Indians slow hot-stove season has luke-warm possibilities

Can the Indians make a splash during the '09 Hot Stove season? The easy answer is no, since the Indians quite obviously can't pony up enough money for anyone of consequence. There is still some room for the Indians to make a couple of moves that could bring the Tribe a player or two of consequence.

Of course, everyone is talking about the Indians listening to offers for Kerry Wood. Personally, I would keep him. The Indians struggle every year to put together a bullpen. I know Wood is an extravagance at this point, but at the same time, I think that Cleveland would be smart to keep Wood in the anchor and allow the young arms of Chris and Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp, Jensen Lewis and Jess Todd to settle into their roles. Then, perhaps in 2011, if the Indians can actually use the option to keep Wood at the back-end, or let him go on his merry way.

Jhonny Peralta is also a candidate to move, although you would have to think that the Manny Acta hire will perhaps keep the Indians from making a quick decision on the struggling third baseman. Peralta has nearly a full season under his belt, has a new manager that might actually like him, and could rebound. If the Tribe does get an offer for him, they should listen, even if it is a prospect. Let Andy Marte take his slot and move Peralta. With Lonnie Chisenhall coming along in the program about to enter double A, and with Wes Hodges sneaking around at triple A Columbus, there are other options for the Indians at the position. As Tony Lastoria pointed out early in October, Wes Hodges may have more to offer than people are giving him credit for. I wouldn't expect much in a deal straight up for Peralta, but there could be something there should a team ask. Of course, with Peralta, the Tribe would be selling low.

The most intriguing deal that could happen involves Travis Hafner. Yes, Hafner has been injury-prone, and yes, Hafner makes a whole bunch of money not well spent. That said, Hafner showed improvement as the year progressed last year. Should a team have a high need for power at the DH position because of injury or if they are a piece away, the Tribe could get offers for their slugging DH. A deal for Hafner likely wouldn't come until the All-Star break, and only if he's playing well. That said, the potential is there, and under the current situation, the Indians will assuredly listen. Of course, to take on that albatross of a contract would be insane for any club with the potential for injury.

Then there is Kelly Shoppach, who will likely be non-tendered in the offseason. If I were Cleveland, I'd move Shoppach prior to the rule-V draft and pick up some low-level talent that you don't have to protect. I'm sure the Indians are talking with teams about Shoppach, but using a spot on the 40-man roster is a mistake. Move him now, and take whatever you can get for him.

Will the Indians make a trade? It's not likely, but there are deals to be made should teams get desperate. There's no doubt that the Indians aren't desperate, and no, that's not a good thing.

Off to play some catch with the son while the temperature is still over 70 degrees. You have to love these Indians Summers...;)

Mark Shapiro's coaching conclave gives Indians faithful black smoke

Another weekend goes by in the early part of the hot stove season, and the Cleveland Indians still only have a manager and a pitching coach to lead them. In a normal baseball town, with a normal front office, this would seem strange. The Indians fired Wedge before the end of the season, had a manager in place prior to the World Series, and hired Tim Belcher relatively quickly. It was believed the the Indians would start rolling out their staff, even given the statement that the staff wouldn't be finished until the early part of December. Of course, on the North Shore, Mark Shapiro runs his front office much like the Cardinals conclave in choosing a new pope. Thus far, Shapiro's secret meetings have only given off the black smoke of no choices made yet.

Let's put some perspective on the process, shall we?

The Indians hired their coach, Manny Acta, on May 25th. He was the first coach officially hired for next season, and it was no doubt a pre-emptive strike to keep the Astros from hiring him. The Astros, who had two solid candidates at the top of their list, hired Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills two days later, on May 27th, to take over their top slot.

The Astros then went on the offensive. Al Pedrique was hired three days later to take over the bench coaching duties for Mills. They had interviewed Pedrique for their manager's slot, and Mills thought highly of him. That same day, the Astros extended an invitation to Sean Berry to remain their hitting coach and Dave Clark to remain as their third base coach. Clark had replaced Cecil Cooper as interim coach, and was the third candidate behind Acta and Mills to stay on as manager. All three had been in contact with Mills since the hiring. Even later that same day, the Astros hired Bobby Meacham as their first base coach. Meacham is a friend of Mills, and had coached with him several times in the minors. Following the Meacham hire, the Astros announced that they had hired Brad Arnsberg as their pitching coach. Arnsberg had pitched for Mills in triple A several years prior, and they had remained good friends since. Arnsberg had been the Blue Jays pitching coach the previous five seasons. The final piece of the puzzle was hired the following week, when they announced Jamie Quirk as their bullpen coach.

A complete staff to move the team ahead during the offseason.

The Indians have hired Tim Belcher.

I'm not saying you need to hire a staff quickly. I'm not even saying that the Astros necessarily hired the right people. What I AM saying is that there seems to be decision makers in Houston, while Mark Shapiro is pouring out the black smoke from his conclave meeting. I wouldn't say Shapiro is indecisive, but you can certainly question his decision-making process. Let's not forget that the Acta hire came after Houston had not only offered him the job, but had spent the night trying to sign him.

As for who the Indians are looking at for their coaching jobs, your guess is as good as mine. There was a boatload of speculation that the Tribe was looking at Clippers hitting coach Joe Nunnally for the same position in Cleveland, that Torey Lovullo would be brought up as the third base coach, and that Clippers pitching coach Scott Radinsky is also being looked at as a possibility as the Tribe bullpen coach. With Belcher, that would give the main Acta Lieutenants a distinct Shapiro flavor. The Indians would then likely hire outside the club for a bench coach. I can't imagine this would be possible with the Shapiro, Dolan and the Indians front office making statements about looking outside the organization for their staff. Of course, as we wait for the white smoke of movement from the Shapiro conclave, this could be Shapiro's way of hiring "outside" the organization. Grab a coach that has your philosophy, then hire the rest of the staff from the minors. This could be Shapiro's dream team of coaches.

Of course, where did Belcher come from? So, the coaching staff could be up in the air until December. B3 will be waiting outside the Sistine Chapel watching the smoke signals until then.

The Omar Vizquel Pipedream

According to several sources, Omar Vizquel won't be returning to the Texas Rangers during the upcoming 2010 season. Since the announcement on Wednesday, the Indians rumor wagons have begun circling around the idea that Vizquel might be returning to the reservation. Indians.com scribe, Anthony Castrovince, even mentioned it today on MLB.com.
Signing the 42-year old, 21-year major league veteran would make a lot of sense for the Indians in many aspects. Not only could Vizquel fill the role of utility infielder that Jamey Carroll is vacating, but he could also help boost a fan base that is ready to lynch the Dolans and Mark Shapiro for decimating a team that was one game away from the World Series in 2007. There's only one real problem:

The Cleveland Indians will not sign Omar Vizquel for what is likely his last season in the bigs.

First and foremost, reports out of Vizquel's camp have expressed an interest for the future hall-of-famer to end his career playing for a "premier team." The thinking is that Omar would like one more run into the playoffs before he retires and begins his countdown to the hall. While I would like to think that the Indians could surprise some and sneak in next season while nobody's looking...well...it's not going to happen. I couldn't imagine Omar, regardless of his love for the city of Cleveland, choosing Cleveland over a potential playoff team.

