Transactions

Purchased the Contracts of RHRP Bob Howry and OF Mark Little from Buffalo (AAA); Recalled them to Cleveland

Howry looks to be ready to go physically, so he's going to be given a shot. Before his injury last year, Bob has been a fairly steady setup man for Chicago and Boston. I'm not expecting too much from him, but given the current state of the bullpen, "not too much" is more than adequate.

Mark Little is this week's fourth outfielder. He's had a productive season in Buffalo, hitting .314/.348/.566 with 16 doubles and 11 home runs. He bats right-handed, so that's a plus. He can also play all three outfield positions. If the Indians didn't have so much outfield depth, he might be playing center field for them right now.

Optioned LHRP Cliff Bartosh to Buffalo (AAA)

A left-handed pitcher who can't get left-handed hitters out. Hmmm.

Designated RHRP Jack Cressend for Assignment

A smart GM with a bad bullpen might claim Cressend off waivers for a short-term fix. Which begs the question, why is he going through waivers in the first place? He's put up very good numbers in Buffalo, but he's more a victim of circumstance than anything; the Indians desperately needed another arm for Sunday's game. Now they need a fourth outfielder. And Bob Howry had a clause in his contract forcing him to be in the majors by July, or he becomes a free agent. So it goes.

Transferred 3B Aaron Boone to the 60-day Disabled List (knee)

Since the Indians can place him on the disabled list retroactively to the date of the injury, this is more of a move designed to create a roster spot than anything.

Promoted LHSP Keith Ramsey to Buffalo (AAA) from Kinston (A+)

He was only in Buffalo for a spot start, but he pitched well. He's one of the organization's unsung arms, so he might stick around the rest of the year in the high minors so the Indians can determine how good he really is.

Promoted LHRP Chris Cooper to Akron (AA) from Kinston (A+)

Demoted P Jose Vargas to Kinston (A+) from Akron (AA)

Exploring Some Possibilities

The Indians now sit at .500, and 4 games out of first place. To me, I don't really know if they're a contender or just a team that's a year away. Matt Lawton and Ronnie Belliard have been crucial to the teams' success, and although the Indians can bring both back next year, I doubt very much that both will repeat what they've done this year, especially Belliard.

So what am I getting at? With the addition of Aaron Boone for 2005, I'm wondering if this is the perfect time for the Indians to dangle Belliard or Lawton out in the trade market and see if they can hook a flounder. With Carlos Beltran and Freddy Garcia off the trade market, teams like the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers may be willing to overpay for second-tier players. Given a choice between Belliard or Lawton, I'd keep Lawton, as at least his numbers this year don't deviate too much from his good years with the Twins.

Before considering what you could get, you first have to consider the public reaction. Remember the fan reaction when Bartolo Colon was traded? I sure did. And that was during a season where it was pretty apparent the team was going nowhere fast. This season, most people I talk to are generally optimistic about the team's future, and some even think the Indians have an outside shot at winning the division. So trading an integral piece to the team would definitely elicit a negative response, to say the least.

On the other hand, if you hold onto Belliard and play things out, and look to trade him after the season, he may wear down in July and August like he did last season:

OPS by Month, 2003
April: .718
May: .861
June: .837 (7 games)
July: .605
August: .604
September: 1.149 (12 games)

So if you hold onto Belliard and he stays consistent the rest of the season, then you have some major decisions as to the composition of next year's infield. If, say, Paul Konerko, the type of hitter the Indians desperately need in their lineup, shows some interest in playing first base for the Indians next year, who do you get rid of? Blake is still going to be cheap, and you just signed Aaron Boone for a 2005 contract. One of Brandon Phillips or Jhonny Peralta is going to be the shortstop next year, and you still have Ben Broussard and Travis Hafner floating around. See where I'm going with this? Belliard is eligible for arbitration, and if the Indians offer it to him, he'll be making a a lot more than he's making in 2004, probably more than Boone's 2005 base salary.

