Half-Empty: Holiday Time-Out

Unless there is some new news out there....

I'll be taking a 48-hour time out for the holidays.

Hope all have a Merry Christmas and find the joy that some good rum, homemade egg nog and fresh nutmeg can bring!

See you on Wednesday.

Gooooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

What They're Writing: Sunday Edition

There are a few interesting articles out there in Tribe country this Sunday before Christmas Eve. Let us take a gander and see if there are any treats in store for our stockings:

1) Worst Trades of All Time

Dan Coughlin of the Chronicle Telegram has coal on his mind as he delivers us a summary of bad trades in Cleveland sports. Ron Harper (Cavs) and Bobby Mitchell (Browns) make the list in our other sports. And, for the Indians, it's Rocky Colavito (Terry Pluto says thanks for the plug Dan). Here is what was added about Colavito:

"Two days before opening day in 1961, the Indians traded Colavito, the American League home run king, to Detroit for the league batting champion, Harvey Kuenn.

It was a trade made for one reason, to satisfy the ego of Tribe general manager Frank Lane, a compulsive trader who loved to see his name in headlines. Colavito was the most popular Indian and there wasn’t room in the teepee for both him and Lane.Gabe Paul, who inherited Lane’s mess, grumbled later that Kuenn was a singles hitter with no speed. Kuenn batted leadoff but he clogged up the bases. Colavito was even slower, but he was hitting 40 home runs a season. Nobody put a stop watch on his home run trot. In order to regain the fans’ support, Gabe Paul brought back Colavito four years later, but the price was high. The Indians traded pitcher Tommy John and outfielder Tommy Agee to the White Sox for him."

I must admit, this before my time and any personal thoughts (i.e. i remember when this happened and...) would be kindly appreciated.

Coughlin does give us a tidbit of stocking joy, by reminding us that the Tribe traded Felix Fermin to Seatle for Omar Visquel. I won't add here that as a freshman baseball player at Amherst High School, I was nicknamed Felix for a few games because of my bunting ability. Hardly the feat I envisioned as I dreamed of stardom on the ball fields. Oooops, did I just admit that. Oh well. The good ol' days.

2) What a Great Group of Fellas

Paul Hoynes takes the Christmas cheer approach and reminds us how thankful we should be to have a team such as the Indians taking the field for us Clevelanders. The long road back since the late 90s and the rebuilding efforts of Mark Shapiro are discussed. As is Wedgies love for his group of guys:

"In the locker-room celebration after the game, Shapiro, an AL Central Division championship baseball cap pulled tightly on his head to break the ever-flowing waterfall of champagne and beer, gazed at pockets of gyrating players and felt good about every one of them. "

I must admit, it certainly does make winning that much better when you like the guys. Football fans in Cinci must be embarrassed over recent years or Portland a couple years before. That said, personally I had no problem with Albert when he was here, or even Milton or Philips. They had fire and wanted to win. There are enough vets on this team now that taking a risk on say, Josh Hamilton, should not be out of the question. But I digress.

3) Will Joe Bo be the Closer?

My short answer: Yes.

But James from The Tribe Report at MVN.com is not satisfied. He immediately points to the stat we are all aware of, JoeBo's era (5.07). I would argue that this one of the least important stats of a closer and if I have to trade a high ERA for the league lead in saves, I'll take it. Did he give me heartburn on a nightly basis? Yes. Is he a younger Bob Wickman? Yes. But in the end, did he get the job done? Yes. Did he have anything to do with our success or failures in the post-season? No. Could that be a different story in 2008? Yes. But we have to get to the post-season in 2008 first, and JoeBo is our best answer to getting us there right now.

Overall, there are many more pressing needs on this team than a new closer. LF, Backend of the rotation, and 3B seem more important.

That said, James does a great job summarizing our bullpen, and quite frankly, this may be the biggest strength of our team outside of C.C. and Fausto. I particularly like that he mentions Adam Miller in the mix, as I fully expect to see him out of the bullpen at some point in the near future. Here is his blurb on Miller:

"Adam Miller (Righty): There have been arm issues, and I’ll just say that he’ll probably see some time in the pen THIS season, if his arm is sound. He’s electric, but you all know that. There’s something intriguing about a Papelbon like story. I really want this kid to be an ace, but if he came out and became that electric closer that we’ve really never had (since Mesa’s early stint as a closer), I could put aside the starter aspirations. On a team of intriguing darkhorse candidates, Adam Miller may be the most interesting of all. 100+ MPH…are you kidding me?"

Overall, the piece is a good read and I'd give it a look if you have time.

4) Hey Hoynse, I've got a Stooopid Question

What about Nick Markakis? How much money did the players get from playoff bonuses? Why are we always outbid? No one cares about roids, right? Was C.C. offered for Haren? How about Johan? Would you like it if the Indians had a payroll of 190 million? What about Matt Holliday?

Sheeeesh!

Are these really the best questions that Clevelanders can ask? Is the crack from East Cleveland spreading to the burbs?

I truly feel for Paul in having to offer up nice answers to these boneheads.

And so, there it is folks...your Sunday Morning Tribe reads.

On a side note:

I'm in my Fantasy Football Super Bowl today and am still torn between a full game of Vince Young or one half by Peyton! It could determine my super bowl fate, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Of course, if you sell me on the decision and I win, perhaps we could arrange a kickback;)

Gooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: Saturday ESPN Poll - Who will win Central?

Just pluggin' along here on a Saturday afternoon, and what's this?

The poll on ESPN's homepage is Tribe related?

Which team will win the AL Central in 2008?

Tigers = 73%
Indians = 17%
Twins = 5%
White Sox = 3%

And in case you care, even in our own state, we hold a slim 55% to 43% lead over Detroit.

Here is the link, in case you wish to vote for Detroit, as judging by the poll on this page, you do.

**results as of 2:01 P.M. on 12/22

I wonder if Detroit hadn't made its monster trade.....or if Cleveland actually signed Haren or Bedard....

My guess...MUCH CLOSER!

Gooooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: The Station Agent is a Stud compared to These Guys

Mark Shapiro is back to his old tricks...

Searching for Diamonds in the Rough...

The Tribe signed five minor leaguers

Three infielders:

Andy Gonzalez
Aaron Herr
Danny Sandoval

Catcher:

Armando Camacaro

RHP:

Matt Ginter

No surprise here, but Kenny Loften won't be coming back to Cleveland.

According to this article, he is very close to signing with the Brewers.

In some good off the field news, it seems Juan Lara is progressing and has been moved to the Cleveland Clinic.

Best wishes go out to Juan and his family during what is surely a difficult holiday season.

Sorry that is all for today folks. Expect a few more quiet days on the news front as the holidays pass.

Goooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: Tiny Rumor Connects Tribe With Washed-Up, Broken-Down, Has-Been

My goodness...Is this what it's coming to?

I get to read an article by David Pinto of the Sporting News entitled, "Haren trade gives D-backs the bigs' best 1-2 punch"...

...instead of reading articles in every Cleveland area publication entitled, "Haren trade gives Tribe the bigs' best 1-2-3 punch!"

...or maybe, "Bedard trade gives Tribe the bigs' best 1-2-3 punch!"

...or maybe, "C.C. signing ensures Tribe has one the best 1-2 punches for years to come!"

...or maybe...this or maybe...that.

You know the routine folks....

And so, without further ado, according to mlbtraderumors.com (via Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com),

"The Padres have made an offer, but Houston, Cincinnati, Washington, the New York Mets, St. Louis, Texas, Florida and Cleveland are also in the mix."

FOR... MARK PRIOR!!!

Yeah, that guy. Might as well go after Tommy John and Bo Jackson while we're at it.

The Half-Full Take:

A Mark Prior signing would actually give Hot Dogs with Masa and The Station Agent some competition for biggest Ho-Hum signings of the year.

Can't wait for the Keith Foulke rumors to begin. And where's Paul Shuey when you need him?

Are we the Nationals or a team that was one win away from a World Series?

Cheers!

What They're Writing: Small-Markets, HGH, and Bedard

Bucking the recent trend, there are actually a few articles out there relating to the Tribe. Let's take a gander:

1) The Dilemma of Smaller-Markets

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com chimes in with a look at what the smaller market teams can do to keep up with the heavyweights in free agency. Of course the answer is 'not much'. The usual Shapiro gibberish-you know the drill-we can't panic, we have to separate ourselves emotionally, we can't afford the risk...of course underlying then whole thing...WE NEED A SALARY CAP!...but does anyone ever come out and say it? No. There are always the same, hey if the Twins/Indians/Marlins/Rockies can do it, so can everybody.

Apples and Oranges people!

As angry as I get as a Tribe fan about this conundrum. Imagine being a Royals or Pirates fan. Especially a young one with no connection to the past.

Anyway, here is Stark's blurb on the Tribe:

"So the question we keep wondering about is: What do you do if you're an AL team that's not one of those superpowers? When the heavyweights raise the bar, do you feel the need to try to pole-vault over it?

We posed that question to the GMs of three AL clubs. Here's how they answered:
At least the Cleveland Indians are already a playoff team. You might even recall they were one win away from ousting the Red Sox from the postseason just a couple of months ago. But they also play in the same division as those upwardly mobile Tigers. So does this team feel pressured to counter every big move with one of its own?

"Absolutely not," Indians GM Mark Shapiro said. "It would be a lie to say it doesn't affect you emotionally. But you've got to distance yourself from that as quickly as you can. If you try to build your club to beat one team, or measure yourself against one team, you make emotional decisions, and they usually end up being mistakes."

The Indians' payroll barely topped $60 million in 2007. The Tigers' payroll will be double that in 2008. The Yankees' payroll might quadruple that. So the Indians know exactly what they're up against. But they also understand they have to operate in their universe, not anyone else's.
"We need to focus on making our team as good as it can possibly be," Shapiro said. "We ask ourselves: 'How can we find ways to score more runs or prevent more?' The only question we ask is: 'What decisions can we make to improve our run differential?,' not 'Will it be enough to beat one team or counter the moves they made?'

"The only good news for the Indians is, they don't have to play in the AL East. So at least they don't have to play nearly 25 percent of their schedule just against the Red Sox and Yankees. Not that the Tigers are exactly the Joliet Jackhammers. But at least the Indians can finish behind the Tigers and still make the playoffs."

---Wow! That makes me feel better. Thank goodness we are not in the AL East?! That is what we have to be thankful for? Comments like that cause me to wonder if a salary cap in baseball is not just as important, perhaps even more important than a playoff in college football.

Here is the entire article if you are interested.

2) Paul Byrd and HGH

Personally I'm tired of this issue, bored of it, not ignoring it, just wishing it would go away...Roids, HGH, Cheaters, Bonds, Clemens, all of it.....

So here are some quick links:

• Justice Hill of MLB.com describes Byrd's meeting with MLB officials.
• There is an Associated Press article on ESPN.com that hits on the same topic.
• FoxSports.com speculates that it is unclear if Byrd will be disciplined.
• James at the Tribe Blog on MVN.com asks the public if they care about the Byrd situation.

3) Why Not Eric Bedard?

According to Paul Hoynse, a week ago he added:

"It's the same reason Shapiro has asked about Joe Blanton, Haren's teammate, and Baltimore right-hander Erik Bedard."

James from the Tribe Report at MVN.com also wonders, with all the hoopla surrounding Haren, why is no one pushing for Bedard?

Here is a link to a Baltimore message board at Scout.com which dissects what Baltimore thinks it will take to land him.

Overall: I would love to have him in a Tribe uniform AND would certainly consider A.Miller OR Asdrubal to get him....But NOT BOTH!

Gooooooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Full: Joe Blanton in the Mix?

According to mlbtraderumors.com (via Paul Hoynse):

The Tribe had spoken to the A's about not only Dan Haren, but Joe Blanton as well. Many are comparing it to a few years back when the A's shipped both Mulder and Hudson to the National League. Of course, last week, the Haren was moved to the Diamondbacks, and one has to wonder a couple things:

1) Is the Tribe really interested in Blanton?

Hoynse speculated that the Tribe was looking for 'another ace' to pair with C.C.. While Haren certainly has the potential to fit that description, the same does not necessarily hold true for Blanton. While he is an innings eater (2nd in the AL in 2007--3rd in complete games), his stuff is more prototypical of a 2-3 guy.

2) Did the Haren deal reveal the cost for Blanton?

That is certainly not to say that it would be the same. Rather, instead of having to give up at least one major league ready player (A.Cabrera?), would the deal be possible with only prospects? Perhaps? But, and this is a big but (no pun intended), would A.Miller still have to be one of those prospects? I think that most Tribe fans would agree that A.Miller is a piece we are willing to move for a proven stud. M.Cabrera, J.Santana, D.Haren, C.Crawford, A.Rios, and E.Bedard come to mind. But for Joe Blanton? Personally, I'd hope not. And quite frankly, this may be why there has been little news on this possibility since last week.

3) So what would the Tribe consider giving up for Blanton?

Sowers, Lofgren, and Shoppach?

or

Lee, Sowers, and Crowe?

or

Sowers, Ricky G. and Snyder?

