Cleveland Sports Forum

Tony Lastoria's version,not much different.

The Cleveland Indians today announced that they have signed free agent first baseman Casey Kotchman to a one-year contract. He will earn $3 million in 2012 and there are incentives in his contract to earn more. The Indians have not yet announced the player that will be removed from the 40-man roster to make room for Kotchman.

Kotchman, 28, played with the Tampa Bay Rays last season and finished 8th in the American League in hitting (.306) and 10th in on-base percentage (.378). He also had 24 doubles, 10 home runs, 48 RBI, and a .800 OPS in his 146 games played. His batting average, on-base percentage, and games played were all career highs. In his 8-year career he is a .268 hitter with 59 HR, 332 RBI and .733 OPS, and where he really helps is his ability to limit strikeouts as he has just 289 strikeouts in 2588 career at bats. He is a former Baseball America MLB Top 25 Prospect for four straight years from 2002-2005 when he was in the Angels system.

Kotchman is a plus defender and should help improve the Indians' infield defense on the right side. Last year he finished the season with a .998 fielding percentage (2 errors in 1201 total chances), leading all Major League first basemen in that category for a fourth consecutive campaign (2008-11). His career .998 fielding percentage (11 errors in 6076 total chances) is the highest in Major League history for those with at least 700 career games at the position.

Kotchum adds some balance to the lineup. Now we have a Lefty at 1st, a Lefty at 2nd, a Lefty at 3rd, a Lefty in Left, a Lefty in Center, a Lefty in Right and a Lefty DH. The other two regulars are switch hitters. Everyone will juggle their rotations to face the Left Coasters from Cleveland.

Nick Camino of WTAM 1100 in Cleveland reports that the Indians have a multi-year contract offer on the table to Asdrubal Cabrera.
It's not clear how much it's for, and Camino says the two sides won't finish a contract Friday and could still end up just settling on a one-year pact. Cabrera is looking to cash in on a long-term deal after a breakout 2011 season where he batted .273/.332/.460 batting line with 25 homers, 92 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a .792 OPS. He's under team control through 2013.

Source: Nick Camino on Twitter Feb 3 - 12:20 PM

Asdrubal is undoubtedly asking to get paid for a long term based on what he did in the 1st half of last season. Indians would be wise to base anything more than a 1 year deal on the whole season which included a substantial falloff in the 2nd half. We honestly don't know yet if he's anything more than an average SS offensively and defensively. Last thing this low budget team needs is an overgenerous longterm deal

Tony on who gets dropped from the roster:

One of Weglarz, Kluber, De La Cruz or Canzler. Prob one of DLC or Canzler

Casey Kotchman officially joins Cleveland Indians, while Matt LaPorta has Columbus on his mind
Published: Friday, February 03, 2012, 11:55 AM Updated: Friday, February 03, 2012, 5:09 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer





CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In announcing the official signing of first baseman Casey Kotchman to a one-year $3 million contract Friday morning at Progressive Field, GM Chris Antonetti indicated that Matt LaPorta will open the season at Class AAA Columbus.
Kotchman will get the bulk of playing time at first. LaPorta, the starting first baseman the last two years, has a minor league option left.
"It's important that Matt continues to play regularly," said Antonetti. "He will come into camp and have an opportunity to compete for a major league spot. If it ends up that the spot available is a part-time spot, I'm not sure that would be the right fit for Matt. That's not a decision we've made yet. We'll evaluate that in spring training."
LaPorta hit .247 (87-for-352) with 23 doubles, one triple, 11 homers and 53 RBI last year.
Kotchman hit .306 (153-for-500) with 24 doubles, two triples, 10 homers and 48 RBI last year with Tampa Bay. Against righties he hit .313 (110-for-351) with eight homers and 35 RBI. Against lefties at .290 (43-for-148) with two homers and 13 RBI.
It's clear the Indians see Kotchman as a stabilizing bat in a lineup that struck out the second most times in the American League last year.
"He controls the strike zone and puts up a quality at-bat," said Antonetti. "He doesn't strikeout much and puts the ball in play. He does a good job managing his at-bats."
Kotchman struck out 66 times last year. He ranked 10th in the AL with a .378 on base percentage.
However, Kotchman is another left-handed hitter in a lineup overflowing with them. Antonetti doesn't see that as a disadvantage.

