Cleveland Sports Forum

As for the Indians prospects on that list, one that's doubtful is: Bobby Bradley (No. 101
Bobby is back where he played last season and he's hitting far worse. RH 1B-only guys have a mountain to climb to prove their worth and he's slipping off the precipice. still young but he, unlike Mejia, has not done anything to turn around his season.

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

T.J. Zuppe writes on Greg Allen:



Too often, when a young player is sent back to the minors, managers and coaches hide behind a vague need for the demoted player to "work on things" at Triple-A. Rarely, however, do they offer specific examples of what that youngster needs to do to drastically (or even incrementally) improve their craft.



Refreshingly, that wasn't the case this week following the Indians' decision to option Greg Allen.



Allen, arguably the best defensive center fielder in the system, struggled to string together many hits after his promotion, but after gaining some significant playing time in mid-to-late May, the switch-hitter posted a .345 average and .904 OPS in 17 games. However, after falling into a 1-for-33 stretch since June 2, the 25-year-old was the casualty of a return to health by Lonnie Chisenhall and Tyler Naquin. As a result, he was sent back to the Clippers on Monday following the return of Yonder Alonso from the Family Medical Emergency List.



At the very least, Allen projects as an extremely useful fourth outfielder, a platoon-immune stick with the ability to play all three outfield slots and wreak havoc on the bases. Perhaps, there's even room to grow into an even larger role, an outcome which will largely be determined by his offensive development.



When Terry Francona was asked what the message was to Allen this week -- a question that typically leads to those vague answers we discussed -- Francona broke the mold and offered some very specific details.



"The biggest thing was to try to enjoy doing the little things to help a team win," Francona said. "The hitting part is obvious. He's got things to work on, and he knows that. But, when you do it in Triple-A or Double-A, and then you play in the Major Leagues, the guys learn quickly how one play can change a game."



Francona then pointed to a specific example.



"I kind of brought up to him the play in Chicago last week where on a stolen base, Roberto (Perez) threw it away," Francona explained. "If he's there quicker (to back up the throw), that guy can't move up to third. You know, it could change the game. It doesn't mean we're going to win, but a guy on third with less than two outs, as opposed to a guy on second, is a big difference.



"I said, 'Those are things that when you're in the minor leagues, that's development. When you're here, it directly impacts us winning and losing.' So, I said, 'The more you can embrace trying to be good at those things, (the more valuable you'll be).' "



Francona has praised Allen's attention to detail in the past, so it's easy to expect the young center fielder will grasp the concepts presented following his latest stint in the majors. Picking up those subtle particulars makes any time spent with the big league club valuable to any developing player, and the ones that can implement those details into their every day play typically get the most out of those experiences.



"(Brad Mills) was in there, too, and he used a good word," Francona said. "He said, 'You can build up momentum even without getting hits.' And I thought it was a really good way of saying it."

Rosenthal: Why were the Royals so quick to deal Kelvin Herrera?


By Ken Rosenthal Jun 19, 2018 24
Why​ now?

Why didn’t​ the Kansas​ City Royals just wait​ for a better​ deal than the​ one​ they received​ from the​​ Washington Nationals for right-hander Kelvin Herrera, one of the best relievers available in trade?

A number of rival executives expressed surprise the Royals accepted the Nationals’ offer of Double A third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez, High A outfielder Blake Perkins and 17-year-old right-hander Yohanse Morel on Monday, more than six weeks before the non-waiver deadline.

One of those execs cited Herrera’s most recent outing, last Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, as a possible factor in the Royals’ thinking. Herrera, 29, entered that game with a 1-0 lead in the ninth inning and blew his second save, issuing his first two walks of the season and allowing a homer to Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart. In the middle of the inning, manager Ned Yost and one of the Royals’ athletic trainers visited Herrera on the mound, seemingly checking on his health.

Herrera’s velocity was mostly in his usual 95 to 97 mph range during his 31-pitch outing, but also dipped as low as 92-93. Unlike last September, when he could be seen shaking his arm and was shut down for five days with a forearm strain, he gave no outward appearance of discomfort (Herrera struggled initially after returning from that strain, but finished the season strongly).

This is a pitcher who has appeared in 442 major league games over eight seasons without once going on the disabled list, a pitcher who before last Tuesday was 14-for-15 in save opportunities with a 0.73 ERA, albeit with his lowest strikeout rate since 2014.

The Royals’ Dayton Moore — perhaps the most honorable executive in the game, and the last general manager who would be accused of trading damaged goods — dismissed any notion that Herrera’s last outing persuaded him to act sooner rather than later.

“Not at all,” Moore said on Tuesday. “If we didn’t get the right deal, we would simply have not moved him.

