Don’t Be Disappointed In Browns’ Lack Of Activity

At times, we think fans of the Cleveland Browns are so used to losing, they don’t know how to react now that the organization has a sense of order to it.

We were reminded of it against this week when the legal tampering phase of NFL free agency started and GM Andrew Berry signed only two players: S John Johnson III, formerly of the Los Angeles Rams, and DE Takk McKinley, a former first round pick of the Atlanta Falcons, who forced his way out last season.

Johnson is a stud, just 25 years old, ranked among the top 20 free agents by several publications who rank these things. He has eight career interceptions and has two seasons where he had over 100 tackles. His defensive pass rating was 71.9 for the 2020 season.

Defensive coordinator Joe Woods likes to run a 4-2-5 alignment, and having three safeties in Ronnie Harrison, Johnson, and hopefully a healthy Grant Delpit will allow him to have the correct personnel to do it. Remember, the way to combat the Chiefs’ offense, and a Lamar Jackson offense, is with speed.

Berry continued his pattern of signing free agents coming off their rookie deal, meaning he is interested in getting players just entering their primes, which seems logical, but many teams chase the big names, getting players who may have one good year left. In Browns’ history, those would be guys like Donte Whitner or Karlos Dansby.

McKinley is a wild card, and we doubt the front office considers him the sole solution to getting help for Myles Garrett in getting to the quarterback. He did have at least 10 QB hits in his first three seasons with the Falcons, and added seven more in the four games he played in 2020.

Because Berry made a splash early in the process a year ago, inking Jack Conklin and Austin Hooper, the anticipation was he was going to do it again, and when the Browns didn’t get Carl Lawson, Romeo Okwara, Bud Dupree, or Trey Hendrickson, fans were questioning the organization.

First of all, we are sure that among the people who think the Browns need another pass rusher is Andrew Berry. We also know training camp doesn’t start until late July or early August, so he has plenty of time to upgrade the position.

Remember, Cleveland also has nine draft picks in next month’s NFL Draft (to be held right here in Cleveland). He could be working on a deal for a edge rusher, or he could wait to see who becomes available if and when other teams release players due to salary cap considerations.

Or he may go off script and do a one year deal for a player he thinks might have one good year left, especially if used on passing downs.

We understand Berry has really been a GM for one season, but under his watch the Browns did make their first playoff appearance since 2004 and won their first playoff game since 1994. So, while he apparently hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt from everyone, he has from us.

We also trust ownership to spend money when the time is right, and with Baker Mayfield still under his rookie contract, that time might be now. We don’t think Cleveland will enter the 2021 campaign with a ton of cap space.

It’s sexy to make a big splash early in the free agency process, particularly in northeast Ohio, where the Indians don’t spend, and the city isn’t a destination point for NBA free agents since LeBron James no longer wears the wine and gold.

This front office will get it done. Don’t lose faith.

Tribe Roster Battles Rage On

It seems like spring training just started for the Cleveland Indians, but when the sun sets on St. Patrick’s Day Wednesday, Opening Day will be just two weeks away for Major League Baseball teams.

For the Tribe front office, it seems like the biggest questions that remain are centerfield, first base, and who will make up the last few spots on the pitching staff.

Right now, it appears the decision has been made to play Josh Naylor in right, so that spot is settled.

At first base, the discussion centers on Jake Bauers and Bobby Bradley. As we predicted last week (patting ourselves firmly on the back) Yu Chang has started to get reps at the position as a platoon partner for the two left-handed bats in Bauers and Bradley.

Complicating the matter is that Bauers does not have an option left, so if he doesn’t make the final roster, he is subject to waivers. Bradley can be sent down this season without that penalty.

Bauers has displayed a good eye in Arizona, walking six times thus far, but has just two hits in 13 at bats (.154), and has the better glove at first, and he can also play the outfield. Bradley has hammered the baseball to date, going 7 for 18 (.389) with two homers and four doubles. He has had strikeout issues throughout his time in the minors, but has fanned just three times thus far.

Here’s the rub. It’s difficult to judge Bradley in spring training because breaking balls don’t have the bite they normally have in the desert air, and that’s usually where the strikeouts come for players with contact issues.

If the front office wants to give Bauers a good last look before making a decision, then he will make the roster and Bradley will start at the satellite camp. Look for both to get plenty of at bats during the next two weeks.

