Cleveland Sports Forum

Indians were interested in Bauer in the 2011 draft but were beaten to him. They knew about his unique approach and publicly said they were OK with it. Aggressive move, now we have some pitching. IF IF we sign Swisher we replace Choo so the lineup will not be much worse than it was before.

Two things, is Trevor related to Hank Bauer, if so, maybe he can play the outfield for us as well, and wasn't Lars the husband of Cloris Leachman on the MTM show?

Don't think there is any chance for Swisher to come to Cleveland. He is big time into the New York celebrity scene.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1351 ... ppy-couple

The Indians turned their final year of team control of Shin-Soo Choo into Trevor Bauer, one of baseball's elite pitching prospects and a potential ace.

Cleveland's lack of starting pitching at both the major and minor league levels had been one of the most glaring holes in any organization. The Indians ranked 29th in ERA in 2012, with little help on the way from the farm system, a problem this trade helps to address. The deal makes the Indians better in both the long-term and arguably the short-term too, as Bauer could provide a substantial immediate upgrade in their rotation. Choo likely would have been traded at midseason, and they did not have to part with Asdrubal Cabrera.

The key to pulling off the three-team deal was the Indians trading Choo to the Reds to acquire shortstop Didi Gregorius, a player Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers has coveted. Gregorius improved his stock last season and is one of the better shortstop prospects in the game in large part because of his defense and proximity to the big leagues, but Bauer is the better prospect, so it's a high price to pay.

The Reds, meanwhile, fill a hole in center field through an out-of-the-box means, as they shipped off Drew Stubbs to the Indians and appear intent on moving Choo from right field to center field, even though he's played just 10 games at the position in the big leagues. Jay Bruce might even be a better fit in center field than Choo, although the Reds probably wouldn't want to mess with their star right fielder. Choo will be a free agent after next season, so he's most likely going to be one-and-done in Cincinnati until Billy Hamilton is ready to take over center in 2014.

Indians Acquire
Trevor Bauer, rhp
Age: 21. Born: Jan. 17, 1991 in North Hollywood, Calif.
Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 185.
Bats: R. Throws: R.
School: UCLA.
Career Transactions: Selected by Diamondbacks in first round (third overall) of 2011 draft; signed July 25, 2011.

Club (League) Class W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO WHIP
Mobile (SL) AA 7 1 1.68 8 8 0 48 33 12 9 1 26 60 1.22
Arizona (NL) MLB 1 2 6.06 4 4 0 16 14 13 11 2 13 17 1.65
Reno (PCL) AAA 5 1 2.85 14 14 0 82 74 28 26 8 35 97 1.33

Much has been made of Bauer's struggles this past season in the major leagues—all 16 1/3 innings of them—for a guy who dominated the minor leagues and has frontline stuff. Bauer excelled in Triple-A, averaged 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors and has the upside of a No. 1 starter, a guy who could annually rank among the league leaders in strikeouts and contend for a Cy Young award.

Why did the Diamondbacks trade him? The relationship between team and pitcher deteriorated quickly. Bauer has worked out his own throwing and training program for years, and the Diamondbacks have said publicly they did not feel he was receptive to making changes they suggested.

The Diamondbacks' frustration is the Indians' gain. Bauer's fastball is a plus pitch that sits in the low-90s and touches 96, while his curveball is a wipeout offering that earns 70 grades on the 20-80 scale from some scouts. He rounds out his repertoire with a splitter, a slider and a changeup, all of which could be average or better pitches. Bauer does need better command, which got him into trouble once he reached Arizona, but his delivery is fine and he should be able to make improvements in that area. Bauer could start the year in Cleveland's rotation and might immediately be its best starting pitcher.

Bryan Shaw, rhp
Age: 24. Born: Nov. 8, 1987 in Livermore, Calif.
Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 210.
Bats: B. Throws: R.
School: Long Beach State.
Career Transactions: Selected by Diamondbacks in second round of 2008 draft; signed June 11, 2008.

