Leonys Martin - Stealing History

Don't get carried away folks, but the Indians have been playing some solid baseball of late. They've gone 8-4 since the start of the month, including series wins over the Twins, Yankees and Tigers.

Both Jake Bauers and Leonys Martin have enjoyed historic success during this winning run, most notably in Detroit; Bauers and Martin etched their names into Indians history on back-to-back nights, when Bauers hit for the cycle in Friday night's 13-4 rout, and then Martin stole home in Saturday's 4-2 victory.

Today I'm going to pay special attention to Martin's ridiculous display of athleticism in the eighth inning of last night's win. For me, there's nothing in sport quite like a guy stealing home.

With the Indians holding onto a slim 3-2 lead, Martin led off the inning with a line drive into the right field corner and jogged into second base for an easy double. Francisco Lindor could only fly out to left field in the next at-bat but Martin had the presence of mind and raw speed to tag and take third base with surprising ease, no slide necessary.

Tigers reliever Victor Alcantara had only been in the game for a moment but had managed to recover and get two outs, after Cleveland rookie Oscar Mercado could only ground out. With Carlos Santana at the plate, easily Cleveland's most dangerous hitter in 2019, Alcantara had a lot on his mind as he started into his windup.

Alcantara bent down as he started his motion and Martin, alert and with a huge lead off third base, was watching the pitcher's every move. The veteran instantly spotted his opportunity. With Alcantara still staring at his feet, Martin broke for home and was hurtling down the line before the reliever was aware of what was going on.

Tigers catcher John Hicks was screaming for his pitcher to look up but it was too late, Martin was in full flow and already diving towards Hicks. Finally awake, Alcantara stepped off the mound and threw home but Martin’s hand got beneath the catcher's glove to touch home plate, and the ball rolled harmlessly away.

Martin was safe and the Indians led 4-2. It was a moment of pure inspiration from the Cuban center fielder.

Against all odds, Martin had pulled off a play rarely seen in the modern game, especially against a right-handed pitcher, who should theoretically see it developing every step of the way. That is, if they aren't staring at their feet.

Martin's historic play secured the Indians' first straight steal of home in 14 years, not since Grady Sizemore performed the feat in Toronto on 26th August 2005.

Many of us would consider stealing home a lost art. Some of the best baserunners in the game will go their entire career without ever doing it. Some don't feel comfortable and most won't risk it, not the chance of killing a rally or killing themselves - the chance of injury is significantly higher diving headfirst into an opposition catcher.

When I think of stealing home, my mind instantly conjures the image of Jackie Robinson, a master of the art, who famously stole home in the 1955 World Series against the Yankees' Yogi Berra. It is one of baseball's iconic moments - it should not be physically possible for a man to make up that much ground and succeed. For most, it isn't; the success rate for stealing home is extraordinarily low, between 20-30% this millennium.

Once upon a time, in the days of Ty Cobb, stealing home was a more common practice. The legendary Cobb set the single season record in 1912 with eight steals of home. These days it's unlikely the yearly total for all of major league baseball will surpass eight. Somehow even the husky Babe Ruth achieved it ten times in his career - it was certainly a different time! Nowadays though the game has changed; pitchers are not so elaborate in their delivery, third basemen hold would-be thieves closer to the bag, and the entire pace of the game is different, among other factors.

Thus, when you witness a steal of home in the twenty-first century, it is magic made real.

Leonys Martin, for one night at least, transported fans back in time and created history in the process. After everything Martin experienced in 2018, it's amazing for him to be playing at all, so we should rightly celebrate his historic achievement.

"How about that?!" called Indians radio broadcaster Tom Hamilton, as Martin picked himself up and celebrated with his teammates.

How indeed Tom.

Houston Hold Indians To Split Series

As we get ready to enter the month of May your Cleveland Indians are 15-12.

This is despite Jose Ramirez, an MVP candidate in 2018, looking like a malfunctioning android at the plate. He is batting .188 with 2 homers for a 51 wRC+.

