Cleveland Sports Forum

INDIANS LOOKING AT SANTANA, WANT MORE DEPTH
Tony Lastoria
Editor-in-Chief

Johan Santana is making a comeback attempt out in Venezuela and the Indians had a scout in attendance to see his first outing on Tuesday.

The Indians like the current construction of their roster with the talent and depth it provides, but they are still looking to add more depth – particularly in the pitching department.

First brought to my attention by CoverThoseBases.com, I have since confirmed that the Indians have had scouts in attendance recently to watch left-hander Johan Santana. In his first outing of the offseason in a Venezuela Winter League playoff game on Tuesday night, Santana threw two shutout innings retiring all six men he faced. The Indians have some interest in him, though it is limited at this time. They along with several other teams will continue to monitor him in future games he pitches out in Venezuela.

Santana, 35, has made just 21 appearances in the Major Leagues the last four seasons because of two shoulder operations and an Achilles tendon tear he suffered last June. He is 139-78 with a 3.20 ERA over 12 big league seasons, though last pitched in the big leagues in 2012 with the Mets (6-9, 4.85 ERA, 21 GS).

The Indians are also interested in adding more bullpen depth.

They signed right-hander Anthony Swarzak on Thursday to add some depth to the pen and are interested in signing more bullpen arms before spring training starts in a few weeks. With few options available in free agency and much money to spend, any such signing will probably be of the minor league variety to bring them to camp, see how they pitch and reassess their how they fit on their roster at that time.

Jan 15, 2015 | 12:12 pm
INDIANS SIGN SWARZAK TO MINOR LEAGUE DEAL
Tony LastoriaTony Lastoria
Editor-in-Chief

Right-hander has logged a lot of innings in relief for Twins last three years.

On Thursday the Cleveland Indians announced that they have signed free agent right-handed reliever Anthony Swarzak to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to Major League spring training camp.

Swarzak, 29, spent his third consecutive season at the Major League level with the Minnesota Twins in 2014 and his 237.1 relief innings rank second in all of Major League Baseball since 2012. He has been with the Twins his entire professional career after his 2nd round selection in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft out of Nova High School in Davie, FL. He went 3-2 with a 4.60 ERA in 50 games/4 starts (86.0IP, 100H, 44ER, 28BB, 47K) for Minnesota in 2014.

Swarzak joins a crowded group of candidates for the lone open spot in the bullpen. His chances of making the team out of spring training are remote, but the Indians have been searching for some veteran depth bullpen options to help them cover injuries that may crop up this spring.

#ClevelandIndians

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Indians clear arbitration slate with three deals

Club signs Moss, Shaw and Tomlin for 2015

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 3:57 PM ET + 11 COMMENTS

CLEVELAND --

The Indians broke a long streak of avoiding arbitration last year and went to a hearing with two of their players. Cleveland returned to its usual ways this week, reaching one-year deals with all six of its arbitration candidates prior to Friday's deadline for exchanging salary figures.

On Friday, the Indians signed right fielder Brandon Moss ($6.5 million), setup man Bryan Shaw ($1.55 million) and right-hander Josh Tomlin ($1.5 million) for the 2015 season. Cleveland also reached deals with starter Carlos Carrasco ($2.3 million), lefty Marc Rzepczynski ($2.4 million) and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall ($2.25 million) on Thursday night.

That saved the team and players from going deeper through the arbitration process, which concludes with scheduled hearings from Feb. 1-21. Prior to last offseason, Cleveland had not gone before an arbitration panel since 1991, but the club went to hearings with pitchers Vinnie Pestano and Tomlin last spring and won both cases.

"We're pleased that this year we were able to reach agreements with all of our players, even before filing numbers," Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said. "As we talked last year, I think at this time, sometimes [arbitration] is just a necessary part of the process. But, our preference is always to negotiate deals.

"The sooner, the better, because at that point it allows everyone to just focus on preparing for the start of the season and not having any other issues lingering out there that may take any attention away from that."

The highest profile signing in this year's arbitration class for the Indians is Moss, who was acquired on Dec. 8 from the A's in exchange for Minor League infielder Joey Wendle. Moss can play first base and the corner-outfield spots, and will have a home in the heart of Cleveland's lineup.

Last season, while earning $4.1 million with Oakland, the 31-year-old hit .234/.334/.438 with 25 home runs, 23 doubles and 81 RBIs in 147 games. In the second half, Moss played through a hip injury that got progessively worse later in the year and required surgery in October. The health issue helps explain Moss' uncharacteristic .173 average and .584 OPS after the All-Star break.
Moss -- expected to be ready in time for Opening Day or early in the regular season -- ranks ninth among qualified batters over the past three years with a rate of 15.93 at-bats per home run. His 76 homers and .504 slugging percentage in that same time period each rank 18th in the Majors.

Antonetti noted that Moss, who had a recent follow-up exam with his surgeon, Dr. Thomas Byrd, is doing well in his recovery. The Indians also plan on having their medical staff meet with Moss during the team's Tribe Fest event in Cleveland next weekend.

