Hot Stove figures to be rather cold for Tribe this winter
The Tribe made a lot of noise in the transaction department during the 2009 season, most notably in trading away Cy Young winner Cliff Lee and All-Star catcher Victor Martinez. But the Indians should be among baseball's quieter clubs this offseason.
The Indians do not have many tradable commodities, and they don't have the available financial resources to be in on anything more than the bottom-of-the-barrel free agents.
In a perfect world, the Indians would be able to bring in a veteran starting pitcher to aid a shaky starting rotation that might be fronted by Jake Westbrook, who is coming off Tommy John surgery and hasn't thrown a pitch in a Major League game since May of 2008.
But with the Indians expected to use 2010 as a grooming period for their young players, rather than a serious shot at contention in the AL Central, it wouldn't make much sense for the Tribe to invest too heavily into starting pitching. It's more likely they'd rather get a long look at the young arms already in-house.
The only obvious area in which the Indians might look for free-agent help is in the infield, where a veteran utility man is in order. Jamey Carroll filled that role the last two years and filled it well. But he's a free agent who made $2.5 million this past season, and the Indians will probably explore cheaper options. One name to look out for is that of former Tribe great Omar Vizquel, who could be brought back to his "hometown" team for one last hurrah.
When it comes to trades, the Tribe would probably love to move closer Kerry Wood, but his $10.5 million salary (which includes a vesting, $11 million option for 2011 if he finishes 55 games) will likely dictate that he remains in Cleveland, at least until midseason 2010. The Indians would have to eat a significant chunk of his salary to move him at this point.
All in all, this figures to be a quiet Hot Stove season for an Indians team whose Opening Day payroll will be somewhere between $50 million and $60 million in 2010 -- a drastic dip from the $81 million figure in 2009.
-- Anthony Castrovince
The Indians do not have many tradable commodities, and they don't have the available financial resources to be in on anything more than the bottom-of-the-barrel free agents.
In a perfect world, the Indians would be able to bring in a veteran starting pitcher to aid a shaky starting rotation that might be fronted by Jake Westbrook, who is coming off Tommy John surgery and hasn't thrown a pitch in a Major League game since May of 2008.
But with the Indians expected to use 2010 as a grooming period for their young players, rather than a serious shot at contention in the AL Central, it wouldn't make much sense for the Tribe to invest too heavily into starting pitching. It's more likely they'd rather get a long look at the young arms already in-house.
The only obvious area in which the Indians might look for free-agent help is in the infield, where a veteran utility man is in order. Jamey Carroll filled that role the last two years and filled it well. But he's a free agent who made $2.5 million this past season, and the Indians will probably explore cheaper options. One name to look out for is that of former Tribe great Omar Vizquel, who could be brought back to his "hometown" team for one last hurrah.
When it comes to trades, the Tribe would probably love to move closer Kerry Wood, but his $10.5 million salary (which includes a vesting, $11 million option for 2011 if he finishes 55 games) will likely dictate that he remains in Cleveland, at least until midseason 2010. The Indians would have to eat a significant chunk of his salary to move him at this point.
All in all, this figures to be a quiet Hot Stove season for an Indians team whose Opening Day payroll will be somewhere between $50 million and $60 million in 2010 -- a drastic dip from the $81 million figure in 2009.
-- Anthony Castrovince
It would be nice to see Omar back in Cleveland to finish his career. Adam Kennedy might be a good fit too.
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I think I beat you to it, Anthony:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/288827-therefore-be-it-resolved-bring-omar-vizquel-home-to-cleveland
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I loved Vizquel, but what a terrible idea. Vizquel can't play 3rd (did not even have the arm for it in his prime, which is long gone). And 3rd is the position where they most need a utility player, because their potential "starters" there (Peralta, Marte) are so shaky. The fact that Texas stuck him there for a few games last year is more an indictment of the Rangers than anything else. Signing Vizquel would be a gimmick on an order of stupidity equivalent to the Griffey signing, except Cleveland fans are not as sentimental and non-competitive as Seattle fans.
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Anyway, utility players are a luxury -- or a redundancy? -- on rebuilding teams. I think if the Indians are to sign a cheap, mediocre journeyman or veteran, they should sign one who has some pop, if little else. In my experience, this better helps provide bits of spice and entertainment during the rebuilding doldrums. Someone who they can throw up to the plate in close games to provide at least a little excitement at the possibility he could go yard and turn the game around (if not the season). Think Ellis Burks or Karim Garcia.
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