“I’ve got complete confidence in Kelvin, complete confidence in his ability to continue to pitch well throughout the year. I’ve known this kid since we’ve been here in Kansas City. He’s one of the first kids we signed (Moore became Royals GM in June 2006; the team signed Herrera out of the Dominican Republic that December). I know and trust and believe in him. It didn’t bother me a bit. We know the player.”

Last Tuesday’s outing?

“(Catcher) Salvador Perez called Ned and the trainer out,” Moore said. “There was no issue with him at all. There is nothing on the medical. There’s nothing.”

Herrera, it turned out, was simply having trouble gripping the ball against the Reds, Moore said.

So, Herrera is sound?

“Completely,” Moore said.

Herrera certainly looked sound on Tuesday night, when he threw 96 to 98 mph in his first appearance for the Nationals, needing only six pitches to complete a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

Before every trade, clubs vigorously examine the medical records of each player involved. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said his team also scouted Herrera four times in person, spoke with people who knew him and instructed their doctors and athletic trainers to review Herrera’s history with their counterparts from the Royals.

The Nats did not scout Herrera’s last outing in person, but Rizzo said he watches extensive video of every trade candidate and was aware of the pitcher’s difficulties that night.

“It gives you pause to think, Is he hurt?” Rizzo said. “But our medical people were very satisfied with what they saw and heard. I have to trust my medical people and trust his track record. We feel comfortable about it.”

The Nationals assumed the approximately $4.45 million remaining of Herrera’s $7.9375 million salary, enabling them to part with lesser prospects. The Royals saved about $1.8 million by trading Herrera on Monday instead of waiting until the July 31 deadline, and also eliminated the risk of him suffering an injury before they could move.

The way one rival executive saw it, the Royals had three options once the Nationals made their offer:

*Jump at it as the Royals did, hasty though it might have appeared.

*Shop the offer and try to get a better deal.

*Wait and gamble the eventual return likely will be just as good, if not better.

Moore, however, liked the idea of getting two position players with upside — MLBPipeline.com rated Gutierrez, 23, the Nationals’ No. 10 prospect, and Perkins, 21, No. 11. The Royals, in full rebuild mode, recently selected pitchers with their first five draft picks and eight of their first 10.

According to one rival executive, Gutierrez might prove similar to former Royals third baseman Joe Randa, playing good defense and providing league-average offense, if not much power. Perkins, an above-average center fielder with speed, needs to develop as a switch-hitter to project as a regular. Morel, a lottery ticket signed out of the Dominican Republic, recently made his professional debut.

“The thing we knew about Perkins and Gutierrez is that they have a chance to be elite defenders,” Moore said. “Offensively, they’re continuing to develop. It’s very difficult to predict who is going to hit, especially at the major league level. But we knew their makeups were very good. As you try to build your future major league team, we want to build it on pitching and elite defense.

“When we traded for (shortstop Alcides) Escobar and (center fielder Lorenzo) Cain, there wasn’t anyone in the industry who wrote that they were going to be offensive players,” Moore continued, referring to the Royals’ trade of right-hander Zack Greinke and shortstop Yuliesky Betancourt to the Milwaukee Brewers on Dec. 19, 2010, which also brought right-handers Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress to Kansas City.

“In fact, the industry felt neither one of them was going to hit. We didn’t know if they were going to hit, either. But we knew they were elite defenders and athletes, that they would have a chance to develop offensively. We were going to play them and believe in them because of their defensive ability. It’s the same type of philosophy.”

Moore said the Nationals were the most aggressive club on Herrera, while others were “just kind of waiting and seeing what was going to be available, where their team was going to be.” Whatever the outcome of the deal — which from the Royals’ end will take years to determine — Moore said he was not motivated by any concern over Herrera’s health.

“I heard the same thing when we traded for Johnny Cueto,” Moore said, referring to the Royals’ acquisition of Cueto from the Cincinnati Reds on July 26, 2015, a move that helped propel Kansas City to the World Series title.

“There were unnamed, anonymous executives and scouts who said Johnny Cueto was hurt. Oh, really? How did that turn out?”

More on the reliever market and someone the Tribe might target:

What the Kelvin Herrera trade says about Jeurys Familia’s value


By Tim Britton Jun 19, 2018 6
DENVER​ — The​ trade-deadline season​ commenced earlier than usual​ on Monday night,​ when the Royals​ shipped​ closer Kelvin​ Herrera to​​ Washington for three prospects. The deal is unexpected only in its timing, and it offers a blueprint for what the Mets can expect should they seek to trade Jeurys Familia in the next six weeks.

Let’s look at what we can glean from the Herrera deal from a New York perspective.