"He's progressing well," Antonetti said. "His timetable remains the same. We're hopeful that he'll be in games at some point in Spring Training and ready for the start of the season."

Shaw, who was eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason, posted a 2.59 ERA last season in a career-high 80 games, setting a single-season club record for appearances. Shaw became the first Indians pitcher to lead the American League in games since 1955 and the first to lead the Majors in appearances since 1920.

Over the past two years with the Indians, Shaw has turned in a 2.91 ERA in 150 games, striking out 137 and walking 50 in 151 1/3 innings. The right-hander will return as Cleveland's primary right-handed setup man for closer Cody Allen.

The 30-year-old Tomlin, who is the longest-tenured player in the Cleveland organization, will enter Spring Training as a candidate for either a rotation or bullpen job. The right-hander has Minor League options, so he can be sent to Triple-A without being exposed to waivers. Last year, Tomlin went 6-9 with a 4.76 ERA in 104 innings split between starting and relieving.

The combined signings bring Cleveland's payroll up to roughly $79.9 million for the 18 players under contract for the upcoming season. Barring additional moves, the remainder of the Tribe's roster will likely consist of players earning salaries around the league's minimum requirement, meaning the Indians project to have a payroll around $83-84 million.

Antonetti said the signings did not have an impact on the planned payroll for 2015 and indicated that Cleveland might be content heading into Spring Training with the Major League roster as it currently stands.

"I feel really good about the group of guys we have heading into camp at this point," Antonetti said. "But, again, if there are the opportunities between now and Spring Training, or even while we're in Spring Training, to try to improve -- whether it's depth or finding another player who complements the group that we have -- we will be very open to doing that and will, in fact, continue exploring those opportunities. But, I do feel good about the group that we have."

Tribe rated No. 20 on power rankings by Bleacher Report. I think they're better than that.

Outlook

Unless they make a surprise run at James Shields, which is highly unlikely, it does not appear as though the Cleveland Indians will be adding a proven No. 2 starter to the mix this offseason.

As a result, it will be up to someone from the talented but inconsistent trio of Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer to step up and help reigning Cy Young winner Corey Kluber lead the rotation in 2015.

Speaking of Kluber, extending him is still a possibility this offseason, though talks on that subject have yet to begin, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The team would also still like to move veteran Nick Swisher and some of the $30 million he is owed over the next two years, but there has been little interest in him on the trade market, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.

This team has outplayed expectations the past two years, so it can't be completely overlooked, but it looks like a fringe wild-card contender at this point.



Projected 2015 Lineup (as of Jan. 18)

CF Michael Bourn
2B Jason Kipnis
LF Michael Brantley
1B Carlos Santana
RF Brandon Moss
C Yan Gomes
DH Nick Swisher [and Murphy and Raburn and Aguillar]
SS Jose Ramirez
3B Lonnie Chisenhall



Projected 2015 Rotation (as of Jan. 18)

SP Corey Kluber
SP Carlos Carrasco
SP Danny Salazar
SP Trevor Bauer
SP Gavin Floyd
SU Scott Atchison
SU Bryan Shaw
CL Cody Allen

MLB.com Columnist
Anthony Castrovince
Quiet Indians have pieces to make noise in AL Central
Bullpen, roster flexibility and improved defense key to competing in tough division

CLEVELAND --

From the snow-covered steps of the home dugout, Terry Francona could see the progress being made on the Progressive Field reconstruction -- the bar being erected beyond the right-field corner, the new bullpen areas rising behind the center-field wall and the completely overhauled batter's eye. An Indians staffer had to explain what was going where, because for now it was all girder and hard hats and unfinished business.

How all of this is going to come together in the midst of another cold local winter and be completed by April 9 is a question best left for the construction crew. But Francona has already seen how quickly things can evolve in the American League Central, so why should his home park be any different?

This division has been totally remade in recent years. Once all but conceded to the Tigers in March, the Central is now as intriguing -- and arguably as deep -- as any in the game. And because the Tigers still have their fair share of star power and the Royals are coming off their October ride and the White Sox have been the darlings of the Hot Stove season, it's easy for Francona's team to get overlooked.

The Indians, having finished five games back of the Tigers and four back of the Royals in '14, made just two nationally noteworthy moves, both involving veterans coming off injuries -- Brandon Moss (hip surgery) for the lineup,Gavin Floyd (broken funny bone) for the rotation. That's not the stuff of Hot Stove sexiness, but the Tribe wasn't exactly working with a blank canvas.

"We're in a little bit of a unique situation where we have most of our team in place," Francona said Tuesday. "We just need to find a way to play six or seven games better than last year."
For that to happen, the Indians are going to have to get or stay ahead of the curve in three primary areas:

1. Bullpen usage

We know the Indians can -- or should -- have a solid, if not elite, rotation, given not just the ascendance of Cy Young winner Corey Kluber but also the second-half showing of Carlos Carrasco and the expected growth of Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar and lefty T.J. House. Floyd was an affordable insurance policy should the warts of youth reveal themselves, and his stuff and numbers with Atlanta before he was felled by another injury were encouraging.

