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Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

Piney;1092280; said:
That has been my one concern this offseason. We have a WEALTH of starting pitching. Overstocked really... If nothing else changes our starting rotation is CC, Carmona, Westbrook, Byrd & Laffey

That leaves Lee, Sowers & Miller waiting in the wings (all major league ready, well Miller needs a lil more seasoning). I am just shocked we haven't traded Sowers and/or Lee (and packaged Marte with them) yet for a corner outfielder. Of course the big problem is Lee makes some money. But there had to be someone out there we could have gotten that would be better than Michaels/Gutierrez/Delluci/Blake.

Sowers and Lee should be traded, but it probably wont happen

Miller should be the 1st option out of AAA

and Lofgren is working his way up and could be ready for the majors later in the year
 
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Dispatch

Byrd looking ahead despite HGH cloud

Saturday, February 16, 2008 2:53 AM



Associated Press

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Paul Byrd arrived at Cleveland Indians spring training camp yesterday and exchanged hugs with teammates and clubhouse workers.
After a "stressful" offseason during which he met with baseball officials regarding his use of human growth hormone, the 37-year-old right-hander was ready to start pitching again.
"I'm excited to get going," he said. "It's great to see the guys again and get on the mound."

Continued.....
 
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ABJ

Reliever prepared to start all over for Tribe Despite success, Lewis knows he can't take his job for granted
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Monday, Feb 18, 2008

WINTER HAVEN, FLA.: When does a player know he's arrived? When everyone around him takes for granted that he's a lock to make the team.
That is the position in which Jensen Lewis finds himself, but nobody has told him. Moreover, after his 2007 whirlwind tour of minor- and major-league venues from Akron and Buffalo to Cleveland, New York and Boston, Lewis doesn't want to hear that he already owns one of the Indians' seven bullpen berths.
Lewis came to camp with the mind-set of a hungry newcomer trying to make the club.


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ABJ

Indians notebook
Only one opening in relief corps With six spots likely set, Mastny top candidate to fill the final slot
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Monday, Feb 18, 2008

WINTER HAVEN, FLA.: It's six and counting.
Even at this early date in spring training, the Indians' bullpen is almost a done deal. Among the seven members of the relief corps, six pitchers are virtually assured of spots: closer Joe Borowski, setup man Rafael Betancourt, righties Masa Kobayashi and Jensen Lewis and lefties Aaron Fultz and Rafael Perez.
''There is one spot open for sure, but I always throw out that it's one or two, because you don't know for sure how it will play out, and I want to keep my options open,'' manager Eric Wedge said Sunday.


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ABJ

New pitcher delivers in style Batters could be fooled by the unique motion of Indians' Kobayashi
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Sunday, Feb 17, 2008
WINTER HAVEN, FLA.: Masa Kobayashi was one of 14 pitchers who threw bullpen sessions Saturday at Chain O'Lakes Park. Talk about major news. An international gathering of media ? top heavy with print and electronic reporters from Japan ? watched the newest Indians reliever confound observers with a windup that includes a leg kick worthy of the Rockettes.
That doesn't end the quirkiness. Kobayashi lifts his hands but never brings them together at the top of his delivery, keeping his glove almost in front of his right hand as if to hide the ball.

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CPD

INDIANS SPRING TRAINING
Hard-throwing Miller puts his problem on a finger


Monday, February 18, 2008Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla. -- If a starting pitcher ran down a checklist on what body parts to condition for spring training, it would probably read like this: shoulders, elbows, lungs, abdominals, obliques and legs.
Fingers, like little toes, wouldn't qualify. Even if they did, how would one strengthen a finger, a toe or an ear for that matter?
"I thought, a finger, what is that?" said Adam Miller, the Indians' No. 1 pitching prospect.
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As you may have guessed, an injury to the middle finger of Miller's right hand kept him from making his big-league debut last year. A similar injury to the same finger in Miller's final start in the Ari zona Fall League has made it almost impossible for him to make the Indians' ro tation or bull pen coming out of spring training.
"It stunk," said Miller, after Sunday's workout at Chain of Lakes Park. "The finger kept me out for almost two months. Then I go and do it again and have to go into the off-season injured."
Miller might as well have a "Do Not Disturb" sign hanging around his neck during camp. The Indians, trying to protect themselves from themselves, want to make sure he's completely healthy before even considering him to be big-league ready.
"We don't want to push him," said manager Eric Wedge.




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ABJ

Just a minor setback Josh Barfield not expected to be on Tribe's Opening Day roster
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008
WINTER HAVEN, FLA.: At this time last year, Josh Barfield was presumed to be the Indians' Next Big Thing.
Barfield was a phenom ready to turn heads. It wasn't merely his brief but impressive track record but also his bloodlines. Not only did Barfield carry the DNA of his father, Jesse ? a 12-year big-leaguer who had been an All-Star, Gold Glove winner and Silver Slugger winner ? but he also had been schooled since birth in the arcane mysteries of proper major-league behavior.
In 2006, as a lowly rookie, Barfield batted .280 with 13 home runs, 58 RBI and 21 steals for the San Diego Padres, who play their home games in a vast expanse of ballpark that hitters despise. As the Padres' everyday second baseman, Barfield committed only nine errors, and if he wasn't the reincarnation of Roberto Alomar, he made all the plays expected of a solid defender.



