Could Brantley Be Tribe’s Breakout Player?

There is no question that interest in the Cleveland Indians may be at its highest level since the beginning of the 2008 season, just a few months after the Tribe came within one game of making the World Series, but were beaten out by the Red Sox, managed by a guy named Terry Francona.

Now Francona is here, the ownership and front office went out and signed free agents Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and Brett Myers, and traded for a potential ace starting pitcher in Trevor Bauer.

Fans can’t wait for the season opener on April 2nd in Toronto.

The improvement on the Cleveland roster can be noted in that out of the players who started for the Tribe last season and left, only Shin-Soo Choo is considered a key component on his new team. Jack Hannahan, Casey Kotchman, and Shelly Duncan are all considered either bench players or are on minor league contracts to start spring training.

The other big addition to this squad is speed and athleticism, something that was lacking in previous seasons, even going back to the Eric Wedge era. It is refreshing to hear Francona talk about his team taking extra bases on hits to the outfield. It doesn’t appear there will be much station to station baseball played by the Indians this season.

Francona compared his team to the Angels in the Mike Scoscia era, but when those teams scored a lot of runs, they depended on a lot of high batting averages. The Indians don’t have many players who have a history of hitting close to .300.

To be sure, there are concerns for the new skipper and his staff. There will be plenty of strikeouts in the starting lineup, meaning the offense could be very streaky at times. When the guys who don’t make contact consistently are in a period of whiffing, scoring runs could be very tough indeed.

As much as Swisher and Bourn will be important to the Indians scoring more runs, the bigger pressure is probably on the young hitters on the team making big leaps, meaning Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Carlos Santana. If all three of those players can start producing the way they did in the minor leagues, (remember Santana has the most service time of the three, just 2-1/2 seasons), the Indians could have a very potent offense.

However, the biggest jump to be made by any Indian this season could be by LF Michael Brantley.

It is easy to overlook Brantley because he has been here longer than any of the other three mentioned players, arriving in 2009 for the first time, and starting as a regular shortly after Santana in ’10. But Brantley is still just 25 years old, turning 26 in May. He won’t reach the magic 27-year-old season until 2014.

He has shown steady improvement over the last three years, with his on base percentage going from .296 in 2010 to .348 last year, and his slugging percentage rising from .327 three seasons ago to .402 in 2012. If he makes the same improvement on his OPS this year as he did from 2011 to 2012, he will be around 800, which would make him a very good offensive player.

“Dr. Smooth” had 47 extra base hits in ’12, 37 of them doubles. As a comparison, Asdrubal Cabrera had 52 extra base knocks in 2009, 42 of them doubles. Two years later, Cabrera got stronger and some of those doubles became home runs, as ACab belted 25 dingers in 2011.

As Brantley gets stronger with age, the same effect could happen to him as well, and some of those doubles could wind up flying over the fence. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Tribe’s new leftfielder wound up with 15 to 20 bombs this summer.

You have to love young players who get better every season and still are in the 25 to 26-year-old range. Michael Brantley is one of those players. His most comparable player through age 25 is OF Terry Moore, who starred for the Cardinals in the 1940’s.

At age 27, Moore hit .295 with 17 home runs and an OPS of 849. The following year, he hit .304 with 17 dingers and an OPS of 831.

If Brantley can follow suit, the Tribe has another very good bat in their lineup.

Based on the improvement he has shown since arriving in the big leagues, don’t bet against Brantley becoming that type of player.

Don’t Get Excited About James’ Return

The rumors have been rumbling since the beginning of this season. “Insiders” are hearing that LeBron James will opt out of his contract following the 2013-14 season, and would consider a return to Cleveland.

Because the Cavs now have another “superstar” in Kyrie Irving, a move back to northeastern Ohio would be appealing to James.

Let’s just say if it happens, then it will be time to get excited about it. Until then, remember LBJ has a player who stabbed this franchise and this city right in the heart.

Therefore, there should be no big celebration when the Miami Heat come to Quicken Loans Arena to play the Cavaliers in March. James should be treated as the reason basketball fans have suffered through three terrible seasons in a row.

If Cavs’ owner Dan Gilbert wants him back and the two parties make amends, then fine. When he wears the wine and gold jersey again, then he deserves our support.