1. The market starting this early probably doesn’t speed up the Mets’ timing.

Kansas City had no real plans to contend in 2018 at the start of the season, and the team has given the front office no doubt about its direction for the next three and a half months. The Royals need to rebuild, and it behooved them to extract as much value out of Herrera as possible.

The Mets entered this season in a fundamentally different position, believing they could contend in both the National League East and for a wild card. Although that hasn’t worked out to this point and New York sits 13th in a 15-team league, the front office isn’t yet ready to concede the season. The Mets can look at their 11-1 start and the fact they’re only 6.5 games out of a playoff spot at the moment as reasons to hope. We can debate whether that’s delusional: A 12-game sample should probably be outweighed by the much worse 57-game sample since, and eight teams reside between them and the final wild-card spot.

As Ken Rosenthal reported Monday, the Mets are listening on their assets.

2. Herrera is a good proxy for Familia’s value.

Like Herrera, Familia is in the final year before free agency, and the two have similar numbers both this year and over the last several years.

2018

IP ERA WHIP FIP K% BB% fWAR bWAR
Familia 30 2.70 1.33 2.43 26.0% 7.9% 0.9 1.1
Herrera 25.7 1.05 0.82 2.62 23.2% 2.1% 0.7 1.5
2014-2018

IP ERA WHIP FIP K% BB% fWAR bWAR
Familia 287.7 2.44 1.18 2.77 25.3% 9.0% 5.9 6.8
Herrera 296.7 2.58 1.11 3.13 23.8% 7.1% 4.6 7.7

Herrera’s profile (and thus value) is probably a touch higher than Familia’s, and I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps it’s thanks to his work in consecutive postseasons for the Royals — a 1.26 ERA in 2014 and 2015 — and the centrality of that bullpen to Kansas City’s runs.

Familia’s career postseason numbers are far better than you think: a 2.30 ERA and a WHIP of 0.638. It’s easy to overlook how nails he was in both the Division Series and League Championship Series in 2015 — 10 2/3 shutout innings on just two hits — because of the three blown saves in that World Series against Herrera’s Royals. That two of the blown saves came from inherited runners scoring is a technical argument to which many are unsympathetic. But even during that run, Familia’s significant role was downplayed because of the performances of Daniel Murphy and the starting rotation. If you think of the decisive Game Five of the NLDS against the Dodgers, you’re likelier to think of Jacob deGrom gutting through six innings, Murphy stealing a base on a walk or Noah Syndergaard’s dominant inning of relief before considering Familia retiring six straight to lock down a one-run game.

3. The return for Herrera is influenced by both the timing and the money.

By trading for Herrera now, the Nationals give themselves an extra six weeks with a lights-out late-game reliever — critical considering Washington is currently tied for the final wild-card spot and sits 3.5 games behind the still-surprising Braves in the East.

You would think those extra six weeks — nearly doubling the amount of time the Nats are renting Herrera — would add a premium to the prospect cost. But Washington was able to nab the reliever for Double A third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez, High A outfielder Blake Perkins and 17-year-old pitcher Yohanse Morel. Gutierrez and Perkins are considered borderline top-10 prospects in a middling Washington system. The return isn’t bowling anyone over, though those with better knowledge of the Royals suggest their scouts are higher on the return than others:


Jeff Passan
✔
@JeffPassan
This is a total trust-the-scouts trade for Kansas City -- and completely on-brand with how Dayton Moore runs the organization. None of the three minor leaguers the Royals acquired are high on prospect lists. Club is banking on evaluators' judgments more than public perception.

8:15 PM - Jun 18, 2018
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Part of that is because the Nats are taking on all the money owed Herrera over the remainder of the season — close to $4.5 million. The Mets know full well that the return for an established player is lessened when the acquiring team takes on his salary. So in this case, it’s reasonable to wonder if the return for Herrera is pretty similar to what it would have been had Kansas City moved him in July but eaten what was left on his contract.

4. The trade takes one of the biggest names off the reliever market early.

One of the reasons the prices for legitimate lockdown relievers seem to get inflated in July is because every team can use one. When the Red Sox were shopping Jon Lester and Andrew Miller at the deadline in 2014, then-general manager Ben Cherington said it was a lot easier to drive the price up for Miller given the number of teams that could use a late-game lefty reliever versus those that could use a frontline starter. One could argue that Cherington and the Sox actually got more for two months of Miller (a cost-controlled promising pitching prospect in Eduardo Rodriguez) than they did for two months of Lester (two unremarkable months from Yoenis Céspedes, who was spun for an expensively extended Rick Porcello).

If the Padres decide to hold onto Brad Hand, Familia may well be the best reliever on the trade market in July — at a time when the Astros and Indians among others both desperately need late-game arms. With a dearth of impact starting pitchers poised to be moved, even teams with strong bullpens such as the Yankees could consider upgrading the bullpen as an alternative to the rotation. (The Mets have made a deadline deal with the Yankees involving a reliever before: Armando Benitez was moved across town in 2003.)

