On Deck Circle 7/24/17: Solving The Indians Starting Rotation

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


Going into the season, starting pitching for the Indians seemed like a huge strength of the team. Corey Kluber is a top 3 pitcher in the AL, Carlos Carrasco could be the ace of many other staffs, Danny Salazar has been very solid for the past 2 seasons and Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin have been serviceable pitchers for end of rotation.

This season, Kluber and Carrasco are still performing well and to their norm, the others though…not so much. A team that went to the World Series last season and has expectations of being there again this season is currently underperforming and clinging onto a division lead in which they should be running away with and that is falling on the shoulders of the starting pitching.

So now with the trade deadline approaching and Danny Salazar returning from the disabled list, the big question is what the Indians should do with the starting rotation. Salazar’s return means that there are 6 starting pitchers on the roster so there will be one odd man out now and even then, most aren’t overly optimistic that going with the current starters on the roster will be enough to capture the AL pennant. So where do the Indians go from here and who should be the 5 starting pitchers?

First, let’s not even bother with talking about Kluber or Carrasco. Those 2 are the top 2 starters and won’t be moving at all from the rotation, so those spots are set.

Next comes Mike Clevinger, who started out on fire in triple A and has carried over his pitching performance to the big leagues. Clevinger is a smaller sample size than the others with only 12 starts this season, but his 2.73 ERA and 1.12 WHIP puts him right up there with Kluber and Carrasco and is a solid #3 starter. Him being the “new guy” with less time in the MLB than the others shouldn’t matter, he’s outperforming the other candidates for the 3 spot and should remain as the guy there, would be a huge mistake if experience trumps production in this case.

Before we continue on about current Indians pitchers, here’s where the potential for a trade comes in to play. I know many fans will be upset if the Indians do not make a move for a starting arm before the deadline(July 31st), but the reality of it is they are most likely not going to be...

Why? A number of reasons.

The first being that there’s not really a big market for available starting pitchers. The Rangers are shopping Yu Darvish but he comes with a monster price tag and is a rent-a-player, Indians won’t be re-signing him considering he will be an 100+ million dollar contract likely and the tribe will have their hands full with Francisco Lindor this offseason. The Rays would be insane to trade Chris Archer with the way he’s performed along with his money and years friendly contract, the Pirates just sprung right back into division contention so Gerrit Cole is off the trading block, so we are looking at Sonny Gray as the best available target out there as far as pitching goes.

Sonny Gray is a good pitcher, but that’s it. He would be a solid upgrade over whoever is the #4 starter, but he’s not an ace of a staff or anything as his 3.66 ERA and 1.18 WHIP shows. The biggest issue with trading for Gray is his price, especially when considering what the Cubs recently gave up for Jose Quintana (who Gray is better than.) The Cubs shelled out a top 10 prospect in Eloy Jimenez, a top 70 prospect in Dylan Cease and 2 other prospects for Quintana, so if the A’s are looking for that type of deal then the Indians most likely will not be in the running. They gutted the farm system a bit last season with the acquisition of Andrew Miller, and right now only have 3 prospects in the top 100. So Indians fans need to ask themselves if Sonny Gray is worth giving up both Francisco Mejia and Triston McKenzie for, or McKenzie and Bobby Bradley for, any combination of 2 of the top 3 prospects being involved in this trade.

Big deals in consecutive years are damaging to the farm, it’s just a matter of Sonny Gray being that guy that puts Cleveland over the top, like Miller was last season, and if not then they should pass on the deal.

For now, we will stick with who the Indians have in order to fill out the remainder of the pitching rotation, and what player should occupy the #4 spot. While he possibly may be having the worst season off all the starters on this team, this is where Danny Salazar fits in. He’s the best overall pitcher of what’s left and the 2 previous seasons his ERA has been under 4.00, so I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt to him based on his track record. He’s just getting back from the DL and we can revisit this after his next few starts but right now, he has the best chance of turning it around and pitching well down the stretch.

So that leaves us with Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin for that 1 final spot. This is a tough call really, both have pitched poorly overall this season but Trevor Bauer should remain a starting pitcher, sending Josh Tomlin to the bullpen. This seems like it would be an unpopular pick as Bauer has fallen out of graces with many fans, partly due to his political views and overall attitude, but there are a few reasons why he should be the 5th starter over Josh Tomlin.

One of the worst things a relief pitcher can do is come out of the bullpen and walk guys, especially since there will be times he’ll come on in relief with men on base already. Bauer leads the team in walks and has a higher WHIP than Tomlin, I’d trust Tomlin to come out of the bullpen and shut down an inning before Bauer would, especially considering how different of a change it would be for hitters if Tomlin were to relieve Kluber or Carrasco. When splitting hairs over pitchers with similar stats, how they fit in to the bullpen should definitely be a factor, and Tomlin would make a better pitcher coming on in relief than Bauer would. He could easily smooth over the rockiness of Brian Shaw, where Bauer might just be another Brian Shaw out of the bullpen.

There’s also their overall stuff, and I know we’ve been hearing about Bauer having a ton of talent and just not producing but I’ll take a “hit or miss” 5th starter with the potential to throw a gem over someone with just decent stuff. We’re not asking either to be a top of the line starter, so the risk-reward with Bauer should come into play here.