The whole “back to Cleveland” scenario sounds like a ploy by James’ people to garner support for him, therefore not getting a chorus of boos when he plays at “The Q” as a visiting player.

Also, James’ marketing people are from around here and supposedly aren’t happy that they don’t have the run of the house in Miami that they did when LeBron was here. And for the most part, they are the ones floating the idea of coming back to the north coast.

From a basketball standpoint, think about this scenario: The Heat go one to win another title this season and then complete a “three peat” by winning again next season. Do you really think James is leaving a squad that has won three consecutive championships?

Of course he isn’t.

Don’t like that one? Here’s another: Kobe Bryant retires after the 2013-14 campaign and the Lakers are looking for another superstar to solidify their status as one of the sports’ preeminent franchises. Does James succumb to the Laker mystique and signs with Los Angeles? It would be very tempting.

The Cavaliers have to be in a position to contend for a title for James to even consider coming back. And right now, it will be tough for the wine and gold to win 25 games this season, meaning a leap to the .500 mark next season will mean an additional 15 victories. Yes, there will be plenty of players hitting their second and third years in the NBA, but that is a rather large jump in the victory column in one year.

GM Chris Grant should continue to build the Cavs like he has, accumulating draft picks and keeping plenty of cap room so his team can be a player if an all-star type player comes available because his current team needs payroll relief.

Oh, and it wouldn’t hurt to strike draft gold in this summer’s draft either. Cleveland means another difference maker on the team. Perhaps Dion Waiters can be that guy, but it looks like he’ll be a good player, not an all-star, at this point.

This isn’t to say LeBron James won’t come back to the Cavaliers after the 2014 season. He may, perhaps he does miss northern Ohio more than we think.

However, he’s the one who kicked us below the belt. To beg for him to return to the wine and gold just makes Cleveland sports fans appear totally weak.

Scott’s Record Shows He Knows Defense.

As the Cleveland Cavaliers lose more games to inferior foes like they did a week ago against Minnesota, hoop fans start to talk about the future of coach Byron Scott.

Most of the problem when the Cavs lose these games in their quality of defense. Owner Dan Gilbert even commented last week that when the wine and gold return to prominence, it will be because of their work when their opponents have the ball.

But is Scott the guy to teach defense?

His past coaching record says he is.

In his first year as a head coach, the 2000-01 season with the Nets, his squad finished 22nd in points allowed and 24th in field goal percentage against.

However, the following season (2001-02), in which the Nets made the NBA Finals, those marks improved to 5th in points allowed and 6th in defensive field goal percentage.

The next season (2002-03), another Finals appearance, had New Jersey 2nd in the NBA in points allowed and tied for 2nd in field goal percentage against.

Scott didn’t make it through the following season, but resurfaced as coach of the New Orleans Hornets in 2004-05, and his team finished 10th in the NBA in points allowed and 17th in defensive field goal percentage.

The other four years in New Orleans had Scott’s crew improving from 11th in points given up in 2005-06 to 10th, 5th, and 5th in subsequent seasons. The field goal percentage allowed went from 21st in ’05-’06 to tied for 12th, 16th, and 7th.

The point is if you want to point the finger at Scott for the Cavs’ horrible defensive rating, look somewhere else. He has demonstrated that he can put together a good defensive scheme, ranking in the top half of the league every year but his first as a head coach in points allowed, and his teams have been better than average in shooting percentage by opponents five times.

That is until he became the head coach in Cleveland.

Granted the franchise and the roster were a mess his first year at the helm, so we will excuse both the players and the coaching staff. However, we don’t think Scott has forgotten all he learned on the defensive end since he took over in Cleveland, so something is wrong.

It’s time for the head coach to take the gloves off and start demanding better defense by his troops, even if that guy in all-star Kyrie Irving. Irving is too talented a player not to be a good defender, and as the leader and best player, he would set the tone for the rest of the guys in wine and gold by playing better when the other team has the ball.

Too often, the Cavs are lackadaisical against lesser teams because they don’t put forth a good effort on “D”, and usually it starts with Irving.

He’s not the only one, though. A lack of effort on defense should start earning players a seat on the bench, and that goes for everyone.

The Cavs need to start winning now. The rest of this season should be about setting a tone for the 2013-14 season, when the wine and gold must start contending for a playoff spot.

