You Trade For Prospects When You Are Rebuilding. The Indians Aren’t.

In recent years, the sports talk shows in Cleveland spent a lot of time talking about the NFL Draft. It seems like folks like to talk about the possibility of getting players more than the players that actually play in northeast Ohio.

When it comes to the Cleveland Indians, it comes down to trading for prospects. Apparently, it’s better to deal for young players rather than sign the great players who are already here.

Yes, we are talking through a thin veil here about Francisco Lindor. There are many in the area who think the Indians are better off rebuilding a team that won 93 games last season, rather than trying to get over the hump and get back into the post-season.

Look, if the Tribe was 75-87 this past season and had a roster loaded with a bunch of 30 year olds, we might think the same thing.

But here is a list of the Indians’ leaders in WAR for 2019–

Shane Bieber (24 years old)
Lindor (25)
Carlos Santana (33)
Mike Clevinger (28)
Roberto Perez (30)
Jose Ramirez (26)

Does this look like a team on its last legs and ready to be rebuilt?

We also subscribe to the theory that until proven otherwise, prospects are suspects until proven otherwise. Now, that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate top minor league talent, because we do.

In 2013, there were those in the media saying the Indians should deal Lindor to get help for Terry Francona’s first year here, and we gave the opinion that was ridiculous.

Still, dealing a player like Lindor is now, and he’s one of the best ten players in the sport, for prospects is dicey at best.

For example, here is a list of the Top Ten prospects in baseball in 2016, according to Baseball America:

Corey Seager
Byron Buxton
Yoan Moncada
Jose Urias
Lucas Giolito
JP Crawford
Alex Reyes
Orlando Arcia
Trea Turner
Joey Gallo

Of those ten, Seager and Turner are very good players, and Moncada looks to be on his way. Giolito had a great year in ’19, but struggled before that.

Reyes has been hurt a lot, and Gallo has always had immense power, and looked to be improving his game this past season before he was injured.

The other have been disappointments, and getting one of them back for a player like Lindor would be a swing and a miss.

The following year’s (2017) list contained Dansby Swanson, Reyes, Nick Senzel, Willy Adames, and Amed Rosario.

That year also featured Andrew Benintendi, Moncado, Gleyber Torres, Austin Meadows, and Cody Bellinger, any of which would be a solid return for a star player.

That’s still a 50/50 proposition.

And trading a great player for three above average players isn’t a good deal either, because if you have the former, you can likely find average guys to fill in those spots.

(Think Julio Franco for Pete O’Brien, Jerry Browne, and Oddibe McDowell for you older fans).

We are sure we will hear about how the Washington Nationals went to the World Series after Bryce Harper walked away in free agency. But the Nats had Juan Soto on the horizon to basically replace Harper.

Back in 2000, the Seattle Mariners lost Alex Rodriguez to free agency and won a Major League record 116 games the following year. Just like the Nationals without Harper.

Except the Mariners haven’t been back to the playoffs again.

Look, the Indians are going to do what they are going to do. However, we think it’s better to keep great players, which Frankie Lindor is.

And he’s here for two more years, and it would be a surprise if the Indians were not contenders in either of those years.

It’s not time for a rebuild, nor it is time to trade Francisco Lindor. And people shouldn’t assume the return will be three blue chip players.

Injuries Impeding Cavs Progress?

The Cleveland Cavaliers open their 50th NBA season Wednesday night in Orlando, and the big question for the team right now, is will they be the worst team in the league this season.

Last year, they won 19 games, the second worst mark in the NBA, but they didn’t have Kevin Love for much of the campaign, he played in just 22 games.

Having him back healthy would seem to make the wine and gold better just on its own merits, but add in a year of experience for Collin Sexton and the fifth overall pick in last June’s draft in Darius Garland, and you would think an improvement would be likely.

Unfortunately, the injury bug has already bit the team hard, leaving new coach John Beilein very frustrated.

Two big men who figured to see a lot of time in 2019-20, John Henson and Ante Zizic, have missed a lot of time early, and likely won’t be ready for Opening Night.

That leaves Love and Tristan Thompson as the only experienced big men on the roster, and makes using the former at center at times a must.