This is despite the team's heart and soul, Francisco Lindor, missing all of spring training and most of April with injuries. The shortstop only returned on April 20, and has already hit 3 home runs in eight games.

This is with an outfield so patched together that it's a daily challenge to remember who is still on the roster and who is in Triple-A. No, Oscar Mercado is not on the 25-man roster, but Jordan Luplow is.

With all of the uncertainty surrounding the team this year, for them to possess a 15-12 record at the end of April (a month the Indians historically struggle in), it's okay. It's not amazing, it's not impressive, but it's decent.

Things could be worse. Just ask Boston.

The Tribe completed a four-game set in Houston this weekend, against those pesky Astros responsible for our ignominious ALDS exit last year, and managed to split the series two games apiece. Let's go over some of the talking points from the series, some of the positives and negatives to take away from Minute Maid Park.

The Good

Trevor Bauer toed the rubber for game one of the series and continued his fine start to the season with another dominant outing and victory in a 2-1 Tribe win.

Faced against his old UCLA teammate Gerrit Cole, the pair of premier pitchers put on a pitching masterclass, but it was Bauer who came out on top. The 28 year-old worked 8 innings and gave up just 4 hits and 1 run (an early homer by George Springer). Strangely, Bauer surrendered 6 walks and struck out just 3 batters, but was able to pitch so deep into the game thanks to his ability to induce weak contact from the Houston lineup. He wasn't even experiencing difficulties with his pitches - the last two fastballs he threw clocked in at 97.1 and 97.6 mph, his fastest of the night.

Bauer has long enjoyed success against the Astros, and is one of just two active pitchers who have made nine starts against Houston without recording a loss (the other pitcher is Justin Verlander, who plays for them!)

He didn't hesitate to savor the moment either, reigniting his feud with Astros third baseman Alex Bregman on social media:

👋🏻👋🏻 @ABREG_1 #TakeItBack #RallyTogether @astros @Indians @MLBNetwork @IntentionalTalk @barstoolsports @Starting9 pic.twitter.com/koQV8vD5ph

— Trevor Bauer (@BauerOutage) April 27, 2019

Bauer kept Bregman hitless and celebrated the only way Bauer knows how. For a recap of their ongoing battle, check out MLB.com's recent rundown containing all their history.

Another highlight of the series was the Indians' timely hitting - both victories in the series lent themselves to key hits at important moments.

In Bauer's game one start, the lineup provided him with limited run support but thankfully Leonys Martin and Jake Bauers each launched a solo homer to back their starter. Martin had a pair of home runs in the series and Bauers, whilst not as eye-catching as Yandy Diaz perhaps (the man he was traded for), is developing into a considerable presence at the plate. The young Bauers had a hit in every game of the series, batting 5-for-13 overall.

Clutch hitting was responsible for the Tribe's second victory as well. After starter Corey Kluber battled through 5 innings and 3 earned runs, the bullpen took over and were superb (especially Brad Hand), managing to keep them off the scoreboard for the rest of the game.

It was up to the Indians hitters to rescue the day and with the score tied in the top of the 7th inning, Tyler Naquin emerged as the unlikely hero. Naquin crushed a 95mph fastball into the gap in right-center field for a huge double, plating Greg Allen to push the Indians ahead. In the top of the 9th, Lindor put the result beyond doubt with a 2-run shot to opposite field, sealing the 6-3 victory. It was his second home run of the day, and the 101st of his career.

The Bad

Jason Kipnis began the season on the injured list but returned to the team on April 15th and played well, bringing some much-needed stability to the lineup. Kip batted .308 in his first seven games back and I for one was happy to see him out there.

Sadly that nice little run came to an abrupt end in Houston, as Kipnis went 0-for-16 against the Astros with 5 strikeouts. His average has since plummeted to .190 and the "out with Kipnis" naysayers have returned. It didn't take them long did it?

It's an incredibly small sample against one of the best teams in the league, so I think Kipnis, after his many years of service to Cleveland, deserves to be cut some slack before fans start calling for his head. The idea that Brad Miller should have been retained on the roster at Kip's expense, based purely on their April numbers, is laughable.

