Tag Archives: Cleveland Indians

Indians minor trade options to consider

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If the Cleveland Indians are going to retool their roster rather than conduct a firesale they will need to acquire some talent before the deadline.

Even though the Cleveland Indians have been rather disappointing this season the general consensus is that the team will look to acquire some talent. This would be done through some retooling and buying players with expiring contracts. Of course this only matters if Cleveland does not conduct a firesale. A practice which many do not expect to happen.

Tommy La Stella

Tommy La Stella is currently enjoying the best season of his career. La Stella has hit more home runs this season than the previous five years combined. His current team (Los Angeles Angels) are currently not contending for the playoffs. This could mean they may try to flip La Stella to a contender for a prospect. La Stella does have one more year of arbitration remaining on his deal and could interest the Indians because of that. Cleveland prefers to acquire players before they hit free agency. Additionally La Stella’s versatility will allow him to play all over the diamond and could usher in the post-Jason Kipnis era at second.

Asdrubal Cabrera

Asdrubal Cabrera has been connected to the Indians several times over the past couple seasons. The former Indians’ shortstop and second baseman could be on the move since Texas is not exactly expected to make a run at the playoffs. The Rangers may be able to move the expiring contract of Cabrera to a contender such as Cleveland. Cleveland could use some more infield help as their current backup infielder is Mike Freeman who leaves a lot to be desired. Cabrera still has some pop in his bat and could augment a rather powerless Cleveland offense. Regular play time would not be needed and Cabrera could help give the regular infielders a day off when necessary. Whether that is by way of an off day or a day as a designated hitter, either option would be beneficial.

Hunter Pence

Another name the Texas Rangers could move is Hunter Pence. Pence has experienced an offensive resurgence now that he has left San Francisco. Cleveland’s outfield is still unsettled and even a slightly downgraded Pence would be an upgrade over most the Indians outfielders. It may not be all that likely that Pence can continue his hot start, but a contender may be willing to take a chance on him. If the Tribe can acquire Pence for a low-level prospect it is hard to pass up.

Nicholas Castellanos

This one may be the hardest to pull off. Nicholas Castellanos is probably the best hitter among those mentioned here but there is one problem. He plays for a division rival. Detroit may be wary of sending Castellanos to Cleveland unless the Tribe pay up big time. While Cleveland and Detroit did make a deal last season for Leonys Martin, Castellanos is a much better player than Martin. A trade that both teams can agree to will not be as easy as the deal for Martin.

Detroit will have to evaluate their options thoroughly. Castellanos is due to become a free agent after the season and his agent will not make things easy. Castellanos is a Scott Boras client which means there is not an extension on the horizon, (Castellanos hired Boras earlier this year). Detroit may want to get something rather than the nothing. This is where Cleveland could come in and make a deal. While the Tigers may want a bit more from the Indians than others. It is a small price to pay to acquire a productive offensive outfielder. Something that the Indians really do not have much of at this moment. Even if Castellanos were to spend the majority of the time as a DH, it is still a productive addition to the lineup.

Allen’s stay with Indians may be short

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Greg Allen was called up last week due to an injury but his time with the Indians in Cleveland may be shorter than expected.

An injury to Oscar Mercado created a need in the outfield. The Cleveland Indians called up Greg Allen while Mercado received some rest. Now that Mercado is able to play again Allen’s time in Cleveland may be coming to an end.

Excluding Allen, the Cleveland Indians have a rather full outfield. Oscar Mercado, Jordan Luplow, Leonys Martin and Jake Bauers have been the regular outfielders for some time now. With these four in the mix there simply is no room for Allen. Add in the fact that Tyler Naquin is approaching a return soon and there really is no room. With Naquin in the outfield this may shift Jake Bauers to see more time as a designated hitter. Or at least a time share at first and DH with Carlos Santana, (Bauers does have some experience at first base). Even with Bauers sharing time with Santana there is not enough at-bats for Allen to justify him being on the Major League roster.

