Cleveland Sports Forum

Travis Hafner will return, but status of Grady Sizemore, Fausto Carmona unsettled: Cleveland Indians Insider

Published: Friday, September 30, 2011, 3:40 AM

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Three days after the final game of the World Series, the Indians must decide whether to exercise the 2012 club options of Grady Sizemore for $9 million and Fausto Carmona for $7 million.

If they don't, Sizemore is eligible for free agency and Carmona for salary arbitration.

The Indians don't have an option on Travis Hafner for 2012, but they do have a decision to make. They could bring him back next year to honor the final year of his contract for $13 million, or they could cut the cord on the biggest deal in Indians history and start over at DH.

On Thursday, GM Chris Antonetti said Hafner would be back, despite making two trips to the disabled list this year and not playing more than 118 games a season since 2007. For a while, there has been a feeling among the Indians string-pullers that if Hafner's production ever dropped low enough, ownership might be willing to eat a part of the contract.

Hafner played only 94 games this year. He hit .280, with 16 doubles, 13 homers and 57 RBI. Apparently that was enough to persuade owners Larry and Paul Dolan to put down the knives and forks.

"What Travis has continued to demonstrate is that, when he's healthy and on the field, he's a productive hitter," said Antonetti. "So when we look to next year's team, we think Travis is going to be healthy and if he is, he'll be a productive player for us."

Here are some other points Antonetti and manager Manny Acta touched on during their wrap-up of the 2011 season:

Sizemore will go to Vail, Colo., on Monday to have his bruised right knee examined by Dr. Richard Steadman. The information the Indians receive will help determine if they exercise his option.

Steadman performed microfracture surgery on Sizemore's left knee last year. The Indians don't think Sizemore will need surgery on his right knee. The decision they make on his option will determine, in part, what they can and can't do in the postseason.

"It will determine where we may have some needs," Antonetti said. "There's an economic impact as well, in terms of the dollars we can allocate to improve the team elsewhere."

One of Carmona's biggest problems this season came when he pitched out of the stretch. Acta said the Indians will work on that in spring training.

Acta said rookie second baseman Jason Kipnis will go into spring training with a "leg up" on the second-base job.

Regarding rookie third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, Acta said, "I can't say he'll be our third baseman in April, but he's going to get a good opportunity in spring training."

From the way Antonetti and Acta talked about third baseman Jack Hannahan, it sounds as if he will be back.

The Indians could have as many as nine players eligible for salary arbitration if Carmona's option isn't picked up and Tony Sipp makes Super Two status. That will increase the Indians $49 million payroll big time.

First baseman Matt LaPorta has been told he has to come to camp next spring and win a job. Acta wants to add a hitter to the lineup. It could be at first or third base, and Acta doesn't care which side of the plate that person hits from.

Antonetti feels Jim Thome, 41, can still help a team next season.

"I think Jimmy is the one who is going to make the decision whether he plays or doesn't," Antonetti said.
Acta wants the Indians' defense to improve. It has made 110 errors in each of the past two seasons.

"You won't make the postseason if you have 100 errors a year unless you have a dominant pitching staff and offense," Acta said.

Indians hitters struck out 1,269 times, the second-highest total in the AL. Acta said a lot of that has to do with the youth and inexperience of the Indians.

"We had the third-youngest team in the big leagues," he said.

Cleveland Indians pick up manager Manny Acta's 2013 option, but now he must rebuild coaching staff

CLEVELAND, Ohio — While Indians manager Manny Acta was having his 2013 option exercised, his coaching staff was dissolving.

It was announced Thursday that pitching coach Tim Belcher was resigning to spend more time with his family.

Just a few hours after the Indians ended the season with a 5-4 loss in Detroit, Cleveland General Manager Chris Antonetti announced Thursday that Acta was signed through 2013 after the Indians increased their win total from 69 to 80 in his second year on the job. In going from fourth to second place in the AL Central, the Indians finished 80-82 and were in first place for 95 days.

"When we look back and see the successes we've had this year and the progress we made, it began with Manny and his coaching staff and the tone they set in spring training," Antonetti said. "They set expectations on winning and transitioning a young, developing team to a contending team.

"That helped with our start, and I think the leadership of Manny and his coaches allowed us to persevere through some significant challenges and obstacles during the season."

The Indians were 30-15 on May 23 with a seven-game lead in the division before injuries and poor play sent them down the elevator shaft.

"This wasn't going to change how I go about my business," Acta said. "From Day One, this is where I wanted to be."

"I made my decision to come here based on some facts, and over the last couple of years, they have been confirmed. Our young players from our farm system are making an impact at the big-league level, and I have a chance to be competitive and eventually win here. I've seen that in two years."

Acta must now turn his attention to rebuilding the coaching staff. Before Wednesday's season finale, bench coach Tim Tolman said he was stepping down as he continues a two-year battle with Parkinson's disease. The Indians named first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., to replace Tolman, but Alomar could be hired to manage the Chicago White Sox.

Antonetti said candidates to fill vacancies will be considered from inside and outside the organization. Current bullpen coach Scott Radinsky and Class AAA Columbus pitching coach Ruben Niebla are two internal candidates for Belcher's job. As far as replacing Alomar, Acta said he will be looking for a first-base coach who can double as an outfield and baserunning instructor.

Third-base coach Steve Smith and hitting coach Bruce Fields will be back next year. Fields replaced fired Jon Nunnally in mid-June on an interim basis. Fields had been the Indians minor-league hitting instructor.

"They don't come any better than Tim Belcher," Acta said. "I haven't seen a person as organized, as caring, as passionate as this guy. I'm going to miss him. He's a been a big-time help to me and our pitching staff over the last two years."

During games, a manager leans heavily on his bench and pitching coach. Now they are both gone. Acta considered Tolman a mentor and Belcher and Radinsky helped turn the pitching staff into a team strength.

"It's very tough to lose two guys like that," Acta said. " 'Belch' is so organized. A lot of times, people don't understand how much a pitching coach carries on his shoulders. He related very well with every one of those guys, and him and Radinsky had a tremendous chemistry."

Acta said there was no friction between him and Belcher.

"I tried to talk him into staying," Acta said. "I think in a couple of years we could see him back on the field."

Belcher, who pitched 14 years in the big leagues, spent eight years working with pitchers throughout the Indians' system before joining Acta's staff. It's believed he will assume that role again.

Tolman is also staying with the organization.

Under Belcher, Justin Masterson became the Indians ace this season. When the Indians acquired him from Boston in 2009, Masterson was a pitcher bouncing between the rotation and bullpen. The Indians made a commitment to him as a starter, and this year, it paid off.

Masterson went 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 34 appearances, including 33 starts. He threw a career-high 216 innings and led the team in strikeouts with 158.

Josh Tomlin won 12 games before being sidelined by a right elbow injury, and Carlos Carrasco showed progress before he underwent Tommy John surgery. Jeanmar Gomez arrived from Class AAA Columbus in late August and won five straight starts.

