberducks and Triple-A Columbus Clippers, Salazar struggled. The box scores on his previous two rehab games told the story as Salazar threw for just five innings over two starts, giving up six hits, six runs- including four home runs allowed while striking out seven and walking four.

The start Tuesday at the single-A short season team allowed Salazar to pitch in a low stress environment, while also allowing for Indians fans to build some hope for a return to the form of last year when Salazar’s name on the schedule elicited great confidence: five innings pitched on 71 pitches, 46 strikes, seven strikeouts, two hits and no runs allowed with only one walk. It had been decided pregame that Salazar would go five innings or 75 pitches. Though his numbers haven’t exactly been the best throughout his rehabilitation starts, Salazar offered hope for fans concerned about him regaining his full potential.

“This is the best I’ve been feeling since I went to All-Star last year,” he said. “I’m happy the way I’m feeling right now.”

Salazar noted after the game that he was working on his delivery, staying calm during the game, and working on getting his pitches to game-ready speed. Salazar mixed and matched his repertoire, throwing mostly fastballs and working in a cut fastball/slider (Brooks Baseball has claims to both pitches, but Salazar himself called it a cutter) and his plus changeup. Location was an issue early on, as he seemed to miss some spots, but facing Single-A hitters allowed for him to work his way through those issues without feeling the burden of those mistakes. Salazar’s velocity was also back as he unofficially sat between 93 and 94 miles per hour and touched 95.

Three rehab starts is one more than usual for a starting pitcher coming back, but a combination of the All Star Break and the previous two rehab games not going so well brought the club deciding to the third and hopefully final start for Salazar. While the way back has had some snags, if the end result is more games like Tuesday night, Danny, the front office, and Terry Francona will all gladly accept the journey back.

Hope Salazar learned the art of pitching during his rehab.

I wouldn't say that Salazar's velocity is back. While the 93 to 95 he was throwing in his last rehab game is better than the 92 he was throwing in the previous couple games, it's still not the 96-97 he normally threw.

14 potential trade scenarios involving big names
Closer Robertson, starter Hellickson, reliever Hand among highly coveted
14 potential trade scenarios involving big names

By Jim Duquette / MLB.com | July 11th, 2017

As Major League Baseball inches closer to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, many clubs remain on the fence as to whether they should buy or sell. This is especially true in the American League, where six teams entered the All-Star break within four games of the second Wild Card spot.

General managers are weighing short-term options versus some potentially long-term, more impactful players who could become available for the right package. As usual, the weeks leading up to the Deadline should be active, but it's unlikely to match last year's frenzy, when we saw 48 trades made after June 1. There will be countless names bandied about the rumor mill between now and July 31, but the group below should be among the most prominent.

Here are 14 big-name potential trade scenarios (it was originally 15, then Jose Quintana got traded to the Cubs), ranked in order of the players' ability. Likelihoods are on a scale of 1-5 -- with 1 being unlikely to get traded and 5 being extremely likely -- and teammates who play the same position are grouped together.

1. Yu Darvish, Rangers
Like the Yankees last year, the Rangers are on the fence about whether to buy or sell, but no one would attract more interest than Darvish if Texas makes him available. A free agent at the end of the season, Darvish is still considered a top-of-the-rotation starter despite a slight dip in his numbers following 2015 Tommy John surgery. It's less likely that GM Jon Daniels will trade Darvish, but the Rangers could easily attract top talent for Darvish's services and try to re-sign him this offseason, as the Yankees did with Aroldis Chapman last July.

Teams interested: Astros, Dodgers, Indians, D-backs, Rockies
Likelihood to be traded: 2

2. Zach Britton, Darren O'Day or Brad Brach, Orioles
A return to the bullpen is still a work in progress for Britton, as he has been dealing with elbow tendinitis for most of the season. As the Orioles continue their slide since a 22-10 record to start the season, they will seriously consider trading their star closer, especially after seeing the return for lefty relievers Chapman and Andrew Miller at last year's Deadline. Provided Britton is fully healthy, and with a year and a half of contract control, he can extract a bevy of prospects -- possibly some that could help the O's Major League team as early as this September. For teams seeking a cheaper option, Orioles setup men O'Day and Brach could also come up in trade discussions.

