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Not if there's no way to re-sign them.

Nobody is going to buy an MLB team and throw more money into it than they can ever hope to bring in. These millionaires and billionaires don't get to that level by wasting money.

Well to use colloquial English , we grew up in the same Hood ; West 73rd...I'm a few years older than you but your ball parks where mine also .. Us old guys ( just like every generation ) talk about the way it use to be.. Before Tech. we lived out doors , we all played some kind of ball at different levels. Opening day at old Munnie was a site to behold.

Cleveland Indians on the prowl for an infielder, here are some names

https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2019/12/...some-names.html

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
ABOUT FREE AGENTS

Now that the Indians made the Corey Kluber deal with Texas and saved his $17-million salary, they have created some cash to sign an infielder.

Jose Ramirez has offered to play second or third base. He prefers to stay at third, and the Indians believe it’s his best position.

Now, they are shopping for a second baseman, and here are some names on their list. I don’t know the order of preference. Besides, money will be a major factor.

My guess is the Tribe would like to sign an established veteran to play second on a one-year contract.

Anyway, here are the names:

1. Jonathan Schoop: The 27-year-old had a good year with the Twins, batting .256 (.777 OPS) with 23 HR and 59 RBI. Some of the Moneyball executives don’t like him: 20 walks compared to 116 strikeouts. He has hit at least 20 HR in each of his last four seasons. I think the Indians really like him.

2. Brian Dozier: The former Twins second baseman was with the World Champion Washington Nationals in 2019, batting .238 (.771 OPS) with 20 HR and 54 RBI. He’s 32 and some executives think he may be on the decline. I’ve always liked his game, and I think that’s also true of the Indians. Dozier hit 22 HR for his career vs. the Tribe.

3. Starlin Castro: It seems as if he’s played forever because he’s been in the Majors for 10 years. But he is only 29 years old. Castro batted .270 (.736 OPS) with 22 HR and 86 RBI for Miami last season. Talk about playing every day, Castro was like the National Anthem... out there for all 162 games.

4. Cesar Hernandez: He is the player most linked to the Tribe in rumors, but I don’t think he’s rated far above others on this list. The 29-year-old Hernandez batted .279 (.741 OPS) with 14 HR and 71 RBI for the Philadelphia Phillies.

I hear the Indians are not interested in former Tribe infielders Asdrubal Cabrera or Jason Kipnis – at least not at this point.

The 32-year-old Kipnis had an OK year for the Tribe, batting .245 (.715 OPS) with 17 HR and 65 RBI. The Indians declined his $16.5-million option for 2020.

There is some concern about injuries with Kipnis. He dealt with a calf muscle problem early last season. In 2017, he was on the disabled list twice with hamstring injuries.

The market for him will probably not be very strong. That also can be true for someone such as Dozier, who batted .227 (.718 OPS) over the last two seasons. But he did hit 41 HR in 286 games, so he does have some power.

The four names on the list range from decent to pretty good. Probably two will receive multi-year deals, the others won’t.

But it’s hard to know to whom the money will flow. My guess is the Tribe will wait and watch as that happens before making a move.

ABOUT THE COREY KLUBER TRADE

1. When they left the Winter Meetings, the Indians had an idea about the value of Kluber in a trade. Most offers were for players in the Class A level, much like the Justin Verlander deal by Detroit in 2017.

2. The Tigers received three Houston “prospects” in return: Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron and Jake Rogers. Two years later, none have made an impact in Detroit. Perez has significant arm problems. Cameron batted .214 for Class AAA Toledo. Rogers hit .125 with 51 strikeouts in 128 plate appearances in Detroit.

3. The Indians targeted Texas Rangers pitcher Emmanuel Clase because he’s already made it to the majors by the age of 21. The righthander had a 2.31 ERA in 23 1/3 innings for Texas, fanning 21 compared to six walks. His average fastball was 99 mph.

4. The Indians see Clase as a closer at some point. Unlike many relievers who can hit 100 mph on the radar gun, Clase’s fastball has movement. Remember how Bryan Shaw had a 93-mph cutter that swooped away from righties? That’s the kind of movement Clase has on the 99-mph fastball.

5. Some fans have focused on Delino DeShields Jr. being in the trade. The Indians took him rather than a low minors prospect. He is considered an above-average center fielder. He stole 24 bases in 30 attempts.

