Potential Trades For The Tribe At Deadline

Apologies for interrupting your regularly scheduled programme (my series re-caps) but I thought I'd weigh in on some potential moves the Indians could make this month before the trade deadline. With the way things stand at the moment, the Indians are certain to be buyers this month instead of sellers like we've been used to in years past. So let's see who the Tribe might be looking at this month, or rather, who I'd like them to be looking at:

It Could Happen Trades

Matt Garza

Of all the players known to be on the market, Garza is one of the most achievable as far as the Indians are concerned. Competition will be fierce for the right-hander, with a number of teams looking to solidify their rotation ahead of the second half of the season, but the Indians should certainly be interested in the 29 year-old. Cleveland wouldn't have to give up too much to the Cubs either, since Garza is a free agent after this season. Maybe one of our young outfielders would suffice, since Chicago is pretty set with Starlin Castro at shortstop, so shifting one of our prized infielders can be avoided.

Garza is 3-1 in 8 starts this year with a 3.83 ERA, after missing the first seven weeks of the season. He's been getting better as the season has progressed, really getting into his groove lately. He's 2-1 in his last 3 starts with a 0.82 ERA, surrendering only 2 runs over 22 innings. Yes, those results are against mediocre teams like the Mets, Astros and Brewers but still, pretty decent numbers nonetheless, and he lasted at least 7 innings in each of those games.

I'd really like Garza to join the Tribe, even if it is for just 3 months. I've been an admirer of him since his days in Tampa Bay. As good as our rotation has been this year (compared to what we thought it was going to be) we could sure use more help in the second half, as surely injuries will take their toll during the dog days of August and September. A rotation of Masterson, Garza, Kluber, Jimenez, and Kazmir/McAllister (depending on health) is a tasty proposition. As long as the Indians don't give up too much for Garza and we get a fair deal, I'm 100% behind the club trying to acquire him from the Cubs.

Bud Norris

Houston's 28 year-old right-hander is also known to be available this month and the Tribe front office are surely monitoring the situation. So are a lot of other major league clubs though, with teams like the Orioles, Jays and Giants all in search for pitching help and Norris tops most of their wanted lists (although at the time of writing, I believe Baltimore have just made a move for Chicago's Scott Feldman, which would likely remove them from the Norris market).

Norris is 5-7 so far this year, with an impressive 3.35 ERA on a terrible Astros team. He was superb in the month of June, compiling a 2.77 ERA over 39 innings. The best thing about trading for Norris aside from his pitching ability?  He'd join the Indians with plenty of time left under club control, unable to become a free agent until 2016. Norris is enjoying his finest year in Houston to date and hopefully that's a sign of things to come, that Bud will only get better. If he does end up in Cleveland, I sincerely hope that will be the case; that we get a quality pitcher for the rest of 2013, and a reliable arm for a few years in the future. I'm all for us trading for Norris, but its difficult to predict what it will take to pry him away from Houston. There's no way we give up anybody like Francisco Lindor or Trevor Bauer, but maybe someone like Dorssys Paulino or Ronny Rodriguez would be enough. I'm probably way off the mark here and the Tribe would be giving up too much, so I'm really not sure. Let's just say I'd be happy with Norris in Cleveland and leave it at that.

Ricky Nolasco

Despite our need for another starting pitcher, I don't think we're really in the race for the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco, but until he's traded it's still a possibility. With everything I've read so far it looks as if a club with deeper pockets than us will make the move for Nolasco, with the Dodgers, Giants, Yankees and even the Red Sox rumoured to be in the hunt for the right-hander.

The 30 year-old is having a good season in Miami, currently sitting with a 4-8 record and a 3.93 ERA. He would certainly bolster our rotation but I don't expect us to be the team he joins before the deadline. It's long been established that the Marlins have had Nolasco in the shop window and I reckon Los Angeles or San Francisco will become his new home in the coming weeks.

In Your Dreams Trades

Giancarlo Stanton

The Marlins may have the worst owner in baseball in Jeffrey Loria, but even he wouldn't ship away his star player, the face of the franchise? Would he?

Well the rumour-mill is abuzz that the Marlins just might do it, that they might actually trade away 6'6 outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. The 23 year-old MVP-calibre slugger would fetch a huge haul of top prospects from every club in the league. Who wouldn't want Stanton gracing their outfield?

Well Indians fans can keep dreaming because there's a 99% chance that this trade will never happen, not in 2013 anyway. Despite Loria's reputation, it's highly unlikely the Marlins will trade away Stanton this season. You have to believe the rumours are exactly what they are; just rumours, created out of thin air. I'm pretty sure that Cleveland is one of the many clubs on Stanton's no-trade list anyway, so this move is even more likely to remain a dream. But I can dream right? Stanton would look awfully good in Indians red, white and blue, gunning down would-be runners from right field.

