Baseball Is Back And The Strategy Of The Three Batter Rule…

Baseball is back, and how great is it to say that and hear that? The 60 game sprint is on, even if it has been made less urgent by the expansion of the playoffs to eight teams in each league.

We are all aware of the new rules this year too. There’s a DH in the National League (hooray!), and there are two rules we aren’t very fond of because it messes with the purity of the sport.

(Yes, we are, and we hate this expression–“a baseball purist”.

The rules putting a runner on second base to start the tenth inning is understandable for this year (a little bit), but games that last more than 12 innings are rare, and we can tell you the last long game the Indians were involved in, the 19 inning affair in Toronto in 2016, was beyond exciting.

We were in a public place, and as the game went on, more and more fans drew close to the televisions in the establishment, and when the Indians won the game, a cheer went up throughout the building like the Tribe has clinched a playoff spot.

We bring this up, because the other new rule, the three batter minimum came into play during Friday night’s opener against the Royals.

With two outs in the top of the 7th and Adam Cimber on the mound, he walked Nicky Lopez, and Kansas City manager Mike Matheny countered by pinch-hitting left handed hitter Franchy Cordero.

We wondered if Terry Francona would counter with Oliver Perez to get the lefty, because we forgot about the rule, but remembered that Whit Merrifield was on deck, followed by switch hitting Adeberto Mondesi.

Now, if Perez got Cordero, all is good. With the inning ended, Perez did not have to face the three batter minimum, and Tito could bring in a right-hander to start the 8th.

But if Perez failed to get Cordero, he then would have had to face Merrifield with two men on and the game very much in the balance.

In the past, we think that’s what Francona would have done, bring in Perez to get the pinch-hitter, and then bring in Nick Wittgren to face the all star, Merrifield.

Cimber, who still makes us a tad nervous when he faces a left-handed hitter, got Cordero to ground out to Cesar Hernandez, and the inning was over.

We feel the new rule really affects a specialist, like Cimber, because he has been very good in his career vs. right-handed hitters (.240 batting average against, 624 OPS), but left handed hitters turn into Ted Williams (.313, 1.008 OPS).

If those numbers continue, the skipper will have to be very judicious in how to use him, and perhaps it is so difficult to use him in the correct spots, that it is not worth having a roster spot.

And for those wondering if Shane Bieber earned the Opening Day gig over Mike Clevinger, how was six scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts? It would be tough to beat that, no?

Yes, it was against Kansas City, but the Royals have some good hitters. Merrifield is a machine at the plate, and Jorge Soler did lead the AL in homers a year ago. Salvy Perez is a solid bat and Mondesi is a player to keep an eye on.

The best thing about baseball is they play again today, then tomorrow, etc. It’s the best reality show around in our opinion.

We wonder what the television ratings, usually high for the Indians, will be this season.

Tribe Depending On Some Young Players Continuing To Progress

Many people, including us, feel the Cleveland Indians will be a contender for a playoff spot this season, and to us, it wouldn’t have mattered if the season were 162 games or just 60.

However, much of those good vibes are based on some players with very little major league experience coming through in 2020.

For us, until a player establishes a track record, they have to be viewed with a jaundiced eye. And no doubt, the Tribe has their fair share of these players.

First is centerfielder Oscar Mercado. Remember, the Cardinals gave up on the former second round pick in 2013, trading him to the Indians for a couple of lower tiered prospects in 2018.

Mercado had a solid rookie season, hitting .269 with 15 HR and a 761 OPS, but walked just 28 times vs. 84 strikeouts. However, he thrived at Progressive Field, hitting .289 with 11 dingers (844 OPS) vs. .250 (679 OPS) on the road.

He struggled mightily in August, before having a good September.

If he regresses, Terry Francona does have some alternatives. Delino DeShields can fill the bill defensively for sure, but he’s never really hit well in the big leagues, and if Bradley Zimmer continues on the torrid pace he has set since summer camp started, he could wind up there.

It is worth keeping an eye on though.

The other area where much is counted on from young players is in the starting rotation, where Cleveland needs Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac to be solid starters right away.

The recently turned 25-years-old Civale pitches like a veteran, but has only thrown 58 innings at the big league level, and have less than 400 innings in the minor leagues.

He’s made 10 starts with the Indians, and in only two of them did he see the 7th inning.