The Cavs’ organization has ignored big people in the past, and this year, there still isn’t depth at that spot.

Cleveland does have only 13 players on the roster right now, so a move or two will probably be made before Wednesday night.

Sexton and Garland should be the starters at guard Wednesday, but injuries have hurt the depth. Brandon Knight has missed time in camp, and Matthew Dellavedova sprained his thumb in the last exhibition season, making his availability questionable.

This means a lot of minutes for Jordan Clarkson, who also seems to be the back up for Cedi Osman at small forward. This means Kevin Porter Jr., who is another rookie may have to get meaningful time early in the season.

Another injury has put the Cavs’ other first round pick, four year college player Dylan Windler out of the lineup. The shooter would probably have been Osman’s primary back up, but with him out, that role falls to Clarkson and Porter.

The front office claimed Tyler Cook from Denver on waivers, and he is more of a stretch four, but although he is also a four year college player, he has no professional experience.

So, when the season tips off later this week, Beilein has two veterans to count on in Love and Thompson, two young players with some experience in Osman and Clarkson, and a bunch of guys who are either 19 or 20 years old, or are new to the NBA.

That’s a tough way to try to win games right away. Hopefully, Henson, Knight, and Dellavedova will be back fairly soon to lend some wise heads to the mix, and the coaching staff has no option to ease a kid like Porter into the fray.

It’s easy to say just throw the kids in and see what happens, but that makes for one helluva learning curve.

And sometimes, that ruins a player or severely retards their development. That’s why you see a lot of first round picks not put it all together until they go to a second team, or go back to the G League to get playing time.

Patience is going to be a key for the coaching staff to be sure, and early on, the Cavs should lean on Love, and try to run as many set to get shots for Love, Garland, and Sexton.

It may be a couple of months before we see any definitive progress for this year’s Cavaliers.

Questioning Baker? Way Too Soon.

There is no question Baker Mayfield hasn’t played to the level he finished last season at.

His completion percentage has dropped from 63.8% to 56.6% and his interception rate has increased from 2.9% to 5.6%, almost double of his rookie season.

However, talk that he isn’t the answer to the Browns’ decade long quarterback issues is way too premature.

First, last season’s number were compiled over 14 games, 13 of them starts. This year, he has played just six games. So, there is a decent chance some of his numbers can improve over the next eight games.

This isn’t to say Mayfield has been blameless in the Browns’ difficulties in the early going. His interception just before halftime vs. Seattle was reckless considering the situation.

And yes, we know Jarvis Landry got a hand on the throw, but their were three defenders in the area, and considering the score at the time (Browns were leading 20-12), the better decision would have been to throw the ball in the seats and live to play another down.

On the other hand, Dontrell Hilliard and Antonio Callaway should have held on to passes each of the last two weeks, instead of popping them up into hands of defenders.

Quite frankly, it’s way too soon to jump off the bandwagon.

Mayfield’s biggest issue in our opinion is he is too aggressive at times. That’s a good thing in most football circumstances, but when he learns when to pull back on the throttle at times, we feel everyone will see a much more efficient (and better) player.

Some guys never get this, so we aren’t saying it will happen for sure.

What we do know is in the last seven games in 2018, Mayfield was sacked three times. Total. This year, in six games, he has been tackled for loss 16 times. That’s a huge difference, and most definitely could be a reason for diminished stats.

How many times have you heard opposing coaches say a quarterback can’t hurt them if he’s laying flat on his back.

How did the Giants beat the Patriots in two Super Bowls? The put pressure on Tom Brady. And as former Browns’ executive Ernie Accorsi has said, the two most important positions on the field are the QB and a guy who can get to the opposing QB.

No coincidence that when the Browns had the first overall picks in both 2017 and 2018 they took Myles Garrett and Mayfield.

What we don’t see, and this leads us to believe this is a blip on the radar, is a passer not being able to throw guys open, or missing wide open receivers.

Mayfield has had two games where he has hit over 65% of his throws this season (vs. Houston and vs. Baltimore).

And he’s not dinking and dunking either. The former Heisman Trophy winner ranks third in the league in average yards per completion at 13.4, behind only Patrick Mahomes and Jameis Winston.

