DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Cleveland Indians Offseason

Let's wait and see what the return is before criticizing.
Maybe we are getting a nice bullpen arm in the deal.

Interesting trade on their part.

"The Nationals just signed veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki"

https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2018/11/...art_river_index

sorry that tweet was bogus

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The reworking of the Indians’ salary structure has begun.

The Indians traded catcher Yan Gomes to the Washington Nationals on Friday night. The Indians will receive minor outfielder Daniel Johnson, right-hander Jefry Rodriguez and a player to be named.

Gomes will make $7 million in 2019. He has club options for 2020 and 2021.

With Gomes gone, it’s expected the Indians will trade starting pitchers Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer sometime this winter. They are reportedly in negotiations with Carlos Carrasco to extend his contract beyond his 2020 club option. If they do that, Carrasco will stay.

The Indians have yet to announce the trade, but it’s been widely reportedly.

The Tribe played last season with a franchise record $135 million payroll. They watched 12 of their players dive into the free agent market, but said they received no salary relief because of arbitration costs and raises due players with multiyear deals.

That left them with little choice, but to trade away key pieces to a team that has won three straight AL Central titles. Gomes was the first big piece. Kluber or Bauer are expected to be the next.

The trade of Gomes leaves Roberto Perez and rookie Eric Haase as the Tribe’s top two catchers. The Indians, however, could add another catcher if they trade Kluber or Bauer.

MLB.com ranked Johnson as Washington’s seventh best prospect. Johnson, 23, is a left-handed hitter who has played center and right field. Last season Washington’s fifth round pick in 2014 hit .267 (95-for-356) with six homers and 31 RBI at Class AA Harrisburg.

Rodriguez appeared in 14 games for the Nationals last season. He went 3-3 with a 5.71 ERA.

Kluber will make $17 million in 2019. He’s club options for 2020 and 2021. Bauer is projected to make $11.6 million in arbitration this winter. Kluber won 20 games for the first time in his career last season.

Bauer ranked second in the AL with a 2.21 ERA and struck out 221 batters in only 175 1/3 innings.

The Indians must decide by 8 p.m. Friday if they are going to offer contracts to their players who are eligible for arbitration – Bauer, Francisco Lindor, Nick Goody and Danny Salazar. Neil Ramirez came off that list Friday when he signed a one-year, $1 million deal. They were close to coming to terms with Goody on a similar deal. They were also trying to negotiate a deal with Salazar, who made $5 million last season but didn’t appear in a game because of a sore right shoulder that eventually needed surgery.

Ramirez appeared in 47 games last season, going 0-3 with a 4.54 ERA. He struck out 51 and walked 18 in 41 2/3 innings.

Goody missed much of the season after hyper-extending his right elbow. He needed surgery, but reportedly has been doing well on his throwing program.

Gomes is coming off an All-Star season in which he hit .266 with 16 homers and 48 RBI. He’s signed through 2019 with club options for 2020 and 2021. He will make $7 million in 2019.

Perez, who is playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, is coming off the worst season in his career. Haase made his big league debut in September after hitting .236 (102-for-433) with 20 homers and 71 RBI at Class AAA Columbus.

The Tribe considers catching a position of strength, but without Gomes they could use some help behind the plate. Especially after trading top catching prospect Francisco Mejia to San Diego for relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber in July.

https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2018/12/...-has-begun.html

I don't like the Gomes deal. It appears to be a straight-up salary dump and, IMO, creates a hole at Catcher. Perez is a capable enough defensive catcher, but I don't think he can hit his weight, and Eric Haase is an unknown at the major league level. Now I'm reading that we're about to trade either Kluber or Bauer for outfield/bullpen/catcher help, so, in part, we're trading top end pitching to fill a hole we created by trading Gomes. I get the whole small/mid market blues narrative - the economic realities - but I would like to have seen one or two more runs at the brass ring. Raise ticket prices if you must, but don't just bail when you have this starting staff under control for 2-3 more years.

Looks like they are blowing it up and tearing it down. Sell the team Dolan

The team needs to be able to handle the arbitration raise that Lindor is about to get, among other increasing costs.

Indians sign elite starter Carlos Carrasco to 4-year deal

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians have signed starter Carlos Carrasco to a four-year contract extension through the 2022 season.

Carrasco’s deal includes a club option for 2023. Financial terms were not immediately available.

The right-hander went 17-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 30 starts last season for the AL Central champions. He finished with a career-high 231 strikeouts as the Indians became the first team to have four pitchers reach 200 strikeouts in the same season.