And finally, and most importantly here, the mental aspect and personality is in play here. I don’t want to make this sound like Tomlin should be “demoted” for this while also making it seem that Bauer should just get what he wants, but Tomlin is one of those guys that wants to do whatever is best for the team and is willing to help out in any way that he can. Bauer, from the way he talks and portrays himself, doesn’t seem to be that type of player. The worry of sending him to the bullpen could cause a big rift overall, can see him being upset to the point where he blows up and it affects his pitching to the point where he is rendered useless and whether fans like it or not, Bauer will be on the roster this season and won’t be DFA’d or traded (unless the Indians can make him a part of a Sonny Gray deal) so the Indians need to find use out of him. Tomlin would take it in stride and say that he’ll do whatever is asked of him, it makes more sense just to keep things on an even keel here to move Tomlin around while keeping Bauer where he’s at.

So that’s what it should look like going forward barring any trades. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer as the starting rotation and Josh Tomlin in the bullpen. When you look at it that way, if Clevinger remains pitching the way he has and Salazar finds his groove and gets back to 2016 form, this rotation may be good enough for a pennant run after all.

On Deck Circle 5/14/17: Stay Optimistic, Tribe Fans!

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


Corey Kluber is on the DL.

Danny Salazar has not been pitching well.

Trevor Bauer has been atrocious, and that’s putting it lightly.

Edwin Encarnacion has been struggling with providing the power that all Indians fans hoped for.

Jason Kipnis is still trying to get back in the groove after starting the season on the DL.

The defense is just down right bad.

So, with all of these problems, why should Indians fans stay optimistic? There’s only 1 reliable starter, poor defense being played, and offense that ranks in the lower 3rd of the league in majority of categories. That normally would spell out a team that has too many deficiencies to overcome and reason to not buy in to their squad.

Many reasons, the first one being that despite all of their current issues, they are still 18-17 and only 2 games out of first in the AL Central. And I know it’s way too early to start dissecting the playoff picture, but they are still right in the thick of things as a wild card team. This is essentially saying that if only half of the issues mentioned turn around then the Indians will have no problem with taking control of the division and regaining their place atop the entire American League.

If Kluber comes back from the DL and starts pitching well along with Salazar finding his groove then that will be more than enough, add in that Mike Clevinger very well may take Bauer’s starting spot in the rotation and now the starting pitching is exponentially better. Or if the Indians start getting that big pop from Encarnacion’s bat and Kipnis raises his batting average, the offense improves and these 3-2 or 2-1 losses turn into 5-3 or 3-2 wins. A lot can change still, the season is still relatively young and it’s too soon to throw in the towel on this team just because things aren’t going as planned right now.

This leads right into my second reason, this is a proven team with proven players. It would be a bit different as far as optimism goes had this team not gone to the World Series last season, if they were just a .500 team last year then likely there wouldn’t be a sense to stay positive about this team. But this team is good, with a lot of returning players from last season and got even better in the offseason.

There’s reason to keep faith in Kluber and Salazar pitching well because we know they can, just like there’s reason to believe that Encarnacion’s bat will be there. This isn’t a team that’s just hoping that they can get production from some unlikely places, gone are the days of pinning their hopes on Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Giambi to provide the pitching and hitting even though they are well out of their prime. Getting production out of Mike Napoli was great, but he eventually bottomed out so they replaced him with a guy that has hit at least 34 home runs in 5 straight seasons. This is a real good team, probably the best 25 man roster in the AL, they are weathering the storm right now and keeping themselves in a position where there’s little no ground to make up once they start clicking, which they will.

Aside from all the negatives, the one main constant positive is how great this bullpen is. That has been the Indians’ saving grace so far, the fact that if they have a lead through 5-6 innings then the bullpen is a steel trap and protects that lead no matter how small it may be. Andrew Miller and Nick Goody still have not given up an earned run this season, Cody Allen has saved 9 games and has not blown a save, and Bryan Shaw, who has been a target of frustration for fans, along with Boone Logan have held their own in relief opportunities. This is all happening with some poor starting pitching, once the starters turn it around then this is going to be an incredibly scary pitching staff as a whole. The bullpen alone should keep Indians fans optimistic, they will win every game that gets turned over to them while in the lead. They’ve been the reason why the record is what it is right now and will continue to be a solid part of the team going forward.

And finally, the biggest reason may just be the division that they play in. There are no teams in the division that are as good and talented as the Indians, Cleveland looks like they are sandbagging right now and no team in the AL Central has been able to capitalize on it. The only other quality team that could give the Indians a run for their money are the Detroit Tigers, and they have just as many, if not more, glaring issues than the Indians do right now. There’s no team like the Houston Astros or Washington Nationals in this division, no team that just looks stunning on paper that the Indians will struggle with. If the Indians are able to compete in the division currently with all of that they are lacking from key players, just imagine what they will do when those problems get resolved and those key players start performing accordingly. It’s a good spot to be in for the Indians, they’ve been given a nice buffer to work out all the kinks since no team is starting to run away with the division. This is still Cleveland’s division to win, they are the favorites to be crowned AL Central champs so there’s no reason why any fan shouldn’t be optimistic about this team making the playoffs still.

So there you have it, tribe fans. I know watching these games can be painful at times and I know that there were high expectations going into this season and the team has not played up to those expectations, but there’s plenty to remain positive about this team as the season goes on. This team will win the division and make the playoffs and will be a favorite to win the American League pennant, just keep the optimism flowing as the season continues.

On Deck Circle 5/5/17: Here Comes Clevinger

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


Corey Kluber has been placed on the 10-day disabled list. Kluber left Tuesday night’s game with back discomfort after allowing 5 runs on 7 hits in just 3 innings of work against the Detroit Tigers. After being evaluated by team doctors, his discomfort has been diagnosed as a back strain, which will require him to miss at least one start.

