Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

New pitcher Borowski not a shoo-in as closer

Reliever signs for one year, $4.25 million. Outfielder Dellucci passes a physical, will get his three-year deal

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

Is Joe Borowski the Indians' closer in waiting? Borowski and anyone else interested in learning the answer to that question will have to wait a while to find out.
General manager Mark Shapiro has his opinion, but he isn't ready to share it after signing Borowski to a one-year, $4.25 million contract that includes a club option for 2008.
The Tribe also signed outfielder David Dellucci on Wednesday, after Dellucci went through the formality of taking a physical exam that was postponed until Tuesday because he came down with the flu.
``Borowski will be used as a back-end option,'' Shapiro said by phone from the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. ``He is a potential closer. Going into spring training, we'll have defined ideas about our closer options, and by the end of spring training, we'll know who the closer is.''
But Mark, how about a hint?
``If we went (into the season) today,'' Shapiro said, ``Joe would be our closer. But we're still trying to build a deeper, stronger bullpen.''
Shapiro already has a pecking order of candidates to pitch in the setup and closer roles.
``I can (reveal that), but I'm not going to'' he said, when asked for his list. ``It's a couple of weeks premature to do that.''
Why the reluctance? Shapiro hopes he isn't finished obtaining bullpen help, even though he already has signed Roberto Hernandez and Aaron Fultz, in addition to Borowski. He calls his off-season strategy of strengthening a failed bullpen as rebuilding with ``bulk,'' hoping he has more hits than misses in what is a thin market for relievers.
The Borowski deal was delayed pending a physical in Cleveland on Tuesday. All newly signed players undergo medical examinations, but Borowski's became an issue when the Philadelphia Phillies took back a two-year offer after noticing an alleged problem with his right shoulder.
``I don't know (what they saw),'' Borowski said. ``Whatever they did with the physical, they were leery of a multiyear contract. But they came right back with a one-year deal.''
Borowski said he had no disabling aches or pains in 2006, nor does he have any afflictions now.
``None whatsoever,'' he said. ``I'm as healthy as I've ever been. I am physically able. There is no problem.''
Borowski was shut down for part of the 2004 season with a rotator-cuff injury, and late in spring training of 2005, he broke a bone in his arm.
As the Florida Marlins' closer last season, Borowski succeeded in 36 out of 43 save opportunities. He also compiled a 3-3 record and 3.75 ERA, striking out 64 in 69 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted only .235 against him.
He turned to the Indians, because they offered him hope of keeping his job as a closer.
``I was looking for something with a multiyear deal,'' Borowski said. ``When I found out I couldn't do that, I zeroed in on the Indians.
``In Philadelphia, I was going to be a setup man and that's it. In Cleveland, there was going to be a chance to close.''
But should he end up pitching the eighth inning instead of the ninth, Borowski said he won't be disappointed.
``Mark talked to me a while ago,'' he said. ``He told me I'd pitch at the end of the game, the eighth or ninth inning. Either is fine with me. And these things have a way of working themselves out.''
Borowski doesn't have vast experience as a closer. Of his 80 career saves, 69 came in two seasons, 2006 and 2003, when he saved 33 games (blowing four) and posted a 2.63 ERA.
Though he was denied the security of a multi-year contract, Borowski received a huge increase from his 2006 salary of $327,000.
The Dellucci signing has been a done deal for at least a week. The former Phillies outfielder will receive $11.5 million for three years and likely platoon in left field with Jason Michaels.
``At a minimum, Dave will play left versus right-handed pitchers,'' Shapiro said.
Dellucci thought he was through platooning after playing in 128 games with the Texas Rangers in 2005, when he batted .251 with 29 home runs and 65 RBI.
``It was extremely difficult for me,'' he said of being a part-time outfielder. ``I felt after 2005, I had put that stereotyping behind me.''
Dellucci is hoping he can return to being an everyday player next year.
``I am looking to face all the right-handers and maybe a considerable number of lefties,'' Dellucci said. ``One reason I came to Cleveland was to get a chance to play on an everyday basis.''
Dellucci said his choice of teams came down to the Tribe and the Cincinnati Reds.
``Cleveland reached out to us right from the start,'' he said. ``It was obvious to me I was high on their list.''
Dellucci, 33, batted .292 with 13 homers and 39 RBI for the Phillies in 2006. The vast majority of his at-bats came against right-handers, against whom he batted .299 with 11 homers and 35 RBI in 244 at-bats.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

