Excited About Jake? I guess.

 

The Cleveland Indians will not lose starting pitcher Jake Westbrook to free agency following this season.  The right hander signed a three year deal worth $11 million per season to remain with the Tribe through the 2010 season.  The years involved do not make it a high risk signing and the dollars are the current market value based on what guys like Gil Meche are getting.  So why am I not excited about keeping Westbrook?

 

First of all, how does inking Westbrook affect negotiations with Travis Hafner and C.C. Sabathia.  Out of the three players, Westbrook is clearly 3rd in terms of how he ranks at his position.  Hafner is either the best or second best DH in the American League, and C.C. is one of the best starting pitchers in the Junior Circuit.  Westbrook, although he is durable and dependable, would not rank in the top 10 starters in the league.  If this signing means losing either Pronk or Sabathia, then the Dolans could have spent their cash in better ways.

 

Although I have not been as critical of the Dolans’ spending habits as others are, patting them on the back for this one rings a little hollow.  Indian fans are still waiting for the team to keep a superstar talent that they have developed.  A player who ultimately will have their number in the right field stands at Jacobs Field, a guy who will be instantly recognizable as one of the Tribe’s all time greats.  In the past ten years, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, and Albert Belle were all players who left here for more cash.  One of the Plain Dealer writers compared Westbrook to Charlie Nagy and that is a great comparison.  Nagy was a good pitcher, not an elite one.  Hafner and Sabathia are more comparable to the three offensive cornerstones of the division championship teams.

 

With Adam Miller on the horizon, did the Indians really need to sign Westbrook.  The fact is extending his deal may be insurance in case they cannot get something done with Sabathia.  If C.C. departs, the rotation would have at least one guy who can be counted on to make 33 starts and 200 innings each season.  That is something that cannot be minimized.  However, if you assume that Miller replaced Paul Byrd in the rotation in 2008, what happens when Chuck Lofgren or another prospect is ready.  It’s quite possible that if the Wahoos come to terms with the big lefty, Westbrook could be used as trade bait.

 

The Westbrook signing is not the only positive news out of the wigwam.  The Indians continued their winning streak in series by taking two of three from the White Sox over the weekend, running their record to 6-3.  They have this record despite Victor Martinez missing two-thirds of the games, and Travis Hafner not providing any power.  Ryan Garko seized an opportunity by getting four hits Friday night and appears to be gaining more playing time at Casey Blake’s expense.  The bullpen has also performed well for the most part.

 

So it’s back to the road and apparently more bad weather in New York this week.  At least the rest of the trip will be played since the Indians are visiting a pair of domes in Tampa and Minnesota.  Maybe the bats can get going a bit in some warmer confines.

 

MW