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…)
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.
My Choo Cents: Why Shin-Soo Choo’s Contract is the Steal of the MLB Offseason
It’s been an underwhelming offseason for the Cleveland Indians.
The only addition to the 25-man roster has been Austin Kearns, and the closest we’ve come to an interesting rumor was the nail-biting excitement surrounding Nick Punto at the Winter Meetings. And now that the Indians have locked up all of their arbitration-eligible players without hearings for the 20th year in a row, Tribe fans won’t even get to see the heart-pounding drama of players and team exchanging salary figures. But while none of the team’s offseason maneuverings have much sex appeal (metaphorically or literally—we haven’t seen any Grady Sizemore pictures in a while), there’s one recent bit of news that should give Clevelanders a fuzzy feeling inside.
Everyone knows that Shin-Soo Choo is the Indians’ best player, and everyone knows that he’s one of the most underappreciated players in the game. In a chat at FanGraphs.com last month, a commenter named Austin summed it up best:
Choo is the only player with the power to remain underrated while he’s everyone’s go-to example of an underrated player.
The Leftovers: An All-Star Team of Unsigned MLB Free Agents
When the New York Yankees gave Rafael Soriano three years and $35 million last week, it signaled the beginning of the end of major activity on baseball’s 2010-11 free agent market. Yes, a number of possible-impact players and former household names remain unsigned, but we’re unlikely to see many more eight-figure deals before Opening Day unless the Cardinals extend Albert Pujols.
But while none of the unsigned leftovers are likely to be MVP candidates again, there are still many useful players available. I started to wonder exactly much talent was still unaccounted for. Scrolling through the list the several dozen players looking for new jobs, I decided to build my own 25-man roster of unsigned free agents. Once I picked all my players, I estimated their respective 2011 Wins Above Replacements by weighting each man’s production over the last three years (5-4-3 scale for position players, 5-3-2 for pitchers).
For your consideration, I now present The Leftovers, beginning with the starting lineup:
C: Bengie Molina (1.5 WAR)
1B: Russell Branyan (2.1)
2B: Jerry Hairston, Jr. (1.7)
3B: Nick Punto (1.6)
SS: Orlando Cabrera (1.7)
LF: Manny Ramirez (3.1)
CF: Scott Hairston (1.4)
RF: Johnny Damon (2.8)
DH: Vladimir Guerrero (2.0)
As you can see, this isn’t exactly shaping up to be an All-Star team (at least, in this decade), nor are any of these players likely to get carded when they go out for drinks after the game. And of course, having three designated hitters means the outfield defense will be abysmal. Still, the lineup doesn’t have any huge weaknesses, and would make for a respectable, if not imposing offense—sort of like last year’s Twins.
In the starting rotation, things get a little uglier:
Are Cleveland Indians in on Bobby Crosby?
Multiple teams are interested in free agent Bobby Crosby. After hearing virtually nothing about the infielder since he was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks in August, two American League clubs are interested in giving the 2004 Rookie of the Year a chance to revive his career.
Might the Cleveland Indians be one of them? Tribe GM Chris Antonetti is known to be looking for a veteran presence at third base. The Indians have already signed Adam Everett to a minor-league deal, and talked to Nick Punto at the Winter Meetings. Cleveland’s potential interest would make sense given that St. Louis Cardinals are also pursuing Punto, and they may have more money to spend.
Crosby, 30, was once touted as the Oakland Athletics’ shortstop of the future, but hasn’t been a useful player since 2005, hitting .229/.292/.341 in 501 games over the last five years. He hit a new low in 2010, posting a .220/.294/.298 slashline last year. As a result, he’s likely to settle for a minor league deal, and thus would fit into the Tribe’s budget.
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