Tribe Offseason: Take Two

This should be a quick hit, although there are a bunch of juicy rumors to get to. I don't like any of them, but some of you will, that is for sure. There are some big names being rumored, in trades and free agent signings.

The Indians named Kevin Kouzmanoff and Adam Miller as their Minor League player (Lou Boudreau Award) and pitcher (Bob Feller Award) of the years, respectively. Both deserved it, as Kouzmanoff ended his year making an impact on the big club. It should be interesting to see what happens with K2 next season, with Marte at first, and apparently Ryan Garko at first. Will he be platooned, moved to the outfield, or traded for a veteran stick, closer or starter? Miller won his second Feller award. After winning the award in 2004 at 19, his first year in the minors, Miller's "sure-thing" status took a hit with an elbow injury the following year. Miller came back this year with electric stuff, and an offspead pitch to boot. At 21, Miller could be the ace of the Indians' staff for years. The future does look bright, and these two are at the head of the class.

Eric Wedge was recently named to the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007.

Wedge, a 1986 graduate of Fort Wayne Northrop, was a first-team All-American in college at Wichita State and played in the major leagues with Boston and Colorado. He became a minor-league manager in 1998 and was named manager of the Cleveland Indians prior to the 2003 season. In four seasons, his teams have compiled a 319-329 record.

Now I don't know what kind of piss poor hall of fame they have there in Indy, but you have got to be kidding me. That would be like electing hall of fame football players just because they made training camp. Well, I guess membership has its priviledges. I know it's an accomplishment to become a major league manager, but he isn't even good enough to suck. I can see his quote now, "Thank you membership for electing me for treading water as a manager. I am truly honored by your special place in your heart for mediocrity."

I was rooting through some Kinston stuff, and found this about the Kinston players playing in the Arizona Fall League. Take it for what it's worth. K2 and Crowe are going off. Anything past that is icing in my opinion. I still hold the belief that if Crowe can crack this lineup as a leadoff hitter, and move Grady to the 2 or 3 slot, the Tribe will be better for it. We'll just have to wait and see.

Alright, for those of you Indian fans that live in a cave, there are a couple thousand rumors involving a few different players. Let's start where the rumors started. I'll just take them all out in one fell post. The first rumor that was circulating was that the Tribe was about to make a deal for Gary Sheffield. Now, Sheff is/was a good player. Past that, you have a guy that makes Milton Bradley look like Kirby Puckett. He will immediately demand a 3 year, 17 mill a year deal. To me, not nearly enough bang for the buck, since he's a near guarantee to spend some time on the DL. Things even got more ridiculous, as it looked like there was a 3-player deal in the works with San Diego and the Yankees. Now, I don't know who was involved, but it's believed that the Yanks were wanting Lee and Shoppach from the Tribe. Cleveland would get Sheff, and who cares who the Pads would get. To me, that deal is a freakin' mistake. There's a reason why Sheff has played for every team in the major leagues. He's just not worth the hassle...especially with the contract issues, and the potential for injury.

Another rumor involves Cleveland going after Luis Gonzalez, the free agent formerly from the Arizona Diamondback. Gonzo is...well...was a great ballplayer. The problem is that he's spent a good part of the past few seasons on the DL, and just isn't the same player. He wouldn't make as much as Sheffield, but isn't half the player Sheff is at this point. Of course, if you can get a good locker room guy like Gonzo, at a fraction of what he should make, then you sign the guy.

Finally, it seems as though Moises Alou is on the radar as well. The Plain Dealer reported that

The newspaper also reported that the Indians have expressed an interest in free-agent outfielder Moises Alou, figuring he could complement a lineup that includes left-handed batters Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner.

Again, it all depends on the money. He's a walking injury, so you need to make sure you know what you are getting.

All in all, at least we have a watch on. I think the Indians are going to make a move. I'm just relatively certain it's not going to be a good one.