Long story short, the Indians are right to feel they can get quality innings out of this group. But in today's game, it is increasingly clear that the concept of quality innings from your starters has shifted. The mindset used to be to get your starter into the seventh or eighth, but now, if your 'pen is up to the ever-impressive par, you settle for the sixth. Francona has been as proactive as anybody in his two years in Cleveland, carrying eight relievers and breaking records for overall reliever usage.

That trend won't change in '15, because as good as this group of starters is, Francona recognizes that the mid-inning matchups that can be capitalized upon with a well-built bullpen often outweigh the value of having your starter face a lineup a fourth or sometimes even a third time. So the Indians will only be as good as their bullpen, which means their unsung acquisitions of some non-roster guys -- most notably veteran lefty Scott Downs and former Twin Anthony Swarzak -- will go a long way toward bracing them against the burnout factor. Though the Indians are careful about monitoring pitches thrown and times up in the 'pen, the simple fact is that this club had three guys (Bryan Shaw , Marc Rzepczynski and closer Cody Allen ) in the top five in AL appearances last season and a fourth (Scott Atchison ) in the top 20.

"[Swarzak] had like 100 innings out of the bullpen for a couple years [2011, '12 and '13]," Francona said with a smile, "so he'll fit right in. If he goes 10 minutes without pitching, he breaks out in hives."

Most interesting of all, Francona is thinking proactively about when to bring out Allen. The sabermetrics community has been arguing for years about the value of using your best reliever in the biggest spots, but it's not always easily applicable in a real Major League clubhouse, where relievers value the stability of their roles and closers, especially, like the impact the saves total has on their salaries.

Allen, though, is young enough, pliable enough and eager enough to affect the bottom line that he's on board with Francona's talk of occasionally using him in the eighth, should the situation call for it. "Cody just wants to pitch when it's exciting," Francona said.

2. Positional flexibility

This is what separated the Indians in a lot of ways in their Wild Card-winning year in '13. Francona rotated guys in and around his lineup at a variety of positions, taking advantage of three switch-hitters in the lineup and an upbeat attitude in the clubhouse to exploit matchups.

Sometimes this concept can come back to bite you, as it did with Carlos Santana last year. The Indians tried to make him the first hybrid third baseman/catcher, and somewhere between the foul tips behind the plate and the defensive adjustment to the hot corner, his bat sagged. He didn't take off offensively until he finally settled in at first.

The Moss acquisition, though, is a much more modest approach, as we have documented proof that he can handle a right field, first base and DH rotation, assuming his hip cooperates.

"The more flexibility, the better," Francona said. "It's almost like you can create a 25-man roster that's more like 26 or 27. [Mike] Aviles can move around and guys like that can allow you to sometimes carry an extra pitcher. One thing kind of coincides with the other."

The mystery, of course, is whether Moss' recovery timetable coincides with the season schedule. Same goes for Nick Swisher, who is coming back from dual knee surgeries. The possibility exists that neither guy will be ready by Opening Day, in which case the Indians will utilize David Murphy and Ryan Raburn on a regular basis in right.

3. Improved defense

This is the big one. There's no way the Indians bridge that Central gap unless they rise significantly from the bowels of the defensive runs saved standings, where they ranked dead last by a wide margin in '14. And because none of the Indians' offseason maneuverings revolved around the infield, the only way this is going to improve is via good, old-fashioned work ethic.

Well, that's not totally true, as Jose Ramirez is now the incumbent shortstop after Asdrubal Cabrera was jettisoned last July, and defensive whiz Francisco Lindor looms in Triple-A. The Indians saw immediate defensive gains when Ramirez took over, and his bat, while not a game-changer, has come better than advertised at the big league level.

Santana was also surprisingly adept at first after he made the move.

So this one's largely on second baseman Jason Kipnis, coming off a brutal year on both sides of the ball, and Lonnie Chisenhall . It's also on a coaching staff that will drastically reshape the spring schedule and the way the work is completed.

"We're going to take a lot more ground balls in our shifted defense," Francona said. "It's normal to take your ground balls in Spring Training straight up, but then the season starts and you're rarely there. We need to be cognizant of that."

Francona knows this stuff can be taken too far. When he was a rookie skipper in Philadelphia, he went into camp with an eye on conducting better pitchers' fielding practices than any other club.
"And every one of our pitchers had a sore arm," he said. "So it didn't really help."

But the Indians know, in personnel and approach, they have to improve significantly on the defensive end.

More than ever, this division demands it.

A SIGN OF RELIEF FOR ZACH MCALLISTER
Jake DunganJake Dungan
Columnist
This story was originally published onIndiansBaseballInsider.com

The transformation last season of Wade Davis from inconsistent starter to dominant reliever for the Royals has many wondering if the same could happen for Zach McAllister of the Indians.