Also, of the 10 worst pass defenses statistically, the Browns have faced one, Baltimore.

Conversely, they’ve faced two of the top 10 squads: San Francisco and Tennessee. So, Mayfield has seen more real good defenses than real bad ones.

Browns Have Plenty To Fix During Week Off.

Back in the late 1960’s, when the Browns were heading into a playoff game, the late sports editor of The Plain Dealer, Hal Lebovitz used to talk about “zero defects”, meaning the football team needed to stay away from mistakes in these big games.

We thought about that as we watched Sunday afternoon, when the Browns squandered a 20-6 lead and fell to 2-4 after a 32-28 loss to Seattle.

Freddie Kitchens’ squad is second in the NFL in turnovers on the season with 14, sandwiched in between the New York Giants and Tampa Bay, two teams who didn’t come into the season with big playoff aspirations.

And the Browns also are tied for the league lead in penalties (with Atlanta), and they have accumulated the most yards penalized to date.

You put those two things together, and it is amazing the Browns have won two games.

It is difficult for a coach to tell his team not to commit turnovers and still have them be aggressive, but in the past two games, interceptions before halftime have hurt the Browns badly.

This past Sunday, Baker Mayfield’s pick with a 20-12 lead and under two minutes to go was a terrible decision. The intended receiver, Jarvis Landry, was surrounded by defenders. With the score in his favor, the quarterback should throw the ball in Lake Erie instead of trying to fit one in.

At the very least, Cleveland should’ve went into the half with a 23-12 lead.

Now, it wasn’t Mayfield’s fault the defense let Seattle go 88 yards to cut the lead to 20-18 before intermission.

After a promising start to the season, the defense has been bad the past three weeks, allowing at least 175 yards rushing in each contest.

Here is a current list of the worst teams in the NFL against the run:

Cincinnati (0-6)
Miami (0-5)
Kansas City (4-2)
Cleveland (2-4)
Washington (1-5)

Another old adage for football teams is if you can’t run the ball and stop the run, it’s tough to win, and that holds true even in today’s pass happy NFL.

You can see from this list, you have to have an overwhelming offense to overcome not being able to stop teams from running the ball, and the Chiefs have lost two straight because their opponents have controlled the clock and played keep away.

Kitchens said during training camp the defensive front might be the strength of the team, but right now it looks far from that, and as for the pass rush, the Browns rank 4th, but it seems like if it isn’t Myles Garrett (9) applying the pressure, it simply isn’t there.

Cleveland is only in the middle of the pack in terms of quarterback pressures.

We understand it’s a pretty simplistic viewpoint, but it’s clear these are the two areas to clean up during the bye week.

The defense has to be better against the ground game. They cannot let opponents control the line of scrimmage and gash them for big yardage.

Offensively, they have to hold on to the ball, you cannot continue to turn it over at this rate and win football games.

It has been a brutal schedule to be sure. Cleveland has played two of the best five teams in the NFL thus far (San Francisco and Seattle) and will play another one (New England) in their next game.

The team currently leading the division, Baltimore, has to play the 49ers and Seahawks, as well as the Rams.

So, the division is still in play.

But the Browns have to get into “zero defects” mode. If they can, this season will still have a long way to go.

Tribe Should Be Active In Hot Stove

Let’s make this very clear, the Cleveland Indians have never asked us for advise on running the team.

However, that doesn’t stop us from making suggestions on what they should be thinking about this winter.

Here is what we would do starting the day after the World Series ends so the Indians can return to the American League playoffs in 2020 as Central Division champions.

We agree with the decisions they’ve said they will make already. That means we would pick up the option on Corey Kluber and decline the options on Jason Kipnis and Dan Otero.

Yes, we know Kluber struggled in his seven starts in 2019, but as we just said, it’s seven starts. And there will be less burden on the two time Cy Young Award winner, with the emergence of Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber. If Kluber can provide 200 innings in ’20, he is well worth the $17.5 million the Tribe will pay him.

We would also decline to offer Danny Salazar and Cody Anderson arbitration and we would add one more name to that list in Kevin Plawecki. If we were Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff, we would look for an upgrade to back up Roberto Perez.