With the dearth of really good second baseman out there on the free agent market, Belliard will probably fetch a good return, be it a starter, reliever, prospects, or a combination of the three. Then you're left with an infield of Blake, Phillips/Peralta, Boone, and Konerko with Hafner as the DH, and Broussard on the bench or elsewhere. The money you save paying Belliard's arbitration bill you use elsewhere.

Of course, things could end up happening very differently from my scenario. But it's certainly a possibility.

Transactions

Purchased the Contract of RHRP Jack Cressend from Buffalo (AAA) and Recalled him to Cleveland

Designated OF Raul Gonzalez for Assignment

Promoted RHSP Francisco Cruceta to Buffalo (AAA) from Akron (AA)

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

Expensive Window Dressing is Still Window Dressing

The title sums up up my feelings on the matter. Yeah, this is a shining example to fans that Dolan will spend his money when warranted. But is this move really warranted? This is certainly not a move to help the Indians this year; Boone won't be healthy until the end of July, and even if healthy, is he going to make much of a difference? He's a quite average offensive third baseman (career .270/.327/.453), which Casey Blake has been for virtually the minimum this year. When he comes back, I would assume Blake moves over to first base to make room for Boone. So if you're looking for a comparison, that should be from Blake to Broussard, who will be sitting on the bench or in Buffalo when Boone gets here.

Blake .275/.360/.475
Broussard .243/.352/.343

Yes, that's definitely an upgrade. But this is still assuming Boone is going to come back after missing not playing for almost 10 months and hit his career average. That's probably not happening. So under what circumstances is this move a good one? I can't really think of one. Even though Ronnie Belliard is signed to a one-year contract, he still hasn't accrued enough service time to become a free agent. So if the Indians want him back next year, he'll be back. Although Boone might be a marginal upgrade at second over Belliard, the difference between his cost and Belliard's cost will cancel that out. And need I even examine any comparison between Boone and Blake? Blake won't even be eligible for arbitration next year by my calculations, so Blake will continue to be a bargain in 2005 as well.

No monetary aspects have been released as to Boone's contract, but the fact that the Indians have supposedly outbid several teams doesn't make the contract look like the $1M type of deal.

So what the heck do the Indians do with Boone? Blake doesn't really hit enough to be a competent first baseman, so that might mean some kind of bizarre three-way platoon between Boone, Blake, and Belliard if all three stick around next year. All three are right-handed, although Blake and especially Boone have better success against right-handers, and Belliard has built his career on mashing southpaws.

Please don't get me wrong about Boone's ability; he's a pretty average third baseman, and a pretty decent second baseman. But when you already have both on your team for relatively cheap contracts, Boone becomes nothing more than expensive window dressing. I'll see how exactly Boone will be used when he joins the team in about a month, but my initial reaction to this signing is one of puzzlement.

One of those games.

I don't really like to talk about what happens on the major-league level other than strategy and long-term effects, because (a) you can very easily get recaps from the Intenet, and (b) concentrating on one game only as a measure of a team seems a bit short-sighted to me. I'm a big picture guy; I like to step back and see the team for what it has accomplished over the long-haul, and if certain players are going to successful because they have proven themselves over a sufficient stretch of games. In other words, I'm a big proponent of importance of sample size.

However, I have to make an exception for last night's 11-9 loss to the White Sox. At least from my point of view, this game proved that the Indians are back. What does "back" mean? Well, it can mean that the Indians should no longer be thrown in with the also-rans; they now matter in baseball's conscious. Does this mean that the rebuilding is now over? No way; in virtually any other division, talk of making the playoffs would have migrated into the realm of the fanatically optimistic. As of today, the Indians are 4 games back of the Twins and 3 games back of the White Sox. That's an impressive feat considering how they started the season. That the Indians are a mediocre team in late June despite having the worst bullpen in captivity is a nice accomplishment.