Teams interested: Nationals, Dodgers, Astros, D-backs, Brewers, Rockies
Likelihood to be traded: 3

3. Sonny Gray , Athletics
Gray's two-seam fastball velocity isn't quite back to its pre-injury levels, but his results and stuff continue to improve with each start. Any team needing a top-of-the-rotation starter would love a healthy Gray for the postseason run, but it's fair to have at least mild concerns about him currently. Oakland's ace could extract a very healthy return if he can demonstrate continued improvement in his next couple of starts. The determination the Athletics' front office must make is whether Gray's value is at its peak now or if he'd be worth more this offseason.

Teams interested: Yankees, Astros, Brewers, Rockies, Dodgers
Likelihood to be traded: 3

4. David Robertson, White Sox
Since last offseason, it has seemed a foregone conclusion that the Nationals and White Sox would work out a deal for Robertson. Reports have even detailed the players who would have been involved before the trade fell through at the last minute. Due to the continued struggles of Dusty Baker's bullpen, Robertson is the most logical fit there. But with the lack of quality starters on the trade market, other teams could look to shorten the game by adding Robertson to their bullpen.

Teams interested: Astros, Rockies, Angels, Nationals, Brewers
Likelihood to be traded: 5


5. J.D. Martinez, Tigers
If Detroit decides to make him available, Martinez will be the most impactful bat on the market, with an impressive .991 OPS at the break. Any team needing offense and a corner outfielder will call GM Al Avila. With a shortage of middle-of-the-order bats available, the Tigers should receive an impactful couple of prospects for the long term.

Teams interested: Dodgers, Cardinals, D-backs
Likelihood to be traded: 5

6. Jay Bruce, Mets
Bruce is on a pace to top 40 home runs for the first time in his career and is sporting a 128 wRC+ as he inches closer to free agency. Teams needing a run producer from the left side should have interest in him as a rental.

Teams interested: Dodgers, Twins, Mariners, Royals, Indians
Likelihood to be traded: 4

7. Santiago Casilla, Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson, Athletics
Bullpen help is always needed for the stretch run, and it becomes even more valuable during the postseason. While the A's front office weighs offers for Gray, they will also be busy discussing trades of these three relievers -- each of whom is controlled through at least the 2018 season.

Teams interested: Brewers, Yankees, Red Sox, Rockies
Likelihood to be traded: 4

8. Marco Estrada, Blue Jays
If the Jays sell, teams will line up for Estrada in hopes that he returns more to his 2016 form than what he has shown so far in the first half (5.17 ERA, 12.6 percent HR/FB, 4.54 xFIP).

Teams interested: Brewers, Rockies, Indians, Yankees, Angels
Likelihood to be traded: 4

9. Jeremy Hellickson, Phillies
The Phils reportedly had a deal in place last July to trade Hellickson to Miami before the Marlins pivoted and decided on Andrew Cashner instead. Look for Philadelphia to move Hellickson sooner than July 31 this year.

Teams interested: Brewers, Rockies, Indians
Likelihood to be traded: 5

10. Brad Hand, Padres
One of the most sought-after bullpen pieces in July will be Hand, who was a waiver claim from the Marlins in 2016. His 11.49 K/9 rate is one of the best of any reliever, he dominates lefties, and the .203 batting average he's allowed versus right-handed hitters isn't too shabby either.

Teams interested: Astros, Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Brewers (and many, many more)
Likelihood to be traded: 5

11. Addison Reed, Mets
Reed went through a little streak where he did not have his command, but he has since been pitching with a little more rest. His versatility in the eighth and ninth innings should make him more valuable to teams.

Teams interested: Nationals, Brewers, Dodgers, D-backs, Rockies, Angels
Likelihood to be traded: 4 (especially if Jeurys Familia returns from blood clot surgery in early August).

12. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
Who needs a corner outfielder and right-handed power presence in a lineup with a hunger to play in the postseason again?

Teams interested: D-backs, Dodgers, Cardinals
Likelihood to be traded: 3



13. Justin Wilson, Tigers
Best-suited to pitch in the eighth, Wilson can handle the ninth as well, can pitch more than one inning per appearance, and he has the stuff to dominate left-handed hitters and right-handed hitters alike.

Teams interested: Dodgers, Brewers, Yankees, Red Sox, Astros
Likelihood to be traded: 4

14. Pat Neshek, Phillies
The Phils should field plenty of offers for the funky righty who had a career first half and would be welcome bullpen depth for a lot of teams.