The defending American League champions in Kansas City were an exciting team to watch last season in many respects. There was, of course, the small market underdog appeal, their reckless abandon on defense and on the base paths, their league-low strikeout totals and dramatic wins in the regular season and the playoffs.

However, the one aspect of their team that stood out more than the others and many singularly attribute to the majority of their success was the dominance of their bullpen, particularly the “Big Three” of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland. Are we talking about a reincarnate of the Nasty Boys? Probably not quite at that level, but certainly a lot of teams are envious of the Royals and what they have at the back of their bullpen.

The transformation of Wade Davis in particular has been arguably the most exciting development of the blockbuster Wil Myers trade from a couple offseasons ago. He was originally slated to pitch out of the Royals’ rotation alongside James Shields, who is currently a free agent after two productive seasons in Kansas City.

Unfortunately, as a starter Davis didn’t live up to expectations as he posted a 5.67 ERA in the Royals rotation in 2013. However, his brief stint in the bullpen showed promise as he posted a sub-1 ERA. Last season, there was never any thought of using him as a starter as he put up impressive numbers as Greg Holland’s setup man.

This is not a new development in Major League Baseball where ineffective starters are reborn in the bullpen. In fact, it’s not even new for the Royals as former first round pick Luke Hochevar was basically the Wade Davis of 2013 before having to go under the knife for Tommy John surgery. Other notable starter-turned-reliever success stories include Dellin Betances in the Bronx and Carlos Carrasco here in Cleveland. Of course he ended up being a starter-turned-reliever-turned-starter (a rare breed, to be sure).

While it doesn’t appear that Carrasco will be returning to the bullpen anytime soon, the Indians may still be conducting this experiment again in 2015 with another hurler in the form of right-hander Zach McAllister.

By now, most Tribe fans are familiar with McAllister’s work as a starter and his fabulous fount of fastballs. In all seriousness, though, while he has had success as a starter, he has not been overwhelmingly impressive overall. However, he opened the eyes of folks both inside and outside the organization late last season with his brief but dominant display as a reliever late last season and has potentially altered the outlook of the Tribe bullpen moving forward.

Regardless of whether the Indians view McAllister’s success in the bullpen last year as sustainable or not, his lack of remaining minor league options leave them without much choice but to put him there in 2015 unless he’s traded or somehow earns a spot in the rotation.

So since it appears more than likely that McAllister will be in the bullpen come opening day in Houston, the question is will he pick up where he left off last year as a reliever? By an ERA standpoint, the difference was clear last season as the right-hander posted 5.67 and 2.77 marks as a starter and reliever, respectively. His FIP splits aren’t as extreme, but suggest he was even more effective as a reliever with a 3.80 and 1.44 difference.

Okay, so the stats are there and the difference in effectiveness is noted. Now the question is why and is it sustainable? From watching him pitch last year and then crunching the numbers on Fangraphs, there was a clear change in pitching approach on the part of McAllister once he switched roles. In short, he stopped holding back.

Let's take a look at his average fastball velocity. As a starter last season (15 games), the right-hander averaged 92.3 mph on his heater while topping out only in the mid-90s. As a reliever (seven games), his fastball averaged 95.6 mph and topped out as high as 98 mph. Overall in 2014, McAllister saw an average 2.32 mph increase on all of his pitches in his last eight games of the season (seven as a reliever) compared to his first 14.

This is consistent with the philosophy that pitching coach Mickey Callaway has imparted to his pitchers, most notably Carlos Carrasco, who struggled as a starter after returning from Tommy John surgery in 2013 and again at the start of last season, but reinvented his game out of the bullpen and then managed to apply that effectiveness back to being a starter in the second half last year.

Basically, the thinking is to not hold back on the mound. It was clear with Carrasco, McAllister and Wade Davis in Kansas City, who saw similar velocity spikes as a reliever compared to McAllister. Obviously as a reliever, a pitcher doesn’t have to be so concerned about preserving their strength over multiple innings.

So looking ahead to the upcoming season and beyond, does McAllister’s new ‘let it rip’ approach become the missing link in the back of the Tribe bullpen?

Not that the bullpen was bad last year, but fatigue became a clear factor towards the end of the campaign last year. Setup man Bryan Shaw led the major leagues in appearances with 80 in 2014 while closer Cody Allen tied for fourth with 76 with the other primary Indians relievers not far behind.

Of course, the concentration of appearances by a team’s back-end relievers also falls upon the effectiveness of the starting rotation, which struggled mightily prior to the All-Star Break last year as well as the offense to score runs and widen the margin of victory and the manager to trust other pitchers in key situations, which Terry Francona was criticized for at times in 2014.

Regardless, having McAllister possibly figure into the mix should go a long way to lengthening the bullpen and shifting some of the workload away from Allen, Shaw, Rzepczynski and company. Plus as a conditioned starter, he can pitch multiple innings if needed.

It’s another contributing element to what can potentially be one of the top overall pitching staffs in baseball in 2015. And with Tigers ace Max Scherzer agreeing to a 7-year deal with Washington, it adds more intrigue to what the Indians and the other teams in the AL Central can accomplish in the coming season.

