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Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report’s Cleveland Indians fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the club each week throughout the season.

This week, we evaluate Manny Acta‘s performance in his first season as Indians manager, assess the team’s rebuilding efforts by examining the cases of a few specific players, and predict what the future has in store for the Tribe at third base.

I would like to thank this week’s participants Nino Colla, The Coop, and Lewie Pollis for their contributions. This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we’re addressing this week.

Go Tribe!

1. A rebuilding effort such as the one the Indians are involved in now depends largely on the progress of the young talent the team has committed to, and how good a job the front office did evaluating on-field talent in the first place. 

The same can be said of the coaching staff during a rebuilding effort. Well into the second half of the season, how would you rate Manny Acta’s performance in his first year managing the Indians? 

Do you think the front office hired the right person for the job? What do you see as Acta’s biggest strength as manager? What do you see as his biggest weakness?

 

Samantha Bunten: Perhaps my standards are just exceptionally low from spending too many years watching Eric Wedge, but I am totally and completely sold on Manny Acta. 

He had me way back in May when he was asked about finding non-pressure situations for Rafael Perez to pitch in so he could get his confidence back, and his response was “Life is tough. Get a helmet.”

Acta is a tough-but-fair, no-nonsense kind of guy, which is exactly what a young, struggling team needs. He sticks up for and encourages his players, but he also doesn’t mince words when calling someone out for their mistakes. 

He’s also a purist who respects the tradition of the game. For example, he refused to allow post-game interviewers to turn his move to pitch Marte in relief into some sort of cutesy little gimmick. 

Truthfully, I don’t really know if Acta has what it takes in the long run to turn this team into a winner. But a lot of that is not in his hands. Thus far, I think he’s done the best job possible with the team he was given. 

As the team improves in the coming years, we’ll see if Acta can truly be a difference maker as a manager. One thing seems certain though: unlike Eric Wedge, he certainly won’t be a hindrance to the team’s forward progress.

Nino Colla: I think Manny Acta has done a fantastic job and I’m pleased with the choice the front office made from the candidate pool they had. Acta was the right man for this job and he’s clearly got this young team behind him.

It is hard to rate him because the team isn’t winning a lot of games. It’s hard to be taken seriously if you grade him highly despite the low win total, but I think for the circumstances that are present and for the tasks that he has to complete, he’s done a great job. 

His biggest strengths are his motivation and his game play. I love his style of managing a ball club because he isn’t going to kid anyone. He knows what kind of team he has and he plays to their strengths. He’s constantly trying to scratch out runs because he knows he has a lot of young players. 

I’ve also been favorable about the way he’s run his bullpen. You haven’t seen anyone go a long period of time with no use and he’s always throwing the hot hand in there. The same with his lineup. He’s not shy about moving his hot hitters up. 

I haven’t been a fan of pushing Brantley the way they did early on, but clearly Acta is trying to establish confidence in his young players that he thinks will be a big part of the future.

Lewie Pollis: I’d give him a solid B. 

I can’t really point to many specific things he’s done well, but when you think about, that’s pretty mark much the mark of a good manager–you don’t think about him. 

Take Ron Washington, for example: he’s probably the favorite for AL Manager of the Year. Is that because people think highly of his game theory? No, it’s because he doesn’t make very many bone-headed mistakes (also because his team is good). 

With that in mind, I think Acta’s done a decent job and I think he’ll grow with his young team. My one real complaint is his stubbornness with giving playing time to underperforming veterans, which seems counterintuitive to the rebuilding process. 

It’s not just Jhonny Peralta—how about Austin Kearns? From June 12, when he woke up with a .902 OPS, to July 30, his last game in a Cleveland uniform, he hit .221/.294/.287 with one homer and 11 RBI in 35 games. 

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a rebuilding team let a guy with a .581 OPS and no future with the team 33 starts in 43 games. 

Granted, that probably wasn’t just Acta’s decision; the front office was hoping to flip him to a contender, and he wasn’t going to open any eyes by sitting on the bench. Still, I would have much rather given the playing time to someone like Jordan Brown.

The Coop: If I had to give Acta a grade for his performance, it would certainly be “Incomplete.” It’s just too hard to evaluate someone who is working with such a young and generally sub-standard major league roster. 

However, I must say that it’s very refreshing to watch a manager who doesn’t long to be the center of attention. Acta’s predecessor was a nobody, and yet he seemed to make it all about him. Acta is the exact opposite. He’s not smug and arrogant, but honest and fair.

Acta seems to get maximum effort out of his players, and I can’t ask for much more than that in a forsaken season. 

The true test of that, of course, will be the team’s performance over the final few months of the season, when the games are virtually meaningless. I think that if the Indians finish strong, he will be a big reason why.

2. Let’s take a look at a few of the players around whom the rebuilding effort is centered. 

First up: Matt LaPorta. 

After struggling early in his Indians debut last season and continuing to have trouble adjusting early this season, it appears Matt LaPorta has finally started to come into his own. 

Are you pleased with where LaPorta is at in his development at the moment? Do you think that the adjustments made by LaPorta in his most recent minor league stint have finally translated into success at the major league level?

What do you like about what we’re seeing from LaPorta right now? What areas of his game do you feel he still needs to improve?

Samantha Bunten: I’m happy with what we’re seeing from LaPorta at the moment. The real question is, is he truly making solid progress, or is he just on a hot streak?

At this point, I’m inclined to say that he’s really making some legitimate strides. Unlike a lot of players who are resentful when they’re sent down repeatedly and spend their stint in the minors pouting instead of seeking to improve their game, LaPorta appears to have used his time wisely. 

I’m not sure I think he’s a better hitter now, but he’s definitely a smarter hitter. For a guy like LaPorta, who clearly has the raw skills necessary to succeed at the plate, that’s really what matters. 

He still strikes out far too often, but it’s obvious his pitch selection is improving. He’s horrifying on the basepaths, but then you don’t see many first basemen who aren’t. 

Defensively, he’s far from fantastic, but he’s not a liability either. Most of the botched plays we’ve seen at first this season were the result of bad throws, not LaPorta’s inability to field the ball properly.

Nino Colla: I’m very pleased with what Matt LaPorta has done with his game. It sounds like they adjusted his swing when he went down. 

But really I think the biggest thing with him is confidence. And health. He got a little confidence boost by not only going to Columbus and mashing, but by having the club trade Branyan and basically say, “Okay, it’s your show now.” 

The thing I like most is his hitting off left-handed pitching. I pointed out a long time ago when he was struggling that he never really hit left-handed pitching well, even in the minor leagues. So far his power numbers are still trending toward right-handed pitching, but he’s been consistent against the lefties by at least drawing walks and doing a good job of making contact and getting hits. 

You also have to like the defense he’s playing. It isn’t Gold Glove by any means, but he isn’t bad back there.

Lewie Pollis: I’m just going to come out and say it: I love what we’ve seen from LaPorta over the last month-and-a-half. 

As of this writing, he’s gone .286/.353/.496 since being recalled for the minors, and would be on pace for 27 homers and 90 RBI over a full season. Those certainly aren’t MVP numbers, and I’m guessing the ceiling Mark Shapiro and company envisioned when they traded for him two years ago was higher than what he’s doing now. But it’s huge progress. 

The best part is that his stint in the minors really seems to have helped. Since returning to MLB, he’s struck out in exactly 20 percent of his plate appearances—still a bit too high for my taste, but certainly not intolerable for someone with his power. The exciting part, though, is his 10-percent walk rate, which indicates an improvement in what was the most worrying aspect of his game. 

I would, however, like to see some improvement on the basepaths. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone that slow since Manny.

The Coop: I am most impressed by LaPorta’s character. Instead of sulking when he was sent down, LaPorta used his demotion to hone his swing. He dominated Triple-A pitching and proved that he belongs in the majors. 

When he was recalled, he made the most of it. While he cooled off a little in July, he’s had a good August so far, and I think he’s only going to get better. 

He’s also proven to have a very capable glove. I think he might have been pressing early on, trying to live up to the hype and justify the Sabathia trade. Now, in a pressure-free environment and playing first base (not the outfield) everyday, LaPorta will thrive.

I think the biggest area of improvement for LaPorta should be to learn how to hit during the day. His average is .291 (39-134) at night, and .221 (25-113) in day games. Wonder if he loves the nightlife a little too much?

3.  Moving on to a player whose progress isn’t going quite so well, let’s take a look at Michael Brantley. 

Brantley was a hugely pleasant surprise in his debut at the end of the 2009 season, but unfortunately, he hasn’t done much to impress since then. 

Are you surprised by how much Brantley has struggled this season? What do you think is the cause of his struggles? 

What do you think is Brantley’s biggest problem? Why isn’t he performing as well as he should be? Do you think he’ll come around eventually, or were we too quick to see great potential in him after his short stint of success at the end of 2009? Are there any areas of Brantley’s game at present that you ARE happy with?

Samantha Bunten: Michael Brantley is perhaps the one player who brings out the apologist in me. I love this guy, and I refuse to believe that the flashes of great play we’ve seen from him are just a fluke. 

To me, he simply just isn’t ready. Our outfield this season was supposed to be Choo, Sizemore, and Kearns. Injuries and a trade have instead resulted in an outfield combo of Choo (who also had a stint on the DL), Brantley, and (shudders) Trevor Crowe. 

Choo is a legitimate star. Crowe is a stopgap for Grady Sizemore while he recovers from injury. Brantley is the guy who should hold down the third spot in the future, if only he can get on base consistently. 

Brantley’s defense and baserunning are where they need to be already. He just needs to get his bat up to par. Ultimately I think he’ll be fine. He just needs more time to settle down, stop pressing, and adjust to major league pitching. 

Nino Colla: I’m not. He hasn’t received an extended period at the major league level. He’s had short stints so far. 

I did an article on Brantley’s problems and that is the conclusion I’ve come to: He’s putting too much pressure on himself and I think it has to do with the fact that he came up and he knew he was guaranteed. 

Now he’s back up here and he’s getting an extended look and the Indians have basically told him, this is your show. Austin Kearns is gone, Choo is the only staple in the outfield playing right now, and there is no reason for us to send you down or put you on the bench.

The one thing about Brantley that I dislike is his tendency to pull the ball. I think that is a result of the pressure he’s feeling. I think he’s pressured to not necessarily hit for home runs, but hit for power. That isn’t his game and it shouldn’t be his game. 

He should slap the ball the other way because 80 percent of the time. If he does, I’m pretty sure he’s going to find himself on second base, even if he only initially gets a single.

Lewie Pollis: Brantley’s current BABIP is .184. Using Chris Dutton’s xBABIP calculator, we should expect his BABIP to be .305. Doing some quick multiplication, that adds up to 12 extra hits, which brings his average up to .280, his OBP up to .338, and his SLG up to at least .364 (assuming all of the additional hits would be singles), plus it would increase his runs, steals, and RBI. 

Those aren’t great numbers and his power leaves something to be desired. But when you throw in his speed and defense and consider that he’s only 23, I think we have every reason to be optimistic.

The Coop: The simple answer is that Brantley is not ready. In a perfect situation where the entire Indians outfield was healthy for the whole season (including Grady Sizemore – remember him?), Brantley would not be on the 25-man roster. 

I believe he’s only there to fill a hole at this point. Who else are they going to use? Still, like with LaPorta, getting Brantley major league at-bats is the only way for him to improve. He can dominate minor league pitching, and he has had the right attitude despite his frequent bouncing from Cleveland to Columbus and back. 

Nevertheless, Brantley has tendencies and weaknesses which major league pitchers can obviously exploit. I’d definitely like to see him work more counts and draw more walks, but when a pitcher can get him to hit routine grounders by going right after him, why wouldn’t they? 

Ultimately, he is another guy that will benefit from playing everyday, and his glove is more than adequate. It’s going to take some time, but the upside is big.

4. One of the biggest question marks for the Indians’ rebuilding efforts, at least for the moment, is third base. 

Removing Jhonny Peralta from the equation can certainly be considered progress, but it’s pretty clear Andy Marte will never be the answer either. 

The Indians have two huge hopefuls at third in the minors (Jared Goedert and Lonnie Chisenhall) who are expected to fill the role nicely in the future. Who do you see being called up to take over the job first in 2011, Goedert or Chisenhall? 

Which one of them do you ultimately think will wind up with the job for the long haul? Also, given the strong possibility that neither is really ready to take on the job full time in 2011, do you think the Indians need to acquire some sort of stopgap this offseason for third base?

Samantha Bunten: Either way, this one is a win-win for the Tribe, because anything that is not Peralta or Marte at third is an automatic improvement, even if it’s an inanimate object. 

In the coming years, I think third base shakes out like this: Goedert gets there first, but Chisenhall ultimately winds up with the job. 

There’s no reason to rush Chisenhall. He isn’t ready, and probably won’t be ready at the beginning of 2011 either. That’s where Goedert comes in. He’s earned the first shot at the job, and I think he’ll fill the role nicely until Chisenhall is prepared to take his first crack at the majors. 

Ultimately I don’t think we want to see Goedert keep the job because his defense is, quite frankly, downright scary, and we’ve spent enough years enduring such horror courtesy of Peralta. I would like to see Chisenhall at third by the end of 2011, and perhaps Goedert can be moved to second.

Nino Colla: Jared Goedert is going to get the first crack, and might even earn a September call-up the way Jayson Nix and Luis Valbuena are playing at third defensively. 

The one knock on him is that his glove isn’t very good, but you have two guys there that are considered better defenders, even though third isn’t their original position, and even they are struggling.

I’ve been a fan of what Goedert’s done with the bat this season. Who hasn’t? The scary reality though is that he is just on a very hot streak in the minor leagues. 

Sure, he’s always had that potential with the bat and now that he’s healthy, he’s able to display it. But Lonnie Chisenhall has more staying power because his swing is more sound, he’s more of a pure hitter, and he’s got a much higher ceiling defensively.

Lewie Pollis: Looking at Goedert and Chisenhall, two things seem pretty clear. First, that Goedert will get first crack at the third base job. He’s pummeling Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .291/.372/.621 slashline and has rocked 18 homers in 57 games. Meanwhile, Chisenhall has a .266/.328/.437 line in Double-A, and has suffered through injuries this year. 

I think it’s pretty obvious that Goedert will reach the majors faster. A solid showing in a September call-up or Spring Training could cement him as the Tribe’s Opening Day third baseman. But Goedert isn’t the long-term solution. 

While his power surge didn’t come as a complete surprise (20 homers in 81 Single-A and High-A games in 2007), one has to wonder how sustainable his offensive surge is given that he posted an OPS of .709 at High-A and .657 at Double-A in 2008 and 2009, respectively. 

Perhaps more importantly, his defense is abysmal. That’s why Chisenhall will have the spot nailed down by midseason 2012.

The Coop: First of all, while Andy Marte is not the answer at third, please don’t discount his value to the organization as an emergency reliever. Teams with post-season aspirations should take note: need to get Nick Swisher out? You can, if the price is right. 

You hit on the most disappointing thing, which is that neither Chisenhall nor Goedert are ready. It seems that in the long term, Chisenhall will be the third baseman, so you have to wonder what the plan is for Goedert (second base?). 

This is where we all wonder aloud, Whatever happened to Wes Hodges? This was supposed to be his job, and you can’t help but think that if he would have panned out, we wouldn’t have had to deal with Jhonny Peralta for so long. 

Be that as it may, I’m rarely in favor of signing a washed-up has-been when the experience could be given to a younger player. I’m sure that Andy Marte will be given the job outright next year, but I’d really like to see Goedert get a few September at bats and make Marte earn the job next spring. (And, on the bright side, when Marte flops as usual, perhaps the Indians can get rid of him once and for all.)

5. Fun Question of the Week: The fans of any team involved in a major rebuilding effort are required to pay a lot of attention to the team’s minor league affiliates. 

How closely do you follow the Tribe’s minor league teams? How frequently do you attend minor league games? What’s your favorite minor league team/ballpark to go watch (it doesn’t have to be an Indians affiliate) and why?

Samantha Bunten: Indians fans, just like the fans of any team in the midst of a major rebuilding effort, are obligated to be on “Farm System Watch”. 

We follow our affiliates closely because, especially in the case of the Double-A and Triple-A teams, these guys could be on our roster tomorrow, and they’re also where all our hopes for the future lie. 

That’s not the only reason to attend a minor league game though. Minor league games are big on entertainment elements, very budget-friendly, and often give you an opportunity to meet or at least get close to players you would never have a chance to interact with at a major league ballpark. 

My favorite by far is the Aeros’ Canal Park, but I also think you can’t beat Single-A games for circus-like, off-field entertainment and how much bang you get for your buck. 

Nino Colla: I’m a very close follower of the minor leagues. Being in Akron, I follow the Aeros closely and attend multiple games during the season. When I was still in Youngstown, I’d see some Scrappers games, but not with the frequency that I’m at Canal Park. 

I haven’t been to many minor league ballparks, so Canal Park is probably my favorite. With this team, you almost have to follow the minor leagues so you have some sort of hope. 

Plus with a farm system that always seems to have players in it, why not? There’s always someone exciting to keep an eye on and hope that they are a part of the future some day.

Lewie Pollis: To be honest, I don’t pay much attention to the teams as a whole. The only MiLB stadium I’ve ever been to is the Aeros’ Canal Park, and I’ve been there only twice. I do, however, check in frequently on how individual prospects are performing and progressing.

The Coop: I probably don’t keep up with the Tribe’s lower affiliates as much as everyone else. The journey to the major leagues for most guys is long and grueling, and so many once-ballyhooed prospects never even make it (again, see Wes Hodges). So to that extent, I’m a little cynical and jaded. 

On the flip side, the purity and abundant hope of the minor leagues has a certain charm, as do the ballparks in which the games are played, so it’s definitely fun to take in a minor league contest from time to time. 

I think the minors tug on the emotions of what drew us all to baseball in the first place. For example: If Bull Durham was about a major league team, would it be as great a movie?

I have been to a few Washington Wild Things games (independent Frontier League), usually for a reason other than watching baseball, but I always seem to have a good time. (Of course, it might help that I’m only paying $2 for a beer and not $7.75 too!)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report’s Cleveland Indians fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the club each week throughout the season.

This week, we break down the Tribe’s Trade Deadline deals player by player by calling ‘win’ or ‘lose’ in each case, and then grading the Tribe’s deadline activity as a whole.

I would like to thank this week’s participants, Dale Thomas and Dan Tylicki, for their contributions. This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we’re addressing this week.

Go Tribe!

***

It’s never any fun to be a seller rather than a buyer at the trade deadline, and the Indians, as expected, did quite a bit of selling. No longer wearing a Tribe uniform are Jhonny Peralta, Austin Kearns, Jake Westbrook, and Kerry Wood. 

Under each player’s name in this and the following three questions, panelists were asked to share their thoughts on each individual move. 

Were the Indians a winner or a loser in each case? Were you glad to see the given player go? What do you think of what we got in return?

First up…

1. Jhonny Peralta:

Samantha Bunten: This one was the real winner. It doesn’t even matter what we got back. I would have taken a great big pile of nothing AND paid his salary until his contract ran out just to get him off my field. 

In all seriousness though, this deal was a win for both teams. I like Giovanni Soto, and he’s far more than I ever thought we would get in return for Peralta. 

The only downside to this one is that it may have helped Detroit. As much as part of the fun of it was that we got to give a player we hate to a team we hate, Peralta will probably wind up being a good pick up for the Tigers. 

At least half of Peralta’s problem were caused by his unbelievably poor attitude and effort and his blatant laziness. A change of scenery is often rejuvenating for a player like that, though I still hope he fails miserably.

After all, I’d hate to think we did anything to help Peralta. Or Detroit.

 

Dan Tylicki: Just by getting rid of him I think we’re winners. He needed a new start with another team; at this point, he’s worn out his welcome. 

Soto’s a promising prospect. He’s only 19 and playing well in single-A.

 

Dale Thomas: This was a win-win for both teams. I say that only because Detroit had an immediate need at third, and they were able to fill their need with Peralta. I guess they get the added bonus of Jhonny traditionally being a better hitter in the second half. 

That said, they’re going to have to accept the fact that when he comes to the plate, he’ll hit into a double play more times than not. 

The Indians, of course are the real winners because having Peralta is no different than having a terminal disease. We are cured! 