Centerfield is a little less cut and dried. Terry Francona said Amed Rosario will start to get reps at the position because A). Andres Gimenez seems to have beaten him out at shortstop, and B). Oscar Mercado hasn’t shown much at the plate.

Now, Rosario could also be getting time in the OF because the skipper would like to give Eddie Rosario or Naylor a day off against a tough left-hander as well.

But, it is no sure bet that Mercado will get the bulk of the playing time in center once the regular season starts. He is just 4 for 18 with a double. And Bradley Zimmer (6 for 17, but 7 K’s) and perhaps Daniel Johnson (4 for 13, 2 HR) are still in the mix, possibly as left-handed platoon options with Mercado.

As for the pitching, the rotation has three spots nailed down in Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, and Aaron Civale, and it would be a shock if James Karinchak, Emmanuel Clase, Nick Wittgren, Phil Maton, and Blake Parker aren’t in the bullpen.

The last two spots in the rotation come down to Cal Quantrill, Triston McKenzie, Adam Plutko (out of options), with Logan Allen making a hard charge. Plutko and Quantrill could stay as relievers too, but the organization appears to want to give every chance for latter to be a starting pitcher.

If McKenzie doesn’t make the team initially, it is probably to manage how many innings he throws throughout the season. Remember, he’s pitched just 33 innings in the last two seasons.

If Plutko does start the year in the ‘pen, that leaves two or three spots (depending on whether Francona wants 8 or 9 relievers) open. One spot will be used on a southpaw, either Anthony Gose or Oliver Perez. Gose, a converted outfielder, has been impressive in four innings, allowing just two hits and whiffing five hitters.

Perez is Perez, tricking hitters with a variety of deliveries and arm slots. Could they keep both lefties? We can see that.

We would guess veteran Bryan Shaw has a leg up on the last spot in the bullpen. We understand the angst from some fans, but really, why not give him a shot. He wouldn’t be the first relief pitcher to have a couple of bad years and then bounce back.

It probably comes down to Shaw or rule 5 draftee Trevor Stephan for the last spot. Stephan, of course, would have to be offered back to the Yankees if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster.

Don’t forget, there is always the possibility of a strained muscle to keep an extra player around and buy some time for the organization to make decisions as well.

What we mean is, things can and probably will change before the Tribe breaks camp in two weeks. That’s how this usually works.

Cavs: Exciting At Times, Frustrating At Others

The Cleveland Cavaliers have hit the stage in their development where they are a very frustrating team to watch at times.

After a stretch against a brutal schedule that saw them lose 10 games in a row, the last being an embarrassing defeat at the hands of equally mediocre Oklahoma City, coach J.B. Bickerstaff made a lineup change to bring Dean Wade, a shooter (stretch four) in the starting lineup and the team reeled off four straight wins.

In the last game before the All Star break, Cleveland was going for its fifth consecutive win and had a 19 point lead in the third quarter, blowing it after Darius Garland went down with a groin strain. Garland missed Friday night’s contest too, a 34 point blow out at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans (16-22), another team on par record wise with the Cavs.

Yes, Garland was out, and Larry Nance and Kevin Love, both of whom has been out for awhile played, so some adjustments were needed. However, the wine and gold were trailing by just six in the second quarter before the roof caved in.

Bickerstaff and his staff have some guy who can play in this league, this isn’t a roster devoid of talent, so losing by 34 on the road to a team that really isn’t much better than the Cavs is very frustrating.

It has to be maddening for the coaching staff too, because it seems like he has to constantly challenge them to compete. Too often they revert to bad habits, ones which go away from team play. And when the Cavaliers are playing well, they very much play together, moving the ball, etc.

Cleveland had 13 assists in Friday’s game. Some of that has to do with the team shooting 34% from the floor, and 22% from three point range. Newcomer Quinn Cook hit three of four from behind the line, meaning the rest of the team went a dreadful 4 for 28 (14%).

Moving the ball has been stressed since day one of training camp by Bickerstaff and the coaches, but without Garland out there, they come up with just 13 helpers. And that has to fall on to the player who has his hands on the ball most, Collin Sexton.

We go back and forth on the third year player out of Alabama. There is plenty of good in his game. He can score, there is no question about that. He shoots 48% from the floor and 39% from behind the arc. He dishes out 4.3 assists per game, second most on the team.

But when things aren’t going well, instead of trusting the other players on the floor, he tries to do everything himself. And that’s a difficult thing for a player to learn. Michael Jordan had to learn it as well, and we are not comparing Sexton to Jordan.