Cliff Lee

Ahh, Clifton Phifer Lee, what memories we had. His 2008 Cy Young season was my first proper year following the Tribe, day in, day out. So I was instantly a big Lee fan and was so sad to see him traded away in 2009. But word on the street is that the Indians are trying to make a run at bringing him back to the place where he had so much success.

It won't happen folks. Sorry to burst your bubble but Lee won't be pitching in Cleveland for the home team any time soon. For starters, the Phillies have categorically said he isn't available for trade. They're having another poor year by their standards but won't succumb to the pressures of the trade deadline madness. Their whole roster could do with a shake-up but it doesn't look like happening any time soon (they want to hold on to Chase Utley too). Secondly, we can't afford him anyway. And third, we'd have to give up a lot to reel in a superstar like Lee. To begin with, you can say goodbye to Lindor. The Phillies would certainly demand the best possible prospects for Lee, and I'm not comfortable giving away Lindor this decade, not with Cabrera approaching free agency in the next couple of years. A trade for Lee would certainly deplete the farm system and I'm not sure that's a good idea for the Indians right now.

As much as I'd love to have Lee come back, the price the Tribe would have to pay would be large indeed, too large for my liking. Kyle over at Wahoos On First has written a thorough article examining potential trades the club could try to lure Lee back, it's definitely worth checking out.

Please Poke My Eyes Out Trades

Jonathan Papelbon

I know the Indians have had their fair share of bullpen problems this season, especially when it comes to closing, but the Tribe should not waste their time looking to trade for a new closer. I've seen Papelbon's name floated around and I just have to say:

No.

No no no no.

Not only am I not a fan of the 32 year-old right-hander - I think he's overrated and overpaid - but we don't need him. I know our closer situation has been bad but it's nothing compared to the Tigers, who are actively shopping around for a new closer. Detroit has no one else for the 9th inning (until they just trust Benoit). We at least have a variety of in-house options for the 9th so there should be no way in hell we make a move for a closer, especially one like Papelbon. If the Indians are looking for bullpen help, they can forget all about closers and aim to pick up a left-handed reliever. End of conversation.

I look forward to seeing what the Indians do over the new few weeks, and hope whatever moves they do decide to make prove to be successful for the Tribe in 2013.

Thanks for reading.

Indians Earn Philly Split

The Indians return home to Cleveland today for a well deserved day off, and they make it back from Philadelphia in relatively good spirits. On Tuesday the Tribe offense stalled in a 6-2 loss, but rebounded yesterday afternoon to pound the Phillies in a 10-4 Tribe victory. The win puts us a 0.5 game back from the Tigers, who still lead the AL Central despite dropping one at home to the lowly Astros. Let's keep it short and take a quick look at this mini two game series in Philadelphia:

Can The Real Corey Kluber Please Stand Up?

The Scott Kazmir Comeback Tour took a slight detour Tuesday night. He managed to last 5 innings, giving up 4 runs including 2 homers, but never got the run support, with only Michael Brantley knocking in 2 RBIs in the 6-2 loss. We were all hoping for another vintage Kazmir performance in this series but it wasn't to be. Instead we got one from Corey Kluber on Wednesday.

The 27 year-old right hander got battered in his last start in Detroit, but he shook that off and pitched a good game in Philadelphia. Kluber lasted 6 innings, scattering 6 hits and giving up 3 runs whilst striking out 5 and walking none. It was a very composed and assured performance from Kluber, who has been somewhat difficult to predict this year. In all honesty, if every pitcher on the Tribe staff were healthy, Kluber would be in the bullpen or down in AAA Columbus. However, Corey has met the challenges of being a major league starter each time he's gone to the mound and he's done pretty well given the circumstances. Given the fact he's not really supposed to be in the situation he's in, I think he's doing a fine job and deserves the correct amount of credit when he pitches like he did yesterday.

The question going forward is can Kluber keep this up? Can he pitch like this every 5 days from here on out and keep the other starters like Brett Myers off his back? Probably not. But he's making the most of his opportunities and if he can carry this form into his next start and remain solid, maybe he'll keep that fifth spot in the rotation for a bit longer. I like Corey and will be rooting for him. Oh, and damn did he look impressive with the bat in his hands. For an AL pitcher taking his first cuts at the plate in his major league career, Kluber looked like a veteran in terms of plate discipline and awareness. His first at-bat in particular was amazing to watch.

Player Of The Series

I'm going with my boy Jason Kipnis. He had a pretty quiet first game of the series on Tuesday, going 0-for-3 but he did draw a walk and steal a base, his 7th of the year so far. His bat woke up on Wednesday though. The dynamic second baseman has been hitting the ball really well of late and nowhere was that more evident than yesterday, where he went 3-for-4 at the plate with a walk, 2 doubles, and a big 3-run homer in the 8th inning that effectively ended the Phillies' resistance. His home run was his 6th of the year and the first big fly that didn't come in the first inning. A very successful day at the office all in all.