Getting yet another minor league pitcher for him can’t hurt, right? I mean, sooner or later one of these guys might turn out to fill one of our need, and we have plenty of needs.

In the end, I’m just glad he’s not on our team anymore and I don’t think he’ll be on Detroit’s team in 2011 unless they rebuild him from the toes up with some sort of cyborg type implants, transplants, and potted plants.

 

2. Austin Kearns:

Samantha Bunten: Consider me less than thrilled.

I really liked Kearns—good guy, good attitude, and pretty decent player. He’s certainly cooled off in recent months from his blazing start to the season, but his hot streak, while shorter-lived than I would have liked, served a purpose: he was hitting when NO ONE else on the team was. 

The Tribe had to move Kearns this season or risk getting nothing back for a pretty decent player, given the unlikelihood of re-signing him in the offseason. 

At this point, we don’t really know what we got back for him, though I’m inclined to say we sold short. And I would really rather we hadn’t given him to the Yankees. 

I’m glad Kearns gets to go to a playoff team, but couldn’t we have given him to someone we actually WANT to help, like Texas or Cincinnati? Granted neither of those teams needed an extra outfielder, but neither did New York. 

Ah well, you can’t win ’em all, and while I’m not sure this was a particularly helpful move for the Tribe, it’s far from the worst move Mark Shapiro has made over the years.

 

Dan Tylicki: I think we lost on this one. We got the same amount for him as we did for Kerry Wood, which doesn’t make sense to me. And he doesn’t really fit in at New York, so I’m not sure why they jumped to get him.

 

Dale Thomas: This guy did a good job for the Tribe, and I’m really sorry to see him go. 

As is often the case, I think the Tribe were the losers in this deal. Cash is a fleeting thing, so if they get cash, they’ll probably have to use it to dry clean Slider’s smelly suit. I mean how many years are they gonna let that go? Creosote doesn’t smell as bad as this guy, so as a public service it would be money well spent. 

By the way, I never get these ‘player to be named later’ things…but it’s gotta be Jeter, right? 

 

3. Jake Westbrook:

Samantha Bunten: Let’s call this one a win for Westbrook himself. 

For the team, I’m not convinced they needed to move Westbrook this year at all. I’m not sure I would have sold at this point unless someone was overbidding. 

Still, Corey Kluber is a good prospect, and the deal was essentially fair. The Cardinals are clearly getting more out of this than the Indians, but that by no means indicates that the Tribe got ripped off in this deal. 

The real winner here is Westbrook. He’s pitched unbelievably better than what anyone expected out of him this season, and he’s a modest, hard worker who has been toiling away on a hard luck team for most of his career. 

The Indians, in a way, rewarded Westbrook for his exceptional comeback this season and hard work over the years by sending him to a contender. I hate to see him leave the Indians, but I’m glad he’s going to get his shot with a playoff-hopeful.

 

Dan Tylicki: Corey Kluber was about as much as we were going to get for him, and St. Louis is a good fit for Westbrook right now. He deserves a ring with all he’s been through, and if Kluber pans out, then this is a win.

 

Dale Thomas: Kluber for Westbrook? Short term; Indians lose. Long term, this might be a decent trade if he keeps up his 2010 form, which is anybody’s guess. It is, after all, AA pitching. 

So what’s he bring to the table? Youth, a low salary, and he has indeed struck out a few batters. Unlike a lot of folks, I don’t think Westbrook is done at all. The guy is going to help his team for a few years to come. 

Since I hedged on the win-lose thing a couple of sentences back, I”ll take a stand now. We lose.

 

4. Kerry Wood:

Samantha Bunten: This deal was a disaster. 

Don’t get me wrong, I was all for giving up Wood for next-to-nothing prospect-wise, just to get him off my mound (or mostly, my DL) and to get his salary off my payroll. 

Except that—oops! The Indians DIDN’T get him off their payroll. In fact, they’re still paying most of his salary. You know, because the Yankees need help paying their bills. 

The entire point of moving Wood was to ditch his salary. Why move him at all if most of his salary for the rest of the year remains on our books? 

As long as he isn’t touching a baseball, I’d rather pay him to sit in the corner of our bullpen doing nothing than pay him to play for someone else, especially since the Tribe didn’t even get anything notable back in terms of prospects. 

To be fair, I’m not quite sure I understand what the Yankees were thinking either.

I get that it’s essentially a free pitcher and all, but really, are you going to hand Kerry Wood the ball in a critical situation in a playoff game? I’d love to see them do that of course, but I don’t believe the Yankees would really be that foolish. That’s more our territory. 

 

Dan Tylicki: Even though we didn’t really get anything, the Yankees will hopefully be giving a good player or good amount of cash, so it’s not a big deal either way.

 

Dale Thomas: Ha! Ha Ha! Hahahahahaha!! 

Now here’s a guy I would have just put in a cab and told the driver “just drop him off wherever…but make sure it’s not within walking distance to Cleveland”. 

Getting rid of this guy is a huge win for ownership and management, regardless of price, because the fans will no longer be reminded each day of the terribly, horribly BAD decisions made in the front office to bring this guy to Cleveland in the first place. 

Andy Marte pitched better than Kerry Wood ever did for the Tribe. Come to think of it, Marte pitched better than any of our pitchers, but let’s not torture ourselves that way. Instead, let’s just say that Wood sucked, has always sucked, and will always suck. 

With that in mind, and to try to make sense of this trade, let’s consider that Wood will be converted to shortstop, so we can do the Jeter deal I mentioned in the ‘Kearns for an unknown player/Slider laundering scheme smell-factor uniform improvement program extravaganza’.

Yup. We win.

 

5. Finally, let’s take a moment to discuss how the Tribe did at the deadline overall. What “grade” would you give the deadline deals the team made? 

Do you think the Tribe helped or hurt themselves with their trade deadline activity this season? 

Were there any players trade who you don’t believe should have been moved? Is there anyone on the Tribe roster who you would have liked to see go but still remains an Indian?

Samantha Bunten: I guess I’ll give them a B- overall, though that’s a generous B- which is slightly inflated by the A+ I give the Peralta trade. 

Aside from that move, which was addition by subtraction, the rest of the deals aren’t anything impressive. But on the whole, they weren’t too disastrous either, which when compared to last year’s deadline mess, indicate that Mark Shapiro should at least be given a “has shown improvement”. 

I’m not about to give Shapiro a prize for his deadline activity this year, but at least this time we didn’t donate a Cy Young winner to another team in exchange for an 18-year-old whose arm is ready to fall off. 

I don’t think the moves truly helped us, but it’s unlikely they hurt us either. Sad as it may be, when the Indians have made it through a trade deadline without shooting themselves in the foot, we have to call it a win by our standards, however low they may be.

 

Dan Tylicki: Overall, I’d probably give them a C+.

I’m not thrilled with any of the trades (except maybe Peralta), but they were moves we had to make to get us moving. I’m glad Fausto Carmona’s still around, I was worried he was going to be shipped as well. 

I don’t really think it helped or hurt the Tribe since we only know of the two prospects we got, and who knows how they’ll pan out. 

One thing that would be great to see is the Yankees fall out of first at the end because of them taking our loose ends and trying to win with them. Kearns plateaued a while ago and Wood’s done.

 

Dale Thomas: I give the Indians an A++ for dumping Peralta and Wood. Doesn’t matter that we got nothing, because let’s face it, we gave up nothing. 

To further justify such a lofty grade, they both went to teams I hate! How perfect is that?

I don’t care what the Tigers and Yanks do with these guys, and I don’t care if the guys we got (or might get, or won’t get) ever do anything good. This is a clear case where less is more.

It even offsets the lousy Westbrook and Kearns deals. Moving deeper into this question, I would have liked to have seen Marte get in that same Taxi Cab with Wood, but that was before I saw him pitch! Especially those first two pitches he threw that almost hit the upper deck. 

Now I want to keep Marte and convert him to mascot since there is just no way the Slider guy will live through another year in that odoriferous furry suit. Marte will be a great drop-in replacement, and hey, he can always come out and pitch the ninth since smell hasn’t been deemed illegal like scuffing and spitballs and all that…

GO TRIBE!!!

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Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report’s Cleveland Indians fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the club each week throughout the season.

This week, we discuss the Tribe’s history of being a “second-half team,” commend Jeanmar Gomez for his exceptional spot start, and agree that someone needs to tell David Huff he isn’t allowed to use Twitter anymore. 

I would like to thank this week’s participants Dale Thomas and Dan Tylicki for their contributions. This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we’re addressing this week.

Go Tribe!

 

1. After going a dismal 34-54 in the first half of the season, the Indians came on shockingly strong after the break and started things off with a four-game sweep of Detroit. 

Over the last several seasons, the Indians have historically been a second-half team. Are we in for another round of that this season? 

Do you think we will see this team play far better baseball for the rest of this year, or was the Detroit series (and the team’s modest success right before the break) just a short-lived stretch of good baseball? 

Can the Tribe play .500 ball in the second half? Is there any chance they can get their overall record up to (or even remotely near) .500 by the end of the season?

Samantha Bunten: Over the last 20 years or so, the Tribe has always been a second-half team. This was true in their good seasons and true in their bad ones. This year won’t be any different. 

As for the Detroit series and the first two games in Minnesota, of course it was just a short-lived stretch of good baseball. Even contending teams can’t continue a masterful streak like that for very long. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a very, very good sign. 

This team will be better on the back half of the season. I’m not sure they’ll make it back to .500, but I bet they’ll play over the 50 percent mark in the second half and thus come pretty close. 

I fully expect them to pass Kansas City and finish fourth in the division. That doesn’t exactly make it a successful season, but it does save it from being a total failure. This is Cleveland. Aim low. 

Dale Thomas: A few days ago I might have said, “no way the Indians will be a .500 ball club in the second half.” All you have to do is look at how they underachieved in the first half. 

After watching them take two games from the Twins (so far) after the Detroit series, I had to reassess my outlook. I was particularly encouraged by game two with the Twins. A close one, and closed out impressively. 

That said, I’ll start to believe after I see who’s traded, and if the Tribe can sustain this level of play for more than six games.

Dan Tylicki: I think that there’s a possibility we could inch to .500 as the other teams selling off their players suddenly become more beatable. We would not be affected by something like that as much since we’ve been giving player time to the younger players. 

Plus, we’ll be getting Cabrera back, that’s big. We’ll play better baseball, and if we’re lucky we may be able to overtake the Royals for fourth.

 

2. Just like the Indians are a “second-half team,” plenty of individuals in baseball qualify as “second-half players.”

Which Tribe players do you see improving or really coming on in the second half of the season? Which Tribe players do you see cooling off or slowing down? 

In your opinion, which of the following is most damaging to a player (and consequently, his team): An exceptionally slow start, a big midseason slump, or a really cold finish? 

 

Samantha Bunten: Slow starts create motivational problems that are hard to reverse, and midseason slumps can kill trade value for an individual or turn a team having a midseason slump from a buyer to a seller at the deadline. 

But at the end of the day, there is nothing in the world that is worse than a cold finish. Ask anyone who was a Mets fan in 2007. No one remembers what a great season they had. Everyone remembers the epic, 17-game crash at the end of the year that took them from a lock to make the playoffs to the laughingstock of the entire league.

As for how the Tribe’s individual players will fare in the second half, Matt LaPorta looks like the surest bet to really heat up. He went into the break swinging a hot bat, and came out of the break the same way. 

Kearns has already started to cool off, and will probably continue at his current pace. I hate to complain about Kearns, as there was nearly an entire month of the season where he was pretty much the ONLY person on the team hitting anything at all, but his trade value has tanked. If the Indians were hoping to move him, they should have done so at least a month ago. 

That being said, I think Kearns will pick up the pace again…probably the day after the trade deadline. 

Dale Thomas: A cold finish is the worst of the lot. Nobody remembers the beginning or middle if you take the grand prize at the end. Anyone who watched the Boston Celtics this year will know what I mean. 

LaPorta has come on very strong. That’s probably Trevor’s fault, but Crowe has also done a few things with his bat. Hafner has cooled off a bit, but hasn’t gone out stone cold, and Kearns, in my opinion, will re-establish his stroke. 

Nix has shown he can help, Peralta has shown that he’s Peralta and will always be Peralta, and I’ll just lump our pitching staff into one category: improved, Masterson and Wood not withstanding.

Dan Tylicki: Maybe it’s just me, but I see Matt LaPorta having a great second half as he continues to get comfortable in his role. Jayson Nix has suddenly been very good for us of late, but I just can’t see him keeping that up. Pitching-wise I think we’ll get about what we expect. 

As for which is most damaging to a player, it depends on the situation. If we’re looking to trade a player, then the midseason slump is definitely the worst. Kearns has flat-lined of late, which is making it hard to get a lot of good talent for him. 

If the team doesn’t need to trade the player, then the cold finish is worst, as it could make one’s own team or others look at the player and not find him effective.

 

3. Spot starts for pitchers rarely produce anything impressive. For the most part, teams only make such moves when their staff desperately needs rest or there has been an unexpected injury to another member of the rotation.  These are not the sort of starts that carry high expectations for the pitcher; teams are usually just hoping they and the pitcher both make it out alive.

So what a pleasant surprise it was when spot-starter Jeanmar Gomez, making his major league debut, cruised to victory in a seven-inning, 93-pitch outing in which he yielded just two runs on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. 

Were you impressed or surprised by Gomez’s performance, especially given that he’s struggled in Triple-A so far this year? 

As is expected with a spot start, Gomez was sent back to the minors immediately following his start on Sunday. Do you think we’ll see Gomez again this season?  Do you truly think he was ready to face big league hitters? Would he be your first choice for a spot starter should the same situation arise again this season?

 

Samantha Bunten: Gomez should be commended for doing a fantastic job in his spot start. He handled the knowledge that he would be sent back down immediately afterward flawlessly, pitched a great game, and then got right back on a bus to his next Triple-A game. Oh, and he didn’t put any of that on Twitter. 

Alas, I don’t think Gomez is really, truly ready to face big league hitters on a regular basis. His numbers at Triple-A this season indicate he’s even struggling at that level. Still, the way he handled the situation of the spot start combined with his actual pitching performance indicates that we have every reason to think that Gomez will be a major contributor to the staff in the future.

I absolutely think we’ll see him in September, but I doubt he’ll be our next spot starter. That opportunity should go to Carlos Carrasco or Huff, once he’s had enough time to sit and think about what he did. 

Dale Thomas: I was really surprised by Gomez’ performance. It was kind of inspiring. If we trade away our starters, I would expect to see Gomez get some more time in the bigs. 

Otherwise I’d expect Huff to provide some spot starts, provided his phone is confiscated.

Dan Tylicki: I was surprised by Gomez’s performance, given that his stats at Triple-A made it look like he was going to be killed when he came up here. 

Given his performance, I see him definitely being a September call-up now. I don’t think he’s 100 percent ready to pitch in the big leagues, but his spot start was great practice. 

My first choice would have been Josh Tomlin had he not had that barroom incident. Instead, it would probably be Carrasco, who is hungry to make sure that we forget his failed 2009 tryout.

 

4. Man, is David Huff ever in trouble. 

It goes something like this: The aforementioned spot start on Sunday was reportedly supposed to go to David Huff. Except that Huff decided to post that information on Twitter before the team officially announced it. Oops. 

Understandably irked, the Tribe reportedly yanked the start back from Huff because they were unhappy about his actions, opening the door for Gomez to get the call. 

Do you think the Indians overreacted to Huff’s social networking faux-pas, or were they correct to come down hard on him for his poor judgment? 

Generally speaking, should the team have a clearly delineated policy on what players can share online, or is this just something that players should understand on their own? Is it really any different than a player who spills something he shouldn’t in an interview?

 

Samantha Bunten: You know that software parents can buy to monitor or restrict their 13-year-old daughter’s internet activity to make sure she isn’t making plans online to meet a middle-aged biker gang in an alley? All professional sports teams need to get that to keep track of their players online antics. 

This is for the players’ own sakes as well as the sake of their organization. A few months ago, a Browns player I follow on Twitter actually tweeted his home address and phone number to all of his 4,000+ followers when he meant to send it privately to just one person. And then there was Sizemore’s Mad Tea Party… 

Granted, what Huff did wasn’t as serious (or at all dangerous to himself), but it was still an over-share that was both unprofessional and strategically stupid. If the team hasn’t announced the starter yet, there’s probably a reason. 

Someone needs to cut off Huff’s Internet access until he proves he’s responsible enough to use it. 

Or maybe the Indians just need a “no tweeting” policy. Trust me, I’ve read Matt LaPorta’s tweets—no one will miss them. 

Dale Thomas: In this situation there’s a lot more to the timing of naming your starter than “look at me”, which is the way I view Huff’s Twitter-happy announcement. 

I’m okay with what the Indians did. The whole thing will, no doubt, result in some policy adjustments and attempts at heightened control over this sort of thing. 

At the end of the day, I see a Twitter message as being a bit more premeditated than a player who spills something he shouldn’t in an interview, as the media is pretty good at pouring fuel on whatever fire may be burning.

Dan Tylicki: It was right to come down on him, since he should’ve been happy he was given a chance when he already had a long leash this season. 

I think it would be wise to have a clear policy, just so that it’s easier to call people out on it when they pull something stupid like that.

 

5. Fun Question of the Week: Last Sunday, Jhonny Peralta got an inside-the-park home run on an epically strange play when Detroit outfielder Ryan Rayburn went crashing through the bullpen door trying to field the ball. 

Between the strange occurrence of an outfielder falling through the ‘pen door and the even stranger fact that Peralta actually made it all the way around the bases that quickly, this may be one of the most bizarre plays we’ve ever seen. 

Aside from the above, what’s the strangest play you’ve ever seen on the field?

Samantha Bunten: I was at an Indians-White Sox game in 1994 when Chicago blew through their starter and entire bullpen in under six innings and had to bring in their right fielder to pitch. He literally had to jog straight in from right field to the mound. His pitching debut went about as well as you’d expect. 

The strangeness of that of course pales in comparison to about half the plays Manny Ramirez was involved in when he was with the Tribe. I can still recall Baby Bull trotting down to first for what he thought was a walk three pitches into an at-bat.

Dale Thomas: The strangest play I ever saw was when Jose Mesa threw a curve ball to give up the hit that scored the winning run in Game Seven of the 1997 World Series. 

Maybe this isn’t exactly what you meant by “play,” but man oh man…it’s at the top of my ‘strange’ list.

Dan Tylicki: Besides that one, I remember when Casey Blake hit an inside-the-park home run a few years back. I was in the stands and we were hitting very well that day. Blake came up and hit a ball that bounced just right, somehow none of the Tigers could get to it. Blake didn’t seem to be running so fast as to make it happen, but he pulled it out, and it was awesome. 

Perhaps it’s not as strange as Peralta’s, but still strange how it all clicked. Plus I remember it being dollar dog night; the hot dogs tasted especially good after that moment. 

As an honorable mention (since I wasn’t there): the home run bouncing off Jose Canseco’s head has to be included.

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Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report’s Cleveland Indians fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the club each week throughout the season.

This week, we discuss the Tribe’s terrible luck with injuries, Fausto Carmona’s All-Star Game nod, and the long-awaited emergence of Matt LaPorta.

I would like to thank this week’s participants Lewie Pollis, The Coop, and Nino Colla for their contributions. This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we’re addressing this week.

Go Tribe!

1. First it was Grady. Then it was Asdrubal. Now it’s Shin-Soo Choo who is headed for a lengthy stint on the DL. 

Choo sustained a sprained thumb last Friday diving for a ball. What at first appeared to be a minor injury is now believed to potentially require surgery and could keep the right fielder out until September. 

Are the Tribe EVER going to catch a break? 

Do you really think Choo will be out until September, and if so, how will this impact the team’s performance? How do you think the adapted outfield of Crowe in left, Brantley in center, and Kearns in right will fare? 

One more thing: At the risk of being a harbinger of doom, who’s next? Will we lose another important roster member to the DL soon?

Samantha Bunten: As a Cleveland fan, it’s tempting to meet this question with a blank stare and mumble something like, “Catch a break?” What does THAT mean? The only thing the Tribe seems to be catching this season is the injury bug, and yes, I did also mean that as a knock on our abysmal defense. 

We lost our two best defenders in Sizemore and Cabrera, and our best hitter in Choo. That would be tough for any team to absorb, but the Tribe’s lack of depth has made the impact of the injuries even more glaring. 