Kipnis certainly wasn't alone in his struggles against the Astros. Carlos Carrasco was enjoying a fine day on the mound before being stung late in the 7th inning, taking the loss in 4-1 defeat that secured Houston a split series.

Carrasco was cruising through the Astros' lineup, and had a 1-0 lead thanks to a Carlos Santana home run from the 4th inning. He ran into serious trouble in the 7th though, when a Michael Brantley (ouch) single marked the beginning of the end for the Venezuelan native.

The Astros tied the game when a Yuli Gurriel double scored Brantley, but it was the decision to intentionally walk Josh Reddick that came back to bite the Indians. Reddick was issued a free pass in favor of Robinson Chirinos and theoretically the move made some sense; Reddick entered the day with a .354 average, and Chirinos was batting .279. Terry Francona chose to attack the seemingly inferior player.

With two outs and men on first and second, Carrasco tried to muscle a low and inside fastball past Chirinos but the big Venezuelan wasn't fooled and absolutely destroyed the ball for a 3-run homer.

Carrasco was rocked and didn't recover. Two straight singles later and he was toasted; within the span of 14 pitches Carrasco's terrific performance was completely undone and the Tribe couldn't come back. The score remained 4-1 to Houston.

--------------------------------

The Indians move on from Texas and enjoy an off day before they take on the Marlins for a brief two game series in Miami.

Perhaps the Florida sunshine is just what this team needs.

Opening Day Live Blog - Indians vs Twins

10:27 - Good morning from sunny England and welcome to Opening Day! I'm currently at work, desperately waiting for 5pm to get here, and already mentally preparing myself for this evening's festivities.

If you've been living under a rock, you might not have seen the Indians are in Minnesota to kickstart their 2019 season against their division foes. I have just checked the weather for Minneapolis and it estimates the temperature at first pitch to be around 48°F, or 9°C for us Brits. Toasty then.

12:02 - I'm already hungry thinking about the food I'm having tonight ahead of the game. Every Opening Day my wife and I have hot dogs but this year I'm considering adding nachos to the party. We like to make a fuss on this most special of days.

13:59 - I've been out for lunch and returned with all the stuff for hot dogs and nachos. It's on. 

15:05 - I’ve just seen the breaking news confirming that star third baseman Jose Ramirez will be in the Indians lineup today, after some recent concerns about his health. Ramirez had to be carted from the field on Sunday after fouling a ball off his left knee and he looked in serious pain. Thank goodness he has recovered in time, because the Indians and myself will need him fully fit; he's the pride and joy of my fantasy team this season.

17:15 - I'm home from work and the baseball is on!

18:00 - With a couple of hours to go before first pitch let's quickly go over our starting pitchers this afternoon:

Corey Kluber is making his fifth straight Opening Day start for the Tribe (tied for the longest streak in franchise history.) Last year Kluber lead the AL with 215 innings pitched, to go alone with 222 strikeouts and a 2.89 ERA.

Jose Berrios is his opponent and the 24 year-old righty posted a career-best 3.84 ERA in 2018. He’ll want to make an impression against the experienced Kluber and the Lindor-less Indians.

18:10 - Speaking of Lindor, the face of the franchise will be missing today thanks to an injury ravaged spring. First it was his calf, and now his ankle, injured on Wednesday in a run-down during a minor league rehab game. Jason Kipnis will also be absent as he is struggling with a calf problem of his own. So the Tribe lineup will be a little lightweight today as a result, with rookie Eric Stamets and veteran Brad Miller debuting in their stead.

18:40 - I have finished cooking the hot dogs and they are ready to be enjoyed. We didn’t have any mustard so ketchup it is, and I tried my best to get the swirly ballpark pattern (and failed).

18:58 - I've just checked in with my buddy Matt, a Brewers fan, who is also enjoying Opening Day. Thanks to a Christian Yelich 3-run homer he is now enjoying the occasion a little bit more. Matt's girlfriend Libby is an A's fan, and I like to take some of the credit for her baseball fandom (I bought her hat for her birthday!)

