Letting go of Marson seems to suggest Santana will still be catching; or maybe just that they figure they can find a cheaper backup to Gomes. I thought they'd keep him. There was no one at AAA who is ready to fill that role.

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Mariners and Indians are among the teams interested in trading for Athletics left-hander Brett Anderson.
The Athletics agreed to a deal with free agent Scott Kazmir on Monday, which makes the possibility of a trade more likely. Injuries have limited Anderson to just 11 starts over the past two seasons, but he's just 25 years old and has shown plenty of potential in the past. Someone will surely take a chance on him. He's under contract for $8 million in 2014.

Another kind of rehab type guy, like Brett Anderson, which would fit the Indians style. Probably would take a 1 year deal to re-establish himself.


Tommy Hanson - S - Angels

Angels non-tendered RHP Tommy Hanson.

The fact that it comes as no surprise is sad given how good Hanson was just a few years ago. The right-hander posted a 5.42 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 56/30 K/BB ratio over 73 innings for the Angels in 2013, making him not worth a raise from his $3.725 million salary. He should still get a chance to compete for a rotation spot somewhere.

Is he right or left handed? I hate not having at least one leftie as a starter.

Anderson- LH Hanson - RH

Cleveland Indians not likely to do anything major in this free-agent market: Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Fear.

That's one of the reasons the Indians spent big last winter for free agents Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn.

Yes, part of it was fear of losing what was left of the team's shrinking fan base.

But just as important was a fear of what this winter would bring in free agency when every team received an extra $25 million in national television money.

Consider that Bourn signed a four-year, $48 million contract last February.

Now think about the four-year, $53 million deal that Jhonny Peralta signed with the Cardinals.

A year ago, Peralta doesn't come close to that kind of cash on the open market.

But this year, he flunked a drug test, was suspended for 50 games -- and still became one of the highest-paid shortstops in baseball.

Catcher Brian McCann batted .257 (.797 OPS) with 20 homers and 57 RBI for Atlanta. The Yankees signed him to a five-year, $85 million deal.

The Royals signed Jose Vargas to a four-year, $32 million deal. He was 9-8 with a 4.02 ERA in 2013, a career 51-58 record with a 4.30 ERA.

You know the money is flowing when the usually frugal Oakland A's signed Scott Kazmir for $22 million over two years. The Indians wanted to guarantee only one year for the lefty, who was 10-9 with a 4.04 ERA.

The reason?

Kazmir has been on the disabled list eight times in the last eight years. He opened 2013 on the disabled list because he pulled a muscle in his rib cage.

I would have been tempted to offer Kazmir a two-year deal at about $6 million annually with incentives for innings pitched and starts made.

But $22 million guaranteed?

Fear would have prevented me from that offer, just as it did the Tribe.

Now you know why David Murphy -- coming off the worst year of his career as he batted .220 for Texas -- could command a two-year, $12 million deal from the Tribe.

Everyone gets paid in this free-agent market.

Look at the contracts

The Indians paid Bourn $7.5 million in 2013, and it rises to $13.5 million for the last three years of the contract.

Swisher received $11 million in 2013, and it jumps to $15 million in 2014.

So the Tribe added $10.5 million in payroll with those two contracts. That's because they knew the $25 million was coming.

"We signed them (Bourn and Swisher) with the idea of them helping us for a few years, not just last year," said Antonetti.

It would be shocking if the Tribe makes a major free agent move that compares to Bourn and Swisher of a year ago.

The Indians loved Joe Smith. Talked about a two-year contract with the reliever.

I was told during the All-Star break by a top executive, "He wants three times five … and he'll probably get it."

In baseball talk, "three times five" means three years at $5 million annually.

Smith signed a three-year, $15.75 million deal with the Angels.

He wanted to play in Southern California to be near Allie LaForce, his fiancee. She is the co-host for the late night show “Lead Off." That CBS show is based in Orange County, Calif.

The Indians and other teams have significant research showing that most three-year deals to bullpen arms are costly to teams because relievers are so inconsistent.

Smith has been one of the exceptions, as he was 18-11 with a 2.76 ERA in five seasons with the Tribe.

Looking ahead

So what will the Tribe do this off-season?

They probably will sign a free-agent reliever. They have lost Chris Perez (not signed) and Smith.

