Cleveland Sports Forum

Indians’ Chisenhall has broken nasal bone

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP)—Lonnie Chisenhall(notes) is lucky. He just doesn’t look it.

Chisenhall broke a nasal bone on the right side of his face when he was struck by a 90 mph fastball Thursday night, an injury that looked horrifying but turned out not to be as serious as feared. He may only miss a few games.

As his teammates took batting practice before Friday’s game against Toronto, Chisenhall wore a pair of dark sunglasses as he pressed an ice pack on his swollen face and reclined on a leather couch in Cleveland’s clubhouse. He was not available for comment.

“He looks like he’s gone a couple rounds with Mike Tyson,” Indians trainer Lonnie Soloff said. “Otherwise he feels fine, which is a good thing.”

Chisenhall was drilled by Toronto’s Carlos Villanueva(notes), whose inside pitch in the second inning smashed off the right ear flap on Chisenhall’s batting helmet, The ball ricocheted off and hit the rookie third baseman near his nose.

Chisenhall visited the Cleveland Clinic where an ear, nose and throat specialist, who confirmed a “non-displaced maxillary sinus fracture,” Soloff said.

Chisenhall was also seen by an ophthalmologist. Chisenhall’s eye was not injured and he did not sustain a concussion. He missed playing time earlier this season at Triple-A Columbus because of a concussion he sustained while sliding.

The Indians only expect Chisenhall to be sidelined for a few days.

“As soon as the inflammation around his eye resolves, he’ll be ready to play again,” Soloff said. “If he’s not available in the next three days than he will be after All-Star break.”

Soloff said the club is exploring options for Chisenhall to wear a mask or a helmet with a protective bar when he returns.

Indians manager Manny Acta was relieved that the injury was not more serious.

“When I saw blood coming out of his nose and a scratch on his cheekbone where the ball hit the flap, I was worried,” Acta said. “I was thinking there was some kind of fracture and that is always dangerous. I’m very relieved there is no concussion because the kid just had one. But when I went out there, I could see that he knew what was going on and that wasn’t a problem.”

Chisenhall, who was recalled from the Clippers on June 22, is batting .267 with one homer and two RBIs in nine games. The 21-year-old and former first-round pick in 2008 is considered the top hitting prospect in Cleveland’s organization.

rocky raccoon wrote:I like the fact that maybe Boston got screwed in that deal.

That whole 'Nation' Thing irritates me.

There are many sports teams that use the "nation" tag. Raiders Nation and Gator Nation come quickly to mind.

My wife noted and pointed out to me that Auburn has tagged it's fans and supporters "The Auburn Family, which we both kind of like.

Will Talbot’s struggles lead to more moves for Tribe?
by Stephanie Storm on July 9, 2011 - 12:06 am


Mitch Talbot is painfully aware of what could be right around the corner following Friday’s 11-7 loss ito Toronto in which the Indians right-hander dished up eight runs in just 5 2/3 innings to take the loss.

Asked if it weighs on his mind worrying about the consequences if he continues to struggle, Talbot was honest.

“Yeah it does,” said Talbot, whose record fell to 2-6 with a 6.33 ERA in 11 starts this season. “It’s a given when you’re in the running and you’re not doing your job like you should – they’re probably going to replace you.”

Tribe manager Manny Acta alluded to that possibility as well.

“He’s not making good pitches,” Acta said after Friday’s 11-7 loss. “He’s got a good repertoire and a good mix of pitches, but he’s not making good pitches. You can have all the pitches in the world, but you do have to make pitches down in the zone, be able to put guys away and pitch ahead because he’s not over powering.”

“Early in the game he’s been hurting himself and ourselves, and then we have to play catch up baseball. He’s scuffling right now, so we’re going to have to look into that….We’re not going to over react over one start, but we do (have options at Triple-A) and we have to look into things because it’s been three and a half months and we have to whatever’s best for the team.”

CLEVELAND: The first inning didn’t do in Mitch Talbot this time.

Neither did the third inning, although Talbot had to walk a tightrope just to make sure it didn’t happen.

Talbot’s undoing in Friday’s 11-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field began when the struggling right-hander was hit for a three-run second inning, including a two-out, two-run single by No. 9 hitter Rajai Davis.

Indians catcher Lou Marson made sure there was no further damage in the inning by throwing out Davis as he tried to steal second base to end the threat.

The Blue Jays tagged Talbot again for two more runs in the fourth. Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion led off with a double and again with two outs, Davis drove him in with a run-scoring single to give him three of his four RBI in his first two plate appearances.

But it wasn’t until the Blue Jays’ three-run sixth inning that Talbot began to unravel for good. The Tribe bullpen mercifully began to stir after left fielder Travis Snider padded his .212 average with a two-run home run. Snider finished 3-for-4 with 4 RBI.

Chad Durbin put out the fire in the sixth for Talbot, capping the job by retiring the dangerous Jose Bautista, who, in a moral victory of sorts, did not launch a ball out of Progressive Field on this night to add to his league-leading 29 home runs.

But Bautista didn’t need to contribute a long ball. Talbot exited with the Tribe trailing 7-2 but was charged with eight runs on 11 hits in just 5‚ innings.

The piling on by opponents has been a disturbing trend with Talbot on the mound. Entering Friday’s start, Talbot had given up at least three earned runs in each of his past four starts and had only pitched into the seventh inning twice in his past six starts.

