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Indians Place Roberto Perez On IL, Select Rene Rivera, DFA Ben Gamel

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The Indians have placed catcher Roberto Perez on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right ring finger, selected the contract of fellow backstop Rene Rivera, and designated outfielder Ben Gamel for assignment, Mandy Bell of MLB.com was among those to report.

Perez suffered the injury April 13 on a crossup with reliever James Karinchak, but it has become enough of a problem for him to land on the IL three weeks later. Perhaps thanks in part to the injury, the defensively adept Perez has recorded an unproductive .131/.274/.295 line with three home runs in 73 plate appearances this year.

The Indians will now pair catcher Austin Hedges with Rivera, whom they signed to a minor league contract last month. Rivera, 37, is a journeyman who hasn’t hit much in the majors since he debuted in 2004, and he totaled a mere 24 plate appearances with the Mets from 2019-20.

Gamel was another minors signing for the Indians in the offseason, and though he made their Opening Day roster, the 28-year-old didn’t do enough to hold down a spot. He wound up going 1-for-14 with a double and six strikeouts against three walks before the Indians sent him down on April 17.

Gamel has one more minor league option left, and considering he has put up passable offensive numbers throughout his career and lined up at all three outfield positions, he could catch on someplace else via trade or waivers in the next week.

Indians Decline Options For Carlos Santana, Domingo Santana, Brad Hand; Pick Up Roberto Perez’s Option

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The Indians have turned down club options for first baseman Carlos Santana, outfielder/designated hitter Domingo Santana and left-handed reliever Brad Hand, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. They have, however, picked up catcher Roberto Perez’s $5.5MM option.

Carlos Santana will get a $500K buyout instead of the $17.5MM salary he could have made. Domingo Santana will earn $250K in lieu of a $5MM salary. Meanwhile, the Indians will pay Hand $1MM over the $10MM figure he was due on his option.

It’s not a surprise the small-budget Indians are moving on from the Santanas, at least at those prices. Carlos Santana has spent all but one season of his career in Cleveland since it began in 2010 and has performed quite well, but he’s now coming off a disappointing year. Santana’s keen eye at the plate did lead to more walks (47) than strikeouts (43), but his average and power declined significantly en route to a .199/.349/.350 line with eight home runs in 255 PA. Even with another effective season, it would have been difficult to imagine the Indians keeping the 34-year-old for such a lofty fee.

The Indians took a chance last free agency on Domingo Santana, who once looked like a breakout hitter with the Brewers. Santana struggled late in 2019 with the Mariners, though, and that carried into this year. He gave the Indians a horrid .157/.298/.286 line with a paltry two HRs in 84 PA.

It’s not at all eyebrow-raising that the Indians are moving on from Hand, as they placed him on outright waivers Thursday. The move came as a shock at the time, though Hand nonetheless cleared waivers instead of saving the Indians from a buyout. He’ll head to free agency as a 30-year-old with an outstanding track record, including three All-Star appearances. Hand’s now fresh off a season in which he led baseball in saves (16, with no blown chances), put up a magnificent 2.05 ERA/1.37 FIP and posted 11.86 K/9 against 1.64 BB/9 in 22 innings.

Perez was one of the game’s top all-around catchers as recently as 2019, but a right shoulder injury limited his appearances and his effectiveness this year. However, despite slashing a woeful .165/.264/.216 with one HR over 110 PA, the Indians are keeping him in the fold. As things stand, they have two light-hitting, defensively gifted backstops in Perez and Austin Hedges, who could combine to make in the $8.5MM neighborhood in 2021.

Gold Glove Nominees Announced

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The 2020 Rawlings Glove Glove Award finalists have been released, with the Cubs netting the most nominations with seven. The Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Brewers, Rays, and Red Sox were shut out.