Club (League) Class W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO WHIP
Reno (PCL) AAA 0 0 2.25 8 0 2 8 6 2 2 0 2 10 1.00
Arizona (NL) MLB
1 6 3.49 64 0 2 59 60 29 23 4 24 41 1.42

Shaw operates primarily off of a very good cutter that comes out of his hand in the low 90s. He doesn't have a true put-away pitch, but his lively cutter helps him keep the ball off the barrel, getting plenty of weak contact and groundballs. He should work as a middle reliever in Cleveland.

Drew Stubbs, cf
Age: 27. Bats: R. Remaining Commitment: Arbitration-eligible for 2013-15 seasons ($527,500 salary in 2012).
All contract details courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts.

Club (League) Year AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB OBP SLG
Cincinnati (NL) 2012 .213 136 493 75 105 13 2 14 40 42 166 30 .277 .333
3-Year Totals
.238 444 1611 258 383 54 11 51 161 160 539 100 .311 .380

The Indians internally often emphasize a player's "bat-to-ball" ability, which reflects in several of their high draft picks, trade targets and other acquisitions. Stubbs, to put it mildly, doesn't fit that profile. He's an extreme strikeout hitter whose big swing and contact issues are too much of a liability to be able to count on him for an everyday job, despite his defense. His .290 average on balls in play was down 35 points form his career mark entering the 2012 season, so perhaps with his speed there's going to be some rebound there, but his swing and his approach aren't going in the right direction. He's still an excellent defender and a weapon on the basepaths, but he can't repeat his 2012 offensive production if he's going to play every day.

Matt Albers, rhp
Age: 29. Remaining Commitment: Arbitration-eligible for 2013 season ($1.075 million salary in 2012)

Club (League) Year W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB SO WHIP
Boston (AL) 2012 2 0 2.29 40 0 0 39 30 14 10 6 15 25 1.14
Arizona (NL) 2012 1 1 2.57 23 0 0 21 16 7 6 3 7 19 1.10
3-Year Totals
12 8 3.95 181 0 0 201 186 97 88 22 87 161 1.36

Albers is coming off a year in which he posted the lowest ERA (2.39) of his career, though his .226 BABIP is a sign that he might have had some good fortune mixed in there. He has shown an increase in velocity in recent years, however, and took a slice out of his walk rate last year.

Remember that Choo did strikeout 150 times last year.

An Arizona blogger posts:


How the Diamondbacks went from Trevor Bauer to Didi Gregorius

Matthew Pouliot

Dec 11, 2012, 10:06 PM EST
19 Comments
Trevor Bauer Getty Images

The Diamondbacks and GM Kevin Towers knew all about Trevor Bauer‘s odd delivery and unusual throwing program when they made him the third overall pick in the 2011 draft. If they had questions about him then, they overlooked them in order to get one of the top talents on the board.

Now, a year and a half later, he’s gone, essentially traded for a middle infielder who has hit .271/.323/.376 in five minor league seasons. Didi Gregorius is the Diamondbacks’ new hope at shortstop, replacing the old hope of Bauer at the top of the rotation.

Gregorius, for what it’s worth, signed with the Reds for $50,000 out of Curacao in 2007. Bauer got a $3.45 million bonus and a four-year, $4.45 million contract upon joining the Diamondbacks last year.

Not only is that money gone, but the Diamondbacks passed on such talents as the Orioles’ Dylan Bundy, the Nationals’ Anthony Rendon and the Indians’ Francisco Lindor to draft Bauer. It’s safe to say that Gregorius wouldn’t have been of much interest if they had taken Lindor, now one of the game’s best shortstop prospects.

That the Diamondbacks’ relationship with Bauer had soured was obvious. The two parties disagreed about his throwing program. Whispers about attitude problems had become pervasive. Some of Bauer’s tweets also rubbed people the wrong way.

It’s all stuff that likely would have been overlooked had Bauer seemed well on his way to becoming an ace. However, fluctuating velocity and spotty fastball command had damaged his stock to some disagree.

Regardless, I still think trading Bauer, Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw in exchange for Gregorius, Tony Sipp and Lars Anderson was a lousy idea for the Diamondbacks. But nor do I imagine Towers picked it over a bunch of superior offers; the fact is that everyone knew that Bauer was out there and no team seemed all that eager to take the plunge.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_ ... eft-alone/


Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Trevor Bauer needs to be left alone
Posted by Kyle Boddy


Trevor Bauer has been traded to the Cleveland Indians as part of a three-team deal. Over the weekend, I was fortunate enough to have presented at Ron Wolforth's Ultimate Coaches' Bootcamp in Montgomery, Tex., with Bauer, who spoke at length on using the lower half in the pitching delivery (with Eric Binder).