6. Yes, the Indians plan to open with Oscar Mercado in center. There is not much depth in the outfield. Franmil Reyes will try to prove he can play at least half the games in right field. They have Jordan Luplow in left field.

7. Brad Zimmer is trying to come back from major shoulder surgery that wiped out most of the last two seasons. Tyler Naquin is recovering from major ACL knee surgery and probably won’t be ready at least until June. Greg Allen batted .229 and could not take much advantage of playing time.

8. Jake Bauers had a chance to be a regular left fielder but batted only .226. Like Allen, he spent part of the year in the minors. DeShields is a career .246 hitter (.668 OPS) with little power and good speed. The Indians see the right-handed hitter as a fourth outfielder. As of now, he is ahead of Allen, Zimmer and Bauers.

9. A player who is set up to be a spring phenom is Daniel Johnson, who batted a combined .290 (.868 OPS) with 19 HR and 77 RBI between Class AA and AAA last season. The 24-year-old outfielder impressed the Tribe last spring in Goodyear. Then he had the good season, finishing strong by batting .306 at Class AAA Columbus in 84 games.

10. The trade was primarily about cutting payroll and adding a MLB bullpen-ready arm in Clase, who is under team control for five years. They will use some of the money saved from the Kluber deal to shop for an infielder, a reliever and an outfielder.

11. As for the supposed “deadline” on a Francisco Lindor trade, the Indians could tell teams that. It doesn’t preclude them from changing their minds in January or later. Or perhaps, it’s just another rumor. Certainly there are active trade talks happening with Lindor involved.

Agree 100%. The Dolan's have been great owners. They run a stable franchise, have one of the best FOs in the league and consistently put out a good product.

It amazes me how they get so much flack from fans, meanwhile the Browns are an annual dumpster fire and league embarrassment and fans show up in droves.

The Browns would be so lucky to have even half the success the Indians have had.

Can't wait to spend the summer up at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

Source: Indians agree with ex-Phillies 2B Cesar Hernandez

ESPN
Dec 23, 2019

Second baseman Cesar Hernandez and the Cleveland Indians have agreed to a one-year, $6.25 million contract, sources familiar with the agreement told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Hernandez, 29, became a free agent when he wasn't tendered a contract by the Philadelphia Phillies after a season in which he hit .279 with 14 home runs and a career-high 71 RBIs.

He avoided arbitration in 2019 by reaching a one-year, $7.75 million deal with Philadelphia, and he was again eligible for arbitration had he signed after the season.

Hernandez had been a starter with the Phillies since 2015, when he replaced Chase Utley. He led the team with a .294 batting average in both 2016 and 2017 then had a career-high 15 home runs in 2018. He has averaged 2.5 wins-above replacement over the past four seasons.


https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28360154/source-indians-agree-ex-phillies-2b-cesar-hernandez

Sounds like a decent bat, how's his defense?

Most hits by a second baseman (since 2016):

1. Jose Altuve (738)
2. D.J. LeMahieu (725)
3. Whit Merrifield (655)
4. Cesar Hernandez (635)

#Indians are getting a guy who can flat out swing the stick.



Cesar Hernandez's last four seasons: .279/.357/.395 slash line, 15 stolen bases per year. Has been about league average or a little better offensively. He'll be the starting second baseman, Jose Ramirez will remain at third, as the team preferred.

https://twitter.com/ZackMeisel/status/1209167931772461058

I've never seen him play, but by defensive stats, he appears a bit better than Kipnis in terms of range and DWAR. He can also play 3B, SS, and CF, plus he's a switch hitter. No idea whether he's a legit switch hitter or the Greg Allen type (as in not really).

That’s a pretty nice deal IMO; low risk financially ... the guy’s probably looking to have a good year to solidify a long term deal

A solid addition to the line-up.

Its been a busy off season for the White Sox. Yesterday they signed Edwin Encarnacion, after signing SP's Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez, along with C Yasmani Grandal. They also resigned their own FA slugger, Jose Abreu, and traded for OF Nomar Mazara. Throw in a good young core of SS Tim Anderson, 3B Yoan Moncada, and OF Eloy Jimenez and it appears that Chicago's other team is going to be a contender in the AL Central.

If the Reds can afford to pay Lindor why can't we?

