Will Tribe Do Something?

The more and more the front office of the Cleveland Indians talk about the July 31st trading deadline, the more and more it appears they are setting up their fan base for inactivity.

Team president Mark Shapiro tweeted yesterday about how difficult the trade market is in 2012 with the inclusion of an extra wild card in this year’s playoffs.

The other night they informed us that 11 teams in the American League were over .500 for the first time in league history, showing us how many teams feel they are still in contention.

It seems the mantra of the front office is “when in doubt, make excuses, and oh, throw in that we are losing money too”.

If the Tribe wants to see attendance figures decline even more, then it would be a good idea not to improve the roster before the end of the month.

This team is currently just four games out of first place, and just a half game out of the second wild card spot.

It’s pretty clear they cannot reach the playoffs with the roster currently in place, no matter how optimistically the powers that be look at it.

However, this is the same front office that needed a right-handed power bat after the end of last season, and did nothing to address that problem.

In fact, 90 games into the 2012 season, that is still a need for the Indians.

The rumors are out there already that the White Sox and Tigers are trying to add to their teams before the deadline. As for the Tribe…nothing.

They did have a chance to add Kevin Youkilis a few weeks ago, and many fans and media people talked about how it was a bad idea. We said if the cost wasn’t particularly high (it wasn’t), he would at least be an upgrade over the Jack Hannahans, Shelley Duncans, and Johnny Damons on the roster, and there is no harm in getting him.

He’s reborn with the White Sox, which is a knife to the back of the Indians.

Heck, the Tribe doesn’t even try to help its roster by getting players from Columbus.

(Note to Indian lackeys: Don’t sell Russ Canzler as nothing more than a “AAAA” player. He’s had three big league at bats, he’s done nothing to show he can’t hit in the majors).

It boggles the mind that the front office doesn’t tinker with the current roster. Why do they seem to have so much loyalty to guys like Duncan, Damon, and Casey Kotchman?

It seems like they are afraid to cut them loose and/or bench them for not hitting.

Are they trying to be nice? If so, the handling of the Nick Hagadone situation contradicts that theory.

Look, it would not be in the Tribe’s best interest to deal the best prospects in an already thin farm system, but there will be players who could be available a lower cost who can help this team.

Getting players who are even marginally better than the non-producing players helps the Indians.

Why the front office can’t see this, who knows?

Instead, they seem to be grasping at straws, taking a good two-week stretch by one of the struggling players as proof they can do the job. However, 20 good at bats followed by 40 poor at bats doesn’t make you a good hitter.

If GM Chris Antonetti does nothing in the next two weeks, look for more disgust and disdain from the Indians’ fan base. It will be just another example of trying to do everything needed to put a winning team on the field.

Odd Facts on Tribe Stats

The second half of the season started Friday night with a 1-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays ending a four-day stretch without the Indians playing. It gave us some time to examine some numbers for the Tribe.

Some of the numbers will surprise you and others will back up the need for improvements for the balance of the 2012 season.

With all of the fans complaining about 2B Jason Kipnis not making the All Star game, it was certainly a little odd to see to the great variance in the OPS for Kipnis and his double play partner Asdrubal Cabrera, because the two-time all-star has an 821 OPS compared to the second baseman’s 764.

Kipnis’ style of play has won over the paying customers, but his on base percentage and slugging average are both less than Cabrera’s, mostly because the latter has 10 more extra base hits.

That’s surprising because Kipnis has led the Tribe in home runs for much of the season, but now is tied with Cabrera for the club lead, one ahead of Shin-Soo Choo.

In fact, Kipnis ranks just fourth on the club in extra base hits behind the other two, and also behind Michael Brantley.

Kipnis is having a fine season and will be an all-star soon, perhaps next year, but there is no question here that Cabrera deserved the honor more in 2012.

Most everyone would agree that Shelley Duncan is having a mostly disappointing season with a .222 batting average, 8 HR and 21 RBI, correct? But did you know he has the same number of long balls and just four fewer runs batted in than Travis Hafner in just seven more at bats?

