After the Cavaliers apparently tried to get into the NBA draft at the end of June, and although the team has only been slightly involved in the free agent rumors, the wine and gold continue to be in the news.  It looks as though GM Danny Ferry rekindled talks to deal for Sacramento guard Mike Bibby, with the Cavs reportedly giving up forward Drew Gooden and guard Damon Jones.  A third team was needed to make this happen, but supposedly San Antonio was that team, and it backed out, making a trade with Houston instead.

 

What’s next?  One of the free agents Ferry was interested in was Steve Blake, but the former Maryland star signed with the Trailblazers last week.  This gives Portland depth at the point.  They currently have Blake, Sergio Rodriguez, and last year’s starter, Jarret Jack.  I liked Jack in his college career at Georgia Tech, and it would be a good move by the Cavs to deal for him.  He has size (6’3"), can penetrate, and can defend.  He’s also only in his third year in the NBA, so he’s still young.  He also led the Yellow Jackets to the Final Four while in college. 

 

Reports have the Cavs giving up Sasha Pavlovic and Jones in a transaction to bring Jack to Cleveland.  Although Pavlovic impressed many this season, he still has ups and downs as a player.  He disappears for long periods of times in games, and even though he makes athletic moves to get to the basket, he has had problems finishing.   He is far from a finished product at just 23 years old, but is he really a starter on a great team?  If Ferry and Mike Brown have doubts, perhaps this is the deal they should consider.

 

Besides, the Cavs have other options at the shooting guard spot.  Daniel Gibson’s best spot is there, although at his size and with Brown’s emphasis on defense, he probably not a starter there.  The first shot at getting Pavlovic’s starting spot would probably go last year’s first round pick, Shannon Brown.  Brown played well in the NBA Summer League the past two weeks, showing the same style of play he flashed in college at Michigan State.   

 

What is obvious is that it is very likely last year was Jones last season wearing the wine and gold.  Pretty much every trade rumor involving the Cavs includes Jones, who wasn’t happy with his lack of playing time last winter.  Jones can still shoot, but his one dimensional game makes him a poor fit in the coach’s system.  The team is also shopping Gooden, mostly because of his inconsistency and inability to defend the pick and roll to Brown’s satisfaction.  A deal involving Gooden would make resigning Anderson Varajao a must.

 

What is promising is that the Cavs’ front office is not sitting on their laurels.  They recognize this team is far from perfect, and they understand upgrades must be made to get back to The Finals and win their first title.  An offensive coach and system will hopefully be part of the tinkering as well.

 

JK

 

The Cleveland Indians started the second half by following the mantra of their skipper, Eric Wedge, that is win series.  The Tribe took two of three against the Royals and now enter a three game set against the White Sox just a half game behind the Tigers and two games ahead of Seattle in the wild card race.  The Indians are just one game behind the Red Sox and Angels for the best record in the AL.  Amazingly, the game the Tribe lost against Kansas City was with its ace, C.C. Sabathia on the hill.

 

The three game set featured a great series by Ryan Garko.  Garko had the game winning single in the ninth Friday night, hit a two run homer to bring the home team within a run at 5-4 on Saturday, and belted another dinger yesterday in a 5-3 victory.  Garko is now batting over .300 with 11 HR’s on the season.  Which makes one wonder why he is batting sixth behind Jhonny Peralta in the lineup.  I realize Garko sits when Paul Byrd pitches, with Victor Martinez playing first and Kelly Shoppach behind the dish, but he is a better contact man than the shortstop.  In fact, I was shocked than KC manager Buddy Bell walked Peralta intentionally Friday night to get to Garko with the game on the line.

 

I am convinced that the Indians won’t be an elite offensive team until they can upgrade the 5th spot in the order.  And yes, I know they rank second in the AL in scoring.  This is not a knock on Peralta, but he is not in the same class as a guy like Carlos Guillen with Detroit or Justin Morneau with the Twins.  He’s not really a power hitter, although he will hit 25 homers this year, nor is he a classic RBI guy.  The reason is two fold.  First, he strikes out way too much, and he is vulnerable to the breaking ball.  Yesterday, STO’s Jim Donovan pointed out that the Tribe SS swung and missed six times in a game!  Peralta is a solid player, and has rebounded from last season’s disaster, but wouldn’t you feel better about the lineup if was hitting sixth or seventh?