To replace Kipnis, we would look for a third baseman, either on the trade market or in free agency (most likely the former) and move Jose Ramirez to second base.

We think there will be some bargains available in free agency at one of those positions. A one year deal would be ideal because top prospect Nolan Jones is on the horizon, if he can cut down on his strikeouts.

We would also strongly suggest to Terry Francona to get Francisco Lindor out of the leadoff spot. Besides Jordan Luplow, Lindor had the highest slugging percentage on the team, clubbing 74 extra base hits, nine more than Carlos Santana.

Wouldn’t it be nice if some of those extra base knocks came with men on base? The shortstop bats at least once every game with no one on by leading off.

We know Francona likes Lindor to set a tone in that spot, but when the offense has fallen off like it did in ’19, it might be more efficient to put someone who gets on base consistently in the leadoff spot (Carlos Santana?) and move Lindor to the #2 or #3 spot.

Speaking of Lindor, the biggest thing the Indians front office should do is take care of his contract situation, and by that we mean open up the purse strings and sign him long term.

And as we have said before, we don’t buy for a minute the notion that the ownership can’t keep Lindor in a Cleveland uniform long term, nor do we think the Tribe can’t be competitive and pay the shortstop a boatload of money.

Somehow, they have to shore up leftfield, which was a sinkhole for much of 2019. We would recommend seeing if Jordan Luplow can man the spot. Luplow was lethal vs. southpaws (.439 OBP, .742 slugging), but in the minors, he handled right handers well.

He would get the first shot at the job, but we also would take a long look at Daniel Johnson in spring training.

The bullpen needs work too. In today’s game, you need more power arms, something the Indians lacked last season. James Karinchak is a start, but more are on the way, guys like Kyle Nelson and Cam Hill.

In terms of trade pieces, the rotation depth the Indians developed in ’19 could be key.

The projected starters right now would be Clevinger, Bieber, Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and for the sake of argument, let’s say Aaron Civale.

That leaves Zach Plesac, Adam Plutko, Jeffry Rodriguez, Logan Allen, and don’t forget Triston McKenzie as possible pieces to get some bats.

If you trade one of them, you still have a lot of depth.

Hopefully, the front office feels it is imperative to get back to the top of the heap in the AL Central. They need to get better against good teams and good pitchers.

Let’s see what happens in the hot stove season.

Browns Offensive Plan Seems Inconsistent.

There has been no NFL team more schizophrenic than the Cleveland Browns in 2019, and because they are still a very inexperienced group, we should have expected that.

It seems like every week Freddie Kitchens and his coaching staff are trying to reinvent themselves, and that’s why we are seeing results that resemble a roller coaster.

For example, the Browns were very successful in their win vs. Baltimore running the ball and throwing quick hitting short passes, for the most part. Yet, against San Francisco, a team with a very good front four, they decided to throw the ball downfield early.

After the pass by Odell Beckham Jr. on the game’s first play, three of Baker Mayfield’s next four passes were considered “deep throws” according to the play by play on NFL.com.

None were completed, one was intercepted, and Cleveland was lucky the turnover didn’t turn into points.

It seemed like a curious game plan to say the least.

We thought going into the game the Browns might be better off calling some short passes on early downs to gain the down and distance advantage since the 49ers are very good up front.

Get into 2nd and 4 or 3rd and 3 situations instead of long distance situations where the San Francisco pass rush can pin their ears.

Keep with manageable down and distances. However, here are the first few distances the Browns had to cover on third down on Monday night:

3rd & 13: Deep pass to Ricky Seals-Jones (incomplete)
3rd & 7: Baker Mayfield sacked
3rd & 3: Mayfield fumbled (no short pass options open)
3rd & 6: 12 yard pass to Jarvis Landry for a first down.
3rd & 12: incomplete pass

Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter said he thought the Browns were trying to run their offense to keep people happy. It appeared they were forcing the ball to Antonio Callaway, just returning from suspension.

Mayfield’s first interception was intended for the second year receiver.

And the first quarter seemed to be more about getting Beckham involved. The first play was a pass from Beckham to Landry, and the second was an incomplete pass to OBJ.

Later in the first quarter was another long throw to Beckham and a reverse for him too.