Teams interested: Brewers, Yankees, Red Sox, Rockies
Likelihood to be traded: 5

Jim Duquette, who was the Mets' GM in 2004, offers his opinions as a studio analyst and columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Cleveland Indians' Terry Francona a 'little beat up,' but glad to be back in uniform after heart procedure
Posted on July 14, 2017 at 11:49 AM

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

phoynes@cleveland.com

OAKLAND - Terry Francona feels beat up and tired, but he finally knows what was behind his episodes of rapid heart rate and dizziness.

"The biggest thing is knowing what it is," Francona told reporters on Thursday during the Indians' workout at the Oakland Coliseum. "When the doctors realized what was going on that was helpful in itself. You finally know."

Francona, in his fifth year of managing the Indians, was experiencing spells of rapid heart rate and dizziness. They forced him to leave two games in June and put him in the hospital for six days at the start of July. On July 6, he underwent a cardiac ablation operation at Cleveland Clinic to correct his irregular heartbeat.

He missed the Indians last six games before the All-Star break and the All-Star Game itself on Tuesday in Miami. Francona earned the right to manage the All-Star Game by leading the Indians to the AL pennant last year.

"It got to a point in games where I felt like I was going to blackout,'' said Francona. "I felt at times like I was a baby. Some people were telling me it was anxiety. I'm probably the least anxiety-prone person ever. There were a few times where I pushed through it. I said, 'I'm not going to be a big baby here.'''

Francona, 58, said he was under anesthesia for "eight to nine hours.'' He was able to leave the Clinical on Saturday and has been recuperating at his residence in Cleveland. On Thursday he boarded the team's charter flight to start a six-game West Coast trip against Oakland and the Giants.

"I went and had a checkup on Wednesday morning," said Francona. "I wore a heart monitor for a few days and the results came back good. I'll wear a monitor for a few days on this trip just to let the doctors get some results.

"I'm OK being here. They encouraged me to come back. I think No.1 they want to see if it comes back and if it does it will be here. If it does then maybe fix it again. That doesn't necessarily have to happen.".

Francona said he's going to have to makes some change in his day-to-day life.

"Common sense is probably the biggest thing," he said. "Cutting out some habits and food. That's just common sense. I need to do a better job of that.

"But getting worked up during games will be the same. "

Francona was asked if he considered this a wakeup call.

"You would hope you always use good judgment," he said, "On one hand because I swam so much my heart was so strong it saved me. My heart (during an episode) was beating up to 200 beats per minute.

"This didn't happen because of a lifestyle (thing). Because you have this problem you don't want your arteries getting clogged up as you get older."

When he put on his Indians' uniform for Thursday's workout, Francona had a special feeling.

"Heck yeah," he said. "Probably a little more excited than everybody else. You text with guys, (but) I have a feeling I missed them more then they missed they missed me."

Francona watched the All-Star Game with pride. With bench coach Brad Mills filling in as manager, the American League beat the National League, 2-1, in 10 innings. The Indians also had five All-Stars on the AL roster.

"To say I was proud was probably the understatement of the year," said Francona. "On one hand it's hard to miss time. Everyone was saying is it hard to miss the All-Star Game? It wasn't the All-Star Game, it was the guys. It was our guys (that I missed). That's the icing on the cake during a season.

"My responsibilities and my affection is here. So on one hand it killed me. On the other hand knowing Millsie was doing it with Mickey (Callaway) and the other coaches, I was so damn proud, I was so happy for them. I was champing at the bit (to come back and manage the game), but when they said Millsie would do the All-Star Game, I reigned it in. I said, 'OK, I'll sit back.' A big part of me thought that was really cool."

Cleveland Indians find themselves at an unexpected crossroads: Zack Meisel's musings
Updated July 17, 2017
Posted July 17, 2017


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Some teams treat the All-Star break as an opportunity to take a step back, gain perspective and prepare to slam their foot on the accelerator.

With regard to the Indians, that sound you hear is the dreaded clicking noise that accompanies a dead car battery.

Can anyone loan the Tribe some jumper cables?

Here are a handful of thoughts about the Indians following a weekend sweep in Oakland.


1. Perspective: This has been (to this point) a maddening season for Indians fans with championship visions, a perplexing season for those who analyze and report on the club and must resist broad overreactions, a frustrating season for the players and coaches and a challenging season for the front office tasked with pinpointing a remedy to the club's deficiencies.

* The first 90 games of the season have fallen significantly short of expectations.

