Wednesday, May 1

Year: 2018

Which pitcher will the Indians move?
6Dec By James MastrucciNo Comments
Guardians

Which pitcher will the Indians move?

The Cleveland Indians signed Carlos Carrasco to an extension Thursday which could last until 2023 if options are exercised. Now an evaluation of the other two starting pitchers rumored to be traded must begin immediately. Case for Indians trading Corey Kluber Corey Kluber has been fantastic in his time in an Indians uniform. A two-time Cy Young Award winner who has been integral to the success of the club. Even with all he has meant to the franchise and his success there are concerns. Kluber's health has been a bit spotty in recent years. While Kluber did not spend any time on the disabled list last season, an injection during the All-Star break was deemed necessary to allow Kluber to pitch the rest of the season. Kluber did spend time on the disabled list in 2017 due to a back injury...
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Browns must stay away from Mike McCarthy
6Dec By James MastrucciNo Comments
Browns

Browns must stay away from Mike McCarthy

Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is being mentioned as a possibility to fill the vacant Cleveland Browns job. However the team must pass on this opportunity and look elsewhere. The connections are obvious. John Dorsey previously spent time in Green Bay and the Browns need a head coach. Mike McCarthy coached a young Aaron Rodgers and helped bring a Super Bowl victory to Green Bay. Some picture a similar path with Browns and rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield. The reality is this is rather unlikely. Mayfield needs to be in an offensive system that is not considered archaic and unimaginative. Imagination, innovation and creativity are some of the basic requirements that need to be met for the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns. These are some traits that McCarthy does...
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Trading Yan Gomes was necessary
3Dec By James MastrucciNo Comments
Guardians

Trading Yan Gomes was necessary

Like it or not trading Yan Gomes had to happen. The Cleveland Indians got something in return for a player that the club was not likely to retain beyond next season. The Cleveland Indians traded catcher Yan Gomes to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Daniel Johnson and pitcher Jefry Rodriguez. A player to be named later is also included in the deal. While Gomes enjoyed his best statistical season in several years, it is unlikely that he repeats his performance. Gomes slashed .266/.313/.449 with an OPS of .762. All of these numbers exceed his career averages. Gomes' slash line for his career is .248/.295/.424 with a .719 OPS. Gomes had his best season in regards to hits and extra-base hits since 2014. A total of 107 hits, 42 extra-base hits, including 16 home runs and 26 doubles...
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Baker Mayfield: A tale of two halves
3Dec By James MastrucciNo Comments
Browns

Baker Mayfield: A tale of two halves

It was a tale of two halves on Sunday as Baker Mayfield struggled early, but in pure Baker Mayfield fashion he rebounded and put together an excellent second half performance. First Half - Baker Mayfield Struggles Baker Mayfield only completed five of 13 passes for 46 yards and three interceptions. This is hardly the start the Browns needed. One interception was an ill-advised deep pass when Mayfield could have ran easily for a first down. The other two occurred against a similar defense. The Texans knew the Browns would try to get Mayfield to throw the ball quickly. This is due to the fact that the Texans feature three premier pass rushers in J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus. Throwing quick passes can neutralize even the best pass rushers. Texans defensive coordinator...
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John Dorsey is fixing the leaks
29Nov By James MastrucciNo Comments
Browns

John Dorsey is fixing the leaks

John Dorsey is doing everything he can to eliminate leaks in the Cleveland Browns organization. For the longest time leaks in the Cleveland Browns organization were a constant problem. Any sort of information good or bad would end up as news sooner rather than later. With new general manager John Dorsey in charge the leaks are being found out and eliminated. First it was the firing of Hue Jackson and his Twitter mouthpiece Mike Silver. Now it is the interesting, but ultimately false information being sent out to Adam Schefter. Dorsey may have found himself another leak. Condoleezza Rice and Reuben Foster rumors The first false report was the rumored interest in Condoleezza Rice. Adam Schefter reported that the Browns were going to interview the former Secretary of State for their head c...
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Derek Dietrich should be on Indians radar
28Nov By James MastrucciNo Comments
Guardians