They will give Cody Allen the first chance to close, with Bryan Shaw pitching the eighth inning. They are hoping for a comeback from Vinnie Pestano. They have several options such as C.C. Lee, Austin Adams, Brandon Wood and Carlos Carrasco (if he doesn't earn a spot in the rotation) for the bullpen.

Antonetti is shopping for a starting pitcher. He talked to Tim Hudson, who signed a two-year, $23 million deal with the Giants at the age of 38.

He is checking on Brett Anderson, a lefty that Oakland is looking to trade. He was a top prospect in 2009-10. His combined record for those two years was 18-17 with a 3.40 ERA.

Then injuries piled up. Anderson had elbow surgery in 2011. He then had ankle problems last season, and was 1-4 with a 6.04 ERA in 16 games.

He's only 25, he is signed ($8 million in 2014), and he's a lefty. He also is on the trading block because the A's want to dump his salary after signing Kazmir.

If the Tribe does acquire a starter, it probably will be someone such as Anderson -- coming off an injury. Any major moves will come via a trade, not in a free-agent bidding battle.

And what about Ubaldo Jimenez? He won't be back with the Tribe.

If Peralta received $52 million, Jimenez may haul in close to $60 million for four years. Or maybe $75 million for five years.

Who would have believed that a year ago, when he seemed to be the lost soul of the Tribe's rotation.

That is a pretty good article.

Indians make changes to medical staff

On Tuesday, Cleveland announced that Lonnie Soloff has been promoted to the role of senior director of medical services after working as the Tribe's head athletic trainer for the past 10 seasons

I guess that puts to rest the rumor that the Tribe would sign Dr Oz as a free agent to straighten out the crack medical staff.

Guess we are back to the status quo: Tribe does nothing complains about the lack of fan support and then dolan laughs all the way to the bank with the revenue sharing money. Now we also have all the money from the apps. It is a great country if you own a lousy baseball team.

It's good to hear Ken sounding like Ken.

And Joe will be pressing us to sign anyone who hits well in Venezuela.

And the rest of us repeating our winter lines that we have learned well over the years.

Civ! I'm afraid that all the hitters I was coveting have all been taken unless Alfredo Despaigne decides to defect. My wish list has officially been exhausted. I would, however, like to see Casey McGehee signed to a minor league contract and an invite to spring training.

“You learn to sleep at night with the price you pay”
By Anthony Castrovince/MLB.com
On Twitter: @Castrovince

ImageOn the day Robinson Cano got $240 million from the Mariners and Curtis Granderson got $60 million from the Mets and Scott Feldman got $30 million from the Astros, Chris Antonetti met with reporters in the Terrace Club at Progressive Field to discuss… uh… the chicken marsala lunch special?

No, no. Antonetti had plenty else to discuss in this little pre-Winter Meetings gathering. Starting outlook and bullpen roles and Carlos Santana’s flirtation with the hot corner and David Murphy’s kindergarten teacher somehow breaking the news that the outfielder had signed with the Tribe a couple weeks back.

It’s just that all of this discussion pales in comparison to the seemingly daily round of ridiculous news emanating elsewhere in the Major League landscape.

And that’s pretty much what the Indians expected all along.

Antonetti wanted absolutely no part of this wild winter. He saw it coming a little more than a year ago, when the new national television contracts were negotiated and it became clear clubs would have new revenue streams come 2014. Better, Antonetti surmised at the time, to overpay at that point for a weakened free-agent crop than to drastically overpay for an even weaker crop here in 2013-14.

And Antonetti was right, not only because the prices this winter have been unbelievable even by free-agency standards but because the Indians’ surprising investments of a year ago (borne out of their own regional TV deal) help orchestrate a 24-win upturn and the top AL Wild Card spot.

Alas, the good vibes from a one-and-done playoff berth only last so long, and the AL Central is increasingly complex (maybe not better or worse, but certainly more complex), based on what we’ve seen thus far from the Tigers, Royals and Twins this winter. With a hole ripped through his rotation and the back end of the bullpen, Antonetti has found the business of augmenting what should still be a solid club predictably difficult.

