LATEST TEAM INFO:
The Indians’ season came to an end last night when pitchers Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew were shipped to the Montreal Expos in exchange for Big League first baseman Lee Stevens, who is hitting all of .190, and three prospects. The first prospect was Brandon Phillips, 21, a shortstop, and the best prospect in the Expo’s farm system, but he was only hitting .257 for Triple A Ottawa. Next was left handed pitcher Cliff Lee, 23. Lee was 7-2 with a 3.23 ERA, and was dominating at the Double A Level. Outfielder Grady Siezmore, 19 was hitting .258 at Class A Bevard County. Siezmore was one of the best outfielders the Expo’s had to offer at the minor league level, but that doesn’t say a whole lot. This trade was the first of many to come in this long and painful rebuilding process. Shapiro definitely started down the correct road by dealing Colon. General Manager Mark Shapiro, and team owner Larry Dolan have set year 2005 as the point they hope to be contenders again by. For Cleveland fans that have had competitive teams for the last eight years, this will be a tough pill to swallow.
The team has changed dramatically with this trade, but the pre-blowup team was 36-41, and struggling mightily. The offense was almost non-excistenet, and was also last in the league with a .238 team batting average. Despite the best pitching Cleveland has had in many years, the lack of offense out wieghed the tremendous pitching. Not only the record, but the attitude of the players, and everyone else in the organization including owner Larry Dolan forced Shapiro to take drastic measures. The 2002 season is officially over for the Cleveland Indians.
LOCAL PROSPECTIVE:
Despite fans getting what they wanted, by Mark Shapiro starting the rebuilding of the team, they have reasons to be upset. For Bartolo Colon, one of the top ten pitchers in baseball Shapiro didn’t do very well in getting top-notch prospects for him. The only top-notch prospect received for Colon was 21-year-old shortstop Brandon Phillips. Lee Stevens will probably not be with the team next year, and neither Siezmore, or Lee are projected to be stars. Shapiro could have held out to trade Colon until the trading deadline in a month, and put the gun to other teams heads like so many teams did to the Indians when the Indians were contenders and need that final piece of the puzzle. If this is all Shapiro felt he could get for Colon it tells me only one thing; strike. With a strike Colon couldn’t be the final piece of a puzzle to a team’s championship run without a championship, and Montreal is in no position to win a championship right now.
This changes the expectations of prospects for other players that fans would like to see moved, Ricardo Rincon, Paul Shuey, Jim Thome, Chuck Finley, or Omar Vizquel. Colon was the best player the Indians had, and if this is all they could get for him, what makes us so sure we will get anything decent for other veterans?
As much as I hate saying it the Indians are turning into the Montreal Expos. They have lost numerous home grown players in Richie Sexson, Sean Casey, Danny Graves, Jeromy Burnitz, Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Bartolo Colon, Tim Drew, and many others simply because they couldn’t spend the money to keep them here. As sad as it is the reality of this team is they don’t have an owner who will spend money, and it is a proven fact you can’t win without spending money. Things are not looking to good for the old Tribe faithful.
RUMOR MILL:
It is open season on Indians veterans now that the rebuilding has officially started. Rumors will pop up that never would have been dreamed of before the season. I will try to update the rumor section when a new rumor comes up even if a new report is not being posted. So check the rumor mill constantly.
Now that Colon has been dealt with, the next highest Indian in demand would be veteran first baseman Jim Thome. Watch fro Thome to go to Boston to fill their gaping hole at first base, which has been attempted to be filled with Tony Clark and Brian Daubach. Neither have done the job, leaving Boston with the option of trade. Boston doesn’t have anyone to appealing in their farm system, but I doubt that will stop Shapiro and Dolan from unloading Thome’s potentially huge contract. Another option would be Thome to go to Atlanta to fill their hole at first. This seemed the most likely before Atlanta’s top prospect Wilson Betimet sprained his ankle. Something still could be worked out with Atlanta however as anything is possible.
The rumor of Matt Lawton going to the Yankees has quieted a bit, but is actually the rumor that makes the most sense. The Yankees are as always a World Series contender, and the only gaping hole on their team is a consistent leadoff man, and right fielder, which Lawton ahs proved he can do both lead off and play right field. This is one of the rumors that would shock me least if it came true.
Other rumors will surface about veteran Chuck Finley, as he has a huge contract, and possibly relievers Ricardo Rincon, and Paul Shuey, as lefties, and set up men are always valuable for playoff contenders. No specific teams have been associated with these players’ names but it shouldn’t take long for that to happen.
ON THE FARM:
The Indians farm system received big additions in the Colon deal, acquiring SS Brandon Phillips, OF Grady Sizemore, and P Cliff Lee. Phillips was assigned to Class AAA Buffalo, Lee was assigned to Class AA Akron, and Sizemore was assigned to Class A Kinston. All three are amongst the top prospects in the Indians organization.