It’s another reminder that Hafner is not the same player he was up to 2007, but the management of the Indians treat him like a panacea for what is troubling the offense. He can still contribute, but is no longer a presence in the middle of the order.

Another player that takes a lot of criticism is Carlos Santana. Fans are understandably frustrated with him after he hit 27 homers last year, and the internet commentators want him traded, which is ridiculous. He’s having a down year.

Still, the catcher has as many extra base hits as Casey Kotchman, and a higher OPS than crowd favorite Jack Hannahan.

Other numbers to note:

Brantley is having a fine season, but his OPS (755) is over 100 points less than Choo’s (866). Choo has a higher on base percentage and a better slugging percentage. He’s given the Indians the best leadoff man since Grady Sizemore’s heyday.
Since the end of April, Hannahan has gone 20 for 97, with just 2 HR and 6 RBI, and since returning from his back and leg problems, he’s just 9 for 54 (.167).
Jose Lopez has 27 RBI in 161 at bats. He has more ribbies than Hafner, Duncan, Hannahan, and Johnny Damon.
It has been said a good starting pitcher allows fewer hits than innings pitched and strikes out twice as many as they walk. The Indians have one such pitcher: Justin Masterson. They also have one that does neither, and surprisingly it’s Derek Lowe.

Most of these stats talk about offense, but the most meaningful team number is 13. That’s the Indians’ rank in ERA in the American League. Unless they improve in that area, by getting a starter and another reliever, it will be tough to keep pace with the White Sox and Tigers in the AL Central.

Below the Radar Needs for Tribe

Our nation’s birthday arrived on the same date as the halfway point of the baseball season for the Cleveland Indians and the Tribe finished up the first half at 42-39, putting them on pace to win 84 games this season.

Based on the relative strength of the American League Central Division, finishing with that record could put them in the race all the way to the end of the season, because it’s doubtful the winner will be able to garner 90 wins for the campaign.

The main weaknesses of the Indians are pretty well-known, and we have touched on them several times in the past month. They need a right-handed hitter and another starting pitcher.

Fans know it, the front office knows it.

However, there are some other subtle moves the front office needs to make for the Indians to stay in contention.

The first is to have a legitimate utility infielder on the roster, meaning a guy who can play shortstop reasonably well.

Whether that means Jason Donald stays, who knows, but Manny Acta can’t continue to go through the rest of the season using Jack Hannahan, who has appeared in three major league games at the position (one this year), as his reserve for Asdrubal Cabrera.

And he needs a better defensive option at second base too. Jose Lopez made an all-star team at 2B in Seattle, but at the point in his career, he’s more suited to be a corner infielder.

The reason for a legitimate middle infield reserve is to give some rest to Cabrera and Jason Kipnis during the dog days after the all-star break, so they can be productive for a possible stretch run.

It is understandable that Acta doesn’t want to take either out of the lineup, but they can be used at the DH spot so they can hit and not be out on the field.

Keeping two of the most productive bats fresh is a must do for the skipper, and he can’t do it without having someone who can play solid defense at 2B and SS. On that basis, Donald needs to stay on the roster.

The other need is to strengthen the bullpen so that Acta doesn’t have to use the trio of Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano, and Chris Perez in every game the Tribe has a chance to win.

These three are a major key to the Indians’ success, and keeping them fresh into September and perhaps October is very important.

Perhaps one piece is already in place in Esmil Rogers. Rogers arrived in Cleveland after compiling a 8.06 ERA in Colorado, but in nine games with the Tribe, he’s allowed just two earned runs in 11-1/3 innings, striking out 15 hitters and walking just one.

More help could come from veteran left-hander Rafael Perez, assuming he can return from the disabled list. Perez could give Acta someone he is comfortable with against the tough left-handed batters which populate the American League.

Right now with Tony Sipp and Nick Hagadone struggling, the manager would rather use one of his righties in that role, and sometimes that’s not fair to those pitchers.

These smaller scale moves are just as important as getting the right-handed stick and starting pitchers because it keeps the players who constitute the strengths of this team fresh, and at top performance.

They may not be the flashy, high impact moves, but taking care of these problems definitely help the ballclub.