 

It has been reported that Eric Wedge has joined the wheel of contract extensions by signing a three year deal.  Many would say the team should wait until the end of the year to see if the ballclub qualifies for the post season, but with the core players pretty much being signed for the future, it only seems right that the skipper will go along for the ride.  Although Wedge’s strategy comes into question at times as all managers’ do, his game to game approach is a good one.  When you think about it, each game is a different one, and should be treated as such.

 

Another thing to watch is the performance of Casey Blake.  Blake has had a solid season, but it seems like he’s remembered that he’s Casey Blake.  He’s hitting just .235 over the last month, and Saturday night made a terrible decision and throw which cost his team a run.  For all of the talk of him being reliable and a heady player, the evidence against this notion is growing.  His success rate on steals is deplorable, and he has a history of not hitting in the clutch.  He also makes a lot of tough plays defensively, but will blow the routine one.  He’s a average player, that’s all.  The Tribe might just need more going forward.  Unfortunately, the organization (or maybe the manager) has given up on Andy Marte.

 

With three with the White Sox and four with the Rangers coming up, the Tribe has to beat up the below .500 teams, because there aren’t many games remaining against those types of teams.  Following those series, the Indians take on the Red Sox and the Twins.  The schedule doesn’t get easier heading down the stretch either.  Also, don’t forget the trading deadline is just 15 days away…

 

MW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The signing of DH Travis Hafner to a four year contract extension means the Dolan ownership has now inked two of the key players who were about to test free agency in 2007 and 2008.  Only the most ardent critic of the spending habits of the Tribe ownership can still be disgruntled.  However, it typical "woe is us" fashion, there still are people who won’t be happy unless the Indians extend a huge offer to keep C.C. Sabathia here for a long time. 

 

At the beginning of the season, we wrote that the Indians had three great players:  Hafner, Sabathia, and Grady Sizemore.  Certainly with his season this year, you can put Victor Martinez in that class as well.  Ownership has tied up three of those guys through 2010, with Hafner and Sizemore inked through 2012.  This means the Tribe’s three best hitters will be in the lineup for three years after this one.  What more can the fans ask for?  The name of the game is keeping your great players, and certainly ownership has done that.

 

With the year Sabathia is having, he would be a fool to sign a contract extension now or after this season for that matter.  If he puts up 20 wins this season, he puts himself into a new stratosphere altogether.  Don’t be surprised if he goes through 2008 without a new deal in place and tests the market.  He also will likely wait and see what happens with Johan Santana and the Twins before signing, because with another big year next season (which helps the Indians, by the way), he will be worth just slightly less than the Minnesota southpaw. 

 

As for Hafner, I’m convinced his first half performance is an aberration and he will put together big numbers in the second half.  Remember, he still has 57 RBIs in spite of his troubles, and he still leads the AL in walks.  I think he got out of sync because he was getting pitched around early in the year, and he expanded his strike zone.  The past few weeks he have started to see glimpses of the old Hafner, he even hit one out in Detroit to left center against a lefty.  He likely will still end the year with 30 HR and over 100 RBI, an excellent year by any standard.

 

Everyone complained that the Dolans would not pay any one player over $10 million per year.  That myth has been debunked with the Westbrook and Hafner signing.  Now, the critics will ask if they will pay anyone $15 million per season, which they will probably have to do to keep C.C. in the fold.  Here a possible scenario for you to chew on.  After the 2008 season, let’s say Adam Miller has established himself as a major league starter.  GM Mark Shapiro could afford to deal Westbrook for prospects, freeing up over $10 million per year to use to keep Sabathia.  Thus, inking the big lefty to an $18 million deal would only cost the ballclub an additional $8 million per year.  That’s the beauty of having a productive farm system.

 

This team will be together for the long haul, the key pieces all in place (except for Sabathia) through 2012.  The front office and the ownership have done their job.  Now it’s up to the players to do it on the field, and fans to show up and watch a contending team with a promising future as well.