Class AAA Buffalo is rolling out the wins with a 49-33 record. OF Chad Allen has a .365 batting average with the Bisons, and a .325 batting average overall. He has 18 RBIs in 117 at-bats. Catcher Josh Bard may soon lose playing time to C Victor Martinez (currently at Class AA Akron), as Bard is hitting only .241-5-32. Utility man Chris Coste continues to impress, hitting .355-3-34. He could be called up in the coming months but it not viewed as a prospect. 3B Greg LaRocca would probably get the call should Travis Fryman be traded, as he is hitting .299-4-27 with 12 stolen bases. SS Brandon Phillips went 2-for-4 in his debut with the Bisons, and he should be promoted before the end of the season. 1B Earl Snyder is learning to play 3B, and has seen his numbers spike to .286-13-43. He would be the third candidate to be called up should Fryman be traded, along with LaRocca and Phillips. SP Jason Beverlin is 8-6 with a 4.10 ERA, and he’s struck out 87 batters in 85 innings pitched, while allowing only 27 walks. SP Tim Drew, the player to be named in the Colon deal, is 8-4 with a 3.27 ERA. He will join the Expos organization at the end of the season. RP Dave Elder has been playing well since being promoted from Akron, posting a 2.08 ERA with 13 Ks and only 1 walk allowed in 8 innings pitched. RP Dave Maurer could be promoted should Ricardo Rincon be dealt, and he has a 4-0 record and 1.70 ERA. Maurer has struck out 54 and allowed 15 walks in 42 innings pitched. SP Teddy Rose is 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA in five starts. RP Carl Sadler is 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA in 3 relief apperances. RP Martin Vargas’ was sold to a Japanese team. Vargas was 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA in 35 innings, and was a decent prospect with a rather high upside.
Class AA Akron has an outstanding record of 57-24. OF Ryan Church is hitting .236-2-8 since his promotion from Class A Kinston. OF Jason Fitzgerald is hitting .267-5-27 with 13 stolen bases. OF Nate Gridnell is hitting .287-7-44 and could soon be on his way to Buffalo. 2B Maicer Izturis is hitting .268, but has only 2 stolen bases in 5 attempts. C Victor Martinez is hitting .326-13-49 and is slugging .558. Martinez could also soon be headed to Buffalo. SS John Peralta is hitting .274-7-32 and is only 20 years old, which is very young for AA ball. 2B/OF Scott Pratt is hitting .276-10-24 with 12 stolen bases and has rejuvenated his prospect status with a move to center field. SP Jamie Brown is 5-1 with a 2.55 ERA in six starts covering 35 innings. He has a very good K/BB ratio of 23:6. RP Jose Colon finally ended his streak of zero walks, which just ended recently and covered the entire season to date. He has a 21:2 K/BB ratio, and has a 2-3 record and 2.75 ERA in 23 appearances including 2 recent starts. RP Alberto Garza is not very high on the list of Indians prospects, but is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA. He has allowed only 9 walks and has struck out 40 in 26 innings pitched, but he’s also allowed 20 walks. RP Dan Guillory has a 1.11 ERA and 35 Ks in 32 innings pitched, but he has also allowed 20 walks. SP Cliff Lee has not yet pitched at Akron, but he forms a devastating 1-2-3 punch with fellow lefties Brian Tallet and Billy Traber. Together, they are the three best left-handed starters in the Eastern League. Tallet is 8-1 with a 3.09 ERA and only 28 walks allowed in 87 innings pitched. Traber is 12-2 with a 2.77 Era and has struck out 80 batters in 100 innings while allowing only 19 walks.
Class A Kinston has a 38-40 record despite having few prospects. 1B Eric Crozier is hitting .326-7-47 and is showing fairly good plate discipline. SS Hector Luna is hitting .252-7-28 and is working his way down the list of Indians prospects. OF Alex Requena has 38 stolen bases, but is hitting only .217 and has struck out 68 times. He would be off the list of prospects were it not for his .317 OBP, which is .100 points above is batting average. 3B Corey Smith continues to fail to make adjustments to opposing pitchers. He is hitting .254-7-35 and is struggling as of late. SP Fernando Cabrera has struck out almost a batter an inning, and has a 3-7 record and 3.87 ERA. RP Aquiles Pinales has a 3.41 ERA and 33 Ks in 34 innings pitched. RP Scott Sturkie has a 2.33 ERA and a WHIP of just over 1.00. SP Derek Thompson, who was pitching well at Class A Columbus, is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA. RP Jose Vargas is 2-0 with a 0.79 ERA in 15 relief appearances. He has struck out 37 batters in 34 innings, and fellow RP Hank Thoms has yet to allow a run in 12 innings pitched.
