Cleveland Sports Forum

I would almost never sign a pitcher to a deal for more than maybe 3 years. But Bauer honestly would be an exception: he knows how to keep himself healthy and I think he'll be a steady star for years to come.

Meanwhile I'd definitely offer Lindor a contract equivalent to whatever Bryan Harper gets. How about $350,000,000.00 for 10 years?

Which is why Bauer stated the Tribe will not re-sign him when he is a FA.

They can't and won't go that level of contract for any player including Lindor.

I'll hope that Kyle Glaser at Baseball America is right,

"Michael (Elyria, Ohio):
Kluber, Bauer or Carrasco. Which one gets dealt?"
Kyle Glaser: None.

Q&A: New Indians outfielder Jordan Luplow on opportunity in Cleveland and a family member’s legendary catch


By Zack Meisel 5h ago 2

CLEVELAND​ — There’s​ an old​ tale of a man who​ went soaring into​ the visitors bullpen​ at​ Fenway Park​ one nondescript​​ afternoon in June 1963.

The man, a late-game defensive replacement in right field, snagged a fly ball destined for the other side of the fence. Instead of a three-run homer, though, Dick Williams made a loud out. The right fielder wound up on the other side of the wall, ball in glove.

That man? Al Luplow, outfielder for the Cleveland Indians from 1961-65.

His cousin’s grandson? Jordan Luplow, outfielder for the Cleveland Indians since Nov. 14.

OK, so this isn’t some story of a player following in his father’s footsteps — Jordan and Al never met, and Al passed away last December. But Jordan has heard quite a bit about Al’s conquests on the diamond.

The catch at Fenway — “the greatest catch never seen,” as it has been described to Jordan — is the one Jordan has heard most often. When former Indians outfielder Austin Jackson tumbled over the fence while completing an acrobatic grab in Boston in 2017, fans and readers mentioned it in the same breath as Al’s heroics from that afternoon 54 years earlier.

Al wrapped up his big-league career with the Pirates in 1967. Jordan, 25, shifted from that organization to his new one last month in a five-player trade.

Jordan was the Pirates’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2017, when he posted a .302/.381/.527 slash line with 23 home runs between Class AA Altoona and Class AAA Indianapolis. Last season, he logged an .829 OPS with Indianapolis. He hasn’t yet excelled at the major-league level, though he has tallied only 190 trips to the plate in the past two years.

Perhaps he’ll find his footing with the Indians. The uncertainty in the Indians’ outfield could grant him an opportunity next season.

The Athletic recently caught up with Luplow as he reached the finish line of an offseason vacation to Australia and Hawaii.

What were you doing when you learned you had been traded?

I had just gotten done working out with my roommate right now, Joe Musgrove. He was driving and I took the phone call and during the phone call, I’m like, “Dude, I just got traded.” He had been traded twice already, so it was a good place to be, I guess, with another ballplayer who’s been traded, been through it. We’re the same age. So he was able to talk me through it and tell me, “Hey, this is a good thing. This is going to be good for you. There’s opportunity.” He settled my nerves, because I was feeling all sorts of emotions. It was good that he was there with me.

Given that it was your first time going through something like that, I’d imagine a lot of things were flooding your mind: happiness, sadness, excitement, nervousness, wanting to check Cleveland’s roster, wanting to know all the players involved in the deal.

Right, definitely. But I’m really excited. I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for me. I think getting around a new organization and learning the way they go about (things) is going to help me grow as a player. Hopefully it’ll allow me to stick in the big leagues and be around some veteran guys on the field.

Was the trade a shock, given your minor-league success and lack of big-league playing time?

Oh, absolutely. Getting traded is one of those things that you always hear about, but never expect yourself to deal with. But in reality, it’s part of the game. I just have to roll with the punches, and I honestly think this is going to be a better fit for me. I know a couple guys on the Indians and I’m really excited. They’ve been to the postseason the past few years. I got to play there last year and it was electric out there. The stadium is really nice. I’m excited.

Who do you know with the Indians?