5. The Mets should get more for Familia than they got last season for Addison Reed, especially if they take an alternate approach.

Reed was one of the better arms moved at last year’s deadline, landing in Boston for three relief prospects. It was an underwhelming haul, as the Mets opted for quantity over quality as well as some financial relief. (Indeed, that describes New York’s entire approach to last year’s trade deadline.)

If the Mets show themselves willing to eat the remaining money on Familia’s contract — it’ll be about $2.5 million for August and September — they should get substantially more than they did for Reed. They should also try to concentrate that value in a single prospect rather than spreading out the risk — the way the Tigers packaged Justin Wilson and Alex Avila to land Jeimer Candelario last July.

If New York doesn’t decide to tear down completely and move one of its cost-controlled starters, Familia is the best piece it has this July, and it needs to capitalize on it.

Jeff Passan
✔
@JeffPassan
This is a total trust-the-scouts trade for Kansas City -- and completely on-brand with how Dayton Moore runs the organization. None of the three minor leaguers the Royals acquired are high on prospect lists. Club is banking on evaluators' judgments more than public perception.


Valid point here. We can only judge what we read where KC may have totally different views.

Trust the experts?.....Nah..... Everybody with internet access is an expert.

seagull wrote:Trust the experts?.....Nah..... Everybody with internet access is an expert.

soooo true

The Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols

I've pimped this book before. Anybody wondering how ignorance became a virtue should take a peek.

Summary

https://theconversation.com/book-review ... tise-76462

There is anti-intellectual feelings in America for good reason. So called experts that have agendas and are just plain corrupt some times. And we have seen so much of it in America that we have become guarded. With good reason.

I mean, the arctic ice shelf has not shrunk to the size of Dayton, it is actually growing again. And the east coast is not under water. As one example.

Having said that, my wife has a mug that says, "Don't confuse your Google search with my medical degree" so I can understand the frustration of some. But I will never be a trail horse falling in line behind the leader. Been lied to and disappointed too many times. Will always do my own thinking and follow my gut.

POLITICS!!!

Nah, just a fact to back up my comment about the book.

Q&A: Chris Antonetti on the Indians’ roster, trade plans, the bullpen and Jason Kipnis
By Zack Meisel Jun 20, 2018 4

The​ amateur draft​ came and​ went. Now, the primary​ focus of the​ Indians’ front office​ is​ the trade​ deadline, which​​ sits less than six weeks away.

The bullpen, even with the recent emergences of Neil Ramírez and Oliver Perez, needs assistance. The bottom half of the lineup could use another steady bat. There’s work for Chris Antonetti & Co. to do over the next couple of months to fortify the Indians’ roster.

On Wednesday morning, Antonetti sat down with reporters and discussed the first half of the season, the team’s approach to the trade deadline and more.

What have you made of the bullpen turnover, with all of the injuries and inconsistency?

Any time you go through a season, you have to expect that you’re going to encounter some adversity and things are not going to go as planned. It’s one of the reasons we try to pay particular attention to depth within an organization and why sometimes some of those minor league signings or low major league singings in the offseason that may not seem significant, can end up having a meaningful impact on a team. This season, we’ve had some unexpected performances and a substantial amount of injuries in the bullpen that we’ve had to withstand. I’ve been encouraged by the way we’ve pitched over the last few weeks and to have a little bit more stability in the bullpen has been good to see and see guys settle into some roles.

Is Andrew Miller still throwing bullpen sessions?

Yes. He still has to go through a progression to get back to game activity, and he’s not quite there yet.

Will he need a minor-league rehab stint?

I think so. Given the amount of time he’s missed, when he’s ready, we’ll transition him by having him do a rehab assignment. How long and how many, we don’t have any idea yet. I would expect that he will pitch in minor league games at some point.

How pleased have you been with Mike Clevinger’s development this season?

It’s been one of the great storylines of our season so far is Clev’s continued development and maturation as a pitcher. Another great example of it last night for him to get into some trouble early, pitch out of it and then pitch really deep into a game. And I think he’s starting to become much more efficient with his pitches, where I think we saw last year he maybe in the fifth inning had a lot of deep counts, he’s getting close to 100 pitches. Not able to pitch deeper into games. With his mindset being maybe a little more aggressive throughout the game, he’s able to have more efficient plate appearances and pitch deeper into games. It’s been really great to see. He’s been a huge presence in our starting rotation.

Is there concern about the workload the starting pitchers have taken on?

