Cleveland Indians 2018-2019 Offseason Outlook

[chuck0609]

They mentioned this during the broadcast yesterday. They made it sound like it's routine and they just want to make sure they get it right--but it's not like you can trust them.

The Tribe needs to consider that he isn’t going to play hurt nor jeaporize himself for his FA.
It’s a ticking clock now- Dolan knows it and so does Frankie.
They need to maximize a return for him and start examining moves for him this offseason.

 

[Ohio]

Yandy wasn’t dumped for nothing. Bauers could be just as good, if not better.

EGon is...meh. I wouldn’t lump him in with Yandy. He’s a replacement level player holding a place in Pittsburgh for Kevin Newman.

I agree...I just don't know why we are in the business of dumping above average hitters on dirt cheap deals when this team tends to go ice cold at the plate at times. But yeah I'm certainly more disappointed about Yandy.

But, E-Gon would also be a notable upgrade over several of the bums in our starting lineup on Opening Day.

 

[AZ_]

I agree...I just don't know why we are in the business of dumping above average hitters on dirt cheap deals when this team tends to go ice cold at the plate at times. But yeah I'm certainly more disappointed about Yandy.

But, E-Gon would also be a notable upgrade over several of the bums in our starting lineup on Opening Day.

Sure, if you were banking on an injury to Lindor.

Stamets and EGon are pretty negligible in difference. What’s REALLY the difference there?

Like Tom Moore used to say when asked why he didn’t play backup QBs more during practice in case Peyton Manning got injured.

“If 18 goes down, we’re fucked. We don’t practice fucked”

 

[Ohio]

Sure, if you were banking on an injury to Lindor.

Stamets and EGon are pretty negligible in difference. What’s REALLY the difference there?

Like Tom Moore used to say when asked why he didn’t play backup QBs more during practice in case Peyton Manning got injured.

“If 18 goes down, we’re fucked. We don’t practice fucked”

Other than hitting .200 in Columbus last year? Stamets has done nothing to deserve being on an MLB roster.

Well sure, the season is a hell of a lot shorter than baseball. Each game means a lot more in football, it's much more difficult to hold down the fort without a HoF QB and remain in the playoff picture.

Lindor is not a HoF QB, and there's no reason to dump a MLB player, making no money, behind him for nothing.

This team should not be fucked if Lindor is out for a month or so. But...we'll see what happens.

 

[AZ_]

Other than hitting .200 in Columbus last year? Stamets has done nothing to deserve being on an MLB roster.

Well sure, the season is a hell of a lot shorter than baseball. Each game means a lot more in football, it's much more difficult to hold down the fort without a HoF QB and remain in the playoff picture.

Lindor is not a HoF QB, and there's no reason to dump a MLB player, making no money, behind him for nothing.

This team should not be fucked if Lindor is out for a month or so. But...we'll see what happens.

What did Erik Gonzalez’s .650 OPS do for you to believe he deserves being on an MLB roster?

Stamets was mostly injured last year, but he plays sharp defense and is basically just a white version of EGon with more power.

 

[sportscoach]

Other than hitting .200 in Columbus last year? Stamets has done nothing to deserve being on an MLB roster.

Well sure, the season is a hell of a lot shorter than baseball. Each game means a lot more in football, it's much more difficult to hold down the fort without a HoF QB and remain in the playoff picture.

Lindor is not a HoF QB, and there's no reason to dump a MLB player, making no money, behind him for nothing.

This team should not be fucked if Lindor is out for a month or so. But...we'll see what happens.

Stamets actually reminds me of John McDonald. Honestly on paper those two are almost exactly the same other than Stamets has a bit more power. Stamets was also hurt most of the season last year, in 17 at AAA, he hit .251/.324/.455 with being a plus defender at 2B, SS and 3rd. He will never be an everyday MLB player, but is a great bench player since he can field extremely well. Thats what got him on a 40 man roster, his fielding ability and the fact he can hit 10-15 HRs.

Actually Luplow was a position of need for the Indians since he is under team control and well liked by a fair amount of scouts. So why not trade from a strength (utility INF) for a position of weakness RH hitting OF (who is a plus defender rating in LF), while still replacing Gonzo in the deal.

Cleveland made the right move at the end of the day for Luplow and Moroff. Gonzo is a better player than Moroff or Stamets, but we needed a RH bat, who could platoon with Zimmer/Naquin etc, and is a strong fielder.

Also take note, Berrios is going into his age 25 season, he has had two full season with under 4 ERA and under 4 FIP, and last season had over 200 SOs. He is a very good pitcher, and potentially one of the best pitchers in baseball. Around age 25 usually shows what a player will be in his career, and barring injuries he honestly should be one of the best in the bigs at his job.

I personally don't like how many unknowns we went into this season with myself, but we are a small market team and no matter what, we end up having gamble years with unknowns having to take the reigns of this organization. I mean when we signed Jose and Lindor, no one ever expected either of them to be the players they are. You have to give guys chances and hope it works.

 

[Kevalier]

Granted, I was an ardent Yandy enthusiast for years, but the telling sign for a lot of us that the front office may have made a mistake was when a notoriously stingy organization in Tampa sent $5 million along with a highly regarded player in Bauers for Yandy. If they properly adjust Yandy’s swing path and he takes off, there will be plenty of deserved scorn directed at the Indians. Specifically, Francona, who was so poor at communicating with Yandy that the latter had to recruit Lindor to get a meeting with his own manager.