Indians add Casey Kotchman to roster.
Cleveland Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti announced the addition of first baseman Casey Kotchman to the Indians roster for the 2012 season.
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"It comes down to the position," he said. "At first base, with some of the other guys we have on the roster, we looked at an opportunity to bring in a guy who was effective against right-handed pitching because we feel we're going to have some options against left-handed pitching.
"Specifically, on the days when Lou Marson, who is effective against left-handed pitching, is catching Carlos Santana may slide over to first base and play some. We have a number of other guys who are right-handed hitters who can play that position."
Last year the Indians hit .258 (459-for-1778) with 211 runs against lefties. Against righties, they hit .247 (921-for-3731) and scored 493 runs.
"The fact of the matter is there are more right-handed starters than left-handed starters," said Antonetti. "If we put up enough runs against those right-handed starters, the matchups against lefties late in the game won't matter that much."
Statistical studies show that Progressive Field favors left-handed hitters. So the Tribe's infatuation with lefties is no accident.
"You've know us for a long time," said Antonetti. "Do you think it's a coincidence?"
The 28-year-old Kotchman doesn't have the power of most first baseman, but he can play defense. He told Antonetti that he's made fewer errors in his career than Indians first baseman made last year. Kotchman has 11 career errors, while Indians first basemen combined for 12 errors in 2011.
"When you combine what he contributes offensively and what he can do defensively -- not only on ground balls hit to him, but how he can help every other infielder get better with his picks in the dirt, we feel like the complete package really helps our team," said Antonetti.
The Indians almost signed Kotchman to a minor league deal last year, but he signed with Tampa Bay. When he played for the Angels, Antonetti said the Tribe tried to trade for him.
A spot on the 40-man roster must be cleared for Kotchman. The Indians have yet to announce what player will be removed to create the opening.
Sign of spring: The Indians two equipment trucks left Friday for spring training in Progressive Field. No word if they packed Fausto Carmona's jersey.
Tony Amato, Indians equipment manager, said he shipped close to 800 bats on the two trucks.
"Each players gets two dozen bats for spring training," said Amato.
The baseballs the Indians use in camp are shipped separately. Amato ordered 1,100 dozen balls. That comes out to over 13,000 baseballs.
Talk, talk: Asdrubal Cabrera is in town and talking to the Indians about a multiyear deal. Cabrera is seeking $5.2 million in arbitration, while the Indians have offered $3.75 million.
"We continue to negotiate to try and get something done," said Antonetti.
Concerning a multiyear deal, Antonetti said, "We're open minded. It's a question of how does the value and term line up."
Cabrera is entering his fifth season. A player can be a free agent after six full seasons in the big leagues.
Finally: The Indians were interested in right-hander Edwin Jackson before he signed with the Nationals on Thursday.

Indians report: Antonetti thinks Casey Kotchman fits well into game plan on offense and defense

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published: February 3, 2012 - 05:35 PM

The Indians didn’t get their run-producer or their right-handed batter, but General Manager Chris Antonetti still thinks he got his man.

That would be free-agent first baseman Casey Kotchman, who officially became a Tribe signee Friday morning.

“We feel like we brought in a guy who complements our group very well,” Antonetti said.

He elaborated by pointing out that Kotchman registered a high on-base percentage last year (.378) and is an adept contact hitter, who averaged just one strikeout every 7.6 at-bats.

“As important, if not more important, Casey is an exceptional first baseman” Antonetti said. “He is very good at picking balls out of the dirty, which will save errors for our infielders.”

Kotchman made only two errors in 135 starts at first for the Tampa Bay Rays last year and pointed out to Antonetti exactly the kind of defender the Tribe is getting.

“He mentioned to me that he has made fewer errors in his [eight-year] career [11] than our first basemen made last season [12],” Antonetti said.

What made Kotchman research that statistic?

“My pops came up with that one,” he said. “And my agent, Casey Close, tried to come up with something that would be make me a good fit for a team.”

Kotchman committed only two errors in 2011, fewest in the American League for everyday first basemen.

Antonetti wasn’t happy with the Indians defense at first base, because it made life more difficult for a starting staff that pitches to contact and specializes in inducing ground balls.

“It certainly wasn’t the best last year,” Antonetti said. “I’d have to say it was below average.”

Defense usually is considered a secondary skill for first basemen, who are hired mostly to hit for power and drive in runs. That’s what Matt LaPorta was supposed to do after coming to the Indians as part of the CC Sabathia trade with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008. However, in more than two seasons in the big leagues, his offense has yet to blossom consistently.

So what will happen to LaPorta now?

“We said earlier that he will come to spring training to compete for a job, and that still is the case,” Antonetti said. “But now there will be one less job for him to compete for.”

Unfortunately for LaPorta, that job is at first base. He can also play the outfield, but he is not a candidate to displace an everyday outfielder. Those positions belong to Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo and Micheal Brantley.