Class A Columbus is above the .500 mark at 40-37. They lost their most productive hitter in 2B/3B Joe Inglett, who was hitting .311-2-46 before his promotion. SS Ivan Ochoa is hitting .167 with 29 stolen bases in 35 attempts. OF Willy Taveras has stolen 42 bases, and he has a .248 record with a .367 OBP and is showing better knowledge of the strike zone than ever before. RP Carlos De la cruz is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA. SP Dan Denham is 4-5 with a 4.32 ERA and 65 Ks is 75 innings pitched, and he has pitched much better as of late. SP Jake Dittler is 2-6 with a 5.63 ERA, and he is digressing from previous starts. RP Nathan Fernley has a 1.62 ERA and has 16 Ks in 16 innings pitched. SP Travis Foley is 7-3 with a 3.39 ERA and 71 Ks in 69 innings pitched. RP Lee Gronkiewicz has a 3-1 record, 11 saves, and a 3.16 ERA. He has struck out 38 batters in 31 innings pitched. RP Doug Lantz is 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA. SP J.D. Martin is 8-4 with a 4.23 ERA and 77 Ks in 76 innings pitched.
INJURIES:
Ricky Gutierrez Status: DL
Ricky pulled his groin muscle when he rounding third to score the winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning against Baltimore a week and a half ago. Johnny MacDonald has been filling in nicely for Gutierrez. McDonald has impressed Cleveland with his outstanding defense, and clutch hitting. Mc Donald looks to be the second baseman of the future in Cleveland.
QUICK VIEW:
Add:
Omar Vizquel-SS He leads the team in average at .302, and steals with eleven. He also has an unexpected but pleasant 10 HR, and 45 RBI.
Danys Baez-SP Baez will me depended on more often without Colon in the rotation, and this will provide him with a time to shine.
Ryan Drese-SP Drese has been pitching more and more consistent as of late, and has even been striking out lots of batters, which is a bonus.
Drop:
Ricky Gutierrez-2B Not only has he been playing poorly, but now is on the DL because of a pulled groin.
Hold:
C.C. Sabathia-SP He is now the young ace of the Indians staff, and should pitch accordingly, and show just what he is made of.
Jim Thome-1B Among league leaders in HR, and RBI, and will play better for a bigger contract.
Matt Lawton-OF He has improved his numbers after a hitting a rough patch for his season, and provides solid fantasy numbers.
Bob Wickman-RP Solid for 35 saves plus.
LATEST TEAM INFO:
Mediocre seems to be the appropriate word to describe the recent play of the Indians. In their last ten the Tribe is 5-5 bumping their record to 34-35, but making no progress in catching up to division leading Minnesota. If it wasn’t for the outstanding starting pitching from all five of the teams starters the Indians probably would be sitting in last place or close to it in the Central. The pitchers are getting virtually no run support. Since the beginning of May the Indians have managed to score five runs or more only fourteen times. When they have scored five runs or more during that stretch their record is 12-2.
Chuck Finley and Bartolo Colon continue to provide quality starts for the Indians. So far this year they have given the Indians a combined 16 quality starts, but only to go 13-11 because of the lack of run support. The rest of the Indians starters have been pitching well as well. Danny Baez has been one of the clubs most consistent all year, and C.C Sabathia and Ryan Drese have turned things around after slow starts.
Johnny McDonald has played excellent in filling in for the injured Ricky Gutierrez, not only with his glove but with his bat as well. He ahs improved his average to .287, and in Friday’s game against the Rockies he went three for five with two RBI’s, and scored the game-winning run. He was a homerun away from the cycle. If he could become a little more consistent at the plate, and learn how to use his speed to steal bases he could turn into a very nice second baseman or shortstop.
LOCAL PROSPECTIVE:
General Manager Mark Shapiro has set July 15th as a date to evaluate the team, and decide whether or no to blow it up, meaning trade away veterans and rebuild with young hitting talent. Assuming Shapiro makes the right choice to blow up the Indians July 15th should be a city-wide holiday. The Indians are sitting at 34-35 in a horrible division, that doesn’t deserve to be represented in the playoffs. The Indians sit only five games back and are in second place tied with the White Sox. The Indians have played mediocre or worse teams so far this season. They haven’t played the Yankees, Red Sox, A’s, and have only played the Mariners three times. The Indians simply do not have the hitting to keep up with these ball clubs, and therefore have no choice but to rebuild their farm-system.
Right now the Indians only have two options. The first option would be to draft well, and make homegrown hitters to compliment the fantastic young starting pitching they already have. The second would be to trade. This year the Indians had one of the top drafts in the league, to compliment the 2001 draft in which they also did extremely well. As for the trading is about time to start. Chuck Finley is in his third and final year of a $27 million contract, and is 39. The first sucker we can find to take him off of our hands, even if we only get a couple of prospects would be doing us a huge favor. Next there is the issue of whether or not to sign Jim Thome. With the year Thome is having, and all of his previous success he will demand, and deserve a contract over $10 million a year, which the Indians simply can’t afford. Other veterans that other teams could be interested in would include Bartolo Colon, Omar Vizquel, Matt Lawton, and Ellis Burks. All over Cleveland people are saying that dreaded word: rebuild. It’s time for Shapiro to listen.