I’ve played against those guys from short-season on. Greg Allen, we played summer ball together and we’re actually working out together right now down in San Diego. So I’m most familiar with him. And a couple other guys, I’ve played with. Eric Haase. I don’t really know too many guys. I’ve played against them. I don’t know them on a personal level. But I’m excited to get to know these guys, because playing against them the past few years, it’s always been a dogfight and they seem like a lot of hard-nosed grinders.


Jordan Luplow (Jeff Curry / Getty Images)
Have you had a chance to talk with Terry Francona?

I have, yeah. He gave me a call after the trade and we exchanged some words and he welcomed me to the club and is excited to get going.

Was the message from the club that there will be an opportunity to seize playing time in the outfield?

Yeah, I think there’s going to be an opportunity to win a job there. Ultimately, if you can play at that level, they’re going to find a spot for you. Someone’s going to find you and give you an opportunity. There are always people watching, (which is why) I got traded over to the Indians. If you can play baseball, you’re going to find a place to play and I think there’s some opportunity here.

Trevor Bauer wears No. 47, the number you wore with the Pirates. Is a new number on your horizon?

Yeah. I wasn’t super stoked about 47. That was something they gave me. We’ll see what happens. I’m not too picky. We’ll see what happens.

Did family members want to mention Al once you were traded to Cleveland?

Yeah, it’s funny, every time I go play on the East Coast, there are always a couple fans who come up and ask me if I’m related to Al. And I get to tell them a story and they share their story, so it’s pretty cool. It is a weird little thing that he played for the Indians and then ended with the Pirates and I’m kind of doing the reverse order. There have been a couple people who have mentioned it. I think it’s pretty cool. Maybe some of the Indians fans can share their stories about Al with me.

When you were growing up, did you hear about his career much?

It was here and there. As I got older, in college and then finally in pro ball, I started noticing it a lot more and realizing how impressive it is that he was in the big leagues and got to play for a while. It was more later in my career when I noticed it, but it’s always cool having family members who have made it.

You never met?

No, we didn’t. He passed away (Dec. 28, 2017). I never got to meet him. I want to say he’s actually my third cousin. He was my grandpa’s cousin. That makes him my third cousin, I believe. I think I’ve done the math a couple times, but I’ve gotten it confused. (They actually would seem to be first cousins twice removed, though this is, admittedly, a confusing task to complete.) I didn’t get to meet him; I’ve just heard stories about him.

Was one of those stories his famous catch at Fenway?

Yeah. I’ve heard that one a bunch of times. One of the greatest catches never seen, people have told me. When Torii Hunter did it with the Tigers in that playoff game (in 2013), that’s when it really started buzzing and people started telling me about that. I thought that was pretty cool.

(Top photo of Jordan Luplow: Charles LeClaire / USA Today Sports)

Pirates sign Chisenhall who Luplow will replace [sort of, since Lonnie is LH and Jordan is RH]. We save a lot money on the exchange. Pirates get a better hitter, but one we get a guy who isn't hurt all the time.

Proposal #1
Braves get: Kluber
Indians get: RHP Kyle Wright, RHP Touki Toussaint, OF Cristian Pache

Atlanta appears to have more interest in Kluber than Bauer and is believed to be uncomfortable with this type of package for Kluber… which can only mean it's something close to the correct package! Kluber is exactly the kind of rotation-altering force the Braves could use to maintain their position atop a National League East race that grows more dynamic by the day.

While Cleveland is averse to a prospects-oriented trade and this obviously qualifies as exactly that, Wright (No. 29 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list) and Toussaint (No. 40) have made their big league debuts and provide potential immediate impact/depth. Pache ranks No. 68 but is probably a year away. Still, combine the immediate rotation options with the $17 million in salary relief, and it's a deal worth considering for Cleveland, even if it doesn't address the outfield need (that's where the money savings comes in handy).