Bauer on the left, me third from the left

It's no secret that the Arizona Diamondbacks had issues with Bauer's workout routine, which involves a 60-plus minute warmup using implements like the Oates Shoulder Tube:



As well as "extreme" long toss prior to games:



Jerry DiPoto sought Bauer while he was the director of scouting in Arizona. However, after Kevin Towers replaced GM Josh Byrnes, DiPoto eventually moved on to Anaheim as the GM. It's been said that DiPoto was one of Bauer's last allies, needing to step in to prevent the player development department from further infringing on his workout routines, which include daily throwing in-season.

Let's look at his mechanics—he was kind enough to upload tons of high-speed footage on YouTube:



Overhead shot:



His deceleration pattern is extremely efficient: He rotates his throwing shoulder forward into the target significantly farther than most pitchers. This pattern allows force to be applied to the baseball in increasingly straighter lines, which is naturally more efficient and less injurious on the elbow and shoulder. Force is best applied parallel to the direction of acceleration instead of perpendicular to the lever arm. For a stark contrast, look at Stephen Strasburg's release point, which is much earlier in the delivery:



Bauer also trains and exhibits solid use of pronation through and after release of the baseball, which theoretically reduces stress on the elbow by engaging the muscles of the medial forearm (pronator-flexor mass). This and the deceleration pattern, are mainstays of the teachings at Ron Wolforth's Texas Baseball Ranch.

Bauer's training: Leave him alone

Bauer's training includes plyometrics, medicine ball training, wrist weights, rubber tubing, and a host of other things (for more information, check out The Athletic Pitcher for a basic overview). However, one thing stands out: It includes tons of throwing, often with weighted baseballs. While major league clubs are afraid that more throwing equals more injuries, we've enacted tons of pitch count and innings restrictions with no evidence that they work.

Representatives from the Cleveland Indians (including their minor league pitching coordinator) were in attendance over the weekend to hear Bauer speak. So were many other coaches who strongly believe in constant throwing year-round. Ken Knutson, pitching coach at Arizona State, has implemented a similar training program at ASU. Total number of surgeries on his pitchers over the last eight years? Zero. Only 180 days of injury time in that span, with 100 coming from a single player who didn't even play at ASU (he committed but went to pro ball).

There is room for concern when it comes to the Indians, however. One of Knutson's pitchers when he was at the University of Washington was Nick Hagadone, the fireballing lefty in Cleveland's bullpen. Hagadone credits his workout routine with getting him from the mid-80s his junior year to the mid-90s his senior year. Despite this, the indians reportedly curtailed much of his workout program after he was traded to them from the Red Sox in the Victor Martinez deal. Will they treat Bauer the same way?

To those in Cleveland's player development group, I humbly suggest this: Let thse two pitchers do their thing for one full year without interfering. Simply let them do what got them to the big leagues in the first place and made them first-round draft picks. It makes no sense to change that.

Moneyball and Oakland have had a profound effect on professional baseball with regard to statistical evaluation of players and the quantification of runs scored and wins credited. It will be another low-budget team that initiates the revolution in player development, and there's no reason it couldn't be Cleveland.

The Indians fan in me sure hopes it will be.



Kyle Boddy is the owner of Driveline Baseball and Driveline Biomechanics Research, both in Seattle, Washington. At his facility, he's melded statistical analysis, strength & conditioning, prehab/rehab, and advanced biomechanical analysis concepts to develop improved efficiency, durability, and fastball velocity of baseball pitchers. He can be reached via email at kyle@drivelinebaseball.com and found on Twitter: @drivelinebases.

Rusty I will give you a compliment. That was a great article. Now if only the brain trust would implement its findings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0XUs1kob68

Here is Trevor Bauer rapping.

Anyone have insider and access to the Buster Olney Blog? Please paste it here if you do.

Thanks for all the great info on this trade. This is why I continue to read daily. I'm sure the $3.5 we threw in was from the Matt Williams deal.