Perhaps the most perplexing fact is that Talbot is not sure what’s wrong.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “To be honest, my stuff is good. My location, I don’t think, is any worse. Maybe getting behind too many hitters could have something to do with it. It’s something I’ll have to pull up, look at numbers and whatnot.”

In Talbot’s past two outings, he’s given up 14 runs in a combined nine innings and has been prone all season to leaving his teammates facing an early deficit.

“Mitch struggled today,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “He didn’t throw enough first-pitch strikes and when he got ahead, he couldn’t put hitters away. He didn’t have that pitch to put them away and it put us behind the eight ball.”

Talbot’s outing made JoJo Reyes’ look rather superb, although the Blue Jays left-hander did not retire the Indians in order once in his 5‚ innings. However, the three runs the Tribe scored against him were unearned thanks to an error by third baseman Bautista in the second and another miscue by first baseman Adam Lind in the sixth.

Despite having 15 hits in the game, the Indians stranded 13 runners as they failed to get a clutch hit when needed against Reyes.

Blue Jays manager John Farrell, a former Tribe pitching coach, called upon veteran reliever Octavio Dotel to get the final out of the sixth in place of Reyes. Dotel then went on to retire the Indians in order in the seventh.

But just like the Tribe did in the ninth inning to steal a win Thursday, they rallied again in the eighth on Friday. And again Travis Hafner strolled to the plate with the bases loaded.

But this time, Hafner struck out against right-hander Jason Frasor, who was summoned to face the Tribe’s designated hitter after Shawn Camp gave up four consecutive hits and left with the bases loaded and no outs.

Travis Buck, who entered the game as a pinch hitter for Shelly Duncan in the sixth, provided a big lift with a two-run double off the left-field wall that cut the Indians’ deficit to 9-6 with an inning to go.

But the momentum was lost when rookie reliever Vinnie Pestano failed to hold the Blue Jays. Snider’s two-out, two-run double gave the Blue Jays two key insurance runs.

The Tribe mounted a two-out, ninth-inning rally against Jon Rauch. Michael Brantley’s fourth hit, a run-scoring single, made it 11-7 but Asdrubal Cabrera struck out to end the game.

Cabrera is All-Star starter

Cabrera learned Friday that he will start at shortstop in the upcoming All-Star Game with Derek Jeter’s announcement earlier in the day that he will not play.

Vinnie's a slump now, which was inevitable at some point. Hope it doesn't last long; the nearly perfect bullpen has been the team's most reliable weapon.

Why the draft is so important

2011 MLB All-Star Game Roster Review: Origins of American League Pitchers

March2111_084_tiny by John Sickels on Jul 8, 2011 1:00 PM EDT

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2011 MLB All-Star James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays, drafted in the 16th round in 2000. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

J. Meric - Getty ImagesMore photos »

2011 MLB All-Star James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays, drafted in the 16th round in 2000. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Amateur Origins of the 2011 MLB All Stars: Roster Review: American League Pitchers

Here is a summary of the 2011 American League MLB Roster, looking at where these players came from. We looked at the hitters this morning. Here are the pitchers.

Star-divide

PITCHERS
Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox: Drafted by the Marlins in the 1st round in 1999 from Texas HS.
Aaron Crow, Kansas City Royals: Drafted by the Royals in the 1st round in 2009 from the University of Missouri.
Gio Gonzalez, Oakland Athletics: Drafted by the White Sox in the supplemental 1st round in 2004, from Florida HS.
Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners: Signed by the Mariners from Venezuela in 2002.
Brandon League, Seattle Mariners: Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2nd round in 2001 from Hawaii HS.
Chris Perez, Cleveland Indians: Drafted by Cardinals in the supplemental 1st round in 2006 from the University of Miami-Florida.
David Price, Tampa Bay Rays: Drafted by the Rays in the 1st round in 2007, from Vanderbilt University.
Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees: Signed by the Yankees in 1990 from Panama.
James Shields, Tampa Bay Rays: Drafted by the Rays in the 16th round in 2000, from California HS.
Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers: Signed by the Diamondbacks in 2007 from the Dominican Republic.
Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers: Drafted by the Tigers in the 1st round in 2004, from Old Dominion University.
Jordan Walden, Los Angeles Angels: Drafted by the Angels in the 12th round in 2006, from Grayson County CC.
Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels: Drafted by the Angels in the 1st round in 2004, from Long Beach State University.
C.J. Wilson, Texas Rangers: Drafted by the Rangers in the 5th round in 2001, from Loyola Marymount University

ORIGINS: Of the 14 American League All-Star pitchers, there is one each from Venezuela, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Four were drafted out of North American high schools. One came from a two-year college. This pitcher (Jordan Walden) was a draft-and-follow choice out of high school who didn't sign until the following spring, so we will count that as a community college player since that was his highest level of amateur ball. Six came from four-year colleges.

Five were first round picks and two were supplemental first round picks. The latest drafted player was James Shields in the 16th round.

Origins of American League Hitters

March2111_084_tiny by John Sickels on Jul 8, 2011 11:00 AM EDT

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2011 All-Star Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays, drafted in the 20th round in 2000. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Darren Calabrese)

Darren Calabrese - APMore photos »

2011 All-Star Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays, drafted in the 20th round in 2000. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Darren Calabrese)

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Amateur Origins of the 2011 MLB All Stars: Roster Review: American League Hitters

Here is a summary of the 2011 American League All Star Roster, looking at where these player came from.

