Tribe Off-Season “Plan” A Dud So Far

As spring training approached, we discussed how apparently the Cleveland Indians’ plan to improve the team that won 92 games a year ago, was to hope for a return to form by several veteran players.

The Tribe finished fourth in the American League in runs scored in 2013, but you had to figure on regressions by players like Ryan Raburn, Mike Aviles, and even Jason Giambi.

To account for that, the front office needed bounce back seasons by Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, and Asdrubal Cabrera.

So far, that formula is a big, fat dud.

Bourn has missed more than half of the Tribe’s games this season, but he has actually been the best of the three, hitting .266. However, he has a poor .299 on base percentage for a leadoff hitter, continuing a downward trend from his .348 mark in ’12. It was just .312 last season.

Swisher has hit just two home runs thus far, and his batting average is also below the Mendoza line at .197 and his OPS has dipped to a terrible 597. A figure like that for a full season would get a player released.

Cabrera has his batting average at .211, but he has just eight extra base hits on the season and his OPS is also ridiculously low at 604. It is getting to the point where you have to think Francisco Lindor could hit just as well (at least) and provide better defense to boot.

Add in the horrific start to Carlos Santana’s season and you have one of the worst batting teams in the American League this season.

The Indians have scored three runs or less in 19 of the 32 games played thus far, a whopping 59% of the contests.

You aren’t going to win many games with that kind of attack.

Is there a solution for manager Terry Francona?

Tito exhibits a great deal of patience to be sure, as does the entire organization, but with so many players not hitting what can be done.

At this point, the Indians only have a handful of players with an OPS of 700, which is slightly below average. They are Lonnie Chisenhall (911), Michael Brantley (776), David Murphy (744) and Yan Gomes (724). In addition, Nyjer Morgan is at 791, but has played only 11 games.

Outside of Gomes, all are left-handed hitters, which makes it difficult to balance the lineup on a nightly basis.

One solution would be to group all of these guys together, particularly when a right-hander starts for the opposition and hope you can generate some offense that way.

However, that makes you susceptible to a lefty coming out of the bullpen late in games to match up with all of these guys.

The other problem that Francona has is that the only bench guy hitting is Mike Aviles, currently at .271, but with just two extra base hits. So, if he replaces one of the regulars, he doesn’t exactly have a better alternative.

Right now, it appears the Indians’ plan has backfired, and once again, they failed to seize an opportunity to build on a playoff team by doing relatively nothing in the off-season.
Perhaps tonight, the Tribe bats will turn it around. If they don’t do it soon, then it is just one more reason for fans to feel disenchantment with the management group.

Tribe Play, Moves Puzzling

There is no question the six game losing streak on the west coast trek for the Cleveland Indians turned a so-so month of April into a disappointing one. The Tribe left Cleveland at 11-11, a .500 record, and they returned home 11-17, and in last place.

More concerning to the media and the fans is the sloppy play of Terry Francona’s bunch. Using two of the major defensive statistics available, the Indians rank last in the American League in defense. They’ve made the most errors and they have the worst defensive efficiency.

Thank goodness Cleveland pitchers rank third in the league in strikeouts. The less balls put into play, the better.

Sometimes, the errors don’t allow runs to score, but they make pitchers have to throw more pitches. This was never more evident than Friday night, when Elliott Johnson’s error in the fourth inning made Danny Salazar throw at least 15 more tosses to home plate. Otherwise, Francona could’ve squeezed another inning out of the starter.

Along with the poor play, the front office has made some curious moves thus far, and we aren’t talking about having Carlos Carrasco start the season in the rotation, we could understand the reasoning for that.

Two of these strange moves were made yesterday. The Indians announced Josh Tomlin would start on Tuesday against Minnesota. While Tomlin deserves to be back with the big club (2-1, 2.06 ERA), he’s not the Columbus starter with the best statistics.

That would be Trevor Bauer, who owns a 3-0 record with a 1.10 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 32-2/3 innings.

