Cleveland Sports Forum

LIndor for Harper? No. for Trout? OK.

here's a short one from Baseball America

Cleveland Indians



Status: BUYERS

Where They Stand: 52-40, tied for second AL wild card

What They Need: Bats. The Indians rank 20th in the majors in runs scored and are receiving below-average offensive production at six of nine lineup spots. The revamped outfield rotation of Oscar Mercado, Tyler Naquin, Jake Bauers and Jordan Luplow have been better than their early season predecessors, but there’s still improvement to be had.

What They Have To Offer: The Indians’ situation is complicated. They are known to be shopping pitchers like Trevor Bauer, but also sit within striking distance of the AL's second wild card. Bauer is their obvious top trade chip but would also hurt to part with. Beyond Bauer, they have a deep well of low-level position player prospects headlined by Nolan Jones, George Valera, Brayan Rocchio, Bo Naylor and a collection of international signees drawing rave reviews in Arizona.

If they dealt Valera I think I’d become physically ill. I think he has a chance to be special.

I wouldn’t trade Jones or Freeman either, to be honest.

The rest are up for grabs. There’s enough talent there to add a couple pieces. McKenzie, Civale, Zimmer, Bradley, Haase, Rocchio, Morgan, etc... Not to mention Bauer.

‘We’re up to something special’: How the 2016 draft rescued the 2019 Indians

Zack Meisel 2h ago 6
CLEVELAND — As a stoic Aaron Civale stymied the Tigers last month, Mike Clevinger turned to Trevor Bauer in the dugout.

“He needs to get excited,” Clevinger said to his rotation mate. “Does he have a pulse?”

Clevinger claimed the rookie right-hander “wasn’t even breaking a sweat” as he breezed through Detroit’s lineup for six innings in his first major-league start.

“He and Brad Hand are going to have a battle of resting heart rates,” Clevinger quipped.

Clevinger reflected on his own big-league debut, which unfolded in Cincinnati after a lengthy vomiting session in the visitors’ clubhouse. So as Civale shined in his first outing and Zach Plesac swiftly forced his way into the starting-pitching conversation, Clevinger started to tease the two wunderkinds.

“These kids just keep coming up and shoving for seven innings,” Clevinger said. “I was like, ‘Shit’s easy here, huh?’ It’s amazing the makeup they have, and it shows the depth the farm system has, especially in arms.”

That development has helped salvage the Indians’ season. Without the timely contributions from the youngsters, the club couldn’t have survived the absences of Clevinger, Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and even Jefry Rodriguez.

And it’s not just Plesac and Civale. Carl Willis referred to Shane Bieber as the pioneer of the group, as the 24-year-old with one year of service time has established himself as perhaps one of the league’s most intriguing pitching commodities.

All three of those pitchers joined the organization in the summer of 2016. That draft has already paid dividends. Never mind the fact that Nolan Jones keeps creeping up top prospect lists, or that Will Benson has started to tap into his power potential — or even that a 30th-round selection named Ryder Ryan once fetched the team a couple of helpful months of Jay Bruce’s services or that fifth-rounder Conner Capel was part of the package that secured the Indians Oscar Mercado.

In 2016, the Indians nabbed Civale in the third round, Bieber in the fourth and Plesac in the 12th. In the process, the organization formed a pitching pipeline that has been crucial to salvaging the 2019 season.

“That class was a powerhouse,” Plesac said. “There’s always good talent in every draft class, but to see the guys that came from my draft class be successful, it shows me that the future and this organization, we’re up to something special.”

Mike Kanen sat in the front row with his girlfriend at Progressive Field on June 22. The last time the Indians’ northeast area scout had watched Civale operate was in the Carolina League playoffs two years earlier. Civale looked similar when he battled the Tigers, just with a sharper cutter and slider, and a changeup he implemented while climbing the minor-league ladder.

Civale struck out the first three hitters he faced on his way to six scoreless frames.

“That was certainly more than anybody could have imagined,” Kanen said.

Kanen watched Civale throw in the Cape Cod League years ago, when, as a reliever, he allowed only one run in 25 innings for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. He could throw strikes with five pitches, which intrigued the Indians. The next year, his junior season at Northeastern, Civale transitioned into a starting role and posted a 1.73 ERA, with eight strikeouts for every walk he issued.

Civale landed on the injured list last week with shoulder tightness, but he had compiled a 1.63 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Columbus.

“They all signed together. They know each other,” Willis said. “They played together. Seeing one succeed before the other gives them confidence that they can go out at this level and compete and do the same thing.”

Terry Francona has used the word “poise” on a routine basis when assessing each of the three young pitchers.

“On one extreme, you have Clev, who’s very fast,” Bauer said. “Everything goes quickly. He’s aggressive. That’s his personality type. On the other side, you have someone like Kluber. Everything seems to occur to him very slowly, everything’s relaxed, nothing speeds him up. I don’t want that to sound negative or anything, but that (methodical) personality type. The guys who have come up have been somewhere in the middle, excited for it, but poised enough so the game doesn’t speed up on them.