On the negative side, former ace Fausto Carmona faded. Carmona went 7-15 with a 5.25 ERA. He finished first in runs allowed, second in earned runs allowed and third in losses in the AL.

Keeping Grady Sizemore would be wrong move for Cleveland Indians: Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Indians seem to be agonizing over the decision about what to do with Grady Sizemore's $9 million option in 2012.

They love Sizemore as a person and clearly remember when he was one of the game's premier center fielders, but the last time Sizemore was talked about as an All-Star was 2008. Then came four different surgeries and six trips to the disabled list in the past three seasons. In that span, he has missed more games (276) than he has played (210).

This is not about questioning Sizemore's character, desire or ability when healthy.

But he's hurt. And he has been hurt for three years. And it's not just one knee, it's both knees. He's seeing a knee specialist in Colorado.

This season, Sizemore sat out 91 games in three stints on the disabled list because of problems with his RIGHT knee.

And it was the LEFT knee that had major microfracture surgery in 2010.

He also had elbow surgery in 2009 and surgery for a sports hernia in July.

Once upon a time, Sizemore missed only nine games in four seasons. That was 2005-08. But that feels like a baseball lifetime ago.

What are the odds of him playing 120 games next season? How about 100? In the past three years, he has played 106, 33 and 71.

Sizemore may just be 29, but his body is an old 29. He had three good weeks when he first came off the disabled list early this season. But overall, he batted .224 (.707 OPS), with 10 homers, 32 RBI and 85 strikeouts in 268 at-bats.

One of the reasons the Tribe is considering the Sizemore option is they have no other center fielders.

Ezequiel Carrera proved to be a player who could get there fast, if only he knew where he was going. The Indians do not seem very enthused about Michael Brantley as a center fielder, but love him in left field.

They tried Kosuke Fukudome in center, but that didn't last long. He's 34 and best suited for right field. He also hit only .249 (.671 OPS) for the Tribe, with five homers and 22 RBI in 237 at-bats. He's a backup, if the free agent is to even be in the 2012 plans.

The Tribe also projects about eight teams will be looking for a center fielder via free agency or trades.

The problem is picking up the $9 million on Sizemore isn't even close to a guarantee that center field is solved. The obvious solution is to offer Sizemore an incentive-packed contract -- perhaps a $3 million base with lots of bonuses for games played, at-bats and other indications of being a regular player.

What if Sizemore declines?

Then the Tribe should take the $8.5 million (Sizemore has a $500,000 buyout) and go shopping for an outfielder. Before the trading deadline, the Indians tried to pry away Coco Crisp from Oakland. The A's kept him, and he batted .264 (.693 OPS), with eight homers, 54 RBI and 49 stolen bases. He has a weak arm, but is an above-average center fielder.

Now 31, Crisp is a free agent. He is not even a suggestion, just a mention of someone available. There will be others.

For the past three years, the Indians have opened a season saying, "If Travis Hafner and Sizemore stay healthy . . ."

Well, they don't.

Hafner is under contract for $13 million next season, and the Indians plan to bring him back. He has played 94, 118 and 94 games in the past three seasons. They don't say it, but they believe they will squeeze what they can out of Hafner because he is the team's highest-paid player.

At $9 million in 2012, Sizemore would be the second-highest-paid player. Given his injury history and the Tribe's well-known tight budget, it makes no sense to spend that many dollars for a player with so many physical problems.

INDIANS 2011: Wild ride ends with a whimper


For five months, they were baseball’s best feel-good story: overachieving underdogs winning games and winning back the hearts of their skeptical fans.

With one of the majors’ smallest payrolls, the Cleveland Indians were dreaming big.

And then, it all collapsed.

A stunning 30-15 start, which seemed too good to be true, was in fact just that. After raising low expectations and then making a bold trade for pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez before the deadline to try and catch Detroit in the AL Central, the Indians were undone by injuries and inexperience.

October will be just another month.

Still, the season was a thrill ride of comebacks, walk-off wins and extremes.

“Big picture, this was a phenomenal year,” said closer Chris Perez, who finished with 36 saves. “Not many people out of this clubhouse picked us to even be anywhere. Even after our good start, they were saying, ’When is the real team going to show up?’ Well, this was the real team, a group of kids that were hungry to win and battled.

“Guys that have won championships in the minors and want to win up here. Sure, we’re disappointed not to be in the playoffs, but we have a much better feeling than a year ago at this time.”

The Indians wound up 80-82, an 11-win improvement over manager Manny Acta’s first season. Cleveland jumped from fourth place to second in the division, but after being within 1 1/2 games of the Tigers on Aug. 19, the Indians ended the season 15 games out of first — losing their last 10 against Detroit.

Acta, who deserves strong consideration for AL manager of the year, spent virtually all of 2011 juggling his lineup because of injuries. Cleveland’s bumps and bruises never healed as the club reached the finish line in tatters. Second place, though, was both a noble consolation prize and something to build on.

“We made great strides,” Acta said. “We fell short, but we had a lot of great moments. Some of the things that happened we couldn’t control. Hopefully, we’re going to be in it for a few years with the young core of players that we have here.”

Cleveland’s entire starting outfield of Grady Sizemore (knee), Shin-Soo Choo (oblique) and Michael Brantley (wrist) ended the season on the disabled list. So did starters Carlos Carrasco (elbow) and Josh Tomlin (elbow) and designated hitter Travis Hafner was slowed much of the year by a foot injury that may require surgery.

There weren’t many moments when trainer Lonnie Soloff wasn’t tending to an ailing Indian — or three. Only 10 players from Cleveland’s opening-day roster made it through the entire season without a trip to the disabled list. The Indians used the DL 22 times, second most in the AL, led to a constant shuttle of players up Interstate-71 from Triple-A Columbus.

The Indians’ depth was tested, and it revealed some shallow spots as youngsters had to cut their teeth in the big leagues. There were games in September when Acta had as many as five rookies on the field.

“The kids came up and did a nice job,” Acta said. “I wish it had been better circumstances for some of them. It was not fair to put some of them out there all the time, but we had to do it. At the same time, you earn more opportunities when you go out and perform and guys like Jason Kipnis and (Lonnie) Chisenhall did that. Michael Brantley, before he got hurt, became a very important player in our lineup.

“I think those three come to camp next year battling for (starting) jobs.”

For all they learned and accomplished this season, the Indians also have some major decisions to make before opening camp in Goodyear, Ariz.

Atop general manager Chris Antonetti’s to-do list is Sizemore, whose future seems to grow more uncertain by the day. The Indians hold a $9 million club option for 2012 on the 28-year-old, who was on the DL three times this season and has played in just 104 games the past two years because of injuries.

On Monday, Sizemore will be in Vail, Colo., to have his injured right knee examined by Dr. Richard Steadman, who last year performed microfracture surgery on the three-time All-Star’s left knee. It took Sizemore 10 months of grueling rehab to recover from that operation before returning in April.

