Tribe Critics Worrying Early

 

The Cleveland Indians haven’t even played one game in the regular season in 2007, and already the critics are howling at their door.  The problem stems from the potential free agency of three of its big name players:  Jake Westbrook, Travis Hafner, and C.C. Sabathia.  However, only one is scheduled to hit the open market at the end of this season, and that would be Westbrook.  And once again, the debate centers on the so-called "cheapness" of the Dolan family. 

 

With Westbrook, I use the visual test.  Although I am a fan of sabermetrics, I am not totally beholden to the numbers.  Jake Westbrook to me does not look like a pitcher to whom I would pay over $10 million per year.  I realize the Royals paid Gil Meche $11 million per year, but if my neighbor burns his house down, that doesn’t mean I have to as well.  Meche is not worth that kind of cash, and neither is Westbrook.  The right hander from Georgia is a solid guy.  He makes 30-33 starts, he throws 200 innings per year, and these things are important to a pitching staff. 

 

But, it doesn’t make him worth being paid among the highest salaries in the game.  Westbrook’s win-loss record is 56-53 lifetime.  His career ERA is almost 4.50.  He gives up almost ten hits per nine innings and his strikeout ratio is less than five per nine innings.  Those are not the numbers of an above average pitcher, let alone an elite hurler.  Being serviceable and durable doesn’t mean the Indians should grossly overpay a player.  Let someone else do it.

 

Also, signing Westbrook to that type of money makes it more difficult to give Sabathia and Hafner, two elite players, the large salaries they will command and deserve.  Face it, unless your team is the Yankees, Red Sox, or Cubs, payroll is a factor in your decision making.  And paying an outrageous amount to a pitcher such as Westbrook when you have younger, cheaper, and perhaps BETTER options such as Adam Miller, Chuck Lofgren, and J.D. Martin coming is not the way to manage your spending.

 

Of course, when fans hear about this type of logic, the frugalness of the Dolan family comes into the discussion.  It’s not being cheap, it’s just good business.  One constant complaint is that the Indians don’t keep their great players.  This is due to guys like Albert Belle, Jim Thome, and Manny Ramirez leaving for free agency.  If Travis Hafner and C.C. Sabathia depart via this route, then the criticism is valid.  But Jake Westbrook is not a great player, nor is he among the Tribe’s best players.  Most would agree that besides the aforementionned players, Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez would rank ahead the the durable righty.  That would place him 5th, at best, in the pecking order.

 

All this worry could be ruining a season where the Indians are legitimate contenders.  Even prognosticators who have the Tribe 4th in the AL Central say they will be in the race all year long.  Others have them making the playoffs.  The obsessive need for Clevelanders to worry about something to cause them to miss a very nice summer for baseball fans.  Heck, Hafner and Sabathia will be on this team in 2008 as well.  Mark Shapiro knows the priority is to sign those two players.  They are the guys who deserve the huge cash on the open market.  That’s who the Indians need to sign.  Inking Westbrook and allowing Pronk and C.C. to leave would not help the Tribe in the future.

 

MW