Why not reward Bauer for his outstanding pitching, plus his presence in the rotation would send some excitement to both a fan base and perhaps a clubhouse that appears to need a jolt.

Look, this is not to say make the move for the fans. Bauer’s performance merits a promotion. He’s pitching well, his confidence should be at an all time high, and he’s got the look of a potential ace.

With all due respect to Tomlin, we know what he is. He’s no better than a third starter, a guy who won’t be spectacular, but will keep you in games. And we’ve advocated bringing up the right-hander when he was the only starter having success in AAA when he came up in 2010.

The other puzzling move was bringing up reliever Nick Hagadone to provide an extra arm in the bullpen until Tomlin gets the call on Tuesday. (Hagadone was sent back today to make room for Nyjer Morgan, needed because of Michael Bourn’s hamstring problems).

Really, there wasn’t anyone on the 40-man roster they could’ve brought up other than a hard throwing lefty, who can’t find home plate?

Wouldn’t you rather give a guy like Austin Adams a shot? Or bring Vinnie Pestano up for a few days?

Hagadone has an electric arm, but he’s never demonstrated an ability to throw strikes consistently. Why does the front office continually reward him with major league time? That said, it’s a moot point now, and again, he would’ve been sent out on Tuesday anyway.

With Bourn day-to-day, the Indians have another problem. With Francona’s preference for carrying 13 pitchers, the Tribe can’t have a roster spot for a player who may be out several days. They almost have to put that player on the disabled list. That’s why it wouldn’t be a surprise if Bourn has to go back on the DL when Tomlin comes up in a few days.

For now, what the Indians need most is to tighten up their defense and win some ball games. The season is more than 1/6th through. You can’t use the “it’s early” excuse much longer.

Fans Split on Manziel, Shouldn’t That Say Something?

A week from today, the first round of the NFL Draft will be history. What will we debate about then?

In Cleveland, it seems about half of Browns’ fans will be ga-ga if GM Ray Farmer selects Texas A & M quarterback Johnny Manziel with the fourth overall pick next Thursday, while the other half will be relieved. Doesn’t that say everything about picking the former Heisman Trophy winner?

If this were two years ago, and Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III were possibilities for the Browns, don’t you think a majority of the team’s supporters would be on board with the choice? Of course.

The NFL talent gurus are also split on taking Manziel. He’s a huge risk, at least that’s the opinion of many of the folks who judge college players coming into the National Football League.

The main questions about the former Texas A & M quarterback are his size and his style of play, which some people consider reckless, too reckless for the NFL. Certainly, Brett Favre was considered a passer who played fast and loose with the football, and carved out a pretty successful career in professional football.

He will be enshrined in Canton some day soon.

As for the size, most of the QB’s supporters talk about New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Seattle’s Russell Wilson, who have both piloted teams to Super Bowl victories as proof shorter quarterbacks can succeed in the league.

However, neither player was selected in the first round, let alone in the top five choices. And although Wilson is a good player, and a great leader, putting him in the discussion of great quarterbacks seems to be a bit of a stretch.

When was the last time a quarterback who measured in at around six feet tall was picked in the top ten selections of the draft?

The answer: It has been 13 years since Michael Vick was selected first overall by Atlanta in 2001.

What has been the wrap on Vick throughout his career? He can’t stay on the field.

This isn’t to say that Manziel will have a similar career path as Vick, but it does explain why many pro scouts are reluctant to say he should be picked in the first five selections next Thursday.

Other bigger quarterbacks get hurt too, and Brees and Wilson have both been durable throughout their NFL careers. But the thing is, neither was a premium selection. If you are picking in the top five, you have to feel you are getting a great player who is going to start in his rookie season and be a mainstay for your team for many, many years.

As for the Browns, even though they finished 4-12 last season, they did have six players who received Pro Bowl recognition, and added two more, S Donte Whitner and LB Karlos Dansby who merited All Pro status last season.