Let me get back to why last night's loss was important. To me, it showed that even though they threw Scott Elarton, a pitcher that may be looking for work in Indianapolis or Omaha soon, against one of the better pitchers in the American League, even though they were down 8 runs after three innings, they were capable of overcoming those mistakes to make the game interesting. Do I expect this to happen every time? No. But the fact that it is now possible for them to do this, regardless of the ultimate outcome of the game, gave me a real shot in the arm as an Indians fan.

Now I'm going to step back a little bit. What does Mark Shapiro do if the Indians are a .500 team at the All-Star Break and 4-5 games back of first place? More specifically, how do the Indians balance their short-term and long-term goals in a year when even management assumed that the Indians weren't going to be a playoff team? My short answer is this: don't even think about trading your star prospects, but go for marginal upgrades wherever you can get them. Try to get Kris Benson for simply the price of his contract and a marginal prospect. See if the Mariners want to dump John Olerud. Go after the Jason Grimsleys of the world, but don't give up a Denny Batista in order to get him. In other words, be aggressive, but be smart. The plan is working right now; don't stray from it just yet.

The Promotions Begin

Promoted 1B Michael Aubrey, RHSP Dan Denham, and CA David Wallace to Akron (AA) from Kinston (A+)

Aubrey dominated the Carolina League to the tune of .339/.438/.550, and now is going to get a crack at the Eastern League. He's the best prospect the Indians have in my opinion, thanks to a very good batting eye (27 BB to 26 SO), the emergence of home run power (10 HR in 218) and his defensive ability at first base. If he succeeds in Akron, the Indians might look to sign a one-year solution at first and let Aubery have the job in 2006. Ben Broussard is probably on his out of the organization after this year, and Aubrey is one of the bigger reasons why.

David Wallace has been a bit of a dissapointment, in that he just hasn't hit at all. But he's eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this year, and catchers who at least have the potential to hit for power and average are prime targets for clubs, especially since it's extremely easy to hide a catcher on your roster.

Promoted OF Franklin Gutierrez to Buffalo (AAA) from Akron (AA)

I don't really know if this is meant to give Ryan Ludwick some at-bats in Akron while rehabbing, or if this is a permanent move. But Franklin has been as advertised; Hitting 23 doubles 249 games is a real good sign that he's going to eventually hit for some power. He has to improve on his strikout ratios, but that's a fixable problem for a young power hitter. With Grady Sizemore heating up in Buffalo, the Indians will have some interesting decisions to make this offseason.

Promoted RHRP Todd Pennington to Akron (AA) from Mahoning Valley (SSA)

Demoted CA Javi Herrera, CA Armando Camacaro, and 2B Rodney Choy Foo to Kinston (A+) from Akron (AA)

Demoted CA Caleb Brock to Lake County (A-) from Kinston (A+)

Signed 2004 Draft Pick RHP Mark Jecmen (7) to a minor-league contract

Transactions

Outrighted CA Sandy Martinez to Buffalo (AAA)

Major League Baseball suspended LHSP Cliff Lee for 6 games; Lee appealed the suspension

I really don't like this at all. Lee made one pitch, without warnings being issued, that did not hit a batter, and he gets suspended for a start? This isn't as bad as the Jaret Wright/Pedro Martinez fiasco a couple years ago, but I think it's completely unfair just the same. I don't know if Lee's intention was to throw at Griffey, but the fact that it was Ken Griffey, Jr. standing in that batter's box and not any other player on the Reds certainly made MLB's decision to suspend Lee easier.

More on Blake vs. Boone

Andy Call of the Canton Repository nails the Aaron Boone situation:

A study of numbers indicates Boone would not be a significant upgrade from incumbent Casey Blake, especially not at the cost. Signing Boone would require a multiyear contract worth several million. Blake’s salary for 2004 is $352,400. He won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2005 season.



Now of course, if the Indians signed Boone to play second base (assuming you can't re-sign Ronnie Belliard), he might be worth a multi-year contract. But if you're looking at this from a cost-benefit analysis, replacing Blake with Boone doesn't make much sense at all.