Proposal #2
Dodgers get: Bauer
Indians get: OF Alex Verdugo, LHP Caleb Ferguson, RHP Tony Gonsolin

With Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Rich Hill, Ross Stripling and Kenta Maeda on board, Los Angeles' rotation is not necessarily a screaming need. Still, the Dodgers and Indians have had conversations involving Cleveland's starters this winter, and Bauer, an L.A. native, fits the Dodgers' analytic bent.

Los Angeles has outfield depth aplenty, but Verdugo is the one outfielder who truly fits the profile of what the Indians would be looking for in a trade involving one of their starters -- young, cost-controlled, Major League-ready and capable of filling a position of immediate need in right field. Ferguson goes right into Cleveland's bullpen, and Gonsolin has mid-rotation potential, perhaps as soon as 2019. Honestly, this package might be a smidge high for Bauer given the cost uncertainty for '20, but Verdugo-plus is the gist of it.

[fairish; I'd prefer to keep Trevor]

Proposal #3
Mets get: Kluber
Indians get: 1B Peter Alonso, LHP Steven Matz, LHP David Peterson, SS Ronny Mauricio

We'll include the Mets out of deference to the recent reports of their interest in Kluber (and bidding boldly on a 33-year-old arm probably wouldn't be crazier than the deal they just swung for Robinson Cano). But these clubs might not be a great match right now, especially if New York is prioritizing catcher J.T. Realmuto in the trade market.

Brandon Nimmo makes the most sense as an Indians target, but the Mets moving him in a deal for pitching -- even top-flight pitching -- isn't advisable given their overall offensive complexion. Alonso is interesting as a potentially better fit for the AL than the NL. Jay Bruce's departure in the Cano deal opens up first base for Alonso, the Mets' No. 2 prospect (and No. 58 in MLB). But if you're filling out your lineup based on defensive stats and not sentiment, Jeff McNeil should be at second base and Cano at first. Even if you don't move Cano immediately, he should be at first base eventually, and that could complicate Alonso's path. That's why this deal involves him and not Nimmo, which means Cleveland would likely have to apply the Kluber cost savings in free agency to get a reliable outfielder.

Another issue is the Indians still owe another first baseman named Alonso -- Yonder Alonso -- a minimum of $9 million over the next year. So they'd have to take what they can get for the elder Alonso in the trade market or take them both into Spring Training and see what develops. The bottom line is that the younger Alonso's right-handed power is a big plus moving forward. Matz would give the Indians their lone lefty in the rotation, is entering his arbitration years and is estimated by MLB Trade Rumors to make $3 million in 2019. The Mets' Nos. 4 (Peterson) and 6 (Mauricio) prospects round out this (admittedly imperfect) deal.

[not very appealing

Proposal #4
Brewers get: Bauer
Indians get: RHP Corbin Burnes, OF Domingo Santana, OF Corey Ray

In this swap, the Brewers deal from a position of depth in the big league outfield, sacrifice Burnes' live arm (which came up big for them in a bullpen role this season and is currently slated for the 2019 rotation) and give up the fifth overall pick from the 2016 Draft in Ray, who has a nice blend of speed and power and is coming off a solid season at Double-A. The tradeoff is the legitimization of their rotation.

The Indians would hold out hope that Santana can recapture his offensive breakout from 2017 (his 127 wRC+ from that year is higher than the Indians have gotten from any outfielder with at least 100 games played in either of the past two seasons), [he was terrible in 2018] and Burnes would give them a versatile weapon on their pitching staff. Add in the cost savings for Cleveland that can be applied elsewhere, and this would be a trade in which you could feel both Major League clubs got better.

this one stinks
Proposal #5
Yankees get: Kluber, 2B Jason Kipnis
Indians get: RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Chad Green, OF Clint Frazier, RHP Domingo Acevedo

Bauer's Twitter account and the Yankees' media spotlight just feels like an ill fit. But Kluber could work.

There is clear incentive for the Indians to attach the roughly $17 million guaranteed to Kipnis (between his 2019 salary and '20 buyout) to Kluber to get a deal done. The Yankees are the rare club with the financial wherewithal to take on that money and a hole in their infield. (Granted, signing Manny Machado's the far sexier scenario, but New York could conceivably put Kipnis at second and have Gleyber Torres at short while Didi Gregorius is out.)