 

KM

 

 

 

 

The Cleveland Browns start training camp at the end of this month, and even though they haven’t played a game in seven months, there is a debate as to who will start the opener at quarterback for the team against the Steelers.  It would behoove Romeo Crennel to make that decision early in camp, preferably after the second exhibition game, so whoever it is can gain some continuity with the rest of the first unit.

 

The candidates are veterans Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson, and rookie first round pick Brady Quinn.  It would be in the rookie’s best interest not to be thrown to the fire right away, so privately the coaching staff is hoping the former Notre Dame star holds out, so they can justify to the fans why he’s not a candidate to start.  They will tell everybody that Quinn simply missed too much camp time to be a viable starter. 

 

Quinn’s agents are going to use the tactic that since he was a top 5 pick on most draft boards, including the Browns, he should be paid like a top five pick.  Unfortunately, the truth is, he was the 22nd pick, and the Browns will try to slot Quinn’s deal around the same as last year’s 22nd choice.  This difference of opinion will likely lead to the former Irish signal caller not being in camp on time.  At best, he will get into the training facility just prior to the first exhibition, er, pre-season game.

 

That leaves the two veterans with little experience.  By all reports, Anderson has looked better in the mini camps, probably because he has a stronger arm and a quicker release.  Remember, the offensive line protected better last year when Anderson was in there because they knew where he was, in the pocket.  Frye’s mobility backfired when he ran himself into sacks at times.  The former Akron QB also seems to lock in on Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr., which helps the defense cheat on those two targets.  Anderson seemed to find Joe Jurevicius more than his counterpart, a good thing since Jurevicius has the best hands on the team.

 

This has the potential to be a real quarterback derby, not the usual staged ones.  You know, the ones where the head coach has already predetermined the starter, but talks as if he hasn’t.  It is in Romeo Crennel’s best interest to play the guy who is playing the best.  If that’s Anderson, I have no doubts that he will start against Pittsburgh.  However wins the job has to hit the ground running, because if the Browns don’t get off to a good start, the crowd will start to call for Quinn.  The longer the veteran plays well, the more the rookie can sit, watch, and most importantly learn. 

 

The pre-season will mean much for the 2007 Cleveland Browns.  For Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson, it will be put up or shut up time.

 

JD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cleveland Indians head into the All Star break in second place in the AL Central, but the leader in the wild card race by 2 games over the surprising Seattle Mariners.  Unfortunately, they head into the break as losers of four of their last five on a road trip to Detroit and Toronto.  The Tribe lost the rubber match of the series north of the border by losing 1-0, as the Indian hitters started their vacation a day early. 

 

They say a team’s warts come into view in defeat, and if that is the case, the bullpen needs to have a large dose of Compound W applied to it.  Eric Wedge’s lack of confidence in his relief corp was evident in all three games against Toronto.  In the first game, Cliff Lee struggled and was removed trailing 6-5 after four innings.  However, the up and down Fernando Cabrera gave up two more tallies immediately, and the Indians could not recover, losing 8-6.  Even in the next day’s 9-4 win, Wedge used Rafael Betancourt for two innings in a game his team was winning by five runs because he has no confidence that anyone else could hold the lead, even one that large.

 

That meant when Wedge called on Betancourt again to try to preserve a scoreless tie in the series finale, he was coming off a two inning stint the day before.  The fact he had to be used in a 9-4 game affected the next game.  The Tribe skipper wanted to end a three game losing streak on Saturday, so he went with all three (Perez, Betancourt, and Borowski) of his reliable relievers.  Unfortunately, he only has three, perhaps four if you count Tom Mastny, who had to pitch two innings Friday in a game the Tribe lost. 

 

By the way, the talk shows were filled with people ripping Wedge for pitching to all star Alex Rios with first base open in the ninth.  Had he walked Rios, Frank Thomas would have been the hitter with runners on first and second and one out.  Thomas has hit over 500 home runs and is going to the Hall of Fame.  If Thomas would have come through with the key hit, these same idiots would have blasted Wedge for walking someone to pitch to a Hall of Famer.  You just can’t win in these situations if you’re a big league manager.  I think the Tribe skipper made the correct move.