While no decision has been made on who will start in place of Kluber on Sunday, all signs point to Mike Clevinger being recalled from Triple A and getting the nod. Fans might remember Clevinger from last season, he was brought up towards the end of the season once Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar suffered injuries and he started a handful of games down the stretch. And if you don't remember Mike Clevinger by name, "that pitcher with that real long hair" might jog your memory. While he didn’t exactly have great outings in the majors last season, 3-3 with a 5.26 ERA and 1.49 WHIP, he has been lights out this season in Columbus. Clevinger is currently 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 6 starts(30 innings) so far, he’s also struck out 32 batters while walking 10. He’s in the top 10 in all major pitching categories in Triple A and top 5 in some even, a start to the season that will earn the 26 year old a start in the MLB. Add in that Clevinger’s next scheduled start is Sunday, the same day that Kluber’s next scheduled start would’ve been, and it makes perfect sense to move him up to the majors for this start.

Do not be surprised if it’s more than one start for Clevinger though, and that’s only partially due to the possibility of Kluber missing more time. Kluber is expected back from the DL to make a start on May 13th, but manager Terry Francona has stated that he wants him to be 100% healthy before he comes back. So the Indians may extend Kluber’s stay on the DL and give Clevinger another start and basically have him as a fill until Kluber is healthy and ready to return.

The other reason to not be surprised is he may pitch well enough to become a starter in the normal rotation. With the struggles that some Indians' pitchers have had this season, this could be more of an audition rather than just filling a spot until Kluber is ready to go again. The tribe has the expectations of getting to the World Series again this season, but right now the starting pitching is a big concern for them. Carlos Carrasco has been great for them and while Kluber and Salazar haven't had very good starts, their jobs are safe. Which leaves the 4th and 5th starters, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin, who are a huge black and blue bruise for their starting rotation that has many wondering how long either of them can remain as a starter for this team.

Trevor Bauer, while talented, has an ERA of 7.67 to go with a 1.59 WHIP, .287 opponents batting average and has already given up 6 home runs this season. In most cases, that would leave little to no job security and the plug could be pulled at any moment, but in this case he has the fortune of Josh Tomlin actually pitching worse than him. Tomlin checks in with a 8.87 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and .369 opponents batting average, which is beyond horrendous for someone who has made 5 starts this season.

So this is where Clevinger comes in, he has an absolute golden opportunity to not only hold the fort down for the Indians while Kluber spends some time on the DL, but to also take Josh Tomlin's or Trevor Bauer's spot in the rotation. Even if he doesn't light it up out there and Cleveland gets the pitcher from last season, that's still better production that what they are getting from the 4th and 5th spot in their rotation. This move here could go a long way in how the Indians approach the trade deadline and how they manage their bullpen from here on out, assuming either Tomlin or Bauer get moved there if Clevinger earns a spot.

A healthy Kluber to go with Carrasco and Salazar with Mike Clevinger pitching better from the 4th starting spot puts the tribe in a much better situation going forward than if Bauer and Tomlin were both in the starting rotation. Still might need to make some tweaks, maybe give Zach McCallister a start or two or move Ryan Merritt up from triple A to give him a chance and don't leave out the potential for a trade, but Clevinger coming in and pitching well is something all fans need to root for and not just so they can get some wins while Corey Kluber is out.

This is a good long term solution here for the Indians, and Mike Clevinger has all the opportunity in the world to come up to Cleveland, lock a job up and not be sent back down this season.

This Week In The Show 11.14.16: 2016 MLB Awards For An Unforgettable Season

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy


Another season is in the books and the Chicago Cubs have ended their 108 year drought and for the first time since Tinkers to Evers to Chance and “The Merkle Boner” the Cubs are World Series Champions.  Now that the games are done, we’ve entered into Awards Season where Major League Baseball will announce their most outstanding players and managers throughout the 2016 MLB Season.  Now before I get into my picks, let’s look back to my Preseason picks to see where we started from and how we got here.

My MLB Awards Preseason Picks

AL MVP and Dark horse- SS Carlos Correa HOU, OF Mookie Betts BOS
NL MVP and Dark horse- 1B Paul Goldschmidt ARI, SS Corey Seager LAD
AL Cy Young and Dark horse- SP Chris Sale CWS, SP Danny Salazar CLE
NL Cy Young and Dark horse- SP Clayton Kershaw LAD, SP Shelby Miller ARI
AL ROY and Dark horse- OF Tyler Naquin CLE, OF Aaron Judge NYY
NL ROY and Dark horse- SS Corey Seager LAD, SP Lucas Giolito WAS


First off, a couple of observations…man did I have too much faith in the Diamondbacks or what?  Goldschmidt had a great year, but Shelby Miller?  I apologize with my stupidity on that one.  I also bought into the Correa/Houston hype train as well.  Overall though looking at the season, I don’t think I’m too far off on a few of these.  So now that I’m done with laughing at myself and seeing where we started at the beginning of the year, we can jump into my picks now that we’ve seen how the season has happened.

AL MVP: Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox- My Preseason Dark horse pick after having an outstanding 2016 season is my pick for the AL MVP.  Betts followed up his first full MLB Season by hitting .318 (2nd in AL) and launching 31 HRs with 113 RBIs on top of his 26 steals.  We could easily dive into the other stats that make him worthy, but Mookie established himself in 2016 as the new face of the Boston Red Sox and quite possibly the best position player in the American League.  While there can be an extremely strong case for Mike Trout to win the MVP again, the difference here is Boston won its division.  Mookie was consistent all year long on a contender to easily be my pick with this award.