“We came into the offseason in a much better position than we have in prior offseason with the quality and quantity of our alternatives that we currently have on our roster and within the organization,” Antonetti said. “That said, we’re going to continue to try to find a way to improve it.”

Pitching is the central focus, because the Indians seem to feel good enough about the offense, now that Murphy is aboard as a left-handed bat, to let it ride. They’re careful to downplay the importance of Santana’s dabble in the Dominican with third base, but the mere possibility of that proving a worthwhile pursuit is enough to add another layer of intrigue to their Spring Training plotline, which would otherwise revolve around praying Lonnie Chisenhall turns it on.

Granted, I, personally, don’t have the slightest bit of money or job security or even personal pride riding on this statement, but I wouldn’t put it past Santana to make it work at third. The motivated professional athlete is a powerful thing, and Santana, bound to the Indians under the terms of a team-friendly deal that they have no need to shop, has to be motivated to become something other than a 28-year-old DH.

As far as the pitching is concerned, Scott Kazmir is gone, and Ubaldo Jimenez is presumably not far behind, even though the Draft pick compensation that will be owed to the Indians has undoubtedly impacted his market. This left Antonetti dabbling in the middle tier of the dilapidated starter’s market, and that tier has all but disappeared quite quickly.

When it became clear Kazmir would accept a one-year, $14.1 million qualifying offer, the Indians, concerned about his injury history and the number of minor injury issues that cropped up over the course of his comeback season, opted not to offer it to him. Kazmir went into the offseason more inclined to take a one-year deal to further build up his value, but that was before teams like the A’s got increasingly serious with the bidding.

Kazmir might turn out to be the biggest steal of the offseason, or maybe those small issues will turn into something more substantial. Whatever the case, the Indians didn’t want to pay $14.1 million – or $22 million, for that matter – to find out, and it’s hard to blame them.

They were aggressive on Tim Hudson, but they weren’t alone. The Giants lured him with a pitcher’s park and $23 million over two – an impressive haul for a 38-year-old coming off an ugly ankle injury.

They talked to Feldman’s agent and liked him as an under-the-radar signing with upside. But a $30 million guarantee for Scott Feldman? What a world.

Maybe you could fault the Indians for this cautious approach if you didn’t factor in the extension they hope to work out with staff ace Justin Masterson. Or the possibility that there might be other bounceback candidates a la Kazmir — John Lannan is one such guy that would seem to make sense — looming on the horizon. Antonetti did say he has offers and proposals on the table on both the free-agent and trade front, so we’ll see.

What’s increasingly clear, though, is that the Indians, given the starter’s market conditions, are probably better off devoting what limited financial resources remain to adding another option or two to the reconstructed bullpen. Even there, though, the internal depth is not quite as bleak as you might assume after the loss of Joe Smith and the dismissal of Chris Perez.

Carlos Carrasco, for instance, will be on the Opening Day roster one way or another, and there is ample reason to believe, given his high-velocity fastball, his solid career groundball rate and his struggle to put everything together as a big league starter for a significant stretch, that a long-term relief role might suit him well.

As it stands, Carrasco, Josh Tomlin and the enigmatic Trevor Bauer will compete for the final spot in a rotation currently set to include Masterson, Corey Kluber, Zach McAllister and Danny Salazar. That’s a lot to dream on and not much to bank on, but I’d expect Antonetti to be aggressive in the unheralded but sometimes-productive area of Minor League signings to try to find another diamond in the rough.

Hate to say it, but Murphy might wind up being the Indians’ most significant financial expenditure this winter. And when you note that Garrett Jones, who has similar career splits against right-handed pitchers, just signed up for two years with the Marlins and will make $4.5 million less than Murphy over those two years, you wonder if that expenditure was entirely worthwhile.

But this, for better or worse, is the kind of 2013-14 Antonetti envisioned when he went on a protected-Draft-pick-aided spending spree in 2012-13. He knew the free-agent market was about to spiral out of control, and, with Terry Francona aboard, he opted to speed up the timetable, so to speak.

It’s only natural for fans to want the follow-up to a fascinating season to be a fascinating winter, but the price tags scrolling across your screen demonstrate how unrealistic that was.