 

Over the weekend, Wedge hinted that changes would be made in the bullpen over the All Star break.  Edward Mujica almost certainly will be sent back to Buffalo.  It would not be surprising to see the front office give up on Cabrera as well.  Aaron Fultz will return from the disabled list, and you keep hearing the name of Jensen Lewis from the broadcasters and by Peter Gammons.  Don’t be shocked if the former Vanderbilt righty is in the bullpen Friday night against the Royals. 

 

I think everyone would like to get another professional hitter.  Having Jhonny Peralta hitting fifth is not the ideal spot for a guy who strikes out that much.  I also think it’s a crime that Grady Sizemore whiffs as much as he does.  He’s too good a player to be striking out 175 times per year.  He needs to swing the bat, he takes far too many called third strikes.  That said, the area that needs the most improvement as we head down the stretch is the bullpen.  It just cost us two games in Toronto because it is not deep enough.  Giving up a spare outfielder and a minor league arm for a proven set up man or closer, would be a good investment in the Tribe’s post season future.

 

MW

 

 

 

The Tribe dropped two of three at Comerica Park to the Tigers with ace C.C. Sabathia getting hammered in a 12-3 loss yesterday.  No need to panic, though as the Indians still have a one game lead heading into the last series before the All Star break against the Toronto Blue Jays.  They are still playing .600 ball as their record is 51-34 through 85 games. 

 

The Tiger offense was relentless yesterday as they belted three homers off the Tribe all-star left hander.  In fact, the Tigers lead the American League in runs by a large margin over the Yankees and Indians.  Cleveland ranks 3rd in the league in walks, while Detroit is ninth, so the Tribe is the more patient team.  However, the Tigers are batting .290 as a team compared to the Indians .273 mark.  The biggest reason is the Kitties don’t strike out as much as Cleveland hitters.

 

Both team have three batters who rank in the top 10 in the league in strikeouts.  Ironically, both team’s leadoff hitters are in this group.  In fact, Grady Sizemore leads the AL and Curtis Granderson is second.  The other two Indians are Jhonny Peralta and Casey Blake, the other Detroit players are Craig Monroe and Brandon Inge.  Here lies the difference.  Blake hits second normally for Cleveland and Peralta hits fifth.  The two Tigers bat eighth and ninth.  The lack of contact hitters with some pop in the middle of the order hurts the Tribe offense at times.

 

The Indians also have two more hitters who rank in the top 50 in striking out, Travis Hafner and Josh Barfield.  The Tigers do not have anyone else who is listed in this grouping.  Thus, Cleveland has five hitters in the top 50 in the AL in not making contact.  The Tribe ranks 2nd in the AL as a team in whiffs, behind only Tampa Bay.  The Tigers rank 9th.  Detroit’s 3-4-5 hitters, Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, and Carlos Guillen not only make contact, but they drive the ball.  Cleveland’s heart of the order, Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, and Jhonny Peralta are prone to fanning, Martinez not included. 

 

There is no question the Tribe’s method is to wear out pitchers, taking a lot of pitches, working counts, battling with every at bat.  There’s a reason most starters don’t last seven innings against the Tribe, they make starters work, and work hard to get outs.  It’s a good approach, good enough for Cleveland to be one of the AL’s best hitting teams.  It does point out the need for one more professional bat for the Indians, a high average hitter with power.  I understand those guys don’t grow on trees.

 

That’s the difference in the two teams on offense.  The Tiger attack is similar to that of the Yankees when they had their great teams in the late 90’s, led by Paul O’Neill, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, etc.  They hit for average and power.  Those teams had great success offensively in the post season.  If the Indians play in October, it may become important for them to change their approach slightly to make more contact. 

 

KM

 

 

Since losing in the NBA Finals a few weeks ago, there has been tremendous anticipation as to what the Cleveland Cavaliers will do to take the next step and win the title.  However, the draft passed without GM Danny Ferry making any moves, and now the free agency period is starting.  The Cavs have only their mid level exemption to use on the free agent market, so the wine and gold will have to be judicious and creative in making the team better heading into the 2007-08 campaign.