As far as the outfield in its current state, Brantley has improved but still has a long way to go, Kearns has cooled off, but is certainly still doing his job, and Crowe…well…you all know how I feel about that. 

Who’s next? Well, if the pattern continues, you have to assume it will be Mitch Talbot or Chris Perez. And the shot to the head LaPorta took from Elvis Andrus on Monday was eerily ironic given LaPorta’s recent impressive improvement.

Nino Colla: Oh boy…This is just deflating to see. Not just the injury but the fact he’ll be out for the next two months? Man, just man. 

I don’t know if they are ever going to catch a break, but this is certainly annoying to continue to see year after year. Just once, even if the team isn’t going to compete, you’d like to see your best player have a good season from start to finish. 

I don’t know how it will impact the team, but it certainly isn’t going to help. They’ll have to depend on Carlos Santana, Travis Hafner, and Matt LaPorta to carry the offense, and that is a tough task for those three with the supporting parts right now. 

The outfield will be fine for now. I want to see Jordan Brown now though. If he isn’t up at some point, there is something really wrong. They have the space, and if they trade Kearns they will have no excuse not to give him a shot.

Lewie Pollis: I don’t think there’s much to say about this besides that it sucks. Though the image of Trevor Crowe having some job security makes me want to vomit.

The Coop: I can only assume your question about the Indians ever catching a break is rhetorical, because the next break any Cleveland team catches will be the first one. 

Regardless of whether or not Choo needs surgery, the most important thing is that the Indians do not rush him back. Put him on the shelf for the rest of the year if you have to, but there’s no sense in jeopardizing the future and long-term health of one of the best players on the team. 

As far as the team is concerned, anytime you lose a guy who means as much to his team as Choo means to the Tribe, there’s going to be a painful drop-off. Let’s not forget there was a reason Brantley was sent down before May. 

My only hope is he has become a better player after suffering through his early season struggles. His latest stint in Columbus might be just what he needed to regain his focus and confidence. Plus, with the Indians out of it, he should feel a lot less pressure. 

And for the record, I fully expect Fausto Carmona to incur some sort of freak injury while attending the All-Star Game, putting him on the DL for the rest of the year. Tendinitis in the elbow from holding his video camera during the Home Run Derby, perhaps?

2. On Sunday, Fausto Carmona was selected as the Indians’ representative for the 2010 All-Star Game. 

Do you think Fausto deserves to be an All-Star? Was he really the best choice to represent the Indians in the Midsummer Classic?

Who would you have chosen to represent the team? Why?

Samantha Bunten: The nod should have gone to Choo, no question. As it stands, he’s the only player on the team who by rights might belong on an All-Star roster without that “every team has to have one player on the squad” designation attached. 

Given Choo’s unfortunate injury though, I like the pick of Carmona. I’m not sure he truly has given the performance necessary to be nominated, but you have to love that a guy who was so bad that he was banished to rookie ball just one year ago has improved so much he’s now an All-Star representative. 

Nino Colla: Is Fausto an All-Star this year? I don’t really think so. I think it is awesome that he made it, and I’m glad there will be an Indian in the game after all. 

However, other pitchers in the AL got left off the roster for him being on it. Jered Weaver is one name that comes to mind, but I don’t think it was a huge travesty that Carmona did make it over a few other AL pitchers. 

Shin-Soo Choo should have been this club’s representative. It sucks he won’t get the honor and it sucks he got hurt and wouldn’t have been able to play anyway, but he deserved to at least have the honor attached to his name. Choo has the best offensive numbers in virtually every category and he deserved the nod.

Lewie Pollis: It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that I’m not Carmona’s biggest fan, but since we can’t have Choo, I can’t really justify being angry. 

He absolutely doesn’t deserve to be an All-Star over, say, Francisco Liriano, but he’s probably the best the Indians have to offer.

I had one other possibly crazy idea that I think merits consideration: Carlos Santana. He’s been absolutely insane; his .436 wOBA would rank third in the game if he had enough at-bats to qualify. 

The main argument against him would be his lack of playing time, but given that he’s produced more in 28 games than All-Star John Buck has in a full season (1.4 to 1.3), I don’t think it’s the smallness of the sample size that matters.

The Coop: The last time I spoke on who the Indians’ All-Star representative should be, I thought it was obvious, so I didn’t name anyone. But a few other people didn’t necessarily agree with my choice of Choo, so maybe I should have clarified. 

Hands down, Shin-Soo Choo should be there. Obviously, his injury could not have happened at a worse time. But to me, there isn’t any debate on this topic. Austin Kearns? Seriously? Since when does .260 / 7 / 35 get you to the All-Star game? 

Is Fausto Carmona the next best choice? Maybe, maybe not. Sure, his stats aren’t exactly reminiscent of Nolan Ryan, but considering he’s come back from the depths of hell (Rookie Ball) to be among the team leaders in virtually every statistical category is enough for me. I hope that this opportunity increases his confidence and helps him return to his 2007 form for good. He deserves it.

3. Since being recalled from Triple-A Columbus after Russell Branyan was traded to the Mariners, Matt LaPorta has been a pleasant surprise.

With a .236 average and just four home runs on the season, LaPorta obviously still has a long way to go before he can reach the level of play he’s reportedly capable of. Still, you can’t deny LaPorta is finally looking like the guy we thought we were getting from Milwaukee way back when we sent them CC Sabathia in 2008.

Over the last week, LaPorta is hitting .360 with 3 home runs and seven RBIs. Do you think LaPorta is finally having his breakthrough? What do you think changed since his last stint in the majors at the beginning of the season?

How much do you think it will help LaPorta to have the bulk of the at-bats at first base, as opposed to having to share time with Branyan as he did before? Do you think LaPorta is finally here to stay, or is there a chance he lands back in Columbus again before the end of the season?

Samantha Bunten: As much as I’ve been glad to see LaPorta’s breakthrough, I’m more relieved than impressed. The Sabathia trade looks a little better now. 

I don’t mean to take anything away from LaPorta though—he clearly took his demotion seriously and made good use of his time back in Triple-A. 

He still strikes out too much and looks like he’s swinging for the fences on pitches where he should just be trying to make contact, but he does appear to have found his power stroke and while it still needs work, his pitch selection has definitely improved. 

I do think he’s here to stay, and I don’t think he’ll be ceding too many of the at-bats at first base except for routine days off. The pressure will be on LaPorta to perform now though; with the Branyan trade, there really isn’t anyone on the roster who can absorb some of the at-bats at first, which made it that much scarier for the Tribe when Elvis Andrus tried to kill LaPorta on Monday. 

Nino Colla: I think Matt LaPorta just got some confidence and support. Just knowing you are going to be in the lineup every day and knowing you are also going to be playing one certain position each day does a lot for the mind. 

I think this is finally Matt’s time to shine. He has regular playing time, the team is backing him and trading Branyan proves that. He’s confident, and he appears to be healthy. He’s got everything on his side right now. 

He’s not trying too hard like he was earlier in the year and things are just coming easy for him right now. I think he’s here to stay and would be shocked to see him back in Columbus at any point.

Lewie Pollis: Now that’s more like it. If nothing else, this should be a confidence boost for the Tribe. Consistent playing time at an easier position can only help LaPorta. Obviously a surge this strong won’t last, but it sure is nice to see him finally doing something.

On the other hand, there are still some things to worry about—namely, his plate discipline. He’s hacked at over 30 percent of pitches out of the strike zone this year, and hasn’t done particularly well with them, with an O-Contract rate under 62 percent. 

His strikeout rate has actually been worse since his promotion (27 percent) than it was before he got sent down (21 percent).

The Coop: By all accounts, LaPorta is finally healthy, comfortable and not worrying about re-injuring himself. If that’s all it took for him to look like the prospect the Indians thought they were getting, then that’s great. 

But I’m actually sensing a common theme here. The Indians have seemingly found guys with the right attitude. My guess is LaPorta, like Fausto Carmona, used his time in the minors to refocus and regain his confidence. You can trot out all the statistics and sabermetrics you want; there’s no way to truly measure these intangibles. 

Giving LaPorta that bulk of the playing time at first base is going to be great for him. Like Brantley and most other young Indians, the pressure should be off. Now, these guys can relax and work on becoming better players each day, so they can contribute to the long-term success of the organization. 

At this point, there would be virtually no reason to send him back to Columbus. The Indians need to find out what he can do in the big leagues, plain and simple. We all know what he can do in the minors.

4. In just one week, we will have reached the midpoint of the 2010 season. 

While we knew this would be a tough year for the Tribe, so far the team has struggled even more than we thought they would. 

Please list 5 things you think the Indians have done wrong, or have been a central cause of their struggles this season.

Samantha Bunten:

1. Unproductive players like Luis Valbuena were allowed to hang around the roster way too long before being ousted. Jhonny Peralta has been violating this one for years.

2. Horrible, horrible defense. The kind that loses games all on its own. 

3. Having to utter the phrase “Andy Marte is the best option” when asked who should be starting at third base.

4. Sizemore, Cabrera, and Choo are all on the DL, while Crowe and Peralta stubbornly refuse to hurt themselves. 

5. The complete vanishing act of the fan base. I want to get mad about this, but really, can you blame them?

Nino Colla:

1. Signing Russell Branyan was a mistake, no question.

2. Injuries to guys like Cabrera have made it a necessity to hold onto guys like Anderson Hernandez, but I’d still like to see Josh Rodriguez at some point.

3. Early season hitting woes were surprising.

4. I think Kerry Wood being out hurt the bullpen depth early.

5. Luis Valbuena and Lou Marson.

Lewie Pollis:

1. Miserable defense. Our collective -36.8 UZR is worst in the game, by a mile.

2. Giving regular playing time to Jhonny Peralta.

3. Strike some people out. The Indians staff has the lowest K/9 rate (5.6) in baseball. The difference between us and No. 29 is greater than the difference between No. 7 and No. 19.

4. Throw some strikes! Our 3.8 BB/9 rate is also the worst in the league.

5. Jhonny Peralta gets to be mentioned twice.

The Coop:

1. Lack of a true No. 1 starter (too bad the Indians can’t find a guy who can win a Cy Young Award).

2. No power hitting (unless you think one guy with double-digit HRs is good).

3. Improper use of Justin Masterson (move him to the ‘pen!).

4. Mark Shapiro still has a job (seriously, does this guy have pictures of the Dolans?).

5. Injuries (not an excuse, but definitely an explanation).

5. Despite the overall disappointment and those struggles mentioned above, things haven’t been all bad this season. 

Please list five things the Indians have done right, made a positive contribution to the team’s success, or have just pleasantly surprised you thus far this season.  

Samantha Bunten:

1. The potential of the Tribe’s young talent is still very apparent; it’s just taking a little longer to manifest than we expected.

2. Mitch Talbot—they gave us this guy for Kelly Shoppach? Mark Shapiro finally did something right!

3. Carlos Santana—The hype was legit. His contributions on the field are already making a difference. And he’s the kind of player who will increase ticket sales. 

4. I’m not sure whether Manny Acta is truly a winner yet, but he’s infinitely less frustrating than Eric Wedge. His charisma and enthusiasm (not to mention his in-game management skills) are a refreshing change from Wedge’s “manager in a coma” style.

5. Despite his early struggles, I still love Michael Brantley. Yes, I know he’s still hitting .143, but his bat will come around, and his defense is already there. 

Nino Colla:

1. Starting Pitching has been a pleasant surprise, namely Talbot and Carmona.

2.  Chris Perez has been the brightest spot in a bullpen that has had its moments of hope.

3. Sticking with Justin Masterson has been something that the Tribe deserves some props for. People wanted to oust him after the first few starts.

4. Their aggressive promotion within the minor league system has been refreshing. Bryce Stowell is in Triple-A, Alex White is in Akron, and Joe Gardner is in Kinston. Give them some credit for changing that and their draft strategy as well.

5. Carlos Santana.

Lewie Pollis:

1. Chooooooooooooooooo!

2. Letting Masterson work through his struggles.

3. Moving Sizemore out of the lead-off spot (boy, I’m really reaching here).

4. Not raising the price of Kosher dogs.

5. Playing Muse’s “Uprising” before the game.

The Coop:

1. Jake Westbrook (though pretty mediocre, his five wins are about four more than I thought he’d have).

2. They have good-character guys who have struggled but fought to make it back to the big leagues and contribute (exception: Jhonny).

3. Chris Perez (just make him the closer already).

4. Mitch Talbot (no one saw this coming).

5. Carlos Santana (dude is for real).

 

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Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report’s Cleveland Indian fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the club each week throughout the season.

This week, we discuss the beginning of the annual Tribe fire sale, wonder what to do with players behaving badly, and come clean about which bandwagon we may be jumping on in the second half of the season.

I would like to thank this week’s participants Dale Thomas, Scott Miles, and new Tribe Talk panelist Dan Tylicki for their contributions. A big special thanks is also in order for guest panelist M.T. Robinson, a Padres writer here to give us a little outside perspective. You can find his work at sd72degrees.com.

This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we’re addressing this week.

Go Tribe!

1. Let the fire sale begin!

Last weekend Russell Branyan was traded back to his old team, the Mariners, for a couple of prospects, the first to go in what will likely be a number of players moved by the Indians before the trade deadline this season. 

Do you think the Indians will completely clean house before the deadline and trade away everyone they can who isn’t part of their long term plans? 

Who do you think will be the next to go, and who are all of the players you see as likely to be moved by July 31st?

Are there any players frequently discussed as trade candidates who you DON’T think will be going anywhere this season?

Samantha Bunten: Death, taxes, and the Indians’ annual fire sale. The yearly salary dump has become as predictable as Manny Ramirez developing a mysterious hamstring injury whenever he so much as hears the word “Boston.” 

I’ll be sorry to see Kearns go, even now that his average has plummeted back to earth. He will absolutely be gone by the deadline.

Obviously, we all hope Kerry Wood gets moved, but I can’t see anyone taking him off our hands unless we eat 70-80 percent of his salary, which would sort of defeat the purpose. 

Much as it saddens me, I don’t see Peralta going anywhere. No one wants a third baseman who can’t hit, can’t catch, can’t throw, and gives about 40 percent effort on the base paths. Unless the Mets or the Mariners are out scavenging for junk like they often do, Peralta is going to be the last item left on the lawn at the yard sale, wearing a cardboard sign that says “free to good home.” 

Dale Thomas: I’ve been trying to figure out what the heck this “long term plan” is. The Indians have already cleaned house. They did that last year. Now they are cleaning out the garage, trading the guy they just got. I guess Branyan’s rust was staining the garage floor or something. Next I suppose we’ll clean the bathrooms, closets, and attic. 

So what does “long term plan” mean? The only viable plan that will work for the Tribe is to trade away ownership. 

As far as the last part of this question, it seems as if every last member of this team is trade bait except, of course, Trevor Crowe. We need him here to blame things on.

Scott Miles: You know, maybe Mark Shapiro is some kind of evil genius, signing Branyan and Austin Kearns with the intent of flipping them for multiple prospects to bolster the farm system. (OK, maybe not, but at least I’ll tell that to myself now.) 

I’d say the Indians are in full spring cleaning mode, it’s just a matter of what options are available. Kearns’ snap back to reality has probably killed his market and at this point, I don’t even know if the Tribe could get back what they did for Branyan. 

I don’t think Peralta will get traded…who wants a third baseman with little power and no glove? Wood, with his salary, would need to save about 20 more games in a row before anyone would take him on, though he is off to a nice start this week with that. Westbrook, behind Kearns, is probably the next likely to go, especially with the talk of bringing Carlos Carrasco up.

Dan Tylicki: I can see quite a few players leaving as they try and open more room to our farm system, mainly on the position player side, where things seem pretty good. 

I think Kearns is almost guaranteed to be traded for a couple pitching prospects. Shelley Duncan could be a potential trading piece, but I can’t think that we would really get anything for him. 

On the pitching end, if anyone wants Kerry Wood near the deadline, he’ll be gone. I don’t see too many of the pitchers leaving; I think Fausto Carmona will stay on the Tribe, as will Mitch Talbot. Jake Westbrook I have no clue on, for some reason. I can’t see him leaving or staying, though I think the Tribe can get a few good pieces for him. He would be a reliable fourth or fifth starter in pennant-race rotations.

M.T. Robinson: Looking at the Indians from afar, clearly the most attractive player currently on the Indians roster is outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. At 28, Choo is still in his prime, but his 30th B-day is just around the corner. Choo could fetch a nice load of prospects, and his trade value may never be higher. If Choo is not part of the overall plan to rebuild with youth, he could see his ticket punched to the Yankees or even Boston, both of whom have done business with Cleveland before. 

Next on my short list is pitcher Fausto Carmona, who’s 3.68 ERA is stellar in the American League. Carmona would excel in facing the weak bats and wide strike zones of the National League, and he is exactly the kind of player a team like the Dodgers or Phillies like to add for the stretch run. 

After that, the Indians hand gets weaker, although pitchers Jake Westbrook and Mitch Talbot might bring a few prospects. Below those four guys, the Indians’ major league roster is not very enticing to look at. Perhaps Grady Sizemore would have some value even while rehabbing on the DL.

2. Let’s take a minute to discuss the specifics of the Branyan trade. Many people were baffled by the details of the move:

Seattle, 14 games back in the AL West, seemed to have little reason to want to reacquire Branyan. Why would the Mariners give up prospects for a player with mediocre-at-best skills, especially considering they aren’t looking like contenders in their division and they just let this same guy go a couple of months ago?

The move makes more sense for the Indians,who were clearly just trying to open up playing time for Matt LaPorta at first base. Still, they didn’t get much in return for him in terms of quality prospects, and seem to have sold oddly early on Branyan when they might have gotten more for him closer to the deadline from a team in contention desperate for a power bat.

What do you think of the move? Did the Indians get anything of real value in return for Branyan, or was the only purpose to get more at-bats to LaPorta at first? Should they have held out a little longer before trading him in order to get a better yield in return? And the most baffling part: What on earth was Seattle thinking?

Samantha Bunten: Seattle runs the best preseason con game in baseball. Every offseason the Mariners make all kinds of big moves, spend all kinds of money, fool us all into picking them to win their division, and then promptly run out of gas sometime around the first of May. 

Seattle has a history of making terrible, terrible moves all season long as well (recall how we got Asdrubal Cabrera and Choo), so I’m not surprised by the Branyan trade, even though I’m baffled by it. Really, why on earth would you give up prospects for a guy who generally gets about one hit per 50 strikeouts who you just let go a couple of months ago? 

The Mariners seem to be perpetually swapping deck chairs on the Titanic. They also seem to put a lot of faith in overrated, expensive players with nothing left in the tank. Exhibit A: Eric Bedard. Last I heard, he was pitching in A-ball. 

As for the Indians, I would have preferred they hang on to Branyan to see if they could get more for him once some contender got desperate for a power bat down the stretch. From what I know of the two prospects we got from Seattle for him, I’m really not impressed. 

Dale Thomas: This move makes little to no sense for the Indians. They still have the bulk of his salary, got nothing in return, and lost a guy with some savvy and experience to share with our younger players…plus he’s a nice guy. 

For Seattle? Hey maybe it’s because they get a decent bat for about 500 grand. Other than that, I can’t imagine why they would do this. They are totally out of any kind of contention for anything, and Branyan has showcased himself as a defensive nightmare, with average hitting. Go figure. The whole deal is eerily weird.

Scott Miles: I think the Indians got pretty good value for him considering he’s a one-trick pony. They were able to sell him about as high as they could because none of the contenders would have wanted him for that price. I think it’s a win-win-win. 

One, you get him off the team (Tribe is 9-5 this year I believe now without him, through Wednesday). Two, you get LaPorta those at-bats. And three, you get two players who have a better chance of playing with the Indians in a few years than Branyan did. 

As for what Seattle was thinking, I don’t even want to speculate because I might say something I can’t take back later.

Dan Tylicki: I was surprised when I heard it, like most others. The Mariners have no real need for him, and we don’t have much need for the prospects we were given. 

Getting LaPorta playing time at first is a must. We have to know if he can play in the majors day in and day out, so might as well do it now. 

In terms of holding out, we could have, but we probably would have gotten the same amount. Players like Branyan are pretty easy to find when one looks, and Adam Dunn would be the first one everyone would be after. 