Sizemore showed flashes of being a top-tier player before hurting his knee and suffering a sports hernia on a slide in May. He came back only to get hurt again, and Sizemore ended the season batting .224 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs in just 71 games. The Indians must now decide whether he’s worth the money, try to negotiate a new deal or let a popular player once considered the face of the franchise, leave as a free agent.

The Indians’ acquisition of Jimenez before the deadline, sending heralded young pitchers Alex White and Drew Pomeranz to Colorado, was an acknowledgment by Antonetti and ownership that they believe the club is in position to contend for a championship in the next few seasons.

However, Jimenez didn’t deliver as expected. He went 4-4 with a 5.10 ERA in 11 starts with Cleveland and was just 1-3 with a 6.56 ERA against the Tigers, the team he was brought in to catch.

“Eventually, he’s going to have to figure them out,” Acta said. “We see them 18 times a year.”

This season, the Indians got to see what they’ve got and what they need.

Asdrubal Cabrera emerged as an All-Star, carrying the Indians with his glove and bat as easily their most valuable player. Cabrera played in 151 games despite a series of nagging injuries and finished with a .272 average, 92 RBIs and 25 homers, the most in history by an Indians shortstop.

On the season’s final day in Detroit, Acta wanted to give Cabrera a well-earned rest. However, shortly before the game, Cleveland’s shortstop walked into the manager’s office and asked to play.

He didn’t want the season to end.

And he hopes next season lasts a little longer.

“It was a good year because I helped my team,” Cabrera said. “Next year, I want to do better. I can do more and get to the playoffs. That’s what we all want.”

Thanks for all those postings. sorry to lose Belcher. I'd be happy to lose Sizemore. And to lose Hafner, but didn't think that would happen. Bad FA signings of old guys Kearns, Cabrera and Durbin: any chance that will dissaude from similar such moves this offseason? We don't need any grizzled vets for the bullpen with the depth we've acquired. Don't need any gutsy vets in the IF; Donald is utility star up the middle and Hanaahn will handle the corners.

Let's hope we dont' go for a Jeff Damico quality "inning eater'' for the rotation; or a 2012 version of Austin Kearns (I don't think it will be the actual Austin this time) as our RH filler bat in the OF.

Oh okay, according to Acta he WAS the one who didn't walk Miguel Cabrera in that crucial spot toward the end of the game. Fine.

Had anyone read this before? It's from the Baseball American 2003 Prospect Handbook when Jack Hannahan was rated #15 propsect of the Tigers, after debuting in 2002 in AA with a 239 avg and 650 OPS.

"Like Joe Mauer, Hannahan was a baseball and football star at St. Paul MN's Cretin-Derham Hall. But Hannahan has taken a much more difficult path. He developed a drinking problem as an adolescent and was kicked off the Cretin-Derhambaseball team for drinking in 10th grade. His trials continued, including arrersts and blackouts before he finally sought help in July 2000 [at age 20], entered a treatment facility and got sober. He came back for his junior year at Minnesota and become the Big 10 conference Player of the Year. . . " Tigers drafted him in the 3rd round in the 2001 draft.

civ ollilavad wrote:Had anyone read this before? It's from the Baseball American 2003 Prospect Handbook when Jack Hannahan was rated #15 propsect of the Tigers, after debuting in 2002 in AA with a 239 avg and 650 OPS.

"Like Joe Mauer, Hannahan was a baseball and football star at St. Paul MN's Cretin-Derham Hall. But Hannahan has taken a much more difficult path. He developed a drinking problem as an adolescent and was kicked off the Cretin-Derhambaseball team for drinking in 10th grade. His trials continued, including arrersts and blackouts before he finally sought help in July 2000 [at age 20], entered a treatment facility and got sober. He came back for his junior year at Minnesota and become the Big 10 conference Player of the Year. . . " Tigers drafted him in the 3rd round in the 2001 draft.

Yep. As a Hannahan fan I knew that story but never shared here.

Terry Pluto


About the Indians ...

1. At the end of last season, the Indians wanted to improve their infield defense. They still need to do so in 2012, especially as they plan to start Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall. Both are relatively new to their positions, Kipnis is a converted outfielder, Chisenhall moved from short to third base.

2. Here's the ugly truth: The Indians allowed 77 unearned runs last season ... most in the American League. Only three teams (Oakland, Minnesota and Texas) made more errors. They also turned the third fewest double plays. The Web site fangraphs.com rated the Tribe the second-worst defensive team in the American League, as they also try to measure such subjective categories as range in the field.

3. When Jack Hannahan plays third, the Indians are among the best in the league at that spot. He made only five errors in 104 games and has tremendous range. That's why he'll be back, as insurance for Chisenhall. At 31, Hannahan (.250, 8 HR, 40 RBI, .719 OPS) had his best major-league season. Manager Manny Acta loves having Hannahan on the team. Along with Jason Donald, the Indians believe they have two superb backup infielders.

4. The Tribe also will work with Donald in the outfield, making him into a super utility player. Donald batted .377 vs. lefties, and the Tribe needs any right-handed batter who can handle lefties. Despite being a lefty hitter, Hannahan batted .296 vs. lefties -- yet another reason that he is valued.

5. The key will be how Chisenhall handles third, where he made 10 errors in 58 games. His arm and range are rated above average, he just makes too many errors on routine plays. At 22, there is time to become not just average, but a good third basemen. Only seven players in the majors were younger than Chisenhall last season.

6. No American League team made more errors at second than the Tribe. Cord Phelps had five in 20 games, Kipnis six in 36 games. Kipnis has a chance to be an impact hitter. In spring training, it will be up to infield coach Steve Smith and minor-league instructor Travis Fryman to help Kipnis raise his defense up to big-league standards. He does have the ability to do it.

7. A couple of Web sites such as fangraphs rate Asdrubal Cabrera well below average when it comes to range at short. As Acta said, "That doesn't match the eyes." Cabrera certainly is an asset at shortstop in the field, and has become an all-star at the plate.

8. First base is a question mark, because the Indians have said it does not belong to Matt LaPorta. Acta said Carlos Santana will play there at least some of the time. LaPorta had seven errors in 97 games, Santana made four in 66. Neither will win a Gold Glove soon. It is possible the Indians could acquire a new first baseman.

9. Bruce Fields is back as batting coach because the Indians did see improvement in several hitters after the All-Star break. Here are their second-half stats: Hannahan (.322), Donald (.318), Shelley Duncan (.276, 8 HR in 123 at bats), Kipnis (.272), Santana (.249, had 12 HR after August 1), Chisenhall (.253, 4 HR after Sept. 1).

10. The Indians batted .250 and averaged 4.33 runs before the All-Star break, it was .251 and 4.35 runs after the break. So it was the same, no matter who (Jon Nunnally or Fields) was the hitting coach. Fields worked with several hitters such as Kipnis, Chisenhall, Donald, Duncan, and Michael Brantley in the minors. The Indians believe the relationships he built will help when it comes to coaching. Duncan is a huge fan of Fields.