I can't answer that. The two teams appear pretty close in franchise value and attendance. Forbes says that the Reds had an operating income (profit) of $37M while the Indians' was $16M, but none of these MLB owners will open their books for a hard look at how much they really make. I assume the Reds know what they can afford and likewise, so do the Indians.


https://www.forbes.com/mlb-valuations/list/

Both the Indians and Reds can afford Lindor this season, and maybe even next ..... but neither team can pony up $30+ million in 2 seasons.

Maybe the Reds are willing to pay up big for a 2 year window ..... and maybe the Indians are as well ..... but the Tribe has been a forward thinking team and if they get a blockbuster deal for Lindor, then they are also not afraid to make a huge deal.

They can afford him, they just don't want to pay him. It's much more fun to trade for young players and make more money.

I don't think that's right. This isn't the NFL - there's no salary cap, and only limited revenue sharing from a luxury tax on the very highest spenders. The only way the Indians can pay Lindor the $35M per year he'll command would be at the expense of the rest of their roster. Even if they expanded their payroll to $140M, that would be 25% of the total. At todays' payroll ($95M), it would be approaching 40%.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/...9/#182a2ed35d78

The reported $10.7B revenue total for MLB is not distributed equally. Example: Yankees' revenue was $668M; Indians' was $282M.

https://www.forbes.com/mlb-valuations/list/

I agree with Cfrs. Thankfully we have a very solid/great FO

Why small market teams

I apologize Dave that I’m only posting the link. It’s a lot easier on the eyes just to click on the link then pasting it on here.


.

Its not my job to somehow divine the Indians' financial well being, but the author is a bit disingenuous when he discusses the Brewers with their $66M in operating revenues (profit) and then goes on to say that the Indians are right behind them in the ranking for revenues. The revenues for the Brewers were $288M while the Indians' revenues were $282M. But his basis for claiming that the Brewers were crying poor was that they had $66M in operating revenue, which is profit before taxes, interest owed, and expenses. The Indians' operating revenue (profit) was $16M.

Clearly, the Indians are not "right behind" the Brewers in profits ($66M > $16M; its 4X more), but I suppose that little detail didn't fit his narrative to bash the greedy owners.

https://www.forbes.com/mlb-valuations/list/

Not a real big fan of the Dolan's , but they have kept a small market team in the thick of things for a lot of seasons.. Think they blew the STO sale money on some poor decisions .. But as I have said before , what they do with young pitchers is off the charts.. Just need the cash for a couple of serious BATS ...

Twins sign SP's Rich Hill and Homer Bailey.

https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/12/31/twins-sign-homer-bailey-and-rich-hill/

Outfielder Luis Robert and the Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a six-year, $50 million contract that includes two club options, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.

Robert will begin the season in Chicago. No service-time manipulation necessary. Sox are gonna be good.

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1212799753118986240


So...ummm...yeah, I think it may be time to take the White Sox seriously...

https://twitter.com/NickCaminoWKYC/status/1212809596613615617

j/c...

Angels interested in trade for Clevinger.

https://www.mlb.com/news/angels-indians-mike-clevinger-trade-talk

NO!!!!!!

Unless the pay the highest price ever paid for a player ....... then just NO!

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/corey-kluber-thank-you-cleveland

Thank You, Cleveland

Corey Kluber
TEXAS RANGERS
JAN 8 2020

How do you say goodbye to your home? How do you say thank you to 400,000 people?

Cleveland is the only city I’ve known as a major leaguer. Playing for the Indians has been the biggest constant in my professional life. In 10 years there, I pitched pretty well — won some awards and went to the playoffs a few times. It was fun. But just as important as that, Cleveland was where I learned how to be a professional baseball player.

I’ve always been a show-up-and-go-to-work kind of guy, and there isn’t a city better suited to that blue-collar mentality than Cleveland. It’s been a perfect marriage ever since September 1, 2011, when the Indians called me up to the big leagues for the first time.

Cleveland was where I learned how to be a professional baseball player.
It was the middle of the night when I got the phone call. I was actually trying to get some sleep while on a bus trip with the Columbus Clippers. We were on our way back home after a road trip to Louisville. This was it, my call-up. The moment I had been waiting for. It was happening. But I was so out of it that I remember the moment but not many specifics. No matter, I was ready. I had to be — I pitched that day.