As for what Seattle was thinking…they’re not. Only thing I can think of is the Mariners are that desperate for any power on their roster. They have a good pitching staff, so maybe if their hitting clicks something will happen. Or maybe as I said, they are just not thinking. 

M.T. Robinson: Let’s face it, the Mariners are not world renowned for their brilliant sports acumen. 

Branyan still can blast the long ball, but I don’t see how he will be around in three seasons, while who knows how OF Eziquiel Carrera and SS Juan Diaz will be doing in their development? Carrera has shown a solid glove combined with a quick bat and feet during his first five seasons in the minors, and at 23 may not be far away from The Show. 

Carrera is now stashed at Triple-A Columbus, but look for a September call up. SS Juan Diaz is hitting .295 this season for Double-A High Desert, hitting seven home runs with 41 RBI, which are nice numbers. 

Diaz could be in the Indians’ starting lineup by 2012, if not sooner if he continues to hit. I give the Indians the edge on this trade in the long term, and I am looking at the Mariners scratching my head.

3. We spend a lot of time heaping criticism on the Indians woeful pitching staff. While they may well deserve it, it also would be nice to be able to occasionally say something positive about one of our hurlers.

One of the few candidates on our staff for such a distinction this season? Mitch Talbot.

While Talbot’s numbers don’t exactly jump off the page in any statistical category, he has posted a solid 8-6 record so far this season with a 3.88 ERA overall and an impressive 2.39 ERA on the road.

What were you expecting out of Talbot going into the season? Have you been pleasantly surprised by his performance? Do you now consider the trade of Kelly Shoppach that brought him here to have been a good deal for the Indians?

Where would you rank Talbot among the current Tribe starters? How do you see him fitting into the Tribe’s long term plans?

Samantha Bunten: Initially, I didn’t expect much out of Talbot. I had originally thought Tampa Bay was just pawning its junk off on us, but now it looks more like Talbot may have just been a roster casualty there.

I liked Kelly Shoppach, but the Indians really didn’t have a place for him. Suffering through Lou Marson for a couple of months B.C. (Before Carlos) was worth it in retrospect, since trading Shop netted us a guy who has turned out to be a pretty darn good pitcher. 

I think Talbot is a great fit for the long term plan. I see him moving comfortably into the No. 2 slot behind Carmona next year after Westbrook is gone, and eventually, if guys like Masterson and Carrasco pan out as advertised, landing in the fourth spot in the rotation. 

Dale Thomas: I didn’t expect much from Talbot coming to the Tribe with his 11-plus ERA after a whopping three games pitched with his former team. It looked like one of those nothing-for-nothing trades. 

It was an easy trade to stomach because we weren’t really giving up anything we needed, and we got someone at least claiming to be a pitcher…and looking at our staff at the time, each and every one of them was only someone claiming to be a pitcher. Carmona coming off a dismal season, Westbrook coming off a dismal surgery, the largely unknown Huff, and that guy Masterson. Talbot seemed like one of the gang already! 

Fact is, Carmona has pitched better than I thought he would. So has Jake. Huff was far worse than expected and Masterson did exactly what I expected him to do. So yes, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Talbot thus far, and I actually think he’s got potential to improve from where he stands today. 

Right now I’d have him ranked number three. Yes indeed, I think he should be in the Tribe’s long term plan…whatever that is. This has been one of very few good moves in the last few years where we actually traded up.

Scott Miles: I liked Talbot through spring training, knowing he was a victim of a numbers game within the Rays organization (wow, 10 years ago, I never thought I’d write that sentence). 

He just seems to be the type of pitcher who “gets it.” He is not overwhelming with his stuff, but he knows how to pitch and what to throw in the right situations. 

It will be interesting to see how he adjusts his second and third time through the league, but even though he is a rookie, he’s also 26 years old, so he has some experience and innings behind him.

Dan Tylicki: Right now, I would put Talbot second behind Carmona. He’s been surprisingly solid, and while he isn’t amazing, he’s played well enough that he’s at least someone we don’t have to worry about. 

I was not expecting much when he started, but I have been impressed, and I now consider the Shoppach trade a good one, especially because, where would we put Shoppach now? 

Talbot is only 26, so I would be for trying to sign him long-term as he reaches his peak. He won’t be an ace, but we can use a reliable number three pitcher, which is what he would likely be.

M.T. Robinson: As I said before, from afar, the Indians starting pitchers’ numbers do not look that bad. Three starters with ERAs under 4.00 in the AL is nothing to sneeze at. 

Talbot has scratched out his eight wins and a 3.88 ERA pitching uphill this season for a sub .500 Indians team that is one step away from cashing their chips in for 2010. On the value side, Talbot turns 27 after this season, which is considered the maturation age for Major League players. Talbot also may never be worth more than he is now. 

It’s a close call here; he could be dealt, he could be in the rotation for the next six years if he can stay healthy.

4. Last week, three Indians’ minor leaguers were arrested for allegedly assaulting a bar bouncer in Akron.

Pro athletes engaging in criminal activity is certainly nothing new, but until now players in the Indians organization have largely avoided running afoul of the law.

What’s your take on this incident? Do you think the Indians or MLB should punish the players?

What’s your opinion on athletes’ legal offenses in general? Do you think athletes who get in trouble with the law should be punished by their team or league, or do you think off-field issues should stay off the field? Does it depend on the severity of the offense?

Samantha Bunten: I can totally understand the reasoning behind getting in a “fair fight.” Someone steals your woman or your dog or your roster spot, I can see why you might clock the guy. But that is absolutely not what happened here. There is NO possible justification for three guys jumping one guy on the street and beating him until he needs to be hospitalized just because apparently, they didn’t really like the guy.

There’s also something about getting in bar fights while you’re stuck in the minors that’s akin to shooting yourself in the foot. Maybe if these guys spent more time swinging bats and less time swinging their fists, they wouldn’t be stuck in Double-A. 

The Indians and MLB need to throw the book at these guys. Do you want your kid running around in a Beau Mills jersey after this? I didn’t think so. 

Dale Thomas: My take on the incident is that it’s been brewing for a long time. It starts with a bunch of good ol’ rednecks in a bar that were probably totally out of line. So the bouncer does his job, which is to bounce rowdy hounds before things get out of hand. 

That said, I’m guessing the bouncer made a big mistake by engaging in arguments with these guys in the bar, and doing it more than once. That brings a lot of emotion and resentment to the table over and above the bounce itself. So the guys learn to hate the bouncer and want vengeance. Boys will be boys or something like that. 

So they randomly cross paths outside the bar and the players start a fight. What’s up with that? 

The problem is that these players represent the town they play for. They have to step away from the idiocy of drunken contests like this and hold to their commitment to their team, their city, and their sport.

I think the team/league should impose penalties, as these guys represent them. Besides…three on one? C’mon guys, how impressive is that? It’s like smashing your hamster with an SUV, then claiming self defense.

Dan Tylicki: I think there’s no question that the Indians have to dole out some sort of punishment if MLB doesn’t. These minor league players should be honing their skills rather than getting in bar fights. If they’re spending their time like that then no wonder they’re still down there. 

Maybe I’m sounding harsh, but if they’re running afoul of the law, they need sanctions from their team or the league. They are role models for kids across America whether they like it or not. 

As a side note, I’m about ready to consider Beau Mills a bust. He should be in Triple-A, ready to hit the majors this year. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh since he’s still just 23.

M.T. Robinson: Here is the quick version of the incident, which I had not read about until now. Akron Aeros players Jerad Head and Beau Mills, who was Cleveland’s first-round pick in 2007, along with Josh Tomlin of the Columbus Clippers took on Theodore Zeman, the bouncer at Whiskey Dicks in Akron, Ohio. 

My first impression, trouble at Whiskey Dicks? Say it ain’t so…”Well, we were on our way to the YMCA, and one thing led to another…” 

Allegedly, the three players were verbally ripping Zeman, telling him he was soft and ‘roided up, then they started in on Zeman’s woman, always a mistake. The three beat Zeman into submission,when he tried to take matters into his own hands, resulting in broken ribs and a punctured lung for him. 

It’s Matt Bush all over again. Bush was the Padres number one a few years ago. Bush got in a fight with a bar bouncer the day he was drafted, and flamed out of baseball like a meteor. 

I think all three of these guys will be suspended for a year, and should face criminal charges, like any of the rest of us would.

5. Fun Question of the Week: With the first half of the season coming to a close and the Indians well out of contention, it’s time to start thinking about your backup plan for who you’ll be rooting for down the stretch to make the playoffs.

Who are the AL and NL teams you’ll be rooting for this year as your backup plan? In other words, which bandwagons will you be jumping on for the 2010 season? Why?

Samantha Bunten: I’m backing Texas in the AL, but I’d even root for the Twins or Tigers if they were in a position to get rid of New York or Boston. Mostly though, I’m an Indians-Or-Bust type of gal, so I prefer to focus my attention on an NL team in the big dance. 

Regarding the NL, I’m going Reds all the way. You have to love how they’ve built their team from the ground up, reminiscent of what the Indians did in the early 1990s. You also have to like the Padres for their incredible turnaround between last year and this year. 

I’m also a big fan of the Brewers. I like Atlanta because they’re the classiest, most well-run organization in baseball,l and I like the Dodgers because they’re the new home of many of my favorite former Indians. But really, I’ll support any NL team but the Mets. 

Dale Thomas: For the NL, I’m going to root for the Reds. It’s a lot like rooting for the Indians. Does this mean I’ll need a backup to my backup plan? Of course it does! When the Reds go down I’ll root for the Dodgers. When they go down I’ll root for St. Louis. 

On the AL side, I predicted the Twins would win the division, and they raced out of the blocks like they could easily go all the way. Now all of a sudden they’re battling Detroit for first, and if things keep going as they have, they’ll be battling the White Sox too. 

Next, the division will go down in a small insignificant puff of smoke and I’ll be rooting for…the Yankees? Haha…ain’t gonna happen. Go Tribe!

Scott Miles: In the AL, it would have to be the Rays and/or the Twins. The Rays for obvious reasons (unseating the Yankees and Red Sox), and while I don’t like the Twins, damn it I respect them and their organization. 

In the NL, it’s tough to say, but probably the Cardinals, because like the Twins they just seem like a classy organization that does things the right way. I would include the Padres in there but I can’t name more than three players on their team so I will refrain.

Dan Tylicki: On the AL side, I haven’t thought much about it. I’m a Yankee hater, so as long as someone beats them in the playoffs I’m good. I’m an AL Central guy at heart, so I’ll support Minnesota and Detroit in their endeavors. 

NL-wise, I’m leaning towards either the Reds or the Padres to root for, since they seem unappreciated. In general I root for the small-market teams, just because the large markets sicken me, buying a championship rather than winning it through hard work and smart planning.

M.T. Robinson: I’m rooting for the Padres of course, and we have a shot this season. San Diego needs to add two bats to make a serious run, but may take it right to the wire anyway with baseball’s best pitching staff. More than likely though, Philadelphia will get hot again and take the NL pennant. 

In the AL, I like Toronto’s bats, but as always, no one really has a chance but Boston and New York. Tampa Bay is also still in the hunt, but I feel that the Rangers will get wiped off the field in the playoffs. Go Tribe!!!

 

 

 

 

 

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Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report’s Cleveland Indian fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the club each week throughout the season.

 

This week, we wonder if the Indians can find a viable replacement for David Huff in the starting rotation, debate whether there is any merit in keeping Austin Kearns around for the long haul, and cast our votes for AL All-Star game starters, all while wishing we didn’t have to watch pitchers bat. 

 

I would like to thank this week’s participants Nino Colla, The Coop, and Lewie Pollis for their contributions. This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we’re addressing this week.

 

Go Tribe!

 

1.  Huff has been optioned to Triple-A after going a dismal 2-9 in 13 starts.

This leaves the Indians with a difficult decision to make about what to do with his roster spot. Do you think the Indians should call up Laffey or Carrasco to take the roster spot?

Would you consider instead calling up a reliever to spell the tired bullpen for a few days and waiting to name a new starter until the team needs one on Friday?

What do you think will become of Huff? Does he truly have a chance to refine his skills and make it back to the bigs, or are his struggles an indication that he will never succeed a major league starter?

 

Samantha Bunten: The Indians were right to call up a reliever for a couple of days before they had to make a decision about the fifth starter. As to what happens after that, ideally, I wouldn’t call up either one of them. Neither has shown any indication that they deserve the spot in the rotation. But the Indians have to work with what they’ve got, so I suppose I would go with Carrasco. 

 

I really like Laffey, but he just doesn’t seem to have the stuff to be a viable starter. Laffey has proven that he can pitch very well for a couple of innings, but he starts to fall apart after four or five, and our overworked bullpen can’t spell a pitcher every time he starts for half a game. 

 

I don’t know if Carrasco can do any better – he certainly didn’t look like he could when he was given a shot to do so last season – but the Indians have nothing to lose by giving it a try. We know Laffey can’t handle the job. Let’s see if Carrasco can. 

 

I still believe Huff can come back from this. He has great stuff, he just can’t seem to control it right now. I think he needs to make a mechanical adjustment to his delivery, maybe change his release point. I also think it’s possible he’s tipping his pitches. These are things that can be corrected, and triple-A is the right place for him to do that. 

 

Nino Colla: There will be no consideration, you will see a player called up before the game on Tuesday and it will likely be a reliever, maybe Joe Smith or Jess Todd. The more likely is Todd because it is likely this person called up is sent right back down on before Friday’s game. 

 

When the time comes, I think they will pick Laffey, but that isn’t necessarily the choice I’d make. I think the club believes they owe Laffey an opportunity in the rotation after what he did in the spring and how they had to move him into the bullpen. He hasn’t been great transitioning into a starting role, but he’s been alright and like I said, I think it has more to do with the club wanting to make up for moving him. 

 

I’d pick Carrasco though because I think it is time to get an extended look at him. I know he hasn’t had the greatest season down in Triple-A, like Laffey’s small stint, but I’m ready to see what he has in tryout number two. 

 

If the club really wanted to reward the pitcher who deserves a call-up the most, and truly bring up the pitcher that has pitched the best, they’d call up Josh Tomlin. He would require a 40-man roster spot, but he’s pitched better than all the other current options the club has and sooner or later, especially if he keeps it up, he’s going to require some sort of shot, bullpen or rotation.

 

As for Huff, I think this is a move that is needed. His mechanics are all messed up and the only way to fix it is to work on it in a game setting. He can’t be doing that up at the major league level because no one will be able to tolerate that. Since he has the options left, send him down and let him fix his issues there. I think he’ll come back and be a better starter for it. I love Huff’s stuff, he just has to remain consistent and part of that is fixing his mechanics.

 

The Coop: As I’m writing this, the Indians have made their decisions about how to juggle the pitching staff. Not sure why they didn’t consult me, but I digress…. Actually, it seems if they did consult you, Samantha, by calling up Smith for an extra bullpen arm until Friday, like you suggested. Now all you need to do is figure out how to get these guys to get some hitters out.

 

As you said, the Indians were left with a “difficult” decision. In my view, the reason this decision was difficult was because neither Laffey nor Carrasco exactly dominated at Columbus. Had either one been particularly impressive, the decision would have been easy (and probably would have been made sooner). 

 

Basically, I’m fine with both of these moves. I’m not really sure what other options the Indians had. In some cases, I’m okay with letting a guy work out his issues in the majors, particularly when the team isn’t going anywhere. But when you have guys who have roughly the same talent level, as well as major league experience, hanging out in the minors, making a move is the right thing to do. 

 

I do have hope for Huff. He pitched very well at the end of last season, and I really thought he was turning the corner. Setbacks are common. He’s only 26, and time is on his side. Huff pitches to contact (not a lot of walks, not a lot of strikeouts), so he really needs to focus on how to improve on the little things that will make that pitching style successful. Developing his curveball and learning how to keep hitters off-balance are things that he can do to get better, and indeed, these things are best worked out in the minors.

 

Lewie Pollis: I think a trip to Triple-A is just what the doctor ordered for Huff; he really needs to recapture his control and ability to miss bats. 

A look at his strikeouts and walks shows you exactly why he was touted as a prospect yet has floundered in the Big Show. 8.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in the minors, 4.5 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in the majors. 

 

He’s been a completely different pitcher since he got the call last year, and he needs to rediscover the skills that got him this far in the first place. As for his replacement, why in the world are we getting Aaron Laffey? I’m sorry, but when you follow up a mediocre start to the season by walking almost a batter an inning in Triple-A (“For the most part, he’s thrown the ball over the plate,” Manny Acta said in a moment of unprecedented thoughtfulness), you don’t reward him with a rotation spot over Carlos Carrasco and Yohan Pino. I have nothing more to say.

 

2. The Tribe still has six road games left to play against NL teams this week, which is bad news when it comes to the nine-hole in the lineup.

The Tribe staff is just a terrible group of hitters, even by “pitcher standards”. C.C. Sabathia they’re not.

As a manager, is there anything you can do to compensate for the dreaded “easy out”? Do you think the Tribe has enough solid bats off the bench to solve the problem with well-timed pinch hitting?

Who is the best hitter and worst hitter on the Tribe staff right now? Who is the best hitting pitcher you’ve ever seen? 

 

Samantha Bunten: The “easy out” isn’t something anyone ever wants to cede to an opponent. But it would be much easier to swallow if the rest of the lineup wasn’t looking like a bunch of “easy outs” too.

 

The problem here isn’t that the pitchers can’t hit; they’re pitchers. Of course they can’t hit. The problem is that the hitters can’t hit, and so the fact that pitchers have to bat in NL stadiums contributes to a problem that shouldn’t exist in the first place. 

 

The pitchers do need to learn how to bunt more effectively, but the bottom line is that it really isn’t their job to hit. Blame the rest of the lineup, not the guys who can’t make contact because they only have the opportunity to try it twelve times a season. 

 

I’m not sure there’s a “best” hitter on the staff right now. They’re all pretty bad. None of our starters are guys who have spent a significant amount of time pitching in the NL though, so you really can’t blame them when they’ve never had much opportunity to face major league pitching.

 

Best hitting pitcher I’ve ever seen? Hands down, without a doubt, it’s Dave Burba.

 

Nino Colla: You can’t compensate for the easy out, unless you get runners on base in front of the pitcher and use the bunt effectively. I really don’t care for this because it is just something every club has to deal with, including the NL pitchers, even if they get more time at it. 

 

I do want to say something in concerns to this and my problem is with the schedule, and this is something Manny Acta pointed out. What is it with the Indians getting nine NL road games in a row like this? It effectively cools off their hottest hitter in Travis Hafner by removing him from planet earth for nine straight games. No DH, no cleanup hitter…for nine straight games? That’s bogus. 

 

I’m all for interleague and it is cool that they play by the rules of the home ball park, but could the schedule makers not mix up these interleague games a little better so we aren’t without our cleanup hitter for nine straight games, especially since he was just getting hot as this road trip started? 

 

The NL is getting the advantage in interleague play, whether it is taking away the other team’s DH, or gaining an extra hitter of their own. So why not make sure the AL teams aren’t getting screwed in this situation?

 

The Coop: Let me put it this way – if the Indians’ first hitters get the job done and the pitcher does what he’s supposed to do on the mound, I’ll give up the “easy out” every time. Pitchers are there to do one thing: advance runners (usually by bunting). Not even National League teams count on their pitchers to do anything more than that. 

 

The hitting ability of the Indians pitching staff is a red herring. That being said, seeing as how none of the Indians pitchers have any hits this year, I can’t refer to any of them as “best.” Some are less bad than others, but at this point, “bad” would be an upgrade for most of them. 

 

In my opinion, the worst hitter on the team is Fausto Carmona. I almost feel bad for him, because it looks like no one ever even taught him how to hit. Two K’s and some terrible bunt attempts against Pittsburgh make him the hands-down winner. 

 

The best hitting pitcher I’ve ever seen is probably either Sabathia or Rick Ankiel. I think I’d give the nod to Ankiel, because he was good enough to still play in the majors as an outfielder, even when he completely lost his ability to pitch. Then again, his career average is only .250, so I’m sure his career will be over soon. But at least he made it last a little longer because of his bat.

 

Lewie Pollis: An AL team’s pitchers are unprepared to step to the plate? That’s absolutely unacceptable. I hope some heads are going to roll over that one. 

 

My memory is clouded by my youth at the time, but I remember being really impressed by Dave Burba’s swing. Other than that, I’d say Carlos Zambrano. Dan Haren has looked pretty good this year too.