Was doing some in-my-mind Indians analysis this morning and this point:

3. Improved defense

This is the big one. There's no way the Indians bridge that Central gap unless they rise significantly from the bowels of the defensive runs saved standings, where they ranked dead last by a wide margin in '14.

was the one I got stuck on. Infield defense will continue to be rotten with the same players back out there unless or until:
1. Kipnis reverts from awful 2014 to almost average 2013.
2. Urshela takes over at 3rd. Chisenhall is not a good defender and his ceiling is no more than barely acceptable. Urshela has always been rated a superior defender. I don't care if his offense is as bad as Chisenhall's [who with the exception of one month in 2014 has never hit enough] he would pick up the defense significantly and add some RH balance to the bottom of the lineup.
3. Ramirez or nearly anyone else will be an improvement on Cabrera. But he's generally rated as a better 2B than SS and perhaps best suited as an Aviles-type super-utility man. Perhaps he moves to 2nd when the solution to shortstop: Lindor arrives in Cleveland. At least as much as Urshela he's always been rated one of the best defensive SS in the minors with terrific defensive instincts.

An IF of Santana-Kipnis-Lindor-Urshela will at least be superior on the left side and perhaps average on the right if Santana keeps working hard and Kipnis either recovers from 2014 injury and/or works harder.

I'm on the Urshela band wagon Civ. I was very impressed with his winter ball experience prior to the injury. Zulia made the playoffs, but after Urshela went down it was a struggle to make those playoffs. The Venezuela reports on Urshela were glowing. I'd like to see Urshela and Chisenhall go head to head this spring, winner goes North.

[I forgot all about Walters. He certainly is a semi-proven major power prospect. He may be able to put up Rob Deer numbers with 40 some homers and 200+ strikeouts. At least one other plus tool would make him a serious prospect.]



Is Zach Walters The Solution To Cleveland Indians Platoon Woes?

by Jeff Mount 1d ago


206

If you have been reading much offseason coverage of the Indians, including this site, you may have concluded that the fate of the entire 2015 season rests on whether they are able to add a good right-handed hitter.

It makes sense, at least intuitively; at least five spots in the lineup are expected to be manned by left-handed hitters, and of the five, only Michael Brantley seems immune to platoon splits. To put numbers to this statement: Nick Swisher, Jason Kipnis, David Murphy, and Michael Bourn combined for 492 at bats and an OPS of .532 against left-handed pitchers. Give most of those at bats to even a decent Major League hitter, and the impact on the offense would be tangible.

Now, the hope right now is that they can plug Ryan Raburn and Mike Aviles into the lineup against every left hander. Last year, unfortunately, they platooned Aviles with Lonnie Chisenhall at third when they would have benefited more by platooning him with Kipnis at second; Chisenhall actually had a higher OPS against left handers than Aviles did.

The worst aspect of this strategy is neither Raburn nor Aviles did much better against left handers than the guys they platoon with, combining for an OPS of just .609 against left-handed pitching. Raburn, at least, has recent history of feasting on southpaws, with a 1.020 OPS in 2013. Aviles has not been above .800 against left handers since 2011. At this point in his career Aviles should probably be viewed as a guy who can give regulars a day off and not as a platoon weapon, and he should never, ever, ever, bat higher than ninth in the order.

So, is this enough? That depends greatly on how much platooning is needed. Kipnis, you may remember, was spectacular against left handers in 2013, so there is reason to suppose that his difficulties against them were part of his overall malaise and that a rebound against lef thanders is as likely as an overall bounce back offensively. Swisher, likewise, has been strong enough against lefties in the past that he is as likely to be benched altogether for sucking against everyone as he is to need a platoon partner. Bourn should probably be platooned, or at least have his days of rest scheduled to fall when a left hander is starting, but it seems unlikely that the Indians will pay him that much money and play him four days a week.

So this leaves Murphy, and maybe Chisenhall, whose excellent 2014 against left handers is enough of an outlier to at least be prepared for a regression. In theory, Murphy will either be traded or a fourth outfielder, so his platoon difficulties should not be a big deal in limited time.

Murphy’s replacement, Brandon Moss, has a .736 OPS against left handers over the past three years, so using a roster spot for someone to platoon with him seems silly. Let’s assume Murphy is traded, which seems likely since he makes too much money to play twice a week. This leaves a bench of Raburn, Aviles, and the winner of the job as backup catcher. Raburn and Aviles both bat right-handed, and have enough versatility to cover every position on the roster except catcher and center field (and if Bourn needs a day off, Raburn would play left and Brantley would slide over to replace Bourn).

Another bench player would come at the expense of an eighth reliever, so it’s hard to say what the Indians would consider more important. Personally, Bourn has had enough injury issues that I would have someone available who can play center field well on a frequent basis, but they will probably choose to cover that by stashing someone with experience in AAA Columbus.