You also have to take into account that this move makes almost too much sense! There is no doubt that signing the beloved shortstop would immediately lessen the anger and hatred that most of Cleveland is feeling towards the Indians' front office. Vizquel is another one of those players from the Indians' resurrection years of the 1990's and early 2000's. In many ways, Vizquel was the backbone during the glory years, and bringing him back would give Progressive Field a "gentle" bump in attendance. He also is more than capable of playing more than just shortstop. Last year, he played 200 innings at short for the Rangers, but also logged more than 100 innings each at third and second base. How many errors did he have at any position? You guessed it...none.

Unfortunately, Mark Shapiro rarely makes the obvious move, and often can't pull the trigger on the right move. I'm certainly not conceited enough to believe that the internet buzz should generate Mark Shapiro's moves. In this day and age of fantasy baseball, many fans fall into that category. The rumor banter can get quite interesting, to say the least. With that said, there are a few moves that are talked about each year that goes beyond numbers, and goes beyond money. This would be one of them. It does make sense to a part of the game in Cleveland that has disappeared with the dismemberment of the 90's team, followed by the the 2007 team...the heart. No, I'm not throwing down the sentimental garbage that rolled out of the cornfield in Field of Dreams. I'm talking about looking past the numbers at a player that would fill a need in a rebuild year, and mend some fences at the same time. I think this type of thinking is beyond Shapiro.

No, you don't build teams based on "heart." You can, however, bring in a veteran that not only will be a positive role-model to the youngsters in the Tribe clubhouse, but will give you error-less play at 2nd, 3rd, and of course, short. It certainly doesn't hurt that we'd catch glimpses of his 11 years of spectacular play.

Like I said, it's all beyond Shapiro and his predominant-numbers way of thinking.

There are downsides to this. I'm not blind. There would be some worry with regards to Vizquel's age. He'll be 43 this year, and that's certainly not any spring chicken with regards to playing in the bigs. Even in a diminished utility role, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Vizquel isn't built to last an entire year. He only found himself playing in 62 games last year, logging in his most consistent time in September at 3B after Michael Young strained his hamstring.

Jamey Carroll played in 113 games his first year with the Tribe, and 93 his second year. He also found himself platooning a bit with Luis Valbuena. I'm not sure Omar is that guy.

In other words, you can't count on Omar for a significant amount of playing time.

To make a long story short, don't count on Omar returning to the place he called home for 11-years. He no doubt will be looking at potential playoff teams to sign with. Rumors are already beginning to circulate that Boston might be interested in Vizquel in a limited role as well.

Let's face facts here tribefan, do we really want to stick Vizquel on the product that Cleveland is going to field in 2010? Do we really want to scar him for life? Thanks for the 11-years Omar, but it's time for you to get your last chance with a team that won't be fighting for the cellar.

You deserve better.

Adam Miller is gone, but not forgotten

There has never been anything simple about Indians right-hander Adam Miller. The former first-round sandwich pick tantalized the Tribe masses with 100 MPH fastballs and dreams of an ace that is untouchable. Miller was arguably the Tribe's top prospect in 2007 and 2008, and seemed on the fast track to the big league club in 2009 or 2010 at the latest.

Then came the injuries.

Miller's injury issues culminated last season when Miller couldn't bend the tip of his right index finger during spring training. On the eve of Miller perhaps reaching his dream of playing in the majors, he was faced with the possibility of never playing again. The tendon surgery needed to repair his injured finger quite often leaves scar tissue. That scar tissue could cause repeat surgeries that would likely end his career.

Enter Adam Miller today. On August 4th, Miller had his second and last scheduled surgery on his injured finger, and has been rehabbing ever since. Miller is scheduled to begin throwing later this month, with the Indians being understandably cautious in his recovery.

Now, Adam Miller is 100% unknown. Will he have the same velocity that he had prior to the surgery? Will scar tissue hamper or put a stop to his return? Will Miller ever play a season, let alone a season without injuries? Is Adam Miller even still considered a prospect at this stage of his career? The Indians need to find out soon, because he's currently listed on the Indians 40-Man roster. Will the Indians protect him heading into next month's rule 5 draft?

Miller still remains a tantalizing talent, and at this stage of the game, I'm not talking about his above average heat. Miller, who will celebrate his 25th birthday later this month, has already felt both sides of the extreme. He's been the top prospect, and now, completely out of the equation. To top it off, he's never even had a cup of coffee in the bigs.

Still, Miller perserveres. He has the head of an ace, and when healthy, an arm that goes with it. It's optimistic to think he'll even return to the minors, let alone make an impact at the major league level. Yet if his rehab is any indication of the type of player he could be...

I wouldn't bet against him. Anything the Indians get from Miller at this stage of the game would be icing on the cake. You can't help but wonder that if everything falls into place, he could be just what the doctor ordered for a staff that is lacking the punch and pop of CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee.

Here's hoping Miller is on his way back...

The Indians not so obvious question mark

You know that it's going to be a long season when the benchmarks of your 2010 ballclub are likely to be question marks. That's what the Cleveland Indians are facing in 2010 when they roll out a club that will mirror more of a quad-A minor league affiliate than a major league franchise.

The Indians Gibraltar in 2010 will likely be Grady Sizemore. The Tribe centerfielder battled injury all year, playing only 106 games before getting shut down for the season. Sizemore had elbow and hernia surgery and is rumored to be near 100%. Sizemore had his worst season in many statistical areas, but most distressing was his drop in OPS to .788. Sizemore plays the game with an unbridled fury in the field and on the basepaths.

Can Sizemore remain healthy at this stage of the game with his style of play? There's no reason to suspect that he can't. He's about to enter the prime of his career, and at 27-years-old, Sizemore is still one of the youngest stars in the majors. Still, his body broke down last season after years of plowing into walls, making hit-stealing catches and turning singles into doubles.

Will he rebound in 2010? He should, and he most definitely needs to. The Indians have enough question marks heading into the 2010 season. With all do respect to Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera, but they don't need their best player on that list as well.

Will the Indians be competitive in 2010? Their slim chances will rest on the shoulders of Grady Sizemore.

Manny Acta--Some thoughts a couple of days later

The Cleveland Indians have their new manager in Manny Acta, and with it comes a slew of anger, excitement, question marks and answers. Yeah, I know, it's a riddle wrapped in an enigma. The Acta hiring has certainly brought everyone out of the woodwork to throw out their opinions. It likely speaks more to the fact that the only excitement generated by this team since 2007 has involved the manager hire, and a couple of former pitchers facing off against each other in the World Series. Don't worry, I'll get to that tomorrow.

I've taken a couple of days to let the Acta hire sink in. Was it a good hire? I'll continue to state that this team needed a vocal leader. They needed a guy who could fire this team up when needed. They needed a guy who could stand up to Shapiro when he needed players, but could work with him as well. They needed a guy with some seasoning who has been through the ropes, and had a history of success. I've always believed in the old adage that winning breeds winning. Sure, there are instances that go against that line of thinking, but few and far between.