11. Scott Radinsky is the obvious choice to replace Tim Belcher as pitching coach. But he is so effective as the bullpen coach where he can work with pitchers during the games and as they warm up -- who replaces him? Radinsky appeared in 557 major-league games as a reliever, and has enormous respect from the guys in the bullpen.

12. Some fans have mentioned Michael Cuddyer as perfect for the Tribe. He's a right-handed hitter who can play first, third, left and right field. But the 32-year-old free agent is expected to be a very hot commodity and could easily receive a 3-year, $30 million deal from a contender. The best way for the Tribe to add a hitter will be through a trade.

About center field ...

1. Unless the Indians can convince Grady Sizemore to take an incentive contract with only a fraction of his $9 million salary for 2012 guaranteed, they should move Michael Brantley to center next season. Yes, Brantley does rank below average in some areas defensively-- especially going back on balls -- but he is not terrible in the field.

2. Yes, Brantley is well-above average defensively in left, but he's not a power hitter and probably will never become one. It's easy to dismiss Brantley because his stats are modest -- .266 (.702 OPS) with 7 HR and 46 RBI in 451 at-bats last season. But among AL center fielders, he would have ranked between seventh and ninth in batting average, on-base percentage and even home runs this season if his season hadn't ended in late August because of injuries.

3. Brantley has two things in his favor: A) He is only 24 and already has 860 major-league at-bats. B) He was trending upward (batting .294 in July) until he injured his wrist and eventually needed hand surgery. He tried to play through that injury in August, and batted only .211 (12-of-57).

4. It's fair to assume the Indians will have Shin-Soo Choo for more than 85 games (his 2011 total) next season, and his range in right is well-above average. It's far easier to find a left fielder who can hit than a center fielder. They may even be able to find a lefty hitter with some power, and platoon him with Shelley Duncan in left field.

5. The major question marks about Sizemore's knees has the Indians reconsidering Brantley. After all, one of the reasons they wanted Brantley in the CC Sabathia deal of 2008 was as center field insurance in case Sizemore left as a free agent.

Thanks rusty, good stuff.

9. Bruce Fields is back as batting coach because the Indians did see improvement in several hitters after the All-Star break. Here are their second-half stats: Hannahan (.322), Donald (.318), Shelley Duncan (.276, 8 HR in 123 at bats), Kipnis (.272), Santana (.249, had 12 HR after August 1), Chisenhall (.253, 4 HR after Sept. 1).

On another board, one poster was impressed enough with Shelly Duncan`s small sample size he/she came up with a 35 home run, 120 RBI projected over a full season.

This was quickly shot down with the standard "Karim Garcia" response, but is already the butt of many trade jokes that allows the Indians to acquire pretty much any player they want this winter

Cleveland Indians' Grady Sizemore undergoes arthroscopic surgery on right knee

Published: Tuesday, October 04, 2011, 4:40 PM Updated: Tuesday, October 04, 2011, 6:51 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

Scott Shaw, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's shouldn't be a surprise that Grady Sizemore had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Monday in Vail, Colo. When the Indians announced last week that he was going to see Dr. Richard Steadman for a consultation, fire alarms sounded between the ears of every Indians fan who has watched Sizemore's three-year decline.
The good news: it wasn't microfracture surgery. The bad news: it was Sizemore's fifth surgery in the last three years.
Now for the big question. The Indians hold a $9 million club option on Sizemore for 2012. He's played 104 games in the last two years and is returning from yet another operation. So what will ownership do?
"Not going to speculate on that," said GM Chris Antonetti in a text. "We'll let you know when we have a decision on the option."
If the Indians don't exercise the option, Sizemore is eligible for free agency.
Regarding Monday's surgery, Antonetti said, "We are hopeful that the surgery will alleviate Grady's symptoms in his knee and expedite his recovery."
The waiting game will end soon. The Indians must make a decision on Sizemore's option three days after the final game of the World Series. Joe Urbon, Sizemore's agent, could not be reached for comment on the extension.
Steadman performed microfracture surgery on Sizemore's left knee on June 4, 2010. The one-time Gold Glove center fielder missed the rest of the season and opened this year on the disabled list.
In a statement, the Indians said Sizemore, 29, should miss six to eight weeks and will be ready for spring training. Sizemore was quoted as saying, "We could not be happier with the results of Monday's arthroscopy. Dr. Steadman told me this minor procedure should allow the bone bruise in my right knee to fully heal."
In the last three years, Sizemore has had five operations: one on his left elbow, two on his left groin, one on his right knee and one on his left knee. The one-time iron man has broken down spectacularly.
After playing 33 games in 2010, Sizemore played 71 this year and made three trips to the disabled list. He opened on the disabled list, was activated in April, only to return twice to the DL after bruising his right knee sliding into second base on May 10 against Tampa Bay.
When Sizemore re-injured the knee July 17 in Baltimore while rounding first base, he made his third trip to the disabled list. While sidelined, he underwent surgery for a hernia. Sizemore was activated Sept. 5, but it was clearly still bothered by the knee.
He did not play in the final five games of the season because of pain before visiting Dr. Steadman on Monday.
Sizemore hit .224 (60-for-268) with 21 doubles, 10 homers, 32 RBI and 34 runs this year. The one-time 30-30 man was 0-for-2 in steal attempts.

Indians analysis, Part I: The infield

Published: Wednesday, October 05, 2011

By Jim Ingraham
JIngraham@News-Herald.com

To say the Indians’ infield in 2011 was and remains in a state of flux is an understatement.

Twenty players started games at the five infield positions in 2011. Of those 20, only one, All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, is guaranteed to be in the opening-day lineup in 2012.

The Indians this year used six second basemen, five third basemen, four first basemen, three shortstops and two catchers.

Let’s go around the horn.

Catcher

Did any player in the majors have a more interesting stat line than Carlos Santana?

He led the team in home runs (27), doubles (35), sacrifice flies (seven) and walks (97), and was second on the team in hits (132), runs scored (84) and RBI (79). All that despite hitting .202 vs. right-handed pitchers, against whom nearly 70 percent of his total at-bats for the year came. The switch-hitting Santana hit .202 batting left-handed and .315 right-handed.

Oddly enough, last year Santana’s splits were reversed. He hit .314 vs. right-handed pitchers and .146 vs. left-handers.

Theories, anyone?

Indians officials attribute much of Santana’s lopsided splits this year to the fact he became homer-happy hitting left-handed and tried to pull everything. Batting right-handed, he used the whole field and was more patient, hence his .530 slugging and .424 on-base percentages from the right side, compared to .430 and .315, respectively, from the right side.

There’s every reason to believe Santana is a star waiting to happen. The only two hitters in the AL who drew more walks than Santana were Jose Bautista and Miguel Cabrera, who will both likely finish in the top five in the MVP balloting.

The question going forward is, how much will Santana catch and how much will he play first base?

“I think he can still play both,” said Manager Manny Acta. “Playing him at first is a way to keep his legs fresh. I don’t think he’ll ever be strictly an everyday catcher.”