In this deal, we're swapping a pair of change-of-scenery guys in Kipnis and Gray, though, because the Indians are getting the better end of that deal (Gray is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to make around $9 million in 2019), their return for Kluber is more limited than it otherwise would be (i.e., they're not getting Miguel Andujar or top Yankees prospect Estevan Florial).

But they'd still be doing pretty well in this deal with a bounceback candidate in Gray, a huge bullpen piece in Green (under control for four years), a near-ready pitching piece in Acevedo (No. 4 on the Yankees' list) and the return of Frazier (their former first-round pick dealt in the Andrew Miller trade) to potentially impact the outfield in 2019. They'd also free more than $20 million for the 2019 payroll, which is obviously a game-changer for their offseason plans.

Seven compelling options among the pile of non-tendered players


By Cliff Corcoran 3h ago 3

Last​ Friday’s non-tender​ deadline loosed​ 41 new free agents​ upon the market.​ Technically, the Friday​ evening​ deadline was​ for teams​​ to tender contracts to players on their 40-man rosters who were neither eligible for free agency nor signed to multiyear deals. Doing so is a formality, in most cases. The exceptions come when teams decide that certain players won’t be worth the salary they are likely to receive through arbitration, or when they simply want to clear some space on the roster by cutting ties to younger players who haven’t panned out.

Perhaps the most infamous non-tender decision came after the 2002 season, when the Twins concluded that a 27-year-old David Ortiz wouldn’t be worth the seven-figure salary he was likely to land in arbitration and declined to tender him a contract. The Red Sox signed Ortiz five weeks later to a one-year, $1.25 million contract, and the rest is history. It’s unlikely that another Ortiz is lurking among this year’s crop of non-tendered players, but that group of 41 players does include three former All-Stars and a recent Home Run Derby participant.

The Twins scooped up one of those All-Stars, second baseman Jonathan Schoop — the cream of this year’s non-tender class — yesterday, but there are still names on the non-tendered list who could give new teams a boost. Here, then, are the players with the best chance to make their former teams regret their decisions, plus a few others whose availability, at the very least, makes this winter’s free-agent class deeper and more compelling.

Justin Bour, 1B/DH

Justin Bour is a lousy defensive first baseman, he doesn’t hit lefties (.220/.303/.335 career in, admittedly, an insufficient 353 plate appearances), and he’ll be 31 in May. However, as a righty-crushing platoon first baseman or designated hitter, he has a lot to offer, starting with a career .269/.354/.499 line against right-handed pitching. Included therein is not only 30-homer power (in the 2017 Home Run Derby at Marlins Park, his 22 homers were the most by any participant in a single round except for the man he was matched up against, eventual winner Aaron Judge) but also a walk rate that will prevent him from becoming an automatic out, even if his average dips. His is a narrow skill set, but imagine him as the strong side of a designated-hitter platoon with Tyler White in Houston, Luke Voit in the Bronx, or C.J. Cron in Minnesota, or as a full-time DH in Detroit. He has two years of team control remaining, and he’s a big boy who hits dingers. Sign him up!

Mike Fiers, RHP
It’s certainly not a ringing endorsement that a team coming off a wild-card berth with no rotation to speak of (the A’s) opted to non-tender Fiers rather than pay him just shy of $10 million for his walk year. The truth is, Fiers is a homer-prone fly-ball pitcher heading into his age-34 season. However, he has also been a league-average pitcher over the course of his late-blooming major-league career (ERA+ of 100 exactly). He has also made 28 or more starts in each of the past four seasons, and he is coming off the best of his four full major-league seasons, one in which he posted his lowest walk rate (1.9 BB/9) and highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.76) in support of a career-best 121 ERA+ over 172 innings. That’s a reliable back-end starter, who would play well in a home-run-suppressing park like the one in Oakland. The Rays, Twins, Padres, Giants, and Royals would seem like good fits. As would the A’s, to be honest.