Byron Scott is not the reason the Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t a good defensive team. His track record proves otherwise. It’s time for the players to start buying in to stopping the opponent, and to stop trying to outscore everyone.

When that happens, we will see if this team is putting together enough talent to become a playoff squad.

Tribe Starting Pitchers Full of ?????

Earlier this week, the Cleveland Indians signed free agent CF Michael Bourn and fans were thrilled by another top free agent signing. It provided another hitter to help a team that finished 13th in the American League in runs scored.

However, that is only one part of the game because the Tribe finished last season dead last in the AL in ERA, and so far have added some relievers and one starting pitcher, Brett Myers, who spent last season pitching out of the bullpen, to improve the staff.

Is that enough?

This is not to criticize Myers, who has been an effective starter for many years in the big leagues, throwing over 180 innings six times in his career, every year but two that he has been in the rotation in the majors. Not only is he durable, he’s also been effective , with a lifetime 4.29 ERA as a starting pitcher.

Right now, any hope for improvement besides Myers rests on potential and the bounce back of several pitchers. That’s a cause for concern.

Justin Masterson may be the Opening Day starter, but he has been a regular starter with Cleveland for three years, of which one (2011–12-10 with a 3.21 ERA) was good, and the other two decidedly mediocre and inconsistent (17-28, 4.82 ERA).

Ubaldo Jimenez has been a huge mess since being acquired from Colorado at the ’11 trade deadline.

His mechanical issues are well documented, but his performance since becoming an Indian does nothing to inspire confidence that he will turn it around. His record with the Tribe is 13-21 with a 5.32 ERA. That should make him more of a candidate for the waiver wire than the cornerstone of a starting rotation.

There is no doubt he is the biggest key for Terry Francona’s team in 2013.

Carlos Carrasco provides hope because he showed some promise in 2011, his first full season in the big leagues. But he is recovering from Tommy John surgery, so he cannot be counted on to lead the rotation of a winning team.

Zack McAllister made 22 starts for Cleveland a year ago, and did a decent enough job, going 6-8 with a 4.24 ERA. The problem for him is the first stat listed, he’s only made 26 starts in his big league career.

Trevor Bauer is one of the game’s top prospects and dominated AAA last season, but he’s made just four major league starting appearances.

The Tribe also brought in some experienced major league arms in Daisuke Matsuzaka and Scott Kazmir, both fine pitchers at some point in the last five or six seasons. The former hasn’t had an ERA under 4.50 since 2008 when he enjoyed his best season in American baseball, going 18-3. 2.90.

That’s also the last good season for Kazmir, who pitched in an independent league last year. He was 12-8 with a 3.49 that year, but hasn’t been below4.89 in any season since.

That’s an awful large amount of ifs and maybes for a team that did a lot to strengthen his offense this winter.

GM Chris Antonetti did bolster the bullpen by obtaining Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw in the Shin-Soo Choo trade, inking Blake Wood, another pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery, and getting Matt Capps, a former closer with the Pirates, Nationals, and Twins.

While many consider the bullpen the bulwark of the team, it was only the pitchers Manny Acta used when the team had the lead: Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano, and Chris Perez. The rest of the relief corp struggled to keep close games close. Too often, a starter left trailing 3-1, and soon it was 6-1.

Good teams play in the top half of their league in both runs scored and ERA. Last year, the Tribe finished second last and last in those categories.

They’ve improved the hitting attack this off-season, but the pitching is still shaky to say the least. If Carrasco comes back, McAllister picks up where he left off, and Bauer shows he is as good as his reputation, the Tribe can be formidable in 2013.

However, that’s an awful lot to have to go right. And right now, it’s too many question marks.

Cavs Need to Keep Speights

Most NBA observers saw the Cavaliers recent trade with the Memphis Grizzlies as something just short of highway robbery, at least from the talent standpoint.

Yes, fans were told that Memphis made the deal in order to get precious salary cap space to keep both Zack Randolph and Rudy Gay, but Gay was dealt shortly thereafter, so it looks like the new Grizzlies ownership just wanted to save cash.