Star-divide

STARTERS:
C: Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers: Drafted in the 5th round by Tigers in 2008, University of Alabama
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox: Drafted in the 1st round by Marlins in 2000, California HS.
2B: Robinson Cano, New York Yankees: Signed by Yankees in 2001, Dominican Republic
3B: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees: Drafted in the 1st round by Mariners in 1993, Florida HS
SS: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees: Drafted in the 1st round by Yankees in 1992, Michigan HS
OF: Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays: Drafted by Pirates 20th round in 2000, Chipola JC.
OF: Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees: Drafted by Tigers, 3rd round in 2002, University of Illinois-Chicago.
OF: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers: Drafted by Rays, 1st round in 1999, North Carolina HS.
DH: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox: Signed by Mariners in 2002 from Dominican Republic.

RESERVES:
C: Russ Martin, New York Yankees: Drafted by Dodgers, 17th round, 2002, from Chipola JC.
C: Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles: Drafted by Orioles, 1st round, 2007, from Georgia Tech.
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers: Signed by Marlins in 1999 from Venezuela.
1B: Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox: Drafted by Dodgers, 1st round, 1994, from Arizona HS.
2B: Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels: Drafted by Angels, 10th round, 2002, from St. John's River CC.
3B: Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers: Signed by the Dodgers in 1994 from Dominican Republic.
SS: Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians: Signed by Mariners in 2002 from Venezuela.
OF: Mike Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins: Drafted by Twins in 1st round in 1997 from Virginia HS.
OF: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox: Drafted by Red Sox in 1st round in 2005 from Oregon State University.
OF: Matt Joyce, Tampa Bay Rays: Drafted by Tigers in 12th round in 2005 from Florida Southern College.
OF: Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox: Drafted by Diamondbacks in 1st round in 2003 from Stanford University.
DH: Michael Young, Texas Rangers: Drafted by Blue Jays in 5th round in 1997 from UC-Santa Barbara.

ORIGINS: Of the 21 position players on the roster, three came as free agents from the Dominican Republic and two came from Venezuela. Seven came from four-year colleges, three came from junior colleges, six came from North American high schools.

Nine were first round picks. The latest draft pick was Jose Bautista, a 20th rounder.

Indians' 1st rounders who became all-stars were CC and Manny. Thome was well down the draft order. Most of the rest of our all-stars of the past couple decades came in trades.

Non-All-Star 1st rounders are a long and undistinguished list from Jeremy Sowers and Beau Mills to Danny Peoples and Mark Lewis and beyond.

civ ollilavad wrote:Vinnie's a slump now, which was inevitable at some point. Hope it doesn't last long; the nearly perfect bullpen has been the team's most reliable weapon.

His ball did not seem to have as much movement in his last couple outings. I remember earlier in the season even his straight stuff had a tail to it.

Cleveland right-hander Alex White to throw bullpen session Wednesday: Indians chatter
Published: Sunday, July 10, 2011, 9:09 PM Updated: Monday, July 11, 2011, 7:17 AM
By Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer
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Mark Duncan / Associated Press
Indians right-hander Alex White, on the disabled list since May 21 because of a sprained middle finger, said he plans to throw a bullpen session Wednesday at Progressive Field.
Clubhouse confidential: Indians right-hander Alex White, on the disabled list since May 21 because of a sprained middle finger, said he plans to throw a bullpen session Wednesday at Progressive Field. White will throw about 20 fastballs.
It will be White's first time on a mound since May 20, when he suffered the injury while throwing a slider against the Reds.
Big-league Choo: Tribe right fielder Shin-Soo Choo (broken left thumb) will have the second and final cast on his arm removed today. A larger cast came off last week.
Choo said the thumb will be examined by Dr. Timothy Graham in Cleveland as soon as the second cast comes off.
Choo, on the disabled list since June 25, began light cardio work Saturday.
Young stars: Left-hander Drew Pomeranz and second baseman Jason Kipnis, two of the elite prospects in the Indians' organization, were part of the Futures Game on Sunday night at Chase Field in Arizona. The Futures Game is part of festivities for the All-Star Game, which will be played Tuesday.
Pomeranz will begin pitching for Class AA Akron this week. Kipnis is with Class AAA Columbus.
Stat of the day: Indians catcher Carlos Santana has 15 multi-hit games this year.

“So, you think you’re sponge-worthy?”
By Anthony Castrovince/MLB.com

The Indians’ flirtation with a first-place finish has reached its fourth month, so we are definitely at a stage where it’s worth determining just how “sponge-worthy” this season is.

Undoubtedly, the Indians won’t be sellers at this year’s Trade Deadline, as they were in 2008, ’09 and ’10. And understandably, there is curiosity over whether they’ll be buyers for the first time since Kenny Lofton was brought in for his third tour of duty and the infamous third-base stop sign that ensued.

If we’re being honest – and why not? — the Indians are probably a year ahead of schedule on the contention front. A lot had to break right for the Indians to be at this point at this juncture in the rebuild, and the Tigers, White Sox and Twins have all, to varying degrees, done their part to put the Tribe in this position. An abnormally hot start gave the Indians a seven-game cushion in the Central as of May 23. They blew that cushion by going 10-21 from May 24 through June 26, but the fact that this brutal stretch was not a back-breaker either says something about the Indians’ resilience or the division’s repugnance, depending on your perspective.

