Nine Cleveland Indians Would Qualify for Free Agent Compensation Picks
It’s way too early for the Cleveland Indians to be thinking about free agency—only four Tribe players are not under team control for the 2012 season, and there will (hopefully) be a pennant run at Progressive Field between now and November. But the latest updates of the Elias free agent rankings are still noteworthy.
Every offseason, the Elias Sports Bureau designates the top free agents on the market as either “Type A” or “Type B.” If the Type A or B player’s team offers him arbitration after his contract expires and the player rejects, his former team is compensated for its loss in the coming year’s amateur draft.
In every case, the team that unsuccessfully offered arbitration to a ranked free agent gets a “sandwich pick” between the first and second rounds of the draft. In addition, whoever signs a Type A free agent must give its first-round pick to the player’s former team (unless the signing team has one of the first 15 picks, in which case they lose give up their second-round pick).
According to MLBTradeRumors.com’s latest Elias Rankings Update, nine Cleveland Indians players would qualify as either Type A or Type B picks if their contracts expired tomorrow. (more…)
Albert Pujols Extension Talks Faltering: Will Cleveland Indians Pursue Pujols in 2012?
Heading into the offseason, it seemed that both the St. Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols were optimistic about working out a contract extension this winter. And yet, with just 11 days until Pujols’ self-imposed deadline of the start of Spring Training, the two sides are reportedly “nowhere close” to a deal. As someone who is paid to write about the Cleveland Indians, it is my obligatory duty to ask: Is there any way he winds up with the Tribe in 2012?
Checking the Hot Stove: Updates on All the Cleveland Indians’ Offseason Trade Rumors
It’s been a real snoozefest of an offseason for the Cleveland Indians. Four months after Michael Brantley grounded out to end the Tribe’s 2010 season, the Indians have signed just one major-league free agent and haven’t made a single trade. Cleveland fans weren’t expecting the team go on a shopping spree this winter, but still, things have been eerily quiet.
Fortunately, we Tribe fans have had plenty of rumors to get excited about in the absence of actual deals. Here’s a list of all the as-yet-unresolved gossip we’ve heard this offseason, with updates about where things stand. (more…)
Cleveland Indians Miss Out on Bartolo Colon
The Indians have been heeing and hawing about Bartolo Colon for weeks. Rumors have abounded about whether or not Cleveland was interested in bringing back their old ace, with some reports saying the Tribe was aggressively scouting Colon, and others claiming the team had no interest in him bringing back.
Well, it’s too late now—Colon has agreed to a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees.
Who’s on Third? Five Available Veterans Who Could Help Cleveland Indians
Despite GM Chris Antonetti’s initial statements to the contrary, it’s looking more and more unlikely that Cleveland will bring in outside help at third base for 2011. With Jason Donald, Jared Goedert, and Jayson Nix in the mix and veteran Adam Everett already signed to a minor league deal, the Indians might have better things to do before the start of Spring Training than add another contestant to the hot corner sweepstakes.
And yet, the offseason is far from over—remember Russell Branyan last year? There’s still plenty of talent left on the free agent market, and there are bargains to be found now that the big names are off the board. Here’s a look at five still-unsigned veterans who could help keep Chisenhall’s seat warm in 2011.
Nick Punto. We’ve already looked at why the sweet-gloved Punto would be a great fit for the Tribe—infield defense isn’t one of the Indians’ strengths, and with a pitching staff that doesn’t get a lot of strikeouts, fielding is important. Punto had “meaningful negotiations” with the Indians at the Winter Meetings, but, great as it would be to have his glove behind Masterson and Carmona, Cleveland isn’t the only interested team.
