» Cliff Lee

I’m more than content. Cliff Lee was lights out for the Phillies, they have less payroll flexibility for 4 years, and the Phillies could have had both Lee & Halladay leading that rotation together.

Halladay; Lee; Hamels;  Happ; Blanton/Drabek/Moyer would have been Lights Out.

Also I think some other moves fall into place now. The Mariners upgraded already this off season with the Figgins signing and another ace in Lee. I think they’ll next go with power in LF via Bay or Holliday, which then potentially forces the other to accept a little less money from the Mets/Giants/Red Sox/Yankees. However, with Cameron to Boston, the Sox are out of it, and in my opinion Damon (for 5-7 million and 3-4 years less than Holliday) re-signs with the Yankees. Therefore, either Holliday or Bay signs to a slightly less than expected deal with the Mets.

No matter what, I fully expect the Phillies to take the NL East yet again – unlike the past 3 years.

I truly wish the Mets were the 3rd team in the Yankees-Tigers-(D-backs) deal replacing the D-backs. I thought 0f a crazy, but interesting scenario that could have actually worked: Carlos Beltran, Ike Davis, Fernando Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Ruben Tejada or Reese Havens, and Brad Holt or Bobby Parnell from the Mets; Robinson Cano, Phil Hughes, Austin Jackson from the Yankees, and Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson, and Miguel Cabrera from the Tigers.

Mets receive: Miguel Cabrera/1b, Robinson Cano/2b, Curtis Granderson/cf, Phil Hughes/sp (go on to sign a FA LF & another SP and their offseason needs would have been completed beyond expectations)

Yankees receive: Carlos Beltran, Edwin Jackson, Wilmer Flores (and go on to sign Hudson or FA 2b + FA lf)

Tigers receive: Ike Davis, Fernando Martinez, Tejada/Havens, Holt/Parnell, Austin Jackson (and get even more payroll flexiblity trading Miguel Cabrera for a decent haul). I of course understand the Tigers got a very nice haul of SP’s from the trade they actually did complete with the Yanks & D-back. I think if Scherzer stays healthy, Verlander through Porcello can still keep them toward the top of the AL Central.

Do you think my proposed 3-way above is irrational, however? It completely depletes the Mets farm system, which isn’t great any way, but I think it instantaneously helps them compete with the Phillies.

Some Cross Referencing here – According to Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse via MLB Trade Rumors (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/), the Mets are talking trade with the Cleveland Indians. The talk surrounds Mark Derosa/infield-outfield. I think he can be valuable at ss/2b/1b/of. However, he’s batting only .255 with a .322 obp. Like MLB Trade rumors says, and it’s as obvious as it gets, the Indians will want the entire 4+ million off the books. I don’t have a problem with that, I just don’t want to give up any top notch talent or even a 2nd tier prospect…Unless of course we can also land a SP, such as Cliff Lee or more probable, Fausto Carmona in the deal. Then i’d give up 2 or 3 2nd teir prospects – Brad Holt or Jon Niese (sp) + Reese Havens or Wilmer Flores (ss) + maybe a Carlos Guzman (of). MLB Trade Rumors previously said that the Indians may be tired of waiting for Fausto Carmona to regain his dominance (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/05/is-cleveland-losing-patience-with-fausto-carmona.html). I think we have a few more sp that will be considered a little bit more talented than Niese in another year or two, and in my opinion, Fausto Carmona + Mark Derosa will help us this year a lot more than Jon Niese. Derosa can plug in at ss until Reyes is back, 1b along with Daniel Murphy until Delgado is back, and OF in place of Church/Sheffield/Murphy. He can even plug in at 3b when Wright needs a break. And oh yeah, he can plug in at 2b when Castillo needs a break/get hurt – especially now that Alex Cora is also hurt. I think Derosa is a no brainer if he comes cheap enough – I just hope we can get Cliff Lee/Fausto Carmona as well (obviously we’d have to add Fernando Martinez/of + another SP prospect for Lee if the Indians don’t think they’ll be in the race). Ideally, we can somehow land Victor Martinez/c-1b, but I won’t get out of hand.

