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Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

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Haven't posted in here for a bit, got to catch up.

The Casey trade is brilliant!!! You get a low level catcher prospect which the farm system needed. Who knows what our catcher position will look like in 3 years when he is ready. Victor could be a 1B by then, or Shoppach regressed.

Then you get a high strikeout bullpen guy. He could be a closer prospect next year or more likely a bullpen guy. To get that for Blake is great!

Crowe moving up to AAA is nice. This club so needs a true leadoff guy. One reason I wouldn't mind getting Brantley from the Brewers as the PTBNL. You move Grady to the 3 hole and Crowe learns LF. Crowe can give Grady a day off in CF now and then.

Laffey being demoted... he needed to work out some kinks. Sowers on the other hand has no mechanical issues. It is all mental for him. The Indians know this. Buffalo doesn't help him anymore, Sowers needs to sink or swim at the major league level and we can let him sort it out here.

It is scary... the club is finally playing better. Did the pressure get to this team? I have never been a Wedge lover, but I have a feeling he winds this club so tight that they can't handle the pressure. And now that there is nothing to play for the club is responding better. I just wish Shapiro would see this and stop being so dang loyal.
 
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I just wish Shapiro would see this and stop being so dang loyal.
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He and Wedge are made of the same cloth. Wedge his way to loyal to some of his players when they should be set down he keeps on playing them. Once in a while, you have to sit a guy down when he is going poorly but Wedge does not do that. David D. should not be playing at all and Garko needs to be sent down or sat down.
 
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Baseball Prospectus chimed in on the Casey Blake move

Baseball Prospectus | Unfiltered

Across the country, the Los Angeles Dodgers were also adding a right-handed bat, trading two prospects to the Indians for Casey Blake. Although Blake was desired for his experience and perceived leadership qualities, his bat is adequate, a .270/.340/.440 hitter who can play all four corners and is actually a pretty good third baseman. Trading for Blake isn?t a problem in and of itself, but the Dodgers have both paid too much talent for his services and are using him to block a comparable, perhaps even better, player.

First, the price. Power right-hander Jonathan Meloan, whose 5-10 and record and 4.97 ERA at Las Vegas are less reflective of his talent than they are the context in which he?s pitching, is half the package. Meloan is about ready to be a middle man in the majors, and his upside is that of a high-leverage, high-strikeout reliever. The other prospect, Carlos Santana, is a catcher who is a little old for the Florida State League (22), but he has hit very well this year and has earned good grades for his defense. These prospects haven?t gotten the play that Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, and the rest of the Dodgers? youth has gotten, but they?re also very talented and can?t be treated as free resources. Trading two prospects of this caliber for 200 at-bats of Casey Blake is a ridiculous waste.

This is a great package for Mark Shapiro. It?s actually a better package, relative to what he gave away, that the Matt LaPorta-plus one he received for CC Sabathia. Meloan will probably be a big part of the Indians? 2009 bullpen, and Santana could be Victor Martinez?s replacement two or three years down the road, and at the least will be a solid major league backup catcher.

Shapiro made one other shrewd move Saturday, adding Anthony Reyes from the Cardinals for a Double-A arm. Reyes never fit in in St. Louis, so it?s hard to tease out how much of his failure to develop was situation versus being about him. In Cleveland, he should have the opportunity to the above-average starter he looked set to become three years ago, although the Indians will use him at Triple-A at first; the chance to take one last, long lingering glance at Matt Ginter is a bit too tempting to pass up.
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It also reminded me that we picked up Anthony Reyes. He was the type of player I mentioned months ago. Trading for a young pitcher that has been forgotten by its team. Reyes falls under this category, he showed flashes but the Cards for whatever reason gave up on him (like how the Indians almost gave up on Cliff Lee). This is a type of guy if he figures out what was wrong with him can be an adequate #5 in our rotation next year.
 
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Whats the word on Victor and his injury/return? I know that yesterday he started throwing up to 75 feet. That's good progress for him. Does anyone know the timeframe of when he is going to try and make a return?

Also what's the news on Pronk?
 
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buckeyemania11;1218854; said:
:rofl:

had a 8-1 lead

now its tied 11-11 in the 8th
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Precisely why I spend more time following the farm system nowadays. They'll tantalize you with a couple nice games, then absolutely choke against the fucking Detroit Tigers. I really hope Shapiro doesn't look at Kobayashi as a potential closer, because I've seen nothing this year to indicate he could handle that job. Next spring can't here soon enough baseball-wise.
 
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