A pair of Cleveland Plain Dealer writers address the latest Indians-related news in their recent pieces. Paul Hoynes fields readers' questions in a mailbag, while Terry Pluto talks Tribe in an all-Cleveland article. Here are a few highlights:
- Pluto describes Cleveland's lack of consistency as the main reason why ownership reduced the team's payroll for 2010. The bump in player salaries following a strong 2007 season didn't result in on-field success over the last two years. As a result, the Indians will field one of the league's least expensive teams this season, after their 2009 payroll started around the middle of the pack.
- Pluto also says that Chris Antonetti's promotion to GM comes as no surprise, since Antonetti has been handling many of the GM duties for the last year.
- When asked if the Indians should have pursued a pitcher instead of signing Russell Branyan, Hoynes notes that Jarrod Washburn and Braden Looper were likely out of the Tribe's price range, though the club at least had interest in Washburn.
- Unless they could decisively upgrade their current rotation, the Indians thought that adding offense provided the better value, according to Hoynes.
- Hoynes finds it unlikely that the Indians will be able to move Kerry Wood or Travis Hafner this season. Their bloated contracts are only one part of the problem, since neither player enjoyed a strong 2009 campaign.
The Indians could add Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, and A-Rod. Their pitching will still lose them 90 games.
I’m not sure its quite that dire but it isn’t looking good. Westbrook and Carmona both have the ability to be frontline starters but Westbrook needs go stay healthy and Carmona needs to throw strikes. Masterson flashed a 8.3K/9 and a very nice FB/SL combo last year that should allow him to be a decent mid rotation guy this year. Huff finished strong last year and Laffey has shown the ability to throw in the low-four ERA range. Talbot is an older prospect with the talent and potenial to be this year’s Randy Wells. Carrasco however talented his is is extremely inconsistant and Sowers just isn’t any good.
The chances of the Indians’ pitching staff being any good are slim but they are still there.
I agree. On paper, this is a rotation that can actually be decent. But they certainly haven’t shown it. I like the comparison to Randy Wells but Mitch Talbot really needs to have a good spring training if he’s going to crack the rotation. Last season, the Cubs didn’t have much Starting Pitching depth. Therefore, Randy Wells came up in late May and was just forced in to the rotation.
I don’t know why the Indians were ok getting those 4 players in the Cliff Lee trade. Donald and Marson are going to be a back up infielder and a back up catcher. The Indians knew that when they made the trade. And instead of getting Knapp and Carrasco, they could have gotten maybe just J.A. Happ or Trevor May and Michael Taylor. Maybe even Kyle Drabek. They also gave up Ben Francisco in that deal which I don’t get. As for Masterson, there is also nothing that tells me that Haggadone and Masterson are going to live up to expectations. Same for Jess Todd and Chris Perez. I hope Antonetti can turn this team around.
Maybe Grady Sizemore and a Jhonny Peralta trade is the key.
Take Ricky Vaugh out of the bullpen and into the rotation.
He’s probably like 60 by now.
Nah only 44. Hes primed for a comeback. And the Sizemore trade is pretty crazy.
I think Kerry wood would get traded to the white sox for Bobby jenks IF jenks keeps struggling.
I think the Indians would be happy just to get rid of both even if that meant not getting anything in return. Kind of like what happened with Alex Rios.
If the Indians pick up $6 mil I would love to see Wood back for the cubs. I just don’t see Marmol being a closer – giving the job to Wood gives cubs nice BP with Grabow, Marmol, Guzman sharing 7th and 8th innings
They still owe Fausto Carmona a lot of money for a lot of years, and he’s shown no sign thus far that he has the ability to turn it around. That contract hurts like the Hafner contract hurts. Wood leaves town either way after this season. They will make sure his option for 2011 doesn’t vest.
I don’t know how the Indians got so bad so fast, I know they lost two CY Young pitchers but they were bad with Cliff Lee as well. It was almost like a perfect storm of suck for this team, their pen was solid on paper but blew, Sizemore got hurt, Peralta just sucks, and Carmona imploded.
I think their rotation could be good in time, as they have some interesting arms in the minors like Rondon and Knapp, and some of their major league guys could grow. But right now, I don’t see anyone in their rotation who would be anything better than a third starter on most teams. Guys like Laffey, Huff, and Sowers don’t have much potential due to their pitching styles and the top guys are hurt/inconsistent.
I hope they turn it around, but I wouldn’t count on it very soon.
Last season they expected so much out of Carmona, their bullpen, and Sizemore. They did hit but not enough. Cliff Lee actually pitched well for the Indians last season and V-Mart, Cabrera and Choo played well. Tony Sipp was the key to their bullpen success (which doesn’t say a lot) But thats pretty much what happened.
BLAH BLAH BLAH.. same idiot drivel from Hoynes.. no change in what he offers in his column.. same story with a different date on it.. why do you keep posting his trash?
WOW
This thing has finally gone full circle, in 2010 you will see the Indians head back to the 70’s and 80’s celler dweller ways.
They have already started selling tickets to 16 home games this season at all seats half price. And I will bet that by the All Star Break this year they will all be half off except for the Yankee and Red Sox games. The Indians will be luckey to average 13,000 over the course of the season.
I thinkthe real Cleveland Indians have just stood up.
Hell maybe they could just film Major League 4 at the Prog this season why pay actors to act like bad ballplayers when they could just film these guys.