I don't know. Obviously, Oakland's needs also play a part in this answer. History tells us that they would be looking for starting pitching and then some.


4) So is Joe Blanton still appealing?

Let's take a look at his profile:

2007: 14-10, 3.95 ERA, 140K, 40BB, 1.22 WHIP

Career: 42-34, 4.11 ERA, 2.21 K/BB, Averaged 208 IP over last 3 years.

Salary: $380,000 in 2007.

Age: Turned 27 on Dec. 11th

Summary: A prototypical "workhorse" #3 starter who is young, cheap, and has potential to be a #2. Reminds me of Livan Hernandez with the potential to be Brad Penny.

Overall: So do we go after him? Similar to Bay, I wouldn't mind him in a Tribe uniform at all, but of course, it is all about the price. If the price includes A.Miller or A.Cabrera, then NO. If you are able to package some of our youngsters with either Franklin, Kelly, or Lofgren, then I can live with it.

And of course, do not forget, there STILL has been zero movement on the C.C. contract situation, which is most likely the dominant reason why The Station Agent, Hog Dogs with Masa, The Tigers, and Roids are all we have to really talk about.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Goooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

The Fans Want to Know?

Let us take a gander at what Anthony Castrovince and Hoynse had to offer the fans this week as the questions mount.

1) Detroit gets Willis and Cabrera -- Tribe gets Station Agent and Hog Dog with Masa--WHY?

AC (not Slater): "Larry Dolan is a rich man, as is Tigers owner Mike Illitch. Dolan made his money on Cablevision stock; Illitch built his pile selling pizza pies. Illitch's immediate family, however, has other steady cash streams that I'm not sure the Dolans can contend with. Illitch's wife is the owner of the MotorCity Casino Resort, which, according to Forbes, has annual revenues in excess of $400 million. Illitch is 78..."

---So the moral of the story is, Dolan isn't quite old enough to push all the marbles in yet and his wife should start pushing for a casino in Cleveland. Seriously though folks. Many of my friends have asked repeatedly why Detroit has so much more money to spend, given that they are just as tied to the Rust Belt as we are? Casinos, casinos, casinos folks. And especially if owned by the Tigers' owner. Meanwhile, the conservatives continue to scream...No Gambling in NE Ohio! Think of the negative effects to the bustling communities of East Cleveland and Lorain. That would surely push us from 2nd to last all the way to last place in crime and education in the country. And folks wonder why the mass exodus out of Ohio continues. Did you know that it is so bad that we have nicknames in the Carolinas? Recently I was told that we are called PFOs down there. As in, "I heard they just hired another PFO in marketing....yep, another person from Ohio."

2) Why did we miss the boat on Dan Haren?

AC: "The Indians couldn't pull the trigger on a deal that likely would have included Asdrubal Cabrera. Cabrera was the deal-breaker. The A's wanted him, and the Indians didn't want to give him up. And remember that he would have been just the first member of a package that might have also included Adam Miller and Aaron Laffey. As much as Haren would have looked nice in the Tribe's rotation and as much insurance as he would have provided, should Sabathia leave, I can't fault the Indians for being hesitant to deal Cabrera, given the promise he showed this past season."

---I still think that the continued procrastination or delay for whatever reason in regard to C.C.'s mysterious contract proposal held up this deal. Had he declined and said we were not even close, perhaps we push the envelope to get a Dan Haren deal done. Or even if he accepts or makes serious progress, then those of us clamoring for Haren would be more at ease. However, we continue to wait and wonder and twiddle our thumbs. Hey look at the bright side, your searches on all of things to get excited about regarding the Station Agent and Hot Dog with Masa can continue. Or perhaps you'd like to read some more about roids? Sheeeeesh.

Another point, made by a poster on cleveland.com, as mentioned in an earlier post, is that Billy Beane won't trade starting pitching to the AL. I guess this would make it much easier to forget about a mistake if made. And given Mulder and Hudson, recent history would seem to back up this suggestion.

Finally, I want to add that I like A.Cabrera as much as the next guy. But to anoint him a young Robbie Alomar already is a bit premature. To act like he is an untouchable is another example of our trend of overvaluing our young players. Tribe brass better hope he pans out, because if he turns into Jody Gerut of the infield, he may have just cost you a chance to acquire one of the best young starting pitchers in baseball on the cheap.

3) How is the C.C. situation going to end?

AC: "Well, in keeping Sabathia, the Indians are running the risk that they'll be unable to extend him and will lose him for good at the end of '08. The only way they'll trade him is if they completely tank next year and are out of the running by the trading deadline.
But if they keep him for the year and lose him, fans will always be left to wonder what might have been, had the Indians explored their trading options (unless, of course, they win the World Series with Sabathia, in which case all would be forgiven ... by some people, at least)."

---There is a bit of a contradiction here that has been bothering me. When asked earlier in the off season if we would make a hard push for a World Series now, both Shapiro and Wedge offered the reply that this is not about one season, but rather a consistent competitor which will challenge year in and year out. Of course it is still too early as there has been zero movement on the C.C. front, but the approach with C.C. would seem to challenge this a bit. Especially if they low-ball him and he plays out the 2008 season. If that is the case, only a fall from contention by mid-season will garner us anything in return for his services. This team, is too good to completely fall from contention...which has the nightmares starting already...

...Tribe finishes 1 game out of playoffs, C.C. signs with Yankees, meanwhile the Twins build on the half-dozen prospects obtained for Johan...

Don't get me wrong...I'm not asking for a trade. Rather, I'm am down on my hands and knees, praying, and pleading, and begging, "Please don't let C.C. go for absolutely nothing while the Tribe puts up a solid, but unspectacular season!"--a very likely scenario.

Here is the entire Mailbag article at mlb.com.

4) Why was Snyder, and not Barton or Whitney protected in the Rule 5?

PH: "Barton had knee surgery after last season and the Indians weren't sure if he'd recover enough speed to be able to play center field. They like Barton but already have an overabundance of corner outfielders, and didn't know if they could risk a spot on the 40-man roster to protect him. Whitney had to move from third to first because of the broken leg he suffered in 2003. He has Ryan Garko, Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner in front of him in Cleveland. In the minors, Jordan Brown is ahead of him. The Indians can still get Barton and Whitney back if St. Louis and Washington, respectively, don't keep them on their 25-man rosters for the entire 2008 season."

---Well...I guess that's a good answer. But the question I still want to know is, "Why wasn't Juan Lara taken off the 40-man after his horrible and unfortunate accident?" Surely, this question will receive a negative reaction from the big-hearted segment out there. But seriously, with the potential that the Cardinals moved Edmonds just to free up a 25-man spot for Barton, he sure must have shown something special. Public relations is important, but with a scratched record theme playing in my head, "This team cannot afford to take risks", I find it to be quite the head scratcher that we are risking keeping a player who may not function as a human being properly over a guy slated to potentially start for the St.Louis Cardinals.