“I think a lot of that has to do with the organization preparing them in a way, making the right decisions on who’s going to come up that can handle it, who’s at that point in their development and having done the work and preparation and coaching with them to allow them to handle that. Stuff is stuff. You go out there and you try to locate. The game is the game. Handling the emotions of it is probably the toughest part of your debut. It’s been impressive. It’s cool to see. All different personalities, but the poise has been cool to see.”
Zach Plesac. (David Richard / USA Today)
Two attributes stood out to the Indians about Plesac:

1. His athleticism. He had history on the football field and in center field.

2. His potential command. He consistently repeated his delivery and arm action.

“There were things we knew we could add to,” said Indians vice president Brad Grant, who oversaw the 2016 draft, “and I think the big thing with him is just the increase in velocity, especially with his fastball.”

Plesac entered his rain-shortened start Tuesday with an average fastball velocity of 94.4 mph this season. When the Indians drafted him, he had recently undergone Tommy John surgery, but that operation hasn’t scared away the organization from selecting pitchers.

Plesac has logged a 3.56 ERA in nine starts with the Tribe. He also leads the league with five pickoffs, despite only 48 innings to his name — a testament to his athleticism.

“It starts with the guys who were here before us,” Plesac said. “Having that privilege to be here now gives us insight, the privilege to learn from the guys who are here so that we can help all grow together. I can help teach Civale things that Bauer taught me. Bieber can teach me things that Kluber taught him. We’re all looking to help each other.”

Bieber first caught Matt Blake’s eye in the Cape Cod League. At the time, Blake was working in the private sector and scouting part-time for the Yankees. Blake immediately noticed Bieber’s maturity and work ethic, as well as his openness to instruction, a few traits upon which the Indians place a premium.

The Indians hired Blake as a lower-level pitching coordinator later that summer, so he was part of the organization’s draft process when they chose Bieber in the fourth round.

“I don’t think it would’ve been easy to say that this guy is going to end up (throwing) 93-96 with four quality pitches,” Blake said, “but there were some qualities that you say, ‘This guy has a chance to grow more than the average college pitcher would.’”

That’s a central theme. The Indians have enough confidence in their player development system to believe they can convert the potential of the pitchers who fit their draft guidelines into big-league productivity.

Bieber demonstrates that as well as anyone. Clevinger and Bauer joke that Bieber was a timid, soft-tossing strike-thrower upon his arrival to the majors, that they molded him into the All-Star Game MVP with the mid-90s heater by calling him a herbivore and insisting he could unleash more oomph on his pitches. It isn’t that simple, of course, and Bieber already possessed plenty of skill that could flourish with proper instruction and effort.

“We took guys who we knew were very good strike-throwers and had stuff,” Grant said, “but then improved those things as well and added to it.”

The organization isn’t taking a victory lap on the 2016 draft. It’s quite early, with the scripts for each of those three pitchers — as well as the other draftees — still mostly unwritten. But those in the front office are thrilled with how that draft and development process unfolded, given that they made significant modifications to their methods about a year earlier.

“We’ve done a lot of work on our process in the draft and made a lot of changes to that process, which has, at the same time, caused a lot of tension,” Grant said, “so it’s nice to see all of the hard work that has been put into going through those changes, to see the outcome of it. As we made adjustments to how we scout, as we made adjustments to what information we were trying to seek, what information we were trying to get on players, we were asking our scouts to do a ton of extra work. In that same time, too, we were adjusting how we made decisions in our draft room and going through that process as well, which caused a lot of tensions between scouting and the front office, so to see those drafts then actually play out and be productive, I think, is the most gratifying part.”

Grant wouldn’t reveal all of the Indians’ strategy secrets, of course, but he did note that the club incorporated “new sources of data, new sources of makeup information” and “all sorts of things that we were adding onto our process that were just beyond the scouting process itself.” Clevinger voiced that the club’s foray into biomechanical research has created a healthy culture shift.

Derek Falvey, now the Twins’ front-office kingpin, helped spearhead some of those changes on the pitching side. Grant mentioned Blake, Eric Binder, Alex Eckelman, Alex Merberg and Ruben Niebla as members of the organization who have sustained that pitching movement.

“We put a huge emphasis on starting to get ahead on pitching,” Grant said, “and you’re starting to see the fruits of that from the development aspect.”

Grant said the team doesn’t specifically draft based on the player development staff’s strengths, but the two departments collaborate plenty during the scouting process. That way, when a new pitcher begins his minor-league ascent, the organization’s pitching coaches and coordinators already have a baseline of knowledge about him.

As a result, the Indians have cultivated a pitching pipeline, one that has perhaps saved the 2019 season.

“There are more that are coming, too,” Grant said, “and I think, not only do we have a better understanding of what we’re targeting in the draft, but also how we’re developing them once we get them as well and which ones we can teach and how we can make them better.”

Agree about Valera, he's been getting great press since he was signed, has looked really good in his debut as one of the youngest players in his league and should quickly move up through the top 100 prospects list. Jones and Freeman have really nice offensive potential too but Valera beats them in power and defensive skills.