So now what?

If you’re Chris Antonetti and company, how much faith do you put in this club not only remaining atop the Central standings but advancing in October? How much do you deviate from the long-term plotting in order to provide some short-term sustenance?

Those are questions likely being weighed on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario, though I’m not entirely certain they are questions keeping anybody up at night.

The reason is simple: Even if the Indians were willing to mortgage some chunk of their future in order to augment the ’11 club (unquestionably, the biggest need is another bat in the outfield, with Shin-Soo Choo out until September), it’s a seller’s market and a slow-developing one, at that. At this juncture, it’s hard to imagine the Indians being willing to give up anything of substance to land the likes of Melky Cabrera or Ryan Ludwick or Jeff Francouer.

“We’re open in any way we can to improve the team, whatever that might be,” Antonetti said. “Especially with Choo suffering the injury that he suffered, we’ll probably focus most of our efforts on improving our offense and getting a little more consistency there.”

Had the market more to offer (and again, it’s still too early to get a firm read on it, simply because, as of today, 17 of MLB’s 30 teams are within five games of a division lead), the Indians would have something of a dilemma on their hands. They’d have to calculate how the risks associated with moving a Jason Kipnis, Jason Donald or Nick Hagadone stack up against the potential upside of adding an impact bat for the here and now.

But beyond Carlos Beltran, whose contract is simply out of range for an Indians team always on a budget, none of the names bandied about at this still-early juncture of the in-season trade season strike me as the answer. The truth is, unless it’s a front-line pitcher like CC Sabathia going to the Brewers or Cliff Lee going to the Phillies and Rangers, the July hired hands rarely provide the big boost expected of them…. or at least the kind of boost you’d expect from the amount of attention this time of year receives.

Grady Sizemore looking more like the guy who came off the DL in April than the one who came off in May? That would be a big boost. Carlos Santana showing more consistency? That would be a big boost. Shin-Soo Choo pulling an Albert Pujols and coming back a month ahead of schedule? That would be a huge boost.

“It’s so hard to put percentages on external acquisitions because there are so many variables in play,” Antonetti said. “The benefit that we have with our internal options is we control those unilaterally, which guys we bring up, provided they’re healthy. Externally, so many things have to come together.”

The Indians might, indeed, make a move before the July 31 deadline. But I don’t expect that move to be of much impact to either their long-term prospect pool or their short-term run-production. What you see is what you get with this injury riddled club, and what you see might very well be enough to keep hanging around in the Central standings.

~AC

PS: Be sure to check out my feature on 10-game winner Josh Tomlin on MLB.com and Indians.com today.

Net Asset Value on a Lazy Sunday
Written by Paul Cousineau





The All-Star Break is nearly upon us and (as usual) I’m not going to delve too deeply into the absurdity that is the All-Star Game or the manufactured “debates” over who got snubbed and which players are going to be playing in Arizona in a couple of days and who won’t as the glorified exhibition game that MLB foists upon us (while attempting to make it more meaningful than it should be) as the outrage that all of the selections and snubs seems to generate just doesn’t interest me. Perhaps there are people out there who have been DYING to see the best players from MLB play in an exhibition game in mid-July, but I’ll take the ride that the Indians have been taking me on over the manufactured pageantry and hollow story lines that accompany the All-Star Game every day and twice on Sunday.

With that out of the way (and with the word “Sunday” invoked), let’s get going on a Lazy Sunday as I have a day ahead of me that figures to be anything but lazy as The DiaBride and I continue to pack up our current house to ready The Reservation for a new address, one that fits 3 kids and 2 adults a little more realistically. Nevertheless, though you may be reading this as I huff and puff away in our sweltering attic, maybe you’ll be having a Lazy One because here comes the only part of my day that figures to be such…

Driving the pace car for the day is Anthony Castrovince, who comes correct and in full effect, examining whether or not this Indians’ team is “sponge-worthy”, a variation of the “Blonde-worthy” question a couple of weeks ago. Regardless, AC examines what the Indians are likely/unlikely to do in terms of adding a piece (which is worth the click and a full read), with quotes from Antonetti providing a real glimpse into a possible plan:
“We’re open in any way we can to improve the team, whatever that might be,” Antonetti said. “Especially with Choo suffering the injury that he suffered, we’ll probably focus most of our efforts on improving our offense and getting a little more consistency there.”
--snip--
“It’s so hard to put percentages on external acquisitions because there are so many variables in play,” Antonetti said. “The benefit that we have with our internal options is we control those unilaterally, which guys we bring up, provided they’re healthy. Externally, so many things have to come together.”

Read those two quotes again from Antonetti and tell me that the Indians focus isn’t maximizing the offense in Choo’s absence by attempting to utilize internal options instead of searching for an external option that may or may not be there, and may not even be all that pressing of a need if Choo truly is going to be ready by the 2nd week of August, as he is telling “friends”. Regardless, Castro sums it up pretty well when he wraps the piece up with the idea that,“The Indians might, indeed, make a move before the July 31 deadline. But I don’t expect that move to be of much impact to either their long-term prospect pool or their short-term run-production. What you see is what you get with this injury riddled club, and what you see might very well be enough to keep hanging around in the Central standings.”