The awards for defensive prowess will be handed out based on defensive metrics alone this year, since managers and coaches weren’t able to see players outside their regional bubble. Moving to a metrics-based system, even for a year, certainly make for interesting television, especially since these awards can make an impact on arbitration cases. Considering the uncertainty of a 60-game season, awards could carry greater weight than usual in those proceedings, thought that’s just speculation. Without further ado, here are this year’s nominees:

AL Pitcher

NL Pitcher

AL Catcher

NL Catcher

AL First Base

NL First Base

AL Second Base

NL Second Base

AL Third Base

NL Third Base

AL Shortstop

NL Shortstop

AL Left Field

NL Left Field

AL Centerfield

NL Centerfield

AL Right Field

NL Right Field

Nicky Lopez of the Royals was originally left off the list, but he is in fact a nominee at second base, one of four nominations at the keystone in the American League. It’s the only position with four nominations.

There are a few other interesting things of note. Perennial candidates like Andrelton Simmons and Matt Chapman did not make the list this year due to shortened seasons, nor did last season’s Outs Above Average leader Victor Robles. Both Gurriel brothers earned nominations this year, with the younger Lourdes (LF) joining perennial candidate Yuli (1B).

There are also a couple of largely part-time players that made the cut, like Hoerner of the Cubs and Mendick for the White Sox. Neither was the everyday second baseman, but they did reach the inning minimum of 265 total defensive innings. They qualified at second because that’s where they played the most innings. Mendick, for example, registered just 226 innings at second, but with 27 innings at third and 15 at shortstop, he ended the year with 268 total defensive innings played.

Catchers required a minimum of 29 games, which is how we got a pair of White Sox catchers making the top-3. Pitchers had to throw a minimum of 50 innings.

The winners will be selected using the SABR Defensive Index and announced on November 3rd, per sabr.org.

Indians Activate Roberto Perez From IL

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The Indians have reinstated catcher Roberto Perez from the injured list, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. They recalled outfielder Greg Allen in a corresponding move.

Perez hasn’t played since July 28, after which he landed on the shelf with a right shoulder injury. The Indians have had to turn to Sandy Leon and Beau Taylor behind the plate in Perez’s absence, and the results haven’t been pretty.

Although the Indians have gotten off to a good start at 13-9, their catchers have hit a shockingly ineffective .088/.225/.147 in 80 plate appearances. Some of that has been Perez’s doing, though he only took 11 PA prior to his injury. And Perez was one of the game’s top all-around catchers just last season, when he put up respectable offense (.239/.321/.452 with 24 home runs in 449 trips to the plate), threw out a league-high 41 percent of would-be base thieves and earned excellent marks as a framer.

Leon, meanwhile, will miss at least the next few days, Meisel reports. He’s going on temporary leave to tend to a family matter.

AL Notes: Anderson, Giles, Red Sox, Indians

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White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson left the team’s win over the Royals on Friday with right hip soreness, the club announced. The reigning AL batting champion is day-to-day, and the White Sox will re-evaluate him Saturday, manager Rick Renteria told James Fegan of The Athletic and other reporters. Anderson had a multi-hit game Friday, continuing a terrific start in which he has slashed .333/.355/.567 over 31 plate appearances. Chicago replaced him with utilityman Leury Garcia.

  • Blue Jays reliever Ken Giles went on the injured list July 27 with a right forearm strain, but the team is “very optimistic” he’ll return this season, according to general manager Ross Atkins (via Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic). After getting a second opinion on the injury, Giles underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection. Not only would his return boost the Blue Jays’ of pushing for a playoff spot, but it would be a positive for Giles as he prepares for a trip to free agency in a few months. The 29-year-old was absolutely dominant when he was healthy enough to pitch in 2019, but arm problems have troubled him since last summer.
  • Pitching has been a problem for the Red Sox early this season, but a couple of their hurlers are on the way back from the COVID-19 injured list. Left-handers Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor could join the Red Sox sometime within the next week, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com writes. The 23-year-old Hernandez reached the majors for the first time last season and struck out a ridiculous 16.91 hitters per nine across 30 1/3 innings, though a horrid 7.71 BB/9 helped lead to a below-average 4.45 ERA. Taylor, 27, somewhat quietly notched a 3.04 ERA/3.11 FIP with 11.79 K/9 and 3.04 BB/9 in 47 1/3 frames as a rookie.
  • Ryan Lewis of Ohio.com relayed updates on a trio of injured Indians on Friday. Catcher Roberto Perez, whom the Indians placed on the IL this week with a right shoulder issue, has experienced improvement. The club will re-evaluate him Tuesday. Outfielder Tyler Naquin, on the IL since last weekend with a fractured toe, has started sprinting. And fellow outfielder Delino DeShields, an offseason acquisition who still hasn’t made his Cleveland debut on account of a positive COVID-19 test, played 4 1/2 rehab innings Friday. There’s no word on when any of them will be ready to rejoin the Indians, though.