When Mark Shapiro hired Acta, my first thoughts were that they rushed the pick because Acta was in talks with the Astros. I didn't know the particulars at the time, but found out that my thinking was likely true. Acta was offered the job with the Astros, and according to all reports, was looking for a three-year deal. Drayton McLane was only willing to go for two years, with a club option for a third. Shapiro stepped up on Saturday and made a three-year offer. Acta quickly took the Tribe offer. It made sense for Shapiro to sign the guy for three years, since he has three years left on his own deal. Shapiro and Acta are now tied together for better or worse.

Now, in one respect, you have to respect Acta for taking the deal with the Indians, and actually meaning it. It probably took a lot to not take the deal with the Astros, where he coached for 8 years, and was involved in their organization for 16. That said, you have to also give him credit for getting the best deal, after likely playing both teams against each other. Normally, the Tribe comes out in the losing end of these types of fights. This one they win, for better or worse.

I have to believe that Don Mattingly and Bobby Valentine both declined to take the job, or at least let it be known that the Indians' job was only a stepping stone. Mattingly never did sign up for an interview after rumors (likely true) circulated that he was in line to take over for Torre, and also using the interview process to lock the Dodgers into place. Valentine's job just got more important at ESPN with Steve Phillips getting fired, and he is likely waiting for a big job to open up, either back in New York with the Mets, or another locale. No doubt, Shapiro was feeling the heat, and with Acta about to sign a deal with the Astros, he stepped in.

Acta may have been the best candidate of the current crop of manager-possibilites, but that doesn't make him the best hire. I do believe that Shapiro acted too soon, and hired a guy that he perceived to be 'in his pocket.' Whether any of that turns out to be true is shrouded in the future, but the appearance looks all too familiar for my taste. It smells of Eric Wedge.

I will say this for the guy, you can tell that he lives the game of baseball. He did his homework with regards to the Indians, and it really sounds like he knows this organization. It smells a bit like there was some talk prior to the media and fans knowing about Acta, but regardless, you can't help but be impressed with this guy's vast knowledge of players from the big league club, clear down to the minors. If he's done the work prior to the job, what kind of crazy work ethic is he going to bring once he's here?

"I'm not blind, help me if I am, but I think we do have the component of a terrific lineup already in place. We do have some work to do in our starting rotation..."

Acta certainly realizes where the teams' strengths are, and what needs fixed. Any blind man can figure that out. This team obviously has some good, young offensive tools to put in place. The rotation could stand out as the weakest in the league if parts aren't added, and I have to believe that parts aren't going to be added. At least Acta knows that going in.

He also talked briefly about the division, and how it was balanced. You have to appreciate the fact that Acta found a way to call the Central balance, which is likely code for garbage. The reality is that with some luck, the Indians could contend. No, not because they are deserving, but exactly the opposite. NOBODY is deserving. Acta was likely smart to take this job over the Astros for the simple fact that there really won't be a stand out team, unless it's bad, which the Indians could contend for.

"I prepare myself very well, that's what I do."

I do believe that Acta is a preparation freak. I've seen them before. They aren't always successful, but they are organized. Acta certainly is that. I have no worries about what this guy will put in place. I think he'll have a quality coaching staff (and would love for HIM to pick it out, although that's unlikely), and quality plans in place with regards to training this team. I'm just not sure that he has the skills to motivated these young guys day in and day out. I do believe Wedge was "prepared." It's just another case of a guy being prepared, but not understanding his players. Acta seems different, more eager, more willing to get in the players heads. That said, there's nothing from his prior experience that would support that.

"Big shots are just little shots that keep shooting. I'm willing to keep shooting until I become a big shot."

This quote cracked me up on several levels. First off, this is the kind of wit that never would have come out of the mouth of Wedge. Was it a staged comment? Perhaps. Was it indicative of what could happen? Possible. Remember, Joe Torre struggled with the Mets before landing a job with some upper level teams in the Braves, the Cardinals and the Yankees. He was able to become a "Big Shot" because he played with the big fish. Cleveland will never be confused as a big fish. Torre also had pull in this league based on his playing career. Yes, Acta is respected, but many consider him "new money." He's a guy that is working his way up. He gets the nod from some baseball guys, but he's not a guy that is connected. I know, mafia talk. If Acta fails in Cleveland, he's likely never manage again. Torre likely would have, because he was a known commodity.

"We have the potential here to have a terrific outfield. We have a team that has a chance to get out of the American League norm or just sit around and wait for the homerun. We gottalot of athletic guys out there that we can do different things with them."

I do like the sound of this. I want this team to start applying pressure to other teams on the basepaths. The story on this guy is that he's not going to run. Most Saber guys don't. He sounds like a guy that will mold to the team. That's a good thing, no matter how you look at it.

Could the Indians have made a better hire. I really believe they could. Am I jumping on the Manny Acta bandwagon? I can't lie, I loved his interview. At the very least, we may have a guy here that can make things interesting with his comments. There is certainly more than a dry wit. We aren't talking about a guy who is walking out of "Teaching Communication" by Eric Wedge and Bill Belicheck. This guy can motivate the masses...

I'm still not sure he can motivate this team.

There is some hope though.

Unfortunately for Acta, directly in his way of a World Series is a young and inexperienced offense, no really starting rotation, a bullpen in disarray, a GM who is proving to be overmatched, an owner who won't spend money, and a 61-year drought.

Wow...I'm starting to feel sorry for the guy...

Manny Acta named 40th manager of the Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians have made their choice for their manager during the 2010 season and beyond. According to Indians.com writer Anthony Castrovince, Manny Acta, who was fired by the Washington Nationals last season after going 158-252 during his 2 1/2 seasons as manager, is Mark Shapiro's man.

The 40-year old Acta was canned by the Nationals mid-way through the 2009, which had put a kibosh to several years of upwards movement as a coach, which began in 1991 as a player-coach for the Asheville Tourists. From 1993, Acta managed at various levels of the Houston organization. In 2002, he became former Tribe player/manager Frank Robinson's third base coach, lasting in that position until 2004. He then became the third base coach for the New York Mets until 2006. The Nats hired him as their manager in 2007.

So is this a good hire for the Indians? My short answer is no. Acta is certainly the type of manager that Mark Shapiro was looking for. Acta is a firm believer and follower of Sabermetrics, which was no doubt important to the like-minded Shapiro. Acta also had a vast knowledge of the Indians current roster, and threw out the caveat that he's likely been in contact with the Tribe front office for the better part of a month. He certainly has a basic familiarity with the club he will be taking over. Of course, wouldn't any manager that gets the job? I'm not worried about the guy that does his homework for an interview. I'm worried about a guy who does his homework on his way to a World Series.

What worries me is that Acta fits into the same mold as Eric Wedge. Sure, Wedge had his good points. Even I can admit that. The sum of his parts obviously didn't equal consistent success. Now I don't know Acta from a hill of beans, but there are reports that Acta shares many of the same depressive traits as his predecessor. Does this make him a yes man, as everyone fears? I'm not sure. I do know that Mark Shapiro is on the hook, as he should be. If Acta does prove to be another Shapiro robot, this team likely won't succeed.