Here is the entire Ask Hoynsie article from Cleveland.com.

And so, there it is folks. Keep twiddling your thumbs and hoping for the best--that is what our front office seems to be doing!

Goooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Full: With Bay, No Move was a Good Move

According to mlbtraderumors.com:

Pirates Pulled Out Of Bay To Cleveland Deal

"Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has some new information for us regarding an aborted Jason Bay deal. Kovacevic says the Bucs made a decision through the entire chain of command that Franklin Gutierrez, Kelly Shoppach, Cliff Lee, and a minor league pitcher wasn't enough for Bay and Ronny Paulino.
This situation has been confusing to follow from the start, with plenty of conflicting information floating about. For instance, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes said on Wednesday that Lee and Shoppach were never involved in these talks - the Bucs wanted three to five of the Indians' top prospects. Before that there was that whole business about whether talks had occurred at the Winter Meetings and been revived"

---Gut, Kelly, Lee, and a prospect wasn't enough? You've got to be kidding me. Maybe following the 2006 season, but after a season where Bay hit .247 with 21HR and 84RBI? Sorry Pittsburgh...if you were going to sell, you should have sold when his stock was high.

---Mr. Shapiro, I have been bashing you of late for your inactive off season thus far. However, I must commend you for not making this desperate move to keep pace with Detroit. That is not to say that I wouldn't love for you to make a hard push for Alex Rios or Eric Bedard. But to give the Pirates a potential starting catcher, RF, and pitcher for a player coming off that kind of a season may have been a major coup for Pittsburgh.

FoxSports.com posted this article, which identifies the 10 Biggest Holes for Contenders.

Here is the Tribe's blurb:

Cleveland: Corner outfielder

"Sorry, the idea of flanking Grady Sizemore with a combination of Jason Michaels, Franklin Gutierrez and Jamey Carroll is not one that creates much excitement for the Indians. Left field and right field are spots that need legitimate run production for a team that fancies itself a contender."

---Uhhhh. No kidding. Now The Station Agent is playing outfield too? I certainly hope not. And he forgot about Choo and Francisco. Oh that's right....there is no room for them because we have a dozen players at every position.

Here's some good news...Cliff Lee has a high ceiling!

According to Mets fan, "If the Indians are openly offering Lee as it appears they have been, then maybe Omar should explore him as a possible bottom of the rotation starter. When a player gets shopped this much, sometimes there's a point of no return and the cost isn't as high. Lee Struggled last year but he is a lefty with a high ceiling, Omar should know him better then most as he was in the Expos organization when Omar was the GM."

---Boy, I hope this Mets fan has Omar's ear. Of course, I'm sure he doesn't, but if he did?


Let's hope for some fresh news soon. Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of Roids, Bay, and Detroit talk.

Gooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: Top Ten 2007 Off-Season Themes

With absolutely zero articles (not related to roids) about the Tribe out there, I thought I would take a look at the themes of this off season.

1) Cheap

• stingy; miserly: He's too cheap to take a risk on good free agents.
• on the cheap, Informal. inexpensively; economically: He enjoys running the Tribe on the cheap.

2) Logjam

• any blockage or massive accumulation: a logjam of players at several positions.

3) Excuses

• to offer an apology for; seek to remove the blame of: He excused his lack of signing of good players by saying that he was broke.
• to serve as an apology or justification for; justify: The current market excuses us from doing anything of significance (the Station Agent doesn't apply).
• to release from an obligation or duty: to be excused from making an effort to improve this team.
• an explanation offered as a reason for being excused; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault or for release from an obligation, promise, etc.: His excuse for being inactive in owners meetings is unacceptable.

4) Procrastinate

• to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity to sign Dan Haren is lost.
• to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

5) Scared

• to fill, esp. suddenly, with fear or terror; frighten; alarm.
• to become frightened: That GM scares easily.
• a sudden fright or alarm, esp. with little or no reason.
• a time or condition of alarm or worry: For three months there was a financial scare.

6) Arrogant

• making claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights; overbearingly assuming; insolently proud: an arrogant GM that thinks our farm is better than the rest.
• characterized by or proceeding from arrogance: arrogant claims that we are already good enough.

7) Overvalue

• to value too highly; put too high a value on: They should be careful not to overvalue the players before they run out of options.

8) Overconfident

• too confident: The team was overconfident that they already had a World Series contender and failed to make the playoffs.

9) Platoon

• Sports. a. to use (a player) at a position in a game alternately with another player or players. b. to alternate (two different teams or units), as separate offensive and defensive squads.
• Sports. a. to alternate at a position with another player or players. b. to use players alternately at the same position. The team was so full of platoon players that they asked the league to expand its roster spots to 35 instead of 25.

10) Depressed

• sad and gloomy; dejected; downcast.
• pressed down, or situated lower than the general surface.
• lowered in force, amount, etc.
• undergoing economic hardship, esp. poverty and unemployment.
• being or measured below the standard or norm.
• Psychiatry. suffering from depression.

Honorable Mention: Cheater, Uncertainty, Nauseating, Boredom, Steadfast, Repetition, Consistency, Talking Heads, Cleveland Sports, Empty Rumors, and did I say Platoon yet?

And so there you have it folks, the themes of our off season thus far.

How could almost all of these themes be changed at this point:

Eric Bedard and Alex Rios would be a start!

Goooooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: Another Stud Gets Away

Why am I not surprised?

Diamondbacks acquired RHP Dan Haren and RHP Connor Robertson from the Athletics for OF Carlos Gonzalez, LHP Brett Anderson, OF Aaron Cunningham, 1B Chris Carter, LHP Greg Smith and LHP Dana Eveland.

What Rotoworld had to say about this move:

"Gone is a big chunk of the farm system that had already been severely weakened by the promotions of the last couple of years, but the Diamondbacks manage to pick up arguably the most valuable property still available in trade without giving up a single piece of their 2008 club (unless one counts Jose Valverde, whose departure may have freed up the money that made this possible). If the Diamondbacks were co-favorites in the NL West before, they're the easy choice to win the division now, and the Dodgers will have to think long and hard about caving in to Baltimore's demands for Erik Bedard in order to counter this move."

---The key phrase here 'without giving up a single piece of their 2008 club'. This of course leads one to believe that the Tribe most certainly could have sacrificed the same.

So why didn't we push harder for Haren?