Looking at how Greg Allen has performed in limited time this season it has not been good. Allen has struggled at the plate and struck out in 39 percent of his plate appearances this season. This is nearly double than his career 20 percent strikeout rate coming into this season. For a team that is struggling in the power department and striking out quite frequently, Greg Allen does not help the team at this time.

Perhaps there could be a time when Greg Allen could rejoin the big league club. Although with a surplus of outfielders on the roster currently and the need for power hitting that time may be much later than some anticipate.

Indians to call up Zach Plesac

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Needing another starter pitcher, the Cleveland Indians will be calling up Zach Plesac from AAA Columbus.

After sending Adam Plutko down to Columbus, the Cleveland Indians needed someone to take his place in the rotation. That person for the time being appears to be Zach Plesac. Jon Heyman reported Saturday that Cleveland will call up Plesac to start in Boston on Tuesday.

As Heyman states Plesac did not spend much time in AAA. Plesac went 3-0 in three starts with a 2.25 ERA over 20 innings pitched. Perhaps the most impressive statistic from Plesac is his 22-1 strikeout to walk ratio. While it is extremely unlikely that Plesac replicates anything remotely close to this, but there is at least an idea of what he will do at the Major League level.

Looking at Plesac’s AA performance what was done in Columbus is not an outlier. Over two seasons in Akron Plesac went 4-2 in 10 starts with a 1.52 ERA. In similar fashion to his strikeout to walk ratio, Plesac struck out 55 batters while only walking 10. Whether or not Plesac can continue his record of success will remain to be seen.

Zach Plesac’s time with Cleveland may be short lived. As of now there is only one game on the schedule without a planned starter. That game would be next Sunday against the Chicago White Sox. After that there are two consecutive Monday’s where Cleveland has an off day. This reduces the need for a fifth starter. Also there is the fact that Mike Clevinger will be returning sooner rather than later which will lessen the need for Plesac even further. Although there is the possibility that the Indians will keep Plesac up with the big league club as a potential bullpen arm. Cleveland has already called up Josh Smith to help the bullpen and could use a similar tactic with Plesac if they feel it is necessary.

Indians adjust roster before Saturday’s game

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The Cleveland Indians made some roster moves Saturday, calling up Greg Allen and Josh Smith while sending down Eric Haase and Adam Plutko.

The roster of the Cleveland Indians continues to be a revolving door. Cleveland has decided to call up Greg Allen and Josh Smith and send down Eric Haase and Adam Plutko.

Eric Haase was called up initially as a backup catcher option while Roberto Perez was temporarily sidelined. The Tribe needed someone to backup Kevin Plawecki if needed and Haase was really their only option. In a similar manner Adam Plutko was called up due to injuries. Plutko started two games while the Indians are without both Corey Kluber and Mike Clevinger. Plutko enjoyed one good start against Baltimore and struggled through one bad start against Tampa. With Perez returning and the lackluster start from Plutko, both are being sent down to Columbus.

Greg Allen’s presence on the roster may be due to an injury. Oscar Mercado collided with Leonys Martin and is currently still working though the injury. Mercado is still in pain and may need a few more days off. Allen will provide the Indians with some other options in the outfield. This is in addition to Martin, Jordan Luplow and Jake Bauers. Mike Freeman can also play outfield if absolutely necessary, but Allen now being in Cleveland should prevent that.

Josh Smith should provide the Indians with some more bullpen help. The Tribe bullpen has been surprisingly effective thus far and Smith should only make it that much better. Smith has been absolutely excellent down in Columbus this season.

With Smith now in the mix, the bullpen will be able to spread things out a bit more. Some arms (Oliver Perez, Adam Cimber) need to be used only in certain situations. Smith can allow them to do just that and not pitch in situations that they should not be in.

Bobby Bradley needs to be the next Indians call up

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The Cleveland Indians offense is still struggling and could use a jolt. Calling up Bobby Bradley could be just what the Tribe need.