LaPorta apparently can still earn a spot on the bench. Maybe more likely, he will be sent to Triple-A, inasmuch as he has a minor-league option left.

Kotchman will give the Indians seven everyday players who bat from the left side plus two switch hitters. This kind of left-leaning lineup would be a distinct handicap against left-handed pitching, but Antonetti thinks the Tribe can make adjustments.

“When [regular catcher] Carlos Santana slides over to play first, most of the time it will be against a left-hander,” Antonetti said.

The switch-hitting Santana played first part-time last year, leaving the catching to right-hander Lou Marson, an excellent defender who seems to be making some advances at the plate.

Another winter acquisition, minor-leaguer Russ Canzler, and Shelley Duncan also can tilt the Tribe’s left-handedness the other way as fill-in first basemen.

Antonetti said he tried to sign Kotchman to a minor-league contract last year but lost the battle to the Rays.

Kotchman’s .306 average in 2011 was a career high (he also had 10 home runs and 48 RBI). The previous season his batting average fell to .217. His career average is .268.

“After the 2010 season, he had Lasik [eye] surgery,” Antonetti said. “In his mind, it helped him see the ball better. But he also developed as a hitter.”

Kotchman’s eye problems coincided with his decline at the plate.

“I experienced some dry eye and inflammation in 2010,” he said. “A gland below my eyelid was causing blurred vision.”

The malady was treated successfully and in time for the 2011 season. Did flawed eyesight affect his workmanship at the plate?

“Absolutely,” Kotchman said. “It was a big contributing factor. I wasn’t able to see and got into bad habits. Even last season I was still trying to correct the bad habits.”

Manager Manny Acta will decide where Kotchman bats in the lineup.

“We don’t expect him to hit in the middle of the lineup,” Antonetti said, “probably in the bottom third, but I’ll leave that up to Manny.”

Kotchman isn’t picky about where he hits in the order.

“Wherever,” he said. “It makes no difference to me. I would just rather not hit 10th.”

Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters. Follow the Indians on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Indians. Follow Beacon Journal sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Sheldon Ocker: Strange case of Fausto Carmona isn’t that strange at all

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published: January 22, 2012 - 12:16 AM

The strange case of Fausto Carmona morphing into a man named Roberto Hernandez Heredia isn’t really strange at all.

Baseball players from Caribbean nations often change their ages and sometimes their names. At least they used to.

After 9/11, the U.S. government began insisting that foreigners entering the country to accept jobs validate their identities with something more than sworn statements.

Indians fans will recall that former starter Bartolo Colon, like Carmona, a native of the Dominican Republic, suddenly aged two years (after he left the Indians). There have been dozens of players whose ages inched upward after the feds began cracking down on the decades-old scam.

The practice was particularly prevalent in the Dominican, where documentation was often lacking and buscones — pseudo agents who steer the careers of anxious teenagers — provided the expertise and the resources to create the magic that turned 18-year-olds into 16-year-olds.

Youth is highly prized in Dominican baseball circles, because major-league franchises operate on the theory that it takes an extra year or two to assimilate disadvantaged, uneducated kids into American culture and teach them the necessary skills to play as professionals.

And so the buscones pointed scouts in the right direction (and still do). They also fed the players, gave money to their families and made certain that their “clients” became the desired age. They also took a piece of the kids’ signing bonuses — sometimes 40 to 50 percent — even though teams typically give most Dominican aspirants only a few thousand dollars. The buscones hoped they would hit the jackpot by representing that rare player whose bonus reached six or seven figures.

This is probably the path that was taken by 31-year-old Heredia, nee 28-year-old Carmona, the Tribe starter who was arrested last week as he tried to renew his work visa at the American consulate in Santo Domingo.

No doubt, he had been Fausto Carmona for so long that he thought he would never get caught. It is curious that he came to the attention of Dominican police at this particular time and was charged with using a false name.

A few months ago, another pitcher, Leo Nunez, a reliever for the Miami Marlins, left the team, returned to the Dominican and was busted because his real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo.

The change in attitude by the American government seemed to end the deception of transforming children with baseball skills into even younger teens. But for Heredia/Carmona and Nunez/Oviedo, the heightened security measures were not in place when they signed their initial contracts, which probably is why they slipped through the cracks.

Carmona was signed Dec. 28, 2000, three weeks after he had presumably turned 17 (he was 20 if the Dominican authorities are correct). He played at the Indians facility in the Dominican in 2001 and traveled to the United States for his first minor-league season in 2002, before the enhanced identity measures were in place.