They have to believe they are ready to win in 2014, and are they better off filling the holes they have on the offensive line, wide receiver, inside linebacker, and in the secondary with their first few picks next week than drafting a passer who seems to be risky?

Farmer and new coach Mike Pettine can look in their own division and see Andy Dalton, who has led the Bengals to three straight playoff apperances, despite not being one of the league’s best QBs. They also see the current Super Bowl champion Seahawks, who were led by a strong defense and running game in route to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

We still maintain that the Browns certainly need a quarterback, but in this year’s draft, there isn’t one worth picking in the top five. Add more talent, and see who is available in the second and third rounds.

You may just find another Brees or Wilson.

If Karl Is Interested, Get Him

Over the weekend, there were reports that the Cavaliers are looking at George Karl for a newly created position of President of Basketball Operations, and even an interview in the morning newspaper in which Karl said he would be interested.

Immediately, there was reaction, and some of it was negative, comparing it to the Knicks move hiring Phil Jackson to the same position, a move for which they received some criticism.

Columnist Terry Pluto said if the Cavs were to hire Karl, it should be to coach the team, that’s his area of expertise.

The problem is the former Cavs coach has had some health issues over the past decade and may not want to deal with the travel and time commitment a coach has to do.

So, should owner Dan Gilbert hire Karl?

The answer here is a resounding yes!

The reason is we feel Karl, along with Larry Brown, has one of the best basketball minds in the country. He and Brown learned the game at North Carolina from Frank McGuire and Dean Smith, and in his last six seasons at Denver, the Nuggets had winning percentages of over .550 each season.

The other thing with Karl that is appealing is he is flexible. He’s won with different types of teams, from his Western Conference champion Seattle teams that featured Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton to his team oriented Nuggets squad that won 57 games last season.

We can understand folks being critical of the Jackson hire in New York because he’s only had success with one type of team, that being dominated by the best player in the sport, whether it be Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, or Kobe Bryant.

Perhaps his philosophy will work with the Knicks, because they have a premier talent in Carmelo Anthony, but Jackson has never worked with a different type of team in all his years in the NBA.

Karl came into his first job, coincidentally with the Cavaliers, with certain concepts on how the game should be played. They started out 2-19, before the coach adapted, letting World B. Free play like the scorer he was in exchange for effort on the defensive end.

Those Cavaliers rebounded to make the playoffs.

Today’s Cavs need help and why not pursue someone who has a ton of experience and success around the NBA game. He would be an asset to the organization.

Let Karl write his own ticket, if he wants to coach, fine. If he wants to work with acting GM David Griffin, that works as well. If he can shed some light on the psyche of today’s NBA players, then utilize that ability. After all, he’s been around the league for 40 years.

He may not be a traditional executive, but based on the Cavs’ success over the history of the franchise, why go the tried and true route. There is no harm in being a little innovative.

And bringing in a basketball mind like the one George Karl has is something this organization should hardly refuse. It shouldn’t be about egos, it should be about results, and if Karl can help the Cavaliers win games as early as next year, then why not hire him?

He would provide an alternative to the corporate speak we heard in last week’s press conference with Griffin.

Tribe’s Patience May Be a Bit Too Much

The one thing we have learned from following baseball for many years is that the management of a major league baseball team have to have an extreme amount of patience.

We like to think we are more patient than the normal fan, who wants to bench people, trade people, and sent players to the minor leagues after a bad week.

We lobbied for the Indians to deal or release Ubaldo Jimenez at this point last season, only to have the right-hander earn a huge free agent deal by helping the Tribe get into the post-season in 2013.

However, you have to wonder just how much more patience Terry Francona and GM Chris Antonetti will have with the under performing players currently on the Cleveland roster, namely starting pitchers Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco, and third baseman Carlos Santana.

Last year, when Jimenez struggled, at least the other members of the starting rotation (Justin Masterson, Corey Kluber, Zack McAllister, and Scott Kazmir) were giving Francona mostly solid efforts. You can kind of live with one guy in the rotation having problems.