Tim Beckham, SS/IF
The top overall pick in the 2008 draft, Beckham has inarguably been a disappointment as a professional, but he’s no longer the complete bust it once appeared he might be. Like his former Orioles teammate, Schoop, he won’t take a walk, but he’s capable of playing shortstop, second or third, and he has flashed 20-homer power over the past two seasons (34 homers in 977 plate appearances) and will enter his age-29 season with something very close to a league-average career batting line (.252/.304/.424, 98 OPS+). Beckham’s glove isn’t good enough to compensate for his weak on-base percentages as a full-timer, but he has much more to offer at the plate than the typical utility infielder and would upgrade most major-league benches, as a result. Coming off a 115-loss season, the Orioles could have done worse than to pay him $4.5 million or so to be their everyday shortstop, particularly given that he’s not due to become a free agent until after the 2020 season. Their loss could be a better team’s gain.


Avisaíl García. (Brad Mills / USA Today)
Avisaíl García, RF/DH

In retrospect, García’s so-called breakout season in 2017 looks like little more than a gigantic batting average spike. Like Schoop and Beckham, García doesn’t walk, but he was an All-Star in 2017 on the strength of a .330 batting average, which lifted his usual disappointing battling line to .330/.380/.506. There was a little extra power in there, as well, but it all came crashing back down to .236/.281/.438 in 2019. Unlike Schoop, however, García is not a good fielder, so the result was a nearly replacement-level season, prompting the White Sox to non-tender the burly Venezuelan rather than pay him the $8 million he was projected to make in arbitration in his walk year.

Still, García won’t turn 28 until June, and there still seems to be untapped potential in his bat. He also was plagued by hamstring injuries in 2018, which may have contributed to the severity of his fall from his 2017 heights. I can’t say I’m all that high on him, but if there’s a hitting coach out there who thinks he can unlock García, this is still a player one year removed from 4.6 bWAR season, however fluky it may have been.

Billy Hamilton, CF
There are three things we can say with confidence about Billy Hamilton: (1) He’s fast (one of five players with at least 10 “competitive runs” in 2018 to best 30 feet per second per Statcast’s sprint speed). (2) He’s one of the best defensive center fielders in the game. (3) He is a terrible major-league hitter (.243/.299/.325, 67 OPS+ over the last four years as a full-time player). He’s so good at the first two that he was a net positive for the Reds, but his true calling is not as a full-timer but as a fourth outfielder who helps steal a run as a pinch-runner, then trots out to center and save one. With the Reds having finally given up on him after his age-27 season, that phase of his career starts now.

Robbie Grossman, DH
Grossman is a terrible defensive outfielder with little power. However, he is also a 29-year-old switch-hitter who has posted a .371 on-base percentage over 1,310 plate appearances over the past three years and has two years of team control remaining. He could be valuable as a DH for a team with an opening (perhaps the Tigers) or as a pinch-hitter in the National League. It would also be worth finding out if he can play first base, a position he has never manned in the majors or minors.

Yangervis Solarte, IF
Solarte is a decent second baseman with a lot of experience at third, someone who can also spot at shortstop and can switch hit with 20-homer power. His plate production has fallen steeply in each of the past two seasons, and he’ll be 32 in July, but his .233 BABIP in 2018 suggests a rebound. He’s worth a bench spot.

(Top photo of Bour: Rich Schultz / Getty Images))

I like Garcia out of that bunch, and he's a right fielder to boot.

And yes, I think injuries derailed his 2018 - he matured in 2017 and I'd shoot him a 1 year "prove it" offer.

And Solarte could be a utility guy. It's what he does.

Winter Meetings next week?

Garcia is not very interesting, just as Naquin, Chisenhall, Guyer are not very interesting. If he's super cheap I suppose they can bring him in. If we could just find a way to get rid of that monster Kipnis contract we could afford to sign an actual OF

Who will the Cleveland Indians lean on following this winter’s talent and leadership drain?
Updated 4:32 PM; Posted 3:11 PM




By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.comphoynes@cleveland.com
LAS VEGAS – A manager manages, and players play. But who leads?