Well Carlos Delgado will have surgery and be out until around the All-Star break. Possible replacements that may possibly arrise via trade are Aubrey Huff/Orioles; Nick Johnson/Nationals; Victor Martinez/Indians; and maybe even Jorge Cantu/Florida if any of these guys are or become available. I can see all these teams saying they need 2 of the Mets top  prospects, and I honeslty don’t think any of them except Victor Martinez warrant them, however, I would be willing to trade both if we can also land a SP in the deal ala Cliff Lee or Fausto Carmona (even though he hasn’t been great) from Cleveland; and Jeremy Guthrie (even though he hasn’t been great) from Baltimore. I doubt the Indians are willing to trade Victor Martinez and or Cliff Lee/Fausto Carmona so soon, but if so I would be willing to trade Fernando Martinez(of), Jon Niese(sp), Reese Havens or Wilmer Flores(ss) for BOTH Victor Martinez and Fausto Carmona or Aubrey Huff and Jeremy Guthrie, potentially. I think at catcher and 1b, Victor Martinez would be a dream fit, but Huff/Johnson would be less attractive becasue then what do we do when Delgado is back? I guess Huff could play LF again which moves Murphy to RF and then Church and Sheffield become unhappy or Murphy loses playing time which I would thoroughly disagree with. I guess Nick Johnson/Washington can come quite cheap since they also have Adam Dunn and a sundry of outfielders. I just strongly want to emphasize if we trade for a 1b then we should attempt to land a SP along with them if we rid of our top prospect(s). Agreed?

Some other random suggestions/potential candidates:

Russel Branyan/1b, Jose Lopez/2b, Erik Bedard/sp – Mariners… I think something could work here

Adrian Gonzalez/1b, Jake Peavy/sp – Padres… I wish something could work here

Jermaine Dye/of – White Sox (Move Murphy to 1b)…He’s solid but we really need a SP also

Matt Holliday/of – Athletics (Move Murphy to 1b)…May require way too much for thus far subpar performance

Helton/Atkins/1b – Rockies… Hmm, maybe Helton Could come cheap other than money cost?

All these guys are probably tradable minus Adrian Gonzalez, but they have a top notch 1b prospect.

If your fantasy leagues have waiver wire/free agent addition restrictions like all my leagues do, there is a strategy I like to attend to, and I’ll give you the reasoning. Most of my league-mates make fun of me for picking up an infinite amount of players as soon as possible and only having 5/10 additions allowed left by the season’s end. In a standard 12 team 5×5 Rotisserie League, we started off with 100 waiver moves allowed. This turned into 75, 60, and then 50. So I’ll focus on 50 free agency moves allowed. I think a good strategy is to use 75% (~37 free agents) of your waiver limit (if needed of course) in the first 2 months (even during or after the first month) of the season. I think you get a fantastic idea of how players are doing and what players have become and will stay hot ala Carlos Quentin and Nate McLouth (for ¾ of the season at least) in 2008. Most likely you won’t need to spend 75% of your free agent additions by this time, but I say don’t be scared wasting many of your additions by this point. Obviously, you should save 10-15% (~5-7 additions) of your waiver additions for the end of the season contingent on what statistics you may need, and this still allows you 10-15% (~5-7 additions) when you have certain player/positions go to the DL. If you think about it, most players that readily help a team won’t be there by season’s end other than top prospects called up to help a team (David Price in 2008) – I never said waste your waiver order on all these free agents. Make sure if you drafted last and you have the number 1 waiver spot, you save that for when a David Price-Type player in 2009 does become available (Tommy Hanson of the Braves if he lands a Starting/Closing Role) or an Evan Longoria-Type position player (Matt Wieters/Catcher from the O’s if he somehow is still available on your waiver-wire) becomes available.

