Cleveland Sports Forum

Ubaldo Jimenez could be difference-maker for Indians this season
Published: Friday, February 10, 2012, 2:19 PM Updated: Friday, February 10, 2012, 2:21 PM
By Sporting News

Indians are hoping Ubaldo Jimenez is in a much better place for the upcoming season.

Consider this before handing the Detroit Tigers the AL Central crown: What happens if the Cleveland Indians’ Ubaldo Jimenez pitches like he did in the first half of 2010?

Less than two years have passed since Jimenez enjoyed his half-season run as the game's top starter. If he can return to such form, he and Justin Masterson would form a 1-2 punch as strong as any in the division. Yes, that includes the Tigers' Justin Verlander and Doug Fister.

The Jimenez who made 11 starts for the Indians last season hardly pitched like the Jimenez who won 13 of his first 14 starts with a 1.15 ERA in 2010. A groin injury didn’t cost him any starts last season but did affect his delivery, which led to diminished velocity. According to fangraphs.com, Jimenez's fastball average dipped to 93.5 mph after two years above 96 mph.

The Indians, however, have reason to believe that the 28-year-old righthander will report to Goodyear, Ariz., in a much better place than he was for most of 2011.

"Ubaldo felt that his season was sidetracked by a groin injury that affected his lower-body strength and his ability to consistently execute his delivery," Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said Wednesday.

"To be sure he comes into camp with the best foundation for success, Ubaldo has worked diligently this winter with one of our strength and conditioning coaches on his core and lower half strength and flexibility."

Reports from the Dominican Republic have been more than a little encouraging.

"Sounds like he is primed to return to his 2010 form," Antonetti said.

We have cabrera for two more years. Let's see what Lindor does before we pay him big $$$.

Pluto

1. Jason Kipnis is already in Goodyear, Ariz., working out at the Tribe's spring facility. It makes sense that Kipnis is being handed second base; he hit .272 (.841 OPS) in 36 games with the Tribe in 2011. He batted .297 (.863 OPS) in his minor-league career, arriving in the big leagues after only 254 games. One of the ways the Indians can challenge the Tigers in the Central Division is for Kipnis to have an impact sophomore season.

2. Kipnis will be 25 on April 3. Almost from the moment he signed in 2009, Kipnis has hit -- lefties or righties, doesn't matter. Between Class AAA and the Tribe, he had 19 homers and 74 RBI in 479 at-bats. The only concern is the converted outfielder had six errors in 36 games. The Indians believe he's athletic enough to become an average second baseman on the pivot with above-average range, assuming he keeps working on his defense.

3. It's important Kipnis hits lefties, because the Tribe wants Jason Donald available to play the outfield (either center or left) when a left-hander is on the mound. Donald batted .377 (.949 OPS) against lefties last season, and has consistently hit them well in his career. An infielder until this winter, the Indians saw enough of Donald in the instructional league as an outfielder to believe he can make the switch with little problem.

4. Grady Sizemore is in Goodyear and is taking some batting practice, running, throwing and looking good after his knee surgery. That said, Sizemore has to prove he can stay healthy after three injury-plagued seasons. But at least the early news is good.

5. Hard to believe the Yankees signed Russell Branyan -- despite hitting .197 with 41 strikeouts in 127 at-bats for Arizona and the Angels last year.

6. Some fans wonder why the Tribe has so few prospects in ESPN's Top 100. Consider that they traded two -- Alex White and Drew Pomeranz -- to Colorado. The Indians have Lonnie Chisenhall and Kipnis in the majors. The only Tribe player in Keith Law's Top 100 is Francisco Lindor, at No. 35. He was the team's top pick in 2011, but played only five games in rookie ball because he signed late. But Law rated him over Pomeranz (No. 45), which is why these ratings are hard to figure.

