Cleveland Sports Forum

“Hopefully as he gets through this first period,” Francona said, “I’m sure his body is kind of sore and everything, (so) hopefully we’ll see even more.”

First period?

This tells me Melky is sticking. And I totally agree from watching. Melky is an excellent hitter in that he understands the process. He's selective, goes the other way when appropriate etc.

The guy didn't even sign until well into April so is/was way behind to start out. He'll settle in and do what he did last year which was very good - and a switch hitter to boot. After he gets past this "first period" he's a great add.

I would think that after Brantley that Chisenhal and Cabrera are locks to remain with the team. Then I would say one of Zimmer, Allen and Naquin. Guyer stays and Davis is gone.

That is logical because of the contract Guyer has.

Bottom line for me is Greg Allen has all kinds of qualities they need right now. Switch hitter, can run, can play CF. He alone makes Rajai expendable at the very least and Zimmer to IMO.

Obviously he may not continue to hit like he is but if he does he's a keeper.

The Indians hope Neil Ramírez becomes a classic case of right guy, right time

Zack Meisel Jun 10, 2018 2

DETROIT​ — ​ Neil Ramírez’s​ constant movements would make​ a world traveler​ envious.

He’s not invested​ in​ the culture​ or culinary​​ scene or landmarks, of course. He’s just a baseball nomad, with recent stops in Chicago and Milwaukee. And Minnesota. And San Francisco. And Toronto. And New York. And Washington. And now Cleveland.

And that’s all within the past 25 months.

Ramírez has been traded, claimed, signed, and claimed and signed again and again and again. His name is a staple on the league’s transaction wire.

Oh, someone claimed Neil Ramírez off waivers? Must be a day that ends in y.

The Indians are the latest team to sample Ramírez’s services, and they’re intrigued. Did they stumble upon a valuable bullpen piece when they inked him to a minor-league contract last winter?

The sample size is small; the right-hander has logged a 3.86 ERA in 10 appearances with the Tribe. The sample size triggering the Indians’ curiosity is even smaller: Ramírez has held the opposition scoreless over his past six outings.

That said, a 97-mph fastball paired with a promising slider is a strong foundation. And given the state of emergency in the Indians’ bullpen, Terry Francona has turned to Ramírez in some high-leverage situations.

“Everybody sees the arm,” Francona said. “Teams keep jumping on him, because they’re like, ‘We can fix him.’ Well, maybe we’re the team that catches the break. Sometimes, guys aren’t situated at a point in their career to have success. It’s not that we’re smarter than anybody else. Maybe we just got him at the right time.”


Neil Ramirez’s velocity chart looks like a smiley face, and the Indians certainly aren’t frowning about it. (Brooks Baseball)
The fastball velocity stands out. Ramírez’s heater is averaging 96.6 mph this season, an increase of 3 mph over last year’s measure. He attributed the past drop in velocity to some injuries and a dip in confidence.

“The velocity is back, and I can let it rip again,” he said. “That’s when I’m at my best. I’ve always been more of that kind of pitcher than a finesse guy.”

But, as Ramírez noted, any hitter can smack the speediest fastball if he knows it’s coming. So, for him, it’s about the slider, the secondary pitch that proves critical to his results.

During spring training, Ramírez threw a tighter, almost cutter-like version of the pitch. Now, it has more depth, more movement, more personality.

“For me, I think throwing the heater inside more and then being able to throw the slider off that same tunnel is what’s helping me out,” Ramírez said. “I get in trouble when I get around the slider. As long as I can rip through the top of the ball and get it to go down, it’s been a good pitch for me. Just being able to dump it in there for strike one, too. I think a lot of guys expect me to come at them hard. I throw a pretty good amount of fastballs. But if I can just put it in the back of their mind that I can throw the slider for strike one, I think that sets up the whole at-bat for me.”

This isn’t an unprecedented stretch for Ramírez, who broke into the big leagues with the Cubs in 2014. That season, he posted a 1.44 ERA in 50 outings. He’s since been on a (nationwide) search to rediscover that form.

The shuffling across North America has been most difficult for his wife, Tiffany.

“Every time she’s had a chance to meet some people,” Ramírez said, “it’s like, ‘Welp, see ya. New city.’ ”

By this point, Ramírez is accustomed to living out of a suitcase. But he exhaled a bit over the winter after he latched on with the Indians. He knew he’d have a chance during spring training to vie for an Opening Day roster spot. That didn’t happen, but the Indians’ bullpen has been a revolving door featuring a massive “Help Wanted” sign.

Now, Ramírez is one of a handful of newcomers trying to stand out among the relief wreckage. The Indians’ bullpen entered Sunday’s action with a league-worst 5.82 ERA.

“Teams, they hear the narrative of, ‘We’re struggling,’ so they’re even more hungry to get to that bullpen,” Ramírez said, “and it’s almost like they home in even more once they get past the starter. We know that. It’s just, I think now that we’ve gotten through this month, we’ve seen how bad it can be and we’re still here.”

Ramírez has been through the wringer enough times to know not to celebrate a two-week stretch with a new club. As he conceded: “The last two years have definitely been a struggle.”

It’s been a few years, though, since he has been summoned to protect a close game or to pitch the eighth inning.

“There’s still a long way to go,” Ramirez said. “It’s only a couple innings here now, so you can’t get comfortable or think that you’ve accomplished anything. You have to keep your foot to the gas pedal.”

Still, this is a guy who has migrated from team to team the last two years. And this is a bullpen desperate for any semblance of dependability. The Indians have enjoyed the fruits of Ramírez’s labor the last few weeks. Maybe the seventh time will be the charm.

“His ERA after his first four outings was (13.50),” Francona said. “We could’ve easily said, ‘Go to your eighth team.’ I don’t think we view it like that. If we see something that we think can work, we’d rather work with him than run away. You can’t do that with everybody, but I think when you see a reward there, let’s give it some time.”

Ramirez’s winding road:

June 7, 2007: Drafted by the Rangers (44th overall pick)

Aug. 13, 2013: Traded to the Cubs

May 31, 2016: Claimed by the Brewers

June 12, 2016: Claimed by the Twins

Nov. 21, 2016: Signed with the Giants

May 4, 2017: Claimed by the Blue Jays

May 16, 2017: Signed by the Mets

July 27, 2017: Signed by the Nationals

Nov. 30, 2017: Signed by the Indians

Three Days in New Brighton: The tale of the last time Terry Francona saw his father
Zack Meisel 2h ago 1

“Dad,​ did you​ get your​ present?”

Tito Francona had not​ received a Christmas​ gift in the​ mail,​ no box​ with shiny​​ wrapping paper and a red bow.

“Well, look on the front porch.”

Tito opened his front door. No package.

“Well, look on the back porch. Maybe it’s on the back porch.”

He moseyed to the other end of his house and opened the door. There stood his son, the manager of the Cleveland Indians, sporting a Tucson tan and a wide grin.

The two talked regularly on the phone, though Francona now admits he sometimes allowed too much time to pass without placing a call to his dad. After the end of the 2017 season, Francona could tell his dad was losing steam. So, a few days before his annual trek to enjoy the holiday with his kids and grandkids, Francona surprised his dad on his back doorstep.

They spent three days together in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, where Francona grew up, not far from Pittsburgh. They ran errands, attended church and met with old friends and family. Francona stopped by the gravesite of his mother, Roberta, who succumbed to breast cancer in 1992. He purchased his dad a new Keurig machine and explained to him how to brew a quick cup of coffee. He bought him a new sweatsuit, since his dad was griping about the frigid temperature in his house. He also fitted his dad’s favorite chair with a new blanket.

“We had the absolute best time,” Francona said.