The Indians have the day off today before welcoming the Seattle Mariners to town tomorrow for a four-game series. The can't-miss game of the series will be on Sunday, our best guy against their best guy: Justin Masterson (6-2, 3.14 ERA) versus Felix Hernandez (5-2, 1.53 ERA). I can't wait for it, and it starts at 1.05 PM ET so I'll get to watch it as well. Until next time...

Thanks for reading.

Phillies Fall To Terrific Tribe

The Indians have begun their nine game home-stand with a bang, beating Philadelphia twice in a row to take the mini two-game series. Cleveland's winning streak is up to four games now and the club are a single game from getting back to a .500 record. What a lovely way to begin the month of May. Let's have a look at how it went down:

Offense Clicking Into Gear

April saw the Indians offense take on a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde persona. For a couple of games they wouldn't string any hits together, then 24 hours later they'd explode for double-digit runs and leave opposing fans cowering behind their sofa cushions. The inconsistency on a nightly basis was baffling. How could a team with this much power, this raw ability to crush the ball, be so limp at the plate all of a sudden? Well thankfully the last few games have seen the Tribe offense begin to find their rhythm and no game highlighted that more than Tuesday night. 

The Phillies brought Roy Halladay to the mound, not so long ago one of the best pitchers in the game, a two-time Cy Young winner and proud owner of a perfect game to his résumé. But this is not the same Halladay of yesteryear. Doc is having a rough time of it lately and the Indians only added to his misery. Poor Roy got shelled for 9 brutal hits for 8 earned runs in only 3 2/3 innings.

And that was only the beginning. The Indians hit 7 home runs in total Tuesday night in the 14-2 thrashing, taking it to the Phillies' bullpen after Halladay had left the game. The Tribe got homers from Santana, Reynolds, Chisenhall, Brantley, Stubbs and 2 from Ryan Raburn (more on him later). The offensive outburst somewhat overshadowed Zach McAllister's fine outing: Number 34 went 7 strong innings, scattering 5 hits with 4 strikeouts. Zach did give up 2 home runs to the Phillies but they were solo-shots and really the only mistakes the 6'6 righty made all night. 

The offense carried over their fine performance from Tuesday night into yesterday's game. The Indians' bats stayed alive in the 6-0 victory, ensuring the series win and sweep over the Phillies. Cliff Lee made his first start against his former team since his trade out of Cleveland in 2009 but even he couldn't quiet the Tribe lineup. I have fond memories of Lee's 2008 Cy Young season but I can't say I wasn't pleased to see him get smacked around for 9 hits in 6 innings of work. His opponent for the Tribe was our young pitching stud Trevor Bauer, making a spot-start before going back to Columbus today. Bauer lasted 5 innings, only surrendering 1 solitary hit but he walked 6 Phillies batters. He had a lot of trouble in last start in Tampa Bay when he had too many walks (7!), and again last night his control was just as wild. Nearly every fastball he threw was far too high, and he struggled to keep anything down. One positive though was his breaking ball; he had a mean curveball working, a thing of beauty when he got the Phillies' Ryan Howard to strike out looking in the 1st inning, then catcher Carlos Ruiz to whiff badly in the 2nd. Bauer still needs to work on his control before he can be considered MLB ready, that many walks is unacceptable and infuriating, but the potential talent is obvious. I don't expect it will very long before he becomes a permanent addition to the starting rotation.

The key hit in last night's game was Asdrubal Cabrera's 2 RBI double down the left field line in the bottom of the 3rd inning, scoring Brantley and Kipnis to stake the Indians to a 3-0 lead. They never looked back from there, tacking on 3 more runs over the remaining innings, coasting to the win. Cabrera has really been hitting well over the past week and looks to have put his early slump behind him now. Still, he's not as hot at the plate as this guy...

Player Of The Series

Take a bow Ryan Raburn. The versatile 32 year old has been making the most of his playing time lately, doing his best Joe DiMaggio impression. The guy can't miss, he's hitting everything. Since Bourn went on the disabled list, the speedy Drew Stubbs has shifted over to centre field with Raburn taking his place in right field. He got off to a bit of a rough start and I can remember a few times when Raburn swung at the first pitch to end a crucial rally with a double-play ball. But he's done a great job of late to change his critic's opinions.

It started in the final game of the series in Kansas City this past Monday, when Raburn unloaded for 2 home runs, and it didn't stop when Philadelphia came to town. Tuesday night saw him go 3-for-4 at the plate, with 2 more monster home runs in the 14-2 rout. Then last night he went 4-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI in the 6-0 win. He's been unstoppable at the plate, whether its a bloop single, a double in the gap, or another fence-clearing homer, Raburn has been on fire. So the award goes to Ryan for this Phillies series. What a beast.

So the Indians can enjoy their time off today before the Twins arrive in Cleveland tomorrow to begin a three game series, where we'll see Minnesota's Pedro Hernandez (1-0, 2.35 ERA) face off against our Justin Masterson (4-2, 3.12 ERA). Until next time...

Thanks for reading.