The Indians today signed Rafael Betancourt through 2009. A good move by the Tribe. We signed the guy who gets us to our heart attack closer. Betancourt was one of our few outstanding pitchers who didn't fold in last year's playoffs (CC, Carmona, Perez). This is the first real move the Indians have made this season. I really hope they can figure something out either to sign CC or (as much as it pains me to say this) trade him. If we hold on to him for this coming year we are basically saying it is World Series or bust because after this season he's gone if we can't sign him.
CC after last season is probably worth over 20+ million a year and can get a six or seven year deal. There's no way the Indians can sink that kind of money in a single player, let alone an overweight pitcher who is just screaming for a bad back. (See: Bartolo Colon). I trust Shapiro and his judgment of player talent. Again, the Colon trade brought the Indians three players: Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Grady Sizemore. Cliff Lee before his undoing last season had a season where he went 19-3 and led the AL in winning percentage. Brandon Phillips finally panned out... in Cincinnati. Grady Sizemore is prized as one of the best young players in the game. The Tribe doesn't need any more pitching help Adam Miller, Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, Cliff Lee on top of Jake Westbrook, Paul Byrd, CC, and Carmona means that the Tribe can focus on other needs.
A power hitting corner outfielder would be a significant upgrade over what is currently available for the Tribe. Franklin Gutierrez is the likely right fielder coming in to the season after that all the Indians have are questions. Ben Fransisco played really well in some spot duty at the end of last season. Jason Michaels has been a floundering disappointment since we signed him and David Dellucci has proved why no one else signed him. Behind them Shin-Soo Choo and Trevor Crowe provide some unknowns. Choo has had some success at the major league level but seeing that he was passed on the depth chart by Ben Fransisco is far from promising and Crowe might still be a year away.
The other help the Indians need is through figuring out the infield. Certainly Ryan Garko has earned himself the nod at first base with Victor Martinez stealing a few starts on his non-catching days. Asdrubal Cabrera earned himself non-tradable status last year with his play. We need to decide soon which middle infield spot he'll be occupying in the long term. He's a shortstop by trade with some of the softest hands you'll find anywhere. If that's where he'll be, he should go now. Jhonny Peralta had a decent season at the plate last year and improved defensively. He was a third baseman on his way up and could be the answer there if Andy Marte can't do it. Casey Blake is your classic utility man. He can play everywhere but shortstop in the infield and can play a corner outfield spot. If Josh Barfield isn't the answer at second base and Cabrera is headed to SS we need some help there. Casey can fill in but we need someone who will be an answer, not a stop-gap.
The Indians have the pitching talent to trade in order to sure up these areas. Especially if CC is looking to get a deal done for over 100 million. A second baseman and an outfielder for a big power pitcher. Sound like any other deals? That's what the Indians need to get done. If they can get a little bullpen help as an added bonus I wouldn't turn my nose up at it but could deal without it. Either sign CC for some kind of hometown discount or deal him. He's from California so the Dodgers and Angels certainly have to be considered suitors as they've shown the willingness to sign pitchers to big deals. Hopefully the Tribe can find a home for him, reasonably priced, in Cleveland. If not, they need to deal him while his worth is high and they can sure up the needs of the team.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Very interesting take. The Indians have a chance to win the World Series this year, though, so I doubt they'll want to trade away their best pitcher. Long-term it would be a very good option, though.
The problem is, if we don't win the World Series, we lose C.C. for nothing. We can't afford to do that. The Indians need to continually spend smart because the cash flow is nothing like the Yankees or Red Sox or Mets or some other big market team.
I'm for trading C.C. because I have to trust the rest of our staff enough to make the playoffs. Hopefully Fausto makes the leap forward and we get our number one out of him.
The Tribe has enough young pitching talent that they don't need to make it a this year or bust type proposition. They can sure up some needs with this trade unless CC is willing to take a significant hometown discount and take a shorter contract than any pitched at this stage wants.
We could have easily made the trade with Florida if the Tigers didn't, which would have solved our big right-handed bat problem, as well as somewhat solidifying the infield and plugging in another lefty in the rotation with Willis.
He might be from California, but he grew up with this organization who got him as a teenager, so that's gotta count for something. He has kids and a lot of family and friends in this area, so hopefully Shapiro and company can get him for a hometown discount if they don't deal him.
It looks like Shapiro is content with starting the season with basically the same players, which I'm uneasy about, considering what Detroit and Chicago have done this off-season.
Shapiro could have got the deal with Florida but not for CC. Florida was looking to dump salary. Add to that the D-Train hasn't really impressed me lately.
The problem with hometown discount thinking is this: not only does he need to take a discount, he also needs to take a shorter contract than he could get on the market. The reason the Indians need to get this done now is this: if they don't trade him before the year, they probably wait for someone at the trade deadline.
My biggest problem with that is: what if we are contending? Do you trade your number 1 if you are a contender? We would almost have to. Even then, his value is lower if only one or two contenders are looking to add a starter.
what about cc to dodgers for kemp/ethier or delwyn young/wilson betemit? past penny and lowe you have either youth or questions marks, and even though LA is socal, cc is a cali boy at heart
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6811
Says that Betimet is with the Yankees now. Also, while the Tribe doesn't need to go all or nothing this year the window isn't big enough to take young unproven talent.
And I know it's tough to take nothing but proven talent bit in fairness we are giving up the Cy Young winner.
I would say we need guaranteed infield talent more than the outfield talent as we have some young guys to put out there already. However, adding some guys with some potions wouldn't be awful. Either way someone with a big bat would be very nice.
Like someone said earlier Cabrera from the Marlins would have been nice but I would have wanted some outfield talent (even if it was young) instead of Dontrelle. The Marlin's weren't looking to spend more money or win right now so that deal wouldn't have made any sense for them.
D-Train just screams like he benefited from playing in the National League. I don't like him one bit in the American League, especially after the first time teams see him.
The Indians could have probably made a run at Santana if they hadnt signed Hafner to that ridiculous deal. The Indians need a solid power hitter, but the real test is during the playoffs. Wedge was simply outcoached during the ALCS. Nixon should have been the DH and Hafner should have been pulled.
They couldn't have made a run at Santana if they wanted to sign CC.
Post a Comment