1. C.C.'s contract proposal is still not in place.

Despite reports weeks ago that the Indians were about to place their initial offer on the table to C.C., we are still waiting. Once again, I'm not sure what the holdup here is. Especially with the uncertainty that he will accept and the snowball effect such a decision will surely have on the direction the club wants to go in 2008 and beyond. The parameters have been set by Zito, Santana, and Peavy. Between those three contracts and/or proposals, the Tribe brass surely should have a good idea of what this will take. But back to the issue at hand, after reports that a push for Haren may be directly related to a C.C. response (that is, if he was to reject, the Tribe was expected to push harder for Haren), one has to wonder if Arizona saw a window of opportunity to get a deal done without such competition. Overall, the C.C. contract, or lack thereof most certainly impacted the Tribe's failure to land the best young pitcher, and perhaps player, available.

2. Richie Sexton, Brian Giles, and Sean Casey

The ghosts of John Hart's past continue to haunt the decision making of the Shapiro and Co. in my opinion. You may even add Guthrie and Brandon Phillips to this group. A certain amount of concern about giving up too much for a player is okay. However, this seemingly hard-headed, overvaluing of our young players seems to be really hamstringing us, especially of late. Again, I understand why Shapiro was so reluctant from 2003-2006 to ship our young talent elsewhere. In fact I commend him for being overly cautious in this regard. The fact is, we where not ready yet and were not "THERE", so to speak. Conversely, if we learned anything from the 2007 season, we are there and we are ready, not only to compete, but to make a push for the World Series. As our ceiling and potential has evolved, so too must the mindset of the front office. You have to give up something to get something. A chance to get a top of the rotation pitcher who would come very cheap and be under our control for several years, is not something that happens often.

3. Danny Ferry

I know, I know. Apples and oranges. I certainly do not think that Shapiro is consciously playing the Danny Ferry copycat role. However, the similarities are enough to make me sick to my stomach. Despite our competitors making every attempt to improve their teams, we continue to sit on our hands with the young players will improve approach to getting better. This may be acceptable if we were similarly hamstrung by a salary cap (of course non-existent in MLB). Or if we had few options to trade (of course, we have a lot more than Eric Snow and Ira Newble on the farm). Or maybe even if no one was interested in our players. Unfortunately, none of the above is the case.

Summary:

I do not know if it is arrogance, fear, money, or something else that is preventing us from doing something substantial this off season. Perhaps it is a combination of all of the above.

Regardless:

• We have several players running out of (or already out of) options
• We have nearly two players at every position on the field except CF and C
• We don't 'know' what Gut, Cabrera, Marte, and even Pronk are gonna do next year
• Our biggest competitor has just added two all-stars, as well as some solid role players
• We STILL don't know what the future holds for C.C.
• And of course, the Station Agent, isn't scaring anyone

I don't know about the rest of you, but even coming off our playoff collapse, I was as excited about an upcoming season as I've ever been....

...that is, until the off season began to unfold.

NOW GO GET ERIC BEDARD!!!

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: A Summary of the Tribe and Roids

• If you wish to see a summary of every player on the list, here is an excellent article from Yahoo!Sports.
• If you are embarassed by the turn of events yesterday as a Tribe fan or baseball fan in general, perhaps you'd like to give a look at what Ann Killon of the San Jose Mercury News calls "A Great Day for Baseball".
• Here is the "All Steroid Team" for your pleasure as provided by Davis Sports Deli.com.

Also, Here is a good summary of former Tribe players and their role with steroids from the Plain Dealer:

Justice (1997-2000): Radomski said he sold HGH to Justice before he played in the 2000 World Series with the Yankees. Justice, who talked to investigators before being named by Radomski, said he'd never used steroids, but gave the names of several players he suspected of using steroids. Justice added that he had no direct knowledge of any player using steroids.

Gonzalez (2001, 2005): A duffel bag was found at the Toronto airport on Oct. 4, 2001 when Gonzalez was playing for the Indians. It contained syringes and steroids. Gonzalez said it belonged to his personal trainer. The trainer said at belonged to Gonzalez.

Laker (2001-2004, 2006): Laker, who managed Class A Mahoning Valley for the Indians last season, told investigators he used steroids from 1995 through 2000. Kirk Radomski, a Mets clubhouse worker who named many of the players in the Mitchell report after getting arrested, said he sold them to him. Laker, who had to cooperate with the investigation because he's employed by a big-league club, was replaced by Travis Fryman at Mahoning Valley, and will be a roving minor-league instructor for the Indians.

Grimsley (1993-1995): He was suspended for 50 games in 2006 after admitting to federal officers that he used illegal performance enhancing drugs after a shipment was followed to his Arizona home. Radomski said he was one of Grimsley's suppliers.

Segui (2000): Now retired, he publicly admitted using steroids and HGH throughout his career. Radomski said he was one of Segui's suppliers.

Carreon (1996): Radomski said Carreon purchased steroids from him when he played for the Mets.

Hill (1991-1993): Radomski said he sold Hill HGH in 2001. Hill, currently Colorado's first-base coach, told investigators he never used it. Hill said he purchased it because of "marital stress."

Villone (1998): He met Radomski through Colorado teammate Denny Neagle. Radomski said Villone purchased HGH in 2004 and 2005.

Mercker (1996): Radomski said he sold Mercker HGH in 2002.

Allen (2002): Told investigators he purchased steroids from Radomski to help heal a knee injury in 2003.

David Bell (1995, 1998): Named in a March 6, 2007 Sports Illustrated article for purchasing human chorionic gonapatropin.

Rocker (2001): Sports Illustrated reported in March of 2007 that Rocker purchased two parcels of HGH. A spokesman for the former pitcher said Rocker had been prescribed it following shoulder surgery.

Williams (1997): The San Francisco Chronicle reported Williams purchased steroids and HGH in 2002 when he played for Arizona.

Woodard (2000-2001): A New York Daily News story on Sept. 7, 2007 said Woodard received steroids and HGH from a Florida rejuvenation center.

Pratt (Rule 5 pick 1987): Radomski said he sold steroids to Pratt in 2000 or 2001.

Let us hope we can get back to free agents, trades, and off season tidbits in the very near future.

Goooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: Indians' Statement Toward Mitchell Report

From mlb.com:

"The Cleveland Indians are in full support of Commissioner Selig's response to the Mitchell Report. Our organization has been committed to eliminating the use of performance enhancing substances from the game of baseball. We have fully supported the adoption and implementation of the Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, and will continue to educate our players of the dangers of performance enhancing substances. We ask that you contact the offices of Major League Baseball or the MLBPA for any further comment."

...they forgot to add: P.S. I'm surprised you didn't catch Hafner. Now we 'really' have no idea what happened from 2006 to 2007.

Goooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: The Updated List

Here is the new list (according to Deadspin.com):


***Former or Current Tribe Players

Below, a complete list of players mentioned in the Mitchell Report.
All the players listed in the section VIII. B.: "Information Regarding Purchases or Use of Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball" (section 3 is "Radomski¹s Distribution of Performance Enhancing Substances to Major League Baseball Players")

Lenny Dykstra
David Segui
Larry Bigbie
Brian Roberts
Jack Cust
Tim Laker
Josias Manzanillo
Todd Hundley
Mark Carreon
Hal Morris
Matt Franco
Rondell White
Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
Chuck Knoblauch
Jason Grimsley
Gregg Zaun
David Justice
F.P. Santangelo
Glenallen Hill
Mo Vaughn
Denny Neagle
Ron Villone
Ryan Franklin
Chris Donnels
Todd Williams
Phil Hiatt
Todd Pratt
Kevin Young
Mike Lansing
Cody McKay
Kent Mercker
Adam Piatt
Miguel Tejada
Jason Christiansen
Mike Stanton
Stephen Randolph
Jerry Hairston
Paul Lo Duca
Adam Riggs
Bart Miadich
Fernando Vina
Kevin Brown
Eric Gagne
Mike Bell
Matt Herges
Gary Bennett, Jr.
Jim Parque
Brendan Donnelly
Chad Allen
Jeff Williams
Howie Clark
Nook Logan

Section IX. B."Alleged Internet Purchases of Performance Enhancing Substances By Players in Major League Baseball"

Rick Ankiel, Paul Byrd, Jay Gibbons, Troy Glaus, Jose Guillen, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Gary Matthews, Jr., and Scott Schoeneweis, and former players David Bell, Jose Canseco, Jason Grimsley, Darren Holmes, John Rocker, Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams, and Steve Woodard."

STILL NO PRONK!!!!

Gooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: The Roid List is Up!

Here's the List (according to WNBC.COM--being disputed):

***Current or Former Tribe Players

Brady Anderson
Manny Alexander
Rick Ankiel
Jeff Bagwell
Barry Bonds
Aaron Boone
Rafael Bettancourt
Bret Boone
Milton Bradley
David Bell
Dante Bichette
Albert Belle
Paul Byrd
Wil Cordero
Ken Caminiti
Mike Cameron
Ramon Castro
Jose Canseco
Ozzie Canseco
Roger Clemens
Paxton Crawford
Wilson Delgado
Lenny Dykstra
Johnny Damon
Carl Everett
Kyle Farnsworth
Ryan Franklin
Troy Glaus
Rich Garces
Jason Grimsley
Juan Gonzalez
Eric Gagne
Nomar Garciaparra
Jason Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Jose Guillen
Jay Gibbons
Juan Gonzalez
Clay Hensley
Jerry Hairston
Felix Heredia, Jr.
Darren Holmes
Wally Joyner
Darryl Kile
Matt Lawton
Raul Mondesi
Mark McGwire
Guillermo Mota
Robert Machado
Damian Moss
Abraham Nunez
Trot Nixon
Jose Offerman
Andy Pettitte
Mark Prior
Neifi Perez
Rafael Palmiero
Albert Pujols
Brian Roberts
Juan Rincon
John Rocker
Pudge Rodriguez
Sammy Sosa
Scott Sc hoenweiis
David Segui
Alex Sanchez
Gary Sheffield
Miguel Tejada
Julian Tavarez
Fernando Tatis
Maurice Vaughn
Jason Varitek
Ismael Valdez
Matt Williams
Kerry Wood

AND NOOOOOO PRONK!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!

Goooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: Sabathia OR Haren?

Yesterday, I questioned whether or not a trade for Dan Haren would mean the end of C.C. in Cleveland. More specifically, I feared a trade for Haren would provide an excuse for ownership to not spend the big bucks to keep Carsten Charles around.

Well, there seems to be some truth to these fears. However, it is more in an 'if C.C. rejects our offer, then we will pursue aggressively for Haren.'

According to the San Jose Mercury News:

"Cleveland is more likely to trade for a starter if ace C.C. Sabathia rejects a long-term offer expected to be made shortly."

A couple things come to mind here:

1) How much time do we have to get a Haren deal done? That is, with speculation in several sources that the Tribe is pursuing Haren, will Arizona up their offer and attempt to get Haren before Cleveland has a chance for such measures?

2) With Haren's salary remaining relatively inexpensive for the next few years, why would a trade for him prevent our re-signing of C.C.? More specifically, is this a sign that we really don't have any intention of putting a substantial deal on the table for Sabathia? And where is that offer anyway? We have known that this day was coming for quite some time now...what exactly is the holdup?

3) It is looking more and more like C.C. won't be with us past 2008. If we are able to land Haren, does the Tribe go for broke next season, or is it time to consider what the Twins are doing as our best option? Of course the worst case scenario is that we get nothing back for Sabathia.

The theme of a depressing off season continues.

Goooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Full: More Dan Haren News (Rumors?)

From the Akron Beacon Journal:

"Making a deal for Dan Haren, on the other hand, would give the Indians arguably the best rotation in the AL. So if Shapiro can't acquire a hitter to outslug the Tigers, maybe he can trade for a starting pitcher who can slow down the Tigers' offense."

---I couldn't agree more. Hopefully, this wouldn't give ownership an excuse not to resign C.C.. But first things first.

"The Indians could control Haren for at least the next three years at a total cost of $16.25 million, which includes a $6.75 million option for 2010 that can become guaranteed if he pitches a specified number of innings."

---This would seem to suggest, that it would not impact a C.C. resigning as these numbers are more than affordable.

Here is the entire article.


From Hoynes and The Plain Dealer:

"But Shapiro, confident he has a contender should the season open today, has the freedom to explore options he might normally ignore. It's the reason he's talked to Oakland GM Billy Beane about a trade for right-hander Dan Haren, who started last season's All-Star Game ahead of Sabathia. It's the same reason Shapiro has asked about Joe Blanton, Haren's teammate, and Baltimore right-hander Erik Bedard."

---It is good to see that he has in fact talked to some owners about this and not only that, that it seems to be his plan of attack to pursue a quality starter, even if it is not Haren.

"The Indians figure it will cost at least one player off their 25-man roster and at least one more that could contribute sometime during the season. The competition for Haren would be strong. The Yankees, Dodgers and Arizona are believed to have the inside track."

---Urrrrrrgggggg! Anyone else tired of hearing that other teams have the inside track!? Talk about a recurring them.

Here is the entire article.

From Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com:

"The Indians' advantage is that they can offer superior major-league ready pitching, including righty Adam Miller, who projects as either a top-of-the-rotation starter or closer, and lefty Aaron Laffey, a sinker-baller who could develop into another Mark Buehrle."