Tito passed away at his home on Feb. 13, about seven weeks after father and son relished their final days together. He was 84. Francona still treasures those three days in New Brighton, and he routinely thanks the voice in his head that implored him to head east for a late-December visit.

“I just remember after he died, thinking, ‘Boy, somebody was looking out for me to get me back there,’ ” Francona said. “If you ever have to say goodbye, what a way.”

Tito cherished his trips to Progressive Field, the 90-minute commute, the chance to show off his son’s kingdom to his buddies. He delivered the ceremonial toss before Francona’s first home game as Indians skipper in 2013, and before the club’s first postseason game in 2016. But Tito most enjoyed watching his friends’ faces light up as they toured the clubhouse or entered the suite.

“For them,” Francona said, “it was like Disneyland.”

Francona would often send them home with a bunch of baseballs and bats.

Earlier this season, Tigers radio broadcaster Jim Price handed Francona a tan leather Rawlings glove bearing Tito’s signature. Francona has collected five or six such keepsakes over the years.

Tito played 15 major-league seasons, including a stretch from 1959-64 with the Indians. He finished fifth in the AL MVP balloting in his first year in Cleveland and he earned an All-Star Game nod two years later.

A framed black-and-white photo hangs on the wall behind Francona’s desk in his office at the ballpark. In the snapshot, a 4-year-old chubby-cheeked Francona sits along the dugout among a row of kids wearing Indians uniforms. A few of the kids’ fathers — Woodie Held, Joe Adcock and Tito, in his No. 24 uniform — are standing behind them. The photo was taken before a father/son game at Municipal Stadium during the 1963 season.

Francona took after his father in many ways, none more apparent than their shared love of baseball. Francona spent his childhood in dugouts and clubhouses. He often tells the story of the time he was disqualified from a Phillips 66 pitch, hit and run contest (which he had dominated) because he was the son of a big-leaguer. Francona had practiced for the competition for five months. Francona lasted a decade in the majors before he transitioned into coaching. Like his father, he also made a stop in Cleveland along the way.

He inherited his father’s nickname, the one his grandfather Carmen initially supplied Tito, a reflection of his ornery and energetic mannerisms as a child.


Tito Francona was no stranger to the mound at Progressive Field. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
When he wasn’t sitting comfortably at Progressive Field, Tito watched every Indians game from his home in New Brighton. When father and son spoke on the phone, they discussed the sport they adored, but they strayed from conversation about strategy or second-guessing.

Francona stresses that he never heard another person utter a bad word about his dad. Al Kaline will share stories about his old teammate when the two cross paths in Detroit. Other former players, coaches, broadcasters and beat writers will do the same. Francona never tires of hearing those tales.

As the Indians and Twins battled in a Saturday afternoon affair earlier this month, Ryan and Hailey Gunderson participated in a between-innings “Family Feud” game on the scoreboard at Target Field. Francona glanced at the scoreboard and learned that they hailed from Aberdeen, South Dakota, the town in which Francona was born. For Tito’s first two years with the Indians, the family resided in Aberdeen, where Tito had previously played for the Aberdeen Pheasants, an old minor-league affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.

Francona called the press box to ask a Twins official if he could meet the brother and sister after the game. The Twins flashed a message on the scoreboard directing Ryan and Hailey to a certain section in the ballpark so they could inform them of Francona’s request. The Gundersons met the manager after the game. They were shocked when Francona identified their high school mascot, a Golden Eagle.

After the encounter, Francona had one prevailing thought.

“I’ve got to tell my dad.”

He has stumbled upon that sentence quite often this year.

The family relocated to New Brighton in 1961, two years after Francona was born. Tito remained there until he passed. At the funeral, Francona’s son, Nick, delivered a eulogy in which he celebrated the fact that Tito had “a fitting way to wind down (his) life, being that happy.”

For Francona, those three days in New Brighton will last a lifetime.

“I miss him like crazy,” Francona said. “I looked up to him more than any(thing). I knew how lucky I was. We were so close.”

Bowden: Who’ll be available at the trade deadline — and who may be a stretch—at every position


By Jim Bowden Jun 11, 2018 53

As​ of Sunday,​ 51 days​ remained until the trade​ deadline, with a​ flurry of trades​ and​ player movement​ expected. The​​ powerhouse teams have just as many needs as the teams contending to reach the postseason.

Some of the game’s best teams have glaring needs. The New York Yankees need another veteran top-of-rotation starting pitcher behind Luis Severino; the Houston Astros need a closer and a left-handed specialist; and the Cleveland Indians need set-up relief help in the worst way. Contending teams need to make trades just to get to October baseball — consider the Phillies and Cardinals, who each need another big bat for the middle of their lineup — while the Rockies need to improve their lineup depth, and the Braves could use an upgrade in their bullpen.

So let the fun begin. Here is a list of trade targets for contending teams to consider. I’ve broken them down into two categories: realistic or dream targets. Realistic, of course, means these players will be available for the right return. Dream targets are players not presently on the market — trading for them would take a franchise-changing, lopsided package for their team to even consider such a move.

REALISTIC STARTING PITCHER TARGETS
LHP Cole Hamels, Texas Rangers – The Rangers are in “sell” mode, and Hamels is expected to give them the biggest return of prospects. The Yankees, Mariners and Giants are best fits.

LHP J.A. Happ, Toronto Blue Jays – Happ, like Hamels, is in his free-agent year, and has won 37 games since the start of the 2016 season, with an ERA and FIP in the mid 3s over that span.

RHP Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers – Fulmer is having a down year, and the Tigers prefer to build around him. However, with a farm system loaded with starting pitching prospects, they have to at least listen to offers.

RHP Tyson Ross, San Diego Padres – The Padres need to sell now while his value is high. Ross is healthy, cheap ($1.75m salary) and has an ERA of 3.31 after 12 starts.

RHP Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays – Estrada looks to be in decline at 34, giving up more hits than innings pitched with an ERA over 5. However, a change of divisions and leagues could result in an uptick of performance for an NL-contending team that plays in a big ballpark.

LHP Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals – Duffy has a WHIP of 1.608, an ERA of 5.81 and three years left on a $65 million contract. I doubt anyone takes that chance unless the Royals eat most of the contract and some pitching coach believes he can fix him quickly, since he’s only 29 and experiencing his only bad season since 2011.

LHP Francisco Liriano, Detroit Tigers – Last year the Blue Jays traded him to Houston in a deal for Teoscar Hernandez. Now let’s see if the Tigers can get that same type of return a year later.

LHP Clayton Richard, San Diego Padres – The 34-year old southpaw can still help a team as a back-of-rotation starter who can eat innings.

RHP Dan Straily, Miami Marlins – Teams looking for a fourth or fifth starter might give the Marlins a mid-level prospect for the innings eater.

DREAM STARTING PITCHER TARGETS

RHP Jacob deGrom, New York Mets – The Mets have made it clear that deGrom is not available. However, when you look at their thin farm system, which has the least talent in the entire division, and you look at the aging position players, all options should be put on the table.

RHP Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets – I’m told that, like deGrom, the Mets don’t want to talk about Syndergaard. However, if some team wants to unload the farm system, how do you not at least listen?

LHP Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays – Snell has taken over as the Rays’ ace and they have no intention of trading him. However, they said the same thing about closer Alex Colome in spring training, and he was gone three months later. The Rays’ financial challenges are such that they have to consider everything. If the Braves or Yankees want to overpay with a boatload of top prospects, they’ll trade him; it’s just unlikely it happens.

RHP Dylan Bundy, Baltimore Orioles – He’s the only quality starter the Orioles have so it’s doubtful they’d move him even if overwhelmed by an offer, but teams will ask.