By using this strategy, you could have added free agents Mark Reynolds/3b, Carlos Quentin/of, Nate Mclouth/of, Alexei Ramirez/mi, and Evan Longoria/3b in 2008. Once a few starters get some innings under their belts and you’re hopefully looking at their whip and k/bb ratio, you could have landed Cliff Lee, Edinson Volquez, Kevin Slowey, and Scott Baker, or even Liriano by season’s end if you were quick enough. These guys helped in almost every pitching category. There’s still 2/3 category pitchers you could have had like Jamie Moyer (wins-16, era, whip) and Mile Pelfrey (wins-13, era) as well.

Here is the following team that could have been drafted either very late or not at all and some potential 2009 breakout candidates per position:

The 2008 All Fantasy Undrafted/Late-Drafted Fantasy Team (& 2009 Potentials):

The only good news about todays Indians game is there is 161 games left for the season.

Last years Cy Young Award winner just wasn’t what people expected today. Lee is coming off a bad spring training and today, Cliff Lee stuggled and I think struggled is a nice term. My question for Eric Wedge is, why did he leave Lee in after he was hit by a ball off the bat of Hank Blalock in the pitching arm? I know that Lee said he was fine, but honestly, its game 1 of the season. Was it really that important to keep him in and have him possibly do more damage than just a bruise on the arm? Did Eric Wedge forget that they just put Jamey Carroll on the DL because he was hit in the hand and he told them that he was FINE?

Not only did Lee’s pitching “struggle”, so did the Indians hitting.  The Rangers out hit the Indians 15-5. Even though the Indians got 5 hits, its a good sign that Hafner was one of those guy got a hit.

Maybe I’m being a little to hard on the Indians. It is only the 1st game and there is 161 games for them to win. But honestly, it is WAY to early for Wedge to be coaching poorly, the Indians not to be hitting and the pitching to be bad. Even the bullpen couldn’t come in and keep the Rangers quiet. Lets just hope after their day off tomorrow they will be able to treat Wednesday as a brand new day.

With the season opener 10 days away, I have decided to dive deeper into the 2009 Indians. For the next 10 days, we’ll take a look at each position and see how this years team is different than years past.

The Indians have a unique, yet common, situation at 1st Base this year. It appears that Ryan Garko will be the “regular” 1st baseman. Garko started the 2008 year season slow, but was able to turn the year around and ended the season with a .273. He tied the team RBI lead with Grady Sizemore by batting in 90.  He also hit 14 homeruns, walked 45 times and struck out 85 times. Garko also was a magnet for being hit by a pitch. He currently holds the team record for most HBP’s in a single season which he did in 2007 by being hit 20. In the 08 season, he was hit 15 times.

On the field, Garko reminds a lot of Indians fans as a former first basement – Jim Thome. Not only does he wear his number, 25, he even wears his socks the same. Looks aside, Garko had only 4 errors and helped in 123 double plays. He had a fielding percentage of .996.

On days that starting pitcher Cliff Lee pitches, the first basemen will more than likely be Victor Martinez since Kelly Shoppach is Lee’s catcher.  Victor does not have much luck in the 1st week of home games. In both the 2007 & 2008, Victor has visited the DL. Martinez spent a good portion of the 2008 season on the DL. In 73 games, Martinez batted .278. He only hit 2 HR’s, walked 24 times and struck out 32 times.

Victor only played 10 games at 1st base in the 2008 season. In those 10 games, Martinez commited 1 error and had a fielding percentage of .989 (for 1st base only).

Another option the Indians may look at is Travis Hafner. Hafner also spent a good portion of the 2008 season on the DL and appeared in just 53 games. In the past 2 years, Hafner has not been up to his power form. In the 2008 season, Hafner batted .197 and hit 5 homeruns. In the offseason, Hafner had surgery and is hoping be able to gain his power back.

Hafner has not played 1st base since the 2007 season. In the 07 season, Hafner saw playing time at 1st in 11 games and commited 0 errors.

This spring training has done well for Garko, Martinez & Hafner. Each guy is batting over .300. VMart is the only one who has gone yard and has done so 3 times. Hafner is still working on his power, but has shown more discipline at the plate.