More Transactions

Released IF Oscar Salazar from Akron (AA)

Received IF Scott Youngbauer from the Phillies to complete the Robert Ellis trade

Placed RHSP Andrew Brown (AA) on the Disabled List ("arm fatigue")

Not a good sign to see Brown on the shelf with arm problems. He was probably going to Buffalo in the next couple of weeks, and might have been a September callup. Regardless, I'm hoping that this isn't anything that requires surgery.

Scott Youngbauer looks like your standard minor-league utility infielder. He avoids walks like the plague, and has some power. But he's 25 years old and in his first full season at AA, so you be the judge. Obviously, the Indians think he's a marginally better player than Oscar Salazar, who they released to make room for Youngbauer.

It was nice to see Cliff Lee rebound last night and pitch probably his best game of the season. He didn't walk anyone and struck out 7. However, he accomplished this against a lineup that yielded Randy Johnson's perfect game and Ben Sheet's 18 strikeout shutout in consecutive starts. Still you had to like his control, which is the key to his success. If Cliff can gain a little more control (he's walked 41 in 82.2 IP), look out.

The short-season leagues are starting up. I've pieced together the Mahoning Valley roster, and the Burlington roster should be known later this weekend.

Finally, I don't really see Aaron Boone as an upgrade if the Indians sign him. Casey Blake is a real nice value for the near future, and signing Boone for a couple million is in my opinion a waste of money. I'd rather the Indians simply wait until after the season to start adding contracts if Boone is the best available talent right now. Or explore some trades where teams are looking to dump contracts. The White Sox pretty much gave Billy Koch to the Marlins, as did the Astros in trading Richard Hidalgo to the Mets. I'm not saying the Indians should have been in on those particular deals, but in today's economic climate, you could get a decent player for nothing more than taking their salary. The Indians aren't really to the point where trading for Freddy Garcia and/or Carlos Beltran makes sense, but there's no reason for them to look for marginal improvements when they can get them.

Transactions

Signed 2004 Draft Pick LHP Scott Lewis (3)

Promoted RHSP Fausto Carmona to Akron (AA) from Kinston (A+)

Sent RHRP Bob Wickman, OF Ryan Ludwick, and CA Josh Bard to Akron (AA) on Rehab Assignments

Placed OF Dennis Malave (A+) on the Disabled List

Reinstated 3B Pat Osborn (A+) from the Disabled List

Demoted IF Brett Parker to Lake County (A-) from Kinston (A+)

More Signings

Signed 2004 Draft Picks OF Michael Butia (5), OF Jason Denham (13), OF Chris Giminez (19), LHP Justin Pekarek (8), RHP Adrian Schau (27), RHP Kyle Collins (32), RHP Jose Amaya (38), RHP Dustin Roddy (40), RHP Josh Harris (42), SS Brian Finegan (15), and 3B Derek Peterson (20)

RHRP Lou Pote refused Outright Assignment and became a free agent

Transactions

Designated CA Sandy Martinez for Assignment

Purchased the Contract of OF Raul Gonzalez (AAA) and Recalled him to Cleveland

Gonzalez provides a right-handed bat, which will be especially important for the upcoming National League road trip. Gonzalez was hitting .341/.391/.647 for Buffalo since he was signed last month.

And I can't resist commenting on yesterday's drubbing of Baltimore. To me, more important than John McDonald going 4-4 for the first time in his career was Jake Westbrook's four-hitter. Those 9 innings of shutout ball gave Jake the American League lead in ERA. Think about that for a second. Just two months ago he was a little-used spot starter in the bullpen, and now he's one of the best pitchers in the league. Will it last? I doubt it, but I think that Westbrook (finally) has figured out that his stuff is good, and all he needs to be successful is to throw strikes.

From my Spring Training Preview (2-29-04):

If Davis is overrated, Jake Westbrook is a bit underrated. He's never going to rack up the strikeouts, but his pitches all have movement, and those are the types of pitchers who stick around for a while. Two full seasons removed from shoulder surgery, Jake should be able to go 180 IP if inserted in the rotation, and be a nice 4th or 5th starter.

