Cleveland Sports Forum

for all the Josh Tomlin fans out there who didn't check out the minor matters folder, Josh was in midseason form for the Clippers last night. He made it through 3 1/3 innings and was charged with 3 runs. That's the good news. The rest of the numbers are 9 hits allowed including 3 doubles and a homer.

My guess is that is misguided speculation by Buster. Tito already said, in Pluto article TFIR posted this morning, that they are going to leave Kipnis where he is. Buster was probably thinking Indians would be interested in him to play 2nd and move Kip to OF. As was kicked around in July.

Yeah, I agree I don't see that happening unless Forsythe has played outfield in his career. (Looked it up and he rarely has...he did 3 games in the outfield last year but that's it)

Encarnacion has been activated. Rajai Davis placed on 10 day non-baseball medical condition list.

Francona told reporters today that Leonys Martín will not return this year at all. Doctors want him to focus on getting back to full health. Wow, what a bummer. I mean Allen is playing great so team should be OK, but still a bummer.

5 most indispensable players in the AL Central

Indians: Jose Ramirez
While it is difficult to choose between Francisco Lindor and Ramirez for this one, Ramirez gets the edge due to his contract. Cleveland has its AL MVP Award candidate locked up on a five-year, $26 million deal that includes team options for 2022 ($11 million) and '23 ($13 million). Given the type of player Ramirez has blossomed into for the Tribe, that's incredible value. Lindor is under control through '21, but it's unclear if he will sign a long-term pact or keep going year to year in anticipation of a big free-agent payday. That makes Ramirez, 25, all the more important, especially given his ability to handle either second or third base down the road.

Royals: Salvador Perez

Tigers: Nicholas Castellanos

Twins: Jose Berrios

White Sox: Carlos Rodon

Ramirez, Lindor are Indians' dynamic duo

1. Indians (Jose Ramirez 9.6, Francisco Lindor, 8.2): 17.8 WAR
The perpetually underrated Ramirez is having his third straight elite-level season, but even that undersells what's happening here. Ramirez is projected to finish the year with 9.6 WAR, which would be: a. the second-best Cleveland season ever; and b. essentially tied for the best season by a third baseman all time. He's not only second in home runs (37), he's fourth in stolen bases (27) and fourth in on-base percentage (.430), and he's doing it with a strong glove.

2. Red Sox (Mookie Betts 9.4, J.D. Martinez 6.3): 15.7 WAR
Speaking of baseball's brightest stars, Martinez (.662) and Betts (.652) are first and second on the slugging percentage leaderboards. Betts (.344/.430/.651) is actually having a better offensive season than Ramirez (.298/.409/.627), and offers similar defensive and baserunning value, but he lags behind in WAR slightly because he's played in 16 fewer games due to a short disabled list stint earlier this year.

3. Angels (Mike Trout 9.6, Andrelton Simmons 5.2): 14.8 WAR
Before we get to Trout, let's point out that this is not entirely about Trout for once, because Simmons is having himself a season so good that it's been one of the 20 best in baseball this year. While he's long been a spectacular defender, he's added value with the bat over the past two seasons, to the point that since the start of 2017, Simmons has been the 12th-most valuable position player in the Majors. Of course, this is still mostly about Trout, who was having what looked like it would be the best season of a historic career before a wrist injury sidelined him earlier this month. Despite the missed time, his improved defense and career-best batting line (.309/.459/.624) still have him projected to tie Ramirez as 2018's most valuable player.

4. Yankees (Aaron Judge 5.8, Giancarlo Stanton 5.6): 11.4 WAR
Nothing should be surprising about these two showing up here, though obviously the Yankees are about a lot more than just their pair of huge sluggers. (Didi Gregorius and Aaron Hicks are both projected to near 5 WAR themselves.) Judge has more than answered any questions about a "sophomore slump," and Stanton's relatively slow start has been long forgotten as he's put up a .302/.366/.579 line since May 1. If there's a problem here, it's one of uncertainty. Judge has still not started to swing a bat as he recovers from a broken wrist, and what he can offer for the rest of the year is anyone's guess. That explains his relatively conservative 5.8 WAR projection, since he'd already made it to 5.0 WAR before he was injured.

5 (tie). Astros (Alex Bregman 6.4, Jose Altuve 4.9): 11.3 WAR
Last year, Bregman was essentially tied with Josh Reddick as the fifth-most valuable Astro, behind the "big three" of Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer, as well as the breakout of Marwin Gonzalez. This year, it's a little different; Gonzalez and Springer haven't repeated great years, and Altuve and Correa have each missed time with injuries, while Bregman has been fantastic. That Altuve is projected for only 4.9 WAR rather than last year's 7.6 tells you a little about how hard it is to stay healthy and productive after a long postseason run. (4.9 WAR is still very good.)