That’s because the Indians have a classic good-field, no-hit backup catcher in Lou Marson. If the Indians ever got to the point where they had an above-average lineup offensive lineup and could afford to carry Marson’s weak bat, his superior defense would be a huge asset as an everyday player to the defensively challenged Indians.

First base

The 2011 season was Matt LaPorta’s chance to prove he’s a core player and the middle-of-the-order hitter he was thought to be when the Indians got him in the CC Sabathia trade. Oh well. Now it’s on to Plan B.

The Indians go into the offseason seeking a productive bat, and first base is the logical position for that hitter to play. Santana will continue to get some starts there, but there are no apparent candidates in the minor-league system, since club officials seem curiously unimpressed by Jared Goedert’s 45 home runs and 131 RBI the last two years.

“We had hoped that Matt would seize the first-base job this year,” said General Manager Chris Antonetti. “First base is certainly one of the positions we will look at (to upgrade for 2012).”

Second base

First came Orlando Cabrera, Adam Everett, Luis Valbuena, Cord Phelps and Jason Donald.

Then came the future: Jason Kipnis. Of all the injuries the Indians had to deal with late in the season when they were fighting a losing battle to hang with the Tigers, the hamstring injury to Kipnis was the most crippling.

Some guys just have the look of a winning player. Kipnis has it. Indians officials have trouble restraining themselves when they talk about him.

“He really stood out. He looked like he belonged up here,” Acta said.

Called up on July 21, Kipnis, in a combined 479 at-bats with Cleveland and Triple-A Columbus, hit .278 with 19 home runs, 74 RBI, 10 triples and 17 stolen bases. A converted outfielder, Kipnis still has some rough edges defensively at second base. He won’t be handed the job in spring training, but it’s hard to imagine anyone beating him out.

Shortstop

Asdrubal Cabrera set a franchise record for home runs by a shortstop (25), had the most RBI (93) by an Indians shortstop in 63 years and led the Indians in runs scored (87) and stolen bases (17). He also made some stunning defensive plays.

All that takes a little of the sting off the fact his monthly batting averages went down in each of the last four months of the season: .330 in May, .297 in June, .266 in July, .239 in August and .234 in September.

Cabrera is the least of the Indians’ worries in 2012.

“And we tend to forget that he’s still only 25,” said Antonetti.

Third base

Like Kipnis at second, Lonnie Chisenhall looks like the real deal at third. The Indians will likely keep defensive specialist Jack Hannahan around for insurance, but Chisenhall showed steady progress offensively after being recalled.

Hitting left-handers was a problem for him at Columbus, where he hit .200 against them. In Cleveland, he hit lefties better (.260) better than he hit right-handers (.253), and five of his seven home runs came off lefties.

It’s likely the Indians will begin next season with Chisenhall the starter at third, with Hannahan available as the late-inning defensive replacement.

Others

Travis Hafner will return as the designated hitter, mostly because the Indians owe him $13 million in the final year of his contract, although Antonetti seemed to either leave the door open for Jim Thome, or was just posturing when he said, “We’ll talk to him (Thome). He’s shown the ability to be a contributor on the field and in the clubhouse.”

Jason Donald, who quietly had a late-starting but terrific season, hitting .318, is the leading candidate to join Hannahan as other utility infielder in 2012.

Sunday, October 02, 2011
An Off-Season Road-Map on A Lazy Sunday

The 2011 season is in the books and while the season recaps will continue to pour out, let’s cast our gaze forward as the Indians prepare for the most important off-season in recent memory as they attempt to maintain the momentum that their 2011 season got rolling. Additionally, they now find themselves in a position where they’re trying to start to line some of these building blocks up to form a foundation that will last through just the end of 2013, perhaps embarking on the extended run of playoff contention that eluded them in the mid-to-late-2000s.

The only thing that is certain at this point is that the Indians’ coaching staff will have a decidedly different look at Tim Tolman will not be back as bench coach (as we all wish him the best) and Sandy Alomar moves from the 1st Base Coaching Box to the role of Bench Coach…for now. Certainly Sandy may be up for the White Sox job, but the announcement that Alomar will be promoted to bench coach certainly has the feel of the Indians attempting to let Sandy know how well-thought-of he is within the organization if the White Sox were to come calling with a job offer that wasn’t that of the manager. As for who will replace Sandy at 1B, Mike Sarbaugh would figure to be the leading candidate to emerge from the Minor Leagues (where he has dominated…if a Minor League manager can dominate) to work with the group of players that he’s won titles with for the last three years. Seriously, Sarbaugh won titles in Akron in 2009 and in Columbus in 2010 and 2011…essentially with a good number of the same players that figure to populate the Indians’ roster in 2012 and beyond. So, keeping him in the fold (and adding him to the parent club coaching staff) would be the logical move to provide some continuity for what is still a very young team.

But the Tolman/Alomar/Sarbaugh move is not the big one of the week as Tim Belcher announced that he would not be returning as the Tribe pitching coach in 2012. To me, pitching coaches are always a difficult thing to truly judge as Masterson made HUGE leaps forward and Carrasco and Tomlin showed signs of promise, but Carmona remained an enigma and Huff seemed to regress after spending some time on the parent club. Certainly, the Masterson evolution trumps pretty much everything else and it’s more than just a good thing that Belcher will remain in the organization, but the Indians now find themselves in need of a pitching coach.

One obvious move would be to promote current bullpen coach Scott Radinsky to the position of pitching coach and bringing Ruben Niebla up from his pitching coach post in Columbus to handle the duties of the bullpen coach for 2012. Just as it would be with keeping Sarbaugh around this young group of players, expanding the roles of Radinsky (who did a GREAT job with the relievers this year) and Niebla would give the players some level of familiarity with the coaches. If the Indians were able to convince the Diamondbacks to allow Charles Nagy (who is Arizona’s pitching coach) to make a lateral move because of his ties to Cleveland, he would be another name to consider as he was the Clippers’ pitching coach in 2010 and would, again, have a working knowledge of the young Tribe arms. Then again, they could go off the board and bring in somebody completely different and while that would represent a sharp departure from everything that they’ve ever done, it is not outlandish to think that they could go for someone whose name is not at the front (or back) of anyone’s mind right now.

Ultimately, the coaching staff will sort itself out (and talented players have a way of making coaching staffs look good), but with the season behind us, let’s take a look at the moves that one man would make in this off-season in an attempt to position the Tribe for contention in 2012 and beyond. Much of this is not new ground if you’ve been coming around these parts, but I thought I’d put it all in one place, seeing as how talk will now turn to “what the Indians need to do/should do” with the off-season upon us. Again, some of these are ideas that you’ve seen before, but hang in there as they’ve been fleshed out a little more and “The Plan” (dare I use that term) builds up from the first suggestion to the last.