Nunez/Oviedo was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2000 and came to the U.S. to play in the minors for the 2001 season, well before the post-9/11 changes.

All of this explains how Heredia became Carmona, but it doesn’t tell us what happens next. Will Heredia be stuck in a Dominican prison for months or even years? Should the Indians void his contract and move on? Can they void his contract? Will Dominican authorities soon adjudicate the case and send Heredia on his way? Will the U.S. government give Heredia another work visa? They haven’t given one to Oviedo, at least not yet.

It’s doubtful that Heredia will have to rot in jail for long. His biggest problem probably will be trying to convince the immigration and naturalization people that he should be given another green card. That, too, probably will happen, but who knows how long it will take?

Heredia could miss all or part of spring training, maybe even a chunk of the season. If that happens, it’s likely the Tribe would dock his pay for time missed. Players are paid only for the regular season, and Heredia is due to receive $1.7 million per month beginning in April.

Can the club void his $7 million contract? I’m not sure, but there are punitive clauses in the standard contract for various kinds of misbehavior, and being convicted of a crime counts. However, it would serve little purpose for the Indians to cancel the contract and wave goodbye.

It’s not like Heredia is the first player in franchise history to lie about his age. More important, the Tribe needs him. It’s not like this team is overflowing with starting pitchers.

For the long term, a suddenly dog-eared birth certificate makes his future a little more problematic.

The Indians can end their ties to Heredia when his contract expires at the end of the season. That might have happened anyway. Even when the club thought he was 28, performance issues had turned this into a make-or-break season. Now that he is three years older, Heredia is even more likely to be jettisoned.

Eventually, the age discrepancy will cost him, but if Heredia wins 15 or more games and posts an ERA below 4.00 this year, he will be a sought-after free agent. General managers won’t care how old he is or what name he uses to sign his next contract.

Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters. Follow the Indians on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Indians. Follow Beacon Journal sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Sheldon Ocker: Carmona’s absence might not be so bad

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer


Unfortunately for Northeast Ohio fans, the biggest Indians headlines of the winter have revolved around the revelation that Fausto Carmona has been using a false identity since he was a teenager in the Dominican Republic.

This has put his availability in the Tribe’s rotation in doubt. It might take months for him to persuade the U.S. government to renew his work permit so he can return to the team.

But as Indians manager Manny Acta said Saturday when he attended a fan event at Summit Mall: “We are hoping to get him back.”

In the meantime, life goes on. Acta believes he will have a viable rotation with or without the right-hander formerly known as Fausto Carmona, the mainstays being Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, Ubaldo Jimenez and newly acquired Derek Lowe.

“We have our four guys,” Acta said, “and we’ve added [Kevin] Slowey. He will compete with Jeanmar Gomez, Zach McAllister and David Huff.”

Slowey is not being given a free pass into the rotation, but he certainly rates the favorite tag over the other three contenders. That might seem strange, considering that he is coming off an 0-8 season in which he posted a 6.67 earned-run average.

But there were mitigating circumstances. Slowey pitched only 14 times all year, eight of them as a starter. He missed the bulk of the season with a strained oblique and bursitis in his shoulder. At the moment, he is believed to be 100 percent healthy.

“We are looking at a guy who has had some success,” Acta said. “He’s fairly young [27], and he has had some injuries. That said, he will still compete with the other guys.”

Before his 2011 season disintegrated, Slowey was a reliable if unspectacular starter — in terms of stuff — for the Twins. From 2007 through 2010, he compiled a 39-21 record with a 4.41 ERA.

General Manager Chris Antonetti wasted little time making a deal with the Rockies for Slowey, once he determined that Carmona wouldn’t be around for a while. It might be his best move of the offseason.

Despite the lightning in Carmona’s arm, he has been a painful disappointment since his spectacular season of 2007, when he was 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA. In four years since, he has compiled a 33-48 record and 5.01 ERA.

If the Indians are trading Carmona’s track record with Slowey’s, the absence of Carmona might not be such a bad thing after all.

What about the four starters who will form the nucleus of the rotation? Masterson, Tomlin, Jimenez and Lowe combined for a 37-38 record and 4.22 ERA (with Cleveland). Jimenez did most of his pitching for Colorado, posting a 4-4 record and 5.10 after being traded to the Tribe in late July.

He was not the pitcher that Antonetti thought he was trading for and gave up two top pitching prospects to acquire. For the most part, the 98 mph fastball that lifted Jimenez above all but a few starters had disappeared. His mechanics were flawed, and he seemed tentative on the mound.

Antonetti and Acta attribute most of Jimenez’s problems to two spring-training injuries that lingered and threw him off his game. Neither injury is a factor now.