Don't believe me? Here's Jake's numbers, along with the numbers another low-strikeout pitcher who had a "great" season:

Westbrook 133.0 IP, 4.33 ERA, 58 SO, 9 HR, 6 UER
Anderson 197.2 IP, 3.78 ERA, 87 SO, 27 HR, 27 UER

The difference bewteen the two? Brian Anderson gave up almost three times the number of unearned runs Westbrook did, and it deflated his ERA enough so that he got a two-year deal from the Royals. If Westbrook can trust his sinker (and it's a good one), he should be able to eat a lot of innings in the back of the rotation.

Transactions

Promoted RHSP Sean Smith to Kinston (A+) from Lake County (A-)

Reinstated RHSP Blake Allen (A-) from the Disabled List

Transactions

Purchased the Contract of RHRP Scott Elarton and Recalled him to Cleveland

Optioned OF Alex Escobar to Buffalo (AAA)

I didn't see this coming. The Indians don't have an off day for a couple more weeks, and, by optioning Escobar down, they'll be playing with essentially three outfielders. Lou Merloni can play the outfield in a pinch, but he should be at first base tomorrow against Cory Lidle [EDIT: Lidle is obviously right-handed. Merloni will probably be playing instead against Eric DuBose on Monday]. Obviously Sandy Martinez is going back to Buffalo when Victor Martinez is healthy, but Escobar can't be recalled for 10 days. So I'm thinking that S. Martinez will be DFAd and either Mark Little, Raul Gonzalez, or Ernie Young will be added to the team as the 4th outfielder. All three are career minor-league outfielders, and have put up good numbers for the Bisons. This would now allow Alex Escobar to play every day, and gives Coco Crisp (possibly) one last extended shot to show he can play everyday.

"So", you say, "What about Grady?" I don't think the timing is right. Sizemore has been on a roll lately, and after a slow start has started to heat up. Nevertheless, there's absolutely no reason to rush him to the majors. Also, with Ryan Ludwick getting close to returning, the Indians have to decide who among their outfielders have a future with the club. Ludwick will not be playing at first base, at least for this season, so he'll be taking at-bats away from either Crisp or Escobar. So now's the time to see if Coco Crisp can become that leadoff hitter the Indians thought they were getting from the Cardinals. Sizemore is probably going to be the Indians' starting center fielder next year, and unless Matt Lawton is traded, one among Crisp, Escobar, or Ludwick won't be with the organization in 2005. Escobar and Ludwick have no option years left after 2004, and Coco Crisp just has just one left, I believe.

Nevertheless, the rebuilding process is really beginning to get exciting. We're starting to see some of the pieces fall in place, and there's more on the horizon. And of course, the team is winning some games.

Signed 25th Round Pick CA Wyatt Toregas, 29th Round Pick OF Charles Hiser, and 35th Round Pick LHP Charles Knippschild to minor-league contracts

Nothing earth-shattering here. All three are college players, so you should see them in Niles this summer. Hiser looks like an interesting player; he hit 21 home runs for the Panthers this season and was 19-19 in steals. He also has a decent arm.

Transactions

Traded IF Todd West (AA) to the Arizona Diamondbacks for IF Mayobanex Santana; Assigned him to Kinston (A+)

Signed 6th Round Pick RHP Cody Bunkelman to a minor-league contract; Assigned him to Burlington (R+)

Cody is probably not going to be rushed through the system; he's a *really* raw 19-year-old pitcher (he's only played baseball for two years) who has a 95+ mph fastball, but not much else.

Promoted CA Javi Herrera to Akron (AA) from Lake County (A-)

Promoted CA Brian Luderer to Buffalo (AAA) from Akron (AA)

Purchased the Contract of CA Sandy Martinez and Recalled him to Cleveland

Designated RHRP Lou Pote for Assignment

I certainly don't like the looks of this move. If Victor's ankle was day-to-day, you'd think the Indians might just manage with just Tim Laker for a couple days. Of course, maybe they brought S. Martinez up to catch Saturday's or Sunday's game. Whatever the case, the Indians lineup takes a huge hit without Victor in it. Victor has established himself as one of the best offensive catchers in baseball, and it's a big drop between him and Tim Laker.

