The Cleveland Indians second half hasn’t started any better than the first half ended. Mainly because the cast of characters remains the same. No one expected a slew of deals immediately after the All Star Game, but it looked like some personnel changes would be made. So far, nothing.
Instead, Eric Wedge seems to be using a musical chairs approach. In the five games played in the second half, the team has used four third basemen, two second basemen, and used a revolving door in the corner outfield spots using Jason Michaels, Casey Blake, and Todd Hollandsworth. Doing this does not help the defense, and for an already bad defensive squad, this is especially troublesome.
Meanwhile at Buffalo, Andy Marte has raised his batting average to .278. The Tribe is trying to make a deal for Aaron Boone so they can bring Marte up, but it’s obvious there is no market for Boone. The right thing to do is designate the former Yankee playoff hero for assignment. And do it right away. GM Mark Shapiro is trying to avoid this move because Boone is a class act, but he’s not helping the team and he knows the move is coming. Marte was the centerpiece of the trade sending Coco Crisp to Boston. It’s time to see him on the big club and playing everyday.
As far as rumors about a possible trade involving Jake Westbrook goes, it’s clear here that Westbrook is not an "untouchable". He is a dependable starter, giving the team 200 innings per year, but really he is a third or fourth starter. He is not as good as C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee, and you can make an argument that Paul Byrd has been more consistent for most of the season. What did Westbrook in last night was his annoying habit of allowing runs after the Indians plate a few themselves in the previous half inning. So, depending on what you can get, I wouldn’t be totally against it.
This ship is sinking fast and it appears some of the veterans are going through the motions. Those guys need to be weeded out now. The fans and management need to see some young players wanting to make a good impression in the bigs. Marte, Franklin Gutierrez, and Ryan Garko should be wearing Tribe uniforms if they want to salvage the season. The retooling should start today with Boone’s release and putting Marte in the lineup at third.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 