RUMOR MILL:
Could OF Matt Lawton be headed to the Yankees? According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Yankees are interested in Lawton, who they see as a right fielder batting leadoff. Ideally, though, Lawton would hit third in the order and play left field. These rumors are interesting and the Indians would be wise to ask for either OF Marcus Thames or OF Juan Rivera. Lawton was part of the Roberto Alomar trade and the Indians may be reluctant to give him up as he is all they have to show for the Alomar trade at this time, which is a tough topic to discuss amongst Indians fans.
Might the Indians be interested in Colorado OF Jack Cust? Cust's defense is poor and it will be hard for the Rockies to play him without a DH in the National League. The Indians have reportedly asked the Rockies about Cust's availability and were told that he was not available. Perhaps a few pitching prospects in return would enable the Rockies to deal Cust, who has been compared to a young Jim Thome and would greatly improve the Indians' offense both now and in the future.
Bartolo Colon’s name continues to be associated with the word trade as well. The word is that Cincinnati’s GM is willing to trade young outfielder Austin Kearns for Colon, but the Red’s owner won’t let him take on Colons salary. Although as the Reds realize how much they need another starter this deal or a similar one may take place.
ON THE FARM:
Class AAA Buffalo keeps winning games, and has increased their record to 44-26. Newly acquired OF Ben Broussard is hitting .290-2-6 in 31 at-bats since joining the team from the Reds, and has posted a solid .275-13-36 between the Class AAA Louisville and Buffalo. Most importantly, Broussard has drawn 8 walks and has struck out only twice since being acquired from the Reds. Recently promoted utility man Jolbert Cabrera was hitting .292 with 3 steals before taking the place of 2B Ricky Gutierrez on the big league roster. OF Todd Dunwoody is hitting .261 with 3 home runs and 5 stolen bases, and although the Indians could use another outfielder, Dunwoody wouldn’t be much of an upgrade over what they currently have. 3B Greg LaRocca is continuing his great year, hitting .302-4-24 with 11 steals. He was a candidate for promotion before the Indians decided upon calling up Cabrera. 1B Earl Snyder is lifting his average, and is now sitting comfortably at .279-12-35. Expect him to be recalled before the end of the year, but he needs to cut back on his strikeouts (50 Ks in 179 at-bats). The starting pitching has been outstanding so far this year. SP Jason Beverlin has thrown a one-hitter, and he has struck out 79 batters in 77 at-bats this season. He has posted a 7-5 record and has a 3.61 ERA. SP Tim Drew is outstanding, and has lowered his ERA more than 3 points from earlier in the year. He currently has an 8-3 record, 2.87 ERA, and has allowed only 19 walks in 91 innings pitched. He has thrown a two-hitter and a three-hitter this season, both during his recent stretch of great starts. Drew could possibly be traded for either major league hitting or hitting prospects. SP Jason Phillips has a 6-2 record, 2.80 ERA, and has allowed only 13 walks in 74 innings pitched. There is a very good chance we could see Beverlin, Drew, and Phillips all in the major leagues at some point this season. There have also been a number of relievers who have pitched well for Buffalo thus far this season. RP Jerrod Riggan was pitching well before his promotion to Cleveland, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.70 ERA. RP Dave Elder hasn’t allowed a run in 3 1/3 innings since being promoted from Akron, and he’s already struck out five batters. RP Heath Murray has only a 1-2 record, but he has a 2.60 ERA, and he has struck out 31 batters and allowed only 5 walks and 22 hits in 27 innings pitched. RP Martin Vargas is probably the most frustrating minor leaguer I’ve ever watched. One game, he looks like a future top closer. The next game, the velocity drops, and he struggles. Right now, he is on an upturn in his productivity, posting season totals thus far of a 3-2 record, 2.31 ERA, and only 2 home runs allowed in 35 innings pitched. This week he looks like potential closer material. Wait until the next report and that may drastically change.