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ABJ

Tribe waiting to see Julio's bullpen potential Venezuelan reliever is likely to arrive this week after work visa delay
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008
WINTER HAVEN, FLA.: If he ever gets into camp, Jorge Julio will be one of a select group of relievers with a legitimate chance to win the one vacant job in the bullpen.
Tom Mastny is the favorite to be the Indians' seventh reliever, but Julio, 28, has a big arm and is not coming off an injury.
''I saw him in the minors and in Baltimore,'' pitching coach Carl Willis said Monday. ''Very quietly, he pitched well in Colorado last year. He has a lot of back-end experience, and we know he has a well above-average arm. He just needs to correct his command problems.''


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CPD

Cleveland Indians remain optimistic on second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera


Tuesday, February 19, 2008Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla. -- Asdrubal Cabrera is the Indians' mystery man.
They watched him arrive from Class AAA Buffalo on Aug. 8 and seven days later replace Josh Barfield as the starting second baseman. They saw him elbow a vacillating team in the nose to get its attention and then help it win its first American League Central Division title in five years.
Cabrera, making his big-league debut, hit .283 (45-for-159) with 30 runs, three homers and 22 RBI in 45 stretch-drive games.
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Eleven postseason games followed with the switch-hitting 21-year-old playing like a Gold Glove veteran. Cabrera hit only .217 in the postseason, but he wasn't the reason the Indians finished one victory short of the World Series.
So, is Cabrera fact or fluke?




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CPD

Cleveland Indians expect pitcher Jorge Julio by Thursday


Tuesday, February 19, 2008Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla.- Right-hander Jorge Julio, who has a chance to win a spot in the bullpen, could join the Indians by Thursday.
Pitching coach Carl Willis talked to Julio's agent on Sunday.
"I was told he could be in camp by Thursday," said Willis, who talked to reporters Monday because manager Eric Wedge was in Cleveland for the birth of his son.
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Willis passed along a workout schedule for Julio. The veteran reliever is awaiting his visa in Venezuela. Julio has missed five days of camp because he signed with the Indians late and the visa process takes two to three weeks.
"If everything goes right, Jorge should throw a bullpen today and another one Wednesday," Willis said. "Then he could be ready to go off the mound here on Friday."
Julio, who pitched for Colorado and Florida last year, will come to camp on a minor-league deal. He'll compete for the seventh and final spot in the bullpen.




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Canton

Andy Marte is out of options, but is his time with Tribe also over?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. The Cleveland Indians hoped Andy Marte would be a big part of their future when they traded for him two years ago, but the power-hitting third baseman may have no future at all with the team.

Marte, 24, is out of minor-league options so the Indians must keep him with the team, trade him or risk losing him through waivers.

This isn't how the Indians envisioned things when they got Marte from Boston in a multi-player trade that sent outfielder Coco Crisp to the Red Sox in January 2006.

At the time the right-handed hitter was considered one of the top prospects in baseball.

Realizing what's at stake, Marte reported to camp Saturday, four days earlier than position players were required to do so.


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Canton

Indians spring training notebook
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
FROM WIRE REPORTS

NOW IN CAMP

DH Travis Hafner, outfielders Grady Sizemore and Franklin Gutierrez and infielder Michael Aubrey reported to spring training Monday. All position players are to report today.

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ABJ

Tribe eases Sabathia's schedule Ace will get five-day rotation in spring training. Fielding drills also slowed for starting pitchers
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Wednesday, Feb 20, 2008
WINTER HAVEN, FLA.: What effect will pitching a league-leading 241 innings have on the viability of C.C. Sabathia's arm?
Nobody can know for sure, but starting pitchers who have piled up the innings in one season sometimes pay for it the next year.
There aren't many things the Indians can do to ease the burden for Sabathia, who also threw 151/3 innings in the playoffs. Moreover, there are no indications that he needs to be babied.


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CPD

Cleveland Indians ace C.C. Sabathia not interested in hearing about contract negotiations

Sabathia leaves door open for talks, but won't join in
Wednesday, February 20, 2008Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla.- If the Indians and agents from Legacy Sports want to resume negotiations on a contract extension for C.C. Sabathia, the left-hander in question gave them permission Tuesday at Chain of Lakes Park.
There's one qualifier.
"I don't want to hear about it," said Sabathia.
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Sabathia, after throwing his second bullpen session of spring training, met with reporters to discuss his contract and approaching free agency for reportedly the only time this year.
On Feb. 13, the day before Indians pitchers and catchers reported, Sabathia said he was halting negotiations on the extension until the end of the season. He announced it on his Web site.
"I've seen guys in here go through this the last couple of years and have it be a distraction," said Sabathia, last year's American League Cy Young winner. "I refuse to let that happen to me. It's why I put the statement out and went about it the way I did."




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CPD

An open letter to Cleveland Indians lefty C.C. Sabathia by columnist Terry Pluto

To: Terry Pluto, Plain Dealer sports columnist
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
To: C.C. Sabathia
From: Terry Pluto, Plain Dealer sports columnist
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DEAR C.C.:
Yes, you announced on your Web site that you don't plan to talk contract with the Indians until after the season. Yes, you said as much at a press conference Tuesday, hoping that will end all the questions about your looming free agency at the end of the season.

Cont..
 
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