Indians Place Roberto Perez On IL

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The Indians have placed catcher Roberto Perez on the injured list, skipper Terry Francona tells reporters including MLB.com’s Mandy Bell (via Twitter). Outfielder Daniel Johnson will take the open roster spot.

Perez is dealing with an injury to his right shoulder. There’s no indication as of yet as to the seriousness. For the time being, he’ll take at least a week off before determining the next steps.

The Indians had already brought in Beau Taylor to cover for Perez. Taylor will pair with Sandy Leon behind the plate. The Cleveland organization will surely at least consider adding another catcher to the 60-man pool.

The real concern here is that Perez could miss substantial time. That’d be a significant blow to the Indians. The 31-year-old is off to a rough start in 2020 but last year turned in 449 plate appearances of league-average hitting while delivering well-regarded glovework behind the dish.

Indians Select Beau Taylor, Designate James Hoyt

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The Indians have selected catcher Beau Taylor, designated right-hander James Hoyt for assignment and optioned outfielder Daniel Johnson, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com reports.

Taylor, formerly an Athletics prospect whom the Indians signed to a minor league contract last offseason, is up as insurance as the the Indians await word on Roberto Perez. The Indians’ starting backstop and one of their most valuable contributors a year ago, Perez is dealing with right shoulder soreness at the moment. They should know more on his condition Wednesday, but for now, they’re down to Taylor and former Red Sox starter Sandy Leon as their top two catchers.

Since he debuted in the majors with the Astros in 2016, the 33-year-old Hoyt has amassed 80 innings – including 8 1/3 during his first season in Cleveland in 2019 – and put up a 4.16 ERA/3.92 FIP with 11.7 K/9 and 2.92 BB/9. Notably, Hoyt carries a rather impressive track record in Triple-A, where he has logged a 3.09 ERA with 12.1 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 over 218 2/3 frames. And considering Hoyt has another minor league option remaining, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising to see another team take a chance on him.

AL Central Notes: Castellanos, Perez, Lovelady

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As BBWAA writers in Detroit prepare to vote on the “Tiger Of The Year” award, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reveals that his vote will go to a player who didn’t suit up for the Tigers after the trade deadline — Nicholas Castellanos.  A case could certainly be made that Castellanos was still the best performer on the woeful Tigers, though Fenech took something of a more symbolic stance, arguing that Castellanos “provided a fitting look at the front office’s failure to gain serious ground in their rebuilding process.”  After several months of fruitless attempts to move Castellanos, Detroit finally unloaded the slugger to the Cubs for two decent but unspectacular pitching prospects, only to see Castellanos start tearing the cover off the ball after arriving in Chicago.

“How did the Tigers not know this hitter was in there? And why does every player that leave Detroit improve?” Fenech asks, also wondering why the club didn’t make more of an effort to extend a player who openly desired to be a long-term piece for the Tigers.  Instead, the lack of progress on either a trade or an extension seemed to wear on Castellanos in the first half of the year, which didn’t help his trade value.

More from around the AL Central…

  • The Indians announced that catcher Roberto Perez underwent arthroscopic surgery in order to remove bone spurs from his right ankle.  The procedure isn’t considered serious, and Perez is expected to be fully ready for the start of Spring Training.  Moving into a starting role for the first time, Perez responded with a career year in 2019, hitting .239/.321/.452 with 24 home runs over 449 PA.  He was also arguably the game’s best defensive catcher, throwing out 20 of 49 would-be base-stealers and ranking at or near the top of the league in blocking and framing metrics.
  • Royals left-hander Richard Lovelady also went under the knife, as the team announced that the rookie will be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks after right knee surgery.  A tenth-round pick in the 2016 draft, Lovelady made his MLB debut last season, posting a 7.65 ERA over 20 innings (25 games) out of Kansas City’s bullpen.  A .412 BABIP contributed to Lovelady’s inflated ERA, as his 4.16 FIP/4.75 xFIP/4.58 SIERA presented a much more respectable picture of his first season.  The 24-year-old is expected to compete for a job in the Royals’ pen during Spring Training.