Class AA Akron recently won 11 games in a row, bringing their season record to 48-21. The big news here are the two recent promotions, OF Ryan Church (.000, 3 Ks in 9 at-bats since promotion) and 2B Maicer Izturis (.357, 2 steals in 28 at-bats since promotion). So far, Church has declined his production and Izturis has increased his production since the promotions. Expect Church to step up and produce soon, as the former pitcher is loaded with talent and tools. OF Jason Fitzgerald is hitting .263-4-20 with 10 steals after a short visit with Class AAA Buffalo. OF Jody Gerut, acquired in the Jacob Cruz trade, is having a fine season. He’s hitting .275-9-38, with 16 steals. Gerut is tied with catcher Victor Martinez for the team lead in total bases with 114. Martinez continues to improve in all aspects of his game, posting solid numbers of .313-9-39 in 217 at-bats. 2B/OF Scott Pratt continues his hot streak, hitting .296-9-23 with 8 steals and a .502 slugging percentage. He could be promoted to Buffalo should he continue to produce. 20-year-old SS John Peralta is showing above-average defense, and he’s proving his critics wrong, hitting .271-5-25 as one of the youngest players in the Eastern League. 3B Corey Erickson leads the team with 12 home runs, but he is batting only .232 and has struck out 49 times in 164 at-bats. OF Nate Grindell is producing for Akron, posting numbers of .283-6-35. The pitching helped guide the team to the eleven game winning streak that ended Sunday. RP Jose Colon hasn’t allowed a walk in 34 innings pitched. He doesn’t throw as hard as his brother, Bartolo, and is too old for AA at 26, but his numbers are hard to deny. Expect a promotion to Buffalo for Jose within the next few weeks. RP Dan Guillory has a 1.11 ERA and has struck out 35 batters in 32 innings pitched, but he’s also allowed 20 walks. RP Alberto Garza has allowed only 9 hits in 26 innings pitched, has a 1.37 ERA, and has struck out 39 batters. His only flaw is his 19 walks allowed. RP Ryan Larson has only pitched 3 2/3 innings, but he has struck out 7 batters and has a 2.45 ERA. RP Carl Sadler is 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA and has allowed only 12 walks in 44 innings pitched. SP Brian Tallet is 6-1 with a 3.42 ERA and has allowed only 24 walks in 73 innings pitched. Tallet forms a formidable 1-2 punch, along with fellow lefty starter Billy Traber, acquired from the Mets in the Roberto Alomar trade. Traber has a 9-2 record and 3.00 ERA, and he’s allowed only 16 walks while striking out 62 batters in 84 innings pitched. Expect Traber and Tallet to be promoted to Buffalo together to maintain their competitive spirit with each other. Both could be in Cleveland’s rotation as early as next year, or possibly this season if any trades are made involving starting pitchers being traded from Cleveland, notably Colon or Chuck Finley.
Class A Kinston continues to struggle around the .500 mark with a 34-35 record. They recently lost Church (.326-10-30 at Kinston) and Izturis (.262 and 24 steals at Kinston) to Akron, which will considerably weaken an already weak team. 1B Eric Crozier is still in Kinston, and has posted a solid .313-5-35. SS Hector Luna is regarded as a possible replacement for Omar Vizquel, and he’s hitting .249-7-27. OF Alex Requena is still regarded as a prospect, but he needs to show more than speed to maintain his status as a prospect. He’s stolen 34 bases in 43 attempts, but is hitting only .222 with 61 strikeouts in 239 at-bats. Pitching has led Kinston to many victories this season. SP Fernando Cabrera has only a 2-6 record, but he has a 3.58 ERA and has struck out 72 batters in 73 innings pitched. He has also allowed only 49 hits and 26 walks. Cabrera is starting in the minors to build up stamina, but he will be moved to the back of the bullpen in the majors. SP Jason Davis also has only a 2-6 record, but he is not pitching as well as Cabrera. He has a 4.69 ERA and has allowed 95 hits in 78 innings pitched. SP Kyle Denney has a 5-2 record and 2.90 ERA in 7 starts and he has struck out 38 batters in 40 innings pitched. SP/RP Brandon Matheny is impressing coaches with his versatility. He has a 2-1 record and a 2.95 ERA. RP Marcos Mendoza has a 4-0 record, 1.02 ERA, and has not allowed a home run in 44 innings pitched. RP Aquiles Pinales has a 2.97 ERA, and he has allowed only 11 walks while striking out 29 batters in 30 innings pitched. RP Scott Sturkie has struck out only 9 batters in 22 innings pitched, but he has allowed only 6 walks and has a 0.82 ERA. RP Jose Vargas has a 0.99 ERA and has struck out 29 batters in 27 innings pitched.
Class A Columbus has a 38-32 record. 3B Joe Inglett is hitting .311-2-46 and also plays second base. SS prospect Ivan Ochoa is hitting only .167, but he has 26 steals in 31 attempts. OF Willy Taveras is hitting .241-2-17 with 35 stolen bases. His plate discipline and OBP have improved since last season, and he has plenty of time to develop. Taveras could be a starting outfielder for the Indians in another 3 or 4 years. RP Oscar Alvarez has a 0-3 record, but he has a 3.29 ERA and has also recorded a save. RP Carlos De la cruz is improving from the start of the season, and he now has a 2.42 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. SP Dan Denham is 3-4 with a 4.15 ERA, but he has struck out 55 batters in 65 innings pitched, his velocity has increased in recent starts, and he has great stuff. Expect him to be in the Cleveland rotation around the same time Taveras is called up. SP Jake Dittler has struggled as of late, and he now has a 2-5 record and a 6.17 ERA. There aren’t many bright spots to Dittler’s season thus far. SP Travis Foley is a definite sleeper. He has a 7-2 record, 2.52 ERA, and has struck out 68 batters in 64 innings while allowing only 49 hits. RP Doug Lantz has a 3-1 record and 3.35 ERA in 20 relief appearances. Lantz has struck out 38 batters and allowed only 12 walks in 43 innings pitched. RP Lee Gronkiewicz has a 3-1 record, a 2.86 ERA, and 10 saves, while striking out 33 batters and allowing only 8 walks in 43 innings pitched. SP J.D. Martin continues to impress coaches and scouts. He has an 8-3 record, 4.20 ERA, and has struck out 74 batters while allowing only 24 walks in 70 innings pitched. SP Derek Thompson is 3-4 with a 3.42 ERA. Thompson and Martin have both allowed only three home runs in 70+ innings pitched.