Of course, that’s not going to make the “THE DOLANS SAID THEY’D SPEND WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT AND NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME” crowd, but does “spending” mean adding a Josh Willingham (who’s been out with an Achilles issue for nearly a month and had a .714 OPS prior to his injury) for the $2M that he’s owed or another limited player of Willingham’s ilk?

There might be fits out there (Mike Cuddyer intrigues me as a versatile RH bat with some pop), but the Indians are far from alone in looking for offensive help and would be bidding against a good number of teams with the idea that they can add someone is predicated on other teams making players available, something that has not happened to date. Don’t take this as an attempt to lower expectations or as a call for the Indians to sit on their hands while the teams around them perhaps augment their roster (though this month will be just as telling as to what the Tigers, White Sox, and Twins end up doing as it will the Tribe) as the Indians are far from a perfect team. Obviously, the Indians’ best chance of improvement is getting healthy in some places and getting back to being effective in others as a return to form from Sizemore would have the same effect that the return of Pronk has had and an early return from Choo (assuming effectiveness) could be just as uplifting for the team.

That being said, if the Indians do decide to make a move, I received a thought-provoking e-mail from reader John Woods, regarding the Indians perhaps dealing from positions of strength – namely their middle infield depth, their starting pitching, and their bullpen – to make more substantial additions at a “weak” spot on the parent club. The idea behind Woods’ premise was that there are certain players (particularly in Columbus, as noted by Adam Van Arsdale at LGT) knocking down the door that really have nowhere to go now or in the near future because of other prospects that sit higher on the organizational ladder or whose chance is unlikely to come this year…if ever.

Though many point to the recent success of Dave Huff and the (since-promoted) Luis Valbuena as guys that could be used for trades to upgrade the parent club, the question is whether the Indians could ACTUALLY sell a couple of their once-tarnished prospects as “ready to turn it around” in MLB to another team that may have a desirable piece. Frankly, I’m a little leery that other teams are scouting the likes of Huff or Valbuena (just to use them as examples) and thinking that those guys just need a shot in MLB to stick. So, the attractiveness of those types of players may not be any kind of shiny lure at the end of a fishing line that’s going to draw much interest in the waters of MLB. This idea that the Indians can turn their former prospects into impact players reeks too much Costanza going into Big Stein’s office (“I think I’ve figured out a way to get Bonds and Griffey…and it wouldn’t cost us that much”) for the next few weeks for me to handle, but that doesn’t mean that the Indians shouldn’t explore the opportunity to be bold and maybe step out of the comfort zone that they’ve already crossed with the promotions of White and Chisenhall.

To that end, I wonder if the most desirable path that the organization could take would be a different approach that still falls into their wheelhouse as the Indians have developed a reputation for identifying undervalued prospects in other organizations with their list of larcenies being well-documented. For the past few years, the Indians have seemed to part with their own flawed players at the MLB level (usually before they were about to get expensive), netting more useful organizational pieces in the process.

Of course, we know of Ben Broussard turning into Asdrubal and ½ of a season of Austin Kearns turning into Zach McAllister, but the Indians spun Ben Francisco (a 4th OF who is “earning” $1.18M in Philly) to net more prospects from Philly and flipped Kelly Shoppach (in the 2nd year of a $5.5M deal in Tampa, where he has a .593 OPS) to the Rays for a pitcher that – though he may not be in the rotation for much longer – provided the Indians with about a season-and-a-half of starts while the arms beneath him ripened. Ryan Garko had all of 165 MLB plate appearances after the Indians dealt him for a now 23-year-old pitcher in Scott Barnes who has struck out 85 hitters in the 82 1/3 innings he’s thrown for Columbus this year. But even the guys bemoaned a “great” losses have turned out to be traded with good reason as for as much hand-wringing that happened during Franklin Gutierrez’s Gold Glove season, he now has a cumulative .686 OPS in 3 years as a Mariner, with Seattle on the hook to pay him $5.5M next season and $7M in 2012.

Though there may be valid complaints about the Indians as an organization, they do seem to have a pretty good idea of their own players’ strengths and weaknesses and, more importantly, their ceilings, their attractiveness to other organizations willing to cast a blind eye to their warts, and the cost-effectiveness of keeping certain players. They may have been relatively blind-sided by one Josh Tomlin, about whom a scout gushed this to B-Pro’s John Perrotto, “He’s a surgeon, kind of like a poor man’s Greg Maddux” and while Tomlin was under the glare of the bright lights all week, with AC profiling him as well at MLB.com and comparing anyone to any kind of “man’s Greg Maddux” has to be put in the column of hyperbole, most of the times the Indians are not one of these organizations that has too many of these “pleasant surprises” in terms of prospects panning out at the MLB level, particularly recently.

Regardless of anything related to Tomlin, the hope would be is that the Indians can be as honest about their current cache of upper-level prospects as they have been in the last couple of years with their former prospects. With guys like Garko, Francisco, Broussard, Gutierrez, and Shoppach, they realized their limitations and their limited future with the team (particularly in relation to salary) and acted aggressively in selling high (or at least at the right time) on nearly all of those guys. To that end, the question becomes what current prospects in AAA are perhaps overvalued by others that are in the Tribe’s organization or who may be an ancillary part down the road and whose value may be greater in what the organization could net for them instead of what that particular player figures to contribute for the Tribe in the coming years. As good as the Indians have been in identifying their own players at the MLB level whose usefulness had leveled off and whose greatest value was tied into what the organization could get for them, it now becomes a question of whether the Indians can be brutally honest with themselves about their own prospects (which they love to have stockpiled) and perhaps part with a player who may project as a useful MLB player, but whose value to the Indians could be less because of other players within the organization.