His numbers last year were excellent, 44 hits allowed, striking out 46 while walking just 16, and he reminded many people of Corey Kluber in his manner and the way he attacked hitters, but he’s slated as the fourth starter, and the front office is counting on him to be the guy he was a year ago.

Plesac, who is also 25, is barely more experienced at the major league level than Civale, making 21 starts, firing 115 innings.

He actually threw less in the minors though, pitching just 259 innings because he had Tommy John surgery in college and the Tribe brought him back slowly.

After six starts at Akron, compiling an 0.96 ERA, he was on the fast track to Cleveland, and injuries had him with the big club for his debut in Fenway Park on May 28th.

The short season actually helps both Civale and Plesac because they won’t have deal with an innings increase threshold this season.

As for alternatives? Adam Plutko would be the first option should either falter, and the organization has Logan Allen, Scott Moss, and if he is healthy, Jefry Rodriguez as options. However, the latter group doesn’t have a real track record of success in the bigs either.

And then there is James Karinchak, counted on to be a set up man for Brad Hand.

We all know about Karinchak’s gaudy strikeout feats, his high octane fastball, and his knee buckling curve.

However, he has walked a lot of people in his minor league career, which only spans three seasons and a little over 100 innings (82 games). His walk ratio per nine innings is 5.5, and that’s probably why Francona hasn’t fallen in love with the soon to be 24-year-old.

Relievers who don’t throw strikes aren’t any manager’s friend, and Tito is no different.

The biggest problem is Francona doesn’t have a lot of alternatives if Karinchak isn’t effective. He would have to turn to prospects Kyle Nelson or Cam Hill or maybe veterans Phil Maton or Hunter Wood, but none have the filthy stuff Karinchak has.

It’s a bit of a high wire act for the organization, but the safety net is how these players performed last season. But, no doubt the Tribe needs progress from this quartet of young players.

The Little Known Veteran Trio In Tribe ‘Pen

With the Major League Baseball season starting Friday night, the bullpen of the Cleveland Indians appears to have a lot of uncertainty.

We know Brad Hand will be the closer, but the suspension of Emmanuel Clase for the season has the dreams of the young duo of Clase and James Karinchak setting up Hand on hold.

We still think Karinchak will play a big role for the ’20 Tribe, if he can throw strikes. If he does, he will strikeout a lot of hitters. In the minor leagues a year ago, he fanned 74 batters in 30-1/3 innings, and followed up that by whiffing eight big leaguers in 5-1/3 frames.

At this point, people know about this pitcher with a plus fastball and an electric curve.

They also know about the ageless southpaw, Oliver Perez, who will turn 39 next month, and posted a 3.98 ERA in 40-2/3 innings last year, striking out 48 and walking 12.

Perez held left-handed hitters to a .207 batting average last season, but right handers hit .286 against him.

The mirror image, so to speak, of Perez, is sidearming righty Adam Cimber. Cimber had a 4.45 ERA a year ago, but right-handed hitters did hit .244 against him. Lefties batted .296 with a 943 OPS, so Terry Francona will have to be very careful in spotting him vs. players who swing from the left side.

No doubt, it will be interesting to see how the new three batter rule will affect how Francona uses each of this pair of relievers. They may become guys brought in to get the last out of an inning.

Nick Wittgren might have been the guy Tito trust most besides Hand last season. He had 4 saves with a 2.81 ERA in 55 games, but became more prone to giving up the long ball as the season went on, allowing seven (of 10) after the all star break.

They guys no one really talks about are Phil Maton, James Hoyt, and Hunter Wood.

We remember seeing Maton in his rookie season pitching against the Indians for San Diego and was intrigued. He pitched 1-2/3 innings, allowed one hit and struck out three (Jason Kipnis, Erik Gonzalez, and Francisco Lindor).

In his first two years with the Padres, he fanned 101 in 90-1/3 innings, walking 37. He was prone to giving up the long ball, allowing 13 homers.

Last season, the bottom fell out for the 27-year-old right-hander. He pitched in 21 games, and allowed 34 hits, including six dingers. He was traded to the Indians for international slot money in July.

At Columbus, he must have figured something out, striking out 17 in 10-2/3 innings before being called up. He pitched in nine games with Cleveland, a total of 12-1/3 innings, striking out 13, and allowed just one homer with a 2.92 ERA.

There is talent there, and last year was the outlier for Maton. That’s what should get him the opportunity at the start of the season.