7. Lefty Scott Barnes probably should be in the top 100 as he could end up in the Tribe rotation later this season. [Are you kidding Terry? Barnes is pretty good but not hardly one of the Top Prospects in All of Baseball] Law listed right-hander Austin Adams as "just missing" the top 100. [That's awfully generous too. Adams and Barnes were at the bottom of most Tribe Top 10 lists this winter] He was 11-10 with a 3.77 ERA at Class AA Akron. Scouts love his fastball, which is the high 90s. Law rated the Tribe farm system at No. 29 because "trades and promotions have gutted this system, which now has very little above low Class A. One of the Indians' better drafts in years last June should help."
[It better]

I've touted Barnes in the past too. Don't sleep on him.

Is Asdrubal Cabrera part of the Cleveland Indians' long-term plans? Paul Hoynes analysis
Published: Sunday, February 12, 2012, 4:15 AM Updated: Sunday, February 12, 2012, 4:31 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Asdrubal Cabrera is 26 and just had the best season of his life. He's two years away from free agency and the Indians don't have a shortstop in the farm system ready to replace him within that time frame.

We should all be so lucky, right?

Cabrera on Friday added more intrigue to the situation by signing a one-year, $4.55 million contract to avoid arbitration. It wasn't the multiyear deal that he and his agents wanted, but he is entering his fifth big-league season, which has become the new walk year for many good players.

Some general managers feel that if they don't get a quality player signed to a multiyear deal before their fifth season, they have two choices -- trade the player or watch him walk away through free agency. A player needs six full seasons in the big leagues to qualify for free agency.

So let the questions begin. Did Cabrera just slip into the driver's seat or the pressure cooker of his career?
He showed well in 2011, but was it the arrival of a premier shortstop or just an unexpected spike in performance?

Outside of hitting .308 with 42 doubles in 2009, Cabrera never gave an indication that he was capable of hitting 25 homers and driving in 92 runs as he did last year. The 25 homers set a club record for a shortstop. The 92 RBI were the most by an Indians shortstop since Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau drove in 106 in 1948.

Within his 2011 numbers, Cabrera hit .293 (105-for-358) with 14 homers and 51 RBI in the first half and was the starting shortstop for the American League at the All-Star Game. In the second half, while playing with nagging injuries and reaching a career-high 151 games, he hit .244 (60-for-246) with 11 homers and 41 RBI. The inconsistency that has marked Cabrera's career dogged his best season as well.

Perhaps that is why the Indians couldn't come to terms on a multiyear deal, although GM Chris Antonetti suggested that he is open to discussing the matter with any number of Indians in the coming weeks.

Such a deal would be costly, because Antonetti would not only have to buy Cabrera's remaining arbitration year (2013), but at least two or three free-agent years to make the deal worthwhile to ownership.

Cabrera, meanwhile, may not have liked the money or years offered by the Tribe. Or he found the idea of being a big fish in the 2013 free-agent pond inspiring. Of course, that would require two more seasons like 2011.

From the outside looking in, Cabrera is a valued commodity by the opposition. Middle infielders with power, defense and run-producing ability are hard to find. Cabrera, a finalist for the Gold Glove last year, made his big-league debut in 2007 as a second baseman. When it comes to starting the double play from second, few have quicker hands.

Teams don't build their rosters around players such as Cabrera. They look for players with broader backs -- Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw and Adrian Gonzalez. But Cabrera can make those teams better, which would seem to put him in line for a multiyear deal in the three to four-year range.

At the moment, the Indians don't have one player signed to a guaranteed contract past 2012. It has been speculated that the Dolan family is streamlining the franchise to make it easier to sell. That does not appear to be the case, although the Dolans have routinely engaged potential investors for several years, which can cause rumors to circulate.

Antonetti said there is no secret agenda behind the Indians' payroll structure.

"We have made plenty of contract offers to our own players and free agents that would have taken us well beyond the 2012 season," said Antonetti. "But there needs to be an alignment of conditions and terms."

Regarding Cabrera, acquired in a trade with Seattle for Eduardo Perez in 2006, Antonetti said, "We are appreciative of Asdrubal's contributions and value what he brings to our team. We look forward to his contributions for the next two years ... and it could extend beyond that."

One of the jobs of the people who pull the strings on baseball teams is to manage expectations for players. The Indians are doing that with Cabrera. Antonetti didn't focus on power numbers from 2011 when asked about what he expected from Cabrera in 2012. He talked about consistency.