If you read that last sentence carefully, you know where I’m going with this as I’ve been in Cord Phelps’ corner more than most (even driving the bandwagon from time to time) and think that the problem with the Indians’ handling of Phelps was calling him up to mainly sit on the bench or to allegedly play a part in a platoon that never materialized, when he had never done so in his baseball career. You can point to his defensive “yips” or say that “he’ll be back…he just needs more seasoning”, but the Indians had a hole at 2B (and still have it) and Phelps represented an upgrade. With that being the case, perhaps the fact that they were so reticent to play him regularly and so quick to send him down (as I fail to see Hannahan’s value on the roster presently) may be telling as to how Phelps is viewed in terms of the team’s future.

By that I mean that Phelps performed equal to the level that Jason Kipnis had in AAA prior to his call-up (while Phelps moved all around the field in Columbus) and reportedly Phelps is the more polished fielder at 2B. By all reports, if the Indians called up Kipnis, it would be to play nearly everyday, just as The Chiz had before taking a ball off of his cheek, and since Phelps arrived to basically watch The OC sneak him dirty looks while serving as Uncle Orlando’s caddy for a couple of weeks, maybe Phelps isn’t in the Indians’ long-terms plans as much as his recent numbers in AAA would indicate. If he isn’t, and Kipnis truly is thought of as the “2B of the Future” and the Indians feel that some amalgamation of The OC/Valbuena/Donald can hold the fort down until Kipnis arrives with the latter two fighting it out for Utility spots once Kipnis does arrive, where does that leave Phelps, other than as a 24-year-old middle IF with an cumulative .886 OPS in AAA in 521 PA over the last two years? While THAT player looks like one I’d be more than happy to find a spot for in Cleveland, if Phelps is heading back to Columbus to be groomed for a Utility IF job that he’ll be competing with Jason Donald and Luis Valbuena for, is that the best use of Phelps as an asset?

Perhaps Kevin Goldstein was right at the beginning of the year when he wrote that Phelps’ “Perfect World Projection” was that of a “solid, but unspectacular everyday infielder”, but I can’t help but think that six years of club control for a player like that is valuable in this world in which Miggy Tejada and The OC still get work.

Of course, this is just talking about one player and one particular situation (and please don’t take this example to mean “TRADE CORD PHELPS”), but if the Indians have a “master plan” somewhere at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario (and I’m betting they do), they know where they have all of these chess pieces lining up. While I certainly understand the value of depth and the threat of attrition/injury to any player, if the Indians wanted to be bold this month, they would perhaps take an asset that might be more valued in places other than the Indians’ Front Office and move that piece for something that might be more valuable to the Indians’ organization, not just now but into the future. If the Indians would be looking to make that move (and I could make a similar argument that Kipnis could be the “overvalued” piece as I just did with Phelps and that the Indians could look at moving Kipnis if they feel that Phelps is on par with him as a prospect), the hope would be that they could add something that would represent more than just the rent-a-player that they are (rightfully) reticent to chase.

Don’t take this as a call for the Indians to move all of their top-tier prospects in order to make a move for 2011 (particularly if you’re moving prospects for 3 months of a flawed player like Jeff Francoeur or Ty Wigginton) and I’m not going to pretend to know how Cord Phelps or Jason Kipnis is viewed in Front Offices around the league or what they would bring in return if they were traded. But, particularly at the 2B position, the Indians have two similarly-aged players whose value needs to be maximized, with the 2011 pennant race perhaps presenting the perfect time to do so – to “sell high” on a player, as the Indians have done so well in the recent past.

To take this idea of “selling high” on particular players in another direction and onto the parent club, if the Indians have a high degree of confidence in the arms from Columbus arriving and thriving, perhaps the Indians parlay the eye-popping as the numbers for Rafael Perez and Joe Smith this year (and both of those guys are going to have higher price tags next year because of their arbitration eligibility) into another team overpaying for one of their middle relievers with great ERA’s…which is a pretty bad number to look at to judge a reliever. While generally I’d be loathe to even entertain the idea of breaking up the bullpen (one of the strengths of this team), Smith and R. Perez really have been middle relievers for the most part this year and, though they provide insurance against youngsters like Vinnie Pestano or Tony Sipp doing what so many young relievers have done in the past (which is regress…quickly), you have to wonder what Smith or Perez would net the Indians in a market desperate for relievers.

Again, don’t take this as some sort of Bobby Valentine-esque suggestion that the Indians should be selling off their bullpen arms because (despite what Valentine may think) the Tribe IS in the AL Central race, but if a guy like Chen Lee or Nick Hagadone is ready (and ready NOW) to contribute at the MLB level, the Indians could perhaps deal from a strength to fill a weakness on the roster. Obviously, I’m not suggesting that the Clippers should be promoted en masse to step into an AL Central pennant race, but if the Indians are creatively going to add to the parent club with pieces that could continue to fit into the puzzle past this year who may be made available for certain reasons (like Logan Morrison, who would cost the Indians some major pieces), they need to be honest about certain players on their own team and where they are most valuable while balancing what is available to them internally.