Before I get into the nitty gritty, I want to apologize for not updating in about a week. Between battling the flu, working and preparing for a final in my management class, I just could not find the time to update. Hopefully we wont have anymore weeks like this past one so I can get back to talking about what I love, the Indians.

There have been many times this off season I have been asked how do I think the Indians will do in the 2009 season. I am going with a different approach to that question this year. Instead of saying “Oh the Indians are going to win the AL Central” or “they are going to end up in this place or that place”, I am going with “The Indians have the potential of being a good team this year”. My biggest concern is not the bullpen, which is surprising, its the starting rotation.

1. Cliff Lee – “the Ring Leader” - The 2008 Cy Young Award winner only deserves to win the title of the ring leader for the 2009 season. Some people are saying that Lee’s 2008 season was a fluke only because of the down season in 2007. When looking at his career stats, however, it proves that Lee is a consistant pitcher. Since becoming a starter for the Indians in 2004, Lee has had 4 seasons of 10+ wins, 2 of th0se season being 15+ wins. Is it possible for Lee to have another year like the 08 season, yes. Unfortunately, his Spring Training stats aren’t supporting the idea of Lee for the Cy in 2009.  In only 2 games, Lee is 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA. In 4 innings pitched, he’s given up 8 hits, allowed 6 runs and struck out 3. Lets just hope that Lee gets back to his regular season form before he makes the 1st start of the season.

2. Fausto Carmona – “The Wild Child”  – After a disappointing 2008, mainly caused by injuries, fans are expecting Carmona to bounce back. However, you never know which Fausto you are going to get at the beginning of the season. Remember the 2006 season when Carmona was a starter and in the bullpen. In 2006 Carmona had a 1-10 record. Then a new light was shined down on Tribe fans in 2007 when Carmona had a 19-8 record and a 3.06 ERA. Carmona threw some of his best stuff in 07 and with the Indians 1,2 starters Sabathia and Carmona, the Indians could easily have been unbeatable. After facing a hip injury in 2008 and nursing the hip for most of the year,  Carmona had an 8-7 recordn with a 5.44 ERA. As the trend shows, Carmona should be unstoppable. With his most recent Spring Traning start, Carmona only gave up 1 run in 4 innings pitched.

3.  Carl Pavano – “The New Guy”  – Pavano is set to prove himself with the Indians in the 09 season. Before joining the Indians in the offseason, Pavano had 3 disappointing seasons with the Yankees with his ERA each season being over .400. Pavano has not had a great season since 2004 when he was with the Marlins, when he had an 18-8 record and a 3.00 ERA. Luckily for the Indians, Pavano was not an expensive addition and if, for some reason Pavano were to continue to repeat his below average season, it wont be financially costly for the Indians. In 3 games pitched so far this spring training, Pavano has a 0-0 record with a 7.71 ERA with 8 hits, 6 runs and 2 strikeouts in a total of 7 innings pitched.

4. Anthony Reyes – “The Starting Rookie” – Even though his stats do not consider him to be a rookie, he will be with an Indians, if he chosen to be the 4th starter. In 6 games in the 08 season, Reyes put up some impressive numbers before going down in September with soreness in his throwing arm. He had a 2-1 record with a very low 1.83. In 31 innings pitched, he allowed 7 runs and struck out 15. The Indians are hoping that Reyes comes out of spring training showing now soreness so he can be the 4th starter in this rotation. So far this spring traning, Reyes is proving the point that he should be in the starting rotation. He has not given up an earned run in 5 innings pitched in 2 games. He has given up 3 hits and has struck out 5.

The 5th position is still up in the air, but it appears that Aaron Laffey is in the front running for the final position. Even though this spring training Laffey has a 1-2 record and a 7.00 ERA. Another canidate for the 5th position is Zach Jackson. Jackson had a short stint with the Indians at the end of the 2008 season and so far this spring training, Jackson 1-0 with a 4.35 ERA.