Indians Release Carlos Gonzalez

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TODAY: Gonzalez has officially been released, as per Roster Roundup (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY: The Indians have designated veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez for assignment in order to open a spot on the active roster for catcher Eric Haase, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. Haase was already on the 40-man roster, but the club opted to cut ties with Gonzalez rather than place Roberto Perez on the 7-day concussion list. Perez apparently tested well enough following last night’s concussion that the team isn’t currently planning to place him on the IL (though he’ll quite likely still sit out the next couple of days at the least).

Gonzalez, 33, will see his time with Cleveland come to an end after 30 games and 117 ugly plate appearances that didn’t inspire much confidence. The three-time All-Star and former NL batting champ hit just .210/.282/.276 with a pair of homers, a double and 33 strikeouts in his short time with the Indians. That type of production wouldn’t cut it even if the Indians were a first-place club, but the fact that they’re sitting six and a half games back in the American League Central only further creates a sense of urgency to coax production out of what has been a dismal lineup.

Gonzalez is the second former superstar with whom the Indians have parted ways since Opening Day; Hanley Ramirez cracked the Opening Day roster as the team’s designated hitter but was cut loose after 16 games and 57 plate appearances worth of similarly disappointing numbers.

With Gonzalez now subtracted from the outfield mix, the Indians will free up additional at-bats for younger options. Oscar Mercado has shown well in his first handful of MLB games, and the Indians could take further looks at some combination of Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen, Jake Bauers and Jordan Luplow their corner outfield/DH rotation. The Athletic’s Zack Meisel tweets that former first-round pick and top prospect Bradley Zimmer, who is recovering from 2018 shoulder surgery, is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus sometime next week, so he’ll emerge as an option in the not-too-distant future as well.

Cleveland will have a week to either find a trade partner for Gonzalez or release him. An outright assignment is technically possible but seems unlikely; Gonzalez would have to accept the assignment despite knowing that there are younger options that the team wishes to evaluate at length before giving him another look. The most probable outcome is that Gonzalez will simply be released and look for a new opportunity to rebuild his stock following a change of scenery.

Indians’ Roberto Perez Diagnosed With Concussion

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Indians catcher Roberto Perez was diagnosed with a concussion after taking a foul ball off the mask in last night’s game against the Athletics, manager Terry Francona told reporters after the game (link via Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer). While Francona called it a “mild” concussion and suggested the team will take a day before determining whether to place Perez on the 7-day injured list, though clubs typically err on the side of caution with regard to head injuries. Fellow catcher Eric Haase is already on his way to join the club from Triple-A Columbus, Francona indicated.

The 30-year-old Perez has taken over as Cleveland’s top catching option in 2019 following the offseason trade of Yan Gomes, and while he’s never previously been much of a threat at the plate, he’s enjoyed a solid start to the season. In 117 plate appearances, Perez is hitting .228/.319/.426 with six home runs and a pair of doubles. He’s always been able to draw a walk, but Perez has slashed his strikeout rate by four percent over last season and upped his walk rate a bit while showing the best home-run pop of his career to date. He’s also gone 6-for-18 in stopping stolen-base attempts and posted above-average framing marks (per Baseball Prospectus).

Given that improved offense and his typically solid brand of glovework, an absence for Perez would sting perhaps more than many Indians fans would’ve thought entering the season. Cleveland’s other catcher, Kevin Plawecki, has managed only a .143/.250/.286 batting line — albeit in a mere 56 plate appearances.

Haase, 26, is on the 40-man roster, so the Indians would only need to make a 25-man move to bring him up to the Majors. He’s out to a nice start of his own in Columbus, having batted .245/.341/.562 with 11 home runs in 129 plate appearances. His 31 percent strikeout rate is too high but is also a mirror image of the rate at which he’s fanned dating back to Class-A Advanced in 2015. He’s offset that mark a bit with a 13.2 percent walk rate and the best power production of his career.

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