Meanwhile, Cavs’ GM Chris Grant was able to get two players who can definitely get minutes on a nightly basis in F/C Marreese Speights and G Wayne Ellington and a project in G Josh Selby. Oh, and he also picked up a first round pick.

Immediately, people started speculating that Speights would be a short time member of the wine and gold, and would be dealt before the trade deadline to a contender, probably to get more picks.

That still may happen, but it shouldn’t.

The argument that Speights’ current deal, with a player option for 2013-14, is similar to the situation that Ramon Sessions was in last year ignores a few points.

First, Sessions was never going to start here over Kyrie Irving. Sessions wanted to get playing time, as well as the big money that comes with free agency. He was never going to get that in Cleveland because Irving is a better player.

Sessions is a quality NBA player, and if averaging a career high 27 minutes a night although he isn’t starting.

Speights doesn’t have the league’s reigning Rookie of the Year and an all-star in his second full season ahead of him on the depth chart. In fact, there is no question that Byron Scott needs a big man of Speights’ talent if they want to contend for and make the playoffs next season.

The former Florida Gator has already helped three teams to the post-season, including getting a seventh game loss to the Clippers last season.

Even if Grant has Anderson Varejao on the roster heading into next season, Speights would still garner playing time in a four man rotation up front with Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson.

The second factor that make Speights’ situation different is that he is a big man, and teams around the NBA are always looking for bigs who can play.

While that makes many think Speights would bring back even more in a deal, it has been proven since Varejao was injured that he has a problem playing with Thompson, mainly because they have similar games.

Add to this, the fact that Speights is only 25 years old, five years younger than the Brazilian, and it makes even more of a case that Grant should keep their recent acquisition.

He’s not as good of a rebounder as “The Wild Thing”, but he a better spot up shooter, which is a much-needed skill for NBA teams that win consistently.

Another thing is the Cavs need to start building the next wine and gold squad to make the playoffs, so you can’t get in the habit of continuously dealing players off for more draft picks. The picks are needed to lay a foundation, and Grant has had four first round picks in the last two years, plus what appears to be another top ten pick this summer.

That pick can be used to either pick or deal for another foundation piece.

A quality big man who can shoot and has experience with winning teams is something the Cavaliers will need as they get better and contend.

They already have one on the roster in Marreese Speights. It’s time to check that one off in the “done” column.

Bourn Signing OK, A Starter Would Have Been Better

The Cleveland Indians shocked everyone in the baseball world by signing free agent CF Michael Bourn to a four-year contract, worth an estimated $48 million.

We aren’t sure how much this helps the 2013 Tribe, at least offensively.

We are happy that the front office was able to spend money, and it shows a change in how the Dolan family is running the team, but with the state of the starting rotation, the dollars would be better spent there.

To be sure, the Indians may have baseball’s best defensive outfield with Bourn, flanked by Drew Stubbs in right and Michael Brantley in left. And that should help a pitching staff that ranked last in the AL in ERA last season.

However, the American League is an offensive league, particularly in the regular season, and it says here that Bourn doesn’t help the offense all that much. Why? Because he’s not a very good offensive player.

Here’s hoping Tribe fans don’t see a speedy, centerfielder and think of former Indian great Kenny Lofton, because GM Chris Antonetti’s latest signing doesn’t compare favorably.

Bourn, a left-handed hitter has a lifetime OPS of just 704. He’s a leadoff man by trade, yet his career on base percentage is just .339.

To be fair, in recent years he has been close to the .350 mark which is acceptable for a guy hitting at the top of the order. However, by comparison to the best leadoff hitter the Indians have had in recent years, Lofton, Bourn isn’t close. Lofton’s career on base percentage was a robust .372.

Also, the newest Indian has little pop. His lifetime slugging percentage is .365 and last year it was still under .400 (.391). Just for a comparison that you won’t like, Ezequiel Carrera’s slugging percentage for Cleveland last year? Try .395.

When Bourn gets on base, he can run, averaging 51 stolen bases per season over 162 games. He’s also an excellent defender, the winner of two Gold Gloves.

For $12 million per year, you should expect a little more with the stick. And for a player who makes his living with his legs, you have to wonder how effective of a player Bourn will be in the last two years of the contract, when he will be 32 and 33 years old.

Many baseball website rated Bourn as one of the top free agents in the off-season, mostly based on his WAR (wins above replacement player). However, that rating is inflated because of his defense at a premium defensive position.