RHP Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays – The Rays said in spring training they are rebuilding around Archer and have no intention of trading him. However, make a lopsided offer and they’ll change their mind. They always do—just ask Colome or Steven Souza.

REALISTIC CLOSER TARGETS
RHP Kelvin Herrera, Kansas City Royals – The Royals will get a solid return for Herrera, with the Astros and Braves the best matchup for them.

RHP Brad Brach, RHP Baltimore Orioles – Brach has pitched better of late and his stock is creeping back up.

RHP Jeurys Familia, New York Mets – Familia, who’s currently on the disabled list, can be used as a closer or two-inning set-up reliever, which bolsters his value.

RHP Shane Greene, Detroit Tigers – Contending teams don’t look at him as a closer, but he could really help a team like the Indians improve their depth.

LHP Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles – Britton will have to prove in June and July that he’s healthy and pitching back to his accustomed level for the O’s to get a huge return.

RHP Nate Jones, Chicago White Sox – A solid power arm that’s primed to have a better second half.

DREAM CLOSER TARGETS

LHP Brad Hand, San Diego Padres – The Padres don’t want to trade Hand, but if they’re offered an elite prospect (as when the Yankees got Gleyber Torres for Aroldis Chapman), they won’t hesitate to the pull the trigger.

RHP Raisel Iglesias, Cincinnati Reds – Iglesias is the Reds’ most valuable trade asset and they need to turn him into two or three solid pitching prospects by the deadline.

OTHER BULLPEN TARGETS
RHP Ryan Pressly, Minnesota Twins – The Twins will probably still be in the race at the deadline, but they might need to dangle their bullpen depth for a catcher like Wilson Ramos of the Rays.

LHP José Alvarado, Tampa Bay Rays – The Rays are open to trading everyone if they can make 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 solid prospect deals. Alvarado’s stock is booming with a shortage of left-handed relievers.

RHP Mychal Givens, Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles will try and trade impending free agents Brach and Britton before entertaining any offers on Givens.

RHP Adam Cimber, San Diego Padres – His low arm angle and different look have contending teams interested.

RHP Craig Stammen, San Diego Padres – A solid middle reliever who can eat valuable innings for worn-out bullpens.

RHP Tyler Clippard, Toronto Blue Jays – His changeup still makes teams interested.

RHP Joakim Soria, Chicago White Sox – His trade value is lower now than it was in the offseason, when the White Sox acquired him.

RHP Sergio Romo, Tampa Bay Rays – His slider can still get good right-handers out in proper matchups.

RHP Brad Ziegler, Miami Marlins – He lost his closer’s job in Miami but as a tenth or eleventh pitcher on a contending team, he still has value because of his unique arm angle.

CATCHER TARGETS
J.T. Realmuto, Miami Marlins – The Marlins shopped him the entire offseason and are still fielding calls on him. Realmuto is a top 5 overall catcher in the sport and any trade involving him will have to include an elite, no-risk prospect in return.

Wilson Ramos, Tampa Bay Rays – His trade value is much less than Realmuto’s because he’s a free agent at season’s end. The Twins are a perfect match for the Rays here.

Jonathan Lucroy, Oakland A’s – Lucroy has been invaluable in developing the A’s pitching staff, so much so that they might just keep him for the rest of the season.

Francisco Cervelli, Pittsburgh Pirates – Cervelli is finally healthy and having the best year of his career. The Pirates should still be in the race, but they won’t turn down a fair offer for him.

FIRST BASE TARGETS
José Abreu, Chicago White Sox – This will be the White Sox’s toughest decision at the trade deadline because Abreu is by far their best trade asset. He’s also an important leader by example for prospects like Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez. His impact bat would be a difference-maker for teams like the Rockies and Cardinals.

Wil Myers, San Diego Padres – Myers is still on the DL, but his best position remains first base. And with Eric Hosmer signed long-term and the Padres deep in outfielders, Myers could be dangled for young controllable starting pitchers.

SECOND BASE TARGETS
Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins – Whether the Twins are in or out of the pennant race, he could finally get dealt to the Dodgers or Nationals. He’s on his free-agent year and is not expected to re-sign with the Twins; trading for prospects now would be a better play than a draft pick.

Scooter Gennett, Cincinnati Reds – The Reds have Eugenio Suárez and two first-round picks in Nick Senzel and Jonathan India to man both second and third base in the future, which makes Gennett available. Gennett is putting up serious numbers for the second year in a row and his trade value will never be higher.

Starlin Castro, Miami Marlins – Castro has demonstrated a great attitude for the Marlins since arriving from the Yankees in the offseason, and has been a consistent player on both sides. It’s likely he’s moved by the deadline.

Whit Merrifield, Kansas City Royals – Merrifield would be more valuable on an NL-contending team because he can play so many different positions, steal a base and hit the ball out of the park.

Asdrúbal Cabrera, New York Mets – He’s been arguably the best Mets position player this year, but the high inventory of second basemen on the trade market might hurt the Mets’ chances of getting a solid return for him.

SHORTSTOP TARGETS
Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles – He is the headliner of this year’s trade deadline, with the Cubs, Phillies and Cardinals the best suitors at this time.

José Iglesias, Detroit Tigers – He can still play elite defense.

Jurickson Profar, Texas Rangers – His ability to play both second and shortstop increases his trade value.

Adeiny Hechavarria, Tampa Bay Rays – The Rays would like to open up shortstop full-time for Willie Adames and will try to move Adeiny as soon as they find a taker.

Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals – He can play defense, with little offensive production.

Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates – He’s an impending free agent and the Bucs have Jung Ho Kang in the wings to take over shortstop if they trade him.

THIRD BASE TARGETS
Mike Moustakas, Kansas City Royals – Moustakas’ free-agent market inexplicably collapsed last offseason, but he proved this year that 2017 was no fluke. He would be an immediate upgrade for the Braves or Cardinals.

Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays – He’s been injured all season and having a down year, so he’ll need to have a strong June and July for the Blue Jays to get anything close to a strong return for him.

Todd Frazier, New York Mets – Age and decline are showing up for Frazier, but he’s still a strong clubhouse presence for contending teams and still has power.

Adrián Beltré, Texas Rangers – The future Hall of Famer deserves to have another chance at a postseason, but his injury history and the high inventory of third basemen on the trade market will make it tough for the Rangers to get a solid return for him.

OUTFIELD TARGETS
OF Yoenis Céspedes, New York Mets – Céspedes is signed through 2020, and with another season of nagging injuries, combined with being on the wrong side of his prime years, it won’t surprise me if they listen to offers at the deadline. His best fits are with teams that don’t want to go over the luxury tax, which could be a problem.

CF Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles – The O’s haven’t extended Jones, nor have they shopped him, with the hopes that he’ll stay an Oriole. However, without an extension, they’re foolish not to trade him and then try to re-sign him as a free agent.

CF Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates – With the emergence of Austin Meadows, it might be time for the Pirates to shop Marte and find out what type of prospect package they can get for him.

RF Gregory Polanco, Pittsburgh Pirates – Polanco hasn’t figured out how to make the adjustments necessary to get on base to make his power more valuable, and some are questioning if he’ll ever live up to his tools. Polanco or Marte could get dealt but not both.

RF Scott Schebler, Cincinnati Reds – He’s become the most valuable outfield trade asset for the Reds. He continues to improve in all facets of the game.

CF Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati Reds – Hamilton has never figured out how to get on base consistently but his speed is always desired by contending teams.

OF Jay Bruce, New York Mets – Bruce has had a slow start to the year and he needs to get on one of his hot streaks if the Mets are going to get anything for him at this year’s deadline.

CF Kevin Pillar, Toronto Blue Jays – He’s still stellar in center.

OF Randal Grichuk, Toronto Blue Jays – He’s a fourth outfielder with every tool but the “hit” tool.