When Garland is not playing, the Cavs need Sexton to be a playmaker. If he can’t do that, then the organization has to ask a difficult question, can an NBA team win with a 6’2″ #2 guard? We know Toronto won with a small backcourt, but they had one of the five best players in the league in Kawhi Leonard.

Right now, the Cavaliers don’t have a player like that on the roster.

At this point, the basketball IQ on this team isn’t very high. And that’s not just on Sexton. For example, Cedi Osman (or someone else is telling him) think he’s a three point shooter. He’s not. He takes the most threes on the roster, and he’s hitting just 32%.

At this point, Sexton is much like the team he plays for. It is alternately enjoying and frustrated watching he and the Cavaliers play.

Yes, they are a young team, but they do have some veterans to guide the way like Nance, JaVale McGee, and Love, and Taurean Prince has been around as well.

This squad can make a playoff push in the mediocre Eastern Conference. But they can’t have many more games like their first one after the break. It’s time for the young players to play much smarter and tougher.

Tribe Seems To Need Right-Handed Bats

When you get a week or two into Spring Training, people start to speculate on what players will make the Opening Day roster. Who will be in Detroit on April 1st when the regular season starts.

Most of the debate centers around players like Bobby Bradley, Jake Bauers, Daniel Johnson, and Bradley Zimmer. However, those four players have one commonality–they are all left-handed hitters.

We know Terry Francona like to use the platoon advantage. And right now, his biggest platoon weapon against southpaws is OF Jordan Luplow, and right now he has not played because of a foot issue. If he isn’t ready for the opening of the season, then what alternatives does the skipper have?

The starting outfield may be set with Eddie Rosario in left, Oscar Mercado in center, and Josh Naylor in right. If Francona wants to sit either Rosario or Naylor against a tough lefty, what is his alternative?

Could this be where Amad Rosario finds his niche, as a platoon piece vs. left-handed pitching? Against righties, the former Met Rosario is a .257 hitter with a .378 slugging percentage (667 OPS). But against lefties, he’s a beast, with a .300 batting average, slugging .473 and an 812 OPS.

The Mets had plans to play Amad in the outfield, but to date, he has played only shortstop where he is competing with the man he came to Cleveland with, Andres Gimenez. Gimenez is the better defender, and has hit well so far, leading some to believe he is the frontrunner to be the starter there on April 1st.

Another candidate for the outfield is newcomer Harold Ramirez, who also hits right-handed. It will be interesting to see how his at bats get ramped up (or not) as the games progress.

Now, let’s look at first base. As we said before, both Bradley and Bauers swing from the left side, as does Naylor, who can also play there. It would seem that there is not room on the roster for both players (Naylor is a for sure), and it is also doubtful that Francona would want to have four left-handed hitters (E. Rosario, Naylor, Gimenez, and either Bradley or Bauers) in the batting order against a lefty.

So, can a Yu Chang make the squad as someone who can play 1B as a platoon piece? Remember, the other candidate for the utility infield spot, Mike Freeman, also hits from the left side. However, we haven’t seen Chang at first in a spring training game as of yet.

The number of left-handed bats would seem to make it very difficult for Johnson, who has had a good spring so far to make the team unless he becomes a platoon piece in centerfield with Mercado. The same holds true for Zimmer.

And if Luplow gets back out there soon and does get enough at bats to be ready by the end of camp, that reduces one spot on the roster.

It will be interesting to watch how Francona handles things defensively as the exhibition schedule continues. If you see players like Amed Rosario and Chang move around playing different (for them) positions, it shows they are candidates to come north as part of the 26 man roster.

Francona likes to keep extra guys in the bullpen, so versatility is needed among the extra position players. But if you can hit right-handed, you might have an edge to make the squad.

What Does Second Half Hold For Cavs?

All Star Weekend is over, but the Cleveland Cavaliers still have a little while before they play their next game. They don’t take the court again until Friday night when the New Orleans Hornets come to Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

That gives J.B. Bickerstaff a few days of practice time for his young squad, and it will give Larry Nance Jr. some time to get re-acclimated, since he should be back when the second half of the schedule resumes.

However, it also gives GM Koby Altman time to make some roster changes, although he does have until March 25, which is the trade deadline. But the rumors have already started.

It has been reported than there was an offer for Nance involved two late first round picks, and the Kevin Love rumors have started again. Both players should be of interest to contending teams because they both provide things that good teams covet.