When two starters are having problems, that’s a problem, because it puts pressure on everyone else to be good every time out.

The simple solution would be to send Salazar back to Columbus to rediscover himself and put Carrasco in the bullpen, because as we all know by now, he’s gone 16 consecutive starts without a victory. That’s a half season of turns in the rotation.

The moves make particular sense because of the performance of both Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin at AAA.

Bauer has made four starts so far this season, three at Columbus and one with the Tribe, pitching 24-2/3 innings and allowing 4 runs, striking out 29 batters and walking just four. Why wouldn’t it be time to give him a three or four start stint in the majors while he is pitching well?

As for Tomlin, he’s made four starts in AAA, compiling a 1-1 record with a 2.77 ERA. In 26 frames, he’s allowed 19 hits, walking nine and striking out 18 batters. And we know from Tomlin’s work in Cleveland that most nights he will keep his team in the game.

As for Santana, the switch hitter is now batting under .130 and yet is still in the clean up spot for a team struggling to score runs, getting three or less in 13 of the 24 games played. He is still drawing a lot of walks (still a .316 OBP), but maybe he should get a couple of days off, or least drop down in the batting order until he gets it going.

Understand, the Tribe probably isn’t going anywhere without a productive Carlos Santana, but right now leaving him in the #4 hole isn’t helping the Indians get on the scoreboard.

Really, when you think of the problems of this trio, and you add in the horrible defensive play from the Tribe on a night to night basis, it’s kind of miraculous they are only two games below the .500 mark at 11-13.

This bodes well for the rest of the season, because when the defense improves, or the bats start heating up, or the rotation starts performing on a night in, night out basis, Francona’s team should start reeling off some wins.

Nobody is saying to give up on anyone, but perhaps making a couple of tweaks to the make up of the roster after almost 1/6th of the campaign might be in order.

After all, the changes can’t be any worse than what has transpired thus far.

Are Cleveland Fans Not Demanding Enough?

The city of Cleveland has three professional sports teams and in the past four seasons (at least), only one of them, the Indians, have had any success, and that was last year.

However, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of outrage about this lack of success. The Browns have pretty much been lousy since returning to the NFL in 1999, and since LeBron James left for Miami, the Cavaliers have been in the draft lottery every season.

The Tribe’s attendance has suffered since the sellout string ended in 2001, and the Browns no longer fill their stadium week after week on Sunday, despite selling all the tickets. The Cavs actually have drawn better than expected despite some dreadful seasons.

Yet, the sports talk stations in town talk nothing but football, so you would have to assume the populace isn’t fed up with the poor record of the Browns, and year after year, when another mediocre season has ended, there is actually optimism regarding the draft.

The Cavs have another season where they lose, or almost lose 50 games and there is a significant amount of supporters who think it is good because they will be able to secure another lottery pick.

If the baseball draft was followed as closely as the other two sports, perhaps the Indians would get more of a pass from people because it would mean another high first round draft choice.

There is no question that the fan base here is ingrained to look toward the future. Sure, we are disappointed with the losing, but if it happens, then it’s okay, we get to choose high in that respective sports’ draft.

When it comes to the Browns, perhaps there is a nagging feeling that if we are too critical of their foibles, the team will leave town again because the owner is angry. After all, Art Modell was just starting to get heat from the fans and media alike when he picked up and moved to Baltimore.

That’s not going to happen again. The NFL isn’t going to allow it as long as the tickets are sold out every week.

Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert has done a lot for the city, including bringing casino gambling to the area, and a lot of jobs from that business and Quicken Loans.

Because of this, fans feel guilty about holding him responsible for the state of the basketball team. While more criticism has been put on him recently, he still gets off pretty lightly considering the record of the wine and gold since James left town.

The team the fans are toughest on is the only one with any recent success, the Indians, but because of the way the sport’s draft is set up and the fact there is no salary cap, it’s also the hardest for a smaller market to compete.