---Wow! Laffey is being likened to Mark Buehrle. I sure hope he can talk the A's into that one. I like him and all as a back of the rotation guy, but Buehrle? Go Ken!

"Haren, the starting pitcher for the American League in the 2007 All-Star Game, could form a potent trio with C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona in Cleveland — and protect the Indians against the loss of Sabathia as a free agent at the end of the season."

---Ouch....there's that who protection against the loss of C.C. thing. Say it ain't so Mark!

Here is the entire article.


A Brief Look at Haren's Numbers:

Highlights:

• Averaging about 7 1/2 Ks per 9 innings over the last two years.
• Only about 2 BB per 9 innings during the same span.
• Career BA against of .258 and OBP against of .306
• Career WHIP of 1.24

Very Nice Numbers Across the Board.

Finally....here is a look at Haren's career stats if you are interested.

Gooooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Question: Why No Interest in M.Tejada?

From Carl Crawford to M. Cabrera, there have been several big name players who have surfaced throughout newspapers and message boards in Tribe town. However, one player who has not surfaced enough in my opinion is Miguel Tejada.

Tribe Deficiencies

Not to beat a dead horse, but 3B and LF are obvious positions where the Tribe could use a major offensive upgrade. According to Jason Kline of the Mansfield News Journal, we were well below the league average at both positions offensively in 2007. Of course most fans didn't need the following stats to shed light on that situation, but nonetheless here they are:

"For an easy comparison of the team's efforts at those positions to the rest of the majors, I'll need to quickly explain EqA: Equivalent average measures total offensive output per out and factors in league offensive level, pitching and home park effects. The stuff a batter can control -- things like walks and strikeouts, not RBIs, for example -- is factored in. The number spit out is on the standard scale for batting average, where .300 is pretty good, and is even comparable across eras. It's a handy tool.

Here's the league EqA at each corner infield and outfielder position, as well as the top-ranked Tribe player with at least 100 at-bats and their number last season: left field, .269, Jason Michaels, .242.; right field, .272, Gutierrez, .261; first base, .279, Ryan Garko, .278; and third base, .269, Casey Blake, .259. Kenny Lofton had a .272 EqA between two teams and two positions, but wasn't offered arbitration two weeks ago and isn't expected back."

Tejada's Availability

In addition to shedding light on our needs, it's important to ascertain whether or not Tejada is even available and if so, what are the O's looking for in return. Of course Baltimore ownership has taken its share of lumps for asking for too much in trade talks, however, if any merit is given to rumors around the league, it certainly doesn't look like it's impossible.

Here is a Tejada Timeline of events according to Rotoworld.com:

Oct. 1 - Miguel Tejada's future will be the most pressing issue for the Orioles management this off season. "I don't know what to do," said Tejada, who ended the season with a .296 average, 18 homers and 81 RBI in 133 games. "I put up good numbers every year and we still lost. I don't know [what] we got to do. The front office, I think they are really smart, and the new guy, he knows how to win." Tejada has two years left on his contract, but could be moved to add young talent.

Nov. 8 - According to the Baltimore Sun, the Yankees "have some interest" in Miguel Tejada.
A day earlier the same newspaper reported that the Orioles were getting little interest in Tejada. "We have to be open-minded to anything," president Andy MacPhail said. "If we think a deal at the end of the day makes sense for us, we're going to do it." Tejada is likely viewed as a fallback option for teams pursuing Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera.

Dec. 2 - The Astros and Giants are among the teams that have expressed interest in Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada, sources told SI.com's Jon Heyman.
It's a surprise that Houston is involved. The Orioles have interest in Michael Bourn and Adam Everett, according to Heyman. We imagine the Astros are set on keeping Bourn, as they'd take a huge defensive downgrade by going from Everett to Tejada at shortstop and Bourn to Luke Scott in the outfield.

Dec. 3 - According to the Los Angeles Times, the Orioles have asked the Angels for Jered Weaver and Brandon Wood in exchange for Miguel Tejada.
The newspaper reports that the Angels would "prefer" to part with Ervin Santana or Joe Saunders, plus "a lesser prospect." Between the Orioles and Marlins, teams seem to be trying to squeeze new general manager Tony Reagins out of some awfully big trade packages, but it's highly unlikely that he'd part with Weaver and Wood in exchange for a 31-year-old who batted .296/.357/.442 in 2007 and may have to move to third base defensively.

Dec. 4 - According to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles have talked to the Cardinals about a Miguel Tejada trade, but "it doesn't appear to be a good fit."
The newspaper reports that the Cardinals are unwilling to trade top prospect Colby Rasmus and have an otherwise unappealing farm system. The Giants, Astros and Angels are also said to be interested in Tejada.

Dec. 4 - The Orioles and Dodgers discussed a Miguel Tejada trade Monday, ESPN reports.
According to a source, no match was found between the two teams. The Dodgers probably wouldn't part with Matt Kemp or James Loney for Tejada, but Andre Ethier and a pitching prospect or two might be realistic.

Dec. 6 - 790 AM in Houston is reporting that the Astros are close to acquiring Miguel Tejada from the Orioles for Adam Everett, Chris Burke and a pitcher.
MLB.com's sources Tuesday were reporting that the chances of an Astros-Orioles deal had dropped to "zero," so we'll remain skeptical until further confirmation comes along.

Dec. 6 - Orioles president Andy MacPhail left Nashville on Thursday morning, suggesting that he wasn't close to sending Miguel Tejada to the Astros or Brian Roberts to the Cubs.
It sounds as though Roberts to the Cubs is still a possibility, but we're guessing that the radio station reporting the Tejada-to-Houston rumor received some bad info. If the deal was that close to getting done, MacPhail would likely still be in Nashville.

Dec. 7 - The Giants are no longer interested in Miguel Tejada, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
There's a good chance Tejada wouldn't have wanted to move to third base for a non-contender anyway. The Giants haven't ruled out going with Kevin Frandsen at third and Ray Durham at second next season. They'll know tonight whether Pedro Feliz is going to accept their offer of arbitation.

The Common Theme:

Yankees, Astros, Angles, Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants......AND OF COURSE......NO Indians.

Why is that?

Well, the answer certainly is not that we don't have a need for a middle of the order, power hitting, run producing, player at 3B or in the OF. And so it comes down to two possibilities:

1) Money - Tejada is owed 26 million over 2 years, which is not cheap, but is also not through the roof for a player of his caliber. Dellucci, Blake, and JMich will combine to make nearly $10 million per. Byrd and C.Lee will also combine to make $10 million per. Westbrook, Fultz, and The Station Agent too will combine to make nearly $10 million per.