It took another year of shuttling back and forth before the Indians finally added me to the rotation full-time in 2013. But I’m proud that I always did everything in my power to seize every opportunity and make the most of it. In 10 years in Cleveland, I never stopped doing that.

Everything my teammates and I did was always about trying to bring home a championship — especially after the Cavs won the NBA title in 2016. But that doesn’t mean we had any expectations. It was always about playing that day’s game, about not getting ahead of ourselves. When we went on our run to the World Series a few months later, we didn’t want to think that we had anything in the bag. We were pretty young, and almost no one on that team had playoff experience. Either you let the pressure affect you or you don’t. It might seem obvious, but in the World Series you know you’re still playing when there are 28 other teams that are not. That was the mentality. We’re still playing. One game at a time. You gotta put your head down and get to work.

Cleveland has embraced that mentality for as long as I’ve been there. That’s what people there do every day. As terrible as it felt not to win a championship, it was amazing the way the city embraced the team that year — in a way I can’t quite put into words. The outpouring of support from the entire fan base to the players and their families was special. The fans and the city didn’t beat us up over losing. They supported us.

For me, as the guy who took the hill in the deciding game of the World Series that year, that support was huge. When I started against the Cubs at Progressive Field for Game 7 in November 2016 I wanted to get it done — and there were 38,000 fans in that ballpark who wanted the same thing, too. You could feel it. It was electric.

But, unfortunately, we didn’t get it done. I never blame anyone or anything when things don’t go as planned. Instead, I put my head down and I get back to work. And that’s what we all did after that World Series: We dusted ourselves off, put our heads down and got back to work. That’s what you do when you’re from Cleveland.



There has been speculation that I pitched with injuries during the playoffs. To me, there’s no difference between a night in August and a night in October. If I feel I can help the team win, I’m going to take the ball. Bumps and bruises are part of the game, and I’ll never use them as an excuse if I don’t pitch to the standard I’ve set for myself.

And not pitching because of an injury is exactly what happened to me last year. After I got nailed by that line drive last May I missed the rest of the season. While dealing with my injury, I watched the moves the club was making — and I watched as people wrote us off because of the other injuries we were dealing with and some of the trades we made. That was no fun.

I wanted to play, to help in some way. But as I sat on the sidelines I started to come to terms with the possibility that my days left in my only professional home could be numbered. The time might finally have come to move on. I understand that baseball is a business and I understand how this business works — and I accepted the fact that I could be traded.

So when I got the call last month telling me that I had been dealt to the Texas Rangers, I can’t say I was blindsided. I’m moving on. Cleveland is the only big league city I’ve ever known, and I will always love it and carry it in a special place in my heart. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye, but I am off to a new, exciting chapter in Texas — and looking forward to it. All I can do now is put my head down and go to work again.

But before I go, I want to take the time to say thank you to Cleveland. The things I’ll always remember about this city are my relationships. My relationships with the guys I’ve played with. With the fans. With the trainers. With the people I saw in the clubhouse every day.

There are also relationships away from the ballpark that I will miss. I will miss all the smiling faces at batting practice for Kluber’s Kids. I will miss the patients and staff at Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. I will miss Ali Rieman, the first patient with whom my wife, Amanda, and I built a close bond, and who inspired us to start our foundation.

All I can do now is put my head down and go to work again.
Thank you to guys like Lonnie Chisenhall and Yan Gomes and Carlos Carrasco and Josh Tomlin, and all the other Indians teammates who opened their homes to me and my family. Thank you to Wine Bar Rocky River for the postgame hangouts. And thank you to Amanda for raising our three children in the only baseball city they’ve ever known. Cleveland will always be special to me and my family. Amanda is from Massachusetts. I’m from Texas. But for 10 years Cleveland was truly our home.

Thank you to the Indians for a decade of great memories: 2016, the win streak in 2017, 20 wins in 2018. Cleveland is where I became a major league ballplayer, and it’s where I developed my identity as a pitcher. There are a lot of things I’m proud of, a lot of things that we accomplished together. And I’ll never forget any of it.

If you know me, you know that I’m a guy who likes to keep things on the field. And now it’s time for me to get back to work — to get back on the field. I haven’t pitched since May 1. I’ve talked to some guys who have moved on from Cleveland to other teams, and they told me it can be a little weird to go back to Progressive Field and be in the visitor’s clubhouse. But they also say that, in a way, returning to Cleveland in a new uniform gave them a sense of closure.

