Major league rules permit teams to expand their rosters on September 1st, enabling them to carry 40 players if they so choose.
The Cleveland Indians followed those rules on Sunday, activating Carlos Carrasco, a move much anticipated because of Carrasco’s battle with leukemia. It was great to see Cookie on the mound against Tampa and Chicago this week.
The rest of the moves were, quite simply, meh.
You figured Eric Haase would get called up because adding an extra catcher enables Terry Francona to pinch hit or pinch run for whoever starts that night, and he doesn’t have to be on pins and needles because he doesn’t have an alternative.
It is doubtful Haase will get any action with a game in doubt as long as the Tribe remains in the playoff race.
The other call ups were veterans, players who will probably make little impact on a team that right now seems to be gasping for air.
Dan Otero was activated from the 60 day injured list, but he’s a back of the bullpen option at this point, with an ERA of 5.47 and having allowed 37 hits (5 of them home runs) and striking out just 11 in 24-2/3 innings.
James Hoyt may be able to help, although he has a career 4.28 ERA in the major leagues.
The club also called up Ryan Flaherty, who is a lifetime .217 hitter over seven major league seasons. His claim to fame is he’s had success against Cleveland, because if you remove his performance vs. the Tribe over the years, his career average is .210.
If Francona has to give him any playing time, that’s a big problem.
Jake Bauers was brought back too, and probably would have been even if Tyler Naquin didn’t injure his knee last weekend.
While it would be nice if Carrasco could get his legs and become a guy Francona can turn to late in ballgames, it is doubtful any of the other players called up can or will make an impact on the roster.
We have heard about the power arms the Tribe has in Columbus, guys like strikeout machine James Karinchak (42 punchouts, 13 walks in 17-1/3 innings at AAA), Cameron Hill (36 K’s in 24-1/3 frames) and lefty Kyle Nelson (16 strikeouts in 12 innings), but none of these guys can help a recently beleaguered bullpen?
Karinchak not being here is very curious. He was whiffed 66 batters in 27-1/3 innings at AA and AAA this season. That’s an eye popping number.
Yes, he has walked 15 batters, but nine of those came in four appearances, all occurring before August 15th. He’s walked just one in his last six outings.
Why not see if his stuff plays at the big league level? We mean no one else is putting up those kind of numbers in the minor leagues.
In our mind, wouldn’t he be more help during the stretch run than a guy like Otero?
And the Tribe could use another southpaw in relief.
We understand none of the players were going to jump in and be better than the regular players, but on the other hand, they aren’t giving any chances to young players either.
Right now, Carrasco is the lone hope for an impact to the big league club. Francona admitted he might have jumped the gun putting Cookie in a pressure situation so soon. We would have eased him in a little more, with the goal of having him be the set up man around the middle of the month.
Yesterday, Francona said more players may get the call from Columbus before the Clippers’ playoff series is over.
Perhaps a reliever or two, and a bat with some potential? We can hope.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 