Sunday was an eventful day for the Cleveland Indians, although not all of it was positive.
First, their modest four game winning streak was ended by Kansas City, so the team returns for a nine game home stand after a 5-2 trip.
They come back for a series against the American League’s best team, the Houston Astros, trailing the Minnesota Twins by two games in the Central Division, and leading the wild card standings by three games over Oakland and 3-1/2 over Tampa.
Oh, and one of their starting pitchers threw a conniption fit on pitcher’s mound.
Was it the big deal it became on social media? No, but it wasn’t a good look for Trevor Bauer, who threw a baseball against the screen between the Royals’ dugout and home plate, and fired another one over the centerfield wall.
The right-hander showed remorse almost immediately, apologizing to Terry Francona as he reached the mound, and doing the same in the dugout and after the game issued a statement saying he had no excuse for his actions.
Still, is this any different than a pitcher punching a wall or knocking over the Gatorade cooler after a bad performance? We believe Bauer is being truthful that the frustration was directed at himself and the sport, not at any of his teammates.
We would think everyone in the clubhouse knows Bauer and gets that he cares about performing his best above everything, and he feels he let his team down.
Our guess is this: If you like the competitor in Bauer, you don’t have a huge problem with what he did, and if you dislike him for his off the field beliefs, you think he is the locker room cancer.
And it is doubtful this changed his trade value, other teams know about this personality trait, nor does it change our mind about dealing Bauer. We still wouldn’t unless you can get a legitimate starter in return or in another deal.
Besides the loss and the Bauer stuff, the Indians also made a minor deal, sending Class A OF Ruben Cardenas to Tampa Bay for relief pitcher Hunter Wood and infielder Christian Arroyo.
Wood, who will turn 26 in a couple of weeks, is a righty, and has a lifetime 3.20 ERA in a little over 70 innings pitched with the Rays, and strikeout close to a batter per inning. He will be sent to Columbus for now.
Arroyo is a former top 100 prospect as recently as 2016, while in the Giants organization, but has been plagued by injuries the past three years, playing 59, 68, and 49 games the past three seasons.
He has a 984 OPS in AAA this year, and never struck out more than 73 times in a minor league season.
We look at this move similarly to the move which brought Oscar Mercado here at the trade deadline this time last year.
If he can stay healthy, and he’s on the 60 day injured list right now, he could be in the mix for a big league job next season, particularly because it is doubtful Jason Kipnis will be back.
He just turned 24 years old, and is a right-handed hitter.
It’s not the big move people wanted (they still have time), but it’s the kind of under the radar move the Tribe front office has made in the past.
So, for the last day before the schedule starts to get tougher, it sure was eventful for the Cleveland Indians.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 