As for Pote, he'll probably clear waivers and join the dozen or so ex-Indians in the Buffalo bullpen. He was reportedly acquired from Oakland for $1, and I doubt two weeks have changed the opinions of the other GMs in baseball.

This also clears a 40-man roster spot for Scott Elarton, who is (unofficially) going to make a start this series. Kaz Tadano will probably be sent down to make his scheduled start in Buffalo.

Transactions

Placed IF Kevin Orie (AA) on the Disabled List

Reinstated 2B Joe Inglett (AA) from the Disabled List

Promoted IF Luis Cotto to Lake County (A-) from Extended Spring

Promoted SS Brandon Pinckney to Akron (AA) from Lake County (A-)

The Draft

Out of all the four major sports, baseball's draft is the least relevant to the team in the short-term. But that doesn't mean it can't make or break a team's farm system. The Indians had awful drafts in the late 1990s, and therefore had an awful farm system in 2001-2002. That's one of the reasons why Mark Shapiro decided to gut the Indians in 2002 and start over. The biggest reason why the Atlanta Braves have stayed successful since 1991? Excellent drafting and excellent player development.

So with that in mind, let's take a cursory look at the first couple picks in this year's draft. If you want a more in-depth look at who the Indians picked, I suggest you look at the always excellent Cleveland Indians Report.

Jeremy Sowers isn't what I'd term a "sexy" pick. He's not going to throw 95 mph. He isn't some high school phenom with huge upside. But Sowers is the biggest bet among the pitchers in the draft to become a solid major league starter. In a draft where the talent wasn't what it had been in the past couple year,(Contrary to popular belief, Jered Weaver is in no shape or form the next Mark Prior), getting Sowers is a nice pick for the Indians. He'll move fairly fast through the system (He's projected to at least see Kinston this year).

Round 2 saw the Indians take another college arm from a strong conference. Justin Hoyman is a sinkerball pitcher that should also move fairly fast through the system. I don't really know if he's any more than a 4th starter in the majors, but again, the success rate for draft picks is so small that I'll definitely take it. For reference, Zach Sorensen was the 2nd Round pick of the Indians in 1998.

The pick I'm really excited about is LHP Scott Lewis in Round 3. He dominated the Big 10 in 2003, and would have been a first round pick had he not been injured. He's healthy now, but didn't pitch enough inning this year to get first round consideration. If the Indians sign him, he could be a steal.

And finally, the Indians went for upside when they picked Chuck Lofgren in the 4th Round. He was scouted as both a pitcher and an outfielder, but the Indians want to make him a pitcher.

Transactions

Placed RHSP Joe Dawley on the 15-day Disabled List (elbow)

Recalled RHRP Kazuhito Tadano from Buffalo (AAA)

Reinstated RHRP Kane Davis (AAA) from the Disabled List

Tadano will probably only be in Cleveland until Sunday, when a starter (most likely Scott Elarton) will be recalled. Elarton has an "out" clause if he isn't in the majors by June 28th, so the Indians will give him a shot. If he doesn't work out, no big loss.

Whitney Returns

Promoted 3B Matt Whitney to Lake County (A-) from Extended Spring

Demoted IF Luis Cotto to Extended Spring from Lake County

Juan Gonzalez's going away present (supp. round, 2002) returns after a freak accident in Spring Training of 2003. Although his injury wasn't as noted as Alex Escobar's, it may have been more damaging. Whitney may have been playing third base for the Akron Aeros tonight instead of DHing for the Captains, Hector Luna may have been protected over Corey Smith, and the Indians might have been content to stay with Casey Blake until Whitney was ready. Well, the last part may still happen, but Whitney's timetable for the big leagues has been set back just about 2 years because of the injury.