That’s why the Browns and the Cavaliers can sell hope. With the right draft pick or free agent signing, they can be good again. And the fans obviously just lap it up.

But the ticket buyers should be more demanding of success. The Browns continue to be terrible and last year, didn’t even try to improve when injuries hit or trades were made.

That obviously even infuriated the owner, because Jimmy Haslam was fed up enough to sweep out the old front office and hire new people. At least he got angry.

Gilbert is said to be upset with the Cavs showing this season, but will he fly off the handle and make an impetuous decision, or will he take steps to make sure his team wins more games?

As for the Indians, fans were upset that the franchise didn’t build on the success enjoyed last season. After 92 wins last season, supporters wanted to see the front office “go for it”. There is much pressure on them to at least make the post-season again in 2014.

Cleveland fans have become too soft on demanding success from its teams. That needs to end right away.

Carrasco Is Tribe’s Enigma

One of the regular debates surrounding the Cleveland Indians is what to do with Carlos Carrasco. Is he a starter or is he better suited for the bullpen?

One thing that no one doubts is the right-hander’s arm. He has outstanding stuff, getting his fastball to the plate around 95 MPH and he has a fine slider as well.

However, that stuff hasn’t translated to success at the big league level.

Carrasco was out of options at the beginning of the season, so the organization had to bring him north or risk losing him to another team. And again, with that arm, there really was no choice.

When there was debate about keeping the guy who is the last link of the Cliff Lee deal or keeping Josh Tomlin instead, the argument is simple: Tomlin is at best a back of the rotation pitcher, while Carrasco could be a #1 or #2 starter if he could put it all together.

Our thought on the righty is that it is a mental issue. He struggles when he has to think about his pitching between starts. When he doesn’t know when he is going to pitch, such as being in relief, he seems to have better success.

The other reason the bullpen looks like a good option is Carrasco’s pretty good the first time through a batting order, but has problems the second time through.

Last Sunday, he mowed down the first nine Toronto hitters he faced, and then gave up six hits and three walks in the next 2-2/3 innings.

Is that an effective start? Overall, 5-2/3 innings with six hits allowed doesn’t look bad, but when you consider all the damage was concentrated in an eight out span, it really isn’t good.

Last year, when pitching in relief, Carrasco held hitters to a .156 batting average in 13-2/3 IP last year, compared to a .383 average in 33 IP as a starting pitcher.

On the other hand, we said the same things about Ubaldo Jimenez last season.

Mickey Callaway worked a miracle with Jimenez a year ago, and by the end of the season, he was one of the best pitchers in the American League. Doesn’t Carrasco get the same benefit of the doubt?

The question is, though, whether Carrasco’s problems are mechanical or between his ears. To be sure, Jimenez’ problems were thought to be strictly with his delivery, but we are sure that the pitching coach had to build back the hurler’s confidence too.

If we read between the lines after Carrasco’s starts, we can sense frustration from Terry Francona and Callaway in the pitcher’s inability to maintain what he is being told.

It seems like Carrasco makes changes in his delivery, but when he gets in trouble, he abandons the alterations and goes back to just trying to throw harder.

Is that correctable? Of course, but the manager is trying to win games too.

Some pitchers don’t function well in certain roles. Former Indian reliever Steve Karsay was great as a set up man, but had problems trying to be a closer.

Francona needs to get the most out of Carlos Carrasco. It will be interesting to see if the pitcher can follow the Jimenez success story, or if he will wind up pitching out of the bullpen.

Management has to be more patient than fans. That’s a lesson we can all learn.
KM

Too Early For Panic, But Tribe Fans Can Be Concerned

It is not a secret that the Cleveland Indians haven’t played great baseball thus far this season. They are sitting at 7-10 on the season, but right now the American League has nine of its 13 teams within three games of the .500 mark.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the entire season went that way, because there aren’t many bad teams in the junior circuit. So, while the Tribe is struggling, only two teams (Oakland and Texas) have won more than 10 games already, s0 it is hardly time to panic.