When I come back to Cleveland next season, I’ll be coming back as a visitor. But I’ll still go over to the Indians’ clubhouse and say hello, still make sure to see all the people I saw every day when I was playing there. I’m excited to be in a new situation, but those things will always be a part of me.

I’ll be back as a Ranger, but I’ll always be from Cleveland.

What a class guy !

Per source, OF Tyler Naquin and the Indians avoid arbitration, settle for $1.45 million.

https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1215669732948529152

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- And then there were three.

Right-hander Nick Wittgren and the Indians agreed Friday on a one-year $1.125 million deal to avoid arbitration. He was projected to earn $1.3 million in arbitration by mlbtraderumors.com.

Wittgren, acquired in February from the Marlins, opened last season at Class AAA Columbus. He made two appearances with the Clippers before being recalled on April 9. Wittgren, 28, never looked back. He went 5-1 with four saves and a 2.81 ERA in 55 games to become a key member of a bullpen that had the third best ERA in the AL.

Outfielder Tyler Naquin and the Indians avoided arbitration earlier in the day by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $1.45 million. MLBtradrumors.com projected that Naquin would earn $1.8 million in arbitration.

Naquin, 28, was having his best season since his rookie year in 2016 when he collided with the left field fence on Aug. 30 against the Rays at Tropicana Field. He tore the ACL in his right knee and was finished for the last season.

In 89 games last year, Naquin hit .288 (79-for-274) with 19 doubles, 10 homers and 34 RBI. He finished second in the AL with a team-high 11 assists from the outfield.

Francisco Lindor, Mike Clevinger and Delino DeShields are the Indians other arbitration-eligible players. They had until noon Friday to exchange salary figures for the 2020 season.

https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/01/...rbitration.html

Tribe agreements today vs. MLB Trade Rumors estimates:
-- Lindor: $17.5M; estimated $16.7M
-- DeShields: $1.875M; estimated $2.4M
-- Naquin: $1.45M; estimated $1.8M
-- Wittgren: $1.125M; estimated $1.3M
Totals: $21.95M, which is $250,000 below the estimates. Well done, MLBTR.

Still waiting on Mike Clevinger. But nothing that's happened today is going to change the estimates that, barring any significant additions, the Indians' payroll will be in the low $90 million range to start the season.
I would think they're not done. But, well ...

https://twitter.com/KevinKleps/status/1215732448291708935

Per Zack Meisel, Mike Clevinger signed a contract for 2020. All arbitration-eligible players have been signed.

https://twitter.com/ZackMeisel/status/1215760649902546945

Tribe's five signings Friday added $26,050,000 to the payroll. Mike Clevinger, last man to sign, agreed to a 1-year deal worth $4.1 million. It's a nice bump from last year's salary of $592,200.

https://twitter.com/hoynsie/status/1215767150188793856

Whatever their payroll is now, they need to add to it by signing a FA corner outfielder and another bullpen arm.

#BringPuigBack

Puig or Nicholas Castellanos. (NC is probably too rich for our blood.)

https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/01/...ians-stand.html

What’s up with Francisco Lindor? Here’s how Cleveland Indians stand

Today 5:57 AM
Francisco Lindor in MLB All-Star Game 2019

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
ABOUT FRANCISCO LINDOR’S TRADE SITUATION

After the 2018 season, the Cleveland Indians told Corey Kluber there were likely to be a lot of trade rumors that included his name.

Their stance was, “Try to ignore it. We will let you know if anything is really close.”

They never made a call to Kluber about that... until a month ago, as he was being traded to the Texas Rangers for Emmanuel Clase.

Francisco Lindor was told the same thing. While the Indians have had seemingly countless texts and calls from other teams about their star shortstop, there has been nothing close to a deal.


Other teams say the Indians have an exorbitant asking price for the 26-year-old Lindor. The Indians say publicly and privately that Lindor is one of the best players in baseball, the full package on and off the field.

Furthermore, the Indians believe they can win the AL Central Division. If they were in a rebuild stage, Lindor would probably have been traded by now. They did receive some attractive offers of lower level minor league prospects.