 

[chuck0609]

13 innings to get a run

 

[Bulldog2Buckeye]

I just still don’t understand Dolan’s thought process this offseason. He essentially started the process of tanking in a sport where there’s no incentive to tank because of the lack of guarantees in the draft. I understand getting rid of Edwin for a cheaper option in Carlos and moves of that nature, but if the only way he even remotely makes money is to make the playoffs and go far, why get rid of all stars with essentially no replacements while you still have 2 of the top 15 players in baseball under contract with no intention of dealing them for prospects. It’s essentially assuring a worse season than last year which means losing more money.

 

[BMAN]

I just still don’t understand Dolan’s thought process this offseason. He essentially started the process of tanking in a sport where there’s no incentive to tank because of the lack of guarantees in the draft. I understand getting rid of Edwin for a cheaper option in Carlos and moves of that nature, but if the only way he even remotely makes money is to make the playoffs and go far, why get rid of all stars with essentially no replacements while you still have 2 of the top 15 players in baseball under contract with no intention of dealing them for prospects. It’s essentially assuring a worse season than last year which means losing more money.

This was honestly the first offseason that I have questioned in a very long time. Getting rid of Yandy, giving Salazar $4.5 million to name a couple. Just really weird.

 

[sportscoach]

I just still don’t understand Dolan’s thought process this offseason. He essentially started the process of tanking in a sport where there’s no incentive to tank because of the lack of guarantees in the draft. I understand getting rid of Edwin for a cheaper option in Carlos and moves of that nature, but if the only way he even remotely makes money is to make the playoffs and go far, why get rid of all stars with essentially no replacements while you still have 2 of the top 15 players in baseball under contract with no intention of dealing them for prospects. It’s essentially assuring a worse season than last year which means losing more money.

EE plus Yandy for Santana and Bauers was essentially to cut cap this season and get younger. Bauers has more potential than Yandy and is a better fielder as well. Yandy is a pure hitter, but still will lack the HRs and fielding Bauers will have in the future. Most of us didn’t like the fact we traded Yandy, but I think in the end we didn’t lose talent, just got younger and less developed talent that way.

I really was hoping to get Marwin and resign Brantley. I guess from everything I have heard, Brantley wasn’t going to resign, and Indians didn’t want to offer the extra year and/or extra money to Marwin (even though personally in Dolan’s shoes I would have taken the hit especially in hindsight).

Most of the moves though I think were really to try and stay under last years salary while staying competitive and getting younger doing it. Gomes I hated trading, but you gotta remember we essentially got him as a trade throw in. He was a backup minor league catcher who they moved to the corner INF since the Blue Jays at the time had a ton of catchers in their system. It’s likely Jefry and Johnson could be very important players going forward for us honestly.

I don’t see any Cleveland fan who wasn’t disappointed in this offseason but all we can do is trust the guys at the top and I feel we will make in season moves to fill in the needs we have. I think they left the money to be able to adjust in season rather than just spend it in free agency. I expect another bat and maybe a bullpen arm sometime this year if guys don’t produce here soon

 

[AZ_]

I just still don’t understand Dolan’s thought process this offseason. He essentially started the process of tanking in a sport where there’s no incentive to tank because of the lack of guarantees in the draft. I understand getting rid of Edwin for a cheaper option in Carlos and moves of that nature, but if the only way he even remotely makes money is to make the playoffs and go far, why get rid of all stars with essentially no replacements while you still have 2 of the top 15 players in baseball under contract with no intention of dealing them for prospects. It’s essentially assuring a worse season than last year which means losing more money.

His thought process is that fans won’t show up whether he wins or not.

Thus, signing people and expanding payroll without a base of fans will come to the stadium to support the product is not a viable business model.

 

[Bulldog2Buckeye]

His thought process is that fans won’t show up whether he wins or not.

Thus, signing people and expanding payroll without a base of fans will come to the stadium to support the product is not a viable business model.

I understand that point of view, I just think it’s weird to cut payroll THIS year when he knows making and going deep in the playoffs makes him money, and he also knows his team won’t be as marketable or competitive again for a while once Lindor leaves. Obviously never owned a team so I don’t know the entire thought process behind his decisions, but I’d think you’d want to maximize Lindors (and Jose’s) time here and then cut costs when you decide to move on (whether via trade or allowing him to sign elsewhere at the end of his contract)

 

[Kiddo]

His thought process is that fans won’t show up whether he wins or not.

Thus, signing people and expanding payroll without a base of fans will come to the stadium to support the product is not a viable business model.

Maybe he should consider selling the team and not do interviews basically telling the fans we have no shot at signing Lindor. What a joke of an owner.

 

[AZ_]

Maybe he should consider selling the team and not do interviews basically telling the fans we have no shot at signing Lindor. What a joke of an owner.

Doesn't really matter.

And they have no shot at re-signing Lindor. Granted, I get it, people don't like to be told the truth and would rather spin a narrative, but none of these things are more relevant than a terrible fan base not showing up to support a winning team.

Whose attendance went down last year during their fourth straight division championship run.