At 33, Hoyt is the oldest of the trio, and kicked around the minors and independent leagues for six years before getting a shot with Houston in 2016.

In 65 games with the Astros in ’16 and ’17, he whiffed 94 hitters in 71-1/3 innings, but was prone to the long ball, giving up 12 dingers, although seven of those were at Minute Maid Park.

He suffered through knee and elbow problems in 2018, pitching in just 30 innings, facing just three hitters at the big league level.

He spent most of last season at Columbus, but came up in September, throwing 8-1/3 innings, striking out 10 with a 2.16 ERA.

Francona used him in a huge spot against the Twins on September 15th, and he got five big outs in the 8th and 9th in a 7-5 Tribe win.

The long locked, soon to be 27-year-old Wood, came over from Tampa Bay last season with Christian Arroyo, and was kind of considered a throw in.

He has the least swing and miss stuff so far, accumulating only 81 strikeouts in 86-2/3 innings, and has allowed 88 hits. And he’s another who is prone to giving up the long ball, allowing 11 in those innings, including 7 in 45-2/3 innings last year.

It would seem here that if this trio can keep the ball in the park, they should be good options for Francona this season. Our thought is there are two things relievers have to do: Throw strikes and keep the ball in the park.

We feel better about Hoyt and Maton than we do about Wood. Hopefully, all three can help the Tribe bullpen in 2020.

Garrett Signing Is A No Brainer

When the Cleveland Browns signed DE Myles Garrett to a five year, $125 million deal this week, it really was a no-brainer for GM Andrew Berry and the Browns’ front office.

Yes, we have heard the criticism that Garrett isn’t the best defensive player in the league, so he shouldn’t be the highest paid, but that’s semantics.

Our guess is Garrett won’t be the highest paid for long, although the state of professional sports in the wake of COVID-19 may keep afford him that status longer than normal. However, in a couple of years, the former first overall pick in the 2017 draft likely won’t be in the top five.

As we have pointed out before, Garrett ranks 7th all time in sacks for the franchise, despite playing just three seasons in Cleveland. And with another 10 sack season in 2020, which would be a “meh” season for Garrett, he would jump into a tie for third with Rob Burnett.

According to our research, Garrett is the first Cleveland Browns to have recorded two seasons of 10 sacks or more with the franchise. And yes, we are dating back to 1946.

We understand sacks weren’t an official statistic in the NFL until the 1982, so the greats of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s aren’t eligible, but still even in the last 45 years, no other Browns’ player has had two seasons with 10 sacks or more.

The criticism of the deal comes from two sets of people. First, there are Browns fans who we think believe Garrett should get a sack on every play. It doesn’t work like that.

Last year, Shaq Barrett of Tampa Bay led the league in sacks with 19.5, just ahead of Chandler Jones with 19. In 2018, it was Aaron Donald of the Rams with 20.5, with J.J. Watt of Houston second with 16. Garrett was sixth that season with 13.5, his only full season in the NFL.

The second group of people are those who treasure salary cap space above everything else, seemingly including winning. Cleveland has the most cap space in the NFL, owing that to stripping down the roster and Garrett is the first player coming off their rookie contract.

These people exist in other sports too. The baseball people who think every minor league prospect is the next Mike Trout, and the basketball fans who want their team to be in the lottery every year so they have a shot at the first overall pick.

Winning for those folks is secondary.

We can tell you that Garrett is the first pass rusher the Browns have had since we can remember (mid sixties) that opposing offenses have to plan for, except maybe for when they had Lyle Alzado If you don’t double team him, he’s going to reek havoc on your passing game.

He’s also solid against the running game too. He’s not someone who is a subject to being trapped and therefore woefully out of position on running plays.

The Browns have a foundation for winning, now they just have to do it. If they succeed, they are going to have to pay big cash to the players who are the reason for that success.

Garrett is the first of those guys, and the Browns got it done. That should be celebrated, not questioned.

How Is Tribe Roster Shaking Out?

There have been some standouts during the Cleveland Indians’ “summer camp” since the intrasquad games began a week ago.

Rookie Daniel Johnson was “Tito’s star” in the first game and Yu Chang has put on quite the power display since arriving in town on July 3rd.

However, how much of an impact do these performances have on the 30 man roster the team will finalize before the season begins a week from Friday at Progressive Field against the Royals (Danny Duffy will start for KC).