19:30 - We have spent most of this evening watching the Yankees game whilst we patiently wait for the Indians to start. My wife decided they were her team after she embraced the Evil Empire during our trip to New York in 2017. I’m not even mad, I just love she shows enthusiasm for one of my hobbies!

19:42 - The Yankees are crushing the Orioles and this contest is done, so I’m gonna get started on the nachos.

20:00 - The nachos are out, I’ve got a beer in my hand and the Tribe get started in 10 minutes!

20:10 - Oh hi new uniforms! I forgot the navy jerseys were getting a makeover, but I must say they look pretty nice. 

20:26 - 1st inning over and both sides go quietly, both pitchers look on their game.

20:35 - I can't eat any more nachos. I might be sick.

20:40 - I’m a big fan of Brad Miller’s stirrups. Not a fan of the umpire calling an inside ball a strike. 

20:47 - Jake Bauers take a bow sir! The second out of the 3rd inning is a high fly ball into foul territory and Bauers sprints and slides in the dirt to pull off a spectacular catch! Kluber is cruising through three innings thus far, but Berrios is matching him pitch for pitch.

20:50 - First hit of the ballgame! Leonys Martin ropes a liner down the first base line and into the corner, and collects a double for his trouble.

20:59 - Berrios has 6 strikeouts through 4 innings and is making the Tribe lineup look silly. They can’t touch his change-up, it just drops off a cliff.

21:29 - The Twins finally get a hit off Kluber in the bottom of the 6th, Byron Buxton sending a double off the wall, but Kluber strands him. The game is just over an hour old and we’re headed into the 7th already - cruising along!

21:51 - Nelson Cruz gets a single to start the bottom of the 7th but Kluber strikes out Eddie Rosario looking and there’s an audible groan from the Puerto Rican outfielder. Beautiful pitch. CJ Cron then muscles out a single that drops into shallow center field to put Kluber in a pickle and just like that a Marwin Gonzalez single escapes the grasp of Leonys Martin and rolls to the wall, scoring two to give the Twins a sudden 2-0 lead.

21:55 - Kluber hits Jonathan Schoop in the wrist to put him on but comes back to strike out Jason Castro looking, a perfectly placed pitch at the knees on the corner. A Byron Buxton pop-up ends the inning and Kluber’s day as well. He’s been really sharp but you can’t help feel the lack of run support is gonna cost him. Kluber finishes with 7 innings pitched, 4 hits, 2 earned runs and 5 strikeouts.

22:06 - Brad Miller, he of the fantastic stirrups and no batting gloves (this guy has won me over already), cracks a single to force Berrios from the game. The Twins youngster gets a standing O from his adoring crowd and he deserves it. He’s been lights out, with 7.2 innings pitched, 10 K’s and just 2 hits given up.

22:12 - Greg Allen, in as a pinch hitter for Stamets, strikes out looking on a low pitch from Twins reliever Taylor Rogers. The umpire loves it and is very theatrical in his call of the third strike. Get a grip man.

22:24 - Francona has been busy with his bullpen in this 8th inning. We’ve seen Oliver Perez, Adam Cimber and now Brad Hand entering the game. Together they get the job done and the Indians now head to the 9th still trailing 2-0...

22:32 - We’re not off to a good start, with Leonys Martin striking out tamely and Jose Ramirez pops up on the first pitch he sees. Come on Jose, you're better than this!

22:33 - Jordan Luplow, pinch hitting for his Indians debut, is our last hope.

22:36 - Luplow goes down swinging and that’s it, the Twins take the Opening Day victory at home 2-0, Berrios collecting the win and Taylor Rogers the save.

22:37 - And so I now go to bed, with Opening Day in the books. I’m full of nachos and beer and ready for sleep. The Indians lineup looked very limp indeed. Here’s hoping it was just the Berrios effect and not indicative of the season ahead.