LF Adam Duvall, Cincinnati Reds – He has power and a strong arm.

RHP Raisel Iglesias, Cincinnati Reds – Iglesias is the Reds’ most valuable trade asset and they need to turn him into two or three solid pitching prospects by the deadline.

I watched a Reds game during a day off recently and this guy looked fantastic. Really nasty. And we can really afford to trade 2 or 3 starters from AAA and AA. We really have a log jam in Akron right now. No spot for Merritt when he gets back. Bieber makes Plutko expendable. We should really work something out here.

I know we have had an interest in Britton in the past so Orioles stick out too. Maybe a bigger package for a couple arms, cause they have a few they will be shopping. The article mentions Brach but honestly Bleier would interest me more. A few pitching prospects and one of our young SS's (cause they will be trading Machado) for Britton and Bleier is something I would be interested in too.

Or how about a huge deal for Machado and Britton? (And Bleier)

Stark: The Useless Info Dept., Klubot Edition

By Jayson Stark 8m ago


KLUBOT THE STRIKE MACHINE



Once upon a time, historians tell us, Corey Kluber walked an actual human being who was holding a bat in his hands. Must have been an accident, we’re sure. Or a missed call. But you could look it up. It really did happen.

Almost a month and a half ago.

That was May 8! (Fourth inning. Milwaukee’s Domingo Santana. Full count – of course.)

“But as you know,” former Indians reliever and current Fox Sports Ohio analyst Jensen Lewis told Useless Info this week, “a lot has happened since then.”

Yep. That’s a fact. Since Corey Kluber’s last walk…

— There have been an astounding 3,067 walks issued in the big leagues by pitchers not named Corey Kluber.

— And 490 different pitchers not named Corey Kluber have combined to issue those 3,067 walks.

— And 32 of those pitchers have walked at least five hitters in a game.

— Meanwhile, J.D. Martinez has made 14 home run trots.

— Jean Segura has gotten 55 hits.

— The Indians have scored 166 runs and gotten almost 300 hits (296).

— In non-baseball developments, Justify won two legs of the Triple Crown, LeBron James scored 371 points in 11 playoff games and Braden Holtby, trusty Capitals goalie, made 301 saves in 12 playoff games.

— The Cubs’ Tyler Chatwood issued 30 walks!

— And Corey Kluber has faced 168 hitters – and walked none of them.

Very cool. And totally amazing. So naturally, nobody can get Kluber to stop talking about it, because … oh, wait. We got mixed up. We mean nobody can get him to start talking about it.

“Yeah, he hasn’t changed,” Jensen reported. “He still says about six or seven words a day, although I think he might be up to about 11 now. He’s always been the silent assassin, you know.”

Well, the silent assassin is doing stuff that’s pretty astonishing, even for him. So here are a few tidbits you might want to file away on Kluber’s five-week boycott of ball four:

CY MADDUX – Even Cy Youngs don’t go out and rip through 168 hitters without a walk every year, friends. In fact, the Elias Sports Bureau tells us that only one reigning Cy Young has ever had a longer walk-less streak.

Here’s a shocker alert: It was Greg Maddux (190 in a row) in 1995. Perfect.

“If you put those two guys side by side,” Jensen said, “and you looked just at their two-seam fastballs…that’s what (Kluber’s) two-seamer would remind me of. It moves so much like Maddux’s.”

Agreed. But in other news, the LaMarr Hoyt Fan Club would want us to note here that Hoyt also had a 168-hitter no-walk streak for the White Sox in 1984, the year after he won the Cy Young. So he and Kluber are tied – for another few hours anyhow.

CY-ONARA, APRIL – We’re not sure what got into Kluber in April. But he somehow issued nine walks in six starts before May. Since he flipped that calendar page, though, he’s been Klubot the Strike Machine.

Eight starts…208 hitters…56 strikeouts…and one walk!

According to Elias, no pitcher has had any span of eight starts with that many strikeouts and that few walks since the mound moved to 60 feet, 6 inches. That was in 1893!

So honestly, if you were going to design an R2D2 pitch-bot built to throw strikes, wouldn’t he look a lot like this?

“I call him Optimus Prime,” Lewis said, of his favorite cinematic robot superhero. “I’d feel bad for the hitters if baseball ever goes to robot umpires… if they ever make a robot strike zone, he’s going to exploit it – because he certainly is part robot.”

(The Bob Feller Fan Club may not be aware that Feller – the certified Greatest Indians Pitcher in History – once had an eight-outing stretch in May of 1937 in which he issued 37 walks! Whereas Kluber didn’t issue 37 walks all last season. But we digress.)

BACK-TO-BAAAA…AW, NEVER MIND – As we were gearing up to write this ode to Klubot the Strike Machine, we noticed something. Last Sunday in St. Louis, Cardinals ace Carlos Martínez walked back-to-back hitters in three different innings – in the same game.

So when, we wondered, was the last time Corey Kluber walked two hitters in a row? Well, we sure hope you care about that, too, because we wasted way too many valuable minutes of our theoretically valuable life looking into the answer to that very question.

And the answer is…Kluber hasn’t walked back-to-back hitters since (ready?) Game 4 of the 2016 ALCS (Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin). That was 49 starts – and 1,156 hitters – ago!

Yep, you read that right. This man has faced more than 1,100 hitters since the last time he walked two of them in a row. And the last time he did it, it was the first start on short rest of his career. So it almost doesn’t count (…almost).

“Wow. I’m trying to process that,” Lewis said, after we delivered that tidbit. “I’m glad you told me that while I was sitting down.”

Now logically speaking, this is where we should be jumping in to concede something along the lines of: Sooner or later, we know Kluber is eventually going to walk somebody. But hold on. Can we be sure of that? He is, after all, Klubot the Strike Machine. If anyone can go the rest of the season and walk zero, why not Corey Kluber?

“Boy, I don’t know about zero,” Jensen Lewis said with a laugh. “But I’ll tell you what. If he does walk zero, you could official start investigating with the people at NASA – to see if he’s from another planet.”

Mike Napoli has high hopes for his ideal Plan A (playing again) and Plan B (coaching with the Indians)

Zack Meisel Jun 17, 2018 2

One​ scar spans​ the length​ of Mike Napoli’s knee,​ a straight, maroon​ line down the​ center​ of his​ right leg.​​ The other scar is tucked to the side of his kneecap, inconspicuous but just as permanent.

Napoli can walk again. His range of motion and leg strength have returned. But this is shaping up to be a miserable summer for the 36-year-old who refuses to wave goodbye to the game.

He still deals with pain in his knee, after early-May surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus. He struggles to find a comfortable sleeping position. And, worst of all, he has been relegated to the role of observer. Instead of touring the country’s wealth of ballparks, he’s stuck completing grueling rehab workouts, watching baseball on TV and powering through one Netflix series after another. (Evil Genius and The Staircase are his two latest binge-watches.)

If it’s up to Napoli, though, he hasn’t taken his final professional hacks. He isn’t quite ready to call it a career, even though his phone wasn’t exactly ringing off the hook this past winter. Napoli plans to train as if he’ll join some big-league camp next spring. If that fails, well, he has other ideas.

“I’d love to manage one day,” Napoli said. “That’s something I’d love to do and feel like I’d be good at, to be able to manage people and get the best out of people. I know the game. And, (with) the relationship I have with (Terry Francona), I’m pretty sure that, in this organization, I’d be able to start somewhere from the bottom up and try to move my way up to be able to do that.”

Napoli doesn’t regret traveling the path that led him to the home dugout at Progressive Field on Saturday afternoon, laughing as Michael Brantley held a microphone within a few inches of his patented beard. He joined the Indians in spring training, knowing it was a kind gesture, essentially an audition for other teams and a chance to mentor Bobby Bradley and other youngsters in camp.