Looks to me like it's worth the try. After all, Choo wasn't going to be here long.

Yeah, what Husker said.

MOre from Arizona:

A Farewell To Arms, Including Trevor Bauer: What The D-backs Gave Up

By Jim McLennan on Dec 12, 1:49a 1

Liz Condo-US PRESSWIRE

The biggest trade to go down in these parts for quite some time saw three new arrivals for Arizona, but three players, all pitchers, were given up in exchange. Here's an analysis of the former Diamondbacks.
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Matt Albers

Albers came to the Diamondbacks, along with temporary acquisition Scott Podsednik, at the trade deadline last year, when we sent Craig Breslow to the Boston Red Sox. He appeared in 23 games for the Diamondbacks, putting up a 2.57 ERA in 21 innings of work, and over his career, has a 94 ERA+. This year was a real breakout season for Albers: his major-league ERA coming in to it was north of five, but between Boston and Arizona, he posted a figure less than half that this campaign. However, there was likely a good degree of luck involved in that, resulting from a .245 BABIP, freakishly low when compared to the .313 put up over the preceding six seasons.

Albers is a third-year arbitration pitcher, so would likely have earned about $1.7 million this year: he'll be a free agent at the end of next season. Assuming Tony Sipp takes Albers' spot in the Diamondbacks bullpen, the move should free up a little bit of cash, perhaps about $700K or so.
Bryan Shaw

Shaw made his major-league debut for Arizona in June last year, and put up a stellar rookie season in the D-backs bullpen, with a 2.54 ERA in 33 appearances, which had some discussion of his name as a possible future closer for Arizona. However, his 2012 numbers were less impressive: while Shaw actually allowed fewer hits, the walk rate increased markedly and the strikeouts dropped. His season completely derailed in July, where his ERA was 12.00 over eight appearances, before he was sent to Reno. He pitched better down the stretch, with a 2.11 ERA, but his K:BB ratio was still weak, at 12:9 for that period, and 41:24 overall for the season.

With barely over a year of service time, the Diamondbacks gave up a lot of service time: Shaw won't even be eligible for arbitration until 2015 at the earliest. At age 25, he still might have some upside too. The move likely frees up a spot which can be used for Rule 5 draft pick Starlin Peralta, though both men earn major-league minimum this year, so there are no real financial implications here.
Not Going Anywhere

#Dbacks Upton almost certain not to move now, GM Towers said.
— Jack Magruder (@JackMagruder) December 12, 2012

It's worth pausing, before we get to the meat of the deal, to chew over who won't be going anywhere now. That's not solely Justin Upton, though it now seems the trade rumors concerning him can be put to bed - I think I can hear Ken Rosenthal weeping gently in the distance. It also means that the Diamondbacks have hitched their pitching stars to Patrick Corbin and Tyler Skaggs as the arms of the future. It always seemed likely that one of them would end up being traded: truth be told, whichever one it was, D-backs fandom would probably not have been happy, regardless of both the player involved, and the return received for them.
Trevor Bauer

Here are three sets of stats, from three Diamondbacks pitchers of similar age, for both the majors and at Triple-A Reno this year.
Majors Triple-A
Player IP ERA K BB FIP IP ERA K BB
Player A (age 21)
16.1 6.06 17 13 5.19 82.0 2.85 97 35
Player B (age 22)
107.0 4.54 86 25 4.00 52.1 3.44 55 15
Player C (age 20)
29.1 5.83 21 13 5.86 52.2 2.91 45 16

Looking at these, it seems that Player B did a better job of making the transition to the major-league level, though we are obviously talking a small sample-size for time at the big show.. Player A definitely seems to have some control issues, walking 4.40 batters per nine innings across the two clubs, compared to 2.26 and 3.18 for Players B and C respectively. However, his strikeout rates are also more impressive, at 10.43 per 9 IP, well ahead of the 7.96 and 7.24 put up by his team-mates. It's really hard to make a case for one of the trio having been significantly better, or worse, than the other two, based on their 2012 numbers.

