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!