Here is how we see the players who will for sure be on the roster as of today:

Catchers (2): Roberto Perez, Sandy Leon
Infielders (4): Carlos Santana, Cesar Hernandez, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez
Oufielders (5): Franmil Reyes, Oscar Mercado, Jordan Luplow, Tyler Naquin, Domingo Santana
Starting rotation (5): Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, Carlos Carrasco, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac
Relievers (5): Brad Hand, Nick Wittgren, James Karinchak, Oliver Perez, Adam Cimber

That means 21 of the 30 spots are pretty much locked up barring injury or illness. We would include OF Delino DeShields, but it appears he will open the season on the 10 day injured list.

That leaves nine spots open.

We know at least one spot will go to a utility infielder, perhaps two to start. The three most likely candidates are Chang, Mike Freeman, and Christian Arroyo. Freeman isn’t currently on the 40 man roster, so he would have to be added if he makes the team.

Of the trio, Freeman is the most accomplished at the plate, hitting .272 last season with the Tribe. Chang is the best option at SS defensively. To this point, those two have performed the best in the scrimmages.

That makes 23.

At least one other outfielder will be added in DeShields’ absence, and right now, we suspect Greg Allen is the front runner. Another spot could open up if Luplow’s back becomes a problem, but if he’s healthy, he’ll be in the lineup Opening Night with the southpaw Duffy on the hill.

We know Francona loves relief pitchers, and he would normally carry 13 hurlers, so with the 30 man roster to start, you have to figure he will carry 14, and perhaps 15.

Relievers like James Hoyt, Phil Maton, Hunter Wood should be the leading candidates, and Adam Plutko figures to be on the roster as a long reliever. The possible 10th bullpen spot could be lefties Scott Moss or Kyle Nelson or righty Dominic Leone.

And that brings us to 29 players.

Does Francona keep all three extra infielders, or does he go with Jake Bauers, another left-handed bat, who can also spell Carlos Santana at first base?

Or he could go with Bradley Zimmer, who would provide speed and defense at the every least in the outfield. Or perhaps even a third catcher, like minor league veteran Beau Taylor.

Even though Johnson has done well, it’s doubtful he starts the season on the active roster, and the same goes for slugging 1B/DH Bobby Bradley.

We do wonder how much weight will be put on the three games against the Pirates, which begin Saturday night at PNC Park? We know the starters will begin the game, but will likely be pulled early. The players on the bubble will get a shot against pitchers or hitters who aren’t their teammates.

Although some will criticize Francona for not going with young guys, we don’t blame him. With the 60 game schedule, you have to come out of the gate running, and you have more of an idea what you will get out of veterans.

We will find out soon how much of an impression the “summer camp stars” have had on the front office.

Zimmer’s First Impression Still Resonates For Some.

Sometimes, a person makes such a strong first impression that is resonates for a long time, even after there is a whole bunch of evidence to the contrary.

There are actors who make a great screen debut, and then never make a movie as good again. Yet, they are still famous, and still keep getting cast in films. You can insert a name here.

For a lot of Cleveland baseball fans, that’s how they view Indians’ outfielder Bradley Zimmer. But at 27 years old, he’s at a career crossroad, and this shortened season isn’t likely to provide a lot of help for him.

Zimmer came up in May 2017 when with the defending AL champs struggling a bit at 20-17. Terry Francona was starting to use Lonnie Chisenhall is centerfield, while rightfield was a combination of Abraham Almonte and David Robertson.

And playing Chisenhall in CF was definitely a compromise to the defense.

Zimmer started off very well after being called up on May 16th. Heading into the all star break, the rookie left-handed hitter was batting .285 with 5 HR, 25 RBI and had a 790 OPS.

He did strikeout 43 times in 165 plate appearances, a not great, but manageable 26% rate.

Since that time, Zimmer has batted .199 with 5 HR and 23 RBI in 267 at bats, including stints in 2018 (34 games) and 2019 (9 games), mostly due to injuries.

And in those 295 plate appearances, he fanned 107 times, a 36% rate. For a comparison, last year’s major league leader in striking out, Eugenio Suarez of Cincinnati, struck out 189 times in 662 plate appearances, a rate of 28.5%.

Oh, by the way, Suarez also hit 49 HR and knocked in 103 runs with a .271 batting average. The point is a player can strikeout a lot if he is productive when he makes contact.

Zimmer’s walk rate, while never good, has also dropped to 6.1% in ’18.