Honorable Mention Mike Trout LAA, David Ortiz BOS, Mark Trumbo BAL, Corey Kluber CLE, Jose Altuve HOU

NL MVP: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs- After a sensational rookie year, expectations were extremely high for Kris Bryant and he delivered in 2016.  Bryant avoided the dreaded, “Sophomore Jinx” and hit .292 with 39 HRs and 102 RBIs, establishing himself as quite possibly the best 3B in Baseball.  What stands out to me is his OPS (On Base + Slugging Pct), which was a .939 OPS.  Anything above .900 is impressive, but Bryant cut down on his strikeouts in 2016 (199 in 2015 to 154 in 2016) and was clutch for the Cubs all year long.  While I think you can make cases for some others, unlike the American League this one seems a bit more clear of a decision.

Honorable Mention Nolan Arenado COL, Anthony Rizzo CHC, Daniel Murphy WAS, Corey Saeger LAD

AL Cy Young: Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians- After a rocky 2015 season, Corey Kluber reestablished himself as one of the best, if not the best starter in the American League.  For the 3rd straight year, Kluber went struck out over 200 batters, and after going 9-16 in 2015, went 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP.  But what makes Kluber my pick goes beyond the numbers, the Indians all year relied on the arm of Kluber struggling through injuries in the rotation, plus inconsistency at the back of the rotation.  It seemed every time the Indians needed him to come up big, Kluber delivered.  You can’t teach that clutch ability Kluber brings that goes beyond the numbers.  Yes, you can make strong cases for Rick Porcello and Zach Britton.  But the circumstances throughout the year for the Indians and relying on a pitcher who came through almost every time, that makes Corey Kluber the choice for his 2nd AL Cy Young award.

Honorable Mention Zach Britton BAL, Rick Porcello BOS, Andrew Miller NYY/CLE

NL Cy Young: Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs- After 2 years of solid pitching in the rotation and being a question mark in the Cubs rotation going into the year, much like Cubs teammate Jake Arrieta came out of nowhere to be one of the most dominant pitchers in the National League.  Hendricks burst onto the scene going 16-8, leading the Majors in ERA at 2.13.  Hendricks ability to be able to locate his pitches made him almost a Greg Maddux type starter who teams just couldn’t seem to figure out.  The emergence of Hendricks was crucial for the Cubs who had Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta already.  I think a case could be made for Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw before his injury was going to win another Cy Young.  I will add I think Jose Fernandez might get quite a few votes here because of his dominance in the year before his tragic death.

Honorable Mention Max Scherzer WAS, Clayton Kershaw LAD, Jose Fernandez MIA

AL Rookie of the Year: Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees- Yes, Gary Sanchez only played in 53 games this year, but those 53 games made us all think what he’s going to do in 162 games.  After being the one of the Yankees most hyped up prospects for at least the last 4 years, Sanchez finally got playing time in the Bronx and made the most of it.  In his 53 games, Sanchez would hit 20 HRs with 43 RBIs, hitting .299 and had an OPS of 1.032.  One can imagine if he played 162 games, he may not have just won the Rookie of the Year, but might’ve gotten MVP consideration.  His emergence made what looked to be after the Trade Deadline a “Rebuilding” Yankees franchise and had them in Wild Card contention until the last week of the year.  While Michael Fulmer on Detroit had a strong rookie year, Sanchez was just that outstanding in the time he had this year.

Honorable Mention Michael Fulmer DET, Tyler Naquin CLE

NL Rookie of the Year: SS Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers- After showing promise in the last month of the 2015 season, the Dodgers had very high hopes for their #1 prospect in 2016.  Seager didn’t just live up to them, but exceeded them.  You could make a strong case that without Seager, the Dodgers aren’t even a playoff team.  Seager showed that he is the face of the Dodgers with Clayton Kershaw, giving NL West teams headaches for years to come.  He hit .308 with 27 HRs, 72 RBIs, and quietly also hit 40 Doubles, which for someone in their first full year is quite the accomplishment.  While teammate Kenta Maeda could make his own case along with Trea Turner, Seager emerged as the newest superstar in a young SS crop that is taking over Major League Baseball.

Honorable Mention Trea Turner WAS, Kenta Maeda LAD

AL Manager of the Year: Terry Francona, Cleveland Indians- I really don’t need to explain this, do I?  I mean I’m not even going to put an honorable mention here, because this one should be a unanimous vote.  With the low expectations going into the year for the Indians, the loss of Michael Brantley for the year, and the injuries to the pitching staff late in the year, no one could’ve done much better with what Tito had to deal with.  Without question, Terry Francona is your AL Manager of the Year.

Honorable Mention N/A (THIS ISN’T A CONTEST)

NL Manager of the Year: Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers- Yes, Joe Maddon and the Chicago Cubs had an outstanding year capped off with a World Series Championship…but we expected the Cubs to be a World Series contender in 2016.  After Don Mattingly and the Dodgers parting ways, the Dodgers made a rather bold hiring in Dave Roberts.  At one point in the year there was doubt that the Dodgers would win the division and with everything that could’ve gone wrong that did go wrong, the fact that Roberts got the Dodgers to be NL West Champions is nothing short of masterful managing.  So yes, Maddon in a way deserves the award, but looking at the circumstances for the Dodgers, Dave Roberts is my pick.

Honorable Mention Joe Maddon CHC 


As we head into the offseason, we should take these awards as a way to look back at what was an unforgettable Baseball season that I think has re-energized what was a dormant fanbase that really only a few fanbases appreciated and now has Baseball emerging once again as what it is, the great American Pastime.  For some it was full of heartbreak, some cheered, some crying, and some started to imagine what the future holds in the 2017 Baseball season.  Well before you know it, Winter pass by and welcome in the Spring and guess what?  We get to do this all over again.