So, if there is a roster spot, is there a veteran right-handed bat the Indians could pursue? Most of the names they have been linked to so far a guys like the uninspiring Chris Denorfia, (who thankfully signed with the Chicago Cubs, as he isn’t a player Cleveland should have signed). If you know that going in, why would you even spend a million bucks and use a roster spot on such a player? However, such are the pickings when you are shopping on the scratch and dent shelf, which is all you can do when you can’t spend money.

Given that, the best option may be a guy who is already here. Zach Walters destroyed left-handed pitching during his short time in Cleveland last year, and there is enough success in his minor league stats to indicate that it may not have been a complete fluke. [so what was his OPS??] He also played five different positions on the major league level, at least four of which will be manned by left-handed hitters next year, so he would fit into a number of platoon situations. He is not a Gold Glover at any position, but he is at least as good as Raburn at any of them. We know Walters has raw power, which is always in short supply around here, and he will also be cheap (which can never be too far from the conversation when talking about the Indians). This roster spot is essentially an insurance policy in case Raburn or Swisher starts slowly; if help was needed on an everyday basis, a veteran could be added, but until that becomes necessary, Walters seems like an ideal candidate.

Look at the options. Spending real money isn’t really an option. Find someone who will play cheap and hope that they exceed expectations? Isn’t that how we ended up with Elliot Johnson and J.B. Shuck in the lineup at various times last year (but never together)? That strategy may work ten percent of the time, but in the process of finding that diamond in the rough you lose real games while you separate the chaff from the other chaff. At least with a guy like Walters, you know there is enough upside there that you may catch lightning and ride a hot streak for a while, and at some point he may develop into an actual regular major league player, which makes him a better option than someone who has already reached a ceiling of mediocrity.

So what was his OPS against LH pitchers? 957. Sounds terrific. Give him a job!
But of course that's in a tiny sample of 40 plate appearances. Struck out 9 times.
Vs RH in 2014 his OPS was 566 in 96 appearances. Struck out an amazing 39 times, that's over 40%

Terry's Talkin' about how lots of fans watch the Cleveland Indians -- on television and even at Tribe Fest: Terry Pluto



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians had their best Tribe Fest ever in terms of attendance. About 8,000 fans came to the ballpark last Saturday or Sunday to tour the clubhouse, get some autographs, take part in some fun stuff for kids.

It's only the third year for the event, but it's obvious that it's growing.

Tribe broadcaster Tom Hamilton and I did a segment on Sunday about our book Glory Days In Tribe Town. (I know, it's an absolutely shameless plug.). But Hamilton and I were wondering how it would draw.

That part of the ballpark was packed. Fans wanted to talk Tribe of the 1990s, and yes, Tribe today. Hundreds lined up to meet Hamilton. The book was -- by far -- the bestseller at Barnes & Noble bookstores in Northeast Ohio in the months of November and December.

What's the point?

The Tribe also had the fifth-highest television ratings in all of Major League Baseball for their games in 2014. That's about 90,000 households per game watching on SportsTime Ohio.

That No. 5 rating is not overall viewing.

Here are a few other facts:

1. The television ratings were up 12 percent from 2013. Remember that the Tribe was 92-70 in 2013 and was a wild-card playoff team. They dropped to 85-77 in 2014, but more fans watched.

2. Radio listenership was up 21 percent in 2014 from 2013.

3. Afternoon games on the radio had an average rating of 6.8, compared to 4.1 at night. Are people listening at work?
The Tribe had the fifth-highest television ratings in all of Major League Baseball for their games in 2014. That's about 90,000 households per game.

4. The age group of 18-34 had an increase of 21 percent in television ratings from 2013, and females in that television audience were up 28 percent.

5. From April-August, the Tribe had an average 6.84 television rating (101,500 households). In second place was CBS at 4.04.

6. At Cleveland.com, I don't have the exact numbers, but I know the amount of hits on my Tribe stories were up at least 20 percent from 2013 to 2014.

Here's the list of the top five teams in television rating, along with where they ranked in attendance:

Detroit, 8.58 rating; No. 7 attendance (36.014).
Pittsburgh, 8.49; No. 15 attendance (30,155).
St. Louis, 8.23; No. 2 attendance (43,711).
Kansas City, 7.50; No. 25 attendance (24,154).
Indians, 6.68; No. 29 attendance (18,428).

Something to keep in mind about television ratings -- it's a PERCENTAGE of the market. For example, the Yankees have a 2.99 rating -- but the New York market is so huge that more people were watching the games than any of the teams in the top five.

Nonetheless, there is interest in the Tribe. The ratings show it. My emails and internet hits indicate it. The fact is for all the grousing about the Dolan ownership or the front office, the fans are watching and listening to the games.

I heard that season ticket renewals have been strong -- more than 90 percent. But I don't know if they are adding new season ticket holders. They had about 8,000 last season.

The Tribe is investing in ballpark upgrades. The team has had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2000-01. There should be a sense that with slightly above average talent, Manager Terry Francona can keep them in contention.

Will any of this help attendance? Hard to know. It has been been going down in the last four years:

2011: 1.84 million.
2012: 1.60 million.
2013: 1.57 million.
2014: 1.43 million.