Top that off with the where Acta came from, and it equates to a bad, bad mixture. Acta came from Washington, and lost a whole bunch. His record in 2 1/2 seasons with the Nationals was 158-252. Nothing to shout home about. He comes from a lot of losing and likely will be a Shapiro yes-man. Boy, it does get you excited, doesn't it?

Losing isn't always a precursor of more losing. Terry Francona had a horrid stay in Philadelphia and rolled out a record of 285-363. He obviously did a bit better in Boston. Joe Torre was even worse with the Mets. He started his career with a 286-420 record, before righting the ship with stints in Atlanta, St. Louis, the Yankees and the Dodgers. Bobby Cox started his career in Atlanta, and struggled as well. His 263-323 start was a bit better than Francona and Torre, but it bought him a pink slip, before he was rehired a few years later for a more successful run in both Toronto and back in Atlanta.

Could Acta be the next Francona...the next Torre...or the next Cox?...or is he going to just be the next Wedge?

The bottom line? It doesn't really matter now, because he's here either way.

Is it a good hire? Not in my opinion, but I can only hope...

Isn't that what we say every year?

And so it goes: The Indians add another name to the equation

The Cleveland Indians continue their head-scratching methodology in their hunt for a manager with the potential news that the Indians have been given permission by the Angels to talk to Ron Roenicke about their manager position.

Huh? What?

Where did this guy come from?

Okay, let me start off by saying that Roenicke actually might be a good fit with the Indians. He's been with the Angels as both a third base coach, and a bench coach for the past ten years. He's been Mike Sciosca's bench coach for the past four seasons.

Now, what does a bench coach do exactly? Call him the manager's executive assistant. This is the guy that fills in all the holes. In general, two types of guys have this job. The first would be a Mike Hargrove or a Don Zimmer. He'd be the guy that mentors you, keeps you level, and has been through every situation ten times or so. He's not necesarily looking for a top spot, but could take over in a pinch. The other type is the up and comer, like Roenicke and Don Mattingly, who served at Joe Torre's bench coach in New York, before becoming his batting coach in LA. This is the guy that is being groomed to manage. Enter Roenicke, who was interviewed for the Dodgers position back in 2004. He didn't get the job, so Scioscia eventually moved him to his bench coach position, likely helping him take his next step.

He is the type of guy that's been missing here in Cleveland. He's a risk-taker, and in the lines of Valentine, not a guy that needs to look at Sabermetrics to make a decision, a lot Wedge, Shapiro and Manny Acta. In other words, he's an old school manager. Now, just for the sake of this discussion, who were the final four teams? Yeah, these were the teams that had high payrolls. These were also managers, Joe Torre, Mike Scioscia, Charlie Manuel and Joe Girardi, that coached the game based on the old school mantra. Some do it more than others (Girardi can be a numbers guy, but does come from that old school mentality that you take a pitcher out when he's struggling, not necesarily for a match-up), but you get the point.

Roenicke would likely steal more bases, take more baserunning chances, and really get this team going. In other words, he'd be a good choice, in the lines of Bobby Valentine.

So, why the head-scratching? Where did this come from? Roenicke was in the top 11 picks, so it's been said, but wasn't mentioned as a top two candidate. Was he one of the other two guys that Shapiro mentioned a couple of days ago, that would come into play if the other four didn't pan out? Is he the fourth, and the mention of Don Mattingly was just plain wrong. Remember, Shapiro hasn't said a word about who the fourth guy was.

Likely, it's just Shapiro being Shapiro. In other words, it's a big, giant secret, that will likely end up locked away in Area 51...with all the other aliens.

What's the positive here? At least Cleveland isn't jumping the gun and hiring a guy like Acta because Houston is also looking at him. I know Acta seems smart and knows about the young guys. I know Acta made a mysterious little comment about having been in contact with the Indians organization for a month or more (how about that Wedgie-poo), and I know he had a good presser.

That said, I'm not sure you go out and hire a guy that lost a whole lot just because he sounds like he knows what's what. As my Dad said...if it looks like dog crap, and smells like dog crap, I don't care how many times you try and convince yourself it's not dog crap...well...it's still dog crap.

So...here comes another day...now WITH TWO candidates left to talk to. And so it goes...and so it goes...

Indians should just say no to Torey Lovullo

The Cleveland Indians interviewed their third candidate, triple-A manager Torey Lovullo, today in their ongoing attempt to hire their next manager. Let's just get the obvious out there right now. Lovullo knows the players. He said it over and over during the presser, and it was blatantly obvious that it was the central focus of his meetings today with Indians brass.

Gee Torey, really?

You mean to tell me that after eight years of managing in the Indians system, you are "familiar with the setting." Wow, that's really coming up with some unique views. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure what was more inane, listening to Lovullo talk about his familiarity with the system, or the Indians even putting Lovullo through the interview process to begin with.

This may just be me, but don't you think that the Indians might have a bit of knowledge about a guy they've been grooming for the better part of the past decade? Oh, sure, they are going through a 'process,' but talk about a giant waste of time. Either the Indians know Lovullo's philosophy as a manager, or they are just found out, in which case they are brain dead. The word is still out on that one.

I will say that Lovullo gave one good answer that I could hang my hat on if the Tribe brass decides to hire Wedge-lite.

"Another belief of mine is to get a lineup up there as fast as I can and then stick to it. Of course, you have to have a couple of plug-in guys, and you have to keep your bench sharp, but I believe in using the same lineup and the same batting order as much as I can."

No doubt Lovullo was addressing the fact that Wedge changed lineups more than John Mayer dumped Jennifer Anniston. Of course, it's likely that all the other managers will follow that philosophy, since they seem to be sane individuals. Well, Bobby Valentine may not be sane, but he knows how to manage.

It's time for Shapiro to admit that he screwed up with regards to Manuel, and needs to look for someone who has the potential to be a winner, and not necessarily a robot.

Bobby Valentine anyone?...

The Tribe Final Four?

The Indians and Mark Shapiro are currently focusing their search efforts on four candidates to take over for former manager Eric Wedge: Manny Acta, Bobby Valentine, Torey Lovullo and Don Mattingly. Each truly poses interesting questions.

Acta was fired by the worst baseball team in the league last season. Is he a worthwhile candidate who is motived by the "Saber" side of the game, or is he scrap from a team full of, well, no potential.

Valentine is known to be popular in both the clubhouse and the media, although he rubs every front office the wrong way whereever he's gone. Is this guy the motivator that many have given him credit for, or is he just a guy who can get a couple of good years out of his club before wearing his welcome thin?

Lovullo knows every single minor league player on this club, having coached them at one point or another during his previous seasons in the Tribe's minor league system. So, do we want another Eric Wedge or what? I almost feel bad for the guy.

Mattingly, who carries many of the same traits as Eric Wedge (aside the fact he was a tremendous player), would bring the Torre book to the Indians. Of course, the Yankees thought so much of him, that they stepped over him when Torre stepped down. Like Lovullo, he's never managed a game, and do we need a guy similar to Wedge who has never managed a game? Sounds a bit like Lovullo, doesn't it.

Shapiro has also been rambling on about a couple of more candidates that he may bring into the process. I'm not sure if this is someone currently coaching in the playoffs (like Mattingly), or if Shapiro just has to keep his hand shrouded in mystery. I'd bet on the latter, as Shapiro has taken this "secrecy" business to a whole new level.