Tribe Talk: It's Only The Beginning

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

They weren’t supposed to be that close to a World Series Championship.  The injuries that depleted their roster would make us just lucky to be in the playoffs, let alone winning the first American League pennant since 1997.  The players that emerged were supposed to be fringe prospects that could be serviceable, but you couldn’t count on them.  The coaching was suspect and with a down year could potentially put a future Hall of Fame Manager on the hot seat.  Yet…after all of that, the Cleveland Indians were 1 WIN AWAY from winning the Franchise’s first World Series since 1948.  And while the loss in the World Series to the Cubs stung, the Indians and their fans shouldn’t hang their heads down over this.  What they did was nothing short of miraculous and shouldn’t be forgotten, given everything that happened.  In 2016 we learned more about the character of the Cleveland Indians franchise than we did by the pure potential of the team in terms of talent.  In this Season Wrap-up we will see how the Indians got to the doorstep of winning the Fall Classic.

We go back to March when Spring Training started, the Indians were looked at by many as a team with a great Starting Rotation, a solid bullpen, but an offense that was extremely suspect, especially with Michael Brantley not scheduled to return until May.  The Indians had added Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis to add some veteran presence along with the power and speed they provided.  The Indians would add Juan Uribe to provide someone to start at 3B, along with his winning attitude that he’s brought everywhere he’s been.  What the Indians didn’t expect was the Spring Training emergence of Tyler Naquin who would torch pitching throughout March, earning his spot on the Opening Day roster.  Going into the regular season, expectations were low, I had the Indians finishing fourth in the division.  Little did we know the craziness that awaited us in the Regular Season…

The Indians started the year at home against the Boston Red Sox, a team a lot of analysts had picked to win the AL East.  That series would have 2 postponed games and the Indians would struggle out of the gate.  The Indians were primarily led by Josh Tomlin who went 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA.  Corey Kluber would start out the year in April going 1-3, leaving a lot of people to wonder if the Indians were going to get the 2015 Kluber, who pitched well, but just had no luck in terms of run support.  Michael Brantley would return late in the month of April, but would only be on the roster for 11 games before suffering a setback that would keep him out the rest of the season.  The Indians would go 10-11 in April, leaving many fans to wonder if 2016 was going to be just another mediocre year.

The Indians would show signs of life in May going 16-13, but it wasn’t until June that the Indians started to really come together.  The Indians would go on a 14 game winning streak that lead to a 22-6 month of June clearly putting the Indians atop of the AL Central.  The Indians were finally getting the 2014 AL Cy Young Corey Kluber back and Josh Tomlin was quietly off to one of his best seasons ever and would be one of the biggest AL All-Star snubs.  The Indians rotation was coming together, the Indians bullpen was hitting their stride and finding some new impact relievers like Dan Otero to bolster the depth.  The biggest story though in the month of June was the emergence of Jose Ramirez, who had burst onto the scene as a clutch hitter who was capable of filling the role left by the loss of Michael Brantley.  By June, the Indians had been platooning Ramirez with Juan Uribe at 3B and by July would become the full-time 3B as the Indians would release Juan Uribe.

In the month of July the Indians were at a crossroads, they had a solid offense that would probably propel them to an AL Central Championship as Mike Napoli became the Indians cleanup hitter and allowed the rest of the lineup to find their own roles to create a consistent balanced lineup.  But the Indians were missing something, a lefty reliever that they could rely on.  As the Trade Deadline approached, the Indians searched many options, but decided to go bold and push their chips in acquiring from the Yankees RP Andrew Miller AND Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy…or so we thought.  As the Andrew Miller trade was finalized that sent prized OF prospect Clint Frazier to the Yankees, Jonathan Lucroy would use this opportunity to exercise his No Trade clause, rejecting playing for the Indians.  This would force the returning Roberto Perez to platoon with veteran journeyman Chris Jimenez at Catcher.  But through this process, the Indians Front Office made a statement, “We’re ready to win NOW”.  That message hit home with the locker room who would use Jonathan Lucroy’s rejection as fuel that would propel them to the AL Central Crown, finishing the regular season at 94-67.

But the end of the year caused some roadblocks for the Indians going into the playoffs.  Danny Salazar had gone through shoulder problems in the 2nd Half that would put the Indians down one in their rotation.  Then Carlos Carrasco got in the way of a line drive that would break his hand, ending his season.  The Indians would go on to rely on Kluber, Josh Tomlin (after a horrible month of August), Trevor Bauer and Terry Francona’s “bullpen days” that would utilize the entire bullpen to get them through the game.  Going into the postseason, very few had the Indians really making it past the first round against the Red Sox.  Even Indians beat writers doubted their chances.

In the playoffs the Indians as they had come to show all year long showed the resilience that became their identity.  Against almost impossible odds to even stop Boston and the David Ortiz farewell tour, the Indians made quick work sweeping the Red Sox.  The Indians would then go on to face former team President Mark Shapiro and his Toronto Blue Jays.  With Corey Kluber and a revitalized Josh Tomlin, the Indians took two wins in Cleveland.  But a certain drone incident would set the team back again as Trevor Bauer’s pinky would be severely cut and in Game 3 wouldn’t make it out of the 1st inning because of his cut being reopened.  The Indians would somehow with their bullpen win Game 3 and would lose Game 4 with Corey Kluber starting.  That left Game 5 in the hands of rookie SP Ryan Merritt, who had one other career start late in the year at Kansas City.  Merritt would shock everyone, dominating an extremely talented Toronto lineup before turning it over to ALCS MVP Andrew Miller and the bullpen to close out the series and send the Indians to the World Series.