Still, according to Baseball Reference.com, the most comparable hitters to Bourn at this point in his career are former Indian Dave Roberts, Albie Pearson and Roger Cedeno. All solid major league players, but no immortals there.

Bourn will enable Terry Francona to perhaps move Nick Swisher to 1B and DH Mark Reynolds, or even isolate Stubbs weaknesses at the plate by limiting his at bats vs. right-handers. He’s a better hitter than Stubbs, so if you consider that an upgrade then we have to agree.

Swisher was a solid signing because he’s a consistent player with OPS of between 743 and 870 throughout his major league career. His lifetime figure is 828 and he’s usually around that figure.

If this signing enables Antonetti to deal an outfielder, preferably Stubbs, for a legitimate starting pitcher, then it’s a good move.

Bourn isn’t a bad player, it just says here he won’t be an impact signing for the Indians. At those dollars, he should be.

Did Tribe Help Offense Enough?

Unlike the past few seasons, the front office of the Cleveland Indians actually made some moves this off-season.

They traded arguably their best hitter, Shin-Soo Choo, because he was going to be a free agent after the 2013 season, and they turned him into top starting pitcher prospect Trevor Bauer, with OF Drew Stubbs thrown in the deal.

For a team that finished second last in the AL in runs scored, dealing your best hitter isn’t regarded as a smart thing, but GM Chris Antonetti did sign free agent Nick Swisher to replace Choo. So, what else did the GM do to help the offense?

He did sign free agent Mark Reynolds to play 1B to replace Casey Kotchman which is an improvement there. Of course, it would have been better for the Indians to sign pretty much anyone else to play the position because you can make the argument that Kotchman may have been the worst offensive player in the big leagues at that spot in 2012.

So, much of the improvement for Terry Francona’s squad will come from wishing and hoping. Some of that hope is merited and some is not.

On the positive side, Francona should get better seasons out of 2B Jason Kipnis (.335/.379/.714), Lonnie Chisenhall (.311/.430/.731), and Carlos Santana (.365/.420/.785).

Kipnis will be entering his second full year in the majors at age 26 and his career should be on an upswing. He will likely hit with more pop with experience and his slugging percentage should get into the .450 range with more doubles and homers. He’s a better hitter than the one who had just 40 extra base hits last season.

For perspective, Jack Hannahan had 20 extra base hits in half the at bats. Most people will agree that “the JK Kid” is a better hitter than Hannahan.

Chisenhall has been hurt by both injuries and former skipper Manny Acta’s love for Hannahan.

In 350 at bats lifetime, Chisenhall has 12 career homers. And as for his supposed lack of ability against southpaws, he has an OPS of almost 700 (696) against lefties and has hit five dingers in 88 career at bats.

For the record, 88 times at the plate is not a large enough samples to suggest he can’t hit left-handers.

Santana is entering his 27-year-old season, and he should be poised for a bounce back year after his OPS dropped below 800 for the first time in his career. His average for 162 games in his career is 24 HR, 83 RBI, and an 806 OPS.

Francona would gladly take those numbers.

However, as much as those guys figure to be better, Reynolds and Stubbs could be potential nightmares.

Reynolds had an 892 OPS in 2009, an outstanding figure and one that would make you overlook the 223 times he struck out that season. Since then, he’s had an OPS no higher than 806, and his batting average hasn’t been above .221.

He’s been pretty even over his career at home or on the road, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Reynolds hit in the .210 range, although with some long balls. If the rest of the lineup hits that’s fine, but here’s hoping fans aren’t expecting the guy who played in ’09.

Stubbs’ OPS has dropped from 773 in 2010, when he hit .255 with 22 homers to 686 in ’11 and down to 610 last year. As a comparison, Kotchman’s OPS last season was 612.

Stubbs is 28 years old so he should be in line for a bit of a bounce back season. But if he doesn’t, the alternatives are Ezequiel Carrera or rookies like Tim Fedroff, which may not be bad.

The point is this. The Indians have improved the offense, but is it enough to climb from 13th in the league in runs scored to the top half of the American League, which is where they need to be to contend.

That improvement will be more dependent on the progress of Santana, Kipnis, and Chisenhall, than on big seasons from Reynolds and Stubbs.

