2000s

I didn’t think it was possible to give up four runs that quickly.

Kevin Millwood didn’t look that good, but pitched around a lot of jams. Miller and Rhodes looked outstanding. But it was all for nought, for Wickman came into the game in the 9th and threw BP to the White Sox. Suddenly a lineup that had been effectively shut down for 16 innings looked like the 1927 Yankees.

Enough of that. I sure don’t want to talk about it anymore.

The terms of Victor Martinez’s five-year extension were released on Wednesday. The Indians have an option for 2010, which could keep Victor around an extra year, since he’d be eligible for free agency by then. As with these types of contracts, both management annn player take big risks. Giving a five-year deal to anyone is risky, and the Indians are on the hook for $15M through 2009. Of course Victor will be vastly underpaid if he continues to play at an All-Star level through the balance of the contract. Here’s the breakdown by year of the dollars:

Signing Bonus: $1M
2005: $500,000
2006: $800,000
2007: $3M
2008: $4.25M
2009: $5.7M
2010: $7M Club Option (or $250,000 buyout)

My early take is that this is an absolute bargain for the Indians, provided Victor stays healthy; they have the option of buying out a free agent year to boot. But remember that these types of contracts don’t always work out: see Joe Mays and Jaret Wright.

The next target for an extension should be CC Sabathia. The difference with Sabathia is that he has much more leverage than Martinez did. CC is eligible for free agency after the 2006 season, and given the exhorbitant contracts given out to starters last offseason, he could cash out in a big way if he tested the market. For the Indians, the Johan Santana signing may provide somewhat of a roadmap to get a deal done. Santana received a four-year contract worth $40M from the Twins in the offseason two years before he could test the free agent waters; obviously the Indians aren’t going to go as high as that, but at least it gives the club something to work off of.

What about Travis Hafner? I don’t think there should be a rush to lock him up. Wait a year, see if he can repeat his tremendous 2004 effort this year, and begin negotiations then.

So much to talk about, so little time.

First of all, fantastic performance by Westbrook. The Konerko double was the only real mistake of his outing, but it ended up costing him the win. Unfortunately for Westbrook, Mark Buerhle pitched just as well; the two pitchers looked to be doppelgangers of each other. Both were throwing strikes, working quickly, and getting ground ball after ground ball.

Peralta’s muffed attempt allowed Konerko to score; I don’t think there’s any question that if he fields the ball cleanly, Konerko, who’s one of the slowest runners in the game, would have been out at the plate. That Peralta was one who made the error was too bad. I’ll pretty much guarentee that at least one of the beat reporters say something to effect of “Vizquel would have made that play” in tomorrow’s papers While they have a valid point, Peralta also made a play earlier in the game that Vizquel couldn’t have made; he went to his right to field a ground ball in the hole, and forced the runner at second. Vizquel can’t make that throw at this point in his career. But for Peralta, every error he makes is going to dredge up Vizquel references, and it really can’t be helped.

Aaron Boone looked good at third base. It doesn’t appear that his knee is bothering him, which is promising. But for goodness sakes, he needs to hit farther down in the order. Blake needs to be hitting fifth against left-handers and second against right-handers if Sizemore isn’t going to be hitting second.

Last season Belliard’s deep positioning at second base didn’t really cost him. Today he was out position on Pierzynksi’s dribbler; it didn’t cost the team a run, as Westbrook induced Joe Crede to hit into a double play, but it’s something I’ve been watching since Belliard joined the team.

Now the good news: it looks like the Indians have locked up Victor Martinez through his arbitration years. Shapiro termed the contract “historic” compared to other deals to players with the same amount of service time. I would guess that means Martinez’s deal is going to be more than the extension signed by CC Sabathia, but considering that the Indians have locked up players like Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome at similar points in the players’ careers, the statement piqued my interest. My hope is that the deal allows the team to keep Martinez past his free agent eligibility, which would probably be after the 2009 season. Martinez would be 30 in 2009, which puts him a bit past his prime, especially considering the his position. So regardless of how long he’s signed, the Indians will probably be getting the best six years of Victor’s career. Now it remains to see just how much they’re paying him.

Thirty-eight minor-league players have been suspended by MLB for testing positive for steroids. There were no Indians on that list, but all of those mentioned train in Arizona. I’d have to imagine the Florida results will be announced in a couple of days.

Is it me, or should the first Monday of the baseball season be a national holiday?

Anyway, I’ll be stuck in class today while the Indians play; actually I won’t be able to watch the entire Chicago series, which sucks.

The depth chart has been updated. Keep in mind that the Akron roster is a guess; the Aeros, like usual, haven’t posted anything in regards to their roster. The rest should be fine.

I should be back tonight.