The 2019 Cleveland Indians Trade Deadline Manifesto

Zack Meisel Jul 18, 2019

CLEVELAND — Hand Francisco Lindor the keys to the front office for the next two weeks, and where would he steer the Indians’ trade discussions?

“I want to add pieces,” he said. “This is a good team. Our guys are playoff-caliber.”

What sort of pieces?

“We all hit lefty,” he said. “We have left-handed hitters, so maybe a right-handed hitter.”

That’s one opinion. Everyone has one. The Indians will be a popular team for the next two weeks, caught in a peculiar position, with a couple of attractive trade commodities and an imperfect roster that continues to churn out victories.

Terry Francona’s bunch has trimmed the AL Central deficit to four games, just six weeks after the Twins appeared poised to sprint to a division title. Several Tribe players watched the late innings of the Twins’ lopsided loss to the Mets in the clubhouse at Progressive Field on Wednesday afternoon. There certainly seems to be a dogfight ahead; the Indians and Twins still have 10 meetings on the docket.

The Indians’ chief decision-makers have burned through their cell phone batteries since the All-Star break. Now is the time to stock up on granola bars and energy drinks.

What course of action will the club take before July 31? Welcome to the 2019 Cleveland Indians Trade Deadline Manifesto.

First, a few details to keep in mind.

There’s no August waiver deadline
All shopping must be completed by July 31, with no exceptions or returns. So, no, the Indians can’t stall until the final day of August to pluck a former MVP third baseman out of thin air. And, no, teams trapped in pseudo-contention purgatory can’t delay their decision-making.

“You had a lot of teams in the past end up not doing things, knowing you could always regroup and do them in August,” GM Mike Chernoff told The Athletic this week. “And, obviously, you can’t do that anymore. So I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a flurry of activity on the types of guys you typically see get through (waivers) in August, happen in the last couple of hours (before the deadline).”

Prepare to hear the familiar line about injury returns resembling trade acquisitions
It’s a common refrain, and it will surface again this season. Whether or not the Indians obtain outside help, they will consider Corey Kluber — and, perhaps, Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Bradley Zimmer — midseason additions of varying sorts.

It’s always a bit of an unfair (and convenient) label. But in this case, the Indians have yet to field a team at anywhere near full strength, so no one really knows the club’s ceiling. That said, with an ordinary trade, a team has a basic idea of the level of production it will receive from the acquired player. The jury is out on what Kluber, Salazar, Carrasco and Zimmer could provide, for various reasons.

This isn’t a basic “all in” or “tear it down” approach
There’s a middle ground with the Indians, somewhere between Dave Dombrowski’s “there’s no tomorrow” style and Sashi Brown’s “tomorrow is the best thing about today” method. The Indians don’t necessarily buy into the idea that they must be pigeonholed into the role of “buyer” or “seller.”

If they trade, say, Trevor Bauer to the Yankees for Clint Frazier and others, is that strictly buying or strictly selling? Not really, so long as the Indians have enough healthy reinforcements in the rotation to absorb Bauer’s departure.


Will Trevor Bauer be on the move before the deadline? (Frank Jansky / Getty Images)
There’s one, overarching theme the Indians have followed since the winter.

Every decision the Indians make will take 2020 (and beyond) into account
The Indians always fixate on controllable (and affordable) players. Who wouldn’t? But this year, the conversations strike a slightly different tone. The past three years, the approach to the deadline was simple: add a couple of pieces to bolster the roster for the stretch run.

And with a 54-40 record, that would be a sensible strategy this year, too.

In years past, though, the team’s core occupied a manageable portion of the overall payroll, so things were in order for future seasons. Some of those players have aged and grown more expensive, which — in conjunction with ownership’s sudden mandate to cut costs — fueled the club’s offseason penny-pinching. And now Chernoff and Chris Antonetti are searching for ways to transition to the next wave of young, inexpensive core talent — Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber, for example — without stumbling into any form of a rebuild.

The Indians have no plans to reset. They’re confident in the short- and long-term potential of the pitching pipeline they have cultivated, and in the array of position-player prospects developing in the lower levels of the farm system.

That said, there are glaring holes on the 2019 roster. And those leaks won’t be plugged via free agency over the winter. So, how can the Indians address both their immediate and future needs?

A trade of Trevor Bauer
This might be simple if Kluber were healthy and pitching like his old self. Still, it’s the most sensible path to the Indians no longer featuring Jason Kipnis in the cleanup spot.

The Indians dangled Bauer and Kluber over the winter, and they’re still listening. Of course, other teams have to talk. The Astros or Yankees make sense as a trade partner, or maybe the Brewers or Phillies. The Padres made more sense before their recent plunge to the depths of the NL West. The Twins would make sense if, you know, they weren’t trying to fend off the Indians in the AL Central.

And that raises another question: Shouldn’t the Indians just hang around in the race and worry about dealing Bauer in the offseason?

That’s an option. It gives the Indians some leverage, too, which they used over the winter when they hung onto both Bauer and Kluber. But Bauer’s trade value will dip on Aug. 1. Having the durable hurler onboard for two postseason pushes is much more appealing than just one.