The starting rotation has similar questions.

Fans should be thrilled that the front office did a makeover on a team that has lost 90 games in three of the last four years. The question that has to be asked is: Did they do enough?

A Little Experience Goes a Long Way for Cavs

There is no question that the Cleveland Cavaliers are a very young basketball team. The third youngest in the NBA according to age.

Pretty much on a nightly basis, the wine and gold start two rookies (Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller), two second year players (Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson) and a free agent who they found in the D-League in Alonzo Gee.

That’s not a recipe for success.

After the injury to Anderson Varejao, there was little help off the bench. C.J. Miles has been inconsistent, although better lately, and Luke Walton had moments where his veteran leadership made a difference.

However, as the Indians have found out in recent years, in order to provide leadership and a steady hand, the older players have to play on a night in night out basis so the younger guys like learn.

Since Christmas Day, GM Chris Grant has brought in some productive, experienced players to help coach Byron Scott, and the difference has been noticeable.

Shaun Livingston was claimed on waivers that day, and since his first appearance on the floor for the Cavs, the team has gone 8-10, a much better record than the 7-24 mark prior to his arrival. He’s averaged just 4.8 points and 3.2 assists since joining the team.

However, it’s not just the numbers. His experience and feel for the game has made a great deal of difference because Livingston knows how to play. Scott uses him frequently in crunch time.

He’s not the player he was before a devastating knee injury, but he understands how to play, something the young Cavaliers need to understand.

Then, Grant picked up two more veterans in Marreese Speights and Wayne Ellington from Memphis.

Speights gave Scott another quality big man to use behind Thompson and Zeller, a good shooter from outside and a solid rebounder. Most nights, the big man is on the floor during the fourth quarter of close games.

Ellington is a bigger version of Boobie Gibson, who can match up size wise defensively with other #2 guards. Being just a shade over 6’ (and that might be generous), Gibson has become a good defensive player, but just doesn’t have the height to match up with bigger guards.

The other thing that the former Grizzlies bring is winning experience. Memphis won a playoff series a year ago, and both Speights and Ellington are used to winning. There is no question is our mind that for most players, winning is learned.

Young guys, even a player as good as Irving, usually don’t know how to play winning basketball in the NBA. Irving has shown the ability to be tremendous at the end of games in terms of making shots, but he has to understand what needs to be done defensively and when to take chances with the basketball.

Now Scott has someone to turn to in tight games, guys that have played in playoff games and know what to do when games are on the line.

The young players have veterans to look up to and to learn from. And they are out there on the floor doing it, not just sitting around talking about it.

Fans all look at the incredible talent the players like Irving, Thompson, Waiters, and Zeller have, but every team needs players like Livingston, Speights, and Ellington too.

Now that the Cavaliers have them, the proof is showing up in the win column.

Browns Need Progress Not Headlines

Now that the football season is over, with a mixed bag of emotions (unhappy that the Ravens hoist the Lombardi Trophy, but thrilled Art Modell is not going to be enshrined in Canton this year). It is time to start looking ahead to the next few months, meaning the free agent period and the NFL draft.

By the way, does Jim Nantz think the Lombardi Trophy is named for Michael?

There are still many Browns fans unhappy with the choice of Rob Chudzinski as head coach, and even more disconsolate over owner Jimmy Haslam III’s remark over during Super Bowl week that it is unlikely his team will make a big “splash” in free agency.

Supporters of the brown and orange want results and want them as soon as possible, and we are no different.

However, to be sure, it is better to have results than glamor.

While we don’t know yet if Chudzinski is the right man for the job, and we won’t know until the games start for real in September, there is a large population of ticket buyers who are upset that Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher didn’t take the gig. Put aside for a moment that neither man expressed any real interest in returning to the sideline.

They wanted a “big name”, an attention grab. That’s because we are so insecure about our teams. It lends credibility to the Browns and the city if a man who has talked about the game on a network for the last few years is the head coach.

The same goes for free agency. Think about last year at this time, two of the bigger names on the market were Packers’ reserve QB Matt Flynn, who signed with Seattle, and Texans’ DE Mario Williams, who signed a huge deal with Buffalo.

How did those moves work out?