Still, despite the loss I've had an enjoyable day and it's so good to have baseball back. The Indians go again on Saturday in another UK friendly game, a 6:10pm start for me.

And The Oscar Goes To...

When the Indians acquired Leonys Martin before the trade deadline last year, it was a practical move to shore up what had been a position of uncertainty for some time. No one could have foreseen what happened next, when Martin was struck down with a virus so lethal it almost claimed his life. Before the illness though, the trade signified the Indians liked what they saw in Martin and the veteran outfielder was expected to roam center field for the next year or two until a prospect was ready to take his spot.

On the same day Martin made the short journey across Lake Erie from Detroit to his new home in Cleveland, the Indians were busy adding another center fielder, a prospect who could potentially supplant Martin in the future.

His name is Oscar Mercado and he’s currently the most exciting Tribe player of spring training.

I was quietly pleased when the Indians announced they had brought the young Colombian on board via a prospect swap with the Cardinals. The fleet-footed former shortstop-now-outfielder is renowned for his elite speed and strong defense, but has dedicated himself these past two years on improving his prowess at the plate. The results have been encouraging, as Mercado hit .285/.351/.408 for the Triple-A Redbirds prior to his trade, with 8 homers and 42 RBI, plus 31 stolen bases. Once part of of the Indians organisation, Mercado slashed .252/.342/.320 in 32 games for Columbus as he adjusted to his new team and city.

At this point Mercado was considered by many to be another cog in the Indians’ outfield wheel of problems and misfits, but behind the likes of the more established trio of Tyler Naquin, Bradley Zimmer and Greg Allen, and even new additions like Jordan Luplow and Jake Bauers.

Then spring training began and Mercado came to play.

The 24 year-old has been scorching hot at the plate in his 27 at-bats thus far, firmly putting him among the contenders for an outfield spot to start the 2019 season. In the first big league training camp with his new team, Mercado has a team-best 12 hits, including a double and a triple, and 3 home runs for 8 RBI. His slashline is an impressive .444/.444/.889. If he can sustain this momentum for another fortnight, Francona and the Indians will find it extremely difficult to resist picking him for the 25-man roster.

Indians beat reporter Mandy Bell tweeted Francona’s comments below:

Terry Francona on Oscar Mercado: “My goodness, he’s really giving himself a chance because he’s so athletic to begin with, but when it starts carrying over to the batter’s box, man that’s fun to watch.”

— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) March 10, 2019

Mercado appears to be stealing the show every time he’s in the lineup. Another memorable moment came on Sunday afternoon, a monster home run off Felix Hernandez during a 16-2 rout of the Mariners. I was relaxing with the game on TV, casually watching the third inning of yesterday’s game, when the crack of Mercado’s bat jolted me to attention. I saw the ball arcing deep into center field, the outfielders gazing helplessly at it, before it finally crashed high off the outfield wall for a prodigious solo homer. The right-handed hitting Mercado went 3-for-3 in the game overall, and the Indians could really benefit from a righty in a very lefty-dominated team.

Perhaps it’s too early to expect Mercado to make the leap straight from Triple-A to a starting spot on the Opening Day roster. 2018 was only his first year at the Triple-A level after all, so his experience with top-level pitchers has been limited. Also, y’know, spring training numbers have never been a great indicator for regular season performance. As much as I would love to see him start the year in the Cleveland outfield, I know deep down his development could be better served with a month or two in Columbus. The club has Mercado under control for at least the next six years, so there’s no need to rush him, especially when the AL Central is predicted to be so uncompetitive again.

Having said that, if he’s performing better than the current alternatives, shouldn’t he be given an opportunity? Would I prefer Mercado shadowing Martin in a corner outfield spot on Opening Day over the likes of Luplow and Naquin?

Absolutely.

Wherever he winds up on Opening Day, be it Cleveland or Columbus, consider the British branch of the Oscar Mercado Fan Club officially open for business. I hope the youngster continues to dazzle us with his abilities and ultimately provides the club with a meaningful contribution over the coming months and 2019 season.

