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| Nix is playing third base in Puerto Rico (Photo: AP). |
Home Sweet Home
There are only about three weeks left in the winter ball season and most of the Indians have already gone home. Recently infielder Jared Goedert returned home from Venezuela and right-handed pitcher Josh Judy returned home from the Dominican Republic, and two more Indians have since returned home as first baseman/outfielder Matt McBride and outfielder Nick Weglarz both left their respective winter league clubs last week.
McBride, 25, put on an impressive showing in the Dominican Winter League hitting .282 with 8 homers, 26 RBI and a .899 OPS in 28 games. He split time between first base, left field and right field, and when he left he was in the top two in the league in both home runs and RBI. The performance piggybacked a solid 2010 season where in 127 combined games between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus he hit .279 with 21 homers, 75 RBI and a .814 OPS. He is eligible to be picked up in the Rule 5 Draft this Thursday, and his versatility at first base, corner outfield and even catcher to go along with his power may create some interest in him.
Weglarz, 22, had recently gone out to Venezuela to make up some time after he missed the last month and a half of the season at Triple-A Columbus because of a thumb injury. He played in four games in Venezuela and went 3-for-12 at the plate with four walks, but injured his back when he collided with the shortstop chasing down a short fly ball in left field. While it was just a minor injury, he and the Indians felt it best to not risk anything so he was shut down and he returned home. He is already working out with a personal trainer in Canada and began a running and lifting program on Monday. He is expected to head out to the Goodyear complex in Arizona in early January to get ready for the season.
Just Getting Started
While several players have already gone home there are some players just getting going in winter ball.
Infielder Jayson Nix made his winter debut out in Puerto Rico on Wednesday where he will be playing third base on a daily basis. In three games he is 1-for-13 at the plate and has committed one error in the field. He is the favorite to be the starting third baseman on opening day and the Indians want to give him some extra experience there this offseason as well as get a few more looks at him there to see to see how he handles the position.
Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera started playing for his team in Venezuela last weekend and in seven games is 5-for-25 at the plate with four RBI. He is playing winter ball to help make up for the two months he lost during the season because of a broken forearm.
The Dream Rotation
Oh, what could have been.
Earlier this week I provided some detailed information in an article on the dealings between Tim Lincecum and the Indians and how he almost became an Indian. Had the Indians signed him after taking him in the 42nd round of the 2005 Draft out of the University of Washington, he could have teamed up with C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee to form a very formidable rotation for years.
Now, to be fair here, the reason why Lincecum slid to the 42nd round is because he was deemed unsignable with a $2 million price tag and was still in a lot of ways an unknown commodity in the scouting industry. He ended up slashing that asking price in half after the draft, but in the end the Indians and Lincecum were never able to reach an agreement and he went back to school for his junior season and then was a 1st round pick of the Giants in 2006.
But had Lincecum signed, his midseason arrival in 2007 would have made for one of the greatest starting pitching rotations of all time in Cleveland, rivaling those great late 40s and early 50s rotations that had Bob Feller, Early Wynn, Bob Lemon, and Mike Garcia. A young Lincecum being added to the rotation in 2007 may have been the difference needed to vault past the Red Sox in the ALCS and win a World Series that year.
With all three of Lincecum, Sabathia, and Lee pitching at Cy Young levels in 2008 and beyond, it makes you wonder “what if”.
Obviously keeping all three in this day and age would have been nearly impossible, as if the same market conditions today were present back in the 40s and 50s, guys like Feller would have left the Indians in their prime for greener pastures. We all know Sabathia signed with the New York Yankees for seven years at $161 million ($23 million per year) and that Cliff Lee is likely to get close to the same deal somewhere this offseason. Lincecum is still three years away from free agency, but will make at least $13 million next season.
All totaled up, the three would cost about $70 million alone in payroll in 2012, which is obviously too rich for mid and smaller market teams like the Indians with limited revenues, especially when you have 22 other spots on the 25-man roster to fill. Of course, one could argue that with that kind of staff you would need very little offense (look at the San Francisco Giants this year for example), and with a strong farm system and making well timed acquisitions via free agency that the rest of the 25-man roster could be put together rather cheaply.