For all their activity last winter, the 2013 Indians became a playoff team largely on the might of the under-the-radar moves, and Antonetti will have to come up with more of the same to build a winner for 2014. Fortunately, he’s not in need of another 24-win improvement. And fortunately, his pantry isn’t barren in a winter in which the market prices have skyrocketed.

~AC

Chris Antonetti on the Tribe roster, Santana, Vinnie and the Winter Meetings


Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti met with reporters on Friday before heading to Florida for the 2013 Winter Meetings. Here’s what he had to say:

Overall offseason outlook and primary focus of improvement

“We went into the offseason with a defined set of needs and in a much better position than the last few offseasons. Some of our strategy last offseason was to put ourselves in a stronger position this offseason. We acquired players that would fit and impact our roster beyond just the 2013 season. Now that we are looking to 2014, some of those same players that we acquired last year, we expect will impact us moving forward. That has lessened some of the needs we have for this offseason. We addressed what we felt was one of our primary offseason objectives of improving against right-handed pitching by signing David Murphy. We will continue to look at options to try to find ways to improve, but our focus right now is pitching.

We are focused on trying to improve our pitching alternatives. Again, we come into the offseason in a much better position than we have in prior offseasons, especially with the quality and quantity of the alternatives that we currently have on our roster and within the organization. That said, we are going to try to find ways to improve that. We want to make sure we find that right guys (starters and relievers) at the right values. With Bryan (Shaw) and Cody (Allen), we feel that those guys have the stuff to pitch in the most high-leverage innings. They did that last year and excelled in those roles, but they weren’t the ones primarily responsible for getting the 27th out, but we feel that they are both well-equipped to do that.”

On reliever Vinnie Pestano

“His mindset is in a good spot. He is anticipating going to the complex and working hard to put himself in a better position coming into the season. He is set on having a much better year this year than last year. A culmination of different things (led to his inconsistent season), whether it was buildup for the (World Baseball Classic), physical or mechanical issues; I think there were probably a number of smaller things that resulted in him not having the year he wanted. There have been a lot of guys that have down years and come back and respond. Vinnie lives in Goodyear, so he will be at our complex a lot starting from the first of the year on. I know (Terry Francona) and (pitching coach) Mickey (Callaway) have both been in touch with him. We will see a lot of Vinnie this winter.”

On Carlos Santana

“We were really impressed by the approach Carlos took (towards becoming a viable option at third base). He really is passionate about wanting to find a way to impact the team in any way that he can. He recognized how well Yan (Gomes) caught, and how important the contributions were that (Gomes) made to our team. Carlos took it upon himself to not only be able to catch, but also attempt to be serviceable at third base; that could potentially give Tito another option. To his credit, he has worked at it, he’s been at the complex taking ground balls and now he will progress into games in winter ball. It could (be viable enough to impact our winter plans). We will have more information as he is out there playing more. He has played there before, he has experience playing third base, and most importantly it’s something Carlos wants to do and has already worked towards. He’s athletic, he has good hands, a phenomenal arm; I think it’s just him getting re-acclimated to the position.”

Heading into next week’s Winter Meetings

“I don’t think last year at this point we had made any significant acquisitions, so this year we have already made what we feel is a significant acquisition in David Murphy and a number of other smaller deals. We expect there will be other activity between now and Spring Training; the magnitude of that and what shape that will take is hard to say. We feel like we have the resources we need to field a contending team.”

How much will Cleveland Indians miss Joe Smith? Hey, Hoynsie!

Hey, Hoynsie: I'm looking at the Joe Smith signing with the Angels ($15.75 million for three years) and seeing a deal that would have made good sense for the Tribe. If the Indians can't land an overpriced free agent closer, and if candidates Cody Allen and Brian Shaw were to fail in the role, wouldn't the team have a potential in-house veteran closer already in the fold at a bargain price with Smith? – Joseph Ladd, Cleveland.

Hey, Joe: Although Smith never saved a big league game until last season, I can’t argue with you. He certainly appeared to have the stuff and makeup to close. I believe that’s the free-agent defection that will hurt the Indians the most.

Hey, Hoynsie: Where are the Indians going to go for pitching help? Any free agents or trades in the hopper? – Eric Fitch, Marietta.

Hey, Eric: I think they’d like to add a starter through trade or free agency, but they’re comfortable with their first four guys – Justin Masterson, Danny Salazar, Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister.