Here’s what I’ve heard:

1. The Tribe wants a combination of good, young big league players under team control for several years along with top prospects. It would be a hyper-version of July’s Trevor Bauer three-way deal with the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres.

2. In that trade, the Indians received Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes to immediately help the big league team. Puig was a rental for the rest of the season. Reyes is considered a core player, a power hitter for the next several years. They also received prospects Logan Allen, Scott Moss and Victor Nova.

3. The Reds have talked to the Tribe about Lindor, who is a free agent in two seasons. The Reds don’t believe they can sign Lindor to an extension. It’s the same with Bauer, a free agent after the 2020 season. The Reds want to go all-in to make the playoffs this summer and worry about free agency later.

4. The Reds have traded a lot of prospects in the last few years, including Moss (a highly-regarded starter) to the Tribe. They seemed to think the Indians are anxious to trade Lindor. They’re wrong.

5. Several weeks ago, the Indians did put out word they’d like the best offers for Lindor. But there was no firm deadline. As one baseball executive told me, “Teams set deadlines all the time, then change them.”

6. Things could change if the Los Angeles Dodgers decide they want to deal top prospects Gavin Lux, Dustin May and some others. The Dodgers have a loaded farm system. Lux was the 2019 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year. But so far, the Dodgers haven’t made the kind of offer to entice the Indians into thinking twice about trading Lindor.


LINDOR AND THE 2020 SEASON

The Indians say Lindor is in a great frame of mind. He was frustrated last season when he strained a calf muscle right before spring training. As he prepared to join the Indians late in spring training, he suffered a high ankle sprain.

Lindor missed the first 18 games of the 2019 season because of injuries. It was his first trip to the disabled list.

Not only is Lindor an All-Star, he has been durable. Between 2016-18, he missed only 11 games. Once he returned in 2019, he missed only one game. He has vowed to be in the best condition of his career to open spring training.

This is the first time Lindor’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors. Different players have different reactions. The Indians don’t think the rumors have had a negative impact on Lindor.

Things can always change with one phone call. The Dodgers still want to add a star-caliber player. They have talked about dealing for Mookie Betts and Kris Bryant, along with Lindor. Perhaps they will meet the Tribe’s price.

But right now, it appears Tribe president Chris Antonetti is correct when he says he expects Lindor to open the season with the Tribe.

ABOUT THE TRIBE

1. I don’t understand the arbitration process. Lindor ended up with a $17.5 million deal, as did Bauer. Neither player went to arbitration. They settled as it came close. Lindor had a superb season, hitting .284 (.854 OPS) with 32 HR, 74 RBI. He is only the fifth player in baseball history to have at least 40 doubles and 30 HR in three consecutive seasons, according to the Tribe’s post-season media guide.

2. Bauer had an 11-13 record and 4.48 ERA in 2019. With the Reds, he was 2-5 with a 6.39 ERA in 10 starts after the trade. Bauer’s first full season in the majors was 2014. Only once (2018) has he had an ERA under 4.00. I can’t explain how they both end up with the same deal, other than it’s driven by arbitration.

3. MLBtraderumors.com is an excellent source for various information, especially arbitration. They use some type of formula to estimate the salaries of arbitration-eligible players. They predicted $18.6 million for Bauer, $16.7 for Lindor. I guess Bauer gets more because he has one more year of service.

4. I was surprised the Indians shipped backup catcher Eric Haase to the Detroit Tigers for cash. I was told the Indians were concerned about his strikeouts. He struck out 287 times in 886 Class AAA plate appearances. He also had 49 HR and 133 RBI in 224 games. Haase is 27.

5. The Tribe picked up 30-year-old career backup catcher Sandy Leon to replace Haase. The Indians internal stats show Leon as a superior game-caller and pitch-framer. Pitchers love to throw to him. The same is said about starter Roberto Perez. With a young starting staff, the Indians wanted a veteran catcher to help the pitchers. Leon doesn’t hit, a career .221 (.615 OPS) average in parts of eight seasons.

If the Dolans were smart, Lindor would be traded as soon as possible for the best deal. Also, they would also sell the team as their next smart decision.

Why should they sell the team?

Mismanagement since the World Series year. Allowing Chernoff to let Brantley walk is a huge strike. The wasted time we put towards Salazar.

They know about as much about baseball as Jimmy knows about football.