A trade of Brad Hand
Gasp! How could you even bring this up?!

Well, Hand has at least considered the possibility. He’s no stranger to the rumor mill.

“I didn’t really think I was going to get traded last year and I ended up getting traded the day after the (All-Star) Game, so it’s just part of it,” Hand said. “It’s part of what we signed up for. It’s part of the business and there’s really nothing you can do about it unless you have a no-trade clause.”

Relievers can be volatile. Hand has some mileage. His velocity is down 1.1 mph from last season.

And yet, his baseline numbers and his metrics remain stellar, his slider remains masterful and his contract is awfully team-friendly for 2020 and 2021. He’s precisely the type of player the Indians would covet on the trade market.

Hand could likely fetch a favorable haul on the trade market, but it would be more difficult than parting ways with Bauer, who could earn $18 million or so in arbitration next season and then bolt in free agency. Plus, the Indians don’t have a slew of young relievers pushing for big-league innings.

The clubhouse effect
The Indians will spend the next 10 days feasting on the Tigers, Royals and Blue Jays, a trio of doormats that could help Cleveland inch closer in the division standings. If that happens, how can the front office justify a trade of Bauer or Hand to the players in the clubhouse?

Chernoff sounded confident in the players’ understanding of the team’s position and in the front office’s ability to explain its decision-making process to the group. In 2012, the Indians’ marquee trade acquisition was Lars Anderson, who hit .196 at Triple-A Columbus the rest of that season. The players weren’t thrilled with the lack of movement. The Indians went 5-24 in August. Manny Acta didn’t survive September.

Now, the components of a Bauer or Hand trade could symbolize both buying and selling, which might not necessarily sour those in the clubhouse. But Lindor (and others) have made it clear: They believe the front office should be fortifying the roster for the stretch run.

“Sometimes you make a trade that looks as if you’re selling,” Francona said, “but you actually might be getting better.”


Jason Kipnis has compiled a .238/.297/.368 slash line this season. (Frank Jansky / Getty Images)
So, what are the club’s needs?

The lineup
Kipnis has compiled a .238/.297/.368 slash line. And he hits in the middle of the lineup. That doesn’t seem like a formula for October. Not to mention, Kipnis will become a free agent once the Indians decline his option this winter, and there isn’t an obvious choice for a replacement, unless Yu Chang turns heads this summer.

The Indians are salivating over Nolan Jones — especially since he has made strides defensively at third base this season, in addition to his sky-high on-base percentage and power potential — but he just arrived at Double-A Akron. He can’t be counted on as a major-league infield answer on Opening Day 2020. (It’d also come as a shock if he were included in any sort of trade; Triston McKenzie, too — not that he’s helped his value by being sidelined all season.)

Daniel Johnson would be a logical September call-up (or sooner, perhaps), but he would fill a corner outfield spot.

The way for the Indians to enhance their lineup — both for the present and future — is via a trade.

Some infielders who might be available: Whit Merrifield, Todd Frazier, Pablo Sandoval, Freddy Galvis, Eric Sogard, Tim Beckham, Jonathan Villar, Starlin Castro, Joe Panik

Some outfielders who might be available: Nicholas Castellanos, Clint Frazier, Corey Dickerson, Hunter Renfroe, Franmil Reyes, Kole Calhoun, David Peralta, Trey Mancini, Kevin Pillar, Jorge Soler, Domingo Santana, Manny Margot, Yasiel Puig

The bullpen
Many tugged at their hair when considering the Indians’ relief options entering the season, but the group has performed admirably. The collection of unconventional soft-tossers (“Brad Hand & The Funky Bunch” hasn’t caught on, for some reason) boasts the best bullpen ERA in baseball (3.40), and by a significant margin (the Rays rank second, at 3.85).

Still, a reliable, perhaps hard-throwing setup type could add another dimension to the unit.

Some relievers who might be available: Will Smith, Ken Giles, Sam Dyson, Shane Greene, Tony Watson, Jake Diekman, Mychal Givens, Roenis Elias, Alex Colome, Sergio Romo, Craig Stammen, Daniel Hudson, Greg Holland, Justin Wilson, Joe Jimenez, Edwin Diaz

The Indians always prefer additions who are reasonably priced and under control beyond the season at hand. But those players also tend to cost more in terms of prospects, so there’s a balancing act required.

And that goes for everything under consideration for the Indians over the next two weeks as they mull both the present and the future. There’s a lot to sort out, a host of scenarios they could pursue. Prop up your feet and pop open an energy drink – July 31 is approaching.

‘The results will show’: The Indians’ José Ramírez is back. Maybe.
By Jason Lloyd Jul 18, 2019 15
CLEVELAND — What if this is it? What if it’s real? What if the biggest move the Indians make at the trade deadline is acquiring an MVP candidate to play third base?

That’s where we’re headed right now because José Ramírez’s deep freeze has melted. He’s hitting .348 in July and his OPS this month is 1.006. It’s a small sample size, sure, but all the signs are there that this is real.

His confidence is returning, he’s more comfortable at the plate and his strut is back. Well, it never really left.