We realize that Cleveland is a football town, and it has a football mentality. Last year, there were many fans who wanted the Indians to trade for prospects when the team was five games out of a playoff spot in late July, when the trade deadline hit.

Of course, Terry Francona’s bunch played much better down the stretch and made the playoffs, winning 92 games.

We are saying once again that it is a long season. The Indians have played a little more than one-tenth of their schedule, so there is no need to be going crazy about the Tribe’s play thus far.

None of the Indians’ key players have been hot thus far, and no matter what the team’s harshest critic has to say, it is doubtful that Nick Swisher will hit .174 this season, nor will Carlos Santana hit .153. It’s probably amazing that Francona has Cleveland at 7-10 with the paltry production of these two important players.

However, we did say that the four key players for the Indians this season were Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar, Swisher, and Michael Bourn. Through 17 games, only Kluber has lived up to expectations. Sure, he is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA, but those numbers are affected by his first start. He’s had three pretty good starts since.

Salazar was cruising in his last start on Thursday, giving up one run in his first four innings. The Indians got him a lead, and he suddenly couldn’t find the strike zone, walking the first two Tiger hitters, and then giving up a three run homer to Ian Kinsler.

That makes three consecutive outings where the youngster couldn’t get through six innings.

Bourn has been hurt, missing the first 13 games of the year with a hamstring issue, but he hasn’t shown any signs of changing his approach, striking out five times in his first 13 at bats.

The centerfielder hit .232 after the All Star Game last year, with an on base percentage of under .300, unacceptable for a leadoff hitter. He needs to cut down on his swing and put the ball in play, using his legs more. If he doesn’t start producing soon, his contract could become an albatross for the organization.

Outside of Kluber and Zack McAllister, the starting rotation has also been questionable. Justin Masterson has been good twice, which is only half of his starts. Carlos Carrasco has a big start this afternoon, mainly because Josh Tomlin and Trevor Bauer are breathing down his neck to take his spot in the rotation.

If Carrasco doesn’t do well today, he likely will be moved to the bullpen with one of those two being called up to make a start Friday. We believe that’s why Jason Giambi reactivation was moved to Monday, so the front office can decide who gets sent down, a position player or a bullpen arm.

Let’s wait another 10 games, when the Tribe has played 1/6th of their schedule to make any rash comments. The likelihood is that the American League will still look the same, a jumbled group of teams with similar records.

No Emotion Needed From Gilbert Now

There was good news from the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday as the players cleaned out their lockers and the front office had meetings.

No one got fired.

Yes, we’ve advocated that changes have to come for the organization, which has gone from 19 wins in the first season after LeBron James left for free agency, to 21 in year two (strike shortened), and then 24 in year three, to this year’s disappointing 33-49 record.

However, here’s hoping yesterday’s inactivity was due to everyone in the front office, including owner Dan Gilbert, taking a deep breath and not making any rash decisions.

In Cleveland, and probably Detroit, we all know that Gilbert is an emotional creature. His famous rant after James made his decision is derided throughout the NBA, but was applauded by his fan base. That could be a reason attendance hasn’t dropped off drastically despite four straight seasons of mediocre basketball.

It was reported this past week that Gilbert is irate about the lack of a playoff spot this season, and insiders think major changes are in the work this summer. But as of right now, nothing was announced.

It was just last off-season that former GM Chris Grant, with the owner’s approval, hired back former coach Mike Brown, and didn’t even interview anyone else. That’s the type of emotional decision that needs to be avoided this time.

Now, there have been rumors that the wine and gold want to bring in a president of basketball operations to oversee the front office and decided the fates of interim GM David Griffin and Brown. That’s a solid decision.

However, two frontrunners for the post that have been mentioned are former Pistons Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. The Pistons happen to be Gilbert’s boyhood team, so hiring either of them despite questionable records as coaches/executives would be thinking more with your heart than your head.