Manager Manny Acta followed the same vein. He said he'd be happy if Cabrera hit between 14 and 20 homers, drove in 80-plus RBI and had an on-base percentage of .350.

As for the future, the Indians have four shortstops who are presently specs on Cabrera's horizon. Two are high-round draft picks, Francisco Lindor, the team's top pick in 2011 and Tony Wolters, a No.3 pick from 2010. Two others are from the Dominican Republic, Ronny Rodriguez and Dorssys Paulino. They're at least two to four years away. None will start this season above Class A.

What if Cabrera is still an Indian when one of them is ready? Would he move to second base? What about Jason Kipnis, who is scheduled to be the opening day second baseman this year? Would he return to his roots in center field?

Intrigue. It is a good time of year for it.

Shortstops who go deep

Here are last year’s top five home-run hitters among big-league shortstops.

J.J. Hardy, Orioles: .269, 527 at-bats, 76 runs, 142 hits, 30 HR, 80 RBI.
Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies: .303, 534 at-bats, 81 runs, 162 hits, 30 HR, 105 RBI.
Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians: .273, 604 at-bats, 87 runs, 165 hits, 25 HR, 92 RBI.
Jhonny Peralta, Tigers: .299, 521 at-bats, 65 runs, 156 hits, 20 HR, 84 RBI.
Jimmy Rollins, Phillies: .272, 559 at-bats, 87 runs, 152 hits, 16 HR, 63 RBI.

Source: ESPN

The young gloves

The Indians have four young shortstops lining up behind Asdrubal Cabrera. They’re all expected to play at Class A this year.
1. Francisco Lindor, 18: No.1 pick in 2011. Confident in all aspects of game.
2. Ronny Rodriguez, 19: Raw power, can make the above average play, needs consistency.
3. Tony Wolters, 20: No.3 pick 2010. Hit .292 last year at Mahoning Valley.
4. Dorssys Paulino, 17: Signed for $1.1 million last year in the Dominican Republic.

-- Paul Hoynes

Terry Pluto About the Indians ...

1. Jason Kipnis is already in Goodyear, Ariz., working out at the Tribe's spring facility. It makes sense that Kipnis is being handed second base; he hit .272 (.841 OPS) in 36 games with the Tribe in 2011. He batted .297 (.863 OPS) in his minor-league career, arriving in the big leagues after only 254 games. One of the ways the Indians can challenge the Tigers in the Central Division is for Kipnis to have an impact sophomore season.

2. Kipnis will be 25 on April 3. Almost from the moment he signed in 2009, Kipnis has hit -- lefties or righties, doesn't matter. Between Class AAA and the Tribe, he had 19 homers and 74 RBI in 479 at-bats. The only concern is the converted outfielder had six errors in 36 games. The Indians believe he's athletic enough to become an average second baseman on the pivot with above-average range, assuming he keeps working on his defense.

3. It's important Kipnis hits lefties, because the Tribe wants Jason Donald available to play the outfield (either center or left) when a left-hander is on the mound. Donald batted .377 (.949 OPS) against lefties last season, and has consistently hit them well in his career. An infielder until this winter, the Indians saw enough of Donald in the instructional league as an outfielder to believe he can make the switch with little problem.

4. Grady Sizemore is in Goodyear and is taking some batting practice, running, throwing and looking good after his knee surgery. That said, Sizemore has to prove he can stay healthy after three injury-plagued seasons. But at least the early news is good.

5. Hard to believe the Yankees signed Russell Branyan -- despite hitting .197 with 41 strikeouts in 127 at-bats for Arizona and the Angels last year.

6. Some fans wonder why the Tribe has so few prospects in ESPN's Top 100. Consider that they traded two -- Alex White and Drew Pomeranz -- to Colorado. The Indians have Lonnie Chisenhall and Kipnis in the majors. The only Tribe player in Keith Law's Top 100 is Francisco Lindor, at No. 35. He was the team's top pick in 2011, but played only five games in rookie ball because he signed late. But Law rated him over Pomeranz (No. 45), which is why these ratings are hard to figure.