Nance is an all around player. He can defend, shoot, block shots, and is a very good passer. Teams with championship expectations love to have players with his kind of basketball IQ. It’s the reason the Cavs wanted him when they still had LeBron James and were trying to win the title in 2018.

Love is a good three point shooter, a solid rebounder and outlet passer, and a better defender than he is given credit for. He was a large piece of a team that did win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.

We understand the biggest factor in moving Love is his extremely high contract, and at age 32, he’s not interested in a long range rebuilding plan, and would welcome a chance to win right away.

However, Nance is exactly the kind of player you want around to not only teach and mentor young players, but he’s at 28, he still could be a part of a playoff team. Heck, at just three games out of the eighth seed currently, the Cavs could make the post-season this spring if things break their way.

Keeping it simple, the Cavs need players, and Larry Nance Jr. can play.

That shouldn’t preclude Altman from making moves though. The Andre Drummond situation is still in play, and teams needing centers that aren’t located in Los Angeles or the New York metropolitan area would be wise to make a trade with Cleveland, because rumors having the big man signing with teams in those areas if a buyout become inevitable. Remember, he also carries with him an expiring contract.

Our guess is the wine and gold get something for Drummond, rather than buying him out.

There are also rumors about Cedi Osman and Taurean Prince as well, it would not be a shock if one was moved before the deadline, although it is interesting that the Clippers, coached by Tyronn Lue, who coached Osman here is interested in him.

Although unlikely, does Altman do something about the guard position? We go back and forth on whether or not the Cavaliers can win with a pair of starting guards under 6’2″. Remember, Collin Sexton can be a restricted free agent after this season, so he is in line to get paid rather handsomely.

Yes, we are aware that Toronto won a championship with two small guards, and both Portland and Utah are winning without height in the backcourt. But did those teams win because they played small at guard? And when you add in that Bickerstaff is using a 6’5″ small forward, it leaves the team very small at point guard, #2 guard, and small forward.

However, we feel that’s something to be discussed in the off-season, after a full year of play. Then the question becomes can Isaac Okoro improve enough offensively to play the shooting guard spot.

Again, this is something that will probably be handled in the summer unless Altman is bowled over with an offer.

It seems the one constant with the Cavs is the roster keeps changing. At least it keeps the people who stitch the names on the uniforms busy.

Inside Tribe Spring Training Numbers.

We have always said it is difficult to evaluate players in spring training because no one knows what the purpose of Arizona (in the Indians’ case) baseball is for each individual player.

For example, after Shane Bieber’s first outing in the desert, he talked about how he didn’t use his curveball in his two innings on the mound because he wanted to work on his slider. Moreover, veterans go to camp with a different point of view than young players trying to impress Terry Francona and the coaching staff.

One way to avoid this is looking at who the pitcher or hitter is facing. Are they big league caliber players. For example, Francona likes to use his closer early in exhibition games so they can face major league hitters, who usually get two or three at bats, and then take the rest of the day off.

The skipper also likes to hit his catchers high in the batting order at times so they can get two at bats and yet only catch three or four innings.

Baseballreference.com has a ranking of who both hitters and pitchers are facing in exhibition play, which can help in fans evaluation how young players are doing in the pre-season.

Through games played on March 5th, the hitter who faced the most experienced pitching was Bradley Zimmer, who went 2 for 6 with three strikeouts against those pitchers. Second was Daniel Johnson, who was also 2 for 6 with a double and an RBI.

The rating system is as follows: If you played in the big leagues the previous year, you are rated a 10. Playing in AAA gets you an 8, AA a 7, down to a 5 for High A, 4 for a full season low A team, and scales down to a 1 if a position player is pitching.

The pitchers seen by Zimmer rate an 8.2, while Johnson has seen 7.9 hurlers. The hitters who faced the next toughest pitchers are Amed Rosario, (7) going 2 for 5, and Roberto Perez (6.8) 1 for 5 and a walk.

Two hitters who have done well so far, Bobby Bradley and Yu Chang, have faced 6.5 ranking pitchers. Meanwhile, young Gabriel Arias, off to a 6 for 6 start, has seen 4.2 ranked hurlers.

Pitchers have the same rating for the batters they faced, except for the “1” ranked hitter are pitchers.

Non roster invitee Kirk McCarty has faced the toughest hitters, because he has come in to finish innings when the big league reached his pitch limit. Besides McCarty, the best tested Tribe pitchers have been Cal Quantrill (8.7), Logan Allen (8.6), and Triston McKenzie (8.5).