 

3. Given his unexpectedly stellar performance so far this season, Austin Kearns has become a valuable asset to the team.

Generally, Kearns is considered a veteran player whose stay with the Tribe is temporary. Kearns is not thought to be part of the team’s future plans, but might that be a mistake?

Kearns is only 30, and the uncertainties about the health of Grady Sizemore and the true potential of Michael Brantley may mean that the outfield won’t be as crowded as we once thought.

Do you see any merit in the Tribe looking to hang on to Kearns beyond the 2010 season? If not, is this because you would prefer to see another player in left in the future, or is merely because the Tribe might not be able to afford him?

Would you be willing to spend the money to keep him around? How much would Kearns be worth to you, contract-wise?

 

Samantha Bunten: I really like Kearns. There’s nothing I would like more than to keep him around for a couple more years. But is that really the best way to spend our limited financial resources? Probably not. 

 

The system is full of outfielders with potential. Even if Kearns can outplay them all, what good is one guy who can hit well if the team as a whole is still miserably bad? Spend that money on something that will be a bigger step toward improving the team as a unit, like relief pitching or some middle infield depth. 

 

That said, if Kearns was willing to sign for a hefty discount for the next few years (three years at $4M per year, tops), I don’t think I could say no to that. It’s not the wisest move strategically, but it’s definitely appealing. 

 

Nino Colla: If this club didn’t have a stock of outfielders waiting around in Columbus that includes Nick Weglarz, Michael Brantley, and Jordan Brown, I’d sign Kearns to a three-year contract. I love this guy that much and now that he is healthy, he’s finally coming into that talent everyone thought he had. 

 

Now, because we have that glut of outfielders in Columbus (and heck if you want to throw in Jose Constanza, and the three guys in Akron, McBride, Drennen, and Henry, that’s fine as well) I would only consider bringing Kearns back as a fourth outfielder. Throw in the idea that the club has Wes Hodges potentially at first, which could shift LaPorta to left if you really really want to make things work offensively, and the fact that the club is getting some good play out of Trevor Crowe…

 

Yeah I think the club is better off trading Kearns at the deadline and settle with thanking him for his service. There are just too many options to see. It would be nice to have that solidarity in left field that Kearns has been provided, but economically, it would make more sense to find out if you have an answer in one of the five other options you have. 

 

I love what Kearns has brought to the table and love that he’s been able to revive his career in Cleveland. He wouldn’t go for being a fourth outfielder though, and he shouldn’t. Either way, he provides more value to the club in a trade than he does playing once or twice a week.

 

The Coop: I might take exception with calling Kearns’ season “stellar,” but I will agree that what he has given the Indians was unexpected. 

 

It’s sad, really, that we’re talking about the value and long-term future of a so-called “power hitter” who is hitting .280 with only seven dingers and 32 RBIs. It’s more of an indictment of how hapless the Indians have been. 

 

While Kearns’ season is good – relative to the rest of the Indians – it’s pretty mediocre by league standards. Kearns is fine as a veteran used to fill a hole, but he has very little overall value. If the Indians can trade him for anything worthwhile, they should. He’s on the downside of his career, and while he’s “only” 30, he’s not a guy the Indians should be building around. 

 

I’d rather see the Indians give the job to a young guy who wins his spot in the spring. Ok, so if they can’t trade him, maybe the Indians can resign him to a one- or two-year contract for a little bit more than the league minimum. But any more time or money than that would be troubling to me.

 

Lewie Pollis: If Kearns is willing to sign for a discount—around $3-4 million a year, definitely not more than $5 million—as thanks for giving him the chance to revive his career, I’d be interested. Unless we can guarantee that, though, I’d rather trade him at mid-season. 

 

Say what you want about the Indians, there aren’t many holes on our depth chart (or at least, there won’t be once a couple more middle infielders and pitchers gain some experience). Looking at our farm system, we’re not going to have trouble trotting out a solid player at each spot in the next few years. We’ve got a decent supporting cast; what’s missing is the stars. 

 

Even forgetting about his inconsistent past, Kearns is good, but he definitely isn’t great. I’ll flesh this out more fully in another article soon, but given our depth and the fact that we’ve got a significant chunk of change coming off the books after the season, I’d rather see us splurge on a star. Namely, Adam Dunn.

 

4. A commenter weighing in on last week’s Tribe Talk article suggested Josh Rodriguez as a possible replacement for the hapless Luis Valbuena.

What do you think of Rodriguez? Is he ready for a promotion to the majors?

Assuming you’ve seen enough of Valbuena, is there anyone else in the system who you might consider a viable replacement for him?

 

Samantha Bunten: I like J-Rod. He’s got great potential. But is he ready for the majors? No way. But hey, apparently Valbuena isn’t ready for the majors either, and he’s been allowed to spend a significant portion of two seasons on the big league roster anyway. I don’t see the harm in giving someone else a shot, even if the player might not be any better. Obviously, he can’t be any worse. 

 

Specifically, I would have some misgivings about whether Rodriguez’s bat can handle major league pitching, and whether he’s truly kicked the injury bug. But defensively, he’s worlds better than Valbuena. Any way you look at it, J-Rod would be an upgrade. 

 

Aside from J-Rod, Jordan Brown and Jared Goedert are the only other viable options. Neither of them are ideal either, but all three are probably a better choice than Valbuena. Heck, my dog is probably a better choice than Valbuena, and she drops pop flies all the time while chasing a tennis ball and doesn’t have the opposable thumbs required to hold a bat. 

 

Nino Colla: I love Josh Rodriguez, always have. The injuries knocked me off the bandwagon, because like with many minor leaguers, if a player isn’t playing or is out of sight, they are usually out of mind. But now that he’s healthy he’s really earning his way back onto prospect status and he really deserves a shot sooner rather than later. 

 

He started the year on the bench in Akron and has moved into a more regular role with Columbus since. Josh is a hard worker and good team player evident in his willingness to move around the diamond and the dedication he’s put into coming back from injury. He’s got a good glove at both short and second, so I know we can depend on him on either spot, unlike we can with Valbuena. 

 

We’ll need to see if his stick translates, but I say the most famous line you can when a player is hitting as poorly as Valbuena is. Could we really do any worse? I’m done with Anderson Hernandez and was before he even got here, ditto with Brian Bixler. Give me Rodriguez. And if you can’t do that, inject Jordan Brown with the gene to play second base and get him up here because Valbuena is putrid right now.

 

The Coop: Admittedly, I don’t know much about Rodriguez and haven’t seen him play, but from what I understand about him, he’s still a few years away (at least) from contributing at the major league level. Hopefully, he develops sooner rather than later, because the Indians middle infield depth is severely lacking in the entire organization. 

 

However, as Nino has pointed out, Valbuena is definitely a problem. As I have said here in the round table, I’ve been a supporter of Valbuena, but even my patience is wearing thin. He is just dreadful at the plate. Unfortunately, there aren’t a whole lot of viable replacements. Given that, I think the Indians are stuck with Valbuena for at least the rest of the year. 

 

The Indians have enough guys that can spell him as needed, but they will need to seriously re-evaluate this position in the off-season. Where’s Jamey Carroll when you need him?

 

Lewie Pollis: I’m all for giving J-Rod a shot. He’s showing great plate discipline and power, which can’t be said for any of our MLB middle infielders. It’s too early to call him up, as Jared Goedert has been raking in Columbus. 

 

I would give him some time at the keystone, see if he can handle the transition. With Lonnie Chisenhall waiting in the wings, he’ll need to learn a new trick anyway if he wants to be a part of the Tribe’s future.

 

5. Fun Question of the Week: Two weeks ago, we shared our picks for what we would like the starting lineup at the All Star Game to look like for the NL.

This week, it’s time to do the same for the AL. Please list your votes for who should be the starter at each position for the AL team.

Additionally, which player do you think should represent the Indians at thee All Star Game this year?

 

Samantha Bunten: C – Joe Mauer 1B – Billy Butler 2B – Robinson Cano SS – Derek Jeter 3B – Evan Longoria OF – Josh Hamilton, Alex Rios, Carl Crawford DH – Vlad Guerrero SP – David Price

 

As for the Indians representative, you have to give the nod to Kearns. Choo might be the guy I want to get it, but Kearns is the guy who has earned it. 

 

Nino Colla: C – Joe Mauer; 1B – Miguel Cabrera; 2B – Robinson Cano; 3B – Evan Longoria; SS – Elvis Andrus; OF – Magglio Ordonez, Alex Rios, Josh Hamilton; DH – Vlad Guerrero; SP – David Price 

 

I think the only tough choice comes down to shortstop, but I refuse to vote for Derek Jeter if it is ever close because I’m firmly a believer of giving someone new a chance once and awhile. Andrus has been studly. 

 

I think the Indians representative should be Santana. Wait, too early? Okay fine… Shin-Soo Choo by a Choo because of his stolen base numbers. Kearns has similar offensive numbers, but Choo means more to the lineup and also provides the running spark, not to mention his arm in right.  His route running not so much, but he’s got a gun out there that Kearns doesn’t. 

 

I’d give  Carmona some consideration and he still has some time to get consideration. It all depends on what pitchers make it and what outfielders make it, but I think it should be and will be Shin-Soo Choo.

 

The Coop: It’s worth noting that you asked who should be the Indians’ representative – singular – at the All-Star Game. There is only one, and it should be obvious to everyone, so does it even need to be said? 

 

Here are my votes. If you think there are glaring omissions, I can explain. I hate the Red Sox and I hate Ichiro.

 

 C – Joe Mauer 1B – Justin Morneau 2B – Robinson Cano 3B – Evan Longoria SS – Derek Jeter OF – Josh Hamilton OF – Magglio Ordonez OF – Carl Crawford DH – Vlad Guerrero SP – David Price

 

Lewie Pollis: Mauer is my catcher, but at this point I’d vote for V-Mart because the difference in their vote totals is a lot bigger than the difference in their talent. I have to go with Morneau’s 4.4 WAR at first base, and I’ll take Pedroia at second because I can’t bring myself to vote for a Yankee. I’m divided at shortstop and third, so I’ll take the underdogs: Gonzalez over Scutaro and Beltre over Longoria. Outfield is Crawford, Rios, and Choo, and I can’t resist taking Big Papi as my DH. 

 

Anyway, in response to your second question: CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report’s Tribe fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the Indians each week throughout the season.

This week, we argue for why Carlos Santana should be brought up to the majors now, make some early trade predictions, and share our best methods for distraction during a disappointing season.

I would like to thank this week’s participants Nino Colla, Lewie Pollis, and The Coop for their contributions. This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we’re addressing this week.

Go Tribe!

1. The rumor mill would have it that Christmas may come a little early in Cleveland this year; June, to be exact.

No, unfortunately, no one is saying that we’re getting a whole new roster. But the word on the street is that we will be getting an early Christmas gift this year in the form of Carlos Santana, who could be promoted to the majors as soon as two weeks from now.

Given the state of the team, and Santana’s numbers at Triple-A (which are impressive, but not totally overwhelming: .310 avg, 9 2B, 9 HR, 39 RBI in 42 G), are you completely in favor of bringing up Santana now?

Does your decision at all relate to how poorly Lou Marson is faring, or are you 100 percent convinced that Santana is ready to handle the majors?

Even if you are completely sold on Santana’s bat being Major League-ready, do you have any concerns about his defense, game-calling ability, or language issues not being quite up to snuff just yet?

Samantha Bunten: I’m completely in favor of calling him up now for two reasons:

First, he’s far enough along in his development that I don’t expect it would hurt him at all to be thrown into the fire. Even if he does regress a bit (at the plate, mostly), I don’t think it will be severe or at all damaging, and once he gets through the adjustment period of facing major league pitching I expect he’ll be fine. 

Second, this team and its fans NEED someone like Santana to give them a boost. Given what we’ve seen from Lou Marson, Santana being called up will only help the team, even if he only hits half as well as he’s hitting right now. 

And perhaps most important, this is exactly the sort of thing that could serve to re-energize the fanbase. I am never in favor of bringing up a player too early just to sell tickets, but I don’t believe it’s too early for Santana in terms of development, so there won’t be any negative side effect to selling a few extra seats. 

I’m sure he’s not fully developed as a game-caller, but then neither are half of the catchers in the majors.

Some of them never get there at all. If you consider the speed at which Santana has been able to develop his game thus far, there should be no doubt that he’ll be in command of his game-calling abilities sooner rather than later as well. 

Nino Colla: Let me go down the line here real quick. Language issues? No, I heard Chris Gimenez say that he communicates fine with his teammates and his English is actually better than people say it is.

Game-calling ability? I wouldn’t know, but if anything that would probably be the one thing holding him back. 

Defense? No, I saw him throw to second base on more than one occasion, he’ll be able to control the running game. I think he should be sound enough in terms of blocking balls and playing defense to where it shouldn’t be an issue. Even if he isn’t, the guy coaching first base knows a thing or two about developing that aspect of his game. 

That aside, we all know Carlos Santana is as ready as he’ll ever be in terms of his bat. While I’ve preached giving Lou Marson a shot, I think I’ve reached a point where I’m ready to see Carlos Santana come June 1st after he’s avoided Super Two eligibility.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see that happen, but also wouldn’t be shocked to see it not happen. 

In a way, I’d also be okay with either outcome. If the club were to go with Lou Marson for a little bit longer, while painful, I don’t think I could object because the kid is still young and he’s still learning. He’s shown at times he can hit major league pitching and play above-average defense, so it isn’t like he’s been a complete horrid show from the beginning of April.

Look at it this way. Is Carlos Santana spending an extra month (if we were to assume he is called up in July anyway) really going to hurt anyone? Will it demoralize him to a point where he becomes a complete bust? Will it cripple the Indians’ chances of winning the division in 2010? The answer to all of those questions is simple, “No.”

 

The Coop: Get him up here, sooner rather than later.

It’s not that I think Santana is ready to handle the majors; in fact, I am prepared to witness the substantial growing pains that he will endure in his early years. But let’s be honest, Lou Marson might stick around the majors for a few more years but he’s got no upside whatsoever. 

He was drafted in 2004 and had played 22 career games in the majors entering this year. He’s done nothing to warrant keeping spot on the roster, and it’s not like he’s some savvy veteran who can at least make a pitching staff better by being out there. 

Also, when Santana arrives in Cleveland, he’ll have daily contact with Sandy Alomar, Jr., arguably the greatest Indians catcher ever. While catcher is certainly not an easy position to learn (especially for a converted infielder like Santana), the opportunity to learn from a former All-Star is as perfect as it gets. 

Santana also needs to start getting Major League ABs, plain and simple. What’s the worst that could happen? He hits .206 like Lou Marson? I’ll take the over on that one, thank you very much.

Lewie Pollis: Whoa, hold on there. This guy has a .994 OPS. He’s on pace for 30 homers and 132 RBI and has a .249 ISO. He’s walking more than he strikes out, and he’s even stolen four bases. Also, he’s a catcher. That’s not totally overwhelming?

Yes, yes, and more yes, bring him up now.

I don’t particularly care if the rest of his game isn’t fully polished, nor do I care if we call him up early enough that he becomes a Super Two player (we already kept him down long enough to ensure an extra year of team control). He’s the most exciting thing that will happen to the Tribe this season (I’m still predicting that he’ll be Rookie of the Year), and I want him NOW.

 

2. It’s time to take another look at the state of the Indians’ rotation.

Westbrook, Carmona, and Talbot are firmly entrenched as permanent members of the starting five, but things get a little fuzzier when it comes to the last two spots.

There has been talk of the struggling David Huff being sent to the minors, of Justin Masterson moving to the bullpen, and of Aaron Laffey being moved into the rotation.

Do you want to see Laffey get a shot at being a starter? If so, would you prefer to see him take Huff’s spot (with Huff being sent to Columbus) or Masterson’s spot (with Masterson being sent to the bullpen)?

Do you have any interest in seeing both Masterson and Huff taken out of the rotation for the moment? If so, who are the other pitcher aside from Laffey that you would like to see take over the additional spot in the rotation?

 

Samantha Bunten: I think Laffey deserves a shot at joining the rotation, and I think he should have had that shot from the beginning of the season. The only problem is, I’m not sure whose rotation spot he should be given. 

You can argue that Masterson may be better suited to the bullpen anyway, so the switch should be made accordingly, but I’m still not entirely certain this would be the best strategy.

Despite his struggles, I do see Masterson as a member of the rotation over the long haul, so it would be foolish to put him in the pen instead of letting him continue to gain experience and develop in a starting role. 

Huff is a little different; there would be no point in moving him to the bullpen, so to give Laffey his spot, he would have to be sent to Columbus. I’m not sure there would be anything to be gained from that for Huff. He’s struggling at the major league level, to be sure, but I don’t think that this is due to needing more seasoning in the minors.

At this point, he’s better off trying to work out his problems on a big league mound. 

So I guess I’m not sure what to do about this situation. I might allow Laffey a few spot starts and see how it goes. If he’s impressive enough that he’s able to force the issue, we might consider moving Masterson to the pen or sending Huff down if it proves to be the best solution. 

Nino Colla: You know I really don’t know what I want to see. I think I just want to see David Huff and Justin Masterson both do well to the point that this isn’t an issue. 

I’ve not been impressed with Aaron Laffey this season in that bullpen role and I’ve actually arrived at a point where I’m questioning if we should continue to bother with him. The club has shuffled him around so much, I don’t think even he knows what he is anymore. 

Masterson needs to keep at it, he deserves more than two months, and I said the same thing after two weeks and will probably say it again at the end of June. There is no one in Columbus busting the doors down to get into the rotation, so why bother right now? 

Huff seems to be in more immediate danger, but I don’t think I’d make a move on him either. It goes back to the same reason I wouldn’t move Matt LaPorta, what does he have left to prove? Sure you send David Huff down to “figure things out” or give him a “wake up call.” But is that really the answer? Wouldn’t it be far better if he figured things out at this level? 

This season is obviously going nowhere quickly so it isn’t like his lack of performance is holding us back from winning the division. Now if Huff had an attitude problem (something I don’t think is the case, I just think he gets too relaxed and that is what causes his struggles) then you could send a message that way, but really I see no purpose in that. 

As for Laffey… Does he deserve another shot at the rotation? After what he did in the spring (in other words, nothing to NOT deserve a shot) I think so, but after watching him handle the bullpen spot with moderate success, I’m not going to scream my head off for him to get that shot. His WHIP is atrocious and he can’t even get left-handers out enough to be counted on doing that if nothing else.

The Coop: Ahh, my favorite topic! I did not have much confidence in the starting rotation during spring training, but even the most optimistic observer would have to admit that they did not expect to have five consistent, above-average starters on which the Tribe could rely. 

I guess I’m a little surprised that one of the guys having the most trouble is David Huff, because he caught fire at the end of last year and I expected him to carry that success into this season.

While he’s struggled, you can’t pull the plug on a guy after two months and eight starts. The other problem with sending Huff to Columbus is that there is no suitable replacement. 

Aaron Laffey would be a great candidate; however, my hope is that Laffey actually replaces Masterson in the rotation. Of course, this is more of me believing that Masterson belongs in the bullpen—as I’ve previously mentioned on this roundtable—than necessarily thinking that Laffey is the long-term answer.

But, Laffey does have some starting experience and would be adequate for a fifth starter.

Lewie Pollis: First of all, I’m sick and tired of people beating up on Masterson. Sure, he’s struggling against lefties, but anyone who thinks luck isn’t the primary factor in his problems is just plain wrong. 

His luck hasn’t just been bad, it’s been historically bad. To put his .399 BABIP in perspective, only three pitchers in the last 10 years have had hit rates over .350, and exactly zero have exceeded .366.

And his 19.0% HR/FB rate would be the second-highest ever recorded since tracking began in 2002. So unless you’re prepared to say that Masterson is the worst weak contact-inducer in recent memory, his stats are going to improve. Period. 

Send David Huff to the minors immediately. He has no redeeming peripherals, and he needs to rediscover his ability to strike batters out (8.1 career K/9 in the minors, nearly double his 4.3 career K/9 in the majors). 

While we’re at it, let’s send Talbot down, too. Does anyone seriously think someone who walks more than he strikes out can maintain an above-average ERA? His .230 BABIP is the second-luckiest in the league. I don’t have the patience to go through past years’ leaderboards for him, too, but I bet that kind of fortune is similarly unprecedented.