And so the question is, a few average to good players, or one of the best players at his position in the entire league? Perhaps I could understand if we had a bunch of guys making superstar dollars, but we simply do not. And so, keeping with the theme of this off season thus far, the Tribe has taken a sit back and watch approach as the big dollar teams prove once again, that we need a salary cap in MLB. It is simply not an even playing field when every time stud players become available, 5-7 teams negotiate with them, while the remaining 70% of the league is forced to play free agent spectator.

2) Asking Price - It is of course highly possible that the O's are asking for too much in return. And while most of us do not want to sell the farm, it is also possible that we are overvaluing our own talent yet again. Not to mention, the O's NEED pitching, and we have plenty. Look what Guthrie did for them this year. Is it not possible that they will take another chance on a Sowers or Lee? Throw in Miller or Lofgren and a couple more youngsters. We have the depth. We have expiring contracts throughout.

What we don't seem to have is either the money, the guts, and in some cases, common sense.

Goooooooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Full: Rumor - Dan Haren to Tribe?

NOW WE'RE TALKIN'!!!

According to mlbtraderumors.com (via Espn insider):

Cleveland In The Haren Sweepstakes?

"In mentioning the possible Dan Haren trade, Buster Olney mentions the Indians as a sleeper pick. They haven't really been mentioned in relation to the 27-year-old righty, as talks have been dominated by the Diamondbacks. The Yankees and the Dodgers are the other teams Olney mentions as interested."

This would make Cleveland's rotation for 2008:

1. C.C. Sabathia
2. Dan Haren
3. Fausto Carmona
4. Jake Westbrook
5. Paul Byrd

"Mentioned as A's bait are Jeremy Sowers, Aaron Laffey, and, of course, Adam Miller. It's unlikely that they'd be interested in players like Andy Marte and Josh Barfield, since a trade of Haren would signify the A's beginning to rebuild. They'd likely want players with little to no service time. They could, in addition, trade Joe Blanton and Huston Street as part of this process."

Get it done Mark!!!

Goooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Full: Tribe Signs "The Station Agent!"

In an effort to reach out to the West Coast, the Indians have traded for Peter Dinklage, best known for his role in "The Station Agent".

This is one of my favorite character study films and I for one am ecstatic about this move. Sorry for my pathetic attempt at finding the good in this move and for any little people that I may have offended...I just couldn't help myself.

Goooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: What the Fans think of the Station Agent

Since virtually every Tribe article around the Cleveland area and the nation is focused on either Jamey Carroll, our lackluster off season, or well, the combination of both, I decided to take a gander around the message boards and see what fans think of this move.

From IndiansInk Message Boards:

osubuckeyes2371 hits it on the head:

"We have no chance of winning the division next year if these are the only kind of moves we are going to make...I'm not trying to be negative either, the Tigers just have too much talent.We NEED to make a move for a good outfielder or another pitcher like Haren or the division will have been settled in December, instead of on the field this summer.Sorry but the tigers+ Cabrera + Renteria + Willis= Better than us, by like 5 games. Let's go out and pick someone up...A Rios or Crawford would basically eliminate everything I said."

DS0816 is obviously a fan living with his head in the sand. With this rationale, next he'll be calling for an Aaron Boone reunion:

"I don't know if it was mentioned here: Jamey Carroll was the man who drove in Matt Holliday that gave Colorado Rockies the win over San Diego Padres in that edge-of-your-seat playoff Game #163 on Oct. 1. I think Cleveland Indians is getting a pretty good player."

Bill4 makes a good point about the money involved:

"Over-paying backups adds up. 2.2M for Michaels, 3.75 for Dellucci and now 2.3 is going to Carroll. That adds to $8.25 million, and keep in mind that is 8.25 million for very mediocre, aged veterans. I'd rather see Francisco, a cheap UIF and maybe Michaels and Blake as backups giving 6 million to spend on the pen.Sure, I've read the they are under budget stuff (though I've rarely seen a GM come in under budget as their jobs count on them winning), but going forward as raises come into play, frugality even toward backups will be necessary."

Strike4DCT makes a scary suggestion:

"Carroll ... has been a favorite among his managers and fans for his all-out style of play."
Uh oh. Is that code for "not a very good player anymore"?

bigking777 keeps it simple, but true:

I don't like this trade.Shapiro should spend some his time on getting Bay, Rios, Freel, whatever. I was looking at Jamey Carroll stats the other day. Yuck.Why do the Indians need a 34 year old UIF at $2 million+?Makes very little sense to me.

My goodness........I cannot even read about this guy anymore......Sorry if I ruined anyone's Sunday with this post.

Goooooooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!

Half-Empty: Tribe Trades for Jamey Carroll

World Series, Here We Come!

Detroit gets Cabrera and Willis....Who Cares? We got Jamey Freakin' Carroll!

Yeah...him.

You know. That one guy. Oh....you don't know him? Well, maybe this will refresh your memory:

He batted .225 in Colorado last year. Excited yet? No? Well, how about this...He slugged a whopping .300! Still bored? How about his lightning speed...you know, the thing Shapiro was looking for in a utility player? Well, check this out....30 Stolen bases in the last SIX years! What? You are still unimpressed? Okay...well, then I'll go ahead and spill the beans...He only makes 2.3 Million Dollars this Year! 2.3 Million! What are they trying to make Dellucci feel better about his contract? Wow! I think I'm going to be sick.!

.

Here is a look at his career numbers.

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The half-full outlook says that he did bat .300 in 136 games in 2006, and he does have experience at 2B, 3B, and SS (something we did not have on the roster) and a solid career fielding percentage of .986. In addition, we didn't have to give up much to get him...the ol' Player to be Named is all that is being reported right now. There are rumors of Sean Smith. Also, it was mentioned that they asked for Josh Barfield, but we rejected. You think?

.

According to Rotoworld.com, "Josh Barfield could open the season in Triple-A unless dealt."

.

The X-Factor:

.

The addition of a utility player who can play the positions mentioned above, does make both Barfield and Marte that much more expendable. Perhaps, this opens the door for Shapiro to include one or both in a future trade, something that he may have been reluctant to do until this utility guy was signed. I will say, that if that is the case and Barfield/Marte are included in a package that brings us a legitimate OFer, the Mr. Carroll, I do apologize. You are my hero.

Maybe if this was one of several acquisitions, I wouldn't be so hard on the guy. Poor little fella.

.

Hopefully, this is only the beginning. But recent history says that may be too much to ask for. Especially with no depth at Starting Pitching and no clue who our 8th starter is. Sheeeeesh.

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Gooooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

.

Cheers!