Who Knew?

Signed free agent 3B Aaron Boone to a two year contract with a vesting option for 2006 (monetary amounts undisclosed)

Placed 3B Aaron Boone on the 15-day Disabled List (knee)

Released RHSP Jeff D’Amico from Buffalo (AAA)

Placed RHRP Rafael Betancourt on the 15-day Disabled List (bicep)

Recalled LHSP Jeriome Robertson from Buffalo (AAA)

How did the Indians win tonight’s game? Can anyone tell me how the troika of Kaz Tadano, Rick White, and Jeriome Robertson (he of the 7.00 ERA in AAA) only allows 1 earned run in 11 innings against the Rockies?

If CC Sabathia’s tweaked shoulder is more than just a tweak, the season is unofficially over for the Indians. This team simply cannot sustain a loss of that magnitude and continue to win games. Hopefully the MRI taken tonight will reveal no serious damage. I guess all we can do as Tribe fans is just pray for now.

The good news tonight was the performance of Tadano in emergency relief. He looked like the pitcher we thought he would look like as he tore through the minors last year. Hopefully this can be a springboard for Kaz, just as was that relief performance by Jake Westbrook against the Tigers. If CC has to go to the Disabled List, you’d have to think Kaz would get the first shot in the rotation.

For now, I’ll pretend Jeriome Robertson’s performance tonight was a fluke. His numbers all season were unequivocably awful, so he’ll have to his work his way out my mental doghouse over his next few appearances.

The bullpen is in serious danger of imploding again with the team’s most consistant reliever, Rafael Betancourt, going on the Disabled List with an arm injury. David Riske looks like v. 2003, so that should help. But after him, I guess you just have to get lucky to win a close game.

Finally, about Aaron Boone. I guess I feel a little better knowing that the Indians feel he’s essentially a 2005 signing; he’s not going to really play until late August, and even then only sparingly. The 2006 option will probably kick in if Boone accrues a certain amount of bats, so the Indians are covering their bases if he reinjures the knee, or plays another pickup game this offseason. What’s still unknown is (a) How much the 2005 salary is and (b) how exactly they’ll configure the infield. Again, I reiterate; Boone is a nice player, and if used correctly, could really help the Indians next year. The problem the Indians face is getting to that point. I guess I’ll have plenty of time to examine this before the problem is ultimately resolved (or perpetuated).

And I simply have to mention the Buffalo Bisons. Yeah, they have a lot of minor-league soldiers in the lineup, but they are scoring runs at an unbelievable pace. Of note, fringe prospect Eric Crozier is making a case for a promotion, as is everyone’s favorite Russ Branyan. Grady Sizemore is cementing his case as the Indians’ everyday center fielder next April, and Brandon Phillips and Jhonny Peralta are already competing to become Omar Vizquel’s successor next year.

Tonight’s AAA box score