Again, a big part of Zimmer’s issue has been injuries. He suffered rib and chest injuries crashing into the wall at Yankee Stadium in 2018, and then hurt his shoulder swinging a bat just a week after being sent to AAA during that season.

The latter injury involved surgery and a lengthy rehab process, so much that the former first round pick played in only 15 minor league games in 2019, getting just 50 at bats.

He was called up in September, and went 1 for 13, striking out seven times.

This shortened season isn’t doing to help someone who needs to get in the batter’s box and face live pitching. It is difficult to see him getting a big opportunity with the major league club, as in the reserve OF category, he is clearly behind Delino DeShields, Greg Allen, and probably Daniel Johnson, although his defensive ability and speed could be a help.

Especially his speed. Zimmer can fly, which makes his lack of contact at the plate more frustrating. We understand this is an era of launch angle and hitting the ball through defensive shifts, but Zimmer would appear to us to be a guy who should be hitting the ball on the ground and running fast.

To us, that would make him a more productive player. Swinging from the left side, any ball he would hit to the left side of the infield and the defender had to move has a good chance of being a base hit.

We understand that’s old school, but it’s also better than batting .199.

It has been reported that Zimmer made some changes to his approach last year, and if he did, it’s another reason he is hurt by the lack of a minor league season in 2020. He needs reps.

There is no question the injuries have hurt his career, but you have to wonder how long the Indians’ front office will hang with the potential of Bradley Zimmer before moving in another direction.

At the very least, Zimmer shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to play winter ball if there is a season later in the year.

Cavs’ Forgotten Man: Dylan Windler

Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers would up with three first round picks.

Everyone was hoping they would get the first overall pick with their chances in the lottery, but they would up getting the fifth pick and selected Darius Garland, who played sparingly at Vanderbilt and had an up and down rookie season.

GM Koby Altman moved a bunch of second round picks to get the last pick in the first round, and selected Kevin Porter Jr., who turned out to be one of the surprises of the season.

Porter Jr. played 23 minutes per game, and scored 10 points on 44% shooting and his free throw shooting, a weakness in college (52%), wound up at 72% during his first season in the NBA.

He will only be 20 when the 2020-21 season starts, but he is viewed as one of the building blocks of the future for the wine and gold.

The third first round pick is largely forgotten because he was injured in training camp, and didn’t play a minute last season.

Dylan Windler was the 26th overall pick, a four year college player out of Belmont. A 6’7″ wing player, he shot 54% during his senior season, including 42.9% from beyond the three point arc.

Because he’s a four year player, he will turn 24 years old before the next regular season gets underway, but there is no question he can shoot the rock.

While some long range shooters can be mechanical and slow, the report on Windler (and watching highlights too) is he has a very quick release and he’s also a lefty, which fools defenders used to righties, which is the norm.

And he’s not a guy who just stands around the perimeter, waiting for someone to see him open. He is active without the ball, and will cut to the basket to get opportunities around the basket. He’s also a solid rebounder, averaging 9.3 and 10.8 boards per game in his last two collegiate seasons.

The biggest question, as is for most players coming into the pro game, is how well he can defend. We say it all the time, pretty much every player who gets to the NBA can put the ball in the basket, what determines their playing time is what they can do on the other end of the floor.

It’s not just a quickness thing either. You have to be strong, be able to hold your ground to play defense at the pro level. You have to wonder if Windler has been able to improve his strength while he is recovering from his stress reaction to his leg.

The other issue is it’s a young man’s league in the NBA and Windler will get his first action at 24. How much room does he have to grow as a player? It’s not impossible, some players get better in their late 20’s because they discover their niche in the league.

It’s tough because he lost a year of development because of the injury. There is no replacing experience. Garland and Porter Jr. know what to expect in their second season, Windler doesn’t.

However, he can be a huge asset to the Cavaliers because the team needs both shooting and wing players. They also need players with length, and J.B. Bickerstaff knows that.

Dylan Windler could make the 2019 draft a huge bonanza for Altman and the Cavs if he can translate his the abilities that made him a player in college to the NBA.

Maybe we can see that if the non-playoff teams get their own “bubble” coming up.

All In All, Tito Is Definitely An Asset For Tribe.

There was a recent debate on social media about the Indians’ success since 2013 (three American League Central Division titles, four post-season berths in total) and what factors are the biggest reason for it.

We know there are critics out there, but there should be no denying the front office structure the Tribe has is top notch, and Chris Antonetti has done an outstanding job running the baseball operations.