Three words: crash and burn. 

Laffey is intriguing, but I’m not sold on him either. I don’t think it takes Bill James to realize that someone who walks more than he strikes out isn’t a good pitcher, but the real flukiness is that he has yet to give up a home run.

There’s a huge difference between his 3.64 FIP and 4.85 xFIP; even if you plug in his lucky 7.7 career HR/FB% with this year’s numbers, his FIP climbs to an uninspiring 4.53. Add in the fact that relievers’ numbers are usually better than starters’, and Laffey wouldn’t be much more than a marginal improvement. 

If you’re looking for rotation help, why not get it from the minors? Bring up Josh Tomlin and Yohan Pino, or maybe Scott Lewis and Hector Rondon. Any of them would be more fun to watch than Huff or Talbot.

 

3. We’re still a long way from the July 31st Trade Deadline, but we already know the Indians will be sellers this year and are in possession of a number of players who might be moved well before the deadline.

Obviously unless one of you has bugged Mark Shapiro’s office, we can only guess at who will be traded, where to, and when. Still, there’s no harm in speculating a bit.

That said, do you see the Tribe making any trades sooner rather than later?

Which players do you think will be moved this season between now and the deadline? Are there any players on the roster generally thought to be on the block who you do NOT think the Tribe will choose to trade this season?

Samantha Bunten: I’m going to guess we won’t see a lot of activity until we’re closer to the deadline, mostly because the Indians don’t have a lot to offer in terms of players anyone would be dying to acquire.

It’s a lot easier to sell early if you have someone another team would kill to get their hands on no matter the price or their own very specific needs. 

Thus I think the players on our roster who are potentially on the trading block won’t go until closer to the deadline, when other teams are either desperate enough to overpay for a really questionable pitcher (I’m looking at you, Kerry Wood), or better equipped to assess their specific small needs down the stretch. 

I don’t truly think we’ll be able to move Kerry Wood—the price is just going to be too high, even if the Indians are willing to sell relatively low. I imagine Jake Westbrook will at least get a few looks, and both Kearns and Grudzielanek could fetch an excellent return at almost no true cost to the Indians since neither is part of the future plan. 

Nino Colla: I think Austin Kearns will be dealt if he keeps hitting like this. The club isn’t going to block Michael Brantley—especially if Trevor Crowe continues to hit and Grady Sizemore misses an extended period of time—with Austin Kearns. 

That also being said, with Kearns going, so too will Russell The Muscle Branyan, as he also blocks Brantley by pushing LaPorta into left field more often than not, so I think both of them are on their way out of town come July. 

I think the groans about Jhonny Peralta have gotten so loud that Cleveland may end up dealing him and that isn’t something I would have said a few months ago. But the fans genuinely dislike the guy to the point where I think Mark Shapiro might, for once, listen to them and rid the club of a player that the fanbase can’t stand. 

I think more than anything they want to do it to give Andy Marte a legitimate opportunity to finally sink or swim at third base. Lonnie Chisenhall is still a year away at least, especially with his injury setback in Akron, so this club needs a third baseman beyond this year and while they could pick up his option, they may get more value trading him now rather than next year at the deadline. 

I’m on the fence in terms of trading Jake Westbrook. I think the club would like to have him back next year at a discounted rate (something I think he would feel he owes the team after spending most of that contract extension on the disabled list) because he still has the ability and is a great veteran for a rotation.

But I still think they may trade him anyway, because bringing him back in free agency isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

The Coop: It’s a funny thing about all the trades the Indians have pulled off over the last few years. Now that they’ve dealt three All-Stars, who else is left that will command any trade value? 

It’s not like we’re talking about Sabathia, Lee, and Martinez. Who are we talking about? Hafner, Wood, Kearns, and maybe Sizemore? Not exactly Murderer’s Row. 

Obviously, guys like Choo and Cabrera should be off the table because the Indians can still build around them, as should most of the guys who haven’t played more than a full season or two.

I think the Indians should also hang onto Grady, even though he’s clearly damaged goods at this point. 

Everyone else should be officially for sale, and the Indians should trade them for whatever they can get, even if it includes a couple extra fungo bats.

Lewie Pollis: I’ve started a weekly column called “Cleveland Indians Trading Post,” in which I’m looking at who might be traded and where they might go. 

I’m not even going to try to shrink my long analyses into bite-sized pieces, but so far I predicted that Austin Kearns would go to the Mariners, A’s, or Braves, while Jake Westbrook will be shipped to the Yankees, Mets, or Dodgers.

I think Mark Grudzielanek would also be attractive trade bait, and I’m sure someone will make an offer for Jordan Brown if the Indians keep pretending that he doesn’t exist. Jhonny Peralta (please please please please please ) could give a contender some infield depth now that he’s starting to look like a semi-respectable player again (if you squint). 

I think the same will eventually be said for Kerry Wood, but it seems like he just keeps looking worse and worse. And if I’m Mark Shapiro, I’m praying that someone makes me an attractive offer for Mitch Talbot.

 

 

 

4. It wasn’t so long ago that the Indians and that other Ohio team, the Reds, were in very similar positions: struggling at the major league level, but in possession of a system loaded with up-and-coming talent.

This season saw their paths diverge: The Indians are in last place in their division, and the Reds are in first place in theirs.

We spend plenty of time arguing about what the Indians did wrong (or even what we maintain they’re still doing right), but the fact of the matter is, the Reds put a successful team on the field first.

Tell us, what do you think the Reds did right that enabled them to put themselves in the position that they currently inhabit? Is there anything specific that you think the Reds did right that the Indians failed to do? 

 

Samantha Bunten: The Reds had one distinct advantage over the Indians in that their up-and-coming players were further along in the system. The Reds were already in the process of rebuilding for the future when the Indians were in the playoffs in 2007.

So to a significant degree, the Reds didn’t truly do it better, they just got a head start on the Indians. 

That being said, they have certainly made some decisions along the way that were arguably better than those made by the Indians in similar situations. I’m not sure I think the Reds are any better at player development than the Tribe, but they absolutely draft better (I would kill to hire away their scouting department for the Indians), and they’ve done an excellent job in choosing solid veterans to fill in holes around their prospects. 

 

 

Nino Colla:

Lose? Fellow-blogger Paul Cousineau put together a brilliant entry into TheDiaTribe on Sunday that pretty much made a fantastic point that I don’t think many people ever considered. Just because they are winning all of a sudden doesn’t mean they’ve “figured it out.”

Did the Rays figure it out? Yeah they got new management and that has been a big reason, but top-10 pick after top-10 pick (and hitting on those picks) certainly didn’t hurt. 

What have the Indians really failed at? Given the current system, their window is really small to compete and when you get injuries like some of the ones the Indians have had in the past few years to marquee players, it just compounds it all.

Let’s not praise the Reds for anything yet. It’s still May and while I picked them to finish second in the division, they didn’t exactly recreate the wheel in rebuilding their team. 

 

So far based off their team, they’ve made some good personnel decisions, point blank. They’ve brought in good pitchers throughout all outlets, made a few good trades (Brandon Phillips, whoops) and drafted well (Joey Votto, Jay Bruce), and mixed in some veteran signings (Orlando Cabrera, Johnny Gomes ) that ha ve panned out to be successful.

I’d hate to say they “got lucky” but in a way, they sort of did. I guess fortunate would be better. Fortunate that a lot of their decisions have worked out well. 

The Indians on the other hand haven’t been so fortunate.

They’ve made some bad choices in the free-agent aspect (both in the veterans they’ve signed and the extensions that they’ve given out, but you can’t really hold injuries to Hafner and Westbrook against them), haven’t drafted well (something they’ve addressed in the past few years), and have overall just haven’t seen some of their plan formulate as they wanted.

The Coop: I certainly don’t follow the Reds as much as the Indians, but when I look at their roster, three things stand out to me: scouting, player development, and patience. 

The Reds have a startling number of guys that they drafted or signed as free agents before other teams could scoop them up, and many of these guys are the reason for the team’s success. It is clear that their scouting department has done a wonderful job. It all starts from there. 

Once you find the studs, you have to develop them. Obviously, their farm system is doing the job as well, molding raw talent into major league-caliber talent.

And finally, once these guys make it to the majors, the big league club has to be patient with their early struggles. Many people have been calling the Reds an “up-and-comer” for the last few years. In fact, this year, I even heard a few people pick them to win the division. 

 

So, they have built up to the success they are experiencing this year. While those players have been the centerpiece of their success this year, they have also managed to successfully round out their roster with reliable veterans while purging their team of has-beens with bad contracts.

I’m not a fan of the Reds, but the Indians could definitely benefit from using this same approach. 

Unfortunately, I think the Indians do have a similar approach; they just have not executed it nearly as well.

 

Lewie Pollis: To make up for my loquaciousness before, I’ll make this short and sweet: their plan isn’t better, it’s just further along. 

 

This is the first time in 10 years they’ve been over .500; we’re just two years removed from reaching the ALCS, so don’t think for half a second that they’re better at this than we are. In fact, the Reds would have killed to have gone through the three-year turnaround between the end of the Glory Days in 2001 and our big bounce-back in 2005.

 

 

5. Fun Question of the Week: When your team is struggling, sometimes the fictional baseball world becomes more appealing than the real one. Baseball movies and books with happy endings can be a great distraction when your team is failing to provide the same sort of fairy tale ending in reality.

Do you ever use fictional baseball movies or books as a distraction from the frustrations of watching the Tribe? What are you favorites?

 

Samantha Bunten : Bull Durham is what gets me through the rough patches in the season, just like it’s pretty much the only thing that gets me through the offseason. 

Also, fantasy baseball, as the name would imply, is an excellent distraction during the season when your real, live team is struggling.

I actually think that generally speaking, fantasy is better when your own team isn’t performing well; not only does it help to relieve some of the frustration of reality, but since your real team isn’t doing well, you never run into one of those situations where you catch yourself hoping your team loses to an opponent because their starting pitcher is on your fantasy roster.

 

 

Nino Colla : I think every Tribe fan likes Major League , but I don’t think I’ve ever used it as a way to distract myself from what is really going on.

For the most part I live with the pain, but I do distract myself from the real baseball world by playing both Out of the Park Baseball and whatever video game I currently have. 

 

This year, now that I’m the owner of a Wii, that game is MLB 2k10 . Not the greatest baseball game ever (actually probably one of the worst I’ve ever played) but it lets me screw around enough to the point where it’s fun.

I’ve been using Adam Wainwright and his dominate curveball to drown my sorrows. Baltimore is on a warpath that will end in nothing more than a World Series victory. 

While we are at it, will there ever be baseball movies better than Bull Durham, Bad News Bears (the original) or Major League? I don’t think so. Until they start making the real life stories of players (I’d pay to see them turn Hank Aaron’s story into a motion picture) into movies, there probably will be nothing close.

The Coop: I’m more of a guy who limits his exposure to baseball when my team is struggling. It hurts too much to hear about league leaders and pennant contenders when I realize my favorite team is in last place. Instead, I juice myself up for baseball season by watching the classic baseball movies. 

My list is the usual suspects: Major League, The Natural, Field of Dreams, Pride of the Yankees. Also, I would recommend 61* for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet. It’s also been a long time since I’ve seen Fear Strikes Out . Of course, some of those aren’t exactly the most “upbeat” flicks, but they are classics nonetheless. 

I’m also looking forward to reading The Bad Guys Won , a book about the ’86 Mets. Drug addicts, womanizers, drunks… Hey, if the whole “scout, develop, have patience” strategy doesn’t work, perhaps the Indians should take a cue from those guys?

 

Lewie Pollis : I prefer video games. Whenever I feel depressed about the real Tribe, I turn on MVP Baseball 2005 (old school, I know) and watch my Indians destroy the rest of the league. 

 

At the end of July 2008, Victor Martinez is on pace for 60 homers. Trade acquisition Carl Crawford is batting .400 and is likely to be the founding member of the 50/100 club, and fictional 22-year-old J.J. Nunez is on his way to his second-straight Cy Young, thanks to his 100-mph fastball, 60-mph knuckler , and wicked, diving splitter. 

My Indians won the World Series in ’05 and ’06, setting some insane records on the way. Another trade acquisition, David Ortiz, had 96 homers in ’05, then racked up 196 RBI in ’06. Crawford has broken the single-season triples record (36) three years in a row, each season topping the last. And fictional Indian Johan Santana threw three perfect games between September ’06 and August ’07.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report’s Tribe fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the Indians each week throughout the season.

 

This week, we wonder if we should buy what the Indians are selling based on last week’s successful run, discuss the possibility of Jake Westbrook being moved, and contemplate how much an off-day is really worth.

 

I would like to thank this week’s participants Dale Thomas and Jon Sladek for their contributions. This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we’re addressing this week.

 

Go Tribe!

 

 

1. Last week the Tribe won consecutive series against the Royals and Orioles, marking the first time this season that they emerged victorious in back-to-back series.

Winning just two series in a row is not normally an accomplishment of any significance, but when your team is playing under .500 ball, you take what you can get.

That said, can we really put any stock into this small success? Does the Tribe winning two consecutive series indicate that perhaps they’re beginning to turn it around, or was it merely the product of playing two teams who may be even worse than the Indians?

Do you think the Indians did anything differently last week that enabled them to be successful, or were they merely the better of two bad teams on the field?

 

Samantha Bunten: A win is a win, especially when you only have 15 of them on the season, so I don’t want to complain too much that the team finally got it right, even if that only lasted for a week. 

That being said, like we’ve talked about before in this column, the front office sold this as a rebuilding year, but that’s just not what it looks like. Mostly this looks like a team that is spinning and has a total lack of focus and direction. If the Tribe wants to sell us hope based on one good week, they’re going to have to cut the price if they want us to buy. 

What happened last week probably started off as a fluke, but success breeds more success, so I’m guessing that once the team got rolling, it was easier to keep the fire going. 

The idea of staying motivated and giving maximum effort like that is really what this team both needs and lacks in a general sense. Despite their lack of success, the Indians are still not as bad talent-wise as their performance thus far in the season has indicated. 

They’ve caught some bad breaks, sure, but what is really costing them is their failure to maintain effort and enthusiasm on a consistent basis. Last week the Indians did well because they saw a lot of really bad pitching, but that won’t be the case most of the time. 

Staying motivated and working hard isn’t going to turn this team into a contender this year, but it will improve the win-loss record for more than just one week. 

Jon Sladek: I see no sign of this team turning anything around except fans who considered heading to the ballpark for a game. 

They have all the traits of a horrible baseball team: blown saves, stranded runners inning after inning, ill-timed errors. They find a way to turn wins into losses. I was not doing doing back-flips when they took a couple series’ last week.

Dale Thomas: I’m not going to run right out and put a down payment on my World series tickets, but for now, I’ll take heart in some incremental improvements. 

It looks like Westbrook is coming around, and it was great to see him go the distance against Baltimore. Talbot has been very steady and continues to impress. Carmona has shown us good things, and I haven’t given up on Huff just yet. Our relief is still really a scary thing though, so I’ve found it better to experience the late innings with my eyes closed and my fingers crossed. 

Our offense is just sputtering along as usual in my opinion, and has shown no real signs of sustained improvement. For example, in Saturday’s win over Baltimore, we were scoreless through eight. I’m used to this. Then they bring in their relievers and we just light ’em up. 

This is just the result of facing bad pitching, although I give Kearns credit for his three-run blast, which was good enough to win that game. However, with Redmond and Crowe accounting for two runs apiece, I have to look to terrible pitching from Simon and Meredith for giving the Tribe those freebies, all in the ninth. Yikes! 

Bottom line is we’re apparently not as bad as those guys. These days, that’s quite a compliment to the team.

 

2. On a related note to the above question, one victory in the aforementioned series was the Tribe’s 8-2 win over Baltimore on Saturday night in which they scored eight runs in the ninth inning for a huge come-from-behind victory.

This would seem to indicate that the offense, which we’ve criticized so heavily for failing to live up to our expectations, is at least capable on some level of the ability to score runs that we believed they had.

Do you think this means the offense has finally gotten it together? Does it make you happy that they finally had a true breakout game, or are you just that much more frustrated that they’ve proven they’re capable of such a feat after all but have failed to live up to their potential on all but this one occasion?

Samantha Bunten: I don’t think there was ever a doubt that the offense had the potential to blow up like they did in the ninth inning on Saturday night, which really just makes it all that more frustrating. It just evokes a vision of a team that has the talent, but not the determination, to put a lot of runs on the board. 

The Indians have a run differential of -36 and the Orioles have a run differential of -56, so do the math. The Tribe pounded out a huge inning against a team even more likely to allow eight unanswered runs than they are. 

If the Indians were getting blown out every day, it would be one thing, but generally they lose by a handful of runs, resulting in a negative run differential that has slowly progressed to being pretty far to the wrong side of zero. 

Sure, this could have been a breakout game if the Indians had used it to keep their momentum going, but they didn’t. We all know this team can score runs, but until they actually do so consistently, that doesn’t mean much.

Jon Sladek: Take a good, long look at the Tribe’s batting order one through nine. Do you honestly think any of those names scare anybody? They will be fortunate to have one 20-homerun guy this year. They have used Austin Kearns, Jhonny Peralta and Travis Hafner in the clean-up role. What else needs to be said?

Dale Thomas: Maybe I can be more succinct on this one: No. 

Whereas I’m always happy when we hit the ball, and happier when we get to put a toe on home plate, I didn’t consider this to be a breakout game. 

We played a bad team for one thing, got some freaky hits off poor relief for another, and we continue to struggle with offensive consistency as always, since we do have to account for those first eight innings. 

I think I’m just frustrated to the regular amount, which is a lot already, so this didn’t make it any worse…wait a sec…actually it was really really cool that the Indians won while the Cavs were blowing up into total rubble. Go Tribe!!

 

3. The fact that the Indians would very much like to move Kerry Wood if possible has been crystal clear for a long time. More interesting is the recent buzz that it might be both possible and in the team’s best interest to look into trading surprise success Jake Westbrook.

Westbrook is one of the highest paid players on the roster, but may also be one of the most movable, given his solid performance thus far in the season. The only thing that might deter potential suitors is his injury history.

Do you think that the Tribe will want to move Westbrook, and if so, do you think they can draw enough interest from other teams to get a fair return for him?

If you were another team looking to pick up a pitcher, would you consider Westbrook, given his salary and injury history? About how much would you be willing to give up in return for him?

 

Samantha Bunten: At the moment, Westbrook would be one of the easiest guys on the whole team to trade, if the Tribe were inclined to make such a move. 

The Indians, who have a proven track record of willingness to sell low in general, would surely give Westbrook away for a discount in order to move his salary since he’s relatively expensive for our payroll and not really part of the long-term plan. 

His injury history and mediocre overall success rate might give teams pause, but at this point he’s doing well enough (and will likely come cheap enough) that he should get a lot of looks from contending teams looking for a solid fourth or fifth starter. 

I expect he could fetch a B-level prospect in return, especially if the Indians were willing to eat a portion of his salary. That said, I’d rather the Tribe hung on to Westbrook for the time being. He’s been a bright spot and a helpful contributor to our success this year among a team of underachievers, and could likely be re-signed for a short-term, financially modest contract that might allow the Indians to get a few more years out of him. At this point, that might be worth more than what they would get for him in trade.

Jon Sladek: Westbrook is a quality starter and if he finds a little more consistency, he could surely help a contender down the stretch.

Dale Thomas: Well if I were another team, I’d trade for Westbrook in a heartbeat. I’d be willing to ante up my Victor Martinez bobble head with the attachable chest protector AND the mitt, plus a pocket fisherman, my buttoneer and half a sham-wow…well, maybe not the sham-wow, but I’d throw in a small box of jujubes cause everybody likes those. 

What I mean is, here’s a 33-year-old guy cobbled together with nuts and bolts and rubber bands with a lifetime ERA of 4.30 to compliment his ‘under .500’ win-loss record. His best season was back in 2004 when he went 14-9, followed by a couple of years of 14-15 wins, but equal losses. 

Now it’s not like the guy is a total schlock, not at all, but he does pose several risks to any suitor and we all know Shapiro can’t be trusted to get more than the bobblehead in a trade. No way he’d bring home the sham-wow or jujubes.

And speaking of Martinez, we got no pitching for him, no pitching for CC and no pitching for Lee (and Marson isn’t a major league catcher either). 