It certainly seems like the coaching staff was trying to feature the former Giant after he caught just two passes last week. Was he complaining about not getting the ball? No one has reported anything like that.

Mayfield doesn’t seem to have a ton of confidence in the offensive line’s pass blocking, so why not run some short passes early and run the ball to take the pressure off of them. Putting them in long yardage situations just exacerbates the problem.

The weird thing is the inconsistency in the play calling from week to week. The Browns had a lot of success the week before using short, quick passes and then went away from that against San Francisco.

Did the 49ers take it away from them? It’s doubtful that early in the game, because they didn’t seem to try any of those plays.

And the longer passes seem to play against the weakness of the offensive line, longer developing plays seem to put more pressure on that group.

Right now, the Browns need someone to say this is how we are going to play and then implement that plan on a weekly basis. It’s called having an identity.

Hopefully they will start to develop one.

Tribe Key In Off-Season? Improve OBP.

The Cleveland Indians finished third in the American League in runs scored in 2018, and you can make a pretty good argument that dropping to seventh in this category this past season is the reason they were sitting at home.

The Tribe was third in on base percentage in ’18 and fourth in slugging percentage, the key components to offensive baseball these days. In 2019 though, the Indians dropped to 6th in slugging, and down to 8th in on base percentage.

The latter figure is something Cleveland needs to work on for the 2020 campaign, and a reason we wished the organization would have gone in a new direction with the hitting coach.

The list of Indians’ hitters with an OBP over .350 is very short: Carlos Santana, Yasiel Puig, Jordan Luplow, and Mike Freeman. Only Santana was in the lineup all year on an everyday basis.

By contrast, the Astros, whose offense is relentless, have these players over the .350 benchmark: Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, Michael Brantley, Yordan Alvarez, George Springer, and two other players who are reserves.

Boston was second in on base average (behind Houston), and had these players over .350: Brock Holt, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Mookie Betts, and J.D. Martinez.

If you think we are being picky with the .350 figure, please be advised that the Tribe didn’t have anyone else over .340 either. The next best OBP was Francisco Lindor at .335.

To be fair, had Jose Ramirez hit higher than .255 this season, he would have hit the .350 level, because his strikeout to walk ratio (74:52) was solid.

To us, this indicates the lack of strike zone awareness throughout the roster, and this leads to hitters getting themselves out by swinging at bad pitches.

Sometimes this improves through experience, which is why we aren’t concerned right now with Oscar Mercado walking just 28 times in 482 plate appearances. If this number stays there next season, it could indicate a problem.

We have already touched on Lindor, whose walk rate was the lowest since his rookie year, and he got himself out plenty in clutch situations last season, swinging at a lot of pitches out of the strike zone, sometimes when he was ahead in the count.

If we were Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff, we would be focused on getting some guys who can get on base to help the offense next season.

It might start by giving Luplow, who had a .372 OBP in his minor league career, a shot at an everyday spot in the lineup.

And Lindor is too good of a hitter not to learn from this season and make pitchers come to him instead of helping them out.

Besides, if you can get a solid hitter who can get on base, you can get the shortstop out of the leadoff spot, and hit him in the #2 hole or lower.

Together with Santana, who has always been an on base machine, and Ramirez returning to somewhere close to his norm (he has three straight seasons over .350 from 2016-18), it would give the Indians four players who can get on base.

We would also have someone work with Franmil Reyes on his strike zone judgment. If he could layoff bad pitches more, he would be an anchor in the middle of the lineup.

Against good teams and particularly good pitchers, you have to make them work, you can’t help them out by swinging at borderline strikes.

Remember the success the Indians had vs. Justin Verlander with the Tigers? They made him throw a lot of pitches early in games, and even if they didn’t have success against him, they got him out of the game.

On base percentage is the key stat for the Indians to improve on this off-season. Not saying it’s a cure all, but it will help the offense be more “relentless”, for sure.

Curious To See These Cavs

When you really think about it, there is no place to go for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but up.

After four straight Eastern Conference championships, the wine and gold won just 19 games a year ago, a season in which their best player, Kevin Love, played just 22 games.

You have to think having Love active for even 60 games (the whole load management thing) makes the Cavs better in their 50th season.