Have they been perfect? Of course not, no one is.

On the other hand, the Cleveland organization has not had to go through a period where they had to bottom out, lose 100 games, and trade their best players for prospects to speed up that process, like the Cubs, Astros, and currently, the Tigers, Orioles, and Pirates.

Another factor for this success is Terry Francona.

Yes, Francona’s kind of an old school manager. Does he bunt too much? Yes. Does he cling to veterans at times? He does have that tendency.

And if you have performed for him in the past, he has a fierce loyalty to you.

He’s still one of the best managers in the game, and likely will be inducted in Cooperstown some day because of his managing, and he will likely deflect praise for that honor, because that’s what Tito does.

Francona ranks 18th all time in career wins by a manager, and only Dusty Baker has won more among active managers. And of the 17 skippers with more wins than Francona, 12 of them are enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and our guess is Bruce Bochy will make that number 13 sooner or later.

In a normal season, he had a real good chance of passing Lou Boudreau as the Indians’ all time winningest manager too. With 91 more victories, he accomplishes that.

His winning percentage is behind only Hall of Famer Al Lopez and Oscar Vitt among Tribe skippers.

And while many may take umbrage with his in-game strategy at times (and we confess, it drives us nuts sometimes too), he sets a tone in the clubhouse for what is expected from the players.

In this unique 60 game season, we believe one edge the Indians have is the consistency Tito shows to his players. His mindset right from the get go has been there are only 60 games, and the Indians will look at it as when the first game is played on July 24th, as if they are tied for first place and heading into the homestretch.

Many teams have gone to hiring younger men to relate to today’s players, like Rocco Baldelli in Minnesota, Aaron Boone in New York, and Tito’s old foil in Cleveland, Kevin Cash in Tampa. But even though he’s 61 years old, Francona still relates to Frankie Lindor and Jose Ramirez.

Lindor’s prank on the skipper early this week exemplifies the relationship between the star shortstop and the manager.

Yes, Francona does get irritated with certain players, most notably Trevor Bauer a year ago, but those players also know their boss has their backs. We’ve heard people complain that he should get on players for making mistakes or for not hustling.

He does, but he does it privately, not in the media. That earn respect, and the players return it to him by playing hard. You don’t see players dog it that often in Cleveland.

We aren’t saying the Indians aren’t the only Major League team who will come into the season with the “no excuses” mantra, but we will bet there will be teams who won’t treat it as seriously as others because it’s not a “real season”.

Yesterday, he said he wants his players to be ready to “be prepared to kick somebody’s ass”.

Francona doesn’t allow for excuses, for himself and his players. He understands there won’t be a feeling out process in 2020. However, that doesn’t mean he will have the same level of patience as the typical fan.

All in all, fans of the Indians should feel grateful that Terry Francona is guiding this team. Long time supporters of the club should remember a list of people who weren’t even close to him.

Njoku Wants Out, Browns Unlikely to Comply.

The news hit the other day that Browns’ TE and former first round draft pick David Njoku had hired a new agent and asked the team to trade him.

We expressed the opinion that just because the player made the request, the GM Andrew Berry is under no obligation to move Njoku, and we heard some comments very typical of most fan bases.

If he doesn’t want to be here, then move him as soon as possible. One former NFL player currently in the media expressed the opinion that the Browns can’t have that kind of distraction in the locker room.

We say the best thing to do is to step back and not make an emotional decision, which we feel is what Berry will do.

Cleveland just exercised the fifth year option on the tight end’s contract, meaning he is under his rookie deal for two more seasons. That’s probably the reason for hiring a new agent, and also requesting the deal.

More likely than not, Njoku and his new representative, super agent Drew Rosenhaus, want the same thing the Browns are doing with Myles Garrett, who also had his fifth year option picked up.

The Browns are working on an extension for Garrett, likely one that will make him one of the highest paid, if not the highest paid defensive player in the NFL.

The former Miami (FL) standout isn’t on the same par as Garrett, but it would seem as if Njoku would like to be paid sooner than later.

However, here is the problem. Njoku hardly played a year ago. He broke his wrist in the second game of the year against the Jets, and then, for whatever reason, feel into Freddie Kitchens’ doghouse.

The result was a season where he played in only four games, started just one of those, and caught only five passes for 41 yards, and one touchdown.