It’s a conversation we continue to have. I think the good news, as Tito shared with you, is that our guys condition to do that. And so, they’re in a good spot. But it’s something we’ll continue to be mindful of as we go through the season. So, one of the things we look at in addition to just pitch count is how do guys respond in their recovery after they start. How does their body feel? What level of fatigue do they have. And then we also look for other markers of fatigue while they’re pitching. So far, guys have maintained really good strength levels and have been able to maintain their condition. But, its something we’re cognizant of and we would like to manage maybe a little bit better moving forward. And hopefully now that we have a little more continuity in our bullpen that’s an option for us to do.


Carlos Carrasco exited Saturday’s game after being struck by a line drive, but X-rays revealed no structural damage. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
How is Carlos Carrasco doing?

He’s doing well. Thankfully we avoided a — it was a big scare. Because it could have been a lot worse. He still has some swelling, not unexpectedly. He got hit pretty good on the arm. But no damage to the bone or the joint. Now it’s just a question of getting the swelling out of there and then building back up a throwing program from there. But, he’s doing well.

Has the recent bullpen improvement reduced your need to seek relief help via trade?

I don’t think so. I think this time of year we will always be looking for ways to improve our team In the years in which we’re in contention, I think that’s been the way we’ve operated in the past and that’s how we’ve continued to operate this year. Really since the day after the draft, the intensity and frequency of trade conversations have picked up and we’re actively seeking ways where we can improve the team. Whether that’s in the bullpen or elsewhere.

Was Kelvin Herrera an option?

I won’t get into specific guys. But I think it’s safe to say that we’ve been aggressive in looking for ways to improve the team. And if there are guys that are out there that might be available, we’re exploring it.

Do you think this team will fare better in the second half, as has been the case the last couple of years?

We don’t plan for that. We try to win as many games as quickly as we can, as frequently as we can. It’s encouraging though that we do have a backdrop in that this group of guys under Tito has typically played its best baseball in the second half, but there’s urgency every day to try to win a game. The good news is despite maybe us not playing as well as we collectively could as a group, we’re still in first place in our division and have a lead on some of the other teams. Now, that doesn’t mean anything moving forward, but what it means is today the opportunity that we have is that we haven’t dug ourselves a hole. So, that’s at least the encouraging sign.

With a few of your relievers eligible for free agency at the end of the year, how do you weigh looking for short-term options versus players under control for multiple years?

As we always approach opportunities to acquire players, we try to take a multi-year approach. It was evident in our trades in 2016. We targeted players that could have an impact beyond just that season. Now, sometimes those players aren’t available and you can’t align on value and you end up trading for guys like we did last year with Joe Smith or getting Jay Bruce late. That’s just the opportunity that was available to us. We’ll explore both. We’ll explore guys that are pending free agents, but we’ll also be active in trying to acquire players that could impact not only this season but our teams moving forward.

How important have Neil Ramírez and Oliver Perez been?

Really important. Those guys have at least given Carl [Willis] and Tito some options to go to late in the game and have pitched in some high-leverage situations and have had success doing it. So, hopefully that can provide some stability for us moving forward.

Have you had any discussions on contract extensions with any of your impending free agents?

Those are conversations we typically have during in offseason and in spring training, not something we usually engage in during the season. Not to say it’s a hard and fast rule, but that’s typically the way we’ve operated. We did talk with each of those guys over the course of the winter and in spring training and had some discussions with them about where we were, where we were positioned and what the future could be moving forward, but have not had those conversations during the season.

Is Trevor Bauer’s emergence an example of why you guys don’t place ceilings or timetables on players’ development?

I think there are a lot of examples out there that demonstrate how hard it is to predict what people will go on and do in the future and I think we try to have enough humility to know that. To know what someone else is capable of doing is a futile attempt, because ultimately they’re going to dictate that. Our job is to provide the best tools, environment, resources and opportunities, which is important, for those guys to succeed and flourish and be the best versions of themselves they can be. One of the things that we have always appreciated about Trevor specifically is his relentless desire to improve. No matter how well he’s done, he is seeking to be better. He wants to be the best pitcher on the planet and is relentlessly motivated to do that. And I think what we’ve seen is a continued maturation and progression as a pitcher, as a professional and as a teammate and it’s been fun to watch and be a part of.


Shane Bieber has made two starts for the Indians. (Ron Schwane/Getty Images)
How comfortable are you with Adam Plutko and Shane Bieber in the rotation for the time being?

The great thing about both of those guys is that they’ve earned their opportunity in which they’ve pitched. Adam rebounded form a tough year last year where he had some injuries and got off to a really good start this year, and maybe got back to some of the things that allowed him to be successful throughout his college career and his minor league career. Now that he’s back to doing those things, he’s seeing it can translate to the Major League level and be successful.