Inbox: Whose comeback is most critical to Tribe?
Beat reporter Jordan Bastian answers Cleveland fans' questions



The Tribe has a large number of players who had down years in 2014, whether from injuries or poor performance. The list includes Michael Bourn, Gavin Floyd, Jason Kipnis, Zach McAllister, Brandon Moss, David Murphy, Ryan Raburn, Nick Swisher and Josh Tomlin. From that group, which two comeback candidates do you think are the most critical to the Tribe's 2015 success?
-- Richard S., Evansville, Ind.

From that list of players, I would put Bourn and Kipnis first and second in terms of importance for the team's lineup and the Tribe's overall success. I believe Cleveland has the pitching depth to withstand any setbacks from the starters you mentioned (Floyd, McAllister or Tomlin), and I think the addition of Moss can help make up for any continued issues with guys like Swisher, Murphy or Raburn.

Bourn sticks out to me, not only in light of the diminished stolen-base totals in his time with the Indians, but because of his drop in on-base production. In his two years with Cleveland, the leadoff man has posted a .315 on-base percentage to go along with a .675 OPS. Prior to signing with the Tribe, Bourn had a .348 OBP and .726 OPS across the 2009-12 campaigns.

Over the past two years, Bourn has dealt with hamstring issues and the center fielder is hoping his offseason training this year will help prevent similar problems. I doubt we'll see the same Bourn who averaged 54 stolen bases per season from 2009-12, but an improved on-base percentage would certainly position the him to increase the average of 16 thefts he turned in over '13-14.

Kipnis, who was an All-Star in his breakout season in 2013, dealt with a right oblique issue that seemingly sapped his power to the opposite field last season. Many of the second baseman's peripheral statistics in '14 were in line with his career production, but Kipnis saw his slugging percentage drop to .330 after a .452 showing in the prior season. Like Bourn, a healthy Kipnis does wonders for igniting the offense.


Floyd provides some leadership and depth for Cleveland's talented young rotation, but his arrival has the potential to push Tomlin to Triple-A and McAllister to the bullpen to open the season. Raburn will be important for facing left-handed pitching, and Murphy currently gives the Indians outfield depth while the team monitors the respective comebacks of Moss (right hip) and Swisher (both knees).

I plan on going to an Indians game in this summer. How different will it be from the Progressive Field we've seen the past 20 years?
-- Kenny K., Elyria, Ohio

From behind home plate, expect to see a new wide-open view of the downtown section around the corner of E. 9th St. and Eagle Ave. The Market Pavilion and pedestrian bridge, which both used to block part of the view of the city, have been removed. The bullpens will also be stacked and in center field now. You'll find a new two-story bar in the right-field corner, an upgraded Kids Clubhouse (two levels) and tiered sections of party decks in the upper deck in right field. Plus, you'll find some local restaurants (Melt, Barrio and Sweet Moses) will now have concessions stands in the revamped Right Field District.


Numerologists want to know: What uniform number will Floyd wear?
-- @Monte_Colorman (via Twitter), Solon, Ohio

Floyd will don the digits first worn by an Indian in 1931 (Oral Hildebrand) and most recently in 2013 (Scott Kazmir). If No. 26 is as kind to Floyd as it was to Kaz, then that will be great news for Cleveland. Like Kazmir two years ago, Floyd will be aiming for a strong comeback campaign. In two years as the Indians' pitching coach, Mickey Callaway has gained a strong reputation for helping turning pitchers around. The Tribe is hoping the same will apply to Floyd.

JOE Z - NOTE THIS

I know the Indians have a logjam in the outfield, but do you see Dayan Viciedo (recently designated for assignment) being a possible pickup for Cleveland? He has played outfield, third base and first and is for sure a power threat. Do you see him as a fit?
-- Luke O., Stow, Ohio

I understand why many Indians fans have written in about Viciedo. He's 25 years old. He bats right-handed. He hits home runs. Even with all of that being true, I don't see him as a fit. He is rated as one of baseball's worst defensive outfielders and he hasn't been much better in his career at first (minus 17.7 UZR/150) or third base (minus 19.7). His slugging percentage dropped to .405 in 2014 from .426 in '13 and .444 in '12. He has a .298 career on-base percentage and his platoon splits are actually reversed over the past two seasons combined (.692 OPS against lefties and .711 OPS against righties). Given Cleveland's emphasis on platoon advantage and the team's need for improved defense, I don't see Viciedo as a match.



Will Anthony Swarzak be tested primarily as a relief option, or will he be given starting chances in Spring Training?
-- Steve A., Hudson, Ohio

Indians manager Terry Francona loved the signing of Swarzak to a Minor League contract due to the pitcher's experience with enduring a high volume of innings out of the bullpen. Cleveland plans on throwing Swarzak into the mix for a relief job this spring -- similar to Scott Atchison a year ago. Swarzak logged 68 innings (2014), 96 innings (2013) and 73 1/3 innings (2012) in each of the past three years as a reliever. He is not currently in the mix as a starting option.