How special was Whitney before the injury? Baseball Prospectus has a Similarity Index on their PECOTA cards that measures their "historical uniqueness". The lower the score, the more unique the player is. Anything below 20 is historically unusual. Whitney rated a 2. Yes, he's pretty special.

I doubt that they'll do anything drastic with Whitney this year. 2004 is meant only for Whitney to get back into playing shape.

Transactions

Traded LHRP Matt White to the Kansas City Royals for a Player to be Named Later

White's trans-continental travels continue. Last year, he spent time with in Seattle and Boston, before being returned to Cleveland as a Rule 5 pick. This year he was selected again in the Rule 5 draft, this time by Colorado. He was then claimed off waivers by the Indians and outrighted off the 40-man roster. He's spent the first couple months of the season in Buffalo. Now he's off to Omaha. The Indians should receive some type of useful minor-league player for White, as he's left-handed and fairly young still. But being a southpaw will take White only so far, as he hasn't been able to get AAA hitters out, allowing an astonishing 45 hits in 31.2 IP.

Back to the majors for a bit. I think we can safely start to identify who should be part of the 2005 contending Indians. These are the players who could conceivably be good enough to be a contributing member of a playoff team. I have the list at 7:

LF Matt Lawton
CF Jody Gerut
CA Victor Martinez
DH Travis Hafner
SP CC Sabathia
SP Cliff Lee
RP Rafael Betancourt

Now of course, some players currently on the roster will most likely still be around. Ronnie Belliard might be re-signed. Casey Blake may become a bench player. And I'm not including injured players like Josh Bard, Ryan Ludwick, and Billy Traber. Brandon Phillips is most likely going to be the shortstop next year. David Riske should be part of the bullpen if he continues to improve. And someone from the group of Jason Davis, Jake Westbrook, Jason Stanford, and Kyle Denney might be the 4th or 5th starter in next year's rotation.

As we get closer to the end of the season, I'll explore which potential free agents might fit with the Indians.

Some Surprises, and Some Not-so-Surprises

At the end of this month Player Development Director John Farrell likes to make promotions. With the exception of the Buffalo starters and some injuries in Akron, the system is full of players who have played to and even above expectations. Here's a couple prospects you probably know about, and a couple you didn't even know existed:

1B Michael Aubrey, Kinston (A+) Age 22

171 AB, .322/.406/.538, 8 HR, 11 2B, 23 SO, 17 BB

If the season ended today, I'd have a tough decision naming the Indians' #1 prospect. But for now, Aubrey gets the nod given his all-around game and his impressive debut at a fairly high level. He's probably one of the most polished hitting prospects in the minors, and is said to have Gold Glove potential at first base. I've seen some comparisons to Rockies superstar Todd Helton, and while every promising player is the next somebody, you can see the similarities. He's going to be promoted to Akron soon, and that's a pretty big test for a prospect. But given his plate discipline, I don't think he'll have too much trouble moving quickly through the high minors and arrive in Cleveland some time next year. This is the Indians' first baseman for the next ten years.

OF Franklin Gutierrez, Akron (AA) Age 21

187 AB, .299/.374/.449, 16 2B, 4 HR, 57 SO, 18 BB

He'd be the #1 prospect for a lot of teams. His upside is a little higher that Aubrey's, but there's more risk here. He's doing very well in AA considering his age, and on pace to eclipse the numbers Grady Sizemore put up here last season. He has definite power potential, and the amount of doubles he's been hitting shows that. His plate discipline is improving a bit, and if continues to do so, he should see Cleveland in late 2005 or early 2006 as either a center fielder or a right fielder. Trading Milton Bradley certainly hurt the club in the short-term (he'd be an obvious upgrade over Alex Escobar/Coco Crisp), but Mark Shapiro definitely received some outstanding prospects for him.