It appears as though Travis Fryman and Mike Hargrove are out of the running, although both appear to be in the running for coaching jobs with the Tribe after the top post is filled.

It should be an interesting ride...

Who's the next Tribe Skipper?

With John Farrell out of the picture, is there really a manager candidate that sets anyone on fire? Did Farrell set anyone on fire, for that matter. Remember, he hasn't ever managed before, and his previous staffs in Boston happen to be some of the best pitchers money can buy.

Bobby Valentine likely heads the list, and does bring some serious cred to the job, but is almost more known for his antics than his managing. Is he prepared to build a team, which he has been proven to have done in the past, or is he at an age where winning now is a premium? He has declined to talk about the job, which usually means he's in play. Mike Hargrove would also fit in this list, and wants to bookend his managing career with another gig in Cleveland, but Grover also brings several questions, least of which is the fact that he quit in Seattle. Ned Yost, Clint Hurdle, and Manny Acta are also managers from other clubs that might get a look, even though they've been recently canned from their prior job.

Minor League skippers Torey Lovullo of the Clippers and Travis Fryman of the Scrappers should also get looks at the head job, buy may either not be ready, or not far enough from Wedge for anyone's liking...Luvullo in particular. Fryman might be the fresh face the team needs, but brings several questions to the table with regards to readiness.

Of course, Tribe fans are in the dark because of the Shapiro Death-Squad mentality and super-secret...well...secrets.

More on this over the next several days, as the rumors continue to swirl in Tribeland...

Who's the next Tribe skipper?

With John Farrell out of the picture, is there really a manager candidate that sets anyone on fire? Did Farrell set anyone on fire, for that matter. Remember, he hasn't ever managed before, and his previous staffs in Boston happen to be some of the best pitchers money can buy.

Bobby Valentine likely heads the list, and does bring some serious cred to the job, but is almost more known for his antics than his managing. Is he prepared to build a team, which he has been proven to have done in the past, or is he at an age where winning now is a premium? He has declined to talk about the job, which usually means he's in play. Mike Hargrove would also fit in this list, and wants to bookend his managing career with another gig in Cleveland, but Grover also brings several questions, least of which is the fact that he quit in Seattle. Ned Yost, Clint Hurdle, and Manny Acta are also managers from other clubs that might get a look, even though they've been recently canned from their prior job.

Minor League skippers Torey Lovullo of the Clippers and Travis Fryman of the Scrappers should also get looks at the head job, buy may either not be ready, or not far enough from Wedge for anyone's liking...Luvullo in particular. Fryman might be the fresh face the team needs, but brings several questions to the table with regards to readiness.

Of course, Tribe fans are in the dark because of the Shapiro Death-Squad mentality and super-secret...well...secrets.

More on this over the next several days, as the rumors continue to swirl in Tribeland...

Walking through the playoffs with ex-Indians

The playoffs are here, and if you are a long-time Indians' fan, you know this is the time that most Tribe followers painfully walk the tightrope of rooting for and against former Indians' players. The fine line of how to support former members of the Indians' organization is always tempered by the fact that by leaving the reservation, this group was able to make it to the promised land.

There are varying degrees in this year's crop of ex-Indians participating in the 2009 playoffs. This list includes Angels utility-ace Maicer Izturis, who was dealt to the Expos while toiling in the Cleveland farm system. There are, of course, two former Cy Young winners, Cliff Lee (Phillies) and CC Sabathia (Yankees), who both were the game one starters for their respective teams. There are even a couple of players who were part of the Indians 1990's renaissance, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome, both of the Dodgers.

This diverse lot of players all left the Indians for many different reasons. There are those that left because they wanted more money (see Thome and Ramirez), those that left because they were shadows of their former selves (see Rafael Betancourt, Rockies), and those that left so they could fetch cheaper, inexpensive prospects (Lee, Sabathia, Martinez, Betancourt, Mark DeRosa of the Cardinals and the Dodgers Casey Blake). There are those that just didn't serve a purpose anymore (Carl Pavano of the Twins, Ben Francisco and Chad Durbin of the Phillies, Ronnie Belliard of the Dodgers, Matt Herges of the Rockes and Paul Byrd of the Red Sox). Regardless of the reasons, these players have managed a feat that has become too few and far between for the Tribe faithful: a chance at a World Series.

Nothing more clearly defines this pain than CC Sabathia's performance for the hated Yankees during game one of the ALDS.  He went 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) and eight hits.  No, they aren't Cy Young numbers, but they certainly would have been enough to give the Indians a chance at a World Series in 2007.  You couldn't help but listen to Sabathia's words in the post-game press conference and think back to the '07 implosion.

"We know what we need to do, we know that these are big games, they're always big games in the playoffs, and it just feels good to start it off the right way."

His winning in New York, for whatever reason, seemed to add salt to the already painful playoff wounds here in Cleveland. Sabathia, a Tribe product, who won the Cy Young in 2007, then imploded for the Indians in the playoffs, finds a way to win for the Evil Empire.

Charlie Manuel, in his folky fashion, seemed to apply a few more kicks when discussing his decision to start 2008 AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee in game 1.

"I've been around the game quite a while.  I'm sure (Lee) pitched some big games somewhere along the line. And, if he hasn't, he damn sure has earned the right to pitch one."

Sure, Manuel is a rube, but the dig in that statement is clear, on purpose or not.  Lee acknowledged his lack of big game pitching earlier in the presser for the announcement.

"Last time in '07 with the Indians, I had to be a backup and sit there and watch other guys play," Lee said. "It was fun to be a part of, but also bittersweet in the fact that I didn't get to participate and try to help the team win."

Granted, Lee didn't deserve to play in that series, but that doesn't take away the point that he went from a non-factor in a series that saw the Indians need pitching in the ALCS, to a game one starter for another club two years later.

For some reason, I find myself gravitating to the Dodgers. Perhaps it's Joe Torre, who was essentially banished from the Yankees, trying to show his former club he can win somewhere else. Most likely, it's just sheer Indians' numbers. The Dodgers have four former Indians' players on their roster, and they aren't the Yankees. It's likely that combination of a manager going up against the Evil Empire, and doing it with an unlikely mix of old and not-so-old former Indians as part of his troops. Maybe there's a small part of me that would like to see Jim Thome win a World Series before he retires, even if he did seemingly stab the city of Cleveland in the back.

Who knows...

I may just as likely turn on the Dodgers and apply the Curse of Thome dance. Ahhh, the life of and Indians' fan.

Jake Westbrook's lost year

Jake Westbrook has been shut down for six weeks, essentially ending his season before it really had a chance to begin. Westbrook was working his way through a rehab assignment after Tommy John surgery over a year ago, and was scheduled to rejoin the Tribe within the next two weeks. Now, his future status is certainly up in the air.

The news isn't all bad. Fans of the scrappy pitcher feared the worst with regards to his surgically repaired elbow. Another surgery would have likely ended Westbrook's career with the Tribe, and likely would have jeopardized his career. Those worries can be brushed aside for now, as Westbrook's soreness in the elbow appears to be caused by scar tissue from the surgery. As bad as it sounds, it is a normal reaction to the invasive surgery. Pitcher's so routinely have the procedure done in this era of the game that it's often easy to forget that the window for return is up to 18 months.