Both Quantrill and McKenzie have had some problems with control thus far, maybe because they are facing good hitters who aren’t chasing. The makes Allen’s two scoreless inning effort look more impressive.

On the other hand, with pitchers we don’t know if they are pitching the way they normally would during a regular season game. They may be out there seeing what does work and what doesn’t.

So, when your favorites player is struggling or doing well in training camp, look at who they are facing before getting too excited or disappointed.

Obviously, another thing that matters is what position the player is at. If you are a third baseman, you aren’t going to do anything to make the front office move from Jose Ramirez, who has finished in the top three of the MVP voting three times in the last four years.

However, if they are in the mix at 1B and/or the OF, pay attention to this number, and also, pay attention to who is getting at bats early in games. That’s Francona and the coaching staff seeing who can hit experienced pitching. Those are the guys with the best chance to be in Detroit on April 1st.

What Will Browns Do In Free Agency?

In less than two weeks, the NFL league season starts anew and with it becomes the beginning for free agency. Cleveland Browns’ fans were all excited when J.J. Watt was released, and visions of him lining next to Myles Garrett danced in their heads.

Well, Watt signed with the Arizona Cardinals, so the Browns will have to look elsewhere to bolster a roster that advanced to the playoffs and won a game in the post-season tournament. Based on history, if GM Andrew Berry is going to ink a long term deal with a free agent, it will be one coming off their rookie contract.

Make no mistake, the Browns need help on the defensive side of the football. Cleveland could have an many as eight new starters on that side of the ball, and depending on if Sheldon Richardson is retained, it could be nine, with Garrett and Denzel Ward as the only holdovers.

Some of the new starters could come as players returning from injury and/or guys who opted out of last season due to COVID 19. For example, if Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit have recovered from injuries that sidelined them the entire 2020 season, they could be starters.

So, based on the model from the past, even though Tampa Bay LB Lavonte David was incredible in the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl win, at 31 years old, he’s not the type of guy Berry has gone after in the past.

Could the Browns look at a wide receiver in free agency? There’s always a possibility, but with both Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. both on the roster, it is doubtful. Besides, the offense looks like a completed work right now, so any additions there, both in free agency and the draft, are likely going to be more like depth pieces.

However, there are some safeties on the market, notably Justin Simmons from Denver (age 27), Anthony Harris from Minnesota (29), and Marcus Williams of the Saints (24). Either of this trio would be an upgrade to the Cleveland back seven. Remember, coordinator Joe Woods likes to play a 4-2-5 alignment, so secondary players are very important.

If the Browns let Richardson go, they will likely be looking for three new starters, because it is doubtful DT Larry Ogunjobi. One of those spots will likely be filled by Andrew Billings, who was signed last off-season, but opted out of the 2020 campaign. He figures to be at tackle.

Maybe Leonard Williams of the Giants (26) fits in at the other tackle spot. Still, Woods’ defense needs another pass rusher to go with Garrett. The problem is other teams value players at this position too, so if you have one, you don’t want to let him go.

Cincinnati’s Carl Lawson and Tampa’s Shaq Barrett are both free agents, but figure to be signed or franchised by their current teams. Do the Browns go after Yannick Ngakoue (26), who has been with three teams in the past calendar year? Another name linked to the Browns is New Orleans’ edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (26), who had the best season of his career last year.

Of course, Berry could also swing a big trade using from draft capital, the Browns have two third round picks, giving them four in the first three rounds. Could they use, say two of those picks to bring in a veteran from a team looking to get younger through the draft? That would not be a surprise either.

We have no doubt the Browns will be aggressive this off-season, starting with free agency in two weeks. They may not make a bunch of signings, but we would bet on one big move, especially to improve the defense.

Making the playoffs is one thing, staying there is a another challenge for the Browns front office and coaching staff.

A Big Spring For Bradley, Chang, Zimmer.

Some things have changed since the Indians gathered in Goodyear, Arizona last spring, besides the pandemic. The Tribe will have a new shortstop, two of the pitchers who opened the season in the starting rotation are gone, and there is no slated in right now to be the closer.

However, for three players this spring is much like a year ago, except they are a year older, and in their current situations that is not good.

It is kind of make it or break it for Bobby Bradley, Yu Chang, and Bradley Zimmer, and it didn’t help any of them that last year was reduced to producing in the satellite camp in Eastlake. Now, they need to have big springs to make an impression on the front office and Terry Francona.