With Jason Giambi reportedly mulling an off-field position in the organization, what is the possibility that a new type of position could be created for him? I'm thinking the best way to utilize what he brings to the ballclub would be to make him the first-ever "Clubhouse Coach." Thoughts?
-- Jason C., Johnsville, Ohio

I like the way you're thinking, but creating such a role would go against Major League Baseball's rules for uniformed coaching staff members. Each team is allowed to have six coaches -- seven if the team has an assistant hitting coach like Cleveland does. The jobs include bench coach, pitching coach, bullpen coach, hitting coach, first-base coach and third-base coach. If the Indians hired Giambi as a Minor League coach or instructor, or a front-office advisor, he could surely make trips to Cleveland at points during a season.


Since Corey Kluber is making the league minimum, do you think that the Indians should issue a bonus check to the pitcher for doing such a good job in 2014?
-- Roger F., Sylvania, Ohio

Almost every player has awards bonuses built into their contract. In Kluber's case, the right-hander did indeed earn a $10,000 bonus for winning the American League Cy Young Award. During future contract negotiations, whether for an extension or year-by-year arbitration talks, there will continue to be similar bonuses added into the deals.

Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I've read all that stuff JR. But I've also seen him play. Hs is not much worse than what we have been fielding. I know he's no star by any means. I would just like to give him a chance to win a job here. It should not be all that difficult. It's not like we're loaded with super stars.

and neither is he........

MLB's Best Starting Rotation Could Come from Unlikely Source

Jacob Shafer The Bleacher Report

Feb 12, 2015

Meet the Cleveland Indians, owners of the best starting rotation in baseball.

Wait, where are you going?

OK, you're skeptical. Doesn't that title belong to the Washington Nationals, who just signed Max Scherzer and gilded the lily that is their stellar starting five?

Or how about the Clayton Kershaw-led Los Angeles Dodgers? Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners?

Good rotations all, and you can toss the Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres and a handful of other pitching-rich contenders into the discussion.

Here's a number courtesy of FanGraphs for you, though: 8.92.

That's how many strikeouts per nine innings Cleveland starters averaged last season, the most since the 1884 Milwaukee Brewers.

No, that's not a typo.

We're talking more than 130 years. In case it hasn't fully sunk in, the 1884 Brewers featured a left-hander named Lady Baldwin who, incidentally, sported a mean mustache.

Is all this old-timey talk putting you to sleep? You like newfangled stats?

Well, how about this: Cleveland's rotation led all of baseball with 11 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in the second half of 2014.

As FanGraphs' Mike Petriello noted in November after naming the Indians his "Far Too Early Sleeper Team" of 2015, "While second-half performance is hardly a guarantee of future success...I'm also not certain that enough people noticed just how good the Cleveland rotation was down the stretch."

It's time to start taking notice.

You know about Corey Kluber, who beat out Seattle's King Felix for the American League Cy Young. Aw, what the heck, let's look at his stat line: 2.44 ERA, 235.2 IP, 3 CG, 269 SO.

But Kluber is far from the only stud in Cleveland's stable.

Carlos Carrasco cracked the rotation for good in August and was filthy in his final 10 starts, surrendering just 10 earned runs in 66.9 innings with 78 strikeouts and 11 walks.

After starting the season at Triple-A, Danny Salazar made 20 starts for the Tribe. His 4.66 ERA doesn't leap off the screen, but like Carrasco he finished with a flourish, tossing a complete game with nine strikeouts on Sept. 3 and punching out 47 hitters in his final seven games.

Rookie Trevor Bauer fanned 143 in 153 innings and earned the praise of skipper Terry Francona, who said of the 24-year-old right-hander, per Paul Hoynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, "I don't think we've even come close to what he can be."

T.J. House may not crack the rotation out of spring. But he had a nice rookie campaign, posting a 3.35 ERA in 102 innings, and he's the only southpaw in the mix.

The final rotation spot will likely belong to Gavin Floyd, whom the Tribe inked to a one-year deal.

Floyd has battled arm injuries and made just nine starts last year with the Atlanta Braves. If he's healthy, he could slot as high as the No. 2 spot in the rotation, Francona told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian, to take pressure off the younger guys.

Which brings us to the biggest knock against this Cleveland staff: They're inexperienced, raw, inconsistent.

A scalding second half is nice for Indians fans whiling away the long, cold Ohio winter. But let's see these upstarts do it over a full season before we get carried away.

Fair enough. Outside of Kluber, this is mostly an untested bunch. They could just as easily regress as repeat their 2014 stretch-run success.

Again, though, we're talking about a rotation that struck out more big league hitters per nine innings than any club since the Chester A. Arthur administration. (President Arthur, incidentally, also sported a mean mustache.)

Yes, it's a tad early to cement the Indians' arms among the MLB elite. But don't be surprised if this group is turning heads, and missing bats, well into the summer—and keeping the Tribe in the hunt.

Meet the Cleveland Indians, owners of a rotation worth buzzing about.