OF Grady Sizemore, Buffalo (AAA) Age 21

203 AB, .261/.343/.414, 9 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 36 SO, 24 BB

His numbers may seem a bit pedestrian compared to Aubrey and Gutierrez, but Grady has picked up the pace in the last two weeks. In Spring Training, he lost 15 pounds due to sickness, and started out of the gates slow. But there are still a lot to like about Grady; he's still walking, and the power is coming. In a perfect world, he'd be a center fielder in Cleveland, but he may have to move over to left field when Matt Lawton leaves. He should make his major-league debut in August or September.

RHP Andrew Brown, Akron (AA) Age 23

40.1 IP, 4.02 ERA, 58 SO, 14 BB (Jacksonville)
9.2 IP, 1.86 ERA, 15 SO, 4 BB (Akron)

When evaluating a minor-league pitcher, I go right past wins/losses and ERA to his strikeouts and walks. And I like what I see with Brown. Sidelined with arm problems last year, he was one of the players Mark Shapiro considered for the PTBNL in the Milton Bradley trade. And although he didn't have to choose anyone until the end of June, Brown's numbers made the choice extremely easy. He'll probably be promoted to Buffalo at the end of the month, and may get a September callup. I'd really like to see him stay a starter, and hopefully the Indians can withstand the temptation throw him into the bullpen because of a need in Cleveland. Of course, the obvious caveat with Brown is if he can stay injury-free, but guys who strikeout 73 in 51 innings don't come along every day.

RHP Adam Miller, Lake County (A-) Age 19

55.0 IP, 2.95 ERA, 65 SO, 17 BB

High school pitchers are the riskiest of propositions for clubs to draft high, but the Indians seem to hit the jackpot with Miller. Yes, he's still in low A-ball, there's always the risk of injury, and TINSTAAP. But Miller is dominating hitters with a fastball that reaches 95 mph, and a very good slider. Obviously I'm not going to pencil him into the Cleveland rotation yet (I'll save that conversation for when he gets to Akron), but I'm calling your attention to him now.

CA Ryan Garko, Kinston (A+) Age 23

170 AB, .341/.432/.618, 14 2B, 11 HR, 26 SO, 15 BB

He's putting up gaudy numbers, but he needs to be moved fast to see how good he really is. Garko was drafted last year as a college senior, and his age is going cloud any discussions of his prospect status. I'm pleasantly surprised, but I'll see how he does in AA first. His upside is a guy like Matt LeCroy, who can mash and play the catcher position passably.

RHP Fausto Carmona, Kinston (A+) Age 20

58.1 IP, 2.93 ERA, 50 SO, 18 BB

The fact that his strikeout ratios are improving after a promotion is definitely encouraging. Last year, he dominated the South Atlantic League with pinpoint control. Now he's missing bats, and will probably move to Akron soon. He has a "projectable frame", so there is still some room for his stuff to get a little better.

Others that are worthy: Jake Dittler, Ryan Goleski, Kyle Denney, Dan Denham, Nathan Panther, Brandon Pinckney, Kevin Kouzmanoff

Transactions

Demoted RHRP Chip Southerland to Extended Spring from Lake County (A-)

Promoted RHRP Bo Ashabraner to Lake County (A-) from Extended Spring

Traded RHSP Robert Ellis (AAA) to the Philadelphia Phillies for "Future Considerations"

Reinstated RHSP Kyle Denney (AAA) from the Disabled List (knee)

Outrighted RHSP Chad Durbin to Buffalo (AAA)

After a two hiatus, the "Free Kyle Denney" movement is about to pick up steam. With only Joe Dawley standing between him and the majors, tonight's start may give Denney his ticket to Cleveland. Dawley will get at least one more start against Anaheim, so he'll have an opportunity to stay in Cleveland's rotation.

I guess SWB needed another body; that's the only rationale I have for them to trade for Ellis. Or maybe they sent back another useless body in return.

Transactions

Placed SS Ivan Ochoa (A+) on the Disabled List (shoulder)

Demoted IF Michael West to Kinston (A+) from Akron (AA)

Promoted IF Kevin Orie to Akron (AA) from Extended Spring

The New York Yankees claimed RHRP Jason Anderson off waivers