Flynn went to the playoffs, but watched on the sidelines while rookie third round pick Russell Wilson started for the Seahawks. Today, you can get Flynn in a trade for a lower round pick or if and when Pete Carroll lets him go.

Williams had an okay year with 10.5 sacks, but he didn’t turn the Buffalo defense into a dominating unit, as they ranked 22nd in yards allowed, and 26th in points allowed.

This isn’t to say no big name free agent is worth the effort. Certainly, Green Bay wouldn’t have won its Super Bowl in 1996 without signing the late Reggie White as a free agent. But guys like that are few and far between.

It also isn’t to say the Browns shouldn’t sign any free agents this off-season. If the Ravens decide to make WR Anquan Boldin an unrestricted free agent this spring, he’s a guy who would provide excellent hands as a wide out and serve as a mentor to Josh Gordon and Greg Little.

This team is in desperate need of leaders. They don’t have many veterans on the roster, especially since guys like Sheldon Brown and Ben Watson likely will not be back in 2013.

Also, the Browns need some older players who have experienced winning, something the young guys have certainly never experienced. There is a lot of sentiment that Chudzinski’s team simply doesn’t know how to win, and they need someone to show them the way.

Those are the types of players this team needs to bring in, and with room under the salary cap, they have the cash to bring in a few winners. Spending big cash on a player past his prime, or doesn’t fit the system used by Norv Turner and/or Ray Horton isn’t the way to go.

Rather than making headlines, the Cleveland Browns need to make victories.

One More Change Needed For Tribe

With spring training ready to start in less than a week, Cleveland baseball fans have a reason to feel optimistic.

They have a new manager, not just any recycled skipper, but a man who has two World Series victories under his belt in Terry Francona. They signed a high-profile free agent for the first time in many years in Nick Swisher. And they have to feel good about a trio of young players who are poised to make an impact in 2013 in Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Michael Brantley.

However, there is one more thing that needs to change for the organization when the team convenes in Goodyear next week. Spring training needs to be meaningful, meaning the 25 man roster shouldn’t be set before camp begins.

Earlier this week, MLB Network’s Peter Gammons reported that the Indians’ front office was going to bring starter Trevor Bauer to the major leagues when he is ready, and were not going to rush him, meaning it will probably be a mid-season call up for one of the top prospects in the minors.

GM Chris Antonetti may have been trying to take pressure off of Bauer, and lowering the expectations of fans, who look at the right hander just acquired from Arizona as a savior for the starting rotation.

That, in itself, is not a bad thing.

However, if Bauer pitches well in spring training and is dominant in the exhibition games, don’t think for a moment that Francona isn’t going to push for the kid to come north for Opening Day.

That’s the way is should be. Remember that Charlie Manuel had to lobby hard to keep a 20-year-old left-hander on the big league roster in 2001. C.C. Sabathia did just fine, going 17-5 in his rookie year.

Antonetti has brought in some veterans to compete for roster spot in Arizona, and some of those players are good risks. Ryan Raburn and Ben Francisco could make the team as reserves, and Matt Capps could earn a bullpen spot as well. All three have been good players in the past.

However, if they struggle in spring training and a guy like Tim Fedroff or even Ezequiel Carrera do very well, then Francona and Antonetti should keep the players who earned the spot. Too many times in recent years, the Tribe has kept the veteran who had a marginal spring, and have to release him during the season because he’s not getting the job done.

If a young player out-performs one of these non roster invitees to spring training, they should open the season with the big club.

Although Capps has a much better track record than pitchers like Jamey Wright, Chad Durbin, and Dan Wheeler, here’s hoping he’s not lumped in with them at the end of the season. The latter three were all borderline hurlers, yet the Indians let them make the team and only Durbin lasted an entire season, albeit in a mop up role.

It is our belief that Francona will not let Antonetti bully him on the make up of the roster. Manny Acta seemed to allow the GM to decide what players would make the roster, and Eric Wedge never picked the right team coming out of spring training.

Francona has a great relationship with both Antonetti and team president Mark Shapiro, but he also wants to win, and win right away. If he feels a young player is ready to help the Indians win when April 1st comes around, he is going to fight for that guy to make the big club.

That’s just one more change that is going to help the 2013 version of the Cleveland Indians.