The 31-year-old Carrasco has developed into one of the league’s elite starters, and the Indians wanted to lock him up for the future.


Cleveland is still toying with trading either Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer to address their outfield needs.

Carrasco is 79-62 with a 3.71 ERA in 207 career games. The Indians acquired him from Philadelphia in the July 2009 blockbuster that involved ace Cliff Lee.

https://apnews.com/de581691925541eb94748972c9fb1cb0

This is such a good deal for the Indians that it makes me think they are holding his family hostage.

I just heard a quote on the radio from Carlos. It sounds like he really likes the Indians organization and also really likes the city of Cleveland. The players union is going to be unhappy with him for leaving money on the table, but apparently feeling appreciated and comfortable with his surroundings is very important to him and his family.

j/c:

Seems like a salary dump.

Cleveland Indians trade for Carlos Santana from Seattle
Updated 12:33 PM; Posted 12:24 PM

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com phoynes@cleveland.com

LAS VEGAS -- The Indians have traded for DH-first baseman Carlos Santana in a three-way deal with Seattle and Tampa Bay.

The Indians sent Edwin Encarnacion to Seattle for Santana. They then traded Yandy Diaz to Tampa Bay for first baseman Jake Bauers and a player to be named.

https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2018/12/cleveland_indians_trade_for_ca.html



This is a trade I don't get.
I think Santana has a big salary so we don't get a bunch of payroll relief from swapping Encarnancion for him.

I am bummed that we got rid on Yandy Diaz. I think he is exactly the type of hitter we need, he is young and has a low salary. I don't know who this Bauer guy is. But bringing in a 1st basemen in Bauer and a DH/1B tells me that Yonder Alonso isn't long for this team.

The only way that first trade makes sense is if they are paying for some of Santana's salary, otherwise it is a downgrade.

Wait... we got Jake Bauers?!?!

There is a $3 million difference in salary for this year.

I was wrong, it’s even more:

The financial system in baseball is broken.

Cleveland Indians Scribbles: Carlos Santana-Edwin Encarnacion trade saves money, but I don’t like losing Yandy Diaz – Terry Pluto
Updated 4:29 PM; Posted 4:29 PM

Edwin Encarnacion has been traded by the Cleveland Indians, who receive Carlos Santana from the Mariners. They were teammates in 2017 with the Tribe.


By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer tpluto@plaind.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my Indians notebook after the Carlos Santana/Edwin Encarnacion trade:

1. Let’s start with the money, because that is one of things driving the Encarnacion-for-Santana part of the deal. Last winter, Santana signed a 3-year, $60 million contract with the Phillies as he left the Tribe via free agency. But it’s a deal that goes down in value. He received $25 million in the first year, with $35 million left on the contract.

2. So the Indians picked up two years of Santana at $17 million (2019) and $18 million (2020). But as they say on an info-commercial, there’s more. The Indians also receive $6 million in cash from Seattle to help the deal go through.

3. That’s right, this is the second time this winter Santana has been traded. Philadelphia traded him to Seattle last month. Santana batted .229 (.766 OPS) with 24 HR and 86 RBI. Now Seattle has shipped him to the Indians.

4. Encarnacion had $25 million left on his contract: $20 million for 2019 and a $5 million buyout in 2020.

5. So let’s add it up: The Indians get two years of Santana for $29 million, thanks to the cash in the trade. So they actually have Santana for about $4 million more through 2020 compared to one year at $25 million for Encarnacion.


6. The Indians will save about $10 million in payroll in 2019, according to league sources.

7. Encarnacion turns 36 on January 7. He batted .246 (.810 OPS) with 32 home runs and 107 RBI. In his two years with the Tribe, it seems Encarnacion’s numbers looked better than he played. Maybe so, but he still was a legitimate power threat in the lineup. But his bat is starting to slow a bit.

8. Santana struggled early in the season (as usual) in his first season with the Phillies. He batted .229 (.766 OPS) with 24 home runs and 86 RBI. The odd part is Santana and Encarnacion both have a history of being rather dismal in April and May.

9. Manager Terry Francona has always liked Santana. He prefers switch-hitters. Santana is a first baseman, compared to Encarnacion being primarily a DH.

10. I wonder if the Indians have a deal pending for Yonder Alonso, who batted .250 (.731 OPS) with 23 HR and 83 RBI. He played first base in 2018. I suppose he could be the DH in 2019.