On the Tribe’s Two-Faced Lineup

The front office of the Cleveland Indians took a calculated risk before the season, stocking the lineup full of left-handed hitters.

The rationale was that there are more right-handed pitchers than southpaws, and Progressive Field favors hitters who swing from the left side.

They may be right. After all, the Indians have the second most home runs hit by left-handed hitters in 2012, trailing only the Yankees.

The problem is the lineup has no balance, because the Tribe doesn’t have enough good hitters, something predicted here before the season.

A look at a normal Cleveland lineup shows the top four hitters in the batting order have batting averages between .272 (Jason Kipnis) and .295 (Asdrubal Cabrera).

That’s the good news.

The bad news is the balance of the lineup have averages between .221 (Carlos Santana and Casey Kotchman) and .201 (Johnny Damon).

Only the third base platoon of Jack Hannahan and Jose Lopez are in the middle, hitting .250 and .257 respectively.

The extreme split in the lineup was never more on display than it was Monday night against the Angels.

After Kipnis walked, Michael Brantley singled and Santana walked to load the bases, the bottom of the order came up to face LA ace Jared Weaver.

Damon grounded out weakly to third, forcing Kipnis at the plate. Kotchman popped out to the catcher, and Shelley Duncan struck out.

No runs scored in a situation where you have to get at least one, and should get two tallies.

When the bottom of the order hits, the Tribe can score some runs, as they did over the weekend in Baltimore. However, as anyone can see from the batting averages, that doesn’t occur very often.

The front office and the optimistic fans will gleefully point out every time guys like Kotchman or Duncan get two or three hits and drive in some runs.

If this deal were offered, who do you think would wind up on top?

Those fans would get $5 when the player of their choice has a good game, but give up the same amount when they take the collar, or go 1 for 5.

The point is those hitters at the bottom of the order don’t produce frequently enough to continue to play, and the Indians’ front office doesn’t seem to be in a big hurry to replace them.

The season is reaching the half way point on the 4th of July, and changes need to be made in the lineup.

Really, if the Indians replaced Damon, Kotchman, Duncan, and Aaron Cunningham with minor leaguers would they get less production?

In fact, three of them (Duncan excluded) have negative VORP (value over replacement player) meaning they are producing less than the average player at their position.

In a close race, there is no time for wishing and hoping that these players will start hitting at a high level, so GM Chris Antonetti needs to bring someone else in, either through a trade or by dipping into the minor leagues.

Before you laugh at the last comment, check out Matt LaPorta’s numbers in the major leagues in 2011 with Kotchman’s numbers. Don’t say there isn’t someone in Columbus that could help.

Travis Hafner will return to the team today and that should help, but how much? Hafner’s stats, especially his power numbers, have been in steady decline over the last few years.

He’s no longer a middle of the order threat, but he will add a hitter that can draw a walk and has occasional pop.

Something has to be done, because the circumstances that occurred Monday are becoming more and more frequent.

Tribe Fans Want Fight From Organization

Cleveland isn’t known for the success of its sports teams, but most fans want nothing more than to rise up and win against all odds.

Football is probably the most equal playing field for smaller markets with teams like Green Bay and New Orleans winning recent Super Bowls, yet even in that socialistic of sports, Cleveland can seem to put a legitimate contender on the field, which shows how poor the management has been since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999.

The NBA has had one smaller market team have success in the last 20 years. The San Antonio Spurs have won four titles in that span, and Oklahoma City seems poised to take over the mantle of small market contender.

The Spurs success has been tied to superstar Tim Duncan staying with the franchise, and the Thunder hope Kevin Durant does the same thing.

In that league, most of the bigger name players want to be in larger markets, the better to make their “brand” more popular. Cavalier fans are very familiar with that idea.

The Indians need to embrace the role of underdog and become a feisty pit-bull of a franchise, instead of one always talking about its problems. Former Browns’ GM Phil Savage must have had the Tribe management in mind when he spoke about the “woe is me” complex Cleveland sports fans have.

A little over a week ago, Indians’ president Mark Shapiro had a town hall meeting in which he spoke to a group of fans. He talked about trying to win this season, but of course, had to bring up the point that the franchise will lose money this season, a comment the organization seems to include no matter what public statements it makes.