Of course, it’s easy to say “they need a RH bat at 1B and a veteran starter”, but if you’ve been coming around here for any stretch of time you know that…well, I’m not one to simply deal in these vagaries. Let’s get specific and attempt to deal in reality with some of these proposed moves. If you want to call this reality a set of “ground rules”, I attempted to stay within that $70M payroll number that’s been predicted for the team and have attempted not to go all “ESPN Trade Machine” with trade suggestions, giving up players of value to net something close to equal value because…well, Luis Valbuena, Mitch Talbot, Trevor Crowe, and Beau Mills aren’t attractive to anyone.
Yes, even if you put them in a package.

Nevertheless, here is the off-season “road-map” (if you will) for the Indians heading into 2012:
Pick up Carmona’s option, Re-Negotiate Sizemore’s option
Apparently, the Indians will have 3 days after the final game of the World Series to make these decisions, but this is something I wrote about not too long ago, so excuse the liberal cut-and-paste, but here’s where I come down on each:
Fausto Carmona
For some hard numbers, consider that in 2010, Javier Vazquez posted a 5.32 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP for the Yankees. After that season, he signed a 1-year, $7M deal with the Marlins for the 2011 season. Certainly, Vazquez’s 2009 with the Braves (2.87 ERA) played a role in the Marlins’ decision to ink Vazquez as the Marlins likely thought that Vazquez would benefit from a change in scenery (out of Gotham) and could find his former self, but if Carmona’s 2011 option is for $7M, doesn’t it stand to reason that similar demand could exist for Carmona this off-season?

With the embarrassing dearth of starting pitching (particularly starting pitching available on the FA market) league-wide, these players are going to get more money than they’re worth. That may not be telling any secrets, but just to keep the examples flying from last off-season, Brad Penny got a $3M deal last off-season from the Tigers after pitching only 55 innings with the Cards in 2010 and Brandon Webb got $3M in guaranteed money from Texas last off-season having pitched FOUR MLB innings the previous two seasons.

Going further, given some of the concerns about Fausto’s conditioning, it could probably be argued that picking up this option may not be the best idea, in terms of motivation for Carmona, but looking at the other options on the FA SP market (is Edwin Jackson or Bruce Chen or Jeff Francis much more appealing…and what kind of money/years does it take to get those guys?) this off-season and with the idea that the Indians probably shouldn’t count on Gomez/Huff/McAllister to take up TWO spots in the rotation, the Indians are best served turning their head, pinching their nose, and picking up Carmona’s option for 2012, given that it’s basically a one-year deal and the final year that these options for Carmona aren’t patently outrageous (it’s $9M next year and $12M in 2014) in terms of guaranteed money.

Grady Sizemore
Though I’ve been floating the idea of renegotiating Sizemore’s deal for some time, Pluto says in his piece a couple of weekends ago that he would “offer Sizemore a contract with a $3 million base and lots of incentives. It can even be hooked into a lucrative long-term deal if he plays 120 games, or some other indication of durability.” Let’s use this as a starting point and get a little creative with a possible solution that allows the Indians to minimize some risk, keep Sizemore on the team with reachable incentives that become lucrative for Grady, and find some common ground here.

As a starting point, the Indians would guarantee Sizemore’s $9M option, but make it payable over 3 years with those games-played-based incentives that Pluto suggested built in so Sizemore (if healthy) could earn a salary at a rate commensurate with what a healthy Sizemore would earn on the open market. Remember, they did this with Pavano a couple of years ago, with incentives tied to innings pitched building upon a base salary as Pavano’s health was in question and the Indians’ creativity is what brought Pavano onto The Reservation.

Regardless, follow me on this:
2012 - $3M guaranteed, potential for additional $6M for 140 games played
$3M guaranteed base
Additional $1.5M for 80 games played
Another additional $1.5M for 100 games played
Another additional $1.5M for 120 games played
A final additional $1.5M for 140 games played
In this scenario, he’s guaranteed $3M in 2012 and could earn up to the $9M if he plays in 140 games, earning healthy bumps in pay as he plays in games throughout the season.

2013 - $3M guaranteed, potential for additional $8M for 140 games played
$3M guaranteed base
Additional $2M for 80 games played
Another additional $2M for 100 games played
Another additional $2M for 120 games played
A final additional $2M for 140 games played
Again, Sizemore has that $3M guaranteed with the ability to earn $11M if he hits that 140 game plateau.

2014 - $3M guaranteed, potential for additional $10M for 140 games played
$3M guaranteed base
Additional $2.5M for 80 games played
Another additional $2.5M for 100 games played
Another additional $2.5M for 120 games played
A final additional $2.5M for 140 games played
You’re getting the point here, as Grady will still get the $3M guaranteed (the final 1/3 of that $9M club option) in 2014 with the possibility that he could earn $13M if he stayed healthy enough to play in 140 games.

Again, you can read the whole piece again as I’m truthfully just cutting-and-pasting here as I’ll stand by these thoughts on both Carmona and Sizemore, whose club options in their extensions once seemed like such a deal.

Speaking of club options in extensions (that hopefully the team doesn’t regret) for young players…
Extend Asdrubal Cabrera & Justin Masterson
Again, this is a topic that I hit on very recently (last week), but these are the offers I’m putting on the table to these two, with the rationale behind each extension offer contained in the linked piece and the deals looking a little something like this:
Asdrubal Carrera Contract Extension
2012 - $5.5M
2013 - $8.5M
2014 - $10M
2015 - $12M club option ($1M buyout)
2016 - $13M club option ($2M buyout)

Justin Masterson Contract Extension
2012 - $3.5M
2013 -$5.5M
2014 - $7.7M
2015 - $12M
2016 - $13M club option ($0.245M buyout)
2017 - $13.5M club option ($0.5M buyout)

All of the rationale for the years and the numbers above are in this piece…but really the first two “topics” on Carmona/Sizemore and Cabrera/Masterson are really just handling internal business and nothing new around these parts.

As for augmenting the roster externally, how about a solution for that 1B problem?

Trade Chris Perez to the Marlins for Gaby Sanchez
This is something that’s been alluded to in the past, but with Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols hitting the FA market this off-season and with the Red Sox and the Yankees not really in the market for a 1B, the final destinations for Prince and Pujols could be fairly interesting. While neither will land at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario, the idea that the team that they sign with could have an “extra” 1B to use as trade bait is the rationale for Gaby Sanchez even being available. Again, the rationale for this trade idea can be found here, but Fielder and Pujols are essentially an upgrade over ANY team’s current 1B situation and there is always one team in MLB that’s ready to make that “splash” in FA that nobody sees coming. For whatever reason, the inclusion of the Marlins in rumors about Prince/Pujols reminds me of the Nationals’ pursuit of Jayson Werth last year and with the Marlins moving to a new stadium, with a new manager, and a new name (yep, they’re the Miami Marlins now), it is not outside the realm of possibility that one of them…um, takes his talent to South Beach.