Shane has continued his development as a pitcher and really has thrived in every single challenge that has been put in front of him, and met that head on and proved that he’s capable of succeeding. The next thing for him is continuing his development and maturation at the Major League level.

Both of those guys have provided a great lift to us in the opportunities that they’ve gotten so far in the rotation and we confident giving them the ball going forward.

We know about Bieber’s command, but what is it about him that makes that pitching approach so effective?

I think a separator for Shane is not just that he’s in the strike zone, but that he can command the ball within the strike zone, both with his fastball and his off-speed. Believe it or not, what we’ve seen at the Major League level, he’s not quite where he’s been in the past, he’s typically demonstrated better command than he’s showed up here. Because he can really manipulate the ball, use all quadrants of the strike zone with his fastball and also has a really good feel for his breaking ball. I think what will continue as Shane gets more comfortable and gets more comfortable with the environment, the level, the ball, that command will continue to improve. Again, Shane is a guy that may not have been the most highly regarded player at the time he was chosen, but a great job by our scouts not just identifying the physical attributes of success, but also the personal attributes for success, because Shane is another one of those guys that is incredibly motivated. He has impeccable routines, he takes care of himself, he controls all of the things he can control to be the best pitcher he can be. When you have that type of commitment and mindset, it’s pretty cool to see the development that can happen, and Shane is — as good as he was when he was drafted him — he’s continued to get better and better each year. That’s a credit to his work and his mindset.

How critical is it for the player development staff to help guys like that realize their potential?

So for us to be a successful organization and have successful seasons, we have to rely on every facet of our operations to contribute. From amateur scouting, international scouting, professional scouting, all of those areas of acquisition have had an impact on our team if you look around, even on some of the recent acquisitions this winter. Then our player development staff to help those guys, once they’re in the system, develop and in the case of the major leagues, perform, and in the case of the minor leagues, continue to progress on their path to major league players. So for us to succeed and for us to have any level of sustained success, we need all of those areas of the organization to contribute.

For which affiliates will the recent draft picks play?

They’ll be spread out. Most of them will be in Arizona, where we now have two teams, and Mahoning Valley. That’s where most guys will start, there may be a few guys that at some point get to Lake County.

What have you made of the outfield, with all of the moving parts?

There’s been a lot of movement in the outfield, and we’ve had a lot of combinations of players playing out there, but we continue to think we have a good group of which to choose. We do feel like we do need to get a bit more consistency from center field and right field. Hopefully now that guys are now back, we can find a bit more continuity there. On the flip side of that, Michael Brantley has been impeccably consistent. He’s been the Michael Brantley we’re all accustomed to see when he’s healthy, and for him to not only perform at a high level, but manage the amount of volume he’s had this year and the amount of plate appearances and innings he’s played in the outfield has been a huge boost to our team.

Have you made any progress in negotiations with your top two draft picks?

Nothing specific, but our hope is that we will sign them.

How important is it for Bradley Zimmer to figure out what type of hitter he is?

That’s a really important point, and something we continue to talk with Bradley about, and as a source of conversation between our hitting people, Tito, our major-league staff, our minor-league staff, and Bradley. Because I think what we’ve seen is he’s capable of being a really effective major league player, and a good Major League hitter. We’re working with him to get back to that point. But he’s now gone through that process that, it’s one thing to talk about those things, but what type of adjustments a player might have to make at the Major League level to have success, it’s another thing entirely to experience that first hand once the league starts to know your strengths, know your weaknesses as a hitter, and tries its best to exploit those.


It’s been a rough go for Jason Kipnis this season. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Are you still confident that Jason Kipnis can return to the form he demonstrated in the past?

I believe he can be the player we’ve seen in the past. I think we’ve seen signs of that at different points during this season, but have yet to see that consistent level of performance. I know no one is more frustrated about it than Kip, but he’s continued to maintain a good mind-set about finding a way out and finding a way to contribute to help the team win. I think we saw it again the other night, what he’s capable of doing. And hopefully he can have more nights like that.

What has been his issue in the first half?

I’m not sure it’s as easy as pointing your finger on any one thing. Offensively, he just hasn’t been able to find that same consistency. Early in the season, he was having really good at-bats, hitting the ball hard. He just hit into some bad luck. And when those things build over time, it’s human nature just to start to try to change things. When you do that, sometimes you can end up chasing your tail a little bit. So, I think the emphasis with Kip is to identify those things that allow you to be the hitter you’ve been in the past and allow you to be successful and let’s make sure we stay consistent with those. And Kip’s embraced that, but it’s a lot easier said than done.

What has allowed José Ramírez to blossom into one of the league’s most prolific hitters?