Truth be told, I tend to think that there are enough internal options to upgrade the roster (utilized correctly…and Phelps wasn’t), but if the Indians want to add a player that represents a LEGITIMATE upgrade and a piece that could help them down the stretch, moving Dave Huff or Luis Valbuena isn’t going to allow them to add that piece, their 2011 AAA performance considered. Castrovince is probably right when he writes that if the Indians do make a move, it won’t be “of much impact to either their long-term prospect pool or their short-term run-production”, but the Indians seem to have a glut of desirable pieces in particular spots in their roster that can be used creatively to tweak the roster for the short-term without making big dents into the plans for the short-term and the long-term.

Maybe that will lead to some surprises and bold strokes that we haven’t seen for a while from the corner of Carnegie and Ontario (though I’m not holding my breath), but what we’re starting to see at the MLB level is the fruit borne from the draft (Chiz, Tomlin, Pestano, Sipp) commingling with these players that were added in recent deals (basically everyone else on the roster) as the Indians suddenly have a logjam of players in MLB and AAA, with the Indians perhaps being able to free up that logjam by using some valuable assets that can help the team not only this year, but beyond. In terms of who would fit that profile of players that could help the Indians this year and beyond, I’m not going to even venture a guess. But if the Indians have been “cleared” to add payroll, what if they targeted players approaching arbitration whose current teams may be looking for some salary relief this year and in the next few years of who have a glut of players (like the Indians do) at a position that the Indians could upgrade?

At the end of the day, the question becomes whether the Indians could (or would be willing to try to) turn one of the legitimate prospects at 2B (Phelps or Kipnis) or the glut of relievers into something that fills an obvious need on the Indians for 2011 and beyond. The answer to that is elusive, but if the Indians really do know more about their own prospects than the ones they’ve been pilfering from across the league for the last couple of years, it could be the bold move (executed prudently and making the right decisions on players) that could build momentum for the rest of the season and into the seasons to come. Maybe “bold” moves or moves outside of their comfort zone aren’t something that we’ve come to expect from the offices of Carnegie and Ontario, but 2011 has been full of surprises.
Perhaps a couple more are still coming…


Posted by Paul Cousineau Jul 10, 2011 8:56 AM Last Updated: Jul 10,

Jeanmar Gomez - S - Indians
Jeanmar Gomez is expected to join the Indians' starting rotation after the All-Star break.
Gomez was scratched from his scheduled appearance at the Triple-A All-Star Game and will instead return to the big leagues. The 23-year-old has registered a 2.40 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 93 2/3 innings this year in the minors. He hasn't fared nearly as well in the bigs, but the Indians are hoping he's now more equipped for the challenge.
Source: Cleveland Plan Dealer Jul 11, 10:38 AM

Cleveland Indians' Playoff Express is in dire need of some new parts: Bud Shaw

Published: Sunday, July 10, 2011, 6:04 PM Updated: Monday, July 11, 2011, 7:11 AM
By Bud Shaw, The Plain Dealer
AP Photo
Indians' Austin Kearns is hitting .212 with 1 home run and 5 RBI. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Cleveland -- When Manny Acta next puts on his uniform, his team's starting outfield will be home run machines Jose Bautista and Curtis Granderson, and reigning American League MVP Josh Hamilton.

Being a coach at an All-Star Game is an honor. For the manager of a modestly funded contender built on pitching and heart who can only hope significant help is coming at the trade deadline, it's Shangri-La.

Acta's field trip to Tuesday's Midsummer Classic gives pause to consider the great gas mileage he got out of his stripped-down and recently sputtering roster in the first half of the season.

With that comes a warning light: the Indians aren't going to take the checkered flag as the AL Central winner without adding some new parts.

Not just because Acta's outfield Sunday was manned by Michael Brantley, Grady Sizemore and Austin Kearns in a punchless 7-1 loss to Toronto.

The right-handed bat the Indians so desperately need would've fit anywhere in a lineup that Sunday featured the following averages from hitters Nos. 4-9: .225 (Carlos Santana), .227 (Sizemore), .211 (Austin Kearns), .239 (Lou Marson), .000 (recently recalled Luis Valbuena) and .220 (Jack Hannahan).

By occupying first place for much of the season, the Indians have done a lot while getting little from Sizemore, Santana and Shin-Soo Choo, who showed signs of stirring before going on the disabled list with a broken left thumb.

GM Chris Antonetti knows the Indians need more than Choo's return. If they start selling the idea that getting Choo back is like getting a new player, run for the hills. It means they're not going shopping in late July.

They can't count on a seamless return from their right fielder. Choo's 2011 season, which included a DUI arrest, was mostly rough edges from the start.

The Indians also need to brace themselves for the possibility (if not the likelihood) that this is the Grady Sizemore they'll see the rest of the season. The only benefit the outfield offers at present is Brantley's speed and defense.

You can't win in the American League giving up offensive production and power in right field and left field, and certainly not if you're getting wallowing mediocrity in center.

Actually, calling Sizemore mediocre is a kindness given he's batting .197 since activation from the disabled list in late May and leads the team in strikeouts despite missing 32 games. His on-base percentage (.291) is better than only Marson, Shelley Duncan and 36-year-old Orlando Cabrera.