If they did, the Indians should act quickly to go after Sanchez, a 28-year-old 1B with consistent, if not outstanding, numbers over the last two years. He’s a RH bat that is under club control through the 2015 season and isn’t even arbitration-eligible until after next season. He’s an average defender who has lacked the power of a “traditional” 1B, but in light of the internal alternatives for the Tribe, Sanchez’s steady bat in the lineup would be a major upgrade…and it would represent more than just a band-aid at 1B. Whether the Marlins would consider a one-for-one swap for C. Perez remains to be seen, but Perez is about to get more expensive via arbitration and if the Indians are looking to pare some money off of their payroll to make additions via FA, moving Perez for a league-minimum player like Sanchez makes sense.

Perhaps Ozzie Guillen wouldn’t have any interest in adding Perez after seeing him up close over the last couple of years (and Perez was not good against the White Sox this year), but if we know Ozzie…he doesn’t do well with unsettled bullpens. With Leo Nunez (or whatever his name really is) doesn’t figure to come back to the Marlins in 2012 (or even if he does), the Marlins could be in the market for bullpen help and the Indians may be their trade partner, particularly if Florida…um, Miami is willing to add salary, even if that salary is just for a closer.

Maybe it takes more for the Indians to pry Sanchez away from the Marlins and maybe Prince/Pujols end up elsewhere, making this entire concept a moot point, but the Indians should follow the bouncing ball that is the “Prince & Pujols Show” this off-season to see if they can find the 1B that they so desperately need via trade, acquiring a player whose spot may be taken by either Fielder or Pujols.

As for moving C. Perez, this is not a new suggestion in these parts, and I’d take Pestano and insert him into the 9th inning role, with Sipp and Smith sliding back into the 7th and 8th inning roles with the idea that one of (some of) the young arms that stand at the precipice of Cleveland can fill in the bottom rungs of the bullpen ladder.

Trade Rafael Perez, Jeanmar Gomez, and Cord Phelps, to the Mets for Jon Niese
Since most of the talk of adding to the starting rotation for 2011 has focused on adding a “veteran” starting pitcher, the usual suspects in the scrap heap start to make their way onto the Indians’ radar…at least according to most reports that come out. However, after White and Pomz were traded, there’s little question that the Indians’ rotational depth was affected and the effect of moving both White and Pomz is not something that’s going away anytime soon…unless Zach McAllister and/or Scott Barnes really assert themselves into the parent club’s plans to be more than the back-end-of-the-rotation fodder. Additionally, with the uncertainty that Carmona will be back after his 2012 season and with the outside chance that Tomlin turns back into a pumpkin, the Indians should be aggressive in targeting some younger pitchers that may be undervalued by their current teams, but who are under club control for a couple of years, even if it means acquiring arms that may be approaching arbitration.

As you can see above, I’m not talking trading for the Wandy Rodriguezes and Ricky Nolascos of the world, as I’d prefer to see the Indians target a starting pitcher (preferably LH) that actually is a “veteran” starter – in that they’ve logged significant innings in MLB – but who may be available because of their recent performance that has underwhelmed their current team and make an aggressive push for them. Pitchers like Toronto’s Brett Cecil and the Mets’ Jon Niese fit this profile as neither will be confused for front-end-of-the-rotation arms and each has thrown nearly 400 MLB IP. That may not be a “veteran” starter in the truest sense of the word, but the Indians need to add a piece that doesn’t simply represent an option to throw into the 5th starter mix in Goodyear. Rather, if they’re serious about making a move in 2012 (and, more importantly, PAST 2012), adding an arm to the middle-of-the-rotation would improve the team dramatically.

Since a friend of mine (who has an awfully good handle on the Blue Jays) passed along word to me that Brett Cecil would represent a slight upgrade or maybe comparative value to Dave Huff, asserting that Cecil’s 2010 season was the outlier, not his 2011 season, I’ll put the focus on acquiring Niese here. The focus falls to Niese mainly because he – like Cecil – is LH, under club control for a while, and may be seen as an ancillary part to their current team. By that I mean that Niese’s 2011 line of a 4.40 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and a 89 ERA+ is underwhelming and since it mirrors his 2010 season (4.20 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 94 ERA+), perhaps the Mets feel that this is what Niese is and may make him available for the right package.

The reason that a player like Niese would be intriguing would be his age (he turns 25 next month), his ability to generate K (286 K in his last 331 IP over the last two seasons), and the fact that he’s LH…a “quality” that is currently lacking in the Indians’ pitching depth, outside of Scotty Barnes and, to a lesser degree, Dave Huff. If you look deeper at Niese’s numbers, he posted the 17th best FIP (3.36) in the NL among pitchers with more than 150 IP and actually finished higher than that among the same group with a 3.28 xFIP, 10th best among NL pitchers with more than 150 IP. His 3.14 K/BB rate ranked 14th among NL starters (just ahead of Matt Garza) and his 7.89 K/9 rate ranked 16th among NL starters...this time just behind Ian Kennedy.

So…why would the Mets be willing to trade a 24-year-old LHP with those numbers?
Well, in some regards, Niese’s last two years are merely fair – in terms of the mid-4.00 ERA and the WHIP over 1.40 – meaning that Niese may be undervalued in some circles. Additionally, with the Mets needing to make some very difficult decisions about their future, they may be looking to add multiple pieces and parts that factor into their future. The Mets’ bullpen needs a complete overhaul and 2B has been an absolute disaster for them, so perhaps the Indians (with bullpen depth and a glut of 2B) could provide them with some pieces in Rafael Perez and Cord Phelps. If you look back at the initial trade proposal, I included Gomez in there in give the Mets a young arm for their rotation that they would control for longer than Niese and who may see his numbers improve in the NL.

Though this may seem like quite a bit to give up (to some) for a pitcher that had a 4.40 ERA in the NL last year, realize (again) that the only way to get value on the Trade Market is to give up value. Rafael Perez is still an unquestionably valuable reliever and Phelps’ performance in AAA this year suggests that he simply needs an extended opportunity to thrive in MLB at 2B (something that isn’t happening in Cleveland) with Gomez’s youth (still 23) offsetting some of the concerns that exist about his inability to strike hitters out.

Maybe the Mets have their eye on guys like Brantley (they need a long-term solution in the OF) or Marson (they need a long-term solution at C) or perhaps the Mets would prefer Donald over Phelps…and I don’t think the inclusion of any of those players is outrageous. Adding an arm like Niese – under club control through the 2015 season – is the kind of long-term move (that improves their short-term outlook) that the Indians should be looking at. Maybe the name isn’t Jonathan Niese and maybe the Mets aren’t the match, but the Indians’ rotation has question marks past Justin Masterson and a team that is looking to contend in 2012 and beyond needs to have more rotational answers than question marks.

Sign Mike Cuddyer to a 3-year, $30M deal
Wait…you’ve already kept Sizemore and added Sanchez, what is this about?
Frankly, I’m not counting on Sizemore to be completely healthy to start the season, nor am I counting on Hafner to be healthy throughout the season. So while signing Cuddyer when all of the positions seem to be spoken for looks like overkill, the idea to sign him would essentially provide insurance for Sizemore and/or Hafner being hurt in 2012.
Is that a big insurance policy that you’re willing to pay a premium for?