Still, the Ramírez the Indians have had for the past month has been a much closer reflection to the 2017 MVP candidate they so desperately need. Since June 13, Ramírez is batting .316 with four home runs and 19 RBIs. His OPS since then is better than .900.

One month doesn’t make a season, but one month with those numbers is a welcome sign after a disastrous stretch that covered the end of last season and the start of this year.

His slugging percentage is still the fourth-worst in baseball among regulars. Collectively, the Indians’ third basemen (i.e. Ramírez) rank 29th among all teams in OPS. There is still a lot of damage to undo with his statistics, numbers that will never fully recover this year. But now that he finally seems to be returning to form, let’s properly eulogize The Slump, what has to be one of the worst, most prolonged fogs for a hitter of Ramírez’s caliber. May it rest in peace.

From August 15 until June 14, a span of 104 games, Ramírez slashed .186/.290/.291. Those are the type of numbers that would get most guys demoted to Triple A. But the Indians hung in there with him through every out along the way.

“He’s our guy. This guy’s been in the top three in the MVP voting. It’s not like we’re going to bench him,” manager Terry Francona said. “Sometimes you’ve got to ride it out. It’s hard for him. It’s hard for us. But you can miss out on too much good stuff if you panic and pull a trigger you shouldn’t.”

Now the good stuff is coming again.

Ramírez went 3-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base in Wednesday’s 7-2 win over the Tigers. His average is up to .232 and he’s riding a nine-game hitting streak, his longest since his terrific 2017 season. His streak of five consecutive games with an extra-base hit is tied for the longest in the majors.

He’s clearly seeing the ball better, too. His exit velocity this month on fastballs is over 93 mph. He hasn’t enjoyed a month of hitting fastballs that hard since 2016.

“My confidence is always there regardless of the results,” said Ramírez, who acknowledged this is the best he’s felt at the plate all year. “I just like to keep working and I think that’s what I focus on, my confidence, and on the work that I put in. And the results will show.”

Francona and Jason Kipnis both mentioned again Wednesday that Ramírez has been making good contact most of the year, but he previously pulled too many pitches foul that would normally be extra-base hits. It wasn’t a matter of starting his swing too early, it was just a matter of his hands being so fast.

“He has one of the shortest swings,” Kipnis said. “He starts and then chops down on it almost. You try to get him to stay back because he gets to two strikes and someone is throwing 98 and he still barrels it foul. You’re like, ‘Do you realize how much time you have?’ I think he’s just really getting in a good zone right now where he’s seeing the ball real well and he’s very balanced with his swing.”

We’ve already seen the fruits of this once before. The Indians’ lineup began to surge a bit when Oscar Mercado became entrenched as the No. 2 hitter. Ramírez has now batted second, third, fifth and sixth this season. If he can stabilize the middle of the order like Mercado did the top, it will go a long way in making this resemble a lineup fit for the postseason.

Since June 22, the point at which Ramírez really began taking off, the Indians are fifth in slugging. How much of that is authentic and how much is the product of feasting on bad teams and lousy pitching? That’s for the front office to determine as it navigates what are sure to be difficult decisions at the trade deadline.

For now, the deficit in the Central Division is just four games, and the Indians have the Twins in their crosshairs. Most of the veterans in the Indians clubhouse never doubted they could catch them, even when the deficit grew to double digits. And as the final innings of Minnesota’s loss Wednesday afternoon played out on the television in the Indians clubhouse, one veteran nodded toward the TV.

“You see what we have on. We’re watching. We’re paying attention,” he said. “We’re just as invested as everyone else.”

And now they have José Ramírez back. The real José. The José who can steal bases, hit homers and storm the gates of Minneapolis.

The Slump is dead. José Ramírez is back.

Maybe.

Lloyd: Why letting go of Trevor Bauer is the right thing to do
By Jason Lloyd Jul 19, 2019 101

CLEVELAND — Nobody actually wants to trade Trevor Bauer, all right? Certainly not Mike Chernoff or Chris Antonetti and definitely not Terry Francona. Dealing away the best healthy pitcher on the staff in the midst of a pennant chase is usually less than ideal. The same goes for Brad Hand.

But this isn’t New York or Boston or Houston or Los Angeles and the Dolans reminded us of that last winter when they slashed the payroll in the middle of their contention window. That’s what makes moves like this sound logical, perhaps even necessary.

The Indians could completely control this year’s trade deadline. They possess what would be the best starting pitcher and the best reliever to hit the market. They don’t have to trade either one, but they’re listening. That creates a lot of leverage and the potential to dictate the market.

Even with their recent offensive surge, the Indians still have too many holes in their lineup to reasonably expect a championship will show up in their Halloween candy. And that’s what this is about now. The playoffs were thrilling in 2016, less so the past two years. Just getting to the postseason and losing in the first round isn’t enough anymore.

The idea of just getting in and then anything can happen sounds romantic in theory, but it’s typically not realistic. Determining the Indians’ odds of success in October is very much tied to their ability to hit a baseball. That’s what makes weighted runs created such a useful statistic.