INJURIES:
Milton Bradley Status: Rehab
Milton returned to the team last week, and has being playing fairly well. He has made some amazing catches in the outfield to save runs, or even games. He won’t have to much of an impact on the fantasy world this year, but in the next few years as he continues to grow as a ballplayer, and learn more he should develop into an average r maybe even above average ballplayer. He reminds me of Kenny Lofton a little bit in the way he makes plays in the outfield, and his approach at the plate.
Ricky Gutierrez Status: DL
Ricky pulled his groin muscle when he round third to score the winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning against Baltimore on Thursday. Johnny MacDonald has been filling in nicely for Gutierrez. In the series with Colorado Johnny went 5/12 with two triples, two doubles, four RBI, and two runs scored. You never like to see a guy get hurt, but it might actually help the Indians. With Gutierrez’s fat contract he had to play, and with him out now it will give Johnny Mac some experience, and maybe even the lineup a lift.
QUICK VIEW:
Add:
Omar Vizquel-SS He leads the team in average at .310, and steals with nine. He also has an unexpected but pleasant 6 HR, and 31 RBI.
Danys Baez-SP Baez has been surprisingly the Indians most consistent pitcher all year.
Ryan Drese-SP Drese has been pihign more and more consistent as of late, and has even been striking out lots of batters.
Drop:
Ricky Gutierrez-2B Not only has he been playing poorly, but now is on the DL because of a pulled groin.
Hold:
Bartolo Colon-SP No explanation needed…I hope?
C.C. Sabathia-SP His last couple starts have been solid. In one he went eight shutout innings, and struck out seven.
Jim Thome-1B Among league leaders in HR, and RBI, and ahs been on fire lately.
Matt Lawton-OF Is on pace to have his best season of his career.
Bob Wickman-RP Solid for 35 saves plus.
Ellis Burks-OF Ellis is still hitting the ball hard, and continues to be the team’s best clutch hitter.
LATEST TEAM INFO:
The past week the Indians have turned thing around winning their last four, and last eight of ten. All departments of the team have improved immensely. In a three game sweep of the Whit Sox this past weekend the Indians scored a total of twenty-three runs. Not only the hitting but also the pitching has been exceptional, highlighted by Bartolo Colon’s complete game shutout, and Sunday Chuck Finley went seven innings without giving up a run. The only shaky spot was Bob Wickman’s outing yesterday when he gave up two runs in the ninth but still got the save. This past week and a half it has seemed to be a different baseball team then we saw in late April, or early May. Maybe this can be a turning point for the Indians this year and they can squeeze their way into a playoff spot. This is doubtful but hey it ain’t over till it’s over.
Jim Thome has been on fire the last few days. In the last four days he has four homeruns, boosting his total to fifteen on the year. Jimmy has even been hitting the ball the opposite way which is a great sign that he is locked in. If he stays hot the sky is the limit on what he can do.
Another Indian that has been hitting well is recent call-up Chris Magruder. Magruder has impressed all of Cleveland with his hard-nosed play in centerfield, and some recent power hitting two homeruns in the series with the White Sox. One of which ended up being the game winner in Sunday’s game.
Bartolo Colon has been pitching amazing as of late. His last two starts have produced two complete game shutouts. The only thing that worries me about Colon is his recent pitch counts. In his last six starts he has thrown a combined 696 pitches. However, he is one of if not the strongest player in the game today. He can throw a 99 MPN fastball in the ninth inning of a MLB game. The only other people that can say that are Randy Johnson, and maybe Curt Schilling.
LOCAL PROSPECTIVE:
Many fans are demanding changes with the ball club. Changes not only with the manager, but also with the direction of the team. In all reality the Indians should not make the playoffs this year. However with how bad the Central division is the Indians find themselves at 28-28, and only three and a half games back of Division leading Minnesota. Recent demands from owner Larry Dolan have made GM Mark Shapiro cut payroll, and change the team to a slugfest team to a team that relies on pitching to win. Many fans want the Indians to trade away veterans for prospects, and young hitters to try and rebuild the recently demolished, and best farm system in baseball. This is what GM Mark Shapiro has said he would do but so far hasn’t followed through with his promises yet.