I think José never gives away an at-bat. Every single at-bat that he’s up there, he is competing and finding a way to try to get a pitch to hit and hit it hard somewhere. And some of the skills that we had seen in the minor leagues with him — just a good ability to put the ball in play, manage the strike zone, when he swings, he very rarely misses — those same attributes are now playing out at the Major League level with more power behind it. So now, not only is he putting those balls in play, but he’s hitting balls hard somewhere.

You guys value your catcher defense, but how beneficial is it when Yan Gomes is hitting the way he has this season?

Well, when we’re at our best as a team, we’re getting those contributions throughout our lineup. Tito talks about it all the time, about keeping the line moving. And when you have guys that are hitting towards the bottom of the lineup, or that second half of the lineup, contributing the way Gomes has, it just makes it that much more difficult for a pitching staff to navigate its way through it. So, when Yan or Roberto can have nights like they have the past few, that adds an entirely different element to our team and makes us that much more difficult to get through nine innings without us scoring.

— Reported from Cleveland

How Mike Clevinger evolved from a groovy skateboarder into an All-Star candidate

Zack Meisel 1h ago

Every​ few minutes,​ Mike Clevinger​ inched toward an unknown​ destination. The wide-eyed​ teenager stood in​ line​ with what​ he estimated​​ to be 900 fellow freshmen on their second day at The Citadel.

What are we in line for?

As he neared the front, he could hear the buzzing, like a horde of frenzied cicadas. His wonder swiftly morphed into panic.

Oh, my God.

This line didn’t lead to an orientation session or a tour of campus or the cafeteria. It funneled freshmen into the barbershop, and there was only one cut on the menu. Bid adieu to every last hair atop your head.

“All you heard were buzzers,” Clevinger told The Athletic. “There was no guard. People were literally bald. Not a shred of hair.”

Clevinger grew frantic, pacing around as if he were readying for one of his big-league outings. He wanted to sprint home to Jacksonville, a 250-mile dash from Charleston, South Carolina. But they had already confiscated his phone. He had to tackle Hell Week on his own.

Now, Clevinger’s long, brown locks are a staple, perhaps his most recognizable feature. They dangle from his cap as he peers in for the sign and, as he completes his herky-jerky delivery, they sweep from side to side like the cleaning rags in a car wash.

He stands out, sure. But he’s now earning attention for his effort on the mound, not his appearance or his wardrobe or the Led Zeppelin quotes he posts on social media. Everything he expressed before the season about emerging as a workhorse, logging 200 innings and joining Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer as reliable rotation cogs, he has carried out.

Clevinger is creating plenty of buzz of his own, and now he’s an All-Star candidate, another reason the Indians maintain high October hopes.

“We’re always looking for reasons to have the glass be half full,” Terry Francona said. “He gives you a lot of reasons to feel that way.”


Mike Clevinger boasts a 3.00 ERA this season. (Ron Vesely/Getty Images)
Before he slapped hands with pitching coach Carl Willis on the top dugout step on Tuesday night, Clevinger kissed his glove and pointed it toward the stands. His longtime girlfriend and two daughters, whom the couple refer to as their “little flower children,” were on the receiving end of the gesture.

No matter how he fares on the mound, Clevinger acknowledges them upon his exit. It’s the start of his cool-down period, a necessary departure from the intensity he exhibits on the rubber. When it’s time to pitch, Clevinger doesn’t just flip a switch. He smashes it with a sledgehammer. The relaxed, easy-going guy, always jovial and often laughing, has an alter ego.

Francona has described Clevinger’s early-spring routines as if the hurler were prepping to start Game 7 of the World Series. He’ll pace back and forth and huff and puff before a session of live batting practice on a nondescript backfield in Goodyear, Arizona.

No, that wild man isn’t mimicking a Metallica mosh pit routine. He’s just amping up to toss the baseball to some low-level minor-league hitters on a Tuesday morning.

“He’s gotten better at controlling himself,” Roberto Pérez said.

On the days between his starts, Clevinger chats about pitch sequencing with Trevor Bauer. He watches his rotation mates complete their bullpen sessions. He squeezes in a few games of Fortnite at his locker.

And on the days he takes the hill?

“He’s a completely different animal,” Tomlin said. “He’s locked in, very competitive, very fiery. The other four days, he’s laid-back, goes with the flow, happy-go-lucky.”

Clevinger has learned when and how to properly harness his energy. That’s one of a handful of adjustments he has incorporated during this transformative season. Over the winter, he focused on improving his posture and body awareness to aid his pitching mechanics. He has also bettered his breathing process, his pace and his ability to manage his emotions during an outing.

The results: a 3.00 ERA, a 3.20 FIP and a 220-inning pace.

“Being satisfied, that sounds like you’re going to roll over,” Clevinger said, “so I don’t want to say that. I just want to keep this going.”