Placed OF Juan Gonzalez on the 15-day Disabled List (hamstrings)

Well, who knew that the chewing gum and baling wire holding Juan together would deteriorate this quickly? Well, perhaps they held him together just long to make the team and then, exhausted with relief, fell apart. Hamstring injuries don’t go away easily, and can linger for a long time. Pedicting 200 at-bats for Juan this season is probably optimistic.

Recalled OF Grady Sizemore from Buffalo (AAA)

By “Buffalo” I mean the next baseball field over in Winter Haven, because that’s where he was playing. At least he didn’t have to put any extra miles on his car while driving to Cleveland. It looks like Grady will be eased into the lineup, sitting against some left-handers (for example, against Mark Buerhle on Monday), but otherwise should be playing in center field every day. I think it’s worth a shot to bat him second against right-handers, with Belliard replacing him against southpaws. Unfortunately, Aaron Boone looks to be miscast in that role. Boone doesn’t walk much (.332 career OBP), and isn’t a contact hitter (his 162-game strikeout average is 103). The lone justification for hitting him second might be his speed, but the Indians don’t run often enough to take advantage of it; besides, why run when you have Hafner and Martinez up? Boone is a useful hitter, but he belongs farther down in the order. Heck, Casey Blake is a much better alternative, given his prowess against right-handed pitching and patience at the plate.

April Fools

A great read today is Mistake by the Lake’s April Fools columns, one for each Cleveland team. Check out the Indians section, where Corey gives a pretty convincing argument why the Indians are destined to fail this year. Now I know why the Yankees signed Tony Womack in the offseason…

Released LHP Graeme Lloyd and OF Darren Bragg

Because of a tighter allotment of visas, the Indians couldn’t keep Australian citizen Lloyd in their organization; he may have a tough time finding another one. Bragg should latch on with a AAA team near you.

And In with the New

Tomorrow we should know for sure who’s playing where in the organization. I’ve take the liberty of guessing where the top prospects are playing, so take those with a grain of salt. I’ll tackle completing the rest of the Depth Chart this weekend, so it should be all done by game time on Monday.

I dislike making discrete win-loss predictions, and I try to stay away from predicting division winners, because I don’t follow other teams to the degree I follow the Indians. Just think of this as a movie review without an arbitrary star rating.

The Indians are a better team than last season. There are less question marks on the roster, though they all haven’t disappeared. When you have one of the lowest payrolls in the league, it’s impossible NOT to have question marks. But the good thing about this roster is that there is little dead weight. Gone are John McDonald and Tim Laker, roster filler. Ryan Ludwick is a better fourth outfielder than Alex Escobar. Jose Hernandez is a better 1B platoon option than Lou Merloni. The bullpen (on paper) looks better, although I said the same thing last year. Kevin Millwood should improve the starting rotation, although an expected regression by Jake Westbrook may cancel out any gains brought about by the addition of Millwood.

Conceptually, what the Indians have done since June 2002 has to be considered a success; three years after dismantling an aging, overpriced team, they enter 2005 a young, exciting, and (most importantly) talented club. The real obstacle is still ahead, though. Getting to .500 isn’t too difficult; going from a .500 team to the playoffs is. For this team to make the playoffs, some things have to go right. Run prevention has to get better, because I don’t see this offense scoring 858 runs again. The bullpen has be an asset, not a liability. And players have to stay healthy, especially guys like CC Sabathia and Victor Martinez. While the farm system once again was ranked among the top 10 in baseball by Baseball America, depth can’t patch the size of hole that Martinez or Sabathia would leave if injured. Of course, you could say this about any organization in baseball, so maybe it’s redundant. But I think it’s at least worth mentioning.

Juan Gonzalez, the Injury Time-Bomb, is less important. Yes, he’s a nice guy to have hitting behind Martinez and Hafner, but the team can manage without him thanks to the presence of Ryan Ludwick and/or Grady Sizemore. Alex Cora is a nice insurance policy to have in case either Ronnie Belliard or Jhonny Peralta land on the shelf. This major-league depth probably represents the largest improvement over last year. If all goes well, it should allow players like Belliard and Martinez to stay fresh through the summer months, and gives manager Eric Wedge better late-game options.

Bob Wickman is expected to anchor the Indians’ bullpen, and if he stays healthy, should keep it functioning. I’m definitely not saying Wickman is a great closer, but his presence should allow players to succeed in roles they’re comfortable in. Relief pitchers are the most volatile of baseball players, so I’d be lying if I expected the seven players who made the club to be on the roster by early October. Players like Jason Davis, Fernando Cabrera, Andrew Brown, Brian Tallet, and Jake Robbins may have to contribute if someone implodes. Again, this is where having a deep roster should help.

Do I believe the Indians are a “championship-caliber team?” No. There’s too may weak spots on the roster for me to say that. I do think they’re capable of winning the division, and I do believe that they’ve set themselves up for better things and lofter goals in the coming years. Considering where this team was in 2002, being able to say that represents a massive improvement for the organization, and a lot of optimism for Tribe fans everywhere.