Attendance at Jacob’s field has dropped dramatically to about 25,000 per game. For fans that are used to coming to a sellout at the park this seems like nothing, but most teams would love average that many fans per game. At this rater the Indians will draw a little over 2 million for the year. Many teams struggle to draw 1.5 million per year.
RUMOR MILL:
The rumors are still going around Cleveland crazily. The most recent is that of Bartolo Colon going to the Brewers Reds, or Mariners. The most likely of these is probably him going to the Reds. The Reds have what the Tribe is supposedly, and should be looking for in young hitters. The obstacle here is that the Indians want Austin Kearns, and the Reds want to send Encarnacion instead. The two teams have a history of dealing with each other, so maybe something will get done. Another obstacle is that Colon has been pitching extremely well as of late which will either make him an untouchable, or just increase his trade value.
The other two players the Indians seem to be shopping Jim Thome and Chuck Finley have also been playing tremendous as of late. This only helps the Indians if the do trade either of them. The only team I have heard associated with Thome’s name is the Braves. This makes sense, as the Braves need a first baseman. The platoon of Wes Helms and Julio Franco simply isn’t working out for them.
INJURIES:
Milton Bradley-(CF) Status: DL
Milton is on his way back to the club. He should return by the end of the week after recovering from a broken eye socket. His playing time will be a little less then it was before the injury due to the excellent play of fill in Chris Magruder. Milton should still play at least four games a week.
ON THE FARM:
Class AAA Buffalo has lost many of its hitters to the majors, but still has a respectable record of 32-23. 2B-3B-OF Bill Selby (.299-4-17) has joined outfielders Bruce Aven (.276-4-13) and Chris Magruder (.271-3-9) in the group of hitters the Indians have used to try to rejuvenate their struggling offense. Magruder is playing well for the big league club and he could grab some of Milton Bradley’s playing time when he returns from his rehab assignment. The Indians, however, have left some talent untapped in AAA, at least for the moment. Catcher Chris Coste is leading the International League with a .372 BA and is leading the Bisons with 25 RBI’s. 1B Earl Snyder, with the big league club earlier in the year, is hitting .237, with 8 HR’s and 18 RBI’s. Unfortunately, he has struck out 35 times in 118 AB’s. Snyder could probably hit .260-25-90 eventually if given the chance to play every day in the majors. 3B Chris LaRocca is putting up solid stats, hitting .308 with 3 HR’s, 17 RBI’s, and 9 SB’s. Starter Tim Drew threw a 2-hitter last week, bringing down his ERA and WHIP to 3.36 and 1.33, respectively. A more in-depth analysis of Drew can be found in my Indians Minor Leaguers thread in the Indians forum. Starters Jason Phillips and Nerio Rodriguez both have sub-1.00 WHIP’s. Phillips has a 6-2 record and 2.80 ERA, while Rodriguez has a 3-2 record and a 2.00 ERA. Flame-throwing RP Martin Vargas has a 2.19 ERA to go along with his team-leading 8 saves. Vargas could close for in the big leagues sometime down the road, and there is a good possibility he could become the Indians top set-up man in the next couple years. There are not many players left at Buffalo who could be called up and have an immediate impact with the Indians, but if Drew continues his solid pitching, he could allow the Indians to trade SP Bartolo Colon.
Class AA Akron is off to a great start at 36-16. They are led by catcher Victor Martinez (.311-8-32), who is one of the top catchers in the minors and one of the Indians top prospects. Outfielder Nate Grindell is hitting .290-5-25, but he has only 8 walks in 176 at-bats, which is not a good sign for his future. Pitchers are leading the way for the Aeros. RP Jose Colon is 2-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 0 BB’s in 18 IP. RPs Alberto Garza (2-0, 1.37 ERA) and Dan Guillory (3-3, 1.30 ERA) are both striking out more than a batter an inning. RP Dave Elder, acquired from Texas in exchange for John Rocker, is 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA and 31 K’s in 29 IP. Unfortunately, Elder is three years too old to be in AA at twenty-six years of age. RP Carl Sadler is also pitching well. Sadler is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA. Also leading the Aeros is a trio of solid starters. SP Jason Stanford is 5-3 with a 3.29 ERA, and he has allowed only 2 HRs in 54 IP. SP Brian Tallet is 4-0 with a 2.54 ERA, and SP Billy Traber is 7-2 with a 3.30 ERA. Traber could be called up to take SP Chuck Finley’s spot in the big league rotation should Finley be traded. Other than Traber, there are few candidates to be called up to the big leagues soon, although a few relievers and Tallet could soon be promoted to Buffalo.