TALKIN' TRIBE
Signing of Joe Borowski good move by Indians ? Teams backed away from Joe Borowski because of his past elbow and shoulder problems. He is an excellent signing for the Indians, because it's a one-year deal, and he did save 36 games last season. Overall, he was 3-3 with 36 saves in 43 tries and a 3.75 ERA for the Florida Marlins. The Indians have not committed the closer's job to him, but he has at least done it with some success.
? Borowski is 35, and he no longer throws 92-94 mph as he did with the the Chicago Cubs in 2003, when he saved 37 games. His fastball is more in the 88-90 mph range, and he relies on a big slider to keep hitters off balance. One scout said he's a little like Bob Wickman, in that you're not sure how he saves games with the stuff that he has -- but he's done pretty well.
? Borowski is a right-hander, yet lefties hit only .167 with three home runs in 120 at-bats off him. Righties were .291 with four homers in 148 at-bats. During the past three years, he's .202 vs. lefties, .275 vs. righties. He struck out 63 in 69 innings last season, walking 33. He had a 3.71 ERA before the All-Star break, 3.79 after.
? Marlins GM Larry Beinfast told reporters Dec. 1, before the Indians signed the reliever, that Borowski passed their postseason physical. He was surprised that the Philadelphia Phillies backed off a two-year deal because of a doctor's report. That led to Borowski coming to the Tribe.
? It's possible Borowski can get hurt again. He pitched much better at home (3.07) than on the road (4.71), and the Marlins' park is excellent for pitchers. But overall, he's a good gamble for one year. The same with Roberto Hernandez, even if he's 627 years old. OK, he's 42, but his ERA was a solid 3.11.
? Wish I could be as enthusiastic about Aaron Fultz. There were some disagreements on his numbers against lefties -- overall, they hit .277 off him in 2006. The Indians like the fact that lefties had only five doubles and one home run in 94 at-bats. In the past three years, lefties hit .238 with two home runs in 261 at-bats off him. But it still bothers me that his 4.54 ERA is the second lowest of his seven-year career. The Indians are desperate for a lefty in the bullpen, and this guy was available for one year at $1.3 million.
? Fultz throws 86-88 mph with a breaking ball and a change-up, so he's not overpowering -- as is the case with most situational lefty relievers. The Indians also will look at young lefties such as Rafael Perez, Juan Lara and Tony Sipp for bullpen spots.
? Before signing David Dellucci, the Indians talked to Trot Nixon. The 32-year-old is a free agent, and looking for a one-year deal in the $8 million range. He batted .268 with eight home runs and 52 RBI in 381 at-bats for the Boston Red Sox. He's strictly a platoon player, hitting only .204 vs. lefties in the past three years.
? What has worried the Indians and other teams is a major drop in power for Nixon. In 2003, he had 28 home runs in 441 at-bats. In the next three years, he has a total of 27 home runs in 938 at-bats. Nixon is the same age as Dellucci (32), but the Indians believe Dellucci has more left.
? Yes, the Indians did make another attempt to ask about Manny Ramirez. The Red Sox stuck to the price they set before the winter meetings -- Fausto Carmona, Adam Miller, Trevor Crowe and the Tribe paying the last $20 million annually on the contract for 2007 and 2008. There are reports Ramirez might also want his two $20 million-per-season options for 2009 and 2010 picked up before he'd waive his no-trade clause.
? It's hard to believe the Red Sox would not deal Ramirez after committing $70 million to J.D. Drew, but supposedly Drew believes Ramirez will stay. In the end, these winter meetings went like the last few years -- many Manny rumors, but the Red Sox believing he means too much to the lineup to give up.
? The Indians did some research on Cliff Floyd, who hit .244 with 11 home runs in 332 at-bats for the New York Mets. But he has Achilles tendon problems and very little interest in the Indians. He also wants a two-year deal in the $16 million range. They believed Dellucci was a safer bet at $11 million for three years.
? Former Indian Ronnie Belliard thought he was going to the San Diego Padres to replace Josh Barfield (traded to the Tribe for Kevin Kouzmanoff), but the Padres changed their minds and signed Todd Walker to play second instead. So far, there has been little interest in Belliard.
? Belliard's performance with the St. Louis Cardinals -- he hit only .237 with a .295 on-base percentage after joining the team in July -- has made many scouts wonder if he still is a regular. His defense was so-so and his energy level wasn't high, especially strange in a free-agent season. The Cardinals replaced him with free-agent second baseman Adam Kennedy.
? The Indians talked with the Pittsburgh Pirates about Mike Gonzalez, who is emerging as a prime closer. He was 3-4 with 2.17 ERA and 24-of-24 in save opportunities. For his career, he has a 2.37 ERA in 168 games, and he's 28. The price? The Pirates wanted Victor Martinez. They planned to move him to first base. They also offered some reserve catching prospects. The Indians were not about to deal Martinez for a reliever.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

