Tribe Talk - Off Season Version

posted by Laley23

Kipnis.

Where would Baltimore put him?  RF and keep the prospect Hays in AAA?

posted by Laley23

Mackenzie, Salazar and Kipnis. That’s my guess. Clevinger could be a nice piece as well to mix up the names. Baltimore needs/wants young pitching they control through 2022. Tribe has that...and then some. I get it’s a steep price, but it’s also a piece that can take us over the top. Would easily have the best infield in the game, plus Zimmer manning CF. Machado is a GG 3rd baseman and you can pencil him in for 30 HRs and 90 RBI. And the Tribe offense should push those RBI numbers even higher. 

I would be ok with that. Salazar is 28. He is no longer an up and coming guy. He could turn into a great backend bullpen guy or a Cy Young caliber starter or he could just stay inconsistent for his whole career. I'm a Kipnis fan but Machado is too big of a prize to stay attached to him. And you hate to lose a top prospect but those guys are still hit or miss. Hate to lose that chance at MM for a guy who never amounts to anything. 

Make that trade happen.

Terry Francona’s Dad... the original “Tito” ...has passed at the age of 84. 

Tito Francona was my first “ favorite player” as a child growing up, coming to the Tribe in 1959. I had an old Indians Wahoo bobble head on which I had crayoned his number... #14.

Rest in peace, Tito.

He was also my first favorite player. The photo is from my 1964 Indians "Sketchbook". (Cost was 75 cents)

Love baseball cards with minor league stats on the back

posted by Verbal Kint

Love baseball cards with minor league stats on the back

Yes. 

And for the young pups, his .363 avg. was ruled not a title because of a shortage of at bats. 

From the baseball almanac:

"Controversy erupted over the American League batting title as the Cleveland Indians' Tito Francona finished the season with a league leading .363 average, but fell one at-bat short (three-hundred ninety-nine) of the required total (four-hundred). As a result, Harvey Kuenn of the Detroit Tigers was crowned the American League batting champion."

Shocker.....China Doll Salazar injured AGAIN and may not be ready for the start of the season.

• Before he joined the Phillies on a three-year, $60MM contract in November, longtime Indians first baseman Carlos Santana proposed a five-year, $75MM deal to Cleveland, the player told Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. However, “the Tribe was never seriously engaged with him at all this winter,” Castrovince tweets. Shortly after Santana left the Indians, they added replacement Yonder Alonso on a much cheaper pact (two years, $16MM).

Rajai Davis invited to minor league camp

Allen, Almonte, Barnes, Davis, Guyer, Naquin, Upton: 2 spots available, unless they keep both Urshella and Gonzalez, then only one spot.

You guys have Hanigan to minor league deal? He may not be a big leaguer anymore and offensively hardly ever was....but I’m not sure there are 10 guys on the planet better with working with young pitchers. One of the best pitch receivers and pitch callers.

A very solid addition with zero risk.

Party at Napoli's....he's back.....

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/22594901/mike-napoli-agrees-minor-league-deal-cleveland-indians

I like it. Good for a spot start here or there, and the guys love him. Maybe we get a decent bounce back to .230? The power is still there. 

Seems like he is mostly a spring training character guy/ Insurance. There really isn't a spot for him on the opening day. Alonso and EE have the 1st/ DH wrapped up.

posted by iclfan2

Seems like he is mostly a spring training character guy/ Insurance. There really isn't a spot for him on the opening day. Alonso and EE have the 1st/ DH wrapped up.

Read an article this morning that bringing in Napoli was more of a "good karma/doing the guy a solid" thing. Tito said they brought him in to showcase his skills and see if he can catch on with another team. He said something to the effect of "we're probably getting him ready to go join another team and beat us."

Just goes to show you the class of the organization. Tribe brass just thought Napoli was too much of a high quality guy to not be on someone's roster for at least Spring Training.

Pretty cool move, and if somebody gets injured, he could stick around for a while. 

Apparently Kipnis wants to stick around. Hit his fourth dinger today.

posted by BR1986FB

Apparently Kipnis wants to stick around. Hit his fourth dinger today.

Too fragile, ala Brantley

Kip with 5 dingers now ....

Clevinger has made the preliminary spring training “rotation”..... Danny Salazar has an inflamed rotator cuff and is working thru that... will not be ready to start the season.

Tomlin and Merritt have been knocked around this spring... Clevinger however, has been lights out.