Class A Kinston is struggling to get to the .500 mark at 27-28. They are led by prospect OF Ryan Church, who is hitting .333 with 9 HRs, 25 RBIs and 4 SBs. Unfortunately, he has struck out 43 times in 144 at-bats. There is still hope he can lower the K/AB ratio as he has only recently been converted from pitcher to hitter. SS Hector Luna is one of the Indians many shortstop prospects. So far this year, he is hitting .257 with 6 HRs and 25 RBIs. He is only 2-for-8 on steal attempts, however. 2B Maicer Izturis is a converted shortstop, and he is hitting .245 with 19 stolen bases in 25 attempts. One of the Indians top prospects and their top draft pick two years ago, 3B Corey Smith, is also having a good year at Kinston. He is hitting .279 with 5 HRs, 29 RBIs, and is leading the team with 97 total bases. He, too, has a strikeout problem, striking out 58 times in 226 at-bats while drawing only 18 walks. If not corrected, the strikeouts could be a problem in the future. Not too many pitchers are impressive here. SP Fernando Cabrera is only 2-5, but he has a 3.21 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and has 55 K’s in 56 innings. He is one of the Indians lower-level prospects. SP/RP Brandon Matheny has a 3.38 ERA, but his WHIP is approaching the 1.50 mark and he isn’t overpowering hitters. RP Marcos Mendoza is 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA and fellow RP Aquiles Pinales has 3 saves with a 3.28 ERA and 22 Ks in 24 IP. RP Scott Sturkie has dominated opposing batters at Kinston after crushing batters at Columbus before his recent promotion. He has a 1.29 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP after going 3-0 with a 0.99 ERA and 0.75 WHIP at Columbus. He could be this year’s Alex Herrera. RP Jose Vargas has a 1.08 ERA and 19 Ks in 16 IP.
Class A Columbus is led by their young quintet of pitching prospects in their rotation. However, their offense is struggling. 2B/3B Joe Inglett is leading the team with a .304 BA, 5 triples, and 31 RBI. He doesn’t have much power or speed, but he does have good plate discipline, with 21 BBs and 19 Ks in 194 ABs. Outfield prospect Willy Taveras is still failing to raise his BA (.218), but his OBP is .359 and he has a 29:34 BB/K ratio in 179 at-bats, which added onto his 28 steals in 38 attempts makes for his season so far mediocre instead of poor. He’s also scored 39 times, which leads all Columbus players. Shortstop prospect Ivan Ochoa has flashed his lightning-fast speed, stealing 23 times and getting caught only once! Unfortunately, he’s struck out 40 times in 175 at-bats and is hitting only .154. Pitching well out of the bullpen are RPs Oscar Alvarez (2.20 ERA), Chris Cooper (3.82 ERA, 2 saves, 37 K’s in 33 IP), Nathan Fernley (2.70 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 10 K’s in 10 IP), Lee Gronkiewicz (2.86 ERA, 9 saves, 26 K’s in 22 IP), and Doug Lantz (3-0, 2.90 ERA). SP Dan Denham has great stuff, but his stats aren’t showing his potential (3-4, 4.83 ERA). SP Jake Dittler (2-3, 4.76 ERA) has been struggling so far this season. SP Travis Foley (6-2, 2.72 ERA, 62 K’s in 56 IP) is having a great season, although he isn’t one of the Indians best pitching prospects. SP J.D. Martin lit up the minors last year, but he’s not as dominating this year. His ERA is 4.42, but his WHIP is 1.12 and his record is 6-3. He also has a 58:18 K/BB ratio and his 58 K’s have come in only 55 innings of work. His ERA is not an accurate perception of the season Martin is really having and he really is pitching well, although not on the same dominating level he was last year, which would be extremely hard to keep up with. SP Derek Thompson (2.67 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) is having arguably as good of a year as Foley, however I would need to see more of Thompson at the upper levels as it may be difficult for him to succeed as he moves up in the minor leagues.
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QUICK VIEW:
Add:
Omar Vizquel-SS He leads the team in average at .310, and steals with nine. He also has an unexpected but pleasant 6 HR, and 31 RBI.
Danys Baez-SP Baez has been surprisingly the Indians most consistent pitcher all year.
Ryan Drese-SP Drese has been pihign more and more consistent as of late, and has even been striking out lots of batters.
Chuck Finley-SP(new)- I am shocked I am advising you to do this, but Chuck deserves it. He ahs been consistent lately, and his brought his ERA all the way down to 3.99.
Drop:
Ricky Gutierrez-2B No stolen bases at a position you need them, and only nine RBI with a .239 average.
Russell Branyan-OF, 3B (new) The power isn’t worth the .208 average and average of three strikeouts per game. Branyan isn’t even playing every day.
Hold:
Bartolo Colon-SP No explanation needed…I hope?
C.C. Sabathia-SP His last couple starts have been solid. In one he went eight shutout innings, and struck out seven.
Jim Thome-1B Among league leaders in HR, and RBI, and ahs been on fire lately.
Matt Lawton-OF Is on pace to have his best season of his career.
Bob Wickman-RP Solid for 35 saves plus.
Ellis Burks-OF This past week Wllis ahs blasted four homeruns, and continues to be the team’s best hitter with runners in scoring position hitting over .400.