When Terry Francona became manager of the Indians before the 2013 season, Jason Giambi was signed to help show his team the way. The Indians were the surprise of the American League that year, rebounding from a 94-loss season to win a wild-card spot with 92 wins.

In 2016, the Indians signed Mike Napoli, another veteran known for his power at the plate and ability to unite, and they reached Game 7 of the World Series.

Giambi and Napoli were short-term fixes. They did their job and moved on. As the Indians matured, Francona and the front office felt the team had developed enough leaders among its core. An injection from the outside was no longer needed – to say nothing of the fact that personalities such as Giambi and Napoli are not common.

Now that core has cracked. Michael Brantley, Cody Allen, Josh Tomlin, Lonnie Chisenhall – four of the longest tenured Indians – are free agents. Chisenhall has already signed with the Pirates. Andrew Miller, an Indian for a short time, but always a voice of reason, is a free agent as well. The same goes for Rajai Davis.


Yan Gomes, an Indian since the start of Francona’s tenure, was traded to Washington on Nov. 30.

The big-league service time accrued by Brantley (eight years, 131 days), Tomlin (eight years, 33 days), Chisenhall (six years, 158 days), Gomes (six years, 83 days) and Allen (six years, 76) accounts for almost 36 years of experience. And all that experience has been with the Indians. Gomes is the only player not to spend his entire big-league career with the Tribe.

Now they’re gone. Perhaps the Indians will sign Tomlin to a minor league deal and invite him to spring training in February. But the chances of Brantley and Allen returning are remote. Even a player such as Erik Gonzalez, who spent just over two years in the big leagues, is part of the culture drain. He he spent 10 years in the organization before being traded to the Pirates in November.

And there is another shoe or two waiting to drop – a potential trade of Corey Kluber, the two-time Cy Young winner. Kluber is another player who has spent his entire big-league career with the Tribe. He’s been in the big leagues for six years and 74 days.

Jason Kipnis could be traded as well. He’s spent 10 years with the Indians, the last seven plus with the big-league club.


So who leads now and what happens to the Indians’ way?

Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations, GM Mike Chernoff, Francona and the coaching staff have spent the early part of the offseason talking about it. In exit interviews with their departing free agents after the team was eliminated in the ALDS, they asked them what they felt the personality of the team was and what parts of the clubhouse culture should be preserved.

“So what exactly that looks like remains to be seen,” said Antonetti. “I imagine we’re going to have some other players that would be joining the organization over the course of the next few months and go to spring training and try to form a cohesive unit. But I couldn’t have more confidence in anyone than Tito in how he’ll build that culture and remain consistent with who we are as an organization.”

Will Francona and the coaching staff’s roles change because of the roster turnover?

“I think we’ll always lean on Tito and the coaching staff,” said Antonetti. “I think each team forms its own identity over the course of the season and different guys emerge as leaders. We saw that with Nap or Giambi or Michael Brantley, an evolution over time. Josh Tomlin, who at the time wasn’t our highest-performing player, but was one of the dominating voices in the clubhouse in how he led.”


Chernoff added, “It’s hard thinking about a clubhouse without those guys when they had been there for so long and were such core members of the culture. I also think they left a lasting legacy. They have thought about that legacy over time and helped to empower a lot of the younger players and groomed them for leadership roles. That’s a huge credit to those guys.”

That’s where the trade whispers enter the fray — everything from the well-known pitching rumors involving the Tribe’s top two hurlers to a report from The Athletic‘s own Corey Brock, indicating that the Indians are one of three teams that have spoken to the Mariners about their old pal, Carlos Santana, who is still owed just over $40 million over the final two years of his deal.

Could be wrong but I think the Indians are trying to trade Bauer and not Kluber......

Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto pulls off trade from hospital bed

Dec 13, 2018 , By JANIE McCAULEY

LAS VEGAS (AP) Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto was taken to a hospital as a precaution after he began feeling ill during the baseball winter meetings then he pulled off a trade from his bed.

