Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

[LitlBuck]

PD

"The reasons we acquired Marte were solid - scouting, analytically, everything," General Manager Mark Shapiro said. "We want to give it time and be patient to see if we will be rewarded and he will be the player we think he will be. In the case of Brandon Phillips, we didn't play it out quite long enough. He did become the player we thought he would when we acquired him, even though we didn't always see indications of that when we had him."
Miller suffered finger and elbow injuries last year.
"If he's healthy," Shapiro said, "he'll be a factor in the big leagues at some time this year"
Shapiro said Miller could help in the rotation or bullpen.

Money talks and I guess that's why we haven't been doing much in the off-season as can be seen by the below:(

Based on calculations by the Chicago Tribune, Detroit's payroll could reach $133 million this year, while the White Sox will be at $118 million. The Indians have $70 million committed to 15 players, not including Casey Blake, who is eligible for arbitration. The other nine players who fill out the 25-man roster, barring a trade or free agent signing, will probably make between the league minimum of $380,000 and $450,000. That would put the Tribe's payroll at an estimated $80 million.

 

[billmac91]

"The reasons we acquired Marte were solid - scouting, analytically, everything," General Manager Mark Shapiro said. "We want to give it time and be patient to see if we will be rewarded and he will be the player we think he will be. "

I like Shapiro, but I'd always question why one of the best baseball GM's of all time, John Shueholz, would let him out of their franchise.

When we made the deal with Boston my best friend gave me a call who is a Braves guy, and said Marte didn't show enough tools to be a great MLB player in Shuerholz's eyes when the Braves brought him up. So far, Shuerholz has been right.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

A busy off-season for Gutierrez


Sunday, January 27, 2008 Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Not only did Franklin Gutierrez get married this off-season, he witnessed Omar Vizquel's final bow to winter ball in Venezuela.
Gutierrez, who has a good chance to be the Indians' starting right fielder this season, married Viviana Salazar, daughter of former big-league player Luis Salazar.
"We met when I was with the Dodgers," Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez and Vizquel played for Caracas in their native Venezuela.
"Omar hadn't played in Venezuela for seven or eight years," Gutierrez said. "He said he wanted to say hello and goodbye to people. I don't know if he's retiring from the big leagues, but he said that was the last time he'd play winter ball in Venezuela."
Gutierrez said Vizquel, 40, played about a month for Caracas.
"He moved around like he was 15 years old," Gutierrez said. "The things he does are amazing."

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

No trades, but Indians still a big deal in AL


Sunday, January 27, 2008 Terry Pluto
Plain Dealer Columnist
TALKIN' TO MYSELF ABOUT THE TRIBE ...
Question: So what do you think about the Indians' winter?
Answer: They'll certainly have a better summer.
Q: How do you know that?
A: Because at least they'll do something, a little more than signing Jamey Carroll and Masa Kobayashi.
Q: So you are down on the Tribe?
A: I think they should be favored to win the Central Division.
Q: What about the Tigers?
A: They worry me . . . a lot. But I like the Indians' pitching. A strong case can be made that they have the best and deepest starting rotation in baseball.
Q: Did you sell your soul to Mark Shapiro?

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

INDIANS Shoppach
Being shopped lets Cleveland Indians catcher Kelly Shoppach know he's wanted


Monday, January 28, 2008 Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Kelly Shoppach did a lot with a little last season. His name has been mentioned in abundance this winter because of it.
Good catchers are hard to find. After Shoppach spun 161 at-bats into gold in 2007, several teams asked for him when General Manager Mark Shapiro engaged in trade talks following the Indians' run to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. His name surfaced in rumored deals for Florida third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Pittsburgh left fielder Jason Bay.
"It's always nice when other people want you," Shoppach said last week during the Indians' media tour. "They're just rumors. I haven't spoken with anyone. But anytime someone thinks highly of you, it's a pretty cool deal."

Continued.....

 

[LitlBuck]

I like Shapiro, but I'd always question why one of the best baseball GM's of all time, John Shueholz, would let him out of their franchise.

When we made the deal with Boston my best friend gave me a call who is a Braves guy, and said Marte didn't show enough tools to be a great MLB player in Shuerholz's eyes when the Braves brought him up. So far, Shuerholz has been right.