Many speculate the organization wants to move Love, and maybe they do. But it only makes sense if the Cavaliers get a premium for his services. As long as the veteran is happy and isn’t causing any problems in the locker room, why trade him just to move him?

There is no evidence the big man from UCLA wants out. And why not have some veterans for the young Cavs, there are six key players with under three years experience to learn from?

Besides, it’s not as though the wine and gold need more young players. They will likely have three rookies, a second year player, and two third year guys getting a lot of time in 2019-20.

One thing we have praised Koby Altman and his staff for is the type of people they have brought in here. The veterans are willing to teach and groom the younger players, and the youth on the team has been very willing to work hard in order to get better.

We saw the leap last year’s first round pick, Collin Sexton made within the season, going from 15.1 points and 2.9 assists in the first half to 20.8 points and 3.2 assists after the All Star Game.

His shooting went from 40.8% to 47.7%.

We expect quantum leaps from Sexton, as well as Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic.

New coach John Beilein is a teacher, and he is indicated he will use Love at center, but we also believe that will depend on how veterans Tristan Thompson and John Henson will play. If they are productive, Beilein may use a traditional starting five with Love at power forward and Osman at small forward.

If Larry Nance Jr., another player who improves his game every single year, out plays Thompson and Henson, then Love will shift to the pivot.

The coach has indicated he will start Sexton and top draft pick Darius Garland at guards, and we would guess Brandon Knight and Jordan Clarkson will back them up.

As for possible trade speculation, we would predict Thompson and Clarkson are bigger candidates to be moved than Love.

With Love, Nance, and Henson (who has to prove himself after missing most of last season) getting time, and Zizic needing to play, it would seem Thompson is the odd man out, and his experience and defensive prowess would seem to make him desirable to contending teams.

As for Clarkson, he doesn’t seem to be a fit. He doesn’t move the ball, he’s not a particularly strong defender, and if and when Kevin Porter Jr. is ready to get time, he would seem to be the odd man out.

We are anxious to see Garland, because he has a reputation of being a good passer and he has some range on his shot. Remember, he only played a handful of games in college at Vanderbilt.

Beilein would seem to be the right coach for a very young roster. And with the work ethic of this team, perhaps they can be better than expected.

It’s a season of curiosity for sure.

Tribe Report Cards: Everyday Players

The Cleveland Indians reign as American League Central Division champions ended after three straight seasons.

Yes, they won 93 games, and that’s very good, they did not make the post-season, so we cannot be happy about the year, and it definitely wasn’t a success, no matter how many injuries the club and Terry Francona had to endure.

We decided to put together a report card for the squad (not that they asked!). We didn’t grade the bit players, the guys who were called up in September (FYI–don’t think anyone would have received higher than a D), but we wanted to give our appraisal of the 2019 edition of the Cleveland Indians–

Players Who Gets A’s:

Carlos Santana: After missing a year signing with the Phillies as a free agent, the switch-hitter had a career year in ’19. He tied his career best in home runs, and had his highest RBI total and OPS.

He will be 34 next year, and normally, we would say he’s a candidate to be dealt, as his value with never be higher. But, Santana’s numbers improved because he changed his approach at the plate, using more of the field.

He may not hit 34 HR’s, but his ability to draw walks make him a good offensive player if he hits around .260 with 25 dingers.

Roberto Perez: Despite all the complaints about dealing Yan Gomes (see the comments about Santana), Perez took his first opportunity as a regular and ran with it, belting 24 homers with a 7754 OPS.

He should win a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess and his ability to handle what turned out to be a very young pitching staff cannot be overlooked.

Players With A “B” Grade:

Francisco Lindor: Lindor is a superstar, but his season was below the tremendous standards he has set for himself. He missed the first month of the year with calf and ankle issues, but his walk rate was the lowest since his rookie year and his struggles in the clutch seemed to be from being overanxious.

At 25 years old, we feel safe in thinking it’s a blip on the radar.

Oscar Mercado: The rookie was a spring training sensation and probably should have made the club to open the season. He had a 761 OPS, which should improve because he’s only 24 years old, and his walk rate should get better as he gains experience.