When there were no big-league bites, he packed his bags for Columbus. But just two weeks into the season, he stumbled over the bullpen mound while chasing a pop fly at Huntington Park and mangled his knee. He heard a pop. He writhed on the ground in pain. He left on a cart.

The concerns flooded his mind.

What am I going to do? What am I going to be able to do?

“It was depressing,” he said.

And yet, no regrets.

“It’s what I had to do,” Napoli said. “There’s not really anything else I could do. I didn’t want to retire.”



Once he received his diagnosis and organized his thoughts, he established his plan.

“I’m going to train like I’m going to play next year,” Napoli said. “When it’s time to make that decision, I’ll make it, but I still really want to play. I don’t want to go out like that. I feel like I can still play. We’ll see. We’ll see what opportunities there will be and go from there.”

All he knows is baseball. He has played professionally since the turn of the century. It’s foreign to him to watch as a casual observer before spring officially passes the baton to summer.

The routine has already worn on him. He took a break last week to return home to Dallas.

“It’s weird. It’s different.” He said. “I had to go home and just get away, be with my family and not watch baseball.”

On Saturday, he visited his old friends in the dugout and clubhouse he called home two years ago, when he batted in the middle of the Indians’ lineup and forged tight bonds with everyone in the clubhouse, from Brantley to José Ramírez to Jason Kipnis to Erik González, who greeted him with a bear hug. When Napoli arrived at the team’s complex this spring, Josh Tomlin jumped on his back. Francisco Lindor shouted in excitement. Francona prattled on about what the positive influence the veteran wielded.

He’d do anything to join them on the diamond again, either as a teammate or an opponent. That remains his primary focus. But if it isn’t meant to be, he hopes he can stick around the sport in some other capacity.

“I want to be in this game,” he said. “This is what I know.”

He joined the Indians in spring training, knowing it was a kind gesture, essentially an audition for other teams and a chance to mentor Bobby Bradley and other youngsters in camp.

Well Bradley is hitting .190 this year and striking out twice as much as he walks in his second year in AA, so, well done. He rubbed off on him.

We heard in spring training that Bradley was in great shape, having lost a lot of weight in the offseason. It certainly hasn't helped his game although it's probably good for his health.

Great article on Indians.com for Father's Day about Cody Allen and his wife suffering through two miscarriages during the 2016 season and now celebrating their son's 1st birthday. Great reminder that these guys are just people, and young men for that matter, who deal with real lives outside of the ball park.

Meisel’s Musings: Trade-deadline planning, Brandon Guyer’s MLB-best ERA and the adventures of José Ramírez

Zack Meisel 2h ago 1
The​ Indians broadcast​ video on​ the clubhouse TVs of​ that day’s opposing​ starting pitcher. As​ hitters​ filter in​ and out​​ of the room, they’ll occasionally glance at the monitors and take note of the guy’s arsenal or approach.

José Ramírez walked to his locker on Sunday morning, peered at me and pointed to a TV in the center of the room.

“Look,” he said.

I turned around. Right on cue, the digital Ramírez clubbed a home run to right field off Jake Odorizzi, a sequence from the opening game in the Puerto Rico Series in mid-April. As the ball sailed into the stands, Ramírez mimicked his swing with his hands and said, “Boom.”

How else did Ramírez spend his Sunday morning?

He stood eye to eye with a reporter more than twice his age and jokingly challenged him to a fight in the middle of the clubhouse. When the reporter suggested it would take Ramírez about 10 seconds to score a TKO, Ramírez corrected him.

“Two seconds,” he said.

He then reached into a cardboard box and pulled out a pack of sky blue Father’s Day armbands and offered them to a group of writers. (We all politely declined.)

Ramírez roped Greg Allen into a game of ping pong. A couple of minutes into the bout, Allen smacked the ball to the corner of the table and it whizzed past Ramírez. The third baseman shrugged his shoulders, tossed his racket onto the table and switched gears, as he dragged Adam Plutko over to the Mario Kart station for a quick race.

There’s never a dull moment when Ramírez is around.

OK, on to more serious matters (and more not-so-serious matters).

Ramírez is enjoying one of the most powerful first halves in team history.

Most home runs through the team’s 70th game:
t-1. 25, Al Rosen (1950)
t-1. 25, Albert Belle (1996)
3. 23, Rocky Colavito (1959)
4. 21, José Ramírez (2018)

State of the union
The Indians hold a 2.5-game lead on the Tigers in the AL Central, but one front-office executive said it sometimes feels as though the club actually trails by that margin, given Cleveland’s erratic performance. The team has been treading water in the shallow end, which, understandably, might make fans uneasy about its chances of floating in the deep end in October.

The roster seems … inefficient. There’s time to rectify that, of course, but we’re only six weeks from the non-waiver trade deadline.

Ramírez and Francisco Lindor rank second and fourth, respectively, among AL position players in WAR. Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber and Mike Clevinger all rank in the top 10 among AL pitchers in WAR.

And yet, the club can’t seem to string together victories.

It doesn’t require a microscope, some beakers and an analysis from Bill Nye to determine the reasons for that. The roster has proven mighty top-heavy to this point.

The bullpen boasts a 5.38 ERA, the second-worst mark of any team, though Oliver Perez and Neil Ramírez have stabilized things a bit in recent weeks.

The lineup features some black holes, as Jason Kipnis and the center-field crew continue to struggle at the plate. Tyler Naquin could remedy that, likely at the expense of some defense.

The Indians hope to learn the precise prognosis for Carlos Carrasco — the baseball’s seams left marks on his right elbow — on Monday. The club placed him on the 10-day disabled list Sunday. The rotation has carried the Indians so far, at times offsetting the bullpen’s ineptitude. They need their horses to stay healthy as they attempt to establish an effective reliever hierarchy. They haven’t played like a team that wields much margin for error, so losing Carrasco for an extended period would be a damaging blow.

The Indians have obvious needs. That should eliminate some of the small talk that can precede trade negotiations. They can skip the “So what are you looking for?” step and advance to the “OK, here’s who we covet” stage.

Yes, the Indians are monitoring the relief market, always the most popular aisle at the trade store. Andrew Miller appears to be weeks away. Nick Goody experienced a setback along his recovery trail. Expect the Indians to target both short- and long-term pieces.

A right-handed bat could help, but they have yet to exhaust their in-house options. Remember Yandy Diaz? He and his volleyball, Wilson, keep waiting for someone to notice them. He has cemented himself as an elite base-reacher (.434 on-base percentage) who won’t hit for much power. One would think the Indians need to grant him an opportunity at some point, especially if Kipnis can’t locate the on-switch on his Louisville Slugger. (One could also argue this sort of move is well past due.) Diaz turns 27 in early August.

Francisco Mejía, who entered the games Sunday with a 1.190 OPS in 43 plate appearances in June, also deserves a shot at some point. One source said reports on his outfield defense at Class AAA have been really encouraging. The Indians’ needs, though, are fluid. They had a mess in the outfield a few weeks ago. Now, Lonnie Chisenhall (.340/.426/.453 slash line), Brandon Guyer (.856 OPS vs. lefties, MLB-best 0.00 ERA) and Naquin (.333/.360/.452 slash line) are healthy. Maybe Mejía will receive a chance behind the plate if Roberto Pérez continues to struggle with his stick.

One move the Indians won’t make: an overpay for a rental, including Orioles star Manny Machado. The Indians aren’t in favor of shipping out a top prospect or two for someone bound to play elsewhere in 2019.

Pitching with a twist
At one point during Oliver Perez’s delivery, his back is completely turned to the catcher.

“He keeps you on your toes,” Yan Gomes said, “like, literally, keeps me on my toes.”