7. Lefty Scott Barnes probably should be in the top 100 as he could end up in the Tribe rotation later this season. Law listed right-hander Austin Adams as "just missing" the top 100. He was 11-10 with a 3.77 ERA at Class AA Akron. Scouts love his fastball, which is the high 90s. Law rated the Tribe farm system at No. 29 because "trades and promotions have gutted this system, which now has very little above low Class A. One of the Indians' better drafts in years last June should help."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Asdrubal Cabrera is 26 and just had the best season of his life. He's two years away from free agency and the Indians don't have a shortstop in the farm system ready to replace him within that time frame.

What's new? S.O.P.

Snow go? Indians to evaluate winter carnival after it doesn’t spin profit for second year


Published January 23, 2012

The Cleveland Indians face an uncertain future with their Snow Days winter carnival at Progressive Field after the second edition of the offseason attraction ended with another financial loss.

The Indians expanded the Snow Days event, which features ice skating, tobogganing and other winter activities at the ballpark, by nearly two weeks and added an outdoor college ice hockey game between the University of Michigan and Ohio State University, branded the Frozen Diamond Faceoff.

That game drew 25,864 and by itself was profitable, but attendance for Snow Days fell to an undisclosed mark below last year’s draw of about 50,000 and did not generate a profit.

“We’re evaluating this on many levels, most of which were successful,” said Mark Shapiro, Indians president. “Operationally, it went very well. We definitely improved the event, we continued to bring people to downtown Cleveland and the ballpark, and all of our fan feedback has been extremely positive.

“But in terms of driving incremental revenue, it was much more mixed. Attendance for Snow Days just didn’t gain the kind of traction that we had hoped.”

The Indians were hampered by an unusually mild winter that has brought warm, rainy weather to much of the Northeast and Midwest. The financial losses will be mitigated somewhat by the value of marketing exposure for the Indians during the winter events, where the club continually promoted the availability of tickets for the coming season. Single-game Indians tickets go on sale Feb. 20.

The Indians will now determine their next steps for Snow Days over the next several months. A decision is unlikely before late spring, but Shapiro hinted strongly at the possibility of taking at least a year off from Snow Days.

“You do strain a staff, and essentially over the past year, we’ve done two Snow Days, an outdoor hockey game, and a major concert event at the ballpark [last June featuring country music star Kenny Chesney],” Shapiro said. “So whether we continue exactly in this fashion remains to be seen.”

Progressive Field was one of three MLB ballparks, joining Fenway Park in Boston and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, to have outdoor hockey rinks installed this winter. Several other MLB teams, including the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees, are exploring similar ventures for future years.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Indians are working on a deal for Jon Garland.
It's likely a minor league contract that is being discussed. Garland has failed to draw much interest on the open market this winter after posting a 4.33 ERA in nine starts last season before undergoing rotator cuff surgery in July. He's expected to be back near 100 percent health by the start of the 2012 regular season and will presumably battle for a spot in the Cleveland rotation.

Related: Indians
Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter Feb 13 - 8:39 AM

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has confirmed that the Indians signed Jon Garland to a minor league contract.
The deal is only pending a physical. Once Garland is medically cleared, he will also be given an invitation to spring training, where the 32-year-old right-hander will presumably compete for a spot at the back end of the Indians' starting rotation. Garland registered a 4.33 ERA in nine starts last season for the Dodgers before undergoing rotator cuff surgery in July. He's expected to be ready for the start of the 2012 campaign.

Related: Indians
Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter Feb 13 - 9:03 AM

I see that Fukudome is still unsigned, too. He seemed good enough for someone to give him a deal.

Buster_ESPN Buster Olney

Jon Garland is getting a minor-league deal w/CLE, with lots of incentives built in. He'll have a good chance to make rotation, if healthy.

I thought we were talking about wayne garland. Didnt he have the rotator cuff injury. Another great signing by the tribe.

Antonetti interiew:
http://www.cleveland.com/pdsportsinside ... _live.html

Cepedes to Oakland, so much about a big market city.