Weighted runs created, or wRC+, standardizes offenses across ballparks and eras, and 100 is the league average. The Indians entered Thursday’s finale against the Tigers with a wRC+ of 92 — well below league average.

In the past 25 years, only one team has won a World Series with a wRC+ that low: the 1995 Atlanta Braves. You already know whom they beat to win it. Every other World Series champion had a wRC+ of at least 95, and the majority were beyond 100.

The Indians’ statistics this season will forever be stained by those first six weeks when Hanley Ramirez and Carlos González and Eric Stamets and Max Moroff were swinging and missing. Since May 14, when Oscar Mercado was recalled, the Indians’ wRC+ is a robust 109.

And yet the cleanup hitter most nights still has an OPS around .660 and the Indians’ outfielders collectively rank 25th in the league in OPS. They have been better since May. Significantly better. The recent surge from José Ramírez has been a huge lift. But there is still a wide gap between significantly better and championship material. This remains an extremely flawed lineup. The only way to realistically patch it this year or next is through trades.

That’s why Bauer’s start Thursday might have been his last at Progressive Field in an Indians jersey.

Antonetti has already spoken with Bauer about the possibility of a trade, and what seems clear at this point is if Bauer is still on the roster in August, it isn’t due to a lack of trying.

Bauer will be the best starter available and therefore can command the most in a trade. The same is true of Hand, whose 2 1/2 years of control left on his contract and his wipeout slider would immediately make him the most coveted reliever. That allows the Indians to set the price and not budge.

Hand is in the midst of a career year, but relievers are volatile. Hand knows that better than anyone — he was designated for assignment by the Marlins in 2016 and now he’s an All-Star. Blake Treinen was an All-Star last year for the A’s and enjoyed a career year. He has battled injuries and ineffectiveness this year and at least temporarily has lost his closer’s role. Stories like that occur every year.

The year Hand was designated for assignment was the same year the Indians acquired Andrew Miller and the Yankees received Gleyber Torres from the Cubs for Aroldis Chapman.

Miller had the same amount of control left on his contract that Hand has remaining now, and the Indians gave up Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield to get him. If such a deal presents itself for Hand in the next two weeks, given the state of this lineup, the Indians would have difficulty saying no.

Hand’s value will never be higher. Small-market teams like the Indians have to maximize such opportunities. This is what life is like sitting at the kids’ table during the holidays.

There are other closers the Indians could acquire who would cost less than they would receive for trading Hand, still resulting in a net positive. Who’s to say Carlos Carrasco couldn’t be used out of the bullpen in the playoffs? It would be a path to get Carrasco back on the mound faster without having to build up his innings.

It isn’t ideal. Sitting at the kids’ table never is. And if no deal presents itself in the next two weeks that excites the Indians, if a couple of bats Francona could plug into the middle of the lineup right away aren’t made available, then no one in this front office is giving away Bauer or Hand on a discount. And if they do, there will be a lot of explaining to do — particularly in the clubhouse.

These players have never doubted they could run down the Twins, and they’ve just about done it. A month ago, a number of them privately acknowledged they understood why the front office might deal away Bauer or Hand. They wanted to reserve judgment on what the return was before declaring whether they would be upset or not.

Now, the feeling is changing. As the Twins get closer and closer to their grasp, a number of players polled this week signaled they’d be upset if either is dealt. They have the momentum now. They want to add to what they have — another reliever, another bat — not subtract from their core.

That will be the most difficult sell for this front office. It’s easy to see how trading Bauer now is best for the long-term health of this franchise. Another round of arbitration is coming again (can they afford him at $18 million-$20 million?) and then free agency and then he’ll be gone forever. The long-term health, however, isn’t the concern for the players trying to win right now.

That doesn’t make this any easier. Neither does the schedule, which has been pillow-soft the past six weeks. It’s about to toughen significantly in August, after these decisions have already been made, and it will be too late to go back and change minds. These are difficult times to make difficult decisions.

All of this would look differently if not for last winter’s budget cuts. It’s what prompted the first round of Bauer and Corey Kluber trade talks and ultimately forced out Michael Brantley.

One Indians hitter was still grumbling this week about the team not re-signing Brantley. If he was patrolling left field again, some (most?) of this would be unnecessary. But ownership made its choice last winter and now it’s up to the front office to again patch the holes left behind.

Brantley is gone. Bauer should be next and maybe Hand, too, no matter how much it hurts in the moment. It’s life at the kids’ table. Pull up a chair.



Jason Lloyd is the editor-in-chief of The Athletic Cleveland. He previously spent seven years covering the Cavs for the Akron Beacon Journal. His first book, "The Blueprint: LeBron James, Cleveland's Deliverance and the Making of the Modern NBA" debuted on Oct. 24. Follow Jason on Twitter @ByJasonLloyd .

Gotta admit, I never thought about Carrasco coming back in the bullpen for this season.

If such a deal presents itself for Hand in the next two weeks, given the state of this lineup, the Indians would have difficulty saying no.