Perez twists his wrist while looking in for the sign, twists his body as he begins his delivery, peers toward center field and then uncoils toward home plate, often leaving the hitter guessing what is coming his way, when it’s coming and where it’s going.

“I just always have to be looking at him,” Gomes said. “He catches me by surprise sometimes. It’s one of those things where, if you’re facing him, you don’t like him, but the fact that he’s on our team, you think it’s great.”

Perez is the last lefty standing (for now), with Miller and Tyler Olson on the shelf. He has limited the opposition to one run over seven innings, with no walks and seven strikeouts, since joining the Indians’ battered relief corps at the start of the month.

“There’s a lot to like there,” Terry Francona said. “I think we caught a break.”


Brandon Guyer ranks tied for first in MLB history with a 0.00 ERA. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Bullpen auditions

Guyer topped out at 79 mph during his eight-pitch scoreless inning Saturday. Here’s how those eight pitchers registered with the league’s Statcast data.

77 mph slider
78 mph changeup
78 mph changeup
77 mph changeup
78 mph changeup
79 mph changeup
79 mph changeup
78 mph changeup

Well, those weren’t changeups. And, no, Guyer didn’t mix in a slider. Those were all fastballs.

“In the back of my head, I wanted to throw some off-speed stuff,” Guyer said, “but is it really worth it?”

Guyer said he “was a pretty good pitcher back in the day,” but he underwent elbow surgery when he was 12, which forced him from the mound. He made his long-awaited return on Saturday.

“That is kind of nerve-wracking,” he said. “It’s weird being on elevation, looking down like that.”

Why Guyer? Francona said he trusted the outfielder not to overexert himself. Ah, but what if the outfielder with an uncanny propensity for being plunked sought redemption?

“Crossed my mind,” Guyer said. “I wanted to see what it was like to hit somebody and not get hit, but then I was like, ‘You know what, it might just feel better just to get them out.’ ”

Meisel’s Musings: Trade-deadline planning, Brandon Guyer’s MLB-best ERA and the adventures of José Ramírez

Zack Meisel 2h ago 1
The​ Indians broadcast​ video on​ the clubhouse TVs of​ that day’s opposing​ starting pitcher. As​ hitters​ filter in​ and out​​ of the room, they’ll occasionally glance at the monitors and take note of the guy’s arsenal or approach.

José Ramírez walked to his locker on Sunday morning, peered at me and pointed to a TV in the center of the room.

“Look,” he said.

I turned around. Right on cue, the digital Ramírez clubbed a home run to right field off Jake Odorizzi, a sequence from the opening game in the Puerto Rico Series in mid-April. As the ball sailed into the stands, Ramírez mimicked his swing with his hands and said, “Boom.”

How else did Ramírez spend his Sunday morning?

He stood eye to eye with a reporter more than twice his age and jokingly challenged him to a fight in the middle of the clubhouse. When the reporter suggested it would take Ramírez about 10 seconds to score a TKO, Ramírez corrected him.

“Two seconds,” he said.

He then reached into a cardboard box and pulled out a pack of sky blue Father’s Day armbands and offered them to a group of writers. (We all politely declined.)

Ramírez roped Greg Allen into a game of ping pong. A couple of minutes into the bout, Allen smacked the ball to the corner of the table and it whizzed past Ramírez. The third baseman shrugged his shoulders, tossed his racket onto the table and switched gears, as he dragged Adam Plutko over to the Mario Kart station for a quick race.

There’s never a dull moment when Ramírez is around.

OK, on to more serious matters (and more not-so-serious matters).

Ramírez is enjoying one of the most powerful first halves in team history.

Most home runs through the team’s 70th game:
t-1. 25, Al Rosen (1950)
t-1. 25, Albert Belle (1996)
3. 23, Rocky Colavito (1959)
4. 21, José Ramírez (2018)

State of the union
The Indians hold a 2.5-game lead on the Tigers in the AL Central, but one front-office executive said it sometimes feels as though the club actually trails by that margin, given Cleveland’s erratic performance. The team has been treading water in the shallow end, which, understandably, might make fans uneasy about its chances of floating in the deep end in October.

The roster seems … inefficient. There’s time to rectify that, of course, but we’re only six weeks from the non-waiver trade deadline.

Ramírez and Francisco Lindor rank second and fourth, respectively, among AL position players in WAR. Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber and Mike Clevinger all rank in the top 10 among AL pitchers in WAR.

And yet, the club can’t seem to string together victories.

It doesn’t require a microscope, some beakers and an analysis from Bill Nye to determine the reasons for that. The roster has proven mighty top-heavy to this point.

The bullpen boasts a 5.38 ERA, the second-worst mark of any team, though Oliver Perez and Neil Ramírez have stabilized things a bit in recent weeks.

The lineup features some black holes, as Jason Kipnis and the center-field crew continue to struggle at the plate. Tyler Naquin could remedy that, likely at the expense of some defense.

The Indians hope to learn the precise prognosis for Carlos Carrasco — the baseball’s seams left marks on his right elbow — on Monday. The club placed him on the 10-day disabled list Sunday. The rotation has carried the Indians so far, at times offsetting the bullpen’s ineptitude. They need their horses to stay healthy as they attempt to establish an effective reliever hierarchy. They haven’t played like a team that wields much margin for error, so losing Carrasco for an extended period would be a damaging blow.

The Indians have obvious needs. That should eliminate some of the small talk that can precede trade negotiations. They can skip the “So what are you looking for?” step and advance to the “OK, here’s who we covet” stage.

Yes, the Indians are monitoring the relief market, always the most popular aisle at the trade store. Andrew Miller appears to be weeks away. Nick Goody experienced a setback along his recovery trail. Expect the Indians to target both short- and long-term pieces.

A right-handed bat could help, but they have yet to exhaust their in-house options. Remember Yandy Diaz? He and his volleyball, Wilson, keep waiting for someone to notice them. He has cemented himself as an elite base-reacher (.434 on-base percentage) who won’t hit for much power. One would think the Indians need to grant him an opportunity at some point, especially if Kipnis can’t locate the on-switch on his Louisville Slugger. (One could also argue this sort of move is well past due.) Diaz turns 27 in early August.

Francisco Mejía, who entered the games Sunday with a 1.190 OPS in 43 plate appearances in June, also deserves a shot at some point. One source said reports on his outfield defense at Class AAA have been really encouraging. The Indians’ needs, though, are fluid. They had a mess in the outfield a few weeks ago. Now, Lonnie Chisenhall (.340/.426/.453 slash line), Brandon Guyer (.856 OPS vs. lefties, MLB-best 0.00 ERA) and Naquin (.333/.360/.452 slash line) are healthy. Maybe Mejía will receive a chance behind the plate if Roberto Pérez continues to struggle with his stick.

One move the Indians won’t make: an overpay for a rental, including Orioles star Manny Machado. The Indians aren’t in favor of shipping out a top prospect or two for someone bound to play elsewhere in 2019.

Pitching with a twist
At one point during Oliver Perez’s delivery, his back is completely turned to the catcher.

“He keeps you on your toes,” Yan Gomes said, “like, literally, keeps me on my toes.”

Perez twists his wrist while looking in for the sign, twists his body as he begins his delivery, peers toward center field and then uncoils toward home plate, often leaving the hitter guessing what is coming his way, when it’s coming and where it’s going.

“I just always have to be looking at him,” Gomes said. “He catches me by surprise sometimes. It’s one of those things where, if you’re facing him, you don’t like him, but the fact that he’s on our team, you think it’s great.”

Perez is the last lefty standing (for now), with Miller and Tyler Olson on the shelf. He has limited the opposition to one run over seven innings, with no walks and seven strikeouts, since joining the Indians’ battered relief corps at the start of the month.