Now we all know how the World Series went down, the Indians against overwhelming odds and almost every analyst saying the Cubs would easily win this series, would somehow have a 3-1 lead against Chicago.  While the Indians would blow that lead, Game 7 of the World Series was the definition of the Cleveland Indians.  Down 6-1, the Indians wouldn’t quit and claw their way back before Rajai Davis, who had struggled all postseason would hit a game tying Home Run off Aroldis Chapman, who before Davis hadn’t given up a Home Run since he arrived in Chicago.  The Indians would one swing away from their first World Series Championship since 1948.  Even down 2 in the 10th, the Indians would continue to fight, scoring one and have the winning run at the plate before the Cubs finished the series once and for all.

Rajai. Davis.

Cleveland. Legend. #Game7 pic.twitter.com/PptzTVwcu5

— MLB (@MLB) November 3, 2016

So what did we learn in 2016 about the Cleveland Indians?  The Indians may not have the superstars like most teams, but the Indians have a will to win that can’t be measured.  Every time you count this team out, they fight until the bitter end.  While the ending wasn’t what we all had hoped for, the Indians seem like they’re in the same position as the Royals were after coming up short in 2014.  Like those Royals, the Indians not just have the bullpen, but the resilience that makes you never count them out of a game.  I fully expect the Indians to come into the 2017 season hungry to finish what they started in 2016 and to be honest, no matter what they do in the offseason, I wouldn’t put anything past these guys.  In 2015, I said their struggles throughout the 2015 season was exactly what they needed.  The Indians had guys like Jason Kipnis and Corey Kluber step up as a leaders and hold the team accountable.  It started to rub off on the new blood of the core like Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor who have finally seemingly have the left side of the infield plugged in for years to come.  Most of the team is under contract and will be back together for 2017 and will be ready to finish their mission.

While the Indians have decisions to make on bringing back Rajai Davis and Mike Napoli, I’m going to save my offseason predictions.  I mean nothing really happens until the Winter Meetings, but rest assured, you’ll see what I’d do and more importantly how the Indians have plenty of money to spend this offseason.

Guys…the Indians weren’t supposed to get here.  All the series of events throughout the season screamed that the Indians were lucky to even get to the playoffs.  Yet somehow, someway the Indians were 1 swing away from a World Series Championship.  This is only the beginning Tribe fans, the future is indeed bright for the Cleveland Indians.  WE WILL BE BACK…I guarantee it.

Leadoff with Lee 8.5.16

By Chris Lee, @TripleThreatLee

The Cleveland Browns cut day, like most teams, was swift and heavy. While there weren't many surprises, there were some notable names that are no longer with the team.

The Browns traded CB Justin Gilbert in a rare in division trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2018 sixth-round pick. In his 23 career games, Gilbert has 39 combined tackles and 1 interception.

Browns agreed to a one-year contract with former Denver Broncos punter Britton Colquitt. The punter with eight seasons under his belt, had 84 punts last year for Denver, averaging 43.6 yards.

As for the Browns and running back Raheem Mostert, his agent announced on Twitter his client was cut. The Browns likely view George Atkinson as a replacement for Mostert, who seemed to be the favorite for the No. 3 running back job until a hamstring injury interfered a couple of weeks ago.

The team also released S Rahim Moore. The 6th year DB was picked up by the team in the offseason, but the team obviously has decided to go in another direction. Moore had 16 combined tackles and 1 interception last season with Houston.

Also leaving Cleveland is veteran WR Marlon Moore along with the following waived players:

DL Kenton Adeyemi, DL Chigbo Anunoby, DB Pierre Desir, RB Jahwan Edwards, DB Mikell Everette, OL Dan France, WR Taylor Gabriel, DB Charles Gaines, OL Garth Gerhart, TE Connor Hamlett, TE J.P. Holtz, WR Darius Jennings, OL Kaleb Johnson, OL Mike Matthews, LB Jason Neill, DB Eric Patterson, P Kasey Redfern and LB Justin Tuggle.

The Browns did manage to claim running back George Atkinson, defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun defensive back Marcus Burley, defensive end/outside linebacker Tyrone Holmes and linebacker Corey Lemonier before the Sunday deadline. Cleveland also signed veteran DL Stephen Paea.

Here's what the roster looks like as of now:

OFFENSE
Quarterbacks (3): Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown, Cody Kessler;
Running backs (3): Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson Jr., George Atkinson
Fullback (1): Malcolm Johnson

Wide receivers (6): Terrelle Pryor, Andrew Hawkins, Corey Coleman, Ricardo Louis, Jordan Payton, Rashard Higgins

Tight ends (3): Gary Barnidge, Randall Telfer, Seth DeValve

Offensive line (8): Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, Cameron Erving, John Greco, Austin Pasztor, Shon Coleman, Spencer Drango, Alvin Bailey

DEFENSE

Defensive linemen (7): Danny Shelton, John Hughes III, Stephen Paea, Carl Nassib, Xavier Cooper, Jamie Meder, Tyrone Holmes

Linebackers (9): Christian Kirksey, Demario Davis, Tank Carder, Dominique Alexander, Scooby Wright III, Emmanuel Ogbah, Nate Orchard, Joe Schobert, Corey Lemonier

Defensive backs (10): Joe Haden, Jamar Taylor, Tramon Williams, Tracy Howard, Ibraheim Campbell, Jordan Poyer, Derrick Kindred, Don Jones, Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Marcus Burley

SPECIALISTS 

Kicker (1): Patrick Murray
Punter (1): Britton Colquitt

Long snapper (1): Charley Hughlett

Reserve/Suspended

Receiver Josh Gordon (4 weeks)

Defensive end Armonty Bryant (4 weeks)

PRACTICE SQUAD

OL Dan France

TE Connor Hamlett

WR Darius Jennings

OL Kaleb Johnson
QB Kevin Hogan
OL Anthony Fabiano
DT Gabe Wright

- The Eagles corrected a huge mistake by taking advantage of the desperate Vikings. Philadelphia's deal of Sam Bradford to the Minnesota in exchange for a 2017 first-round pick and a 2018 fourth-round pick cures the loss of Teddy Bridgewater. It's worth noting that the Eagles paid Bradford an $11 million signing bonus essentially for offseason practices, so the Vikings "only" owe Bradford $24 million over the next two seasons. Sam Bradford brings a fully guaranteed $7M cap hit to the Vikings for 2016 ($17M in 2017); leaving dead caps of $5.5M in '16 & '17 w/ the Eagles.