NewsJournal

Tribe moves smart, not flashy
By Jason A. Kline
News Journal

It was worth the wait. The Indians finally made their free agent splash, signing three relievers and an everyday outfielder over a two-week span that culminated with the Winter Meetings. With all the money being thrown around, it's hard to argue with the value the Indians found in these four: right-handers Joe Borowski (one year, $4.25 million) and Roberto Hernandez (one year, $3.5 million), left-hander Aaron Fultz (one year, $1.65 million) and outfielder David Dellucci (three years, $11.5 million). They also have team options on all three relievers for 2008, which means those guys will still be pitching for contracts this season.
While they aren't big names, neither were a lot of the guys the team brought in to bolster the league's best bullpen in 2005 (in fact, the Tribe could have a third of that pen back: David Riske and Arthur Rhodes are unsigned free agents, and the suddenly pitching-rich Cubs have been dangling setup man Bobby Howry). Between the signings and trade for second baseman Josh Barfield -- still two years away from arbitration and paid on the cheap -- the team could still accommodate a major deal. With the free-spending offseason, the moves made by a patient, frugal front office have impressed many of baseball's top observers, most notably ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney and the top minds at Baseball Prospectus. Count me in that group, especially considering General Manager Mark Shapiro isn't done. The Dellucci signing looks smarter every day. Boston signed J.D. Drew for five years, $70 million, while center fielders Gary Matthews Jr. (five years, $50 million) and Juan Pierre (five years, $44 million) got big bucks from the Angels and Dodgers, respectively. Here is how their batting lines last year compare:

Drew .283/.393/.498 (batting average, on-base and slugging percentages).
Matthews .313/.371/.495.
Pierre .292/.330/.388.
Dellucci .292/.369/.530.
Dellucci only had 264 at-bats, but he hit .251/.367/.513 with 29 homers the year before in 435 ABs with the Texas Rangers. That's a lot of pop for the bottom of the order.