In case you haven't figured it out yet: A is Bauer, B is Patrick Corbin and C is Tyler Skaggs, and it may well be that this evenness is what eventually doomed Trevor Bauer. Because when all other things are seen as equal, talent-wise, then things like personality and clubhouse chemistry can become more important, as a tie-breaker. And almost from the get-go, Bauer's attitude and apparently unflinching belief that he, and only he, knew what was best for him, had apparently rubbed both team-mates and management the wrong way. That included frontline catcher Miguel Montero:

When Miguel Montero was told that Trevor Bauer wanted to meet with him in part to tell the catcher how he liked to call a game when he pitches, Montero did a double take. "What? He's going to tell me how to do my job?" Montero said after Thursday night's loss to the Dodgers. A day later, Montero still seemed to find it difficult that a rookie having just recently been called up to the majors would make such a demand. And maybe the declaration was even harder to stomach because Bauer is 0-1 with a 9.82 ERA after two starts in Arizona's rotation.

Though that rift was supposedly patched up subsequently, it was hardly the most auspicious of starts, especially on a team where Kirk Gibson has made it pretty clear that there is no I in Diamondbacks. [Which I suppose would make it Damondbacks] Owner Ken Kendrick was typically forthright when asked about Bauer in October: "He is the employee, and in an employer/employee situation it's incumbent on the employee to make adjustments to satisfy the needs of his employer... I think we all need to grow up and mature and learn from our elders, and hopefully Trevor will recognize the need to do that."

The same story noted, with apparent prescience, "if that does not get corrected, the pitcher's potential may end up being fulfilled elsewhere." That now will be the case. What that might end up being, it's virtually impossible to tell. Almost everyone agrees that Bauer has the talent to succeed, but he is also a unique and special snowflake, and that temperament is going to need some special handling. He's certainly much harder to project than Corbin or Skaggs,and that may also have factored into the Dianondback's decision to pull the trigger on a trade, before Bauer could either reach his stellar potential, or flame out. Neither possibility would surprise me.

By Ryan Kelley | December 12, 2012 at 12:41 am




A few hours ago, the baseball media airwaves were abuzz with the Yankees’ Kevin Youkilis signing. It was probably the loudest one-year deal baseball has ever seen.

But then came the Indians.

Cleveland managed to outshine New York last night, completing a three-team trade with the Diamondbacks and Reds that sends star Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati in exchange for super-prospect Trevor Bauer, outfielder Drew Stubbs and relievers Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw.

FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal broke down the exact details of the trade:

–The D’Backs get left-handed reliever Tony Sipp and first baseman Lars Anderson from the Indians and shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius from the Reds.

–The Reds get Shin-Soo Choo and utility infielder Jason Donald from the Indians.

–The Indians get pitching prospect Trevor Bauer, reliever Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers from the D’Backs and center fielder Drew Stubbs from the Reds



To complete the trade, the Indians will send $3.5 million in cash to the Reds to account for differences in projected salaries between Choo and Stubbs.

No doubt about it, the Indians won this trade, while the Reds also benefitted. The D’Backs however, making up for the rewards reaped by the Indians and Reds, lost hugely.

Bauer was our number-four pitching prospect coming in to the season, and he’s usually the type of arm that a young, rebuilding team like the Diamondbacks will let go of.

A few weeks ago, when the D’Backs were trying to trade Justin Upton, Rosenthal reported that the club had cooled on Bauer. Now a days, it appears that the team wants to keep Upton, obviously has shipped Bauer out.

After Arizona selected him 3rd overall in the 2011 draft, Bauer started off last season on fire. The former UCLA star tossed 48.1 innings of 1.68 ERA baseball in the Southern League, allowing just one home run while striking out 60 batters. His performance earned him a spot in the prestigious Futures Game, as well as a promotion to Triple-A.

After the promotion, Bauer continued to dominate, posting 2.85 ERA and striking out 97 through 82 innings. The D’Backs were impressed enough to promote him to the big leagues for his debut at the end of June.



Just 21 years old and in his first full season of pro ball, Bauer obviously didn’t bring his dominance straight to the MLB. He made four starts with the big club, going 1-2 with a 6.06 ERA and a 17/13 K/BB ratio. His performance, though not flashy, was still promising for a kid with no MLB experience, throwing pitches in the dry Arizona air.