11. That brings us to the second part of the deal. The Indians shipped Yandy Diaz and a Player to be Name Later to Tampa Bay for Jake Bauers, a 23-year-old outfielder/first baseman.

12. Bauers entered the 2018 season as the No. 45 prospect in all of baseball, according to Baseball America. In 184 games over two seasons in Class AAA, Bauers batted .268 (.781 OPS) with 18 HR and 87 RBI. He was playing at a high level at a very young age.


13. He joined Tampa early last season, batting .252 (.864 OPS) with 5 HR and 18 RBI in 155 plate appearances before the All-Star break. But in the second half, be fell apart: .167 (.560 OPS) with 6 HR and 30 RBI in 233 plate appearances.

14. Bauers was not the first 22-year-old rookie to have a hard time. So, I wouldn’t dwell on overall stats: .201 (.700 OPS) with 11 HR and 48 RBI.

15. I don’t like giving up Diaz. I was hoping the Indians would open the season with him at third and see if he’d hit as a regular. He’s a career .283 hitter (.729 OPS) in 299 plate appearances with the Tribe in 2017-18. His lack of power (one HR, 28 RBI) is a concern to some with the Indians. I liked him as a contact hitter.

16. Tampa likes Diaz, trading Bauers and sending $5 million to Seattle (who shipped $6 million to the Tribe) to make this deal happen.

17. I believe the Indians see Bauers as a future first baseman, perhaps as soon at 2020 when Santana would be he DH. Perhaps Bauer can help in the outfield. He played 16 games in the outfield for Tampa last season.

18. This trade probably means Jose Ramirez will play third with Jason Kipnis moving back to his original position at second base. If they had kept Diaz, Ramirez would have moved to second and Kipnis probably would have played left field.


https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2018/12/...erry-pluto.html

j/c...

Not surprising to see Yonder traded after Santana and Bauers.....

Another salary dump.

In the last few weeks the Indians have traded Yan, Yandy, and Yonder. Could Yipnis be next?

I think the only applicable answer would be: Yes

Some people ask "Why?". I say "Y not"?

How many draft picks will get if we dont sign any more FA’s? Should get one for Miller, Brantley, maybe Chisenhall.

So are the Indians just tanking or wanting to lose? I've watch games now and then but the last time I seriously followed was the 2016 world series. After that I've been away from baseball for a LONG time, just no interest.

Is there any reason to actually go to the ballpark?

The Indians division is among the worst in MLB history (the Tigers, Royals, White Sox, and Twins are all rebuilding). They know this and that it would take an act of God for them to lose their division.

Winning a division doesn't bring much excitement. American League Champs then WS champs matter more. I hope the organization doesn't think fans are appeased by a division title again and nothing more...

I'm not positive, but I believe you have to have made a qualifying offer to try to keep a FA before you can receive compensation if you lose him. I don't think the Indians did that with any of their free agents, so they get stugats, nothing.

Bingo.

Baseball teams know that getting to the playoffs is the actual battle. Once there it is very random.

Yes, unlike the Indians the last couple years, players can actually get hot and beat teams they probably have no business beating. If Lindor, Ramirez, Kluber, and Bauer performed up to or beyond their abilities, the Indians could easily dominate their ALDS and ALCS series, and then BOOM, you're in the World Series.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/mlb-trade-rumors-least-five-133503043.html

MLB Trade Rumors: At Least Five Teams Interested In Trading for Corey Kluber
Sports Illustrated Scooby Axson,Sports Illustrated 12 hours ago


Christmas Day was relatively quiet, but the MLB rumor mill is still churning. The offseason's biggest free agents, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, remain on the market and are expected to sign big deals at the beginning of the new year.

The Winter Meetings produced a handful of signings, including Patrick Corbin's six-year, $140 million deal with the Washington Nationals.

Here are all the latest transactions and rumors around baseball:

• At least five teams are involved with the Cleveland Indians to try to lock down a trade for starting pitcher Corey Kluber. (Jon Morosi, MLB Network)

• The San Diego Padres are one of the teams inquiring about Kluber, and are also interested in Toronto Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman. (Kevin Acee, San Diego Union Tribune)

• The Milwaukee Brewers and Nationals are among the teams that are in play for veteran Jed Lowrie. Lowrie spent the last three seasons with the Oakland Athletics. (Jamal Collier, MLB.com)

• The Texas Rangers are still searching for help at catcher, even though the team isn't expected to be in the mix for J.T. Realmuto. (T.R. Sullivan, MLB.com)