 

The Cavs made qualifying offers to their own restricted free agents, Anderson Varajao and Sasha Pavlovic, which gives the team the right of first refusal on any contract either sign in this period.  It has been rumored that Varajao will receive a five year, $40 million offer from Memphis when firm offers can be made.  Together with Drew Gooden, the Cavs will be spending about $16 million per year on the power forward position if they match the offer to Wild Thing. 

 

It says here that Ferry needs to match it, and then look to find a taker for Gooden.  Let’s face it, Varajao’s game fits more with Mike Brown’s philosophy, that’s why the Brazilian gets the bulk of the playing time down the stretch of games.  Also, even though Gooden has been in the league longer, he’s still an inconsistent performer.  That sort of thing drives coaches crazy.  Also, Gooden’s contract would allow the team to bring in a bigger salary player in a deal.  Ferry would then have to find another big man to back up Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Varajao, but they could find a veteran big man to take that job.

 

The Cavs also are talking to free agent Morris Peterson, late of the Raptors, as a shooter.  Peterson would ideally replace Donyell Marshall’s role in the offense.  However, I can’t see using the entire exemption on MoPete unless Ferry can move some of the dead weight at the end of the bench making big money (Snow, Marshall, Newble, Jones).  If the only big personnel move this team makes is signing Peterson, it doesn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy about next year’s prospects, since the team would still be banking on the improvement of young players to make gains.

 

Ferry also needs to address the point guard spot.  Clevelanders may not want to hear it, but here’s hoping the wine and gold stays away from Earl Boykins.  The former Central Catholic star is 32 years old, a defensive liability, and likes to dominate the ball.  With LeBron James here, that would be a problem.  A guy like Steve Blake would be a good fit here.  Blake isn’t a strong defender, but Mike Brown has upgraded that part of the game with everybody on the roster, so Blake could improve.  Blake is a distributor and can make the open shot if it’s there.  Since he’s an unrestricted free agent, there will be plenty of competition to get the former Nugget. 

 

It has been rumored that Mike Bibby has been in town recently, which would lead to speculation that a trade with Sacramento is being considered.  Bibby had an off season in 2006-07, but was battling some injuries which affected his game.  However, what the Cavs would have to give up in such a deal might make this a less desirable option.  Another possibility at the point is Sarunas Jasikevicius, who considered the Cavs when he came to the NBA a couple of years ago, but signed with Indiana instead.  He finished the year with Golden State, barely getting off the bench there.  The cost to get him would be minimal.

 

JK

 

The Cleveland Indians ended the first half of the season with a 49-32 record, good enough to lead the AL Central Division by a 1-1/2 over the Tigers.  Even though they endured injuries to starting pitchers Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook, struggling offense from the corner outfielders, and consistent work from just two relievers, the Tribe is on pace to win 98 games this season.  What do they have to do to get to the post season?  Is there any help coming from the farm system?  Here’s one man’s opinion.

 

What do they have to do to make the playoffs.  The first thing is staying healthy, particularly the starting pitching.  A rotation of Sabathia, Carmona, Westbrook, Lee, and Byrd should provide a quality start, and a chance to win, every night.  There are too many teams around baseball that can make that claim.  Lee has been back to the 2005 version that past three or four starts, and Westbrook has looked strong his first two starts since returning to the mound. 

 

The bullpen needs some work though.  Skipper Eric Wedge can only count on Joe Borowski and Rafael Betancourt for quality outings at this point.  Left hander Rafael Perez has pitched well, but hasn’t really worked in pressure situations.  Tom Mastny started well, but has struggled recently.  Fernando Cabrera is a coin flip from night to night.  The current plan is to start using Adam Miller out of the ‘pen to provide some help, but this is the primary area of need for the 2007 Indians.  Another solid arm like an Eric Gagne or Akinori Otsuka would be a great help.  GM Mark Shapiro could use Cabrera as bait.  His stuff is off the charts, but his ability to throw quality strikes is questionable.  He is the type of guy that teams covet.  Especially teams building for the future.  Outside of two months in 2005, Cabrera hasn’t done the job in Cleveland, so it wouldn’t be a shame if he was dealt.