Absolutely, and the Indians need to approach this off-season to almost plan for either Sizemore and/or Hafner NOT being available, despite the money that’s going to be owed to them. As for where this Cuddyer money would come from (remember, I’m trying to stay within the $70M payroll number), the Indians would take the money saved by re-negotiating Sizemore’s contract (savings of $6M in 2012 if they re-negotiate as outlined above) trading Chris Perez and Rafael Perez and their assumed arbitration numbers (let’s say a savings of $6M combined) to spread out in a couple of ways. First, there would be the additional money for 2012 added to the Cabrera and Masterson extensions to buy out those FA years and plus what they’ll pay Gaby Sanchez and Jon Niese in their pre-arbitration years to come up with enough money for this contract for Cuddyer. Essentially, it hinges on re-negotiating the Sizemore deal and moving Perez’s assumed 2012 salary, but if you figure that Hafner’s money will come off of the books after 2012, this year is the only one in which the Indians would have to get creative to afford a deal like this for Cuddyer.

Why add Cuddyer?
Well, Cuddyer had the 23rd best wOBA (.354) in the AL in 2011 and posted the 30th best OPS (.806) in the AL in 2011 and played 1B, RF, 2B, and DH. For a team in need of a flexible bat and a RH bat to sit in the middle of their lineup, Cuddyer looks like a perfect fit. Over the last 3 years, Cuddyer has posted a .276 BA / .341 OBP / .465 SLG / .806 OPS / 117 OPS+ while averaging 22 HR, 33 2B, and 5 2B while averaging 150 games played per year. Of course it is worth noting that he is 32 years old and two full seasons from his tremendous (32 HR, .867 OPS) 2009 campaign, but his numbers since 2009 actually compare pretty favorably with the rest of MLB. Sure, he’s not in the upper echelon of players (much less hitters) in MLB, but he’s a steady player who has performed well and is likely to continue that consistent performance for the next couple of years.

Will he cost more than he’s probably worth on the FA market?
Yep, but do you want to know why the abysmal season from Matt LaPorta is so disappointing?
Because this is what a 20-HR RH bat costs on the FA market and with Hafner’s contract expiring after 2012 (I know he has that option) and with so many question marks regarding Sizemore’s health and with Choo under club control through only 2013, adding a versatile player like Cuddyer fits what the Indians need – a RH bat that can sit near the middle-of-the-lineup and move around the diamond as needed. Additionally, once Hafner moves on after the 2012 season, Cuddyer could slot into a quasi-DH role with his versatility giving different players breaks from the field by allowing them to get days off or switch spots with Cuddyer at DH. Essentially, having Cuddyer as the “DH” wouldn’t kill the roster flexibility in the way that Hafner has as Cuddyer’s ability to play all around the diamond would give the Tribe some much-needed breathing room at the DH spot…in 2013.

Would some of the “top-shelf” FA look better than Cuddyer?
Of course, but in this Brave New World of MLB, the Indians aren’t going to sit at the table with the Fielder and Pujols to crunch numbers if they’re going to venture out on the FA market and that “second-tier” of players is the top-end of where they realistically get to choose. It is true that Cuddyer probably projects to be a Type A FA (refresher on this and draft compensation here), meaning that the Indians would sacrifice a draft pick to sign him. However, the Indians are going to pick 15th in next year’s draft, which means that their 1st Round Pick would be protected if they signed a Type A FA (which Cuddyer is) and would sacrifice a 2nd Round Pick instead.
So, I suppose that final lost weekend in Detroit was good for something…

Of course, the question is bound to come up in all of this player movement that if the Tribe renegotiates Grady’s deal AND adds Sanchez AND adds Cuddyer where that leaves Mike Brantley in all of this. To that I would say that despite the fact that the Indians aren’t thrilled with Brantley’s play in CF, he would slot over there if Sizemore didn’t start the season in MLB or if he got injured and, if Sizemore was healthy, Brantley would move into the 4th OF role. It’s probably wouldn’t be a strict 4th OF role as (again) Cuddyer would be signed to be moving around quite a bit around the diamond and, frankly, Brantley’s 2011 season was less than inspiring.

There you have it and I’m not going to include the notion of adding a veteran reliever at some point because it would be a minor move. That said, if the Indians do in fact move TWO relievers out via trade in the Perezes and if you assume that Durbin isn’t coming back, the Indians are going to need some sort of a veteran middle reliever to sit there and eat up innings, unless that’s what Frank Herrmann is going to do…or maybe even Mitch Talbot in a long-man role.

When it’s all said and done, the roster would have much more balance in terms of handedness and the bench would provide some exceptional depth in case of (or is it when) injury or injuries occur:
C – Santana
1B – Sanchez
2B – Kipnis
SS – Cabrera
3B – Chisenhall
RF – Choo
CF – Sizemore
LF – Cuddyer
DH – Hafner
Bench – Marson
Bench – Donald
Bench – Duncan
Bench – Brantley
You’ll notice that Jack Hannahan is missing from this group but with Donald on hand and with Cuddyer’s versatility, there simply isn’t room for Hannahan, as fantastic as he has been this season and as much as he provides that insurance for The Chiz going forward. However, if the Indians are really looking to upgrade their roster, there will be some casualties and, in working this up, Hannahan was felled.

As for the pitching staff, the rotation would also be more balanced in terms of handedness with the addition of Niese and, though it would seem that the strength of the team (the bullpen) has been compromised by moving the Perezes out via trade, the remaining arms have more than enough talent to remain successful. Of course, those are famous last words (expecting success out of any mix of bullpen arms), but if Vinnie Pestano and Tony Sipp can arrive in the manner they did this year, it provides some optimism that players like Hagadone or Putnam or CC Lee could follow on this path. Regardless,
SP – Masterson
SP – Jimenez
SP – Niese
SP – Carmona
SP – Tomlin
Closer – Pestano
RP – Sipp
RP – Smith
RP – Reliever
RP – Hagadone
RP – Putnam
RP – Herrmann
There you have it, that’s one man’s plan for the off-season…and in less than 5,000 words!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to step away from this place for a while.
After years of putting my thoughts to paper (so to speak), I’m going to take some time off from thinking about and writing about the Indians. I’ve been dropping 10,000 words a week on you for long enough…and thanks to you for working your way through the thousands of words every couple of days for the last few years searching for some sort of analysis and meaning.

It’s entirely possible that I poke my head out every so often with thoughts on the comings and goings of the Tribe (so subscribe to the RSS feed or the Twitter feed if you want to be alerted as such) and while I don’t figure to disappear completely, the time has arrived for me to take a big step back from this endeavor and fully move into the true joys of my life, my wonderful wife (you may know her as The DiaBride), who amazingly put up with this “hobby” as long as she did, and my burgeoning family on The Reservation.

See you when I see you and…Go Tribe!

Really don't see Cuddyer even being interested in Cleveland. Maybe Crisp, maybe Willingham.