The owner is the Board of Governors meeting this weekend and should be picking the brains of the other basketball minds there to decide what would be the best course of action for his team. George Karl is another name that has been bandied about for the lead hoops position, and in our opinion would be a tremendous hire, even if he never played for Detroit.

We think Karl is one of the country’s best basketball minds.

Even so, this is a decision that has to be well thought out and not rushed into. There is a long time between now and the NBA draft, when free agency and trades are consummated. It’s a two month window.

As for the coach, Gilbert shouldn’t let the big contract he and Grant gave Brown be any consideration.

While the team did gain nine games in the win column, there is no question it was a disjointed season, filled with many streaks.

Brown thinks the team seemed to improve in the second half of the season, but January had a six game losing streak, followed by a six game winning streak, which was following by a 15 game stretch in which Cleveland won just four games.

Whenever, it appeared the team was “getting it”, playing team basketball, it was followed by a period in which they executed like they just met each other that very afternoon.

We aren’t going to speculate what that means, but it doesn’t show the players were buying in.

If this summer’s decisions are made with a cool, calm, calculated mind, then the future of the Cavaliers may indeed be brighter. Emotional decisions have gotten them to where they are now.

Big Summer for Cavs, Bigger One for Irving

Tomorrow, the Cleveland Cavaliers will conclude a very trying season. On Thursday, the wine and gold will embark on an off-season which be as important as the one since LeBron James left as a free agent in 2010.

The franchise is at a proverbial crossroads for sure, and most of it centers on the team’s best player, Kyrie Irving.

Irving was the first overall pick after the first season without James, arriving after Cleveland suffered through a horrible season.

Unfortunately, they still haven’t made the playoffs with Irving in a Cavs’ uniform and this year, with the young players who the organization has accumulated with a slew of high draft choices supposed to be coming into their own, instead with a loss in the season finale tomorrow night will have a 50 loss season once again.

Is this all on Irving? Of course not, the Cavs waited until this season to appear to want to start winning, and didn’t bring in any quality veteran players to help the now 22-year-old learn the ways of the NBA from dealing Ramon Sessions to getting Luol Deng and Spencer Hawes this season.

They also didn’t hire a head coach with a track record of developing young players either. It is galling that young players like Sergey Karasev and newly acquired Scotty Hopson didn’t get a minute in the past two games, both played after Cleveland was eliminated from the playoffs.

However, you have to wonder about Irving, who seems to not have the ultra-competitive gene. He seems content to get his numbers while his team loses night after night.

That’s not good.

It reminds of Vince Carter, who while in Toronto complained that the team didn’t get better. As the Raptors’ best player, it was his responsibility to make the team better. He didn’t want any part of that.

If that is Irving’s attitude, not only should the Cavs trade the two-time All-Star, they need to do it this summer, and move on.

That’s why this is such a key summer for Dan Gilbert, and whoever will be in the team’s front office, whether it be a president of basketball operations and/or general manager.

They have to make the determination as to whether or not Irving wants to be the best player on a championship team, or if he would like to be famous and make commercials and get endorsements.

And they have to figure out if Irving will do whatever is necessary to be that type of player. Will he play better defense, will he share the basketball, will he take responsibility when the team loses?

Those are the things leaders do for their teams, plus they make all of their teammates better players.

If the Cavs determine Irving can be that type of player, then they should keep him here with a maximum contract extension. He’s that talented of a player.

If he can’t do that for the organization, then they should deal him while he still has a tremendous amount of value around the NBA. The ransom the wine and gold could get for a young player of his caliber would be enormous.

However, another year like this one, and the whispers will start as to whether or not he’s another guy with tremendous skills, but doesn’t play a team game.

There is no question the Cavs have some talented players on the roster. If their supposed best player can’t play with them and raise all of their games, then the franchise will be forced to make a very tough decision, at least from the outside looking in.

From the inside looking out, it would be a smart decision because the losing needs to end right now. Kyrie Irving has to decide if he wants to be part of the solution, starting right after tomorrow’s game.