- Former Broncos and Eagles QB Mark Sanchez is going to sign with the Dallas Cowboys.

- Former Browns QB Austin Davis and 5th year passer is signing with the Denver Broncos. He will come in as the No. 3 and mentor Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch initially.

- The San Diego Chargers are waiving CB Steve Williams to make room for former Browns CB Pierre Desir.

- The Atlanta Falcons announce they've waived WR Nick Williams to make room for former Browns WR Taylor Gabriel.

- Cleveland Indians starter Corey Kluber, who's making a serious case to win his second AL Cy Young Award, has been named the AL Pitcher of the Month for August. Kluber went 5-0 with 44 strikeouts and a 2.43 ERA in August, holding opponents to a .224 average.  Corey hasn't lost a game since July 3, going 7-0 with a 1.94 ERA in 10 starts. Opponents have hit .224.

- Lawrence Taylor often had no trouble finding the quarterback during a 13-year NFL career that enshrined him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. But off the gridiron, he has found trouble of various sorts.That pattern repeated itself Friday afternoon when Taylor was arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, and charged with driving under the influence, according to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol. The former New York Giants star was driving a 2010 Bentley on the Florida Turnpike south of Palm Beach Gardens when he allegedly struck the right side of a mobile home and also sideswiped a Florida Highway Patrol vehicle, troopers said. Police say the former professional athlete was arrested after he performed poorly on three field sobriety exercises at the crash site. The damage to the trooper cruiser was minimal,said Sgt. Mark Wysocky. Taylor was brought to Wellington Regional Medical Center after complaining he was going to throw up, the highway patrol said. He was then taken to Palm Beach County jail, according to highway patrol.

The two-time Super Bowl champion's checkered past includes:
-In 2011, he pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a teenaged girl and was sentenced to six years probation.
-He was suspended twice during his NFL career for substance abuse.
-He was arrested multiple times after retiring from football in 1993.

- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr will not return to competition during the remainder of the 2016 season as he continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms. Hendrick Motorsports officials made the announcement Friday morning, saying that Alex Bowman and four-time series champ Jeff Gordon would split time in the No. 88 Chevrolet for the remaining 12 races of the season. Gordon is drove the No. 88 as Earnhardt's replacement this past weekend at Darlington. 

Tribe Talk: Cleveland Indians 2016 Preview #Indians

Its Tribe Time, Once Again
By Alex Hale, @DaSportsGenius7

As Spring Training comes to a close, that means that Opening Day is only a week away and the Indians Opening Day roster is starting to take shape.  The Indians going into the season look to be one of the dark horses in the American League and a potential threat to the defending World Champion Royals in defending their AL Central crown.  While the Indians have stiff competition from other teams in the division, the Indians certainly look ready for the challenge.  But before we talk about this year’s Indians, we need to take a second to look back at last season in order to set our expectations for this year.

2015 Indians Review

While Sports Illustrated last year crowned us as the World Series Champions, a slow start in April and the loss of Yan Gomes set the Indians back early on.  Corey Kluber would struggle to get any run support and the 2014 Cy Young winner went winless for the first month and a half but finished strong.  Jason Kipnis had a great start to the 2015, but he tailed off in the second half.  Outside of Kipnis’ strong start, the only consistent bat was Michael Brantley.  The biggest story obviously was the arrival of the much-hyped Francisco Lindor and was exactly as advertised.  The Indians defense was vastly improved and Lindor was at the head of it.  Lindor more importantly surprised people with his hitting ability, especially showing signs of power in his power.  With Giovanny Urshela and Lonnie Chisenhall providing much upgrades defensively for their positions, both need to prove more offense for the Indians in 2016 to really make some noise.  In a nutshell, the 2015 Indians got exactly what the doctor ordered.  Identifying having a good clubhouse atmosphere and finally having the core players step up as the leaders will benefit the Indians moving forward.


2016 Indians: What To Watch For

Francisco Lindor

Let’s address the Elephant in the room right now.  Lindor, along with Carlos Correa are being tabbed by National Media as the next Alex Rodriguez/Derek Jeter rivalry when it comes to the position.  Lindor excelled both offensively and defensively in his rookie year, and in my personal opinion was robbed of the Rookie of the Year.  As great as Lindor is, I’ll use the comparison former Indians GM Jon Hart said the night the Indians drafted Lindor calling him, “An Omar Vizquel who can hit”.  I urge Indians fans not to expect Lindor to win the MVP award this year, but I expect a Gold Glove season and a potential All-Star debut.

Pitching Staff

We all know the Indians pitching staff is among the best in the bigs, the major question is will the Indians get the emergence of a 4th starter (Bauer, Clevinger, Tomlin, or Anderson) to go with the 3-Headed monster in Kluber, Carrasco, and Salazar.  While Kluber did have a bad start last year, the numbers didn’t reflect his continued effectiveness.  If the Indians can score runs for Kluber, then Kluber could easily win 20 games and get back into Cy Young Award discussions.  But a lot of people have talked about Carlos Carrasco as the pitcher who could shock people and emerge as the true ace.  Carrasco has improved each of the last 2 years, if he continues this, nothing will shock me.  But my money is on Danny Salazar to be the one everyone fears.  Salazar hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential, I expect Salazar to tap into his changeup as a bigger weapon and will emerge as one of the top pitchers in the American League.