Yes, what could have been, to have three of the four or five best pitchers in the game, here, in Cleveland, and in their prime.
Of course what else did you expect, this is the kind of stuff that only happens in Cleveland.
Smith, Lewis Back In Fold
Just before the midnight filing deadline on Thursday night the Indians came to terms on one year deals for right-handed relievers Joe Smith and Jensen Lewis. For the 2011 season Smith will earn $870,000 and Lewis will make $650,000.
Smith, 26, went 2-2 with a 3.83 ERA in 53 relief appearances for the Indians last season. Lewis, also 26, went 4-2 with a 2.97 ERA in 37 relief appearances for the Indians last season as well. Had either player not been signed by the filing deadline, they would have likely been non-tendered and would have become a free agent. Both are expected to be in the Indians’ opening day bullpen next season.
The Indians also offered arbitration to their four other arbitration eligible players Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Chris Perez and Rafael Perez. The Indians have not gone to arbitration since 1991 when they did so with Greg Swindell. They will try to keep that streak alive this offseason, though Choo could be the biggest obstacle considering Scott Boras is his agent.
40-man Blues
With all of the excitement that goes into the player selection process for those young minor league players who get added to a Major League 40-man roster in November, there is a sinking feeling and a lot of disappointment for those who are removed.
Fans often do not lose any sleep over players removed from the 40-man roster because the player was likely not very good, had maxed out his potential as a big leaguer, or was a complete unknown. But to the player, it means everything as that chance to make it and stay relevant in the big leagues takes a serious blow and their future in the game is put in considerable doubt.
"I have nobody to blame but myself as I did it to myself,” said Chris Gimenez in an interview earlier in the year for IndiansProspectInsider.com when asked about being removed from the 40-man roster last offseason. “Now the hard work starts as I did all this stuff to get there, now I have to put it all in play and just bust my [butt]. But it’s a sucky situation. I know it is a tough decision too and a lot comes into play, so I am okay with it and understand it as the Indians are trying to make the organization better."
Being on the 40-man roster means a player has a chance, which is all any minor leaguer wants. Yes, players will get added to the 40-man roster all the time during the season, but for a lot of the players who are on the roster in the offseason they know they have better job security and are considered an option for the big league team going into the season.
"I find myself thinking back on it and you start to say to yourself 'what if I never get back to the big leagues again’," pondered Gimenez. “That little taste is just enough, and that's all I want to do is go back."
Minor Pickups
The Indians announced some minor signings this week as they re-signed catcher Luke Carlin to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Late Friday they also came to terms on a minor league deal for infielder Jack Hannahan.
Hannahan, 30, played for the Seattle Mariners last year and in 290 career games in the big leagues is a .224 hitter with 16 homers, 90 RBI and a .658 OPS. Obviously he is not much of a hitter, but he is considered a good, versatile defender who can play third base, second base, and some first base. He will be in the mix for the starting third base job for the Indians this spring, but if he makes the team it will likely be as a bench player.
Carlin, 29, has played in just 52 big league games where he has a .175 average with 3 homers, 10 RBI and a .553 OPS. He has spent most of his career in the minor leagues where in his nine year minor league career he is a .252 hitter with 22 homers, 199 RBI and a .709 OPS. He will participate in big league spring training, but assuming Carlos Santana and Lou Marson are both in Cleveland to start the year, he will open the 2011 season as the starter or backup catcher at Triple-A Columbus.
Parting Shots
The Indians had some interest in infielder Dan Uggla who was recently traded from the Florida Marlins to the Atlanta Braves on November 16th, but the cost was too steep for them to seriously consider more actively trying to acquire him. … The Andy Marte Era has officially ended in Cleveland as he signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this week. The signing puts to an end a very disappointing five year career in Cleveland from 2006-2010 where in 277 games he hit .224 with 20 homers, 90 RBI and a .650 OPS. … The Rule 5 Draft is this coming Thursday December 9th. I will have lots of updates leading up to it on my site so be sure to check back often throughout the week.
Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. His latest book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on his site for a special year end closeout sale of $10.00 (including shipping and handling stateside).
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