Until you find someone to make up for 30+ saves a year, it would not be sound practice to let the guy walk.

Trade?

Good luck !!!

The front office and scouting department have a poor track record for judging talent. We'd be lucky to get a can of corn in return for Perez.

I think we need a few more guys like Perez. First time I've finally seen any of our players show some kind of emotion this year. Hell ! Go back to the past. When is the last time you've seen anyone show any kinds of outbursts from our players. Pomeranz ??? Right ! He gets dl'd without pay.

We need some Blylevens and Belles around to balance out our players with those outstanding character qualities.

Nice guys finish last around here much to often.

He's only on a one-year contract, so I guess he's up for arbitration again this year?

Chris Perez rhp
1 year/$4.5M (2012)

1 year/$4.5M (2012)
re-signed by Cleveland 1/17/12 (avoided arbitration)
1 year/$2.225M (2011)
re-signed by Cleveland 1/18/11 (avoided arbitration)
1 year/$0.4238M (2010)
re-signed by Cleveland 3/10/10
1 year/$0.402M (2009)
re-signed by St. Louis 2/28/09
acquired by Cleveland in trade from St. Louis 6/27/09
1 year (2008)
contract purchased by St. Louis 5/16/08
drafted 2006 (1s-42) (Miami-Fla)
$0.8M signing bonus
agent: CAA Sports (Nez Balelo)
ML service: 3.136

JR - there must be a market, the Padres just changed hands.

If there is no market, then we are really screwed. The owners won't spend, the draft department is inept, the manager can't manage.............. just what can any of them do? We have damned little talent.

I can't believe they draw as many fans as they do.

What difference does it make whether or not there is a market? Haven't the Dolans made it clear that they don't intend to sell?

And realistically, why should they, if they are not losing money? (By the way, does anyone know whether they are making money or losing money? I've heard that they are making money, but I heard if from kenm and I wouldn't mind a few more opinions.)


And golly gee whiz, did we not GET Chris Perez in a trade for someone that half of us couldn't name off the tops of our heads and don't really miss? He played well for us while he was here, but it seems to me that was a GOOD trade for us. Doesn't this count as the brass doing its job correctly?

I understand that on the bottom line we need not be favorable impressed with the situation of the organization, but I still think that has to be down to (indifferent to bad) drafting and/or (lack of) development. The FA signings don't look so great, but I don't think the problem is, overall, with the trades that have been made.

I personally think the Sabathia trade worked out well. We still have Brantley, who has contributed far more than CC would have had we kept him (given that he would not have re-signed here).

(Hagadone instead of Pomeranz?)

That's correct VT'er.

VT'er wrote:And golly gee whiz, did we not GET Chris Perez in a trade for someone that half of us couldn't name off the tops of our heads and don't really miss? He played well for us while he was here, but it seems to me that was a GOOD trade for us. Doesn't this count as the brass doing its job correctly?

Of course there have been trades that worked out well. Asdrubal Cabrera and Choo are two.

Problem is there have been a litany of signings and trades that did not work.


And more importantly, how many players have been drafted by The Indians since Shapiro took over as GM and eventually President in 2001? Probably over 400? How many have had an impact at the Major League level in the past decade. And more depressing, there doesn't seem to be optimism that we have any "can't miss" players in the minor league system now.

For historical perspective on the 2009 trade of Mark DeRosa for Chris Perez, Mark DeRosa was one of the key acquisitions by Shaprio in the off season before 2009. We were paying him $5.5 million, making him less than Hafner but about the same $$ as Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez and one of the highest salaries on the team.

Shapiro traded DeRosa when the team got off to a miserable start and was effectively out of the race 17 games below .500 when July 1 rolled around.

The next season DeRosa was with the San Francisco Giants and picked up a World Series ring, so I don't think he felt badly Shapiro dumped his salary.

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:Chris Perez has saved 91 of 103 in the past three seasons for this team.

He just turned 27, and there is no reason to believe his future as a closer is anything but bright, and likely going to be better.

He seems to be the only player on the roster, and maybe the only person in the organization, who is deeply fired up and emotional about how this team does.

I like a closer who is full of piss and vinegar.

Dumping him would be a classic Shapiro organizational move.

But living in the Bay Area, you know how the Athletics operate. They typically sell high on their closers, don't believe in putting big resources into the position, and do believe that they're not that hard to replace.

I wouldn't necessarily be looking to trade Perez, but what's been easier for the Indians over the years: finding someone to save 30 games, or finding a first baseman who can hit up to the standards set by Ben Broussard? If you're not going to spend a lot, and we aren't, you almost have to look at the bullpen as a unit on the team that can't absorb much of the payroll.

VT-r - well, I guess we are all masochists.

Tribe has scored 515 runs this season, opponents have 646. That's a "diff" of -131.
Only Houston has a worse diff (-178)

Charlie T. wrote:
But living in the Bay Area, you know how the Athletics operate. They typically sell high on their closers, don't believe in putting big resources into the position, and do believe that they're not that hard to replace.

I wouldn't necessarily be looking to trade Perez, but what's been easier for the Indians over the years: finding someone to save 30 games, or finding a first baseman who can hit up to the standards set by Ben Broussard? If you're not going to spend a lot, and we aren't, you almost have to look at the bullpen as a unit on the team that can't absorb much of the payroll.

Not to get into a spitting match, but there is a prime difference with a couple of those A's closers. Huston Street and Andrew Bailey were both drafted by the A's.

I think most if not all the closers used in the Shapiro era came from other teams.

If Perez goes away and Pestano takes over, we would be using a closer we actually drafted.

You missed his point. The A's seldom spend money on their closers whether they draft them or not.

Going back to 2001, the year Mark Shapiro became General Manager of The Cleveland Indians, the Oakland A's have made the post season 4 times.

2001 they paid Jason Isringhausen $3.3 million in 2001 dollars to close, and made the playoffs.

2002 they paid Billy Koch $2.43 million in 2002 dollars to close, and made the playoffs.

2003 they paid Keith Foulke $6 million to close, and made the playoffs.

The only other other season the A's made the playoffs was when they closed with Huston Street, and Billy Beane successfully used a first round draft choice to get him.

The A's have not made the playoffs by just picking up a low cost miscellaneous closer during the Billy Beane/Mark Shapiro overlapping era of the 21st Century.

Congratulations, TF. You just spent several minutes researching a post to defend a guy who wouldn't walk out of his way to spit on you if you were on fire.

From the "VT'er's Bizarro Idea of the Day" department:

Today's is a two-parter:
(a) No September callups. (This would be an improvement all by itself.)
(b) Draft order is set by W-L percentages on, say, Aug. 15 (date negotiable) rather than end-of-season.