Don't Forget About Me: Leonys Martin

When the Indians acquired center fielder Leonys Martin from the Tigers on July 30 2018, it was not the type of trade deadline move many fans had hoped for. Martin’s addition to the roster was a very practical but unheralded move by the Indians and immediately addressed one of the team's biggest needs, upgrading their poor outfield defense.

Martin made a good first impression with his new team, batting .333 with two homers and four RBIs over his first 6 games. Thanks to an adjustment on his launch angle (16.2 degrees, compared to his career 10.6 degree mark), Martin was set to have more of an impact with his bat than perhaps the Indians had originally anticipated.

Just over a week into his tenure in Cleveland, Martin began to feel significant pain in his mid section and sadly would not feature for the Indians again in 2018. It was discovered that Martin had contracted a life-threatening bacterial infection in his bloodstream that attacked his internal organs and even his heart. The situation looked dire when Martin spent nearly a week in intensive care, fighting for his life. At that point, his baseball career was no longer the top priority - his health and a full recovery was of the utmost importance instead.

Thankfully, Martin and his doctors in Cleveland got the infection under control and in late November he was given the all-clear, and could begin the slow and steady rehabilitation process ahead of the 2019 season.

From almost losing his life to preparing for his ninth season in the majors, Martin has certainly experienced his fair share of drama during his brief time in Cleveland.

Now reportedly back to full fitness and with spring training on the horizon, Martin enters camp as one of the forgotten contributors on this Indians team. However, despite flying under the radar, he will be absolutely integral to the Tribe's defense, especially when you consider the uncertainty still prevalent in this outfield. His veteran presence and consistency will be depended on if he finds himself flanked in the corners by the relatively unproven duo of Jordan Luplow and Tyler Naquin. Unless the club make any more outfield signings or trades in the coming weeks, that's the situation Martin should expect come Opening Day.

Martin will be 31 years-old once the season begins so his status as Cleveland's everyday center fielder may change as the year goes on, dependent on performance, but for now he's surely penciled in as the starter. It is wise to temper our expectations with Martin though; he is returning from a pretty significant setback to his body, which may take longer to recover from than originally thought. Martin's prowess at the plate has never been his defining attribute but if he can hit to a league-average level from the bottom half of the lineup, then his overall contribution will be of immense value to the Indians, particularly when he costs just $3 million this year. His defensive contributions should validate his playing time alone.

2019 is essentially a second chance for Martin and his Indians career, after his brief and unfortunate start last August. The left-handed hitting Cuban is considered by most to be the consensus choice for the team's best outfielder, and in the absence of Michael Brantley (newly relocated to Houston), Martin will be essential if the Tribe harbor hopes of winning the AL Central for a fourth consecutive year.

Greg Allen's Astounding August

Greg Allen has had a rollercoaster rookie season. The young outfielder has experienced plenty of up and downs in his short major league career (literally), as he's bounced between the Indians and their Triple-A affiliate in Columbus this year.

Perhaps the biggest down for Allen came with the trade deadline pickup of center fielder Leonys Martin at the start of the month. The club made a move to upgrade the position and the message to the rookie was clear.

You’re not ready.

Thankfully for the Indians, Allen did not dwell on the setback, and over the month of August the 25 year-old has excelled.

The incredibly unfortunate and life-threatening bacterial infection that has sidelined Martin appeared to be a devastating blow for the Indians. Having just acquired the center fielder, only to lose him days later, could have derailed the team's late season plans significantly.

In Martin's absence, Allen has stepped up and made the most of his increased playing time.

Since his return to everyday duties, Allen is riding a 14-game hitting streak, the longest streak by a Tribe rookie since 2010, when Michael Brantley (of course) had 19 consecutive hits. Over the course of his streak Allen has batted .400 with 1 home run, 6 RBI,  scored 11 runs, and collected 5 stolen bases.

He's made a positive impact in almost every single game he's featured in, on some of the biggest stages in the game. Most recently, that has included Fenway Park, the so-called Cathedral of Baseball.