Hitting for power has not come easy for the Cleveland Indians this season. The absences of some key power bats from last season have reared their ugly head. This leaves Cleveland scrambling to try and find some answers rather quickly. Initially the team went with fliers on Hanley Ramirez and Carlos Gonzalez but both options did not work. This leaves the team looking into the minor league ranks to find a solution. That solution could be Bobby Bradley.

Bobby Bradley is hitting for quite a bit of power down in Columbus this season. In 41 games Bradley has 12 doubles and 10 home runs while driving in 26 runs. While not an even comparison due to level of competition, Bradley has more doubles and homers than any Indians player and is second in RBI’s, (Carlos Santana edges out Bradley in the RBI category).

The only problem with Bobby Bradley is strikeouts. Bradley strikes out a ton and as has been seen with the big league club, this is a major problem. Bradley has struck out 57 times in 170 plate appearances. This is not exactly optimal. Considering the fact that strikeouts are not as looked down upon as they used to be, it may not be as large as an issue now as it would have been in the past. While Bradley has struck out a ton and most likely will in the majors, the tradeoff with power may be worth it. Cleveland desperately needs help and a trade for a bat does not appear to be all that likely in the short term.

As of now there is not necessarily a spot for Bradley. Eric Haase was called up as the backup catcher while Roberto Perez is dealing with a concussion. Once Perez returns a spot will be open and the Indians should consider calling up Bobby Bradley to help their struggling offense before it’s too late.

Indians DFA Carlos Gonzalez

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The Cleveland Indians apparently have seen enough from outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and decided to designate him for assignment.

It was a long time coming but the Cleveland Indians have designated Carlos Gonzalez for assignment. This is due to the injury for Roberto Perez and the need for a backup catcher. Perez suffered a concussion the other night and will need some time to heal. Cleveland opted not to put Perez on the injured list but call up Eric Haase from Columbus. This left Cleveland with one too many players and Gonzalez became the odd man out.

With other outfielders on the roster performing better than Gonzalez the decision was easy. Gonzalez was slashing .210/.282/.276 with a .558 OPS in 30 games. CarGo also hit two home runs and one double while driving in seven during his time in an Indians uniform. Gonzalez was on track for one of his worst, if not the worst season of his career. The Indians decided to give Gonzalez the chance to redeem himself with a one-year deal and show he still has something left. This is very similar to the deal that Cleveland also gave to Hanley Ramirez, which also ended before either party would have liked.

When it comes to making a deal like this the hope is for something resembling the one season that Mike Napoli contributed back in 2016. Or if a modern example is preferred, the season that Hunter Pence is currently enjoying in Texas. Pence is having one of the best years he has had in a long time. Part of that is leaving the hitter unfriendly San Francisco and moving to hitter friendly Texas. Teams always like to take a chance on a low risk, high reward type player. Deals given to Ramirez, Gonzalez and Pence were deals of this type. Unfortunately both deals the Indians gave out did not work and Pence’s in Texas did.

Indians continue home stand against Athletics

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The Cleveland Indians will take on the visiting Oakland Athletics in a three game series as they continue their home stand.

Fresh off a series win against the Baltimore Orioles the Cleveland Indians will take on the Oakland Athletics in a three game series. Cleveland averaged 7.25 runs per game over their last four games. This is thanks to two games that the Indians broke the double-digit barrier. Thursday’s 14-run outburst was the first time Cleveland scored 10+ runs in a game. Hopefully the Tribe will be able to continue this newfound offensive success against Oakland.

Game 1: May 20 6:10 P.M. Carlos Carrasco (4-3) versus Brett Anderson (4-3)

Carlos Carrasco is coming off two straight starts without allowing a run. That is a 12 inning span that Carrasco has shut down the opposing offense. There is only one batter in the Athletics lineup with extensive success against Carrasco, Robbie Grossman. Carrasco faced Grossman quite often while he was in Minnesota and has gone 4-14 with a double against Cookie. There are only two other Oakland batters with more than 10 at-bats against Carrasco. Khris Davis is 1-12 with nine strikeouts while Marcus Semien is 1-11 with four strikeouts.