Should we still consider the state of the lineup to be dire? The 3 starting OFs yesterday all have seasonal OPS solidly above 800 Jose Ramirez has had his most sustained offensive run in 11 months. Even Roberto Perez is getting back to normal [ok so that's not good but I think we're all happier not counting on Roberto to carry the offense. I would NOT trader Hand to boost the offense. In fact in any trade we make I think bullpen depth is the biggest need to fill.

Cleveland Indians: How front office avoided the fall and is contending for the long haul — Terry Pluto

Updated 11:09 AM; Today 5:00 AM

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

BIG PICTURE TRIBE

I’m taking a break from the Trevor Bauer trade watch to talk about a big issue the Tribe front office deals with right now.

Look at the Detroit Tigers. They went to the playoffs from 2011-14. They lost in the 2012 World Series. Their last winning season was 2016. In both 2017 and 2018, they were 64-98. That’s right, back-to-back seasons of 98 losses. They are on pace to lose about 110 games this season.


Look at the Kansas City Royals. They went to the World Series in 2014 and 2015, winning in 2015. That also was their last winning season. The Royals were 58-104 in 2018 and are on pace to lose 100 games this season.

The Baltimore Orioles last went to the playoffs in 2016. It also was their last winning season. Baltimore was 47-115 in 2018. The Birds are on their way to 100 losses again.

What’s the point?

The Indians don’t want that to happen to them. Those three teams all made major sacrifices in terms of trading prospects for players to win now. The Indians made some of those moves in trades for Andrew Miller and Brad Hand. They have decided to stop trading key young players. Instead, they want to add top prospects from other teams.

Meanwhile, the Tribe is on its way to its seventh consecutive winning season, dueling with Minnesota to win the Central Division.

BREAKING IT DOWN

For the Indians, it has paid off. Consider these players added in the last 12 months:

1. Oscar Mercado came from the Cardinals for young prospects Conner Capel and Jhon Torres. The 24-year-old Mercado has emerged as the center fielder of the present and future. He’s batting .299 (.829 OPS) with 7 home runs, 25 RBI and is 9-for-11 in stolen bases.


2. Jordan Luplow came from the Pirates in a deal for infielder Erik Gonzalez. The Indians have been desperate for a right-handed hitting outfielder. Luplow is batting .270 with 10 homers and 27 RBI. He crushes lefties: .315 (1.112 OPS) with 9 HR in 92 at bats.

3. Jake Bauers came to the Tribe in a complicated deal with Tampa Bay and Seattle. The Indians parted with Yandy Diaz and Edwin Encarnacion. They also added Carlos Santana. The 23-year-old Bauers is hitting .241 (.716 OPS) with 11 HR and 37 RBI. In his last 30 games, Bauers is batting .286 (.802 OPS).

The idea was to bring in several young outfielders and hope to find a few who just needed a chance to play. That also applied to Tyler Naquin, an Indians 2012 first-round pick. The 28-year-old Naquin has battled several injuries. He has been relatively healthy this season, batting .299 (.829 OPS) with 9 HR and 30 RBI. When he’s hot, he can be a very productive hitter. That happened in 2016, and it’s happening again.


Last winter, the Indians knew they needed outfielders. Bradley Zimmer once was the center fielder of the future. But he’s had trouble coming back from major shoulder surgery. They decided they couldn’t afford Michael Brantley, who signed with Houston. Naquin was coming off major hip surgery. They hoped he’d be healthy, but questions loomed.

They looked at Luplow, who failed to stick with the Pirates in a couple of short stints. Luplow was a .303 hitter (.874 OPS) in Class AAA. What if he gets a chance to stay with a team for a while?

They gave him that opportunity this summer.

They had excellent scouting reports on Bauers and Mercado and acquired them both, hoping at least one would emerge as a regular.


BARGAIN SHOPPING

The new folk hero is utility infielder Mike Freeman. He’s 31. Before this season, Freeman had a grand total 91 big league plate appearances spread over three seasons. But Freeman was a .305 hitter (.790 OPS) in 517 minor-league games. That showed some talent. Give him a shot. He was signed as a minor-league free agent.

Smart teams can’t play checkbook baseball. Look at the bullpen.


1. Bullpen mainstay Nick Wittgren (4-0, 3.19) was acquired from the Marlins for career minor leaguer Jordan Milbrath.

2. Tyler Clippard (0-0, 3.64) was signed as a minor-league free agent.

3. A.J. Cole (2-1, 3.38) was claimed on waivers.

4. Nick Goody (1-0, 2.12) was claimed on waivers.

5. Oliver Perez (2-2, 3.24) was signed after being cut by the Yankees.

6. Tyler Olson (1-0, 3.67) was claimed on waivers.

7. Only All-Star closer Brad Hand and reliever Adam Cimber came in a big trade. The Indians sent prospect Francisco Mejia to San Diego for them.

THEY’RE GONE

Meanwhile, the Indians have let high-priced bullpen talent sign elsewhere.

1. Cody Allen signed an $8.5 million deal with the Angels. They cut him. He is now in Class AAA with the Twins.

2. Andrew Miller signed a 2-year, $24 million deal with the Cardinals. He is 3-4 with a 3.99 ERA and one save.

3. After 2017, Bryan Shaw signed a 3-year, $27 million contract with Colorado. That thin air is awful for his slider/cut fastball. He is 6-7 with a 5.23 ERA in 1 1/2 seasons with the Rockies.