Bradley, who will turn 25 in May, didn’t get a chance with the big club last season despite the Tribe’s offensive woes. That’s because he was blocked at DH by Franmil Reyes and at first base by Carlos Santana. He had a 912 OPS in his last minor league season with Columbus in 2019, but did get 49 plate appearances with the Indians, but only hit one homer and struck out 20 times.

That’s the issue for the left-handed swinger, contact. He fanned 153 times at AAA (453 plate appearances), but did belt 33 round trippers. He will get an opportunity to win the job at first this spring, but will have to battle Jake Bauers with Josh Naylor also in the mix.

If an outfielder hits well, that will push Naylor to first and probably knock Bradley off the roster. It is difficult to judge Bradley in spring training because he won’t likely see the quality breaking pitches he needs to demonstrate he can hit to make the team. Our guess is he has an uphill fight to open the season with the Indians.

Chang will turn 26 during the 2021 campaign, and was the sensation of the summer camp, hitting home runs seemingly in every intersquad game. He did get 11 at bats in the regular season, getting two singles. He has 97 big league plate appearances, recording a .179 batting average (551 OPS).

His problem in the minor leagues has been getting on base (.326 on base). He has some pop, but has a low batting average and doesn’t draw a lot of walks, although he has 13 in the majors. He is in the mix at shortstop with the two newcomers from the Mets, Andres Gimenez and Amad Rosario, and could also make the squad as a reserve because he has played second and third base.

For Zimmer, time is really getting against him as the former first round pick in 2014 is now 28 years old. He’s had the most extensive look at the big league level, registering 510 plate appearances with a 649 OPS. He’s battled injuries, but he’s another player with contact issues, fanning 164 times versus just 41 walks.

Since the second half of his rookie year, Zimmer has hit .194 with 6 HR and 26 RBI in 304 at bats, striking out 121 times against 29 walks. Zimmer is an athletic freak, his speed is off the charts, but as the saying goes, you can’t steal first.

He’s competing for the CF job with Oscar Mercado, the newest Indian Harold Ramirez, non-roster invitee Billy Hamilton and perhaps Ben Gamel. He needs to hit and get on base. He’s probably the best defender of the group, but it doesn’t matter how good you are with the glove, you have to be able to contribute offensively.

It’s really a crossroads for these three players. If that don’t make an impact in spring training, it’s doubtful any of the trio will be back in Goodyear a year from now trying to make the 2022 Cleveland Baseball Team.

Left On His Own, Altman’s Been Fine

With the Cleveland Cavaliers were going through their recent 10 game losing streak, the natives started getting restless. Should the franchise replace GM Koby Altman, who has been at the helm since June 2017, taking over for David Griffin.

Since Griffin was the architect of the only championship team the city has seen in the last 56 years, he is revered here so Altman faced an uphill trek because of that. And it didn’t help that he is the GM of record on the Kyrie Irving trade to Boston, which many feel had owner Dan Gilbert’s fingerprints all over it.

He did pull off the megatrade at the trade deadline of the 2018 season, bringing George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr. to the Cavs, a deal that if isn’t made, the wine and gold probably do not make their fourth consecutive Finals appearance. Add to that, Nance has become one of the current team’s best players.

We feel in evaluating Altman, we should be talking about the man guiding the rebuilding of the franchise. It is difficult because early on in his tenure, it is difficult to judge what moves were made by Gilbert and which were made by Altman.

For example, we feel the signing of Kevin Love and the hiring of John Beilein as coach were moves made by ownership. Both were mistakes. Love’s contract seems to be an untradeable albatross, although we remember former GM Jim Paxson was able to move Shawn Kemp’s deal. And Beilein was an ill fit for the pro game, and left after half a season.

Several of Altman’s early moves were jettisoning veterans from the championship team for younger players. Kyle Korver brought Alec Burks, Hill brought John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova. Burks and Rodney Hood brought some spare parts and draft picks.

Altman has bad luck in the draft lottery too. The prize pick in the Irving deal, that of the Brooklyn Nets, was sabotaged a bit by Nets’ coach Kenny Atkinson, who made the team somewhat competitive, so it turned out to be the 8th overall choice. Would Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who went 11th, been a better choice? Perhaps, but over the last year or so, Sexton has shown he can be a solid NBA player.