They could have as many as four openings in the bullpen, but the one thing they’ve been able to do well over the last several years is find and develop relievers. But I still think they’ll sign a couple of free agents for the bullpen.

Hey, Hoynsie: How far into a game does the press box start buzzing about a no-hitter? When do you think its OK to start talking about it? – Jay Vaughn, Macedonia.

Hey, Jay: CC Sabathia once told me he started thinking about a no-hitter if he got through the first inning without allowing a hit. In the press box, I start thinking about it after five or six innings. That’s when you start paying closer attention and start looking up stats and preparing for how you’re going to write the story.

After seven innings, you might call the sports editor and talk about how he wants you to handle the story or if he’s going to send another writer to the ballpark to help. That almost always jinxes it.

If a guy has a no-hitter, I’m just watching and not talking about it too much. I’d probably Tweet about it, but if a guy loses it, the Twitter people say terrible things about you.

I’ve seen three no-hitters, all thrown against the Indians. The most memorable was when Jim Abbott, the Yankees' one-handed pitcher, no-hit the Tribe at old Yankee Stadium on Sept. 4, 1993. I’d been up all night writing my Sunday stuff and kept falling asleep during the game during the no-no. My fellow writers never let me forget about it.

Hey, Hoynsie: Are the Indians afraid to seriously enter the free agent market this year after their over-priced additions of Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher failed to live up to expectations? Will their playoff cameo last season be enough to draw more fans to the park to alleviate any pressure to spend more on legitimate talent? – Chris Niklas, Hudson.

Hey, Chris: They spent a lot of money on Swisher and Bourn and it has limited what they can do this winter in free agency. Bourn and Swisher can play better, but I think they both played pivotal roles in the Indians making the postseason in 2013. As for whether the fans will come to Progressive Field in bigger numbers in 2014 than they did last year, if recent history is any gauge, the answer is no.

Hey, Hoynsie: Will the Indians land any big names in the off-season or will they work with what they have even though they have a lot of money sitting around since they released Chris Perez and Ubaldo Jimenez probably won’t be coming back?

Also, would it be worth it to go after closer Brian Wilson? – Lee Preslan, Rocky River.

Hey, Lee: Last things first, as you know Wilson signed with the Dodgers. The Indians kicked the tires on The Beard, but I don’t think things went too far.

If the Indians do land a big-name player, it will most probably be through a trade.

Hey, Hoynsie: I realize you said the promotion of Lonnie Soloff from head athletic trainer to director of medical services for the Indians has been in the works for a while. It just seems to me like the Tribe has a lot of injuries every year, is that a reflection on the training staff, or just Cleveland luck? – Tom Goodsite, Gulfport, Miss.

Hey, Tom: I think injuries are cyclical in any professional sports and that Soloff and his staff have done a great job for the last 10 years. There are head athletic trainers who learned under Soloff spread throughout professional baseball. I always got the impression that Soloff and his staff believed the health and well-being of the player came first.

Hey, Hoynsie: How can the Indians not build on what they did last season? I am all for being a bit conservative since we are a small-market team, but I fear they will sit on their success. Come on give us the inside scoop and give me some hope for at least one or two free agents and a killer trade? – Alan Wilson, Fredonia, Wis.

Hey, Alan: I share your fear that the gains of last season will fall by the wayside because of the inaction of ownership. I do think the front office will continue to try and improve the team, but it will be through trades and minor free-agent signings. If you were expecting more Bourn and Swisher-type signings, that’s not going to happen.

Hey, Hoynsie: Are the Indians banking on Trevor Bauer to be in the rotation? What about right-hander Tommy Hanson? Are they willing to trade for Chase Headley? Or are they interested in a free agent such as Corey Hart? – Steve Nehls, Fremont.

Hey, Steve: They are counting on Bauer to compete for a spot in the rotation. GM Chris Antonetti said Friday that the Indians have pitching coaches and a couple of front office people watching Bauer train at the Texas Baseball Ranch. He spent all last season reworking his delivery and seems to be making progress. The Angels non-tendered Hanson, and I’m sure the Indians have checked him out, but he has a history of arm problems. I don’t think the Indians are overly concerned about position players such as Headley and Hart right now.