The team said Dipoto was driven to an area hospital by Mariners officials Wednesday "out of an abundance of caution." Dipoto made improvements into Thursday and was expected to be released at some point during the day, likely flying home to Seattle on Friday.

No other information was provided about his condition, though assistant GM Justin Hollander said further tests were done.

Despite being sick, the 50-year-old Dipoto dealt Carlos Santana to Cleveland in exchange for Edwin Encarnacion on Thursday - getting a big assist from Hollander.

Hollander handled the final logistics of the swap from Seattle's side. He went to the hospital Wednesday night to work out "sort of a new wrinkle" with Dipoto.

"We were texting back and forth. Some of the groundwork had been laid and then he basically handed me the keys and said, `You know what I want to do roughly, just check in when you have but go run with it."'

Hollander shared a photo of Dipoto in a hospital gown, on a bed, giving a thumbs-up sign.

"They're still running tests, getting results. I would assume it's nothing serious if they're going to let him go home, hopefully today," Hollander said. "He seemed to be feeling better based on what (wife) Tamie said. He was even looking better last night than before he went in."

Dipoto will begin his fourth full season as Seattle's executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations. He was hired near the end of the 2015 season and received a contract extension in July.

What it’s like to cover an Indians three-team trade while on a flight with no Wi-Fi and the front office on board

Zack Meisel Dec 13, 2018 61

35,000​ FEET IN​ THE AIR​ — Airplane mode can​ go to hell.

When​ you get word​ that​ the Indians​ are trading​​ away Edwin Encarnacion and Yandy Díaz and are acquiring Carlos Santana, you fire off that tweet, even as your plane gains steam on the runway.

And then you turn around. Four rows behind you is Indians president Chris Antonetti, staring back with a sly grin.

“It’s done.”

He said he could provide full details once we reached our cruising altitude on our return to Cleveland after four days in Las Vegas for the Winter Meetings. Perfect. Purchase the $8 Wi-Fi, collect all of the information, send it out to the world and write up a story. A productive, efficient day.

Ah, but Southwest had other plans.

This is the story of a trade completed minutes before takeoff on a cross-country flight full of team executives and a couple of fingernail-chomping, internally screaming reporters. Feel free to cue up the “Seinfeld” theme as you read along.

It all began at Gate C22, a small nook beside a row of glitzy slot machines and a Nathan’s Hot Dogs stand. Mike Chernoff stood beneath the monitors displaying departure statuses and chatted with assistant general manager Matt Forman. Antonetti eventually joined them, and a parade of texting and phone conversations commenced.

Members of the Indians’ analytics department, video department, scouting department and clubhouse managing team sat at the gate and waited for the boarding process to begin. The Indians’ director of media relations typed away on his laptop nearby.

The Indians were up to something. And Chernoff could tell that we were suspicious.

Southwest’s boarding system created a stressful scenario. I held the A27 position. Antonetti, Chernoff and Forman all had business select, all within the first 15 passengers to board. They would certainly cluster together. Should I crash their party and attempt to snoop out their activity? Should I sit a row behind them and try to keep tabs on what they’re doing? Should I leave them alone? From past shared flights, I had an idea that Antonetti was an aisle guy. Should I snag the middle seat beside him, or would that just urge him to ignore my texts and calls until the end of time?

They chose the middle of the plane, occupying the exit rows. The Indians’ brain trust, a group of people I constantly pester with information requests, were now my guardian angels. Antonetti and Chernoff selected adjacent aisle seats, with Forman in front of them. Overwhelmed by the decision at hand, I plopped down a few rows in front of them. It felt like a movie scenario in which the protagonist must snip one of four colored wires to deactivate a bomb. I couldn’t handle the pressure.

This was chaotic, but it could be OK. If they executed a trade, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal and I had the best resources a mere 10 feet from us. We should be able to obtain a quote if necessary, right?

“If the seatbelt sign isn’t on,” Ryan quipped.

And then, I got word. Welcome back, Santana. See you later, Encarnacion.