Jose Ramirez: The switch-hitter struggled badly in the first half and was red hot after the All Star break. Still, even when he wasn’t hitting, he drew enough walks, and wound up with an 806 OPS. He even came back early from a hamate bone injury and hit a pair of homers in his first game back.

Yasiel Puig: Puig was expected to give the club a power burst, but instead was an on-base machine with an OBP of .377. All in all, not what the front office expected, but still helped the attack.

Franmil Reyes: The big man struggled mightily after coming over from San Diego, but also fell short of expectations, hitting just .237 albeit with 10 HRs. He needs to figure out the strike zone to fully blossom.

Jordan Luplow: Acquired from the Pirates, he was a tremendous asset vs. lefties. We would like to see him get an opportunity to get an everyday job next spring.

The “C” Group:

Tyler Naquin: Maybe he’s a bit too low here, but has problems staying healthy. Good arm, and if you hit him at the bottom of the order, he’s an asset.

Mike Freeman: Did a solid job as the primary infield back up, but when he had to play more, wasn’t as effective.

Greg Allen: A disappointment to us. Thought he earned a regular job in spring training, but doesn’t walk, and didn’t hit enough.

Kevin Plawecki: Did a serviceable job, but we don’t think he did enough for Francona and his staff to have confidence in him. That’s why Perez carried such a heavy load and got tired in August.

We’ll give Jason Kipnis and Jake Bauers a C-. Kipnis is way too inconsistent at the plate, prone to lengthy “0 for” streaks.

We liked Bauers’ approach early, patient, hit lefties well, but as the year went on, he struck out way too much. Doesn’t walk enough, not enough power.

We will grade the pitchers next week.

A Week Changes A Lot For The Browns

Everyone can relax, at least for a week.

The Cleveland Browns, who were described as disappointing by more than a few pundits, went into Baltimore and punched the Ravens in the mouth, leaving with a 40-25 victory and now sit atop the AFC North at 2-2.

Maybe the Browns did read the press clippings and got a little full of themselves. Their coach was vilified by many as being over his head, he got his job because Baker Mayfield liked him.

However, on Sunday the Browns looked like the team that finished the season in 2018. They did mix in some trickery, a long pass thrown by Odell Beckham Jr., and an shovel pass to Jarvis Landry which turned into an option play. But they were a power team, rushing for 193 yards (yes, 88 came on one run), and overall rolled up over 500 yards.

That’s why you don’t form opinions on NFL teams after two weeks, three weeks, or even four weeks.

Folks were talking about how good the Ravens looked in their first two games, apparently not realizing they were against the Dolphins and Cardinals, neither of whom have won a game in 2019.

Meanwhile, the Browns two losses have come against Tennessee (2-2) and Los Angeles (3-1). Look, we aren’t declaring Freddie Kitchens’ team as Super Bowl contenders, we are merely saying we thought Cleveland could be the best team in the AFC North going into the year, and we aren’t changing our minds.

And the Browns are nicked up too. David Njoku is out for several weeks, and the four guys in the starting defensive secondary have collectively played one game (by Damarious Randall) in the past two weeks.

The loss of Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams perhaps didn’t matter as much against Baltimore because they likely would have played a lot a zone to keep tabs on Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson, but when they return, the defense, which has performed very well, could and should be better.

Still, in the NFL you are only as good as your next game, and the Browns have to travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers, one of the remaining unbeaten team, on Monday night.

Kyle Shanahan’s team has compiled a 3-0 record beating Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, that have combined to win one game, but they did beat Tampa Bay, who if not for a missed short field goal against the Giants, would be 3-1.

Much like the Ravens on Sunday, the Browns’ defense will be the toughest one faced by the Niners, so it is a game the Browns could win before they head home to take on another NFC West foe in Seattle, in their last game before the bye week.

The Browns played like they were supposed to on Sunday.

Did they make some mistakes, sure, but all teams do, perfect games aren’t played in the NFL. The victory showed the team that both the fans and the national media fell in love with in the second half of last season, was still there.

Now the challenge is to keep it going, and follow up that performance with another one next Monday night. That’s what playoff teams do. They show up every week.

That’s what Kitchens and his players need to do going forward.