For those counting at home, Westbrook will have spent nearly all of the first two years of his three-year, 33 million dollar deal injured. Don't get me wrong, he deserved the money, but it's painful to watch Mark Shapiro now pocket more ammo as to why he should never sign a pitcher to big money.

Westbrook, the Tribe's resident bulldog, will likely spend the winter building up his arm for next season. Anthony Castrovince speculates that he may even pitch winter ball to strengthen the arm. Either way, let's hope that Westbrook comes back healthy in 2010.

The Indians will only be better for it.

Jake Westbrook's lost year

Jake Westbrook has been shut down for six weeks, essentially ending his season before it really had a chance to begin. Westbrook was working his way through a rehab assignment after Tommy John surgery over a year ago, and was scheduled to rejoin the Tribe within the next two weeks. Now, his future status is certainly up in the air.

The news isn't all bad. Fans of the scrappy pitcher feared the worst with regards to his surgically repaired elbow. Another surgery would have likely ended Westbrook's career with the Tribe, and likely would have jeopardized his career. Those worries can be brushed aside for now, as Westbrook's soreness in the elbow appears to be caused by scar tissue from the surgery. As bad as it sounds, it is a normal reaction to the invasive surgery. Pitcher's so routinely have the procedure done in this era of the game that it's often easy to forget that the window for return is up to 18 months.

For those counting at home, Westbrook will have spent nearly all of the first two years of his three-year, 33 million dollar deal injured. Don't get me wrong, he deserved the money, but it's painful to watch Mark Shapiro now pocket more ammo as to why he should never sign a pitcher to big money.

Westbrook, the Tribe's resident bulldog, will likely spend the winter building up his arm for next season. Anthony Castrovince speculates that he may even pitch winter ball to strengthen the arm. Either way, let's hope that Westbrook comes back healthy in 2010.

The Indians will only be better for it.

Jake Westbrook: 2010 opening day starter, or another year-long DL stint?

How bad are the Indians going to be in 2010? Mark Shapiro is already lining up Jake Westbrook to be the opening day starter in 2010. No offense to you Jake Westbrook, but...what?!?

Jake Westbrook isn't a bad starter. As a matter of fact, he's far from it. You could make a case that during his tenure as a healthy Indians' starter, he's been the most consistent pitcher not named Sabathia to wear the Indians' jersey since the days of Chuck Nagy. Westbrook pitched just over 900 innings from 2003 and 2007, making 143 starts during that span. His ERA was slightly over 4.00, and he went 57-53 during that span. There's no doubt that Westbrook had become a prototypical #3 or #4 starter. He was an innings-eater who could win games when needed.

Now, after over a year off, Shapiro is proclaiming Westbrook to be the opening day starter in 2010. Okay, I get that Westbrook is a pitbull on the mound, has tenure, and has been unhittable in spring training over the past couple of years when healthy. But do you really want to throw that comment out there with Westbrook not nearly recovered from Tommy John surgery? I'm sure Justin Masterson and Fausto Carmona are just thrilled with the news.

In fairness to Mr. Mark Shapiro, he did say "if he's healthy" after making the initial comment. In equal fairness, he also made the comment before Westbrook was pulled from his latest start with double A Akron last night. I'll get to that in a minute.

In case you were wondering, Jake Westbrook hasn't made a start since May 28th, 2008. In case you were wondering more, he hasn't made back-to-back starts since April 14th and April 19th, 2008. Either Westbrook is a future Cy Young award winner for Shapiro to proclaim him the opening day guy in 2010, or the Indians' pitching is going to be utter garbage. Call this the irony of waiting so many years for solid pitching, only two trade off two Cy Young award winners in back-to-back years.

Enter Westbrook, who missed most of 2008 and all of 2009 so far because of Tommy John surgery. As mentioned before, Westbrook was pulled from his start on Sunday because of a sore elbow. It's not known whether or not the soreness is the regular process of recovering from Tommy John surgery, or something much more dramatic, such as the need for another surgery. Either way, it puts a rather large cloud over whether or not he can start on opening day, oh, say seven months from now.

The hope here is that this soreness for Westbrook is a normal elbow issue and that he finishes out the season with a flourish. Let's hope he follows it with a spring like a couple of years ago, and earns that opening day starter's job.

Leave the game-day decisions to the manager Mark. Oh, wait, Wedge is still the manager. Nevermind.

Jake Westbrook: 2010 opening day starter, or another year-long DL stint?

How bad are the Indians going to be in 2010? Mark Shapiro is already lining up Jake Westbrook to be the opening day starter in 2010. No offense to you Jake Westbrook, but...what?!?

Jake Westbrook isn't a bad starter. As a matter of fact, he's far from it. You could make a case that during his tenure as a healthy Indians' starter, he's been the most consistent pitcher not named Sabathia to wear the Indians' jersey since the days of Chuck Nagy. Westbrook pitched just over 900 innings from 2003 and 2007, making 143 starts during that span. His ERA was slightly over 4.00, and he went 57-53 during that span. There's no doubt that Westbrook had become a prototypical #3 or #4 starter. He was an innings-eater who could win games when needed.

Now, after over a year off, Shapiro is proclaiming Westbrook to be the opening day starter in 2010. Okay, I get that Westbrook is a pitbull onthe mound, has tenure, and has been unhittable in spring training over the past couple of years when healthy. But do you really want to throw that comment out there with Westbrook not nearly recovered from Tommy John surgery? I'm sure Justin Masterson and Fausto Carmona are just thrilled with the news.

In fairness to Mr. Mark Shapiro, he did say "if he's healthy" after making the initial comment. In equal fairness, he also made the comment before Westbrook was pulled from his latest start with double A Akron last night. I'll get to that in a minute.

In case you were wondering, Jake Westbrook hasn't made a start since May 28th, 2008. In case you were wondering more, he hasn't made back-to-back starts since April 14th and April 19th, 2008. Either Westbrook is a future Cy Young award winner for Shapiro to proclaim him the opening day guy in 2010, or the Indians' pitching is going to be utter garbage. Call this the irony of waiting so many years for solid pitching, only two trade off two Cy Young award winners in back-to-back years.

Enter Westbrook, who missed most of 2008 and all of 2009 so far because of Tommy John surgery. As mentioned before, Westbrook was pulled from his start on Sunday because of a sore elbow. It's not known whether or not the soreness is the regular process of recovering from Tommy John surgery, or something much more dramatic, such as the need for another surgery. Either way, it puts a rather large cloud over whether or not he can start on opening day, oh, say seven months from now.

The hope here is that this soreness for Westbrook is a normal elbow issue and that he finishes out the season with a flourish. Let's hope he follows it with a spring like a couple of years ago, and earns that opening day starter's job.

Leave the game-day decisions to the manager Mr. Shapiro, and keep your idiotic comments to yourself. Oh, wait, Wedge is still the running this team? 

Nevermind.