However, Bauer’s command and velocity were inconsistent during his brier MLB debut. The D’Backs were worried enough about his shoulder that they decided to shut him down for a few weeks before returning him to the Reno Aces.

Still, the D’Backs shouldn’t have been that disappointed in Bauer’s performance. Most top young pitchers post comparable numbers in their debuts. Cy Young winners like Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter took plenty of time to put it together, and posted some ugly lines along the way.



His brief MLB stint shouldn’t be used to gauge Bauer. The sample is small (four games), and he has a long resume of star-power. In fact, Bauer’s ceiling appears to be higher than ever, and he’s backing up his tremendous athletic ability with jaw-dropping stat lines in the high minors.

It’s puzzling that Arizona would trade him for anything less than an impact player.

The twenty-one-year-old throws 91-94 MPH heat consistently, employing Lincecum-type drop ‘n drive mechanics. His off-speed arsenal is arguably the best in the minors, as he throws multiple breaking pitches and change-ups with plus movement and command. Though his 6-foot 180-pound frame falls short of intimidating, he’s proven himself as a workhorse with huge innings totals at UCLA, and he maintains peak physical condition with grueling workout regiments.



Bauer is close to Major League-ready, and he looks like a very solid number-two starter on a contending club. On the free agent market, the modern starting pitching commands about $5 million per win above replacement level, meaning an average pitcher (2-3 rWAR) would theoretically earn about $10-$15 million in salary per season.

Because Bauer hasn’t accumulated a season of service time, he won’t be arbitration eligible until at least 2016. So, he’ll earn close to the league minimum. Though he’s a potential All-star innings eater (4+ rWAR), even if he’s fringe average for his first three years in Cleveland, producing about 2 rWAR a season (6 rWAR total), he’ll still be invaluable. In that case, he’d command just $300-$600 thousand per win above replacement player, depending on his contract. That’s a significant savings over adding veteran talent, and Bauer’s definitely a player that the D’Backs should’ve held on to.



So, for a pitcher this good, what the D’Backs get in return?

For them, the prize of the trade is Reds shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius, but they also took home a solid southpaw reliever (Sipp), and a fallen first base prospect in Lars Anderson. Gregorius, a twenty-two-year-old native of the Netherlands, has developed in to one of the better young middle infielders since signing with Cinci in ’07. After breaking out in 2011, hitting .289/.324/.429 between double and triple-A, he followed with a strong season in the high minors. Gregorius even hit .300 in his twenty at bat MLB debut this fall.

Known more for his glove than his bat, Gregorius has one of the strongest, most accurate throwing arms in the minor leagues. He can make all of the throws, and then some, regularly picking tough balls deep in the hole and throwing runners out on a line. He’s not as a smooth as some other fielders, but he’s blessed with soft hands and good body control, allowing him to play well around the second base bag. He did make 14 errors in 80 games at short last year, but his glove is still much more advanced than most top prospects.

In the box, Didi isn’t nearly as impressive. He has gap power now, but his swing will keep him from every developing anything more than fringe pop–even from the left side. He does show the bat control and contact skills to hit for a solid average in the big leagues, but his lack of plate discipline (118 walks in 1909 plate appearances) will still keep him at the bottom of the order.



Now, shortstop is a premium position, and Gregorius doesn’t have to reach his ceiling to be a very valuable player. He has the glove and the hitting chops to be Royce Clayton or Orlando Cabrera, a very solid everyday shortstop. But, the D’Backs already have Cliff Pennington, who’s a big league average shortstop. He’s all glove and no bat, but Gregorius doesn’t represent a sizable upgrade over him.

Aside from Gregorius, the D’Backs didn’t bring home enough to make up for the loss of Bauer. Sipp is a rock-solid lefty who can pitch to both sides, and he’s held southpaws to a .711 OPS over the past few years, but he’s already arbitration eligible.

Lars Anderson was once a top-shelf, Moneyball-skilled first base prospect in the Red Sox system, but he’s failed to put it together and is in danger of flaming out completely. He still has a nice swing, and enough plate discipline to make up for so-so power (for a first baseman), but he’s more of a throw-in than a center piece of the trade.