Didn't we also get Shoppach in that deal so it really wasn't the Atlanta GM getting the best of the deal because I think we could package Kelley with someone and get a pretty good player in return. They are afraid to leave Marte go before spring training because of how badly they screwed up by giving Brandon Phillips away.

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Cleveland Indians minor-league outfielder Trevor Crowe still a top prospect


Tuesday, January 29, 2008Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
The clock rules. Not the one hanging on the wall or strapped to your wrist, the one inside your head. It ticks the loudest late at night, charting the course and speed of one's quest.
Trevor Crowe's clock told him 2007 was his season, the season to make the big leagues. He'd heard the talk and rumors. When the Indians inquired about Manny Ramirez after the 2006 season, Boston asked for pitchers Fausto Carmona and Adam Miller and Crowe, a switch-hitting outfielder. There was talk that Crowe would at least get a September call-up.
Crowe set his schedule accordingly. He opened last season at Class AA Akron, but his head was already up the road in Cleveland.




Cont...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Official site

Sabathia: Cleveland feels like home
Indians ace lefty receives another award for 2007 season
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

CLEVELAND -- As the plane touched down at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on Wednesday night, C.C. Sabathia turned to his wife, Amber, and said some words that Indians fans might find encouraging.

"It feels like home," he told her.
Of course, in today's sporting world, the definition of "home" can change in a hurry. But the Indians hope Sabathia's definition doesn't change anytime soon.
The Tribe has offered Sabathia, who was in town to receive the Professional Athlete of the Year Award from the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, a long-term contract, the details of which are not known. What is known, based on comments this week by general manager Mark Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge, is that it's the largest offer the club has ever made to a player. Now, it's up to the 27-year-old Sabathia, who is eligible for free agency after the 2008 season, to decide if he wants to extend his stay in his home away from home.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Official site

Around the Horn: Outfielders
Sizemore is Tribe's only sure thing in young, uncertain outfield


CLEVELAND -- The Indians' outfield surely has a cornerstone player in center fielder Grady Sizemore.
But as far as the actual corners are concerned, well, stay tuned.
What we can expect to see, at the outset of '08, is youngster Franklin Gutierrez resuming his role as the regular in right field and veterans David Dellucci and Jason Michaels forming a left-field platoon.
And we can prepare to see prospects Shin-Soo Choo, Ben Francisco and, potentially, Trevor Crowe also fill in, if need be.
What we haven't seen this winter is the Indians' acquisition of a corner outfield bat with a little more pop or a little more experience than the above options, despite attempts to land one. So as the '08 season dawns, general manager Mark Shapiro is hoping the in-house choices the Indians have compiled will be enough to carry the club through the season.

Continued......

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Official site

Front and Central in the playoff chase
Indians, Tigers take different paths into title contention
By Jason Beck and Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Take a drive out of town down Interstate 75 after the morning rush, and you can be in Cleveland in time for lunch. It's a trip of three hours or less that's shorter than some Spring Training road trips in Florida, and it would be shorter still if not for Lake Erie.

Geographically, Detroit and Cleveland are similar: two Midwestern cities that catch the brunt of winter's fury before warming up for baseball season. Though Detroit boasts a larger population with its sprawling suburbs, the cities share many of the same economic woes that have come with lost manufacturing jobs, and their quest for revitalized downtown areas are seemingly separated by only a few years.
They're neighbors in the same situation, and they might well provide baseball's best 2008 playoff race without the hype of Yankees-Red Sox.
"It has the potential to be a great rivalry," Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "The only thing is that throughout the years, and they talked about this last year, rarely have the two clubs ever both been good the same years over the same time span. If we maintained that and Cleveland maintained that, it would be a real good rivalry. It's a good rivalry right now." Indeed, last year was the first time since 1986 and the fifth time in the last 50 years that both teams had a winning record in the same season. The only other times they've finished first and second were 1940 and 1908.

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[LitlBuck]

Who is to say that if CC walks we don't try to get one of these guys? Santana & Sabathia WILL cause a vaccuum in the market that might let these guys fall through the cracks (ie not offered 6-7 yr deals)

Yeah, I know... not the best options but still options. Just remember, money not spent on CC if we let him walk could be money spent towards other players. (which could offset the fact we didn't trade him)

Just food for thought...