Indians' Jamey Carroll auditioning for postseason work

The Cleveland Indians are dumping salary, and Jamey Carroll is looking for his first class ticket out of town. Carroll emphasized his point today in going 2-5 with a double, homer and three RBI, as the Indians took 2 of 3 from the second place Chicago White Sox.

With two on and two out in the fifth inning, and the Indians trailing 3-2, Carroll hit a laser down the left field off of Jose Contreras. The double scored both runners and gave the Indians a 4-3 lead they would never relinquish. Carroll capitalized on his double with a lead-off, solo shot in the seventh inning, to give the Indians a 6-3 lead.

The win makes it four of five wins for the Indians, who are playing like a house of fire now that they really are playing for nothing.

Don't tell that to Carroll, who is most definitely playing for a shot at the series, albeit with another team. Carroll, a free agent at the end of the year, could bring the Indians something for nothing. The Indians have no shot at signing Carroll as a utility next year since he makes too much money. Anything they get for him would be icing on the cake at this point. Carroll doesn't believe he'll be dealt, or at least that's what he wants everyone to believe. When asked about being traded after Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez were traded, he said,

"I guess I fit into that category, but usually when trades are made at this time of the year it's for a guy who comes in and plays. You've got Mark DeRosa, Carl Pavano, Victor Martinez. Everybody already has me, a utility player."

Carroll is exactly what teams need. Not only can he play nearly every position, but he can give you quality at bats as a starter over long stretches. After today's performance, don't be surprised to see Carroll playing somewhere else in the near future.

Isn't tomorrow an off day?

After Carroll, look for two other Indians to get a look before the postseason rosters have to be set on September 1st.
Kerry Wood's massive contract doesn't make any sense for a team that
doesn't figure to contend next year. There aren't many teams contending
that need a closer, but he could be the icing on the cake for a team
that needs a quality, back-end arm. I'm sure Wood wants to go somewhere
else as well. Kelly Shoppach is also a guy that seems to be on his way
out the door. Tampa Bay recently made a deal via waivers for Gregg Zaun
of the Orioles. I'm not sure what that means with regards to Shoppach's
availability or lack thereof, but I'm sure the Indians are either
talking to a team that claimed him, or searching for a team to deal if
he cleared waivers.

Can you trade a manager?  I suppose someone would have to want him...wouldn't they.

Indians' Jamey Carroll auditioning for postseason work

The Cleveland Indians are dumping salary, and Jamey Carroll is looking for his first class ticket out of town. Carroll emphasized his point today in going 2-5 with a double, homer and three RBI, as the Indians took 2 of 3 from the second place Chicago White Sox.

With two on and two out in the fifth inning, and the Indians trailing 3-2, Carroll hit a laser down the left field off of Jose Contreras. The double scored both runners and gave the Indians a 4-3 lead they would never relinquish. Carroll capitalized on his double with a lead-off, solo shot in the seventh inning, to give the Indians a 6-3 lead.

The win makes it four of five wins for the Indians, who are playing like a house of fire now that they really are playing for nothing.

Don't tell that to Carroll, who is most definitely playing for a shot at the series, albeit with another team. Carroll, a free agent at the end of the year, could bring the Indians something for nothing. The Indians have no shot at signing Carroll as a utility next year since he makes too much money. Anything they get for him would be icing on the cake at this point. Carroll doesn't believe he'll be dealt, or at least that's what he wants everyone to believe. When asked about being traded after Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez were traded, he said,

"I guess I fit into that category, but usually when trades are made at this time of the year it's for a guy who comes in and plays. You've got Mark DeRosa, Carl Pavano, Victor Martinez. Everybody already has me, a utility player."

Carroll is exactly what teams need. Not only can he play nearly every position, but he can give you quality at bats as a starter over long stretches. After today's performance, don't be surprised to see Carroll playing somewhere else in the near future.

Isn't tomorrow an off day?

After Carroll, look for two other Indians to get a look before the postseason rosters have to be set on September 1st. Kerry Wood's massive contract doesn't make any sense for a team that doesn't figure to contend next year. There aren't many teams contending that need a closer, but he could be the icing on the cake for a team that needs a quality, back-end arm. I'm sure Wood wants to go somewhere else as well. Kelly Shoppach is also a guy that seems to be on his way out the door. Tampa Bay recently made a deal via waivers for Gregg Zaun of the Orioles. I'm not sure what that means with regards to Shoppach's availability or lack thereof, but I'm sure the Indians are either talking to a team that claimed him, or searching for a team to deal if he cleared waivers.

Can you trade a manager?

The ongoing saga of Jon Meloan and Winston Abreu

Lord knows I've spent the better part of a month bitching and moaning about the morons running the Indians. The dealing of a young arm in Jon Meloan for an old arm in Winston Abreu was the prototype deal in the 'land of idiots' known as the Indians' front office.

Perhaps it was much ado about nothing.

The Indians had designated Abreu for assignment after three bad appearances. As expected, the former Rays reliever cleared waivers, and Cleveland offered him a minor-league deal to stay with the Tribe at triple A Columbus. Abreu chose instead to re-sign with the Rays this past Thursday.

Oh how I wanted to hammer Shapiro for giving up Meloan for nothing, which was accentuated by the Rays reacquiring the shabby player they dealt for the young hurler.

Leave it to the Rays to save Shapiro when they designated Meloan for assignment on Friday to make room on the 40-man roster for catcher Gregg Zaun. They had acquired Zaun earlier in the day in a waiver-induced trade with the Orioles. It's unknown if the Indians will try and sign or trade for their former reliever, and even a bigger unknown if Meloan will even want to return to the Indians.

It speaks volumes that Abreu would rather sign with the Rays, who look to be perennial contenders for the next several years, than the always-rebuilding Indians. My how quickly times can change.

The ongoing saga of John Meloan and Wilson Abreu

Lord knows I've spent the better part of a month bitching and moaning about the morons running the Indians. The dealing of a young arm in John Meloan for an old arm in Wilson Abreu was the prototype deal in the 'land of idiots' known as the Indians' front office.

Perhaps it was much ado about nothing.

The Indians had designated Abreu for assignment after three bad appearances. As expected, the former Rays reliever cleared waivers, and Cleveland offered him a minor-league deal to stay with the Tribe at triple A Columbus. Abreu chose instead to re-sign with the Rays this past Thursday.

Oh how I wanted to hammer Shapiro for giving up Meloan for nothing, which was accentuated by the Rays reacquiring the shabby player they dealt for the young hurler.

Leave it to the Rays to save Shapiro when they designated Meloan for assignment on Friday to make room on the 40-man roster for catcher Gregg Zaun. They had acquired Zaun earlier in the day in a waiver-induced trade with the Orioles. It's unknown if the Indians will try and sign or trade for their former reliever, and even a bigger unknown if Meloan will even want to return to the Indians.

It speaks volumes that Abreu would rather sign with the Rays than the rebuilding Indians. My how times have changed.

Pavano dealt to division rival

The Cleveland Indians continued their major upheaval yesterday when they dealt Carl Pavano to the Minnesota Twins for another one of those players to be named later.