Cleveland had the third worst record in the NBA in the 2018-19 season, but they fell to fifth in the draft and selected Darius Garland. The GM could be criticized for picking small point guards in consecutive drafts, but in this second year, Garland has shown signs he can be a player. And he added Dylan Windler late in the first round, and traded three second round picks for Kevin Porter Jr.

Porter looked like a solid pick, but the issues that caused a talented guy to drop to the last pick in the first round rose up again, and Altman was forced to deal hi to Houston.

The Andre Drummond situation seems to be a negative for Altman right now, but why not take a shot at getting a talented big man for virtually nothing. And when Drummond didn’t sign an extension, Altman got involved in the James Harden deal and picked up 22-year-old Jarrett Allen, who appears to be an all star in the making.

We know you cannot cancel parts of the schedule, but the Cavaliers just went through a brutal stretch of a schedule in which they played six games against top four seeds in each conference, and four more against likely playoff teams. Predictably, they lost 14 of 16.

Altman hasn’t been perfect, but no, repeat no GM is. He deserves to go through another trading deadline and draft to say what progress the Cavs can make in 2021-22. Besides, if he were to be replaced, it would likely mean a new GM would want to hire a new head coach.

Just think, since Altman got the gig, he inherited Tyronn Lue, and he was replaced by Larry Drew, John Beilein, and now Bickerstaff. J.B. will be the first coach to have an entire season since Lue guided the franchise to their fourth straight Eastern Conference crown.

There are more plusses than minuses right now for Altman, especially since the owner seems to not be involved. He deserves to see how it will play out.

On Lindor’s Comments…

The Cleveland sports world went crazy this week after former Indians’ shortstop (it still pains us to say that) Francisco Lindor’s first press conference at the New York Mets’ spring training camp.

As we are sure you have all heard by now, Lindor said he didn’t work as hard as he normally would have in the weight room toward the end of the shortened 2020 season. Of course, many people stopped listening before he said “weight room”, so the narrative by many in Cleveland is than the four time all-star quit on his team.

We watched pretty much every game a year ago, and at no time did we feel Lindor didn’t give his best effort. He didn’t have his best season, that’s for sure, hitting just .258 with 8 home runs and a 750 OPS. The batting average and OPS figures were career lows. But many other stars didn’t have good seasons in the 60 game sprint.

Christian Yelich, the NL MVP in 2018 and the runner up in 2019, hit just .205 with a 786 OPS. Jose Altuve, a lifetime .311 batter, hit just .219. The 2019 NL MVP, Cody Bellinger had an off year. What would Jose Ramirez hit in ’19 if the season would have ended after 60 games? His average was .207 (617 OPS) at that point in that season.

Perhaps if a full 162 season was played, Lindor would have come close to his average season, that being a .285 batting average, 29 home runs, and an 833 OPS. We will never know.

But back to Lindor’s comment. It has been extrapolated to mean the shortstop was dogging it in games, he checked out on his teammates, he wasn’t giving a full effort for his salary, which by the way was not the $17.5 million he was awarded in arbitration because it was pro-rated. And yes, we know he was still making more money than most.

We don’t recall Lindor do anything but putting out his best effort on the field in 2020. And for those who will point out his batting average with runners in scoring position, his poor record in that category could be the result of trying to hard instead of “dogging” it. We felt he went out of his strike zone in those situations, and we believe he felt he had to because of the Indians’ struggles offensively a year ago.

We also may have been affected by his contract status as well. Athletes are people too, they aren’t robots. Is it possible Lindor knew the Tribe wasn’t going to come up with the money he wanted to remain in Cleveland? Think about how you would feel or do feel because you don’t think you are being paid enough to do your job.

Look, we know baseball players make a lot of money, more than most of us will ever see in our lifetime. However, it’s not a stretch to see how Francisco Lindor could’ve been tired from the way the season played out. No fans, a short year, impending free agency, etc. Some players rise up and perform to extraordinary levels when coming up on their first shot at free agency. Others play well once they have the security.

And while we have been frequent critics of the Dolan ownership, we aren’t taking a shot here. Frankie Lindor wants to be paid like one of the best players in the game, that’s his right. The Indians’ ownership didn’t think he was worth that kind of money, and that’s their right.

Lindor was one of the best players, if not the best to wear a Cleveland uniform in the last 20 years. We had five excellent seasons here, maybe he would have recovered in a full season last year and made it a sixth. We should be appreciative of that. We are. But accusing him of not trying his best? There’s no need for that.