ABOUT ROBERTO PEREZ


1. Heading into the weekend, Roberto Perez was batting .239. That doesn’t tell the story. His 16 HR were second on the Tribe, behind Carlos Santana (21). His .824 OPS was third on the Tribe, behind Santana (.941) and Francisco Lindor (.837).

2. This is the same Roberto Perez who came into the season with a career batting average of .205 (.637 OPS). In the minors, he was a career .237 hitter (.713 OPS) who never hit more than eight homers in a season.

3. But Perez seldom was a regular catcher in the minors, and never in the majors. At 30, the Indians handed him the job. The main reason was his defense.

4. Perez always believed he’d hit for some power if given a chance. But it’s hard to believe he pictured something like this. In the American League, only Gary Sanchez (24) has more homers among catchers.

5. The Indians traded Yan Gomes in a salary-cutting move, also to create room for Perez. Gomes is batting only .202 (.588 OPS) as a part-time catcher in Washington. That deal brought prospect Daniel Johnson and Jefry Rodriguez to the Tribe. Rodriguez showed some promise as a starter before coming down with a sore arm. The 24-year-old Johnson is a major outfield prospect. He is batting .287 (.895 OPS) with 15 HR and 58 RBI between Class AA and AAA this season.


6. The Indians have Perez signed to a modest contract: $2.5 million in 2019, $3.5 million in 2020, $5.5 million (team option) in 2021 and $7.5 million (team option) in 2022.

View Co

Tyler Naquin producing results from No. 9 spot in Cleveland Indians batting order

Updated 11:22 AM; Today 10:55 AM

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Tyler Naquin is authoring a symphony of hits from the No. 9 spot in the Cleveland Indians’ batting order.

The former first-round pick and rookie of the year finalist, now fully healthy for the first time since 2016, is one of the hottest hitters in the lineup, and he’s producing results from a spot in the batting order usually reserved for catchers or light-hitting middle infielders.


“I’m in a lineup on a major-league baseball team, I don’t have too much to complain about,” Naquin said after going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Friday’s 6-3 win against Kansas City.

The 28-year-old Texas native has nine home runs, including four against left-handed pitchers, and has seven multi-hit outings in 11 July games, including six of his last seven starts. Naquin is batting .447 (17-for-38) with six doubles and 11 RBI this month.

“It’s my job to get on base, and I’m not gonna go up there nine-hole,” he said. “I’m gonna go up there like a two-hole. I’m gonna go up there and get my hacks in and produce like a top of the order guy.”

Naquin launched a 433-foot home run that hit the foul pole in right field off Royals starter Mike Montgomery in the third inning and doubled in the sixth, scoring on Oscar Mercado’s RBI single.

Indians manager Terry Francona said Naquin, along with young outfielders Mercado and Jake Bauers, has given Cleveland’s offense a huge lift. But the Tribe skipper says there’s a method to his madness in batting Naquin ninth.

“I don’t think Naquin’s numbers indicate that he should be hitting ninth, I just want somebody in front of Frankie (Lindor),” Francona said. “Naquin can run and he’s been hitting. I think it’s a really good fit.”


Naquin says hitting in front of Lindor gives him an advantage when he steps to the plate.

“I’m getting stuff to hit because you don’t want to get to Frankie with somebody on base,” Naquin said.

Francona also believes the extra at-bats against left-handed opponents has helped Naquin hit more effectively against righties.



For Naquin, who missed stretches in 2017 with a variety of injuries and had hip surgery in 2018 that ended his season early, staying healthy has been the big difference this year.

“It’s just finding the right routine, making the right things the right priorities and just sticking to it and not wavering from it,” he said.

Naquin’s recent success is even more satisfying in light of those who doubted Cleveland’s young outfielders could carry an offense that was looking for punch early in the season.

“It’s easy to look on paper and make assumptions, but if you ain’t out there on the grass or on the dirt, then you ain’t got no room to talk, it’s very simple,” he said. “Let it play out and see what happens and we can start talking about it when that stuff starts happening.”

One Indians hitter was still grumbling this week about the team not re-signing Brantley. If he was patrolling left field again, some (most?) of this would be unnecessary. But ownership made its choice last winter and now it’s up to the front office to again patch the holes left behind.

Brantley is gone. Bauer should be next and maybe Hand, too, no matter how much it hurts in the moment. It’s life at the kids’ table. Pull up a chair.

Anyone think the Indians hitter was someone other than Jose Ramirez ?

Wouldn't surprise me but when he says "most of this would be unnecessary" I wonder....most of what??

If you look at the team record, it's the same or similar to last season. The only thing different is the Twins.

Tampa turns that team around constantly with a payroll that is less than ours. Half!!

It can, and is, being done by this front office. Without the severe crashes Detroit and Kansas City are STILL going through.

If it was Ramirez it might explain his lack of confidence and results most of this season.