Faced against a daunting Red Sox lineup, on course for a record-setting season, Allen has not appeared fazed by the bright New England lights at all.

In Monday night's first game of the series, Allen took Sox starter Rick Porcello deep for a 2-run homer that broke a tie game late in the 7th inning, giving the Tribe the lead. It turned out to be the difference in the Indians' 5-4 win.

Tuesday night saw Allen make more important contributions, this time in the field. The rookie made two outstanding catches to support his starter Shane Bieber, and the Indians held on again for a 6-3 win. Allen's first catch came in the 5th inning, when a long fly ball off the bat of Xander Bogaerts found Allen backtracking into deepest center field. As the youngster touched the warning track and got perilously close to the outfield wall, Allen leaped to snare the ball with his left hand before crashing into the padding. He managed to hold on for the out, cementing a highlight play he'll show his grandchildren one day.

His second catch was arguably more impressive. In the bottom of the 7th with Boston runners in scoring position and the home side smelling a comeback, Mitch Moreland connected on a low pitch and sent the ball arcing into the night sky. Allen took off on a diagonal run, again into the deepest part of Fenway Park. With his back to home plate the entire time, Allen took the ball over his shoulder with a one-handed catch, and held on as he slid into the dirt of the warning track. Boston managed to score on the sac-fly but if Allen hadn't caught that ball and been alert enough to fire it back into the infield, the Sox would have done some heavy damage on the scoreboard. Moreland isn't the fastest runner but he was probably thinking triple when he connected initially. Allen flat out robbed him.

Offensively and defensively, Allen has been an absolute joy to watch, and partnered in the outfield with the ever-consistent Brantley (August line: .354/.456/.523, 2 HR, 11 RBI) and the red-hot Melky Cabrera (past week: .333/.333/.952, 4 HR, 8 RBI), the Tribe have been firing on all cylinders.

In his post-game interviews with sideline reporter Andre Knott, Allen has been earnest and humble with his answers. Most of all, he seems to be really enjoying himself out there. Terry Francona, speaking about Allen prior to Tuesday's game, said; "Greg’s come back and done a really good job. When we lost Leonys, that was a huge hit for us. And Greg’s come up and... he has just filled in and looks like he belongs here. It makes it fun."

I've long been a fan of Allen, and his recent form has been so enjoyable to see. As Tito said, Allen certainly has been fun to watch, of that there is no doubt.

Tribe Active At Trade Deadline

This season's non-waiver trade deadline saw a flurry of activity across the league and the Indians were in the thick of the action on Tuesday afternoon.

Cleveland made two late trades, the largest of which involved the acquisition of center fielder Leonys Martin from the Tigers, along with minor league pitcher Kyle Dowdy, in exchange for shortstop prospect Willi Castro.

The final trade saw Tribe youngsters Jhon Torres and Conner Capel sent to the Cardinals in return for center field prospect Oscar Mercado.

Let's take a look at the new additions, and a quick glance at the guys who have departed for pastures new:

Leonys Martin, CF
Kyle Dowdy, RHP

All the buzz prior to the deadline indicated the Indians were in the market for outfield help and a number of names were touted as potential options. Among the players mentioned were Bryce Harper, Adam Jones, and Andrew McCutchen, to name just a few.

What materialised was perhaps unexpected, but in reality a typical Indians move. I mean, we were never getting Bryce Harper, were we?

Leonys Martin, a 30 year-old left-handed hitting center fielder, is not exactly the splashy trade Indians fans wanted. In fact, I don't remember seeing a single article before the deadline linking him to the Tribe.

However, just because Martin isn't going to sell a lot of jerseys doesn't mean he isn't a good pickup, and the decision to add him to the roster makes a lot of sense. This is a very practical trade.