In other pitching news, Westbrook threw off of a mound for the first time since having tommy john surgery in the 2008 season. Westbrook has been plagued with injury in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Westbrook has stated that he is happy to be back to pitching and the fact that his pitches were not conisistant. He was just happy to be back out there.

“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball.  I’ll tell you what I do.  I stare out the window and wait for spring.”  ~Rogers Hornsby

With the temps up near 60 degrees here in Northeast Ohio, its amazing how I am able to keep myself sane. You can just smell baseball in the air and I’m patiently counting down the days until Jacob’s, I mean Progessive Field will open its doors for 80 games *sigh*

The Indians had an off day yesterday and it might have been the best thing for them. Cliff Lee and Travis Hafner make their Cactus Leauge debuts today and the only thing an Indians fan can do is hope for the best. After last year’s DL looking like an All-Star roster, we are all sitting back to see which Hafner is going to show up this year. Is it going to be the Hafner from 2006 who tied the record for most Grand Slams in a single season, or is it going to be the Hafner of 2007 & 2008 who could barely hit .250.

Cliff Lee will make his debut today as well. Is it possible for him to have a repeat of last season? Yes, but its probably unlikely. Not to say that last season was a fluke for Lee, because it wasn’t, but I don’t see another Cy Young award coming to Cleveland. Look for another strong season from Lee.

Another injured Indians is Shin Shoo Choo. However, he will still be playing in the WBC, but limited to a designated hitter. Other honorable mentions for the Indians hurt list include Pitcher Adam Miller, CF Grady Sizemore, and Pitcher Kerry Wood.

I know spring training is a time to try  new things, to find the best player for the right position, to form the best line up, etc. But can somebody explain to me what the Indians are trying to do by putting their infielders in the outfield? Before going into spring training, rumors were circling around Cleveland that Ryan Garko could see time in the outfield to make room for both Victor Martinez and Kelly Shoppach in the infield. Garko has seen some playing time in the outfield so far this spring training. Is Garko an outfielder? No! He is a 1st baseman and a catcher. What is the rationale behind this?

In today’s loss to the Rangers, the Indians chose to have Josh Barfield play in the outfield. Is there a good explanation for this? No. It’s just Wedge’s way of trying to keep average players around. Does he really think Barfield will ever have a chance in the outfield come April? I sure hope not. Between Sizemore, Francisco, Choo, Dellucci and even Crowe, I think the Indians outfield is pretty well stocked. Do the Indians really need to keep a below average hitter on the team? Besides, that position in the outfield is filled by Dellucci.

So what’s next for the Indians this spring training? Cliff Lee playing catcher? There doesn’t seem to be any rationa decisions down in Goodyear. Instead of looking like a team who is getting ready for a 162 game season, it looks like the local little league team.

Still, the Alex Rodriguez storm that has captured the baseball world had only confused the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.

In Cliff Lee’s perspective, past is past, and the game should move on. Everybody should move on.

“It’s 2009, and they’re talking about things that happened in ‘01 through ‘03,” Lee said. “MLB has taken care of the steroid issue. We’re being tested.”
To put all things together, it was still Rodriguez’s failed test in 2003 that gained attention and national headlines throughout the globe; gaining infamous attention from normal baseball fans to the President of the United States.

Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt on the other hand, was so disappointed to learn the steroid use of A-Rob and has said that the slugger’s number should be erased.

Lee, in his own terms, said he doesn’t feel cheated. All he could afford was to shrug when asked about the issue.
“I personally don’t see it as bad as it’s made out to be,” said Lee, who has served up two of Rodriguez’s 553 home runs. “I like the fact that [Rodriguez] came out and apologized and was open about what he really did. I can respect that.

“I just have a problem with how they’re going so far in the past and bringing up old things. If you’re doing it now, you’re going to get caught. There’s no way around it. I have a problem with how people think it’s still an issue when it’s not anymore. It’s time to move on and just let the past be the past. It’s over with, as far as I’m concerned.”