First of all, the fans don’t care if the Indians lose money. They want to see a winning team.

It’s time to stop the negativism and become an organization that will fight, scratch, and claw to beat the big boys of the American League. It’s basically the same philosophy the Tampa Bay Rays have taken on since Joe Maddon became manager.

It’s why Jack Hannahan of all people, has become a fan favorite. He doesn’t take crap from anyone.

This change would mean trying to win every game, and jumping on problems immediately, not waiting a month to take care of them.

The Rays are always tinkering with their roster, mostly the last few spots of it, trying to pick up a hot hand, someone who may just be able to make one game’s difference in the standings. They aren’t the only team that does this, bigger market teams do the same thing.

On the other hand, the Indians have an outfielder on their roster that has just 4 hits in his last 42 at bats, and he’s been on the team the entire season.

The Cleveland bullpen has struggled lately as well, save for mainstays Chris Perez, Vinnie Pestano, and Joe Smith. No changes have been made there, either.

However, over the weekend, the St. Louis Cardinals, the defending World Series champions, switched three members of its’ relief corps. If the World Champs can do it, why can’t the Tribe?

Manny Acta fits right in with this attitude. After the horrible call made by Mike DiMuro on Wednesday night in Yankee Stadium, in which his starting third baseman was ejected, Acta defended the umpire’s blown call! Something about having a tough angle and a lot of fans in the way.

That’s just sad, and Tribe fans were justifiably angry with the lack of emotion from the manager.

This isn’t to say the fiery skippers have a better winning percentage, but for a franchise looking for some support from its fan base, a manager who acts like I don’t care the deck is stacked against me, we’re going to win anyhow, would be much more accepted by the ticket buying public.

After the incident, GM Chris Antonetti, and VP of Communications Bob DiBiasio were all over the airwaves trying to spin the skippers’ inaction and also deflect criticism for a team that has lost 20 of 32 games before winning the last two in Baltimore.

The GM just spouting more of the catch phrases the front office is famous for: “Core talent”, talking about the inequities of “the system”, etc.

The Indians front office should take this tact. Sure, it’s going to be tough to do, but when we win, we can stick it in the face of all of the disbelievers. Unless the organization gets a cleaning over the winter, that’s not going to happen, which is sad.

Tribe Paying for Off-Season Sins

After last weekend, when the Pittsburgh Pirates took the last two games of a three game set at home, Cleveland Indians’ fans were irate about the lack of relief pitching and lack of production at the plate.

The Tribe won the next four, and all was right with the world.

Then, the Indians lost the last two games of a road series against the lowly Houston Astros and fans once again are concerned about the lack of relief pitching and lack of production at the plate.

See a trend here?

The Indians problems are not going away, and the team is paying for not addressing the huge need for a quality right-handed bat in the off-season. They reportedly did not want to give free agent OF Josh Willingham a third year on his deal, and that is proving to be a huge mistake for GM Chris Antonetti.

Wouldn’t Willingham look nice with a “C” on his hat, especially with his .274 batting average, 14 home runs, and 47 RBIs. By the way, those last two statistics would lead Cleveland in those categories.

Manny Acta’s squad is struggling, particularly against southpaws, because the players on the roster for that purpose in particular aren’t doing the job, and the front office is being extremely, perhaps overly patient.

The only role player on the team to hit lefties that can be considered doing his job is INF Jose Lopez, hitting .262 with 2 HRs against left-handed pitching. Check out these numbers:

Shelley Duncan             .211, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Aaron Cunningham    .167, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Jason Donald                .095, 0 HR, 1 RBI

In addition, Carlos Santana, one of the two switch-hitters among the everyday players in batting just .209, without a dinger and 10 RBI.

It makes you think that Lou Marson, with a .240 average (6 for 25) should be in there when a lefty takes the mound for the opposition.

Among the regulars, just Asdrubal Cabrera (.316, 3 HR, 12 RBI) and Michael Brantley (.281, o HR, 10 RBI) have respectable numbers.

So why doesn’t the front office make any changes? Isn’t the definition of insanity the act of doing something over and over again and expecting a different result?