5 (tie). A's (Matt Chapman 6.5, Jed Lowrie 4.4): 11.3 WAR
In another year, Chapman, the breakout star of baseball's breakout team, might have a case for the AL Most Valuable Player Award. That's not going to happen with the collection of AL talent in 2018, but he's at least making a strong case that he's the best third baseman in the game. If Chapman does get to 6.5 WAR, it would be the third-most valuable season by an A's third baseman since the franchise moved to Oakland in 1968. Lowrie, for his part, is having his second consecutive strong season.

7. Rockies (Nolan Arenado 6.1, Trevor Story 4.5): 10.6 WAR
If there's a surprise here, it's that Arenado isn't paired with longtime running mate Charlie Blackmon. Unfortunately for Colorado, Blackmon has struggled on both sides of the ball this year, but they've been picked up by legitimate steps forward from shortstop Story, who has managed to add nearly 100 points of slugging from last year (.553, up from .457) while also making far more contact, dropping his strikeout rate from 34 percent to 25 percent. It's been one of the most impressive improvements in the game this year.

8. Braves (Freddie Freeman 6.3, Ozzie Albies 4.0): 10.3 WAR
You want this to be Ronald Acuna Jr., Braves fans, either alongside longtime star Freeman or fellow young building block Albies. We hear you. In the years to come, it probably will be. But for right now, Acuna has barely half the plate appearances as Freeman or Albies (or Nick Markakis, for that matter), making it impossible for him to make up the gap. He'll get there. In the meantime, Freeman is a legitimate National League MVP Award candidate, and Albies is more than backing up the promise of his impressive 2017 debut.

9 (tie). Brewers (Lorenzo Cain 5.4, Christian Yelich 4.7): 10.1 WAR
The Brewers made a pair of enormous bets when they acquired both Cain and Yelich last offseason, and so far it's paying off tremendously. Remember back in January when we said that Cain was a good bet to age gracefully, and should be a desired target on the free agent market? So far, so good, as he's pairing his usual strong defense with a career-best .396 OBP -- while Yelich has added a ton of power, showing a career-best .522 slugging.

9 (tie). D-backs (Paul Goldschmidt 5.8, David Peralta 4.3): 10.1 WAR
It's almost difficult to remember at this point that Goldschmidt got off to an ice-cold start this year, hitting a mere .209/.326/.393 through the end of May. He's hitting a massive .354/.451/.657 since, giving him an overall line that looks like pretty much every other Goldschmidt season does. Peralta is basically repeating his strong 2015, which is a big deal because he was unable to do that in either of the past two seasons.

9 (tie). Dodgers (Manny Machado 6, Max Muncy 4.1): 10.1 WAR
Obviously, Machado accumulated most of his value with the Orioles, but we're talking about duos right now, and isn't this just the weirdest and most unexpected pairing? It's not just that neither player began the season on the Dodgers' roster, it's that to have a Dodgers duo that doesn't include Corey Seager or Justin Turner or Cody Bellinger is stunning. It's been that kind of season in Los Angeles.

12. Nationals (Anthony Rendon 4.8, Trea Turner 4.4): 9.2 WAR
It's clear to say that Washington's season hasn't lived up to anyone's expectations; after all, Daniel Murphy is a Cub and the Nats are merely .500 after 126 games. There are a lot of reasons for the disappointing year, including the fact that Bryce Harper's up-and-down year means he's actually not one of the Nationals' top two projected position players. (He's just behind Turner, at 4.2.) That said, none of this should overshadow yet another strong year from the underrated Rendon, his fourth in the past five years.

joez wrote:5 most indispensable players in the AL Central

Indians: Jose Ramirez
While it is difficult to choose between Francisco Lindor and Ramirez for this one, Ramirez gets the edge due to his contract. Cleveland has its AL MVP Award candidate locked up on a five-year, $26 million deal that includes team options for 2022 ($11 million) and '23 ($13 million).

My mind is boggled that a player like him is signed so dirt cheap through 2023?!?!?!

They might consider the use of this as leverage to extend him out even further.

IMO the Tribe is still very active looking at trade options at OF and reliever.

Josh Donaldson - 3B - Blue Jays

Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reports that Josh Donaldson will go on revocable trade waivers Wednesday.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic had previously reported that it would be Thursday. Either way, the goal here for the Blue Jays is to trade the 32-year-old impending free agent before Friday's August 31 waiver deadline. Donaldson went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk in his minor league rehab debut Tuesday at High-A Dunedin. He's been on the disabled list since late May because of a nagging left calf injury. Heyman suggests the Cardinals and Indians as "logical" fits while nothing that other teams have expressed interest.

Reminder - because of reverse order of standings, the Indians would be the first AL contender with the option to claim Donaldson.

He is basically there if they want him. They will be answering questions if they don't claim him.

Oh, and obviously there are many mutual friends in Toronto's front office for the Tribe.

But Donaldson is an unknown at this point and owed 5 M. Plus what about moving Ramirez?

Miller on DL again! We seem snake bitten.

Oh, noes!

loufla wrote:But Donaldson is an unknown at this point and owed 5 M. Plus what about moving Ramirez?

No question it would be a gamble. But one with high upside