Derek Dietrich should be on Indians radar

The Miami Marlins recently parted ways with Derek Dietrich. Now Dietrich is a free agent and should be on the radar of the Cleveland Indians. The interest in Derek Dietrich should go beyond the fact that he is a Cleveland native. Dietrich can play all over the field and most notably in the outfield. The former Marlin appeared in the outfield for 97 games last season. Additionally Dietrich also played at first, second and third base. This versatility could prove quite valuable to any team. To put it lightly the Indians need players who can play the outfield. Cleveland is quite thin at the position and are lacking any sort of proven bat heading into 2019. The outfield currently consists of Leonys Martin, Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen and Jordan Luplow. Bradley Zimmer might be in the mix, ...
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Baker Mayfield continues to excel
28Nov By James MastrucciNo Comments
Browns

Baker Mayfield continues to excel

The Cleveland Browns have played three games with their rearranged coaching staff and Baker Mayfield is thriving. All it took for Baker Mayfield to play, well like Baker Mayfield was a coaching change. Under the Hue Jackson-Todd Haley led offensive scheme, Mayfield was not performing well. Considering the previous two years of quarterbacks in Cleveland under Jackson this is hardly a surprise. The Heisman Trophy winner was only completing 58.3 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and six interceptions. These numbers are respectable for the average rookie quarterback, but Mayfield is not the average rookie quarterback. The offense now orchestrated by Freddie Kitchens has brought out the best in Mayfield. Mayfield has completed an astounding 73.8 percent of his passes. Additionally...
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The unexpected rise of Jordan Clarkson
28Nov By James MastrucciNo Comments
Cavs

The unexpected rise of Jordan Clarkson

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson is having his best season as a pro. This is quite the unexpected turn after being acquired in a flurry of trades last season. Another reason for the unexpected uptick in play is that Clarkson is coming off the bench and not starting. In the past eight games Clarkson has met or surpassed 15 points six times. Three of those occasions have included 20+ point efforts. During this time Clarkson has shot 44 percent from the field, 30.3 percent from deep and 91.3 from the charity stripe. Clarkson is also second on the team in points during that span with 127, only trailing Collin Sexton. When being acquired last season Clarkson had to adjust to life on a LeBron James led team. The up and down performances during that time is what was expected when c...
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Cavaliers trade on the horizon?
27Nov By James MastrucciNo Comments
Cavs

Cavaliers trade on the horizon?

A report surfaced Monday that the Cleveland Cavaliers have expressed interest in acquiring Philadelphia 76ers point guard Markelle Fultz. Sam Amico reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers have inquired about acquiring the former Number 1 overall pick. Acquiring Markelle Fultz is indeed an interesting proposition. Fultz has failed to live up to the expectations of being selected at the top of last year's draft. Additionally Cleveland just draft Collin Sexton, their current starting point guard. It does not appear that Fultz is long for Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Fultz and his representatives do not appear to be on the same page and many feel that he will not return to the court in a 76ers uniform. Fultz needs a change of scenery. A change of scenery that could be Cleveland. Currently ...
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Damarious Randall is Cleveland’s hero
26Nov By James MastrucciNo Comments
Browns

Damarious Randall is Cleveland’s hero

It is a rather safe bet that Browns safety Damarious Randall is not a fan of Hue Jackson. It is also safe to assume that Randall is aware of how much better the team is without their former coach. That is why Damarious Randall called out the Bengals and stated they would get their ass beat without A.J. Green. Green missed the contest and the Browns won 35-20. Cleveland outplayed Cincinnati all game long and were clearly the better football team on Sunday. The highlight of the game occurred during the first quarter. Randall intercepted a pass from Andy Dalton. Randall ran out of bounds on the return and immediately handed the ball to his former coach. https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1066769619124477952 Randall trolled Jackson in the best way possible. Randall did not st...
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