WHAT'S NEXT? Hernandez and Fultz will bolster a bullpen likely to be rounded out by right-handers Rafael Betancourt, Fernando Cabrera and Jason Davis, side-armer Matt Miller and a young lefty (Tony Sipp, Juan Lara or Rafael Perez). It's a well-balance group -- veterans and young arms -- but the team hasn't officially settled on a closer, yet.
Borowski saved 36 games for the Marlins last season, but when the Indians signed him, three veterans with closing experience remained and they expressed interest in all three. Octavio Dotel has since signed with the Royals. Eric Gagne turned down a one-year, $4-million offer with incentives from the Dodgers and he and agent Scott Boras are talking to the Red Sox and Giants. It's safe to count the Indians out at this point. That leaves Keith Foulke, but he reportedly is using the Tribe's interest as leverage with hopes of playing in warm-weather Arizona or Texas, closer to his family.
The top trade options are the Pirates' Mike Gonzalez and the Angels' Scot Shields, but the price for both is too high: Gonzalez was almost dealt to the Braves for first baseman Adam LaRoche, who hit 32 homers last year, while Shields was a staple of Manny Ramirez rumors last week. All things considered, Borowski probably will be the Opening Day closer.
The Indians are shopping for a utility infielder, but have been spurned by Craig Counsell (returning home to Milwaukee) and Chris Gomez (close to signing with Toronto) in recent weeks. There aren't a lot of better options left than holdovers Hector Luna and Joe Inglett.
Meanwhile, Dellucci's arrival likely means Shin-Soo Choo or Ryan Garko won't make the big-league club next season. Shapiro has said as much, with four outfielders and one first baseman expected to round out the roster from this list: Grady Sizemore, Dellucci, Casey Blake, Jason Michaels, Garko and Choo. Garko has more value. The "2007 Bill James Handbook" ($21.95, ACTA Sports, 467 pages) projects 20 homers, 95 RBIs and .268/.341/ .442 for him next season if he plays full-time. It also projects decent production from Choo in 400 ABs (.280/.360/.432).
The moves look good on paper, but the names probably aren't big enough to excite the average fan, who'll probably be taking a wait-and-see approach at the ticket gate. Considering the expendable pieces and parts, don't count out another big, late-winter deal to rival last year's Coco Crisp-for-Andy Marte swap. If the team wants to see any tickets this spring, they might not have a choice.

FARM TALK -- How good is the Tribe's farm system? They lost two of the 19 players picked in last week's Rule 5 draft. The Devil Rays took outfielder Ryan Goleski, a 2003 sixth-round pick, and dealt him to Oakland. The Philadelphia Phillies swiped right-handed side-armer Jim Ed Warden. The Indians recently added outfielder Ben Francisco and reliever JD Martin to the 40-man rosters, basically choosing to keep both and expose Goleski and Warden. There's still a chance Goleski and Warden could be back -- if a player doesn't stay with the big-league club all season, he must be returned to his original club. Goleski's loss hurts. Baseball America had just ranked him the organization's best power hitter and best outfield arm.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Tribe signs pitcher

to minor-league deal
Right-hander Jeff Harris has been signed to a minor-league contract by the Indians that includes an invitation to spring training.
Harris, 33, began last season with the Seattle Mariners, appearing in three games and giving up two runs in 3 1/3 innings. He was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in mid-April, compiling an 0-3 record and 5.52 ERA in 15 games (four starts). His season was cut short because of shoulder tendinitis, and he spent two months on the disabled list.
Harris is pitching winter ball in Venezuela, compiling a 4-1 record and 2.15 ERA in nine appearances encompassing 50 1/3 innings.
He began his career as the 28th round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 1995. Harris spent six years in the Twins organization and 3 ? more in the Mexican League. The Mariners signed him in June 2004 and sent him to the minor leagues.

-- Sheldon Ocker​

​

 

[JCOSU86]

Wooo Hooo! Print up those World Series tickets now!

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Trade for Barfield
top offseason deal
for Shapiro so far
? For now, General Manager Mark Shapiro said, ``the heavy-lifting'' is done as far as trades and free agents. His biggest move was adding Josh Barfield to play second base. I'm still hoping he can use some prospects and make another deal, either for a reliever or a power-hitting outfielder.
? Shapiro's biggest attempts were to acquire Gary Sheffield (now with the Detroit Tigers) and to sign Moises Alou. The Indians offered $16 million for two years, but Alou signed with the New York Mets for $8.5 million for one year, because he wanted to stay in the National League and play for a contender.

Continued...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Arizona spring for Tribe?