Under the circumstances, being within a breath of first place -- more of a gasp after dropping three of four to Toronto -- is a credit to a largely unshakeable bullpen and a surprising starting rotation.

The working parts of this rotation -- Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin and Carlos Carrasco -- are relatively young. It's hardly far-fetched to think they might fade in a late-season pennant race or, at worst, need propping up by the lineup.

Sunday brought an additional warning, this one concerning Carrasco. For the second consecutive game, a tough inning rumbled and shook and then covered him under an avalanche. Acta pulled him after three innings and 72 pitches as much for his fragile mental state as for the five runs Toronto scored.

Acta caught a flight to the All-Star Game immediately following Sunday's loss. So pitching coach Tim Belcher provided the post-mortem, admitting Sunday's loss "could've been four straight pretty easily."

Only Travis Hafner's grand slam Thursday prevented a Toronto sweep.

Belcher was right when he said the Indians exceeded expectations in the first half.

He didn't say it, but they look like they've maxed out.

For their chances to match their postseason hopes, they need some serious help now from management and ownership.

Manny Acta knows Cleveland Indians must improve to compete in "intense, interesting" second half of 2011


Published: Monday, July 11, 2011, 9:07 PM Updated: Monday, July 11, 2011, 11:49 PM
Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer




PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Life is unpredictable. So is baseball.

Manny Acta, almost two years to the date since he was fired as manager of the Washington Nationals, is at the All-Star Game with his latest team, the Indians, a half-game out of first place in the AL Central and one of the best stories of the first half.

"All of use know getting fired is part of the game," said Acta, named as a coach to the AL All-Stars by manager Ron Washington. "There are very few geniuses in this game. All of us, at some point, are as good as our roster.

"Right now I have a pretty good ballclub. A lot of kids with high character and a pitching staff that has done a tremendous job. In this game, you shove things behind you, keep working hard and move forward."

The Indians, 47-42, were at or near the top of the AL Central through most of the first half. They lost their last three games going into the break to allow the Tigers to move into first place by the thinnest of margins.

In the second half the Indians will play 47 of their 73 games in the AL Central. They are only 13-12 in division play.

"I was talking to Miguel Cabrera about the schedule," said Acta. "It seems like it was designed perfect. There is going to be a lot of play inside the division. It's going to be decided amongst ourselves.

"We're not going to have to do that much scoreboard watching. I'm anticipating that it's going to be intense and interesting."

The Indians have 13 games left against the Twins and White Sox, 12 against the Tigers and nine against the Royals. They're 7-2 against the Royals, 4-2 against the Tigers, 1-4 against Minnesota and 1-4 against the White Sox. In September, 22 of the Tribe's 26 games are in the AL Central.


"I'm anticipating a minimum four-team race," said Acta. "Those games count more when we're face to face."

Acta knows that for the Indians to remain a factor, they have to improve. The two main areas of need are the offense and the starting rotation.

The Indians averaged 5.4 runs per game in April, but dropped to 4.5 in May and 3.4 in June. They've shown improvement in July, averaging 4.6 runs, but Acta isn't satisfied.

"I feel and our front office feels that adding a bat, to substitute for the loss of Shin-Soo Choo [is what we need to do] to compete," said Acta. "Our offense needs to get better.

"It would be nice if it's a right-handed bat. Everyone realizes we're left-handed heavy. But again, how many are out there and how many are available?"

Choo, the opening day right fielder, isn't expected to return until late August or September after suffering a broken left thumb when he was hit by a pitch on June 24.

Kansas City has two interesting outfielders in Jeff Francoeur and Melky Cabrera. Prospect Lorenzo Cain is ready to jump to the big leagues if the Royals make a move. Kansas City, however, is looking for starting pitching. The Indians have it in prospects Alex White, Zach McAllister, Jeanmar Gomez, David Huff and Scott Barnes, but would they deal any of those arms for a short-term fix?
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"We've already made it clear that we will not sacrifice our future," said Acta.

The Indians play Baltimore in a four-game series Thursday. Their reshuffled rotation has Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin and Carlos Carrasco pitching the first three games. There are serious questions about the fourth and fifth spots.

Struggling Mitch Talbot is scheduled to pitch Sunday and No.5 starter Fausto Carmona is still on the disabled list with a strained right quadriceps muscle. Gomez, scheduled to pitch in Wednesday's Class AAA All-Star Game, has already been scratched and is expected to join the rotation for either Talbot's spot or one of the games in Monday's day-night doubleheader against the Twins.

There is a chance that Carmona could be activated to pitch one of Monday's games as well.

"We need the back end of the rotation to get better," said Acta. "I think our bullpen is good and here to stay."

Acta believes Carmona, his opening day starter who has struggled as much -- if not more -- than Talbot, is improving. He did not voice that kind of confidence in Talbot, who is out of options.

When asked about the arrival of Gomez, 9-3 with a 2.40 ERA at Class AAA Columbus, Acta said, "It's a possibility. We're going over certain things over the break. We've pitched very well in Triple-A. We owe it to ourselves, the franchise, our fans, to improve our club the best way we can.

"We're going to do whatever it takes to make the rotation better. We feel blessed that we have guys like Gomez, McAllister and Huff throwing the ball the way they're throwing it at AAA."