Tyler Naquin

Well it’s now official, Tyler Naquin after being the Indians 1st Round pick in 2012 will finally debut for the Tribe on Opening Day.  Naquin has torn up Spring Training and rightfully won the job, especially after Abraham Almonte was suspended.  Naquin was known coming out of Texas A&M to be a very polished hitter who may not stand out in one area, but does everything well.  Naquin should be the Indians everyday Center Fielder in 2016.  What Indians fans should know is Naquin is a huge upgrade defensively in Center Field and compared to Almonte, an upgrade offensively.  I’m gonna be bold here, but my money will be on Tyler Naquin to win Rookie of the Year.

The New Guys

In the offseason, the Indians turned down plenty of opportunities to get offensive help through trade and instead went out and got veterans Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis, and Juan Uribe to help bring not just some extra offense, but clubhouse leadership.  Napoli is the one I’d focus on.  Napoli although his numbers say he did poorly, Napoli turned things around in September and ended the year strong.  He’s shown in Spring Training he was worth the investment, Indians fans better hope he was.

Indians Financial Situation

Nobody will discuss this, but I’m putting it out there.  If the Indians are in the playoff hunt in July, Indians Owners Larry and Paul Dolan are going to have to make a very tough decision.  As we all know, the Dolan's have been very reluctant in past years to invest into the team when we needed to make a big splash.  This will be the ultimate test for the Dolan's, and if they were to finally invest in this team, the Dolan's could finally earn the trust of Indians fans everywhere.  If not, this fan base will make sure the Dolan's never hear the end of this, especially if it costs the Tribe a playoff run.

Terry Francona

Guys, I know we all love Terry Francona and what he’s brought to the Indians, but if Francona can’t get the Indians over the hump this year, questions need to be answered.  Is Francona the right guy to push the Indians where they need to go.  In my personal opinion, another .500 season isn’t good enough to keep his job.  As unpopular it is for me to say this, but Francona is on the hot seat with me and he should be with the Indians.


The Next Generation

This season for the Indians does look to be a very promising one, but the Indians fans really should take the time to go see the future of this team in the Minors while they still can.  The Indians future is extremely bright and these are a few names the fans should check out.

Clint Frazier

While Bradley Zimmer is probably the next big hype prospect up on the Indians, Clint Frazier is the “crowned jewel” of the entire Farm System.  Frazier struggled at the beginning of last year, but ended extremely well and it extended into the Arizona Fall League.  He probably is going to start the year at AA Akron, and I expect him to be there for the entire season with maybe a late season AAA call up.  Frazier’s pure hitting ability and love for the game make him a future star when he finally arrives in Cleveland.

Bobby Bradley

When fans talk about the next stars of the Indians, Bobby Bradley might be the best 1B prospect the team has had in years.  Reminiscent of a young Ryan Howard, Bradley’s pure power is amazing and if Bradley can cut down on the strikeouts, he could be right up there with the Indians next core of stars with Lindor, Naquin, Zimmer and Frazier.  I expect him to start in High-A Lynchberg, but he should arrive in Akron by year’s end.

Brady Aiken

Before I talk about Aiken, I’d like to thank the first 16 teams that picked before the Indians for passing on Aiken.  The former #1 Overall pick in 2014 didn’t sign with the Astros and later would have Tommy John Surgery due to injury.  Aiken is the best pitching prospect the Indians have had in quite possibly the past 20 years.  While he won’t start the year right away, when he does he’ll probably be in Lake County and every start is MUST WATCH.  He has a great fastball that sits in the mid/low 90s, but more importantly already has advanced secondary pitches, especially a devastating curveball.  He might not arrive until 2018, but Indians fans need to enjoy him in the minors.

Triston McKenzie

I have to make room for my favorite prospect in the Indians organization.  The Indians 2nd pick in the 2015 draft after Brady Aiken, McKenzie was signed to a $2.3 million contract to get him out of his commitment to LSU.  McKenzie his tall and extremely lanky, will need to add some bulk as he makes his way up, but his delivery is smooth and consistent.  With his current frame, he throws a low/mid 90s fastball, but that could go up as he gains some bulk.  His curveball is already advanced for his age to go with a developing changeup.  He’s years away from Cleveland, but he might be better than Aiken when its said and done.


2016 Projection

The Indians must start out strong to begin the 2016 season.  The first month will be the Indians biggest challenge and will determine the rest of the year for the team.  We all know the Indians can end strong, but can they keep it up for the 6 month journey that is baseball’s season?  It’s imperative that the Indians WIN ON OPENING DAY.  For the past 3 years, the Indians consistently fail in front of a jam packed Progressive Field.  We know Progressive Field will be jammed Opening Day and against David Price and the Red Sox, it’s going to be a tough challenge.  If the Indians can win that game, its small but it shows the improvement the Indians have made.  The AL Central is stacked with the emerging young Twins, the Chris Sale/Jose Abreu tandem in Chicago, the bottomless pockets of Mike Ilitch and the Tigers, and the defending World Champion Royals.  The Indians cannot be intimidated or let one game let them down on their quest for another playoff birth.  I expect this year the Indians to finally make that jump and put themselves in position to get in the Playoffs.  It will be a long and trying season for the Indians and its fans, but my firm belief is keep the faith in this team, these group of guys are destined to take the next step.

Final Record: 88-74, 2nd in AL Central, Wild Card Game