* The Indians lead the American League Central and will likely capture their second consecutive division crown (barring some catastrophic collapse, outbreak of mononucleosis or trades that relocate Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Clayton Kershaw to either Minneapolis or Kansas City).

You can believe in both of those statements. It doesn't have to be one or the other.

2. Long division: As stated on Sunday in this space, the AL Central battle is akin to a potato-sack race taking place in quicksand.

If the competition continues on its current course, the eventual winner shouldn't rush to plaster 2017 AL Central Champions decals all over its ballpark. No one should sprint to the tattoo parlor to add some division champion design. Invisible ink might even be pushing it.

The Indians' lackluster play has apparently convinced the Royals to hang onto their impending free agents (which might end up as a good thing for Cleveland in the long run, provided the Tribe can outlast the Royals over the next two months). It has also allowed the Twins to consider themselves contenders, a confidence boost for a relatively inexperienced club. And the Tigers, who sit only six games back despite a 41-49 mark, might re-think their fire-sale strategy.

Just imagine if the Indians called the AL West home. The Astros hold a 14-game edge on Cleveland.

3. Don't cry because it's over: Prior to the Bay Area Beatdown, the Indians hadn't lost four straight since July 23-28, 2015. In that stretch, the other 29 major-league teams combined for 318 losing streaks of at least four games.

That's an incredible run. The fact that it came to an end after a weekend series against a last-place team that has started to sell off its veteran parts? That's baffling. At the same time, given the puzzling trends of this season, it's also fitting.

4. Smile because it happened: The cries for Mike Napoli's leadership are increasing in volume. If that void is to explain the team's disappointing showings, that's embarrassing.

The Indians returned the vast majority of a roster that overcame a slew of injuries en route to reaching Game 7 of the World Series. There's no longer any shortage of experience. This isn't a group of first- or second-year players feeling its way through the rigors of an 162-game schedule.

Napoli provided a valuable presence in the clubhouse last season. Players flocked to him when seeking advice or when asking about the glory and the pressure of the postseason. But that's nothing that Jason Kipnis, Yan Gomes, Corey Kluber, Michael Brantley, Andrew Miller, Cody Allen, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Santana or Josh Tomlin shouldn't be able to offer.

5. Order, order: The Indians scored six runs in their series against the Athletics. The feast-or-famine offense has starved more than it has gorged.

Terry Francona prefers to pencil Jose Ramirez's name in the No. 5 spot to serve as protection for Edwin Encarnacion. But it's well beyond time to shift Ramirez toward the top of the order.

He's batting .326 with a .969 OPS. According to FanGraphs, he is producing at the plate at a rate 53 percent better than the average big-league hitter, and he rarely strikes out (12.3 percent of his plate appearances).

Ramirez should be batting second or third.

Protecting Encarnacion is nice and all, but there are more glaring priorities, and, really, it might be Ramirez who needs the protection.

The Indians haven't received much of anything from the top of their order this season. The lineup is long overdue for a shakeup.

6. Planning ahead: Clearly, the Indians could use an infusion of talent (or energy, or a pulse) prior to the non-waiver trade deadline in two weeks.

Could they use some aid for the starting rotation? Certainly. Could they use a bat or two? Absolutely. Could they use some reinforcements for the bullpen? Without a doubt.

Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff have their work cut out for them. Instead of just eyeballing needs for October -- it doesn't require five starters to navigate the postseason, for example -- the front office now must identify players who can help the club hop ahead of the AL Central pack.

7. Way back when: When the '90s Indians were at their best, they played with an edge. Carlos Baerga once said that they knew they would win once they stepped onto the field, and they made sure the opponent knew the same thing. Jason Giambi told me a few years ago that when his Oakland team traveled to Jacobs Field, they did so with the idea that one win out of three would qualify as a success.

This Indians team played with that edge in the season-opening series in Texas. It apparently left that bravado in the Lone Star State (they did sweep the Astros in Houston, after all).

Teams are always searching for consistency, but it isn't tangible. You don't know precisely when you've found it. It's simply a matter of preparing better and then, ideally, performing better, and doing so on a regular basis, not just for two or three days. That all sounds ambiguous because it is. There isn't some underlying fault with the Indians' roster. The players simply need to play better.

There is no switch to flip, like the one the Cavaliers found in the NBA playoffs (before they ran into the Golden State buzz saw). Even those jumper cables can only offer a lift for so long.