 

The production in the corner outfield spots is troubling, but the squad is playing .600 ball without huge numbers from these spots.  Jason Michaels is hitting like the player the Tribe acquired before last season.  The smaller playing time seems to agree with him.  Trot Nixon’s production is getting more miniscule as the season goes on.  However, young guys like Franklin Gutierrez and Ben Francisco have done okay in their brief looks, and both provide good defensive and add a little speed to the roster.  Still, getting another solid bat, preferably a left handed hitter, would strengthen the line up. 

 

The bullpen is still the bigger need.

 

Help from the farm?  Besides the players we have mentionned previously, the only other possibilities are veteran reliever Matt Miller and 3B Andy Marte.  Marte has belted 9 HR in 138 at bats in Buffalo, but his batting average is just .246.  He will not return to Cleveland until September 1st unless there is another injury.  Within the system, 21 year old SS Asdrubal Cabrera is raking at Akron, and should be moved to Buffalo fairly soon.   The youngster, picked up last year from Seattle in the Eduardo Perez deal, is hitting .336 with a OPS of 915.  He has always been considered a glove man, but he’s swinging the bat extremely well. 

 

Another player under the radar is 3B Wes Hodges at Kinston.  A 2nd round draft pick last year, the 22 year old is batting .324 in the Carolina League.  Hodges had an injury coming out of college, otherwise he would have been a first round pick.  He will probably move to Akron soon, and could make Marte a tradable commodity to help the big club.  Another reliever to watch is 23 year old Jensen Lewis, now at Buffalo.  Lewis started the year in Akron, and went 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 39 innings.  He has a 1.04 in 8 frames at Buffalo.  If the Tribe is looking for another option in the bullpen, Lewis could get a call.

 

MW

 

The Cleveland Indians are having one of those classic Jacobs Field home stands.  Tuesday night, they scored five in the ninth to beat the A’s capped by a Kelly Shoppach home run.  Thursday afternoon, Jason Michaels’ three run shot turned a 3-1 lead into a 4-3 win, and last night, the recently recalled Ben Francisco got his first major league hit in his first big league start, and in the ninth, he belted the game winning dinger in a 2-1 win over the Devil Rays.  The Tribe is now 28-12 at home this year, one of the best home marks in the game.

 

The other good thing that came out of last night’s action was the performance of Jake Westbrook.  The righty looked impressive in seven frames against a Tampa squad who has a few good hitters in their lineup.  Westbrook has now pitched 14 innings allowing just 4 earned runs in his two starts since coming off the disabled list.  He gives Eric Wedge a reliable starter in the rotation to go along with C.C. Sabathia, Fausto Carmona, and Paul Byrd.

 

Don’t be surprised if a pair of Millers join the Tribe’s relief corps soon.  Matt Miller recently was reactivated off the disabled list at Buffalo, and you know that Wedge is more confident in him than Edward Mujica.  Since Miller has pitched in back to back games this week, look for him to be activated on Sunday, or at least before the Indians head to Detroit for a big three game series next week.  The other Miller is uber prospect Adam Miller, who the front office said will be used in relief since coming back from his finger injury.  He could be another power arm in the bullpen that Wedge and Mark Shapiro are looking for.

 

It was funny to hear that Oakland dealt Milton Bradley to the Padres for minor league pitcher Andrew Brown.  This is the second time Brown has been traded for the contraversial outfielder, the first time was when the Dodgers traded him and Franklin Gutierrez to the Tribe.  It’s not often you get traded twice for the same player.

 

Here’s another thing I don’t undertstand.  (I know there are many).  Guys who torment the Indians like Jack Cust, Mike Sweeney, etc.  Why doesn’t the scouting staff simply burn the reports on these guys.  They obviously do not work.  The scouts provide a game plan on how to work these hitters, but they continue to rack up base hits against our pitching.  Wouldn’t we be just as well off just telling them what the pitchers are going to throw?

 

Three more with the Rays remain before a huge three game set against the Motor City Kitties.  The All-Star rosters will be announced on Sunday and Victor Martinez and Sabathia appear to be shoo ins for the honor.  It will be interesting to see if Grady Sizemore, Fausto Carmona, or Rafael Betancourt also gets picked.  Sizemore would seem to have the best shot.  After Detroit, it’s on to Toronto for three and then a much needed rest for most of the team.  It’s been an eventful and successful first half for Cleveland baseball fans.

 

KM