Outrighted OF Ryan Ludwick to Buffalo (AAA)
I have to admit I was a bit shocked to hear no one put in a claim for Ludwick. A right-handed outfielder with power, who could have fit on at least five teams’ bench, unclaimed? But I’m not complaining a bit; Ludwick will get to play every day in Buffalo, although it should be interesting to see who loses PT as a result. By the way, Ludwick couldn’t have refused the assignment, as this is his first outrighting.
A bit of a postcript to my comments about the offense. With the return of Coco Crisp and the return of Victor Martinez’s bat, there’s a good chance that the Indians won’t be the worst offensive team in the AL by the end of the season (heck, they have higher OPSs than four other AL clubs right now). But I point to the Casey Blake contract and his subsequent move to the outfield as a lack of perspective on Shapiro’s part. Blake is nice story, and he’s a pretty solid player given the right role. But in right field? Even if Blake returns to his career averages, that still makes him a below-average right fielder. I certainly can’t blame him for Aaron Boone’s nosedive, though Boone’s signing was what precipitated Blake moving to the outfield in the first place.