Traded LHP Cliff Bartosh to the Chicago Cubs for RHP Bear Bay

Not a bad return for someone that Shapiro had to trade or lose. Bay isn’t much of a prospect, but like Tom Mastny, he’s an semi-interesting player. He’s shown good control over his brief professional career (1.68 W/9), though that control may be all that’s separating his 3.10 ERA last year from a much higher one, as evidenced by his hit rates. Bay should join Mastny in the Kinston rotation.

As for Bartosh, I think he can carve out a major-league career for himself, especially now that he’s made a roster. But I thought the same of Carl Sadler and Alex Herrera, so take my opinions on young LOOGYs with a very large grain of salt.

Optioned OF Grady Sizemore, LHP Brian Tallet, and SS Brandon Phillips to Buffalo (AAA)

If the Gonzalez/Sizemore decision was by proxy Shapiro versus Wedge, then it looks like Shapiro won the argument, although this doesn’t really condemn Sizemore to the same fate as Brandon Phillips; it’s mainly a matter of time until Juan tweaks something (it was the right hamstring today), so Sizemore should get significant playing time in Cleveland. Phillips, on the other hand, is probably stuck unless Jhonny Peralta goes on the shelf for a long period of time. With Alex Cora a very capable short or long-term fix, Phillips is going to have to really rake in Buffalo to get a callup before September. Brian Tallet probably was the biggest pitching surprise in camp, but with two left-handers already in the bullpen, Tallet fell victim to a numbers game. Matt Miller certainly didn’t help himself in his last couple outings, but he was pitching to left-handed hitters, which isn’t going to happen once the games start to count.

Speaking of left-handers, Cliff Bartosh is probably going to be dealt before the season starts. Contrary to what I believed, he has no options remaining, so rather than trying to sneak him through waivers, the Indians are going to try to get something for him. He’s left-handed and breathing, so there should be some interest.

Assigned RHP Paul Shuey, RHP Steve Watkins, and RHP Jason Bere to minor-league camp

Watkins should go in Buffalo’s rotation, while Shuey and Bere stay behind in Winter Haven to rehab.

Signed 2B Danny Garcia to a minor-league contract

He should take the place of Warren Morris, who’s out after breaking his finger. Garcia is a mildly interesting player; he had a couple good seasons in the Mets organization, including a .333/.391/.530 for Binghampton in 2003. His line in the majors is .227/.345/.361, which isn’t too horrid for a backup infielder (for reference, here’s John McDonald’s career line). Fortunately, he shouldn’t be needed.

20. LHP Tony Sipp
How Acquired: 2004 Draft (45th Round)
College: Clemson
ETA: 2007

One of the steals of the 2004 draft, the Indians enticed Sipp to forego his senior year at Clemson, giving him 6th round money. The large bonus seems to have been worth it; Sipp was lights out with the Scrappers, striking out 74 in 42.2 IP. Sipp has a nice fastball-slider combo, but the Indians want him to learn a changeup to round out his repetroire. Thus far he’s worked out of the bullpen, but if all goes well he might move into a starting role as his strength and endurance improves.

19. OF Juan Valdes
How Acquired: 2003 Draft (5th Round)
High School: Fernando Callejo (Manati, PR)
ETA: 2008

Why am I including a raw but “projectable” outfielder on this list, when there are other good prospects in the organization? Part of it is a leap of faith on my part, figuring that as his frame fills out, the power will come. Part of it is because he’s already shown decent plate discipline. And part of it comes from glowing scouting reports. Valdes is a switch-hitter, a very good base stealer, and probably weighs 160 pounds soaking wet. If there’s anyone in the organization poised for a breakout season, it’s him. He’s slated to start the season with the Captains.

Placed LHP CC Sabathia on the 15-day Disabled List (oblique)

This is the first trip to the DL in Sabathia’s four-year career, and it doesn’t look like he’ll miss much time. Jason Davis, who looked good against the Reds on Friday, will take Sabathia’s place in the rotation, and Matt Miller and Rafael Betancourt should both make the club as result. Jake Westbrook is slated to be the Opening Day starter.

Optioned Kazuhito Tadano to Buffalo (AAA)

Kaz didn’t have too good a spring, posting an ERA of 9.00 (10 innings pitched). I’m going to assume he’s still a starter, but that might be subject to change depending on the needs of the big-league club. The Bisons’ pitching preview says Tadano could be either a starter or a reliever.

Assigned OF Andy Abad, IF Mike Kinkade, 1B Jeff Liefer, OF John Rodriguez, RHP Denny Stark, C Dusty Wathan, and LHP Chad Zerbe to minor-league camp

Most, if not all, of these players are going to play in Buffalo this year. Stark looks to be in the rotation, Liefer should be the starting first baseman, and Wathan will be Ryan Garko’s caddy.

I’ve updated the Options page; after the season starts, I’ll add salary and YOS info to the page as well.