Even though they are in the middle of a post-season race, the Cleveland Indians were involved in off the field news yesterday, both good and bad.
The good was the announcement that Carlos Carrasco would be activated on Sunday when the rosters will be expanded, barring any problem with his rehab assignment today in Columbus.
Carrasco will pitch out of the bullpen during September, and he could be a big weapon in relief, potentially as a set up man for Brad Hand.
The other news should be concerning and it isn’t getting a lot of play from the local media.
John Sherman, who joined the Indians as a minority owner in 2016, appears to be close to buying the Kansas City Royals.
Sherman is from KC, and reportedly has been a Royals’ season ticket holder for many years.
If you are someone who is skeptical about the Dolan family ownership of the Indians, you are probably alarmed by this news.
It is not a coincidence that the spike in the Indians’ payroll in 2017 and 2018 came after Sherman bought a piece of the franchise. It has been reported by MLB.com that the minority owner was responsible for that spike.
Rumors that Sherman was no longer part of the organization surfaced in the spring when the payroll was cut from the 2018 level, but in retrospect, the reduction is salaries came from the news that Sherman was in negotiations to buy the Royals.
That should, in itself, be a huge warning signal about the future salary expenditures for the Cleveland Indians.
After trimming $15-$20 million off the payroll a year ago, could there be a similar reduction this winter? After all, the Dolans will have to buy Sherman out assuming he buys the Royals, and we are guessing that’s a substantial amount of cash.
Also, whether they win the AL Central Division or not, the Indians will be one of the top five or six teams in the league after the season, and could be making their fourth consecutive appearance in the post-season.
We have seen the effect on attendance after the payroll trim last season, can you imagine what will happen if let’s say management doesn’t bring back Corey Kluber and heaven forbid, decides to trade Francisco Lindor because the want to pay less in salaries than they did in 2019?
Before you say we are over-reacting, if the reason for the high payrolls in ’17 and ’18 were because of Sherman, then can’t you infer another cut is coming? Certainly, there will not be an increase in the players’ salaries.
Will the Dolans look for another investor to take Sherman’s place, or will Sherman sell his shares in the Indians to another person who is willing to spend?
Remember, the mega trade at the deadline which moved Trevor Bauer for what appears to be a huge haul, actually saved the Tribe money in 2019. It wasn’t a financial move to “go for it”.
So, keep an eye on these Kansas City negotiations. A close eye. Because the near future of the Cleveland Indians franchise and the Dolan ownership should be under close scrutiny.
Or maybe this is the first step in a full sale of the franchise. Either way, it should be concerning for Tribe fans.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 