Lowe was obtained from the Braves early in the offseason. Last year, pitching at age 38, he posted a 9-17 record and 5.05 ERA; Atlanta quickly let it be known that Lowe would not be in the 2012 rotation.

For whatever reason, Antonetti rushed in to make a deal, giving up a minor leaguer and agreeing to pay $5 million of Lowe’s $15 million salary.

The GM is counting on Lowe to be a more proficient pitcher at 39 (his birthday is in June) than he was at 38. Lowe has a long history of success, but age might be catching up with him.

On the other hand, maybe his horrid September (0-5, 8.75 ERA), a month that turned his season from poor to disastrous, was only an aberration.

Without Lowe’s 2011 numbers, the Tribe’s top three starters posted a 28-21 record and 3.87 ERA. It’s not irrational to believe those numbers won’t improve this year.

Masterson pitched well enough to win 16 or more games but received pitiful run support. Last season was Tomlin’s first full big-league season, so he should get better. As it is, his 12-7 record and 4.25 ERA were noteworthy. And if injuries were Jimenez’s primary obstacle to success in 2011, there’s no reason why he can’t be a winner this year.

LaPorta blew it. He became complacent in my opinion being handed the starting job the past two years. When a player is on the bubble and his career on the line, I think he should have gone the extra yard this winter. Can't say I feel sorry for him. Kotchman is a definite upgrade.

Why would it make any difference whether he played winter ball or not ? You have no idea what he has been doing. What if has been in Arizona working on his game ? Maybe he is just not good enough.

rusty2 wrote:Why would it make any difference whether he played winter ball or not ? You have no idea what he has been doing. What if has been in Arizona working on his game ? Maybe he is just not good enough.

Too much time massaging his Bible?

(not my thought....just a nod to another poster of yore)

U.S. Consulate backtracks on comments in regard to Cleveland Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona
Published: Saturday, February 04, 2012, 2:56 AM Updated: Saturday, February 04, 2012, 3:03 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — On Tuesday, it appeared the Indians pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona was a step closer to joining his team in the United States. The movement may have been premature.
William Weissman, consul general for the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, was quoted by Dominican Today as saying that the U.S. could pardon Dominican baseball players caught using a false identity.

"I cannot speak of a particular case because each case is different, but in the case of the ballplayers, they could be pardoned," Weissman was quoted as saying at a gathering of the Dominican Development Alliance.

In a series of Tweets after the story appeared, the U.S. Consulate said that wasn't the case. It said the main point Weissman was trying to make was that all cases are dealt with individually and that the consequences of fraud include ineligibility to enter the United States for life.

They said no specifics of individual cases were discussed because all visa records are confidential.
Carmona and fellow pitcher Leo Nunez of the Miami Marlins are cooperating with the U.S government, but it's still unknown if and when they'll be able to get a visa to enter the U.S. after being apprehended for using false identifications in the Dominican Republic. They are on the restricted list and won't be paid until they enter the U.S.

On Jan. 19, Carmona was arrested in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for trying to acquire a visa from the U.S. Consulate while using a false name. Dominican authorities say Carmona is really Roberto Hernandez Heredia and that he's 31 instead of 28. He had to surrender his passport and was ordered not to leave the country.

Nunez, the Marlins' closer last season, was charged with a similar offense in September. Authorities say his real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo and that he's 29 instead of 28.

If and when the pitchers acquire a visa, MLB could suspend them.

Felipe Payano, sports minister for the Dominican Republic, asked the U.S. to pardon the players involved in identity fraud at Tuesday's event for the sake of the country and the players' families.

Indians pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training Feb. 20. Marlins pitchers and catchers work out for the first time Feb. 22.

I'm still banking on Carmona being with us at the start of the season. These things have a way of working out.

If he misses Spring Training, that just means less wear and tear on his arm. Good by me.

Hey, Hoynsie:

I'm confused. I thought this off-season was a big chance for the Dolans to help their relationship with the fan base. The fans are excited -- then virtually nothing except minor-league contracts. What gives? -- Tom Goodsite, Kirksville, Mo.


Hey, Tom:

The Indians did sign two big-league free agents in Grady Sizemore and Casey Kotchman. They added big-league pitchers Derek Lowe and Kevin Slowey in trades. They acquired borderline big-league outfielders in Aaron Cunningham and Russ Canzler.
It's not going to overshadow the Tigers signing Prince Fielder. It seems like the Indians are banking on their young players who joined the team in the last couple of years improving to where they can help carry the team this year.
No doubt, it's a gamble.

-- Hoynsie