That pales in comparison to his first two years in the league, grabbing 32 passes as a rookie, getting into the end zone four times, and in his second year, he caught 56 throw and again scored four TD’s.

People have speculated that perhaps Njoku is upset by the free agent signing of Austin Hooper, a Pro Bowl TE for Atlanta. But Kevin Stefanski’s offense is based on a lot of two tight end sets, so there will still be plenty of playing time for Njoku.

Quite frankly, he will probably thrive in the offense if indeed he plays in Cleveland this season.

From the Browns’ standpoint, they used a first round pick on the player, and he is contractually here for two more seasons.

What do you think they would receive in return with Njoku coming off an injury plagued season, a year in which when he was healthy, his coaches basically ignored him?

They would get nothing near what the spent on him. We have seen speculation of a fourth or fifth round pick.

As for being a distraction in the locker room, our guess is Rosenhaus told him not to be one, because it doesn’t help his value either. We think Njoku will show up to camp, work hard, and make himself desirable to other teams.

However, if he does that, he will also be an asset to the Browns.

And we also think he will have a very good year if he improves his hands, and works within the Stefanski system. And if he does, the Browns will be willing to pay him.

Berry is going to do what is best for the Cleveland Browns, and we believe that means keeping Njoku. That is, unless he finds someone better.

Shortened Draft, Less Minor League Teams Plays Into Helping Big Markets

The Major League Amateur Draft started in 1965. Coincidentally, the New York Yankees’ dominance of the American League ended the same year.

We say coincidentally because the Bronx Bombers of that era were showing some age. Stars like Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford were showing some age, as was former MVP Elston Howard. Yogi Berra recently retired and managed the team in ’64.

From 1936-1964, New York won 22 AL pennants, and the only time they went consecutive seasons without a berth in the World Series was during World War II (1944-46).

When baseball had its only era without any free agency of any sort, from 1965 to the McNally/Messersmith decision at the end of 1975, the Yankees won no pennants. Their best finish was a pair of 2nd place finishes in 1970 and 1974.

To be fair, not being able to outspend everyone was not the only reason for the Yanks lack of titles, but it is interesting they weren’t successful. The Yanks didn’t make the post-season from 1982-1995 and they could spend freely in those years.

But the reason we bring this up is baseball’s willingness to eliminate farm teams and shorten the amateur draft.

Developing players is the equalizer for smaller market teams that cannot afford to pay big bucks for star players. The Indians have stayed competitive over the past seven years because of their success in developing players such as Jose Ramirez, Roberto Perez, and a cadre of pitchers, particularly starters like Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, and others.

We didn’t count Frankie Lindor here because he was a first round pick, but none of the others we mentioned were.

If we were a mid market franchise, we would invest heavily in the farm system, bringing in as many players as we could. The more you work with, the better chance one of them becomes a big leaguer.

Remember how the St. Louis Cardinals became a power in the 1930’s. Branch Rickey’s extensive farm system produced players that kept the franchise contending during the 30’s and 40’s.

We heard former Marlins’ executive David Samson say he had a problem with investing money in the player development system knowing only a few could make an impact at the big league level.

That’s horrible thinking in our opinion. We look at it differently.

What value would you put on Ramirez’ production with the Tribe? He’s had two top three MVP finishes as an international free agent. Those two seasons alone would at worst be valued at $60 million on the open market.

Cleveland paid next to nothing.

We also feel the shortened draft plays into the hands of the teams with a more national fan base.

According to Baseball America’s Top 500 Prospects coming into this year’s draft, of the players not drafted, the teams signing the most players in this ranking were the Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, as well as the Padres and Royals.

Overall, the Red Sox and Reds signed the most players regarding of ranking.

The Royals got a lot of good press in saying they would pay their minor leaguers for the remainder of the season. For the record, the Indians signed one, C Joe Donovan.

There was a cap on the bonus amount for these players this year, but what happens when there isn’t? Do you think the big market teams aren’t going the volume route and will sign as many of these free agents as they can?

Besides the talent acquisition aspect, eliminating minor league teams hurts the sport at the grass roots level. Why would you want to expose less people to your sport? Isn’t that the antithesis to growing the game of baseball?

What’s one positive thing about these two moves from the commissioner’s office? Frankly, we can’t think of one. Seems like the people who run the game wanted to do something for the sake of doing something, and only thought about one thing–saving money.

Here’s hoping logic prevails, but based on the last couple of months, we doubt that’s possible.