The Tribe’s best bet here is to get Jake to sign for a downsized, way-less-money two-year deal, or get a fan to do the player evaluations for a trade. 

All that said, I expect the Tribe to send him off to a competitor since he can still throw a decent game, and get zilch in return… I mean jeez, Asdrubal had to break an arm and Grady had to bat blindfolded and blow up a knee to stay off the trading blocks. 

In the mean time, I figure since the pitching mound is pretty close to third base, Peralta will find a way to crash into Westbrook while fielding a bunt. Peralta will see this as showing enthusiasm, while Westbrook will see stars and birdies twirling around his eyes.

 

4. The baseball season is a long, arduous, 162-game grind where often the last man standing is merely the one who managed to hang on the longest.

The Tribe is currently in the midst of a 16-game stretch without an off-day, and will be hit with a 20-game stretch without one going into the All Star Break.

Players and managers often say the team is tired and “needs an off-day”. But what exactly is an off-day worth? Can one day off really give players adequate rest if they need it, or help a struggling team to right itself?

Do you think the Tribe’s performance will suffer significantly during these long stretches without a break, or are big stretches without an off-day merely a part of the game that won’t affect a team’s overall production?

Samantha Bunten: An off-day, just like one consistent player on a mostly inconsistent team, is a small thing that can help the cause in some way, but isn’t going to perform miracles. 

I think off-days can be very useful in giving a player who is a little sore a brief respite, in restoring a bit of energy to a tired group of ballplayers, and in helping a team that has had a bad stretch right their ship. What it can’t do is heal an injury, change a team’s overall attitude, or turn a loser into a winner. 

Baseball is a game of little things, and one off-day is one more little thing that can help a team that knows how to use it. Being forced to play these long stretches without a day of rest will be rough on the Tribe, but it won’t be any rougher on them than it is on every other team, and every squad faces stretches like this at some point during the season. It won’t hurt the Indians any more than it hurts any other team unless they let it. 

Jon Sladek: In the name of all that is holy, I shudder at the thought of the Tribe’s current performance “suffering significantly.”

Dale Thomas: If you’re kind of beat up and all your muscles ache and that kind of stuff, then I think a day off is pretty valuable…IF you spend that day off resting. 

If you’ve got a nagging injury, then a single day off probably won’t help you much. It might even tighten things up for you and risk further injury based on that theory that it’s easier for something in motion to stay in motion than it is for something that’s stopped to restart its motion. 

Aside from that, it’s probably safe to say a player might be in a better mood for having a day off. I mean we DO care about that at the pro level, right? 

I don’t think it will hurt overall performance during those long stretches unless you are Peralta, who would consider having a ball hit to him in three straight innings a total abuse of his right to nap. 

Dairy farmers, for example will work 365-day stretches followed immediately by another 365-day stretch, for…let’s say 30 years straight. A Bull, of course, is required to keep the herd going, so they also have to account for being charged and stomped…thus the Peralta factor also applies. Cows rarely get traded, but there’s lots of manure to shovel up, so now we’ve accounted for the Shapiro factor. 

All summed up, if a herd— I mean a baseball team— can’t play a game where you sit on a bench for half the length that game for 20 days straight, then they simply have no fortitude.

 

5. Fun Question of the Week: It’s time to play favorites.

Sometimes our favorite players aren’t the best guys on the field. Unless you’re a front-running fan, you probably are partial to certain players in spite of the fact that they aren’t the most productive on the field.

Given that we’re Indians fans it’s probably safe to say that none of us are front-runners, so tell us: which player(s) on the team are you hopelessly attached to despite the fact that they really aren’t any good?

On the other hand, are there any players on the team who are doing well, but you just don’t like anyway?

Feel free to make irrational decisions on who you’re partial to; after all, we’ve accused our own front office of doing the exact same thing on multiple occasions.

 

Samantha Bunten: I realize that Grady Sizemore isn’t a favorite among many fans these days, but it wasn’t so long ago that he was everybody’s hero. His attitude, enthusiasm, and effort haven’t changed. He caught a bad break with injuries, which snowballed into a lack of confidence and loss of plate discipline. I guess what I’m saying is, let’s cut this guy a break. 

Going on the DL may be the best thing for both him and the team, other than the fact that this means we’ll have to see Trevor Crowe more often, which leads me to the second part of the question…

I hate, hate, hate Trevor Crowe. His effort level is far below what it should be for a player whose career average is .246. The fact that he’s hitting .350 in five games since being recalled this year doesn’t impress me. He’s the antithesis of Sizemore, Cabrera, Kearns, and uh, whoever that one other person on the team is who appears to actually be trying. 

Bottom line: I’ll give players who struggle but work hard a million chances, but if you’re not going to bring your A-game, whether you’re batting .100 or .300, I’d rather you just stayed home. 

Jon Sladek: I like Mike Redmond. Even though he is a career journeyman and his best days are behind him, he does play the game the right way and gives you everything he’s got. 

Guys I don’t like? Wow, lets start with Sizemore, who is the most undisciplined hitter I have ever seen. Russell Branyan hits homeruns, but I have always hated his “all or nothing” approach. I hate guys that wildly wave at pitches and strike out too much, so basically, half the team.

Dale Thomas: I’m a total fan of Grady Sizemore and have been since he arrived. He’s always had such a great attitude, and seems to truly enjoy the game. 

He works extremely hard and throws himself around for the team. He doesn’t even think about being close to the wall or whatever. You can tell the guys who do because they look…and look again…then miss the ball. 

He runs hard to first each and every time, even though it may be pointless. He turns doubles into triples and he doesn’t do a lot of “look at me” dancing when he makes a great play. 

He signs stuff for fans, and always looks inward when he doesn’t do well. I hope, for him more than any other player, that he heals up and finds his stroke again. He’s a good guy and he’s good for baseball.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

 

Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report’s Tribe fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the Indians each week throughout the season.

 

This week, we agree that Kerry Wood rather than Chris Perez belongs in the closer’s role, share our thoughts on the now-infamous Bruce Drennan rant, and debate the merits of baseball’s unwritten rules. 

 

I would like to thank this week’s participants Nino Colla, The Coop, and Lewie Pollis for their contributions. This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we’re addressing this week.

 

Go Tribe!

 

1. After a lengthy stint on the DL, Kerry Wood has finally been given the all-clear to resume the closer’s role for the Tribe. To ease Wood back in to the routine of possibly having to throw on consecutive days, Manny Acta had him make back-to-back appearances in the seventh inning on Saturday and Sunday. He struggled and took the loss in his first appearance but looked much better the second time around. 

Do you think Wood can last the rest of the season (or even most of it) without either winding up back on the DL or proving to be totally ineffective? 

 

Wood has produced mixed results during his time in Cleveland, as has his temporary replacement Chris Perez (albeit with a much smaller sample size). Given that, would you ideally prefer that Wood close and Perez return to a set-up role, as is the current plan, or would you prefer Perez to be the Indians’ closer permanently?

 

 Did Kerry Wood’s salary factor into your decision on that at all? 

 

Samantha Bunten: As a rule, closers are overvalued and overpaid, and Kerry Wood is the league’s best cautionary tale on this particular issue. Unfortunately, whether he gets injured or can’t perform adequately, we have to pay him anyway. The Indians gave Wood a contract to be their closer, so that’s what he should be. 

 

Aside from the unprofessional finger-pointing incident with Lou Marson, I think Perez did a fair job of filling the role in Wood’s absence. However, for the time being the team’s interests are best served by moving Perez back to a set-up role and letting Wood at least try to do the job he’s been paid to do. 

 

In a season where the team was contending, I might argue that Perez should take over if he in fact proved to be the more reliable closer, but that isn’t the case this year. It is in the Indians’ best interest to be able to move Wood before the trade deadline, so we need to showcase him in the closer’s role if we want to have even a shred of hope of getting anything of value in return for him. 

 

The Coop: I understand your question but I disagree with the premise, and you alluded to the reason when you mentioned his contract. 

 

The signing of Kerry Wood should have never happened in the first place. Giving that much (guaranteed) money to an injury-prone pitcher who has achieved only moderate success in the majors is a recipe for disaster. As a result, you can’t count on the guy for anything.

 

I put Wood’s odds of returning to the DL at about 60/40. I certainly don’t expect him to contribute as much as he did last year. And of course, the Indians will be double-screwed if they can’t move Wood at the trade deadline. 

 

I like the job that Chris Perez has done in his short career with the Tribe, and I think that he can grow into the role of closer. Now, however, there’s no choice but to move him back to the set-up role until the next time Wood gets hurt.

 

Nino Colla: First off, injuries are an unknown, so I don’t even have an idea if he can go the rest of the season without landing on the DL. He made it through last season without having anything creep up on him, so you just don’t know. 

 

As for him producing ineffective results, I think a good part of it has to do with lack of use. It happened last year and it really was evident that he’d come out after a long lay-off from a closing situation and just did not have it. Chris Perez even had to deal with that this year. He had what, six opportunities and four of them came against one team, the other two against another team? That isn’t going to work. And it isn’t like you can bring in your closer unless you know for a fact you won’t be in a save situation later in the game or you have an off-day following the current game.

 

I would like to see Kerry Wood remain in the closer’s role and it has nothing to do with his salary. It has to do with experience and deepening the rest of the pen. I’d rather be able to use Perez in a setup role because he is younger and able to be used for more than just one inning. Right now, it just makes more sense.

 

Lewie Pollis: First off, Wood’s salary is already set in stone, so why worry about it? The money is out of our hands anyway; the checks are as good as cashed. If it’s decided that he is the inferior closer and we’re already losing millions in payroll thanks to him, why should we lose games because of him too? 

 

That said, the Indians should give Wood every chance to prove himself in the closer’s role for another non-performance related reason: maximizing his trade value. Kerry Wood’s presence does us absolutely no good, so the Indians need to take a page from Billy Beane’s book (figuratively or literally, either one works) and sell him off. 

 

As Michael Lewis wrote in Moneyball, “You could take a slightly above average pitcher and drop him into the closer’s role, let him accumulate a gaudy number of saves, and then sell him off.” Since 1999, Oakland has done it with Billy Taylor, Jason Isringhausen, Billy Koch, Keith Foulke, and, most recently, Huston Street. 

 

If we can get even a forgotten B-prospect in exchange for Wood, it would be worthwhile. If trading an expensive closer we don’t need in a season that was over before it started nets us a middle reliever who can pitch a third of an inning in the 2013 World Series, I wouldn’t have to blink to pull the trigger.

 

2. Frustrating as it may be, we at Tribe Talk have vowed to be patient with youngsters like Matt LaPorta and Justin Masterson as they adjust to playing the game at the major league level. 

 

Unfortunately, many of us are running out of patience for Luis Valbuena, who is no longer new enough to the big leagues to get a free pass on many of his mistakes and struggles. Valbuena is currently hitting .167, has posted five errors, and has made critical, game-changing mistakes in the field on more than one occasion. 

 

All of that begs the question, is Valbuena still just too young to have it down yet, or is he about to become the next Josh Barfield? 

 

Further, if Valbuena truly can’t handle the job, where does the Tribe go from there? Should veteran Mark Grudzielanek take over as the starting second baseman, or could it perhaps be time to bring up Jason Donald and give him a shot? 

 

Samantha Bunten: I really liked Valbuena when he first came up, so I hate to completely write him off just yet because I still see some potential in him. But then, I really liked Barfield too, and we all know how that one turned out. 

 

Valbuena is no bigger problem than any of the other struggling players on the team, but he does play a position that we have more options at for replacement than others. I like Jason Donald and I think he deserves a shot at the job. Just like Peralta or Marson, Valbuena hasn’t played well enough to keep his spot if there’s someone else who proves they can do a better job filling the role. 

 

That said, I’m not completely ready to write off Valbuena either; he still has the right to be in the mix to compete for the job as well. So I say we let Valbuena and Donald duke it out for the role, and if Valbuena continues to fail and Donald can’t do any better, we have a pretty good insurance policy in Mark Grudzielanek. 

 

The Coop: I have been a fan of Valbuena since he arrived in Cleveland – or at least as much as possible for a guy with limited range and no stick. But I really thought that he was turning the corner at the plate toward the end of last year, and I think he’s a little better than average in the field. 

 

Unfortunately, he seems lost and simply might not have what it takes to succeed in the majors. Still, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. It’s not like the Indians are going anywhere this year. 

 

I think the Indians should stick with him for the rest of the year, unless they just have to send him down to save him the personal embarrassment. That’s when it will be nice to have a veteran like Grudzielanek to take over.

 

Nino Colla: I would like to point out that the horrific errors he’s made have been at shortstop. So any reason involving that in his ouster should not be valid because he isn’t a shortstop and shouldn’t be expected to be perfect after being thrown into the fire like this. 

 

That being said, those were routine plays and he deserved to get benched for it when Cabrera got back healthy. I wouldn’t be using that for a reason to send him down though. He deserves the rest of this month to turn it around offensively. 

 

I want Jason Donald playing everyday until the show is all his. I’d be playing Grudzielanek through this stretch a lot more, against all left-handers especially. When it gets to a point where it is obviously not working for Valbuena, I believe we will all know. It will be at that point that I would bring Jason Donald up and let him go and do his thing.

 

Lewie Pollis: How do you define the cutoff between a youngster who needs patience and a veteran who needs the hook? Valbuena isn’t that much more experienced than LaPorta, and I’d say he looks like a prospect compared to Masterson. It’s a blurry line, but it would seem kind of arbitrary even if it was clearer. 

 

I’m all for giving Donald a shot. I’m open to auditioning anyone who could be part of our long-term plan: Brian Bixler, Wes Hodges, maybe accelerate Lonnie Chisenhall’s path to the majors. But if you want to talk about replacing slumping veterans, it’s unfair to stop there. 

 

Shouldn’t one of the people I mentioned be taking playing time from Jhonny Peralta? Take Jake Westbrook out of the rotation and throw in Yohan Pino. And call up Jordan Brown to replace Grady “Swing-and-a-Miss” Sizemore. You want some fresh faces? Fine, but don’t just single out Valbuena.

 

3. Let’s talk about the now-infamous Bruce Drennan rant that was all over the internet last week. 

For anyone who hasn’t seen it, take a look: http://deadspin.com/5532859/indians-announcer-goes-on-epic-indians-rant-on-the-indians-network 

 

What do you think about Drennan’s eruption? Enthusiastic or obnoxious? Necessary or sensationalist? Do you think Drennan was making valid points, or was he just having a tantrum? 

 

Even if you think this was just the ravings of a man who is long on screaming and short on facts, could there still be some merit in such an outburst? Isn’t it possible that maybe it’s about time someone got really, really mad?

 

Samantha Bunten: Drennan’s rant was absurd, obnoxious, and over-dramatic, but aside from the error regarding sending Valbuena “back to the Mets” when he actually came from Seattle, it was also mostly correct.

 

In between all the screaming and digressions into things that were entirely off-topic, Drennan was actually making valid points. He called out players who needed to be called out and did a pretty entertaining job of doing it (The Branyan/ballerina comparison was priceless).

 

Even if he sounded like a blowhard,  Drennan did what someone needed to do: get really, really mad. The whole incident isn’t going to make me a huge fan of the guy, but I do respect his willingness to lay his frustrations with a frustrating team out there in the open without hedging his bets at all. 

 

There’s a fine line between making excuses for a struggling team by being too passive and patient with them and just having a tantrum. No one can excuse Drennan of erring on the side of passivity, and maybe the Indians need someone in their corner who is willing to demand accountability, even if he sounds like a raving lunatic doing it. 

 

The Coop: I love Bruce Drennan. I grew up listening to him and have been a fan of his for as long as I can remember. He’s a Cleveland sports media legend. If we can’t agree on that, there’s probably not a whole lot we can agree on. And no, he wasn’t my bookie. 

 

This was an epic rant, one I will not soon forget. There are countless, classic one-liners here, particularly his take on Valbuena (who I like, remember): “I said, send him to Mahoning Valley. He can’t do any harm there; they haven’t even started their season!” 

 

It wasn’t sensationalistic, because how many people could possibly be watching the Indians post-game show – especially after that game! But, even if you didn’t like it – did he say anything that wasn’t right? He ripped the Tribe, they deserve to be ripped, and more people who cover the Indians should rip ‘em. (Cuing up my most gravely voice): I LOVE YA BRUCEY!!!

 

Nino Colla: Enthusiastic and Obnoxious? Both. Was it necessary? Parts of it. I think he was having a tantrum but he did make SOME good points. 

 

I watch Drennan often because ESPN obviously doesn’t cover the Indians much. This is actually on par with some of his other rants so I’m shocked it has gotten so much attention over the internet from sites such as deadspin. 

 

I felt the same way he did after that game so I know the frustration. Obviously he didn’t have time to let the loss sink in so a lot of it was emotional. I think it was silly of him to go down the lineup card and repeat the averages of players. Also when you get upset like that you also tend to make mistakes, like when he said to send Luis Valbuena back to the Mets (came from Seattle). 

 

When you sum it all up though, no one on the Indians watched that and said, “Oh boy, we better start playing hard now!” Maybe someone should get mad, I don’t know the personality of the team as a whole or if it would make a difference, but Drennan getting miffed certainly does nothing other than provide us with a nice source of entertainment.

 

Lewie Pollis: He’s either stupid or a drama queen. You don’t get that worked up over a team playing badly unless you thought they were going to be contenders–which begs the question, is Drennan qualified to have his own sports show? 

 

Did anyone remind him that this is the Major Leagues? You don’t get just anyone to be a TV analyst for a baseball team. BRENNAN! Brennan, Brennan… Valbuena to the Mets? We got him from the Mariners. THE MARINERS! Ah, ah! Painful.

 

4. The 2010 MLB amateur draft, taking place June 7th-9th, is now less than a month away. What position(s) do you feel the Indians need to prioritize in the draft? What single position do you feel the Indians are thinnest at throughout their whole system, and at what position do you feel they have the most depth? 

 

Other than Bryce Harper (who will surely go as the number-one pick), is there any specific player eligible for this year’s draft who you would love to see the Tribe go after? 

 

Samantha Bunten: I’m of the opinion that the Indians farm system is, overall, in pretty good shape. That said, I believe that means it would be in their best interest to not get too hung up on filling a specific role and simply draft the best player available. 

 

Because of the nature of baseball’s system, the success of a draft pick is harder to predict than it is in any other sport. That means the smart money is always on drafting the best player on the board at the time, regardless of position. 

 

In terms of specifics, I’m generally in favor of prioritizing, if anything, hitters with speed and a naturally good eye at the plate and pitchers with excellent command who already have at least some ability to throw breaking pitches.

 

The Coop: Well, I don’t follow the minor league affiliates as well as I should, but I can’t seem to remember ever hearing or reading about any first base prospects, and right now, Matt LaPorta hasn’t done anything to make me think that the Indians are set at that position. I’m not writing him off just yet, but it seems to be a need. 

 

In fact, I’d like to see the Indians start loading up on the corner positions. They’ve needed a solid third baseman for years, and while Chisenhall will (hopefully) be up in the bigs sooner rather than later, he’s obviously no guarantee either. 

 

Baseball drafts seem to be more of a crap-shoot than the drafts in any of the other sports, so I just close my eyes and hope a couple of these guys contribute in a few years…before the Indians trade them away when they become great and command big money.

 

 

Nino Colla: The MLB draft isn’t really like the NFL or the NBA draft, so I don’t think prioritizing positions is really needed. Sure there might be years a team goes pitcher or hitter heavy, maybe they should go hitter heavy this year. Overall you take the best player available, provided you think you can sign him (a problem we don’t have space to get into, so I’ll refrain), and worry about positions later. 

 

Now if you are lacking in the system in a certain area, that doesn’t mean you reach for say, a third baseman in the first round because you need a stud third baseman. I think overall though the Indians are pretty thin at shortstop. They do have Asdrubal Cabrera at the top and he won’t need to be replaced for awhile (hopefully). They’ve done a good job building up second base, which has been a weakness in the past. 

 

Their pitching has really seen a vast improvement with all those trades and I think we’ve got plenty of first base types in the system. Outfield is loaded if you ask me, but you can never have enough good outfielders. 

 

I don’t pay much attention to amateur prospects, it’s just too much with all the options out there, especially a month out. The best part is reading scouting reports of the players the Indians draft and until they are in the Cleveland organization, I don’t really pay much attention to the prospects.