“There’s a lot to like there,” Terry Francona said. “I think we caught a break.”


Brandon Guyer ranks tied for first in MLB history with a 0.00 ERA. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Bullpen auditions
Guyer topped out at 79 mph during his eight-pitch scoreless inning Saturday. Here’s how those eight pitchers registered with the league’s Statcast data.

77 mph slider
78 mph changeup
78 mph changeup
77 mph changeup
78 mph changeup
79 mph changeup
79 mph changeup
78 mph changeup

Well, those weren’t changeups. And, no, Guyer didn’t mix in a slider. Those were all fastballs.

“In the back of my head, I wanted to throw some off-speed stuff,” Guyer said, “but is it really worth it?”

Guyer said he “was a pretty good pitcher back in the day,” but he underwent elbow surgery when he was 12, which forced him from the mound. He made his long-awaited return on Saturday.

“That is kind of nerve-wracking,” he said. “It’s weird being on elevation, looking down like that.”

Why Guyer? Francona said he trusted the outfielder not to overexert himself. Ah, but what if the outfielder with an uncanny propensity for being plunked sought redemption?

“Crossed my mind,” Guyer said. “I wanted to see what it was like to hit somebody and not get hit, but then I was like, ‘You know what, it might just feel better just to get them out.’ ”
A day for the dads

Evan Marshall rejoined the Indians on his first Father’s Day as a father. His wife, Allie, and his son, Ryan — who was born during a chaotic stretch for the family earlier this season — traveled from their home in Wichita to Columbus a few days ago. Marshall has shuttled between Class AAA and the majors this season. His wife and son joined him at Progressive Field for the first time Sunday.

Starting 9: The center-field question mark and a case for Tyler Naquin, pitching depth is fleeting, and more

Travis Sawchik 2h ago 3

1:​ Center field​ remains a​ potential area of need​ for the Indians,​ and it remains​ in​ flux as​ the club​​ activated Tyler Naquin from the disabled list last week and thrust him into center. Naquin earned three consecutive starts over the weekend. After Bradley Zimmer was demoted earlier this month, Greg Allen appears to be the most recent odd man out of work in center field where the Indians rank 25th in the majors with 0.0 WAR from their center fielders. The Indians have only produced less value in right field (-0.1 WAR) among position groups, according to FanGraphs.

Naquin deserves an extended look in center. In 494 career plate appearances, Naquin has a .296/.360/.482 slash line and 123 wRC+. It’s above-average offensive production, though it’s inflated by Naquin’s career batting average on balls in play of .401 to date. Still, Naquin might be the best offensive option the club has internally in center field and perhaps the club can live with his uneven defensive game there. Given the strikeout nature of the staff, and the strikeout levels of the game, the number of defensive chances in the sport have declined by 20 percent in a decade. It makes sense for the Indians to explore trading some offense for defense in center.

Due to injuries last season, the Indians were willing to experiment with Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis in center field. Kipnis, who hadn’t regularly played center field since his days at Arizona State, started in center field in the ALDS against the Yankees.

Rajai Davis has a career 107 wRC+ against left-handed pitching and he might be able to form an effective platoon with Naquin in center.

2: The Indians could also look at external upgrades. The Blue Jays, which ought to begin shedding assets, have a center fielder in Kevin Pillar who could impact the game defensively, though he might be enough of an overall upgrade over an Allen, Zimmer of Naquin to pay a premium to acquire. Adam Jones might be available but he’s also in decline. If the Indians really want to become creative, this contributor has suggested the Reds out to move the elite base-running and center-field defending Billy Hamilton to a contender where he becomes an unusual super-sub who could better impact games and utilize his speed and defense in entering games early as a pinch-runner and then remaining in the game in center field.


3: While the average major-league starter’s pitches per start have fallen to a record low 90 pitches per start, the Astros (100 pitches) and Indians (99) are outliers with their starters.

While modern sabermetric thought has it that starters should pitch less deep into games and typically avoid facing opponents three or more times, the Astros’ and Indians’ starters are still superior than most of their bullpen options in the mid and even later innings. Still, the Indians ought to be careful about wearing down their starting pitchers in the first half of the season.

For instance, Corey Kluber — who missed a month last season — saw his velocity drop in his last inning Friday and was limited to 65 pitches.


Brandon Warne
✔
@Brandon_Warne
Something possibly worth noting:

Corey Kluber threw just one pitch 90 mph in the sixth inning before departing with 65 pitches yesterday.

His average four-seamer was 92.8 for the day, but he was throwing 87-88 against Morrison before leaving.

A day later, Carlos Carrasco was hit with a line drive and had to leave his start, though he apparently avoided serious injury as X-rays were negative. He’s been placed on the disabled list. The Indians know how fleeting starting pitching depth is as Carrasco missed the 2016 postseason.

4: In regard to starting pitching depth, Shane Bieber’s start Sunday was encouraging as he struck out seven and walked just one in picking up his first major-league win. Bieber is regarded as the second-best pitching prospect in the system after Triston McKenzie, but he might have the highest floor as some evaluators have projected his command to have a future grade of 80, the top mark on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. Bieber’s emergence would help allow the Indians to stay out of the starting pitching market this summer should they have a depth need.

5: Speaking of breakouts, entering the weekend, over the prior month, Trevor Bauer led all major-league pitchers in WAR (2.1) followed by the Mets’ Jacob deGrom and Kluber. If the first half ended today, there’s no doubt Bauer should be on the All-Star Game roster. Bauer is not only the most deserving first-time, All-Star candidate in the game but also an AL Cy Young contender. Bauer is fifth in baseball in pitching WAR and trails only Justin Verlander and Luis Severino in the American League.

Eight All-Star pitchers are selected by players (Five starters and three relievers) and four are selected by the commissioner’s office.

6: Bauer has given the Indians another legit top-of-the-rotation presence, which is crucial come October. He has been surging with four consecutive 10-plus strikeout performances. The slider he developed over the offseason has become a legit-plus offering along with his curveball. His command continues to improve, and he’s averaged at least 95 mph with his fastball in every start since April 25. Few talk about Bauer’s changeup, but it has the same amount of fade (-10 inches) as Stephen Strasburg’s changeup.

7: While the Indians’ starting rotation has been improving (assuming it remains healthy) and can perhaps challenge the Astros for supremacy in the American League, which is crucial in the postseason, the Indians bullpen has quietly been settling down. Neil Ramírez has been a find as has veteran lefty Oliver Perez. Perez gives the Indians another left-handed option which should help allow the club to place Tyler Olson, when he is healthy, into more of a left-handed specialist role.

Olson has faced 40 left-handed and 39 right-handed batters this season. Righties are slashing .353/.436/.647 against him. Lefties?.216/.275/.378. Olson, when he returns, shouldn’t face so many right-handed batters.

The Indians have made some upgrades cheaply. Perez, career .228/.317/.365 slash line versus lefties, helps. Ramirez helps. But there is still improvement to be made, particularly from the right-handed side in the bullpen.

8: One benefit of playing in the AL Central is the Indians can essentially focus on moves that will optimize their playoff roster in October. The Indians have 96 percent odds of reaching the postseason, according to FanGraphs. Their only real competition, the Twins, are under .500 and own 5 percent odds. While the Indians rotation is shaping into form, assuming it remains healthy, while the bullpen is improving, it still makes some sense to try to add at least one above-average reliever to strengthen and
deepen the bullpen and provide insurance should Andrew Miller or Cody Allen not be healthy in October.

Bullpen innings keep increasing in October as the game continues to specialize to seek favorable matchups in leverage situations. The game also warps in the postseason as there are more off days and urgency, teams shed fifth and sometimes fourth starters. For instance, last season, bullpens accounted for a major-league record 38.1 percent of innings thrown in the regular season. In the postseason, bullpens accounted for 46.4 percent of the innings.