Oakland’s starter is Brett Anderson has got hit hard in his last two starts, allowing eight runs over six innings. Anderson allowed three home runs in his last start against Seattle. Perhaps the resurgent Cleveland offense can take advantage of a pitcher who is struggling to limit damage as of late. The only problem is that the Indians hitters are not exactly proficient against Anderson. The only batters with hits are Carlos Gonzalez (4-16 with two doubles) and Jose Ramirez (1-3). The group of Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, Leonys Martin, Roberto Perez and Carlos Santana are a combined 0-13 with six strikeouts. On paper things do not look good but that may not be the case when the teams take the field.

Game 2: May 21 6:10 P.M. Trevor Bauer (4-2) versus Chris Bassitt (2-1)

The Indians will send Trevor Bauer out to start Game 2 of the series. Bauer has allowed seven runs in two of hist last three starts, although he did not allow a run in seven innings in the other. Bauer will need to rediscover his Cy Young caliber form against an Oakland team that is more than capable of being shut down.

There are three Athletics hitters with success against Bauer in the past, Khris Davis, Jurickson Profar and Marcus Semien. Davis is 5-12 with a double, triple and home run off of Bauer, while Profar and Semien are both 3-10. Bauer has shut down others in the Oakland lineup. Robbie Grossman is 2-11, Matt Olson is 1-6, Josh Phegley is 0-6 and Stephen Piscotty is 1-5. Bauer just needs to find some middle ground between dominating the lineup and giving up runs to others. Something he is more than capable of.

Cleveland has had some success against Chris Bassitt. The team is 10-30 with a double, triple and homer off of Bassitt. Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, Roberto Perez and Carlos Santana all have two hits off the Oakland starter. The only hitters who have struggled are Leonys Martin (1-7) and Carlos Gonzalez (0-2). Cleveland definitely has a fighter’s chance against Bassitt if past success is any indicator. While Bassitt does have a sub-2.00 ERA, the Indians have shown they can hit him.

Game 3: May 22 1:10 P.M. Jefry Rodriguez (1-3) versus Frankie Montas (5-2)

In the final game of the series Jefry Rodriguez gets the honor of starting. Rodriguez previously faced the Athletics on May 12th and came away with a win. Rodriguez allowed three runs on three hits in six innings while striking out three. The last start for Rodriguez was not great, but hopefully he can turn things around against a lineup that he at worst looked competent.

Frankie Montas started against Cleveland back on May 10th and shut down the Indians offense. Montas pitched six innings only allowing two runs on eight hits and struck out seven. This appears to be a bit of an outlier performance wise. There are several Indians hitters who have a good track record against Montas. Francisco Lindor is 3-7 with two doubles. Jose Ramirez is 3-7 with a double. Leonys Martin is 3-5, all three hits being singles. Finally Jason Kipnis is 2-7 with a double against Montas. It will be interesting to see whether the Indians perform up to their track record or are unable to score enough against Montas to come away with a win.

Indians back Bieber in shutout of Orioles

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Cleveland Indians pitcher Shane Bieber threw his first career complete game shutout and the Indians offense score more than enough to secure the win.

It is safe to say that Shane Bieber will be “King of the Hill” after this series. If you are unfamiliar with this award, it is given to the Indians pitcher who pitches the best during a given series. Bieber’s complete game shutout of the Orioles Sunday should secure the award. Bieber struck out 15 Orioles and did not walk a single batter. Shane Bieber is the first Cleveland pitcher to do so since Luis Tiant in 1968 per Jeremy Frank aka MLBRandomStats.

The only question in regards to Bieber’s performance was if Tito was going to let him go all the way. Luckily Tito gave him the go ahead and let him finish off his masterpiece. Bieber threw 107 pitches on the day, 75 of which were strikes. This was a much improved performance compared to his last start where he surrendered four home runs to the Chicago White Sox. It is safe to say Bieber enjoyed himself much more today.