At various stops along his journey, this degree of success seemed implausible and far-fetched. After all, Clevinger quit baseball in high school, despite being the only freshman to make the varsity roster. He instead fixated on racking up sponsorships to subsidize his skateboarding hobby.

Nostalgia sets in as he recalls foot-pushing the 5.5 miles to reach downtown Jacksonville, zigging and zagging on the city’s sidewalks. He was an outdoors kid, daring and adventurous. A local bike shop sponsored him as he entered mountain bike races. He competed in trail-riding circuits across Florida. Even today, he enjoys fishing and is looking forward to the offseason, when he can teach his daughters how to surf.

But soon after he ditched baseball, he realized his mistake.

“I found out real fast,” he said. “ ‘I fucking miss playing baseball. What am I doing?’ ”

He also experienced a four-inch growth spurt, so he figured he ought to return to the diamond. It panned out, as he attended The Citadel and then transferred to Seminole Community College before the Angels nabbed him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft.

Clevinger underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012, though, and the comeback process proved arduous and faith-shaking. It sapped him of his confidence and pushed him to consider alternative career paths. Could he be a biologist? Should he search for jobs involving wildlife control?

“Everyone’s telling me I can come back,” he said, “but it’s not a for-sure thing. I definitely had to explore my Plan B.”

The Indians swooped in and plucked Clevinger from the Angels in a swap for Vinnie Pestano in August 2014, a heist that should sit atop Chris Antonetti’s résumé.

“We knew he would be this,” Mike Chernoff said to The Athletic, with more than a hint of sarcasm.

The teams exchanged several names before they settled on Clevinger at the recommendation of scout Dave Malpass. The Indians noted Clevinger’s sparkling strikeout rate and promising slider. They figured, with some tweaks to his delivery, he could enhance his off-speed stuff and fastball velocity.

“You never know if that can happen until you get your hands on a guy,” Chernoff said, “but I think we saw the signs.”

Of course, they had no idea Clevinger was frustrated with his comeback or that he had entertained thoughts of microscopes and lab coats and of monitoring wildlife preserves.

“Had we known that, we might’ve veered off,” Chernoff joked.
Clevinger posed with a navy cleat in his hands as the Indians’ clubhouse manager snapped a picture on his phone. The pitcher desired a pair of the same shoes, but in red. A teammate walked past the photo shoot and asked Clevinger if he felt “boring.”

If it were up to him, Clevinger would sport vivid, intricate cleats when he pitches, covered in sunflowers and peace signs and hues bright enough to require sunglasses for viewing. The league enforces strict uniform policies, though. When the Indians played in Minnesota earlier this month, Clevinger learned he had been fined for not adhering to the guidelines that mandate at least 51 percent of a player’s shoes match the club’s designated color.

He’s never been one to conform.

Tomlin describes his teammate as “a groovy, ‘70s-type hippie guy.” And how often do you see that on a baseball field?

“He was the first one I ever met,” Tomlin said, “and probably the last.”

He has the hair, the vibrant tattoos of his daughters’ names, a sunflower, a dreamcatcher, an owl. He wears a Jimi Hendrix jacket or, occasionally, a denim one with the NASA logo. He exited the Indians’ clubhouse on Tuesday night, fresh off another mastering of the overmatched White Sox, sporting bright yellow checkered shoes and a black Sticky Bumps hat, the name of a California-based surfing apparel shop.

“He’s very, very unique,” said Adam Plutko, his teammate since the two played together in A-ball. “It works for him.”

Clevinger presents a slightly different personality and vibe than his rotation mates. In fact, he compared the Indians’ rotation to an animal kingdom, equipped with “the leader” (Kluber), “the joker” (Carrasco) and “the nerd” (Bauer). He referred to himself as “the wild card.” And that card has resembled an ace or a king this season.

“It’s been one of the great storylines of our season,” Antonetti said.

Clevinger has been more efficient with his pitch count, permitting him to venture deeper into games. And he has myth-busted the third-time-through-the-order notion, limiting hitters to a .214/.289/.350 slash line in such circumstances. He has chopped his walk rate by 50 percent and has held the opposition to three runs or fewer in 80 percent of his starts.

Among qualified American League starting pitchers, he ranks eighth in WAR, 10th in ERA and eighth in FIP. It’s a good thing he banished the skateboard to the garage.

“It’s fun as you watch young guys earn trust,” Francona said, “and to see how far he’s come in a couple years.”

The Indians swooped in and plucked Clevinger from the Angels in a swap for Vinnie Pestano in August 2014, a heist that should sit atop Chris Antonetti’s résumé.

Incredible string of trades they put together for our stud starting 4!

Now, if they only could draft these future stars instead of getting lucky when they acquire them from another team