 

Lewie Pollis: I don’t think the Indians have any real holes in their farm system. We’ve got tremendously talented arms to stock our rotations of the future, and some outstanding outfielders. The only place where we’re really lacking star power is the infield, but even there we have significant depth. 

 

I don’t know much about any of the big names in the draft, so I don’t have any specific goals there either. My advice to the Indians would be to take the best player available with each pick, without giving too much thought to positions. I’d rather have too many great options in a single area than equal adequacy all around. That’s what trades are for.

 

5. Fun Question of the Week: The big story in baseball last week was pitcher Dallas Braden’s explosion over A-Rod violating an unwritten rule of baseball by walking across the mound. 

 

Do you think Braden overreacted, or was A-Rod wrong to disrespect something which is well-known to be an unwritten rule of the game? 

 

Which of the many unwritten baseball rules do you completely agree with, and which one(s) do you simply find ridiculous? 

 

Samantha Bunten: The Braden/Rodriguez situation was marked by ridiculous behavior by both parties. Rodriguez showed his disrespect for the game and his opponent by jogging across the mound, and Braden showed his immaturity and temper when he reacted by lashing out through the media. 

 

Still, you have to call Braden the winner here. Immature or not, he called A-rod out on something which he had every right to be angry about. A-Rod has violated the integrity of the game more than once, and he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it just because he’s got a couple of MVP awards under his belt. Braden got the last laugh by following up his statements with a perfect game, and Rodriguez looked like a fool by stooping to the lowest possible level as usual by reacting to Braden’s accusations with a flippant, arrogant, and pouty “I’m important and you’re not” sort of response. 

 

As to the unwritten rules in general, I am a very, very strong supporter of respecting the game, and respecting the unwritten rules (whether they’re silly or not) is a part of that. 

 

You don’t swing away on a 3-0 count or swipe second if you’re up by 11 runs. You don’t jog across the mound and you don’t peek at the catcher’s signs. As a hitter, you don’t show up a pitcher by watching a home run and as a pitcher you don’t plunk a guy just because he hits you well. However, if another team’s pitcher hits your batter for no good reason, then all bets are off.  You’re obligated to retaliate on behalf of your teammate and hit a batter from the offending team as a show of solidarity and to demonstrate that you’re going to protect your teammates. 

 

Baseball is by nature a self-policing environment and while that has it’s pluses and minuses, in the case of the unwritten rules, this is a very good thing for the game. The best way to ensure the game gets the respect it deserves is if the players on the field demand it from one another. 

 

The Coop: Alex Rodriguez is a punk and my only complaint is that Braden didn’t try to throw down with him right then and there. Rodriguez then played one of the lowest cards of all, a sort of “Do you know who I am?” attitude, when he basically said that Braden didn’t have the right to criticize him because he didn’t have a long track record of success. 

 

Well, if Rodriguez wants to talk about track records, let’s talk about them. This is certainly not the first time his baseball etiquette has been questioned. In fact, it’s at least the third time that I can remember. Oh, and Braden hasn’t been caught using PEDs. And by the way, I doubt Rodriguez would have been so brazen if it was Josh Beckett or Justin Verlander on the mound. 

 

To the larger question of baseball’s unwritten rules, I grew up playing the game so I agree with pretty much all of them. Sure, some of them are silly, I’ll grant you that. But baseball is nothing without its amazing tradition and a mutual respect for the game by all who play it. My only hope is that more players call out arrogant violators like Rodriguez.

 

Nino Colla:  Go ahead and read this: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/390150-the-baseball-cluster-the-unwritten-but-often-spoke-of-rules-of-baseball 

 

I think it was a bit of both. I think Alex Rodriguez is an attention seeker, but I also think Dallas Braden was being a bit over the top looking for some attention of his own. 

 

I absolutely hate, as I pointed out in that article above, the idea of pegging another hitter because your manager told you to. I think it’s childish and can also be dangerous, obviously. But it screams of petty school yard antics like “He stole my crayons!” or “He cut in line to use the swing!” Oh, you hit one of my hitters, well now I’m going to hit one of yours! Oh you hit a home run off me and stared at it too long? I’m going to peg you in the back! It’s silly and I hate it. It may be a part of the game that has gone on for awhile and someone whose actually played the game for awhile understands it better than I do, but it annoys me to no end. 

 

I don’t know if there are any I “agree with” but I certainly see the merits in respecting the game and the people you play against. Something like not stealing a base when you are up by nine runs late in the game is something I definitely support.

 

Lewie Pollis: The unwritten rules that bug me most happen off the field in early January, in the Hall of Fame voting. 

 

First off, the “no one gets in unanimously” rule is ridiculous. You know how many people care about players’ vote totals (besides whether or not they exceed 75%)? No one but the self-important jackasses who fill out the ballots. Ralph Kiner (75.4%) is just as much a Hall-of-Famer as Nolan Ryan (98.8%–I’d love to hear a few of the 1.2% of voters who didn’t vote for him explain themselves). 

 

And the rule that only the truly special players get to be first-balloters? What’s that about? How do players magically become better candidates over time after they stop playing ? 

 

Almost a full third (32.6%) of HOF voters decided Andre Dawson wasn’t worthy after five years of retirement, but was after he’d been out of the game for 13 years. Does that make any sense to anyone?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

 

Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report’s Tribe fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the Indians each week throughout the season.

This week, we compare the Tribe’s performance to our expectations for them after the one-month mark, point fingers at our chosen scapegoats, and volunteer our baseball playing services to the Tribe, in case they’re so desperate that they’re looking for walk-ons with no professional experience.

I would like to thank this week’s participants: Dale Thomas, Scott Miles, and Jon Sladek for their contributions. This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we’re addressing this week.

Go Tribe!

 

1. This week we officially pass the one-month mark of the 2010 season. Everyone had their opinions during Spring Training about whether the Tribe would be good, bad, or ugly this year.

At this point, where is the Tribe relative to where you expected them to be? Is this team better, worse, or exactly the same as you predicted?

What player or group of players on the Indians is better than you had expected, and which is worse?

Finally, how indicative do you think the Tribe’s current level of play is of how they will fare over the full season ?

Samantha Bunten: Looking just at the Indians record, they are only a little worse than I expected. Unfortunately the overall caliber of play I’ve seen has been much more disappointing. The things that strike me most are the preventable mistakes made by players with enough experience to know better, and the glaring power outage this team is having. 

While the defensive blunders and pitching woes aren’t good, much of that has been as I expected. To me, the element of this team that is far worse than I imagined is the offense. This team was supposed to, if nothing else, be able to put runs on the board. 

Right now they’re having an appallingly difficult time moving runners and even more difficulty showing any power or any speed. You expect a struggling team to lack either speed or power, but you don’t expect it to come up so short in both areas. 

As for who is better than I expected, Kearns and Carmona are the stand-outs. I’m also generally okay with how the rotation is faring. 

I think this team will get better as the season progresses because the young guys on the squad will surely continue to learn and grow as players. What is more uncertain is whether our veteran guys can improve enough just to play the way that they should have been playing from the start. 

Dale Thomas: By win/loss record as of Tuesday night, the Tribe is just a little worse than I expected them to be. I expected them to be next-to-last, but alas….they are in last place by a game. Looking at Chicago and Kansas City, I would expect the standings to continue to waffle around as each game is played. 

Kearns has been a pleasant surprise, as he is better than I expected him to be, and appears to be our best hitter at .333 with a whopping two dingers. Cabrera and Choo are performing well, each hitting over .300, which I expected, but then you get to the entire remaining roster which is under-performing even by my extremely low expectations. 

Sizemore is at .221 with 26 strikeouts. Hafner is at .208, Branyan is at .207, and Valbuena is at .167…I mean Jeez! This lineup couldn’t even hit Indians pitching. It’s horrible for a team that was supposed to be all about offense. 

And Pitching? Holy cow…Talbot is our leader? I didn’t expect this at all, but he has the best ERA and is tied for most wins with Carmona. I’ve actually switched my thinking from focusing on winning games to just scoring a run.

Jon Sladek: Just fair warning, the gloves are coming off this week. 

I’m appalled at what I have witnessed the first part of this baseball season. Nobody expected the Tribe to contend for the Central, but the brand of baseball we have witnessed is unacceptable. Mitchy Talbot is about the only guy who has exceeded expectations. The list of underachievers is too long to name here. The current level of play is indicative of a long, uninteresting season.

Scott Miles: Though the record is probably about what I figured, maybe a shade or two worse, the season has been full of individual surprises for me. 

First, three unpleasant surprises: 

1. Grady Sizemore: .220 average, zero HR. Not comfortable in two-hole? 

2. Valbuena and Brantley: They should be young cornerstones of team. Both are batting below .175, with Brantley already back in Columbus and Valbuena single-handedly murdering Wednesday’s game. 

3. Matt LaPorta: zero HR, one RBI…umm, what? 

Now, the pleasant: 

1. Mitch Talbot: 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA? If he could stop walking so many hitters, whoa. Very impressive. 

2. Fausto Carmona: He’s baaaaaaaaaack. (Hopefully). And echo the comment about walks with Talbot. 

3. Austin Kearns: Capitalizing on his playing time opportunity. Only consistent bat in the lineup besides Choo and Cabrera. 

You’d expect Grady to bounce back, although off of an injury, who knows. The failure to develop young talent was probably the biggest knock on Eric Wedge, and Manny Acta is finding it a tough go as well. Maybe they’re not just as good as billed? I don’t know. And if Talbot or Carmona can’t keep up this production, the Indians might lose 100 games this year.

2. Like the rest of Eric Wedge’s staff, Derek Shelton was let go from his position with the Indians when they made a management regime change last fall.

Shelton is currently the hitting coach for the Tampa Bay Rays, who as a team are 20-7, sitting atop the fiercely competitive AL East, and are one of the best hitting teams in the league.

The Rays have scored the most runs in the AL, the Indians have scored the least.

Perhaps this is merely the product of Tampa Bay having more offensive talent on its roster than the Indians, but is there any chance that perhaps the Tribe made a mistake in letting Shelton go?

How much credit do you give to Shelton for the Rays’ success this season? Do you feel the Indians would be performing better offensively under the guidance of Shelton than they currently are under Jon Nunnally?

 

Samantha Bunten: If you have a lineup that includes Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena, and Carl Crawford, I don’t care who your hitting coach is—your team is going to score a lot of runs. Slider could coach that group and they would still be among the best hitting teams in the league. In other words, maybe who the hitting coach is isn’t our problem. 

Regardless, I really liked Shelton. I think he was good at guiding young hitters and at getting the most out of every player which that individual had to offer. He did it in Cleveland and now he’s doing it in Tampa Bay. The only difference is that working with the Rays, the amount of talent the hitters each have to offer is far higher. 

Shelton’s dismissal was inevitable, as when the manager goes, generally his whole staff goes with him. Still, I would take Shelton back in a heartbeat, given the opportunity. That being said though, I don’t blame Jon Nunnally for most of the Tribe’s hitting woes. No matter how you swing it, the hitting coach is probably not the problem here.  

Dale Thomas: First off, Derek is from Carbondale, Illinois. I grew up there. Go Salukis! 

This of course has no bearing on anything, but with that said, each season since Derek Shelton arrived in Cleveland, the Indians have finished at least in the top half in the league in runs. 

During his first two seasons, the Indians offense was among the best in baseball. Although he’s had a couple misses (Josh Barfield, Jhonny Peralta), the rest of his record stacks up well, especially given the circumstances in 2008 and 2009. 

Yes, I think the Rays are far better for having Shelton. Yes, I think the Indians are far worse for not having Shelton. As for Nunnally? I think his 2010 record is screaming at the top of it’s lungs something like, “We suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck” (echo, echo, echo).

Jon Sladek: I could sit here and blame Jon Nunnally for the hitting woes, but at the end of the day, these guys are professionals, for goodness sake. 

Is Jon Nunnally making Sizemore continually flail at strike three or Hafner look at the first pitch fastball right down the middle, EVERY AT-BAT? I doubt Nunnally is instructing guys to strike out with one out and the bases loaded. 

Its beyond time to start holding guys accountable for their undisciplined approaches. Grady Sizemore struck out too much under Shelton and does the same under Nunnally. Perhaps the coaches aren’t the problem here.

Scott Miles: The Rays have more proven hitters in their lineup. You could probably start and stop the conversation with Evan Longoria (.374, 7 HR, 20 RBI). Throw in Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Ben Zobrist, etc. and that’s a pretty potent order, even if some of those guys are hitting below their usual averages. 

The Indians’ lineup doesn’t have that much margin of error. It’s a mixture of young, unproven guys and guys coming off injuries or prolonged slumps (in Pronk’s case, both). 

I always thought Derek Shelton was pretty solid—the Tribe always had one of the top scoring lineups in the AL and wasn’t putrid at the plate last year even after trading Victor and with Grady and Pronk out—so the Indians might be a tad better with him back this year. But until the light bulb goes for some of the youngsters, it won’t matter who the hitting coach is.

3. Baseball is a team sport, and no single player’s struggles can be blamed for the team’s overall inability to succeed.

But the beauty of being a sports fan is we can assign blame to whatever individual we feel like anyway. If you had to pick one or two players whose performance you believe is personally responsible for the team’s struggles, who would those player(s) be?

What position on the field (other than starting pitcher on a given night) do you feel has the most potential to impact the outcome of a game based purely on the individual at that position’s performance?

(Note: The second part of the question is purely theoretical and meant to address baseball in general; it need not be the position occupied by a Tribe player who you believe makes the most difference to our team specifically, whether in a positive or negative sense).

Samantha Bunten: Aside from Sizemore and Hafner, both of who seem to be unable to make up their minds as to whether they’re going to be power hitters or contact hitters and hence have failed at both, I feel I have to point fingers at the mess on the right side of the infield. 

With Valbuena at second and either LaPorta or Branyan at first, the defense on the right side has been horrendous, and no one over there is exactly making up for it at the plate. 

I’ll give LaPorta the rest of the season to sort things out with his bat (though I think defensively, he’s a lost cause), but Branyan and Valbuena are out of excuses. Sometimes I don’t know why we even bother sending either of them out there. 

The most important position on the field for any team is the catcher. This player has the hardest job on the field physically speaking, and is also expected to be the brains of the operation, the team’s leader, and the in-game therapist for the unfailingly fragile psyches of pitchers. 

It’s a demanding, difficult, and thankless job that calls for an ability to multi-task that isn’t required for other positions. Most first basemen can’t even walk and chew gum at the same time.

Dale Thomas: Personally responsible for the team’s struggles? The two players names are: Hafnersizemorevalbuenaperaltamartebranyanredmondbrantleymarsonlaporta AND Mastersonwestbrookhuffsmithperez. 

I wish I could have mentioned more than two names here, but rules are rules. 

The most impactful position on the field with regard to influencing the outcome of a game? The catcher. From calling pitches and defenses to working with pitchers and umpires, catchers have a wide range of responsibilities that require intelligence, tact, baseball sense, and above all, leadership.

Jon Sladek: Hafner and Sizemore. Simply put, these are two guys the team was counting on for the bulk of offensive production and they have both been abysmal. One is a DH that doesn’t “H,” the other somehow forgot how to hit home runs. Did anyone imagine Sizemore homerless a week into May?

Scott Miles: It would have to be Grady Sizemore, no? I’m not entirely sold he’s 100 percent healthy, but he either needs to start hitting or just sit and rest. For someone who was a 30-30 player two years ago, he can’t have a homerless, two-steal month. He just can’t. 

I think there are three “dynamic” positions on the field—first base, third base and left field. These are where your premier hitters, particularly in terms of power numbers, play. LaPorta and Branyan have combined for zero HR and three RBI in 103 at bats. Peralta is hitting .216 with two HR and ten RBI. Only Kearns in left field is holding up his end of the bargain, but with a smaller sample size (.343/2 HR/12 RBI in 19 games).

 

4. In spite of our complaints that the Indians defense is awful this season, they’re actually far from the worst-fielding team in the AL. As of Monday they had made just 14 errors this season, good for 4th place in the league.

Does this mean that the Tribe’s defense is actually much better than we perceive it to be, or does the number of errors not tell the whole story?

Aside from Jhonny Peralta’s notorious multi-error play against Detroit which cost us a win, how much do you believe the Indians’ defense has impacted their success in either a positive or negative way?

Samantha Bunten: First, I think it is important to note that the above defensive stats come from just two days ago when I wrote these questions. Things have gotten worse since, with the error tally up to 17 and our ranking among AL teams significantly lower. 

Still, I don’t think that poor defense in general is the problem. The Tribe’s issue seems to be that the errors always seem to come at critical points in the game. I would be willing to bet that while we currently rank in the middle of the pack in terms of the number of errors committed per number of chances, we are probably at the top of the list for games lost as the direct result of a defensive error. 

Regardless, the bottom line is that the defense isn’t as terrible as we think. The problem is that they have no margin for error because the team can’t score any runs. If this team was consistently putting runs on the board the way it should, I’m guessing the errors wouldn’t really be that noticeable at all. 

Dale Thomas: Clearly the defense is better than perceived (by the comparative numbers), but let’s face it, our blunders have been huge when we have them. 

Last night I saw one of our guys move all the way around the bases due to errors and wild pitches from Toronto. The Jays still won that game. Errors can and will hurt a team, but they don’t often kill a team in terms of wins and losses. Scoring the most runs wins games. Pitching shutouts positions teams to win games, such that the “most” runs might be just one. Everything else is the delightful drama in between.

Jon Sladek: The stats may say the Indians are playing decent defense, but the errors all seem to be at such crucial points of the same (see Luis Valbuena’s 5-hole job Wednesday). I would love to find out how many of those errors came in the late innings of close games. It’s just another example of a team that has no focus out there.

Scott Miles: The Tribe’s defense has been solid, apart from Peralta and Valbuena’s butchering of two games. You have three legit stars in the field between Sizemore, Choo and Cabrera, and Lou Marson has settled down and thrown out 5-of-14 base stealers. 

I think the overall defensive improvement can be attributed to the focus on fundamentals Acta stressed in spring training. Now, if only that could translate into the batter’s box…

 

5. Fun Question of the Week:

Every dedicated baseball fan has a dream of actually playing for his or her own team at the big league level.

If you truly had the chance to play for the Tribe, what position would you like to play? Where would you like to hit in the order?

Based on your own baseball skill set, no matter how much experience you have actually playing the game, what would be your greatest strength and greatest weakness as a player? 

Samantha Bunten: During my mostly-mediocre career on the diamond as a kid, I always hit leadoff because my strengths were speed and being a decent contact hitter. Other than that, it always helped that I was left-handed, though I think I mostly got by due to being the kid on the field most willing to hurt herself to get the job done.

Like every kid, I called shots in pick-up games Babe Ruth-style, only to watch the towering home run I envisioned land somewhere between the pitcher’s mound and second base. Suffice it to say my biggest weakness was a total lack of power, followed by a tendency to stop ground balls with my face. Hey, at least I stopped them. 

Position-wise, I’m primarily an outfielder, though in my mind, I’m definitely a catcher. 

Dale Thomas: I’d play lead guitar and lead vocal…oops, wrong forum…I’d play shortstop and hit in the one-slot. 

Forget that my baseball career ended in the ninth grade; that still left me with a nine-year career at short, hitting .315 with two championships. My strengths were putting the ball in play and a solid glove between the bags. My weaknesses were arm strength (some close plays at first, that drove my coaches nuts) and I never hit one out…ever.

Jon Sladek: I would love to be a left-handed middle reliever because as Raffy Perez has shown, you don’t even have to get people out to hold down a spot on the Tribe’s roster.

Scott Miles: I was fortunate enough to pitch an inning at Jacobs Field in a high school game my senior year, and I’d die for that opportunity again. 

I came out of the center field bullpen with the biggest grin on my face. It felt like it took five minutes to jog to the mound. My Solon Comets were up one on Euclid in the sixth when I came in, and I had so much adrenaline going I plunked the first kid in the head with my first pitch. Oops. 

I gave up a hit and then our shortstop botched a double play ball, so I had bases loaded with nobody out. Somehow I settled down and after a sacrifice fly tied the game, I got a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning. We won it in the bottom of the seventh with a suicide squeeze play and everyone rushed the field. Just an incredible experience, and I’d give five years off my life to go through it again.

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