Pavano had started 21 games for the Tribe, going 9-8 in those starts (matching his 4-year win total with the Yankees), with a 5.37 ERA. Pavano struck out 88 and walked only 23 in 125 2/3 innings this year. He was the last remaining member of the Tribe staff with a clear shot at winning 10 games on the season. The next most wins on the roster. He was also scheduled to make a boatload more money with tonight's start with the Indians, had he made it.

Pavano was placed on waivers earlier this week and claimed by the Twins, and the Indians quickly worked out a deal with their division rival. To replace Pavano's roster slot, the Indians recalled Rafael Perez from triple A Columbus for his third stint with the Tribe.

Justin Masterson, who was acquired by the Tribe last week in a trade deadline deal involving Victor Martinez, will take over Pavano's slot in the rotation tonight against the White Sox. Masterson, who many thought wouldn't be starting for the Tribe until September, will be on a short leash tonight, taking the mound with a 60-65 pitch count. Likewise, Pavano will be on the hill against the Tigers tonight.

As for the player to be named, you know the drill. The Indians will have until September 1 to choose a player off a list that the Twins and Indians have been working on all week. Many are speculating that it's going to be a pedestrian player, but I'd be willing to bet that the Indians will get a player near the top five in the Twins organization. Shapiro has made a killing off deals like this, and I have no doubt he's done it again. It's about the only thing he's good at.

Pavano certainly wasn't a need on this current team, and dealing makes nothing but good future sense in a year that has made no sense at all.

Pavano dealt to division rival

The Cleveland Indians continued their major upheaval yesterday when they dealt Carl Pavano to the Minnesota Twins for another one of those players to be named later.

Pavano had started 21 games for the Tribe, going 9-8 in those starts (matching his 4-year win total with the Yankees), with a 5.37 ERA. Pavano struck out 88 and walked only 23 in 125 2/3 innings this year. He was the last remaining member of the Tribe staff with a clear shot at winning 10 games on the season. The next most wins on the roster. He was also scheduled to make a boatload more money with tonight's start with the Indians, had he made it.

Pavano was placed on waivers earlier this week and claimed by the Twins, and the Indians quickly worked out a deal with their division rival. To replace Pavano's roster slot, the Indians recalled Rafael Perez from triple A Columbus for his third stint with the Tribe.

Justin Masterson, who was acquired by the Tribe last week in a trade deadline deal involving Victor Martinez, will take over Pavano's slot in the rotation tonight against the White Sox. Masterson, who many thought wouldn't be starting for the Tribe until September, will be on a short leash tonight, taking the mound with a 60-65 pitch count. Likewise, Pavano will be on the hill against the Tigers tonight.

As for the player to be named, you know the drill. The Indians will have until September 1 to choose a player off a list that the Twins and Indians have been working on all week. Many are speculating that it's going to be a pedestrian player, but I'd be willing to bet that the Indians will get a player near the top five in the Twins organization. Shapiro has made a killing off deals like this, and I have no doubt he's done it again. It's about the only thing he's good at.

Pavano certainly wasn't a need on this current team, and dealing makes nothing but good future sense in a year that has made no sense at all.

Indians DFA Winston Abreu

In one of the most confounding moves of the season, Mark Shapiro dealt away John Meloan on July 2, 2009 for a 32-year old reliever Winston Abreu. Adding more to the confusion, the Indians now have DFAed Abreu today, which essentially means they have 10 days to either work out a trade with another team, release him, or send him to Columbus if he should clear waivers.

Meloan was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers last year in the Casey Blake deal that also brought the Indians Carlos Santana. Meloan has a mid-90's fastball, and a whole bunch of upside. On a team that has a bad habit of signing cruddy relief pitchers, Meloan seemed like an incredible get for Blake, especially when you consider that certain guitar wielding catcher the acquired with him. Sure, Meloan has struggled for much of this season, but certainly the upside for the then 24-year old (turned 25 on July 11) far outweighed his half season struggles.

Unless you're named Mark Shapiro.

You have to question the trade based on the simple logic that Meloan was 24, had a live arm, and upside. Abreu has played with about half the teams in the majors, is 32, and was having one of those seasons that makes scouts scratch their heads. He was pitching too good for a pitcher that's been a whole lot of bad. He was suspended for three games as an Indian, and really bad in the only three games he pitched in (23.14 ERA after giving up six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings over three appearances).

The move made so little sense, that many figured that Abreu had to fit into some other trade scenario with either the Rays, or perhaps as a fill in for another trade involving Cliff Lee or Victor Martinez. It turned out that Abreu wasn't dealt, although it is potentially possible that he was supposed to be moved based on the fact that the Indians dfaed him the day after the deadline. Perhaps he was a door opener for Shapiro with the Rays, who were interested in acquiring both Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez. Shapiro may have been looking to soften the Rays by taking a lesser player with the hopes of springing some of their slew of prospects. If that was the case, it obviously didn't work.

Either way, the Indians dump Meloan for Abreu, which is slang for acquiring a large pile of dung. Chalk it up to another screw up in a growing list of man for GM Mark Shapiro. Whether or not Meloan fit into the future plans of the Tribe, it doesn't really make sense dumping a live relief arm when you are trying to acquire LIVE RELIEF ARMS.

Indians toss away Meloan--DFA Winston Abreu

In one of the most confounding moves of the season, Mark Shapiro dealt away Jon Meloan on July 2, 2009 for a 32-year old reliever Winston Abreu. Adding more to the confusion, the Indians now have DFAed Abreu today, which essentially means they have 10 days to either work out a trade with another team, release him, or send him to Columbus if he should clear waivers.

Meloan was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers last year in the Casey Blake deal that also brought the Indians Carlos Santana. Meloan has a mid-90's fastball, and a whole bunch of upside. On a team that has a bad habit of signing cruddy relief pitchers, Meloan seemed like an incredible get for Blake, especially when you consider that certain guitar wielding catcher the acquired with him. Sure, Meloan has struggled for much of this season, but certainly the upside for the then 24-year old (turned 25 on July 11) far outweighed his half season struggles.

Unless you're named Mark Shapiro.

You have to question the trade based on the simple logic that Meloan was 24, had a live arm, and upside. Abreu has played with about half the teams in the majors, is 32, and was having one of those seasons that makes scouts scratch their heads. He was pitching too good for a pitcher that's been a whole lot of bad. He was suspended for three games as an Indian, and really bad in the only three games he pitched in (23.14 ERA after giving up six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings over three appearances).

The move made so little sense, that many figured that Abreu had to fit into some other trade scenario with either the Rays, or perhaps as a fill in for another trade involving Cliff Lee or Victor Martinez. It turned out that Abreu wasn't dealt, although it is potentially possible that he was supposed to be moved based on the fact that the Indians dfaed him the day after the deadline. Perhaps he was a door opener for Shapiro with the Rays, who were interested in acquiring both Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez. Shapiro may have been looking to soften the Rays by taking a lesser player with the hopes of springing some of their slew of prospects. If that was the case, it obviously didn't work.

Either way, the Indians dump Meloan for Abreu, which is slang for acquiring a large pile of dung. Chalk it up to another screw up in a growing list of man for GM Mark Shapiro. Whether or not Meloan fit into the future plans of the Tribe, it doesn't really make sense dumping a live relief arm when you are trying to acquire LIVE RELIEF ARMS.