9: The Indians placed five prospects on FanGraphs’ midseason updated rankings in Francisco Mejia (No. 19), Triston McKenzie (No. 48), Shane Bieber (No. 64), Yu Chang (No. 70) and Bobby Bradley (No. 101). Baseball America has video and an update on McKenzie, who has made two starts in returning from his forearm injury. McKenzie gets high marks for his fastball command and the shape and depth of his curveball. If the Indians want to make a major add at the deadline, they have the young assets to do it. The Padres and Orioles are non-contenders loaded with bullpen assets.


STAT OF THE WEEK: 4

Number of American League teams with playoff odds above 95 percent, according to FanGraphs: Indians, Yankees, Astros and Red Sox.

STAT OF THE WEEK II: 9

Number of American League teams with playoff odds below 5 percent, according to FanGraphs: Blue Jays, Orioles, Rays, Tigers, Royals, White Sox, Twins, A’s and Rangers.

STAT OF THE WEEK: 8.3

Combined WAR of José Ramírez (4.6) and Francisco Lindor (3.7), who rank second and fourth among position players in WAR. (Mike Trout ranks first and Mookie Betts ranks third.) Ramirez and Lindor have accounted for 70.3 percent of the Indians’ position player WAR. Few if any teams lean more upon two stars than the Indians.

HE SAID IT

“I’m not a power hitter, I continue to say I’m not a power hitter. When I try to hit home runs, they don’t go out, and I slump. Whenever I stick to my game plan, which is line drives, they go out. And that’s how I know I’m not a power hitter. And José’s not a power hitter, either. He learned how to hit. He always knew how to hit, but he became better and he’s driving the ball.” — Lindor, who is a power hitter … as is Ramírez.

What’s interesting is that in recent years it is elite contact hitters, like Lindor, Ramírez and Justin Turner in Los Angeles and Daniel Murphy in Washington, who have been able to add loft and power. As the scouting axiom goes, it’s easier to teach a hitter power than how to contact the ball.

Agree or disagree, Trevor Bauer hopes his strong beliefs help others have confidence to share their own

T.J. Zuppe 6h ago 25
“Everybody​ that knows​ who I​ am, they either hate​ me or they​ love me. There​ are​ very few​ people in​​ the middle.”

It was fitting that Trevor Bauer would speak those words in the visitors clubhouse last month at Minute Maid Park.

Beyond the locker room doors and winding hallways would soon sit nearly 30,000 Astros fans, most ready to offer a not-so-pleasant rebuttal to any perceived notions from Bauer — real or unintended.

Oh, you remember the subtle connections to their home team’s love of pine tar and other sticky substances. It didn’t matter to them that he later clarified his frustrations were with baseball’s nonchalance toward the topic — not any particular team or individual player.

But given the amount of time Bauer has devoted to studying how foreign substances can help grip, increase spin rates and have an impact on performance, he wasn’t going to back down from his desire to see some form of it legalized — a way to even the playing field if the rule won’t be enforced with any regularity — simply because it ruffled a few feathers.

“I speak up for what I value or how I see things, my perspective,” Bauer said. “If somebody wants to tell me to get lost and they don’t give a crap, then that’s fine. But if people want to take a look at what I’m saying and investigate it themselves, then that’s fine, too. I don’t say things just firing from the hip with no evidence or no research or anything behind them.”

Maybe that means the opinionated hurler is not for everyone.

To some degree, Bauer seems to enjoy what makes him different from your average big-league hurler. Some of that is related to the unique way he trains. Those methods haven’t always been universally accepted. More of it comes from how often he speaks out on topics he’s passionate about, no matter how much backlash he receives.

This year, we’ve seen him sound off on pitcher use of sticky substances and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s pace-of-play initiative.

But beyond the strong opinions, ultra competitiveness, unique pitching methods and uncanny ability to strengthen the line between love and hate, he believes there’s a different lesson at play — one he hopes trickles down to those that have watched his career unfold.

“I think of it more so in relation to children and kids growing up,” Bauer said, “to not be scared to be yourself and talk about what you’re passionate about and share your opinion.”

And not just when that opinion is popular.

“A LOT OF PEOPLE TELL ME I’M NOT A VERY GOOD ROLE MODEL, BUT I VIEW THINGS DIFFERENTLY,” BAUER SAID. “WHEN I RAISE MY KIDS, I WANT THEM TO QUESTION WHAT THEY’RE TAUGHT. I WANT THEM TO QUESTION WHAT PEOPLE SAY. I WANT THEM TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES. I WANT THEM TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THEMSELVES, THE VALUE THAT THEIR THOUGHTS AND THEIR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY HAVE, AND I WANT THEM TO STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES. AGAIN, THAT GOES BACK TO THAT’S HOW I CHOOSE TO LIVE MY LIFE. IT MIGHT NOT BE HOW (OTHERS) CHOOSE TO LIVE THEIRS, AND THAT’S FINE. BUT THAT’S HOW I CHOOSE TO LIVE MINE.”

Bauer wishes more were comfortable enough to share their genuine thoughts. After all, postgame clichés have never been his thing. But he also understands how his own words and opinions can land him in “hot water,” even when it’s unintentional. That said, he’s willing to embrace it — provided he’s able to shed light on important topics or offer some thought-provoking commentary.

Maybe some of his desire to instill confidence in others is due to his own hardships. He doesn’t hide from the difficulties he experienced trying to fit in. But rather than fight what makes each individual different, the hard-throwing hurler believes those differences should be embraced.

“People — especially growing up — there’s bullying and cliques and who’s popular,” Bauer said. “You like being in school, you’re a nerd. It’s a bad thing. But then, it’s a good thing sometimes. It’s such tumultuous time going through middle school and high school and stuff. So, if I can help kids have some confidence that, look, it’s OK to be this or be that or just be yourself — whoever yourself is — that’s kind of the role model I like to be.”

Some might scoff at the thought.

Maybe they’d point to his Twitter interactions with fans. Perhaps they’d shake their heads at his emotional displays on the mound. Or maybe they’d single out his comedic use of “69” and “420” references — never acknowledging how he used those numbers to put focus on charity and giving back to the less fortunate, a 69-day initiative that culminated in a $69,420.69 donation to Max S. Hayes High School in Cleveland.

Still, some will remain alienated by his methods. Others might not agree with his political opinions or might not approve of the manner in which he raises concerns. But those are all small details in a larger picture, and there’s one major element that can’t be argued.

Bauer is having the best year of his career.

His earned-run average sits at 2.69 (because of course it does). Since May 30 last season, he’s carried a 3.07 ERA and 28 percent strikeout rate through just more than 220 innings. He holds the majors’ fifth-highest WAR total this year, via FanGraphs. He’s striking out hitters at a career-high rate, while walking hitters and allowing homers at career-low percentages.

And something funny happens when you start to have success — people start taking you a lot more seriously.

Those quirky things Bauer did between starts? Friendlier terms begin to describe it. The way he trains his arm and body, everything from his long toss routines to his infamous shoulder tube (really, how does that thing not have its own Twitter account)? Suddenly, they earn fewer dismissive looks.

When it comes to the perceptions of Bauer, sure, few people occupy the middle. But as he’s developed into a legitimate All-Star candidate and early Cy Young contender, more have seemingly trickled over to the love side.

The strong emotional responses he elicits help shed light on why the spectrum is still so split on the talented starter.

“At the end of the day, it’s my right to speak this way,” Bauer said. “I’ll deal with the consequences myself, and people will either like it or they won’t. But there’s a reason why I’m as polarizing as I am.”