Martin is widely considered a plus defender in center field, with his great range and superior speed, and the statistics back him up: he has 3 DRS in 638.1 innings in center this year and a 7.1 UZR rating, leading to a 13.4 UZR/150, which ranks him second among qualified center fielders. I've never been entirely sold on defensive metrics but regardless of that, you can sense Martin has been brought in to upgrade the outfield defense, and he looks certain to do just that. The Tribe's outfield hasn't been blessed with outstanding fielding this year, not when they've relied on the likes of Melky Cabrera and Tyler Naquin, so Martin's defensive skills are more than welcome on the club.

With the bat, Martin is not an overwhelming presence at the plate but he's more than serviceable. He's currently batting .275 against right-handed pitchers, good enough for a 113 wRC+. His overall numbers include a .251/.321/.409 batting line (BA/OBP/SLG) and he has a total of 9 home runs, 29 RBI and 7 stolen bases. Despite the modest numbers, 2018 has been one of Martin's best offensive seasons in his career thus far, and a much improved turnaround from a miserable 2017 (a .172/.232/.281 slashline in just 49 MLB games).

Cleveland is his fourth team since he departed the Rangers in 2015, as he spent the 2016 season and the majority of 2017 with Seattle before being moved to the Cubs in late August. He then signed with the Tigers in December 2017 as a free agent.

Overall, I really like the addition of Martin and the Indians' center field situation is far better now than it was before. Martin provides a significant improvement defensively and is still a better offensive option compared to what the Indians were getting previously. Obviously he's not the power bat fans might have wanted and wished for, but he's still an upgrade and at the end of the day, the team has been improved (without having to deal away top pitching prospects too - bonus!)

Kyle Dowdy, a 6'1 right-handed pitcher, appears to be a throw-in to this trade. The 25 year-old has been a serviceable but not stellar starter in the Tigers minor league system, and has posted a combined 4.74 ERA in 95 innings between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo, with 92 strikeouts and 32 walks.

Detroit received shortstop prospect Willi Castro from the Tribe, who has spent this season at Double-A Akron. He's hit .245/.303/.350 with 5 home runs and has 13 stolen bases. Castro has strong projections, with many believing he has what it takes to be a regular MLB-quality shortstop, but his path to the show in Cleveland was always going to be blocked by Francisco Lindor, so it's logical the Tribe have dealt him away via trade.

Oscar Mercado, CF

The Indians were not content with adding just one slick fielding center fielder on Tuesday, so they contacted the Cardinals and picked up one more.

The supremely athletic Mercado joins the Tribe in the midst of an impressive campaign at the Triple-A level. Mercado has been playing for the Cardinals' farm team in Memphis, and has developed into a solid looking player. He hit .285/.351/.408 for the Redbirds, with 8 homers and 42 RBI, and stole 31 bases in 39 attempts. Before he left St. Louis, he was ranked as their 10th best prospect and possible center fielder of the future. A quick gauge of fan opinion on social media indicates that the Tribe might have gotten a steal, with many St. Louis followers upset to see Mercado leave.

Mercado is a subtle but highly interesting addition, and it feels like he might not be far away from a promotion to the majors in the near-future, possibly even next season. However, with the currently-injured Bradley Zimmer already facing competition for his place in center field from rookie Greg Allen, the inclusion of Mercado makes for an intriguing positional battle in the future.

Or maybe not. With Michael Brantley, Melky Cabrera, Rajai Davis and Lonnie Chisenhall all set to be free agents at the end of this season, perhaps the front office's idea is to fill the outfield with a mixture of Zimmer, Allen and Mercado when the veterans move on. Overall, I am quietly impressed by this trade and I think it has crept under the radar. Mercado looks to be a very useful player that could feature sooner than expected.

In return for Mercado, the Cardinals received two of the Tribe's young outfield prospects, 18 year-old Jhon Torres and 21 year-old Conner Capel. Both players are still in the early stages of their development, so it doesn't feel like a huge loss in the grand scheme of things.

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Ultimately, I feel the Indians can consider this month's dealings to be a success. They had two key areas that required improvement, the bullpen and the outfield, and those areas have now been addressed. Time will tell how the results pan out but you cannot fault the front office for lack of attention; they knew what was needed and they responded.