2018 Series #14 | Indians @ Detroit | May 14th, 15th, & 16th | *Barebones Edition*

[KilgoreTrout]

Nice work. Batters managed 3 runs. In the end, we needed way more than 3.

 

[Chris]

This team is so bad lmao

 

[Juice is Loose]

McAllister has been so bad that the broadcast turned off the computer-generated strike zone box.

I caught a little flack before season started cause I said he was bad. People threw out stats saying he was good/serviceable but the numbers were not in high pressure situations. Well it takes two eyes to see he’s complete shit this year. He has two pitches, fastball and little off fastball. Usually results in hit and/or runs given up.

 

[macbdog]

Were some bright spots. Greg Allen went 3-4. Carrasco could have imploded but kept his composure and kept them in the game. The Indians helped to promote the career of Niko Goodrum, which is a win for everybody. So not a total loss.

 

[Real Deal]

I caught a little flack before season started cause I said he was bad. People threw out stats saying he was good/serviceable but the numbers were not in high pressure situations. Well it takes two eyes to see he’s complete shit this year. He has two pitches, fastball and little off fastball. Usually results in hit and/or runs given up.

Nah, he's bad. Most of the board knows this. I don't know who the hell backed Z-Mach. Indians are an ridiculous organization to trust in the Zack fastball attack. He's a bottom feeder pitcher that picked up decent numbers doing so that led to belief in very few folks.

I will continue screaming fuck you Zach when I see his stupid face warming up in the bullpen.

 

[Chris]

I caught a little flack before season started cause I said he was bad. People threw out stats saying he was good/serviceable but the numbers were not in high pressure situations. Well it takes two eyes to see he’s complete shit this year. He has two pitches, fastball and little off fastball. Usually results in hit and/or runs given up.

Yeah he blows.

 

[Wulfgar1224]

This team is so bad lmao

The 40 game point is usually a pretty good benchmark of a where a team is. So, yeah, right now they are mediocre at best. I know they've gotten off to average starts before. But, you can't rely on double digit winning streaks each year. They need to get Kipnis out of the lineup and shore up the bullpen. If those don't happen, I can't see this team doing much this season.

 

[Chris]

The 40 game point is usually a pretty good benchmark of a where a team is. So, yeah, right now they are mediocre at best. I know they've gotten off to average starts before. But, you can't rely on double digit winning streaks each year. They need to get Kipnis out of the lineup and shore up the bullpen. If those don't happen, I can't see this team doing much this season.

Bullpen being the main issue. Continues to cost them game after game.

 

[Wulfgar1224]

Bullpen being the main issue. Continues to cost them game after game.

Agreed. I've been reluctant to post much about the Tribe because I didn't want to overreact to a slow start. But, you're right. Right now they have a two man bullpen. That isn't good enough. I'd have to read up on the farm system to see if they have anything down there that could help. They could always go the trade route. But, who knows what they'd have to give up to make that happen. Not sure what Salazar's status is or whether he would be a starter or reliever. But, counting on him isn't a great idea either.

 

[Indians92]

I caught a little flack before season started cause I said he was bad. People threw out stats saying he was good/serviceable but the numbers were not in high pressure situations. Well it takes two eyes to see he’s complete shit this year. He has two pitches, fastball and little off fastball. Usually results in hit and/or runs given up.

I have said he is bad for couple years now. The only reason to keep this guy is for garbage time, but now we have to use him because the BP is garbage! He is terrible and his fastball, which seemingly all he throws, is straight and is “crushable”. He should been gone a couple years ago imo

 

[Chris]

Agreed. I've been reluctant to post much about the Tribe because I didn't want to overreact to a slow start. But, you're right. Right now they have a two man bullpen. That isn't good enough. I'd have to read up on the farm system to see if they have anything down there that could help. They could always go the trade route. But, who knows what they'd have to give up to make that happen. Not sure what Salazar's status is or whether he would be a starter or reliever. But, counting on him isn't a great idea either.

Salazar is French done-yins soup

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

Way too much info for a barebones thread

Way to blow it

 

[Real Deal]

The 40 game point is usually a pretty good benchmark of a where a team is. So, yeah, right now they are mediocre at best. I know they've gotten off to average starts before. But, you can't rely on double digit winning streaks each year. They need to get Kipnis out of the lineup and shore up the bullpen. If those don't happen, I can't see this team doing much this season.

Since our window is right now, not any other time, we should look into bringing in young stud starting pitcher and maintaining his innings out of the bullpen. As the looks of it we need a 6th and 7th inning guy. Plutko? He's 26 and supports a good WHIP to trust, albeit it's minor league action.

But get real Indians, Plutko is 26 years old, and here we are trotting out Josh Tomlin. Unbelievable.

This bullpen is crazy.

-League worst 3-10 record.
-2nd to last in ERA (5.45)
-2nd to last in K's (109)


Very lazy approach thus far and not even trying to get creative. I can quickly have Bieber fever though.

 

[KluberSociety]

Plutko? He's 26 and supports a good WHIP to trust, albeit it's minor league action.

But get real Indians, Plutko is 26 years old, and here we are trotting out Josh Tomlin. Unbelievable.

Plutko has 29.6 GB% and 18.4 K% in AAA. What that will translate to in MLB is fly balls and when MLB hitters hit a lot of fly balls, that results in a lot of HRs and we're basically looking at Josh Tomlin again. Replacing Tomlin with Tomlin isn't the most encouraging. Steamer projections actually have Plutko giving up HRs at a higher rate than Tomlin.

Compare that to Bieber who has a mediocre 20 K% so far in AAA, but over 50 GB%. I wouldn't rush Bieber up but he's already showing at least an ability for HR prevention that Tomlin/Plutko just don't have.

I don't really see much of a point of rushing Bieber up before June because Tomlin likely isn't nearly as bad as he's been so far, Bieber still has a little to prove, and minor considerations like Super Two and keeping pitchers in their normal routine.

But I think this year we're going to have to be looking at moving Tomlin to the pen and maybe some other starters too like Anderson, Salazar, Merritt, etc. And since a lot are hurt it's best just running Tomlin out for a month and maybe having a better idea of everyone's roles by then so they can get used to them.

 

[Marcus]

Plutko has 29.6 GB% and 18.4 K% in AAA. What that will translate to in MLB is fly balls and when MLB hitters hit a lot of fly balls, that results in a lot of HRs and we're basically looking at Josh Tomlin again. Replacing Tomlin with Tomlin isn't the most encouraging. Steamer projections actually have Plutko giving up HRs at a higher rate than Tomlin.

Compare that to Bieber who has a mediocre 20 K% so far in AAA, but over 50 GB%. I wouldn't rush Bieber up but he's already showing at least an ability for HR prevention that Tomlin/Plutko just don't have.

I don't really see much of a point of rushing Bieber up before June because Tomlin likely isn't nearly as bad as he's been so far, Bieber still has a little to prove, and minor considerations like Super Two and keeping pitchers in their normal routine.

But I think this year we're going to have to be looking at moving Tomlin to the pen and maybe some other starters too like Anderson, Salazar, Merritt, etc. And since a lot are hurt it's best just running Tomlin out for a month and maybe having a better idea of everyone's roles by then so they can get used to them.

Would prefer that Tomlin moves to the waiver wire, personally.

Putting in a HR-prone (to put it mildly) pitcher for relief just sounds like an awful idea. Even when he was having better years than this one, he was prone to giving up a lot of homers.

Caught between a rock and a hard place right now. They’re stuck with him thanks to injuries.