The Indians offense also held up their end of the deal, scoring 10 runs en route to a series victory. Carlos Santana led the offense, going 2-4 with a home run and two runs driven in. Carlos Gonzalez drove in a run in the first with a sacrifice fly. Oscar Mercado drove in his first career run with a double in the sixth inning. Mike Freeman drove in the final two runs of the game with a double in the eighth.

In addition to the traditional way of driving in runs, Cleveland also scored in other ways. Roberto Perez scored on a passed ball in the second. Gonzalez scored in the third on a groundout from Perez. Mercado was able to score in the sixth due to a throwing error. Francisco Lindor would score when Jose Ramirez drew a bases loaded walk in the sixth.

Cleveland will now take on the Oakland Athletics in a three game series starting Monday.

Indians shut down Orioles in 4-1 victory

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Adam Plutko was phenomenal in his first start of the season, only allowing one hit in the Cleveland Indians 4-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Things could not have gone much better for Adam Plutko in his season debut. The Indians starter only allowed one hit in six innings. Unfortunately the one hit allowed by Plutko was a solo home run off the bat of Trey Mancini. Besides the solo homer, Plutko was fantastic. Granted it was against a lackluster Orioles lineup, but the fact remains that Plutko pitched better than most expected.

The Tribe offense was carried by the duo of Jordan Luplow and Carlos Santana. After being down by one run early, Santana doubled to get into scoring position. With Luplow up at the plate he delivered with a two-run homer.

https://twitter.com/ThisIsIndians/status/1129857485857271808

This was Luplow’s first against a team that is not the Chicago White Sox. Carlos Santana would add a home run of of his own in the eighth. This was an important insurance run that saw the Indians lead grow from two to three.

Oscar Mercado managed to get the first hit of his career today. A double in the bottom of the fifth.

https://twitter.com/ThisIsIndians/status/1129865483686219776

Francisco Lindor proceeded to drive in Mercado with a single in the following at-bat. Mercado went 1-2 on the day and also reached base via the base on balls. Mercado has not started a game since May 14th (going 0-4 with three strikeouts) and exactly what the team was doing with him was coming into question. With how he performed today it should makes things much easier in regards to his playing time. The Tribe should find ways to play him.

Now Cleveland has at least earned a split in the series. The Indians can win the four game series with Orioles on Sunday at 1:10 P.M.

Indians designate Neil Ramirez for assignment

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In an unsurprising move the Cleveland Indians have designated relief pitcher Neil Ramirez for assignment and called up Adam Plutko.

It was a long time coming. The Cleveland Indians designated Neil Ramirez for assignment. This appears to be for two reasons. First off a lack of success for Ramirez and secondly to make room for Adam Plutko. Plutko will be starting Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Neil Ramirez has not been all that effective in his time with the Indians. Ramirez has a career ERA of 4.78 in two seasons in Cleveland. This number looks slightly better due to his 4.54 ERA last year, which really is not all that great. Ramirez has an ERA of 5.40 this season in 16 games.

Neil Ramirez has given up 10 runs in 16 innings this season. The majority of which (7) have come since mid-April. In his last 10 appearances opponents are slashing .293/.375/.659 with an OPS 1.034. This is a slash line that a team wants out of one of their best hitters and not against one of their relievers.

Over the last 10 games Ramirez has allowed 12 hits and walked six batters over 10.2 innings. Four of the 12 hits allowed by Ramirez have been home runs. This is a huge problem.

Considering the question marks and large turnover in the Indians bullpen coming into the season, Cleveland could not afford what Neil Ramirez has done so far. In fact Ramirez has been Cleveland’s worst reliever this season.

With the contributions of other relievers on the roster the decision to designate Ramirez for assignment appears to be fairly easy. Cleveland needs to maximize the performances of their relievers, especially when their offense has been far from consistent this season. A bad outing from a relief pitcher could turn a win into a loss. With the Indians currently trailing the Twins in the standings, this is not what the teams at this juncture.