It CC walks, I do not think that Dolan will go out and spend that $20 mil on another player. He might spend a little but not all of the money that he probably is currently offering CC. I think he will spend the money to keep their current team together and maybe try to go out and get a good power hitting corner OF or third baseman but I believe Shapiro and Wedge love Blake too much to let him go.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Indians believe in talent on roster
Despite grumblings from fans, Shapiro not in a hurry to deal
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Friday, Jan 25, 2008


CANTON: Fans of the Indians believe their team is this close to giving them reasons to cheer the way they did annually starting in the mid-1990s.
So the offseason inactivity of General Manager Mark Shapiro has many of the team's longtime supporters frustrated. At the very least, they blame him for robbing them of some kind of deal to talk about during the winter months.
Shapiro has held steady, maintaining that he's not poised to make a trade simply to appear busy. Instead, the club will go with what it has, dipping into its deep pool of minor-league talent when necessary, to fill from within the system.
That is, unless an outfielder with power lands in the Indians' lap sometime between now and Opening Day ? one who costs no more than a handful of prospects as opposed to any of the team's established major-leaguers.

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[Piney]

Well it is go time. Santana will be resigning soon (with the Mets) and that should be a good barometer for how much CC could get.

It CC walks, I do not think that Dolan will go out and spend that $20 mil on another player. He might spend a little but not all of the money that he probably is currently offering CC. I think he will spend the money to keep their current team together and maybe try to go out and get a good power hitting corner OF or third baseman but I believe Shapiro and Wedge love Blake too much to let him go.

I doubt they would spend $20 mil on another player. But how about $12-14 mil on Penny or Sheets? But who knows what their markets might be, just throwing numbers out there.

And don't get me started on Blake... if he gets what he is asking for it just proves that Casey has to have some incriminating photos of Wedge and Shapiro doing something.

 

[AKAK]

Well it is go time. Santana will be resigning soon (with the Mets) and that should be a good barometer for how much CC could get.

I doubt they would spend $20 mil on another player. But how about $12-14 mil on Penny or Sheets? But who knows what their markets might be, just throwing numbers out there.

And don't get me started on Blake... if he gets what he is asking for it just proves that Casey has to have some incriminating photos of Wedge and Shapiro doing something.

Well, if its the largest offer the team has ever made... either by year or length or total, or what, its already in the Santana neighborhood... The problem with the Twins offer to Santana wasn't the per year value, it was the length more than likely.

I don't really know if CC stays in Cleveland in the end, but, if the offer is my any metric bigger than the contract they offered Ramirez... at least they're in the game. (Which is different than the Thome situation... where they were offering significantly less than the Phillies)

On Blake... hey, it could be worse, they could be offering him a 5 year deal or something... no, just arbitration, and if he wins his case... well... he'll still be worth the money for one season. And that's the incriminating evidence on Shapiro... if you want to put it that way. I don't mean it as a dig at Shapiro either, but, the reality is that the Indians can't count on both Andy Marte and Franklin Gutierrez (Or whoever the Right fielder is) for consistent production. And he can play either of those positions Period. We need Blake... again. Problem is you're caught in the old catch-22... beteween Development and W's.

 

[Piney]

Well, if its the largest offer the team has ever made... either by year or length or total, or what, its already in the Santana neighborhood... The problem with the Twins offer to Santana wasn't the per year value, it was the length more than likely.

I don't really know if CC stays in Cleveland in the end, but, if the offer is my any metric bigger than the contract they offered Ramirez... at least they're in the game. (Which is different than the Thome situation... where they were offering significantly less than the Phillies)

The rumor was the offer was for 4 years at around $20 mil per season. So I am guessing the per year is the largest they have offered versus contract total. But that is me guessing from what I have read and heard on newspaper/radio/TV.

But the key with Santana is the whole package. Does Santana get a Barry Zito like $20+ per year for 7 years? Does he get a shorter contract but bigger per year (like 4-5 years for $25+ mil?) How bout if the Mets do something even crazier?

Just my guess, but if I was CC's agent I am waiting for Santana to sign and use that as the basis for any counter offer to the Indians.