Email a copy of 'Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Indians' to a friend
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By Steve Adams | at
Email a copy of 'Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Indians' to a friend
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Joe Butler 2
Great article. I get where you’re coming from with the win-now mentality, but I’d say they should keep the controllable prospects over going for a one-year upgrade somewhere, since obviously they’d be able to keep them longer.
AmericanMovieFan
*Swisher has $45MM coming to him from 2015-2017 w/ a vesting option for 2018.
LazerTown
option is $14MM.
I was sad to see swisher go, especially when the next winter they gave 3X as much money to Ellsbury. It’s unbelievable how much he has dropped off though since leaving NY.
Steve Adams
Option is for 2017. He signed a four-year, $56MM contract that runs 2013-16 and paid him $11MM in 2013 and $15MM annually thereafter. As LazerTown noted, the vesting option is for $14MM.
Yohan
Wow they signed two aging stars and things went south…I’m shocked.
MyTribe 2
No, actually, Bourn and Swisher were instrumental in turning the tide in 2013 on the second half collapses the Indians had had the prior two season. Bourn only played when he was healthy enough to play, he was average and did not hurt the team the way that Swisher, Cabrera, Masterson, Raburn and Kipnis did.
Out of place Met fan
What would the Indians net for Ramirez?
Kadoc
Probably not much.
glenstein
Yan Gomes is missing from the list of players with guaranteed contracts.
Steve Adams
Thank you. I remember adding up his total remaining salary while working on that section, but I somehow left him off and only alluded to the long-term deal in the body. Definitely an oversight. Much appreciated.
MrEMann
On a side note, Kipnis has had one really good month in his career (June 2013). That doesn’t make for an elite player, and his final 2013 numbers were good – nowhere near elite. Again, take away his June numbers, and his numbers for 2013 would look pretty similar to 2014 (although he hit for more power in 2013).
tomymogo
A win-now mentality…..
I want to ask, what would you guys think about a trade like this:
Michael Bourn, Bradley Zimmer and Kyle Crockett for Justin Upton, BJ Upton and 20 million.
Trading BJ maybe can persuade Justin to approve the deal to Cleveland, Atlanta sends 20 million and takes the bad contract of Michael Bourn and two high draft picks from 2014 and 2013 (which the Indians can get back by offering Justin arbitration at the end of the year).
thejamootz
I can’t imagine why the Indians (or anyone) would be willing to trade anything of value in order to pay B.J. Upton through 2017.
The $20 million doesn’t even cover half of what Upton is owed over the next three years.
tomymogo
Michael Bourn is owed 27 million, the difference between him and BJ is 20 million.
I think a change of scenary can benefit both players
basquiat
Why would the Braves want Bourn back? They knew he was slowing down when they let him walk and speed was his best asset.
tomymogo
Yes I agree, but they are trading BJ Upton, so that’s why I thought to myself, what Indians player has a contract almost as bad as BJ Upton’s contract, and that’s why I came up with Michael Bourn.
I know both players have underachieved to say the least, injuries have slowed Bourn down, but he can still leadoff when healthy and Braves desperately need a leadoff hitter.
basquiat
‘Bounce back’ are the key words in Cleveland. They are expecting Swisher, Bourn, Kipnis and Murphy to bounce back. Three of those guys are on the wrong side of 30. That’s a lot of ‘ifs’ but then again, Indian fans go through this every year.
bdpecore
Would the Indians be willing to trade Swisher + $4M for this season for Geraldo Parra? This gives the Brewers a 1B for two seasons and the Indians OF depth and more payroll flexibility in 2016.
Hunter 2
I think the Indians would have to make that trade if it was offered. And even though I really like Swish, that would be the best move from a baseball standpoint, and from a front office prospective.
andrewk
Swisher was terrible both at the plate and at 1B last season (he was demoted to DH, before having knee surgery). The Tribe would do that trade in a heartbeat, even without Parra thrown in.
MyTribe 2
The Indian’s don’t have to play anyone just because they make a lot of money IF they have a low cost replacement already on the 40 man roster. And a correction on Murphy, Murphy led the team in slugging percentage when runners were in scoring position.
methus1
Ramirez did NOT have an “excellent glove” at SS. You have to watch the games – you can’t just look at # or errors and make an opinion about a player. He is a bad decision-maker and cannot turn a DP. SS is a position that requires a field general- and it’s not him. Ramirez is a 2B and played that in the minors. Maybe he can take the job from Kipnis, who looked entitled and horrible last year. Defense cost this team the playoffs, so they can’t afford to play him at SS everyday. And lay off Bourn. Again, you have to watch the games. He was fantastic in CF in the second half last year. Don’t just look at stats and throw him into the “he’s a bust like Swisher” hopper.
Rick Boyle
Lets go for broke – sign Victor as DH, Scherzer as #1, and Headley at 3B. Too good to be true, but it would put usover the hump!!