I had to tweet out what I knew, but the flight attendants had already demanded that we switch our phones into airplane mode. As I rushed to type my 104 characters, an attendant, donning a red Santa hat, delivered a speech littered with jokes.

Wear your seatbelt like Britney Spears wore her pants: low and tight
Place your seat in a full, upright and most uncomfortable position
If you’re traveling with two children, just pick the one with the most potential
We’re checking to make sure your shoes match your outfit; we want you to look your best
If you want to smoke, just step out onto that wing
If you aren’t a fan of these jokes, there are eight ways to leave the plane

This was not helping me focus. Come on, feel the room.


Zack Meisel
✔
@ZackMeisel
Source: Indians receiving Carlos Santana and dealing away Edwin Encarnacion as part of three-team trade.

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10:16 AM - Dec 13, 2018
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My tweet went through and the plane left the ground. Adios, world. Catch up with you in about 10 minutes, when I hopefully have more complete details to share.

I turned around and faced Antonetti. He said we could chat once phone usage was permitted.

Last year, Antonetti and Chernoff flew into Burke Lakefront Airport after the Winter Meetings. They remained there for about two hours, working on a contract negotiation with none other than Carlos Santana. (Obviously, he ultimately signed with the Phillies.)

In a lighthearted moment Wednesday, I asked whether they had the means to get anything done on an actual flight.

“We have Wi-Fi,” Antonetti replied.

I asked when he was flying back to Cleveland.

“We’re in the morning (on Thursday),” he said. “It has become a fully connected world 365 days a year.”

Well, if that wasn’t the greatest jinx of the week.

When the flight attendant voiced that passengers could use their electronics, I frantically retrieved my laptop and called up the Wi-Fi page on my phone. Antonetti and Chernoff both laughed. Their work was complete, but mine was just beginning.

One problem: Southwest Wi-Fi wouldn’t work. Every click of the “Submit Payment” button segued into a 504 Gateway Timeout page. I won’t be shocked if charges adding up to $800 appear on my credit card statement.

Antonetti did relay the final details of the deal:

Indians receive: Carlos Santana, Jake Bauers, cash
Mariners receive: Edwin Encarnacion, compensatory pick, cash
Rays receive: Yandy Díaz, Cole Sulser

Knowing the information was helpful. Not being able to do anything with the information was painful.

The teams had to wait for approval from the commissioner’s office before the trade was final, since the deal included a bounty of cash changing hands. The Indians were preparing to board the plane when the transaction was complete. That was a first, Antonetti said.

There would be no news conference on the plane. Too cramped. Poor sound quality resulting from the steady hum of the engine and the pumping of the air conditioning. And, with occasional turbulence, there would be no gathering in the aisle.

Antonetti passed on his choice from a selection of pretzels, Fritos, Oreos and crackers. (In related news, the Indians passed on selecting anyone in the major-league portion of the Rule 5 draft Thursday morning.) Once he gave up his internet bid, he got some sleep.

With about an hour remaining on the three-hour, 50-minute trek, the Wi-Fi started to work. By then, of course, every last detail of the deal had been publicized. Shortly before we began our descent, a flight attendant led the passengers in a stretching routine. Then, more jokes.

Anything left behind can be found at 10 a.m. tomorrow on eBay.
Nobody loves you or your money more than Southwest.

We interviewed Antonetti and Chernoff at the information desk in front of the TSA pre-check line. The Indians save a bit of money in 2019 and they like Bauers’ ability to play either first base or corner outfield.

“(It) gives us more flexibility as we seek to build our team for 2019,” Antonetti said. “Exactly what that means, we’ll have to see.”

Antonetti called Encarnacion on Thursday morning to deliver the news, as he didn’t want the slugger to hear it from someone else in the event Antonetti was on the flight when the deal was finalized. He and Díaz exchanged texts during the flight, after his call went unanswered before boarding. They talked with Bauers about five minutes before departure, and Antonetti has kept in touch with Santana.

“This was a first,” Antonetti said.

“Let’s never do it again,” I replied.