Chances 'very good' club will leave Florida for Cactus League in '09
Wednesday, December 20, 2006 Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Cleveland Indians President Paul Dolan says the team's chances of moving spring training to Goodyear, Ariz., by 2009 are "very, very good" following Monday's agreement between city officials and members of the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority to provide more than $30 million in funding.

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[NFBuck]

Well, atleast that's something. Mulder was awful last year (7.14 ERA), but was hurt all year. If he's healthy, he'd be a nice lefty to have as a #3 starter.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Indians trade Florida for move to West

Spring training, other operations headed for Goodyear, Ariz., in '09

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

A few details remain to be negotiated, but Indians President Paul Dolan felt secure enough Thursday to announce the team will move its spring training headquarters to Arizona from Florida.
``There are a couple of agreements yet to be worked out, but in our view, it is done,'' he said. ``I'm telling everybody that we're going to Arizona.''
The Goodyear, Ariz., City Council approved the project Thursday, and the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority also granted state money for the complex, which will include a 10,000-seat stadium (with luxury suites) plus a practice facility, consisting of six full fields and one or two half fields.

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[LoKyBuckeye]

CPD

that blows that they are going to move to Arizona... it was always nice to make the trip over to see them in Spring Training... now all I'll have to watch are the Reds, Pirates and Yankees. :(

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

INDIANS Foulke

No holiday rush: Tribe waits on Foulke

Saturday, December 23, 2006 Paul Hoynes

Plain Dealer Reporter
The Indians should know by Christmas if reliever Keith Foulke is coming to Cleveland.
"Keith is going to make a decision in the next few days," said agent Dan Horwits. "The Indians are very much in the mix."
The Indians and Boston are two of the teams bidding on Foulke. General Manager Mark Shapiro said he did not expect an announcement this weekend. With Monday being Christ mas, any sign ing probably wouldn't hap pen until Tues day at the earliest.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

I've been asking myself and others why the Indians are reluctant to commit to Ryan Garko at first base, especially given how he had 45 RBI in 50 games, hitting .292 with seven home runs in 185 at-bats. I hear two things: His defense at first is poor (six errors in 45 games), and he is slow on the base paths. They believe that playing Casey Blake at first more often helps the defense and general athleticism of the team, which is pretty stationary on the bases.
? It's also curious how the Indians are willing to dismiss Garko's overall performance as a hitter in the minors, partly because he batted .247 with 15 home runs and 59 RBI in 103 games at Class AAA Buffalo before being recalled. But Garko batted .303 at Class AAA Buffalo in 2005. He hit .330, primarily at Class A Kinston and Class AA Akron in 2004. Garko always has been a good hitter.
? Last season, Blake batted .282 with 19 homers and 68 RBI. He hit .304 before the All-Star break, .257 after. He battled some injuries. He hit .261 with runners in scoring position.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Foulke signing could be under Tribe's tree

Sunday, December 24, 2006 Paul Hoynes

Plain Dealer Reporter
The agent for right-hander Keith Foulke considers the Indians the favorite to sign the veteran closer later this week.
"We're getting closer," said Dan Horwits of Beverly Hills Sports Council. "The Indians are still the favorites.
"It's getting down to the time where Keith is going to make a decision."

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Tribe among Mulder's three suitors

Friday, December 29, 2006 Paul Hoynes

Plain Dealer Reporter
Agent Gregg Clifton said Thursday that the Indians, Texas and St. Louis are the three finalists in the bidding for injured left-hander Mark Mulder.
Mulder wants a two-year deal to keep his options open as he recovers from rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder. The Indians have offered him a two-year contract.

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

TALKIN' TRIBE
4 veteran relievers signed to avoid panic
? Assuming the Indians complete the signing of Keith Foulke, they will have added four veteran relievers: Joe Borowski, Aaron Fultz, Roberto Hernandez and Foulke. All but Fultz have been closers. Borowski had 36 saves last year. From 2001 to 2004, Foulke saved 111 games. Odds are that at least two of these guys will work out. They all signed one-year deals, so the Indians can just write off anyone who fails.

Continued....