The Indians made out like bandits. Not only do they get Bauer, who has the stuff and stamina to anchor their staff (cheaply) for the better part of the next decade, but they also took home Drew Stubbs, and two quality relievers.

After breaking in to the MLB in 2009, boasting a loud mix of speed, glove and pop, Stubbs’ career fizzled in Cincinnati. He was the talk of the town in 2010, mashing 22 homeruns, stealing 30 bases and ranking second among centerfielders with 19 total zone runs. But, he’s since watched his OPS drop like a meteor, from .773 in ’10, to .686 in 2011, and finally to .610 last year.

Though he disappointed in Cinci, Stubbs still has the tools to be a top-notch center fielder. His career 5.1 dWAR is one of the position’s best, and he’ll boost the Indians’ outfield significantly. And though his patience is sub-par, he still has plenty of power and speed to be an asset in the back of their lineup. He won’t face the pressure of hitting lead-off anymore, which could boost his production, and his career .821 OPS against lefties suggests he could still be a very solid player if Terry Francona manages his at bats.

Shaw is a twenty-five-year-old right-hander with a 94 MPH sinker, a hard slider and a 3.5 ground-ball/fly-ball ratio (1.2 is approximately average) in the MLB. He posted a 3.49 ERA through 59.1 IP last season, and was even better when he got away from the fast air of the D’Backs home park. On the road, Shaw’s ERA fell to 2.54 and he held opposing hitters to a .196 average. With Chris Perez and Vinnie Pestano already manning the back of Cleveland’s ‘pen, Shaw doesn’t face high expectations but he has the stuff and closing experience to play a valuable role nonetheless.



To get all of this talent, the Indians had to part with Shin-Soo Choo, a top-shelf left-handed bat that posted a 3.1 rWAR last season. Choo hit .283/.373/.441 with 16 homers and 61 extra-base hits last season, and his career .382 on-base percentage places him among the top-five active outfielders. His extraordinary plate discipline and sweet left-handed swing will be tough for the Indians to let go of. At the same time, Cleveland definitely upgraded their team with this trade.

Choo is thirty-years old, and because he’s accumulated over five years of MLB service time, he’ll be eligible for free agency following next season. He made $4.9 million last season, signing a one-year deal to avoid arbitration. At that salary, his 2.6 fWAR means he commanded just $1.88 million per win above replacement player, which is a superb value compared to the going rate of 6.5 $/fWAR on the free agent market. But, Choo is only under team control for one more season, and his performance has declined significantly since his superb 2009 and 2010 campaigns.

Choo’s defense has declined significantly over the past three years, from 6.1 UZR in 2010, to 2.0 in 2011 to a horrific -16.1 last year. And while he’s an on-base machine, he did strike out 150 times last year (21.9% K%) and his isolated power has fallen from .200 (2008-2010) to .151 over the past two years.



All and all, Choo is a good player, but he’s only under team control for one more year and his performance has dropped of significantly over the past few years. Looking to rebuild while contending, the Indians essentially pick-pocketed the D’Backs, and turned Choo in to tens of millions in profits.

Bauer is prepared to step in behind Masterson and Jimenez as the team’s number-three starter out of spring training, and Stubbs, Shaw and Sipp all have the makings of above-average contributors. If Francona protects Stubbs from tough righties and keeps him at the bottom of the lineup, his glove and power could make him a 2-3 rWAR player next season. Shaw has the ground ball rates and the stuff to be a top-notch setup man, while Albers is one of the better right-handed relievers.



--Ryan Kelley
Founder and Executive Editor of BaseballNewsHound.com. Ryan is a graduate of the George Washington University, with a degree in economics. His acclaimed thesis on Major League Baseball's Labor Market is in the running for an excellence award in economics. A young economist working in Washington D.C., Ryan has extensive experience working in professional baseball. In the past, he's worked in player development, for the United States Olympic Committee and in scouting. Ryan's resume also includes jobs in journalism, social media marketing, government as well in non-profit legal services. However, sports and sportswriting are his two passions, and he strives to incorporate his unconventional career experience and academic expertise in his work at BaseballNewsHound.com. Born and raised in Connecticut, Ryan currently resides in Arlington Virginia, just outside of DC. A former amateur baseball and football player, Ryan loves both sports.