Cunningham is quickly becoming this year’s version of Austin Kearns, as a player who no one can explain is still doing on the major league roster.

Apparently, Cleveland tried to deal for Kevin Youkilis, but with Chicago giving up two players from their major league roster, it was more than the Tribe (and we) would go.

The former Red Sox player wouldn’t have solved the Indians’ issue, but he would have been a start. Although he has struggled since last year’s All Star game, he is a proven hitter, with a lifetime .286 batting average.

Besides, if he would produce more than Lopez, Duncan, and Cunningham, isn’t that an improvement?

The Tribe front office spin is they would need more than one bat, which they do, but is that a reason not to take any action?

Sometimes it appears the Indians’ management is in some kind of fantasy world, spouting out stats like Casey Kotchman is 7 for 21 in his last six games.

So what! He’s hitting .230 over the last month and .225 overall. He’s just not producing enough for a contending team, especially at a position where hitting is needed.

By the way, over the last 30 days, check out these batting averages for the role players on the Indians:

Duncan .189
Lopez .186
Cunningham .150

Besides getting no production out of the right-handed hitters on the squad, the bench isn’t doing anything either. That makes it concerning for the starters going into the heat of the summer. Acta can’t give them a day off, because whoever he puts in, isn’t able to hit.

The Cleveland Indians have made their proverbial bed, and now are forced to lay in it. Unfortunately, the front office is comfortable, because they don’t seem anxious to get a new mattress.

Here’s What Tribe Won’t Do.

There is plenty of speculation on whether the Cleveland Indians will be buyers or sellers when the major league trading deadline comes around at the end of July.

Most likely, because of the division they are in, they will look to add to their current roster to stay in the AL Central Division race. It looks very much like around 85-88 wins will get you a division title and a trip to the playoffs. That means if they hang around the .500 mark for another month, which isn’t that absurd, they will definitely be in the thick of it.

It is funny to hear talk show hosts speculate on who the Indians would deal in order to improve the team. Here is a partial list of players who aren’t going anywhere.

Chris Perez
In the off-season, this was a possibility and one that was suggested here and by others. Now, it would be idiotic to deal a guy who is having a very good season, probably getting another All-Star berth.

Perez and Vinnie Pestano, another player it would be silly to deal, represent the only reliable pitchers currently in Manny Acta’s bullpen. If it seems like the Indians can only win when the duo pitch, it should. Perez has saved 10 of the last 13 victories for Cleveland.

When the Indians have the lead after seven innings, it’s a solid bet that Pestano and Chris Perez will close it out for the Tribe.

Any of the Indians Solid Hitters.
It makes no sense for GM Chris Antonetti to deal one of the few players currently hitting on the ballclub. This would mean SS Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B Jason Kipnis, CF Michael Brantley, and RF Shin-Soo Choo. Especially because all of them will be back in Cleveland for the 2013 season.

Think about it, it really doesn’t help the team by trading a player who is productive to fill another hole. That is unless there is someone to take that player’s spot.

For example, if someone was interested in Jack Hannahan (probably there isn’t a big market for him, no offense to him), you might consider dealing him because you have Lonnie Chisenhall.

Let’s say Antonetti dealt Choo for a right-handed power hitter. Who plays rightfield?

The object of a deadline trade is to strengthen the team as a whole, not fill one spot by creating another.

Trade Francisco Lindor
Last year, Antonetti dealt two of his best pitching prospects to get Ubaldo Jimenez from Colorado. We can debate the merits of the deal for hours, but unlike the time the Indians traded back-to-back Cy Young Award winners, they will not trade their top prospect two consecutive years.

So-called experts who talk about trading the shortstop currently at Lake County, are showing they are idiots.

Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein saw Lindor in spring training and said in a few years, people will wonder why he wasn’t the first player taken in last year’s draft. He’s playing and succeeding (making the Midwest League all-star team) in a full season league, and he won’t turn 19 years old until November.

Besides, the player you likely will get in any deal this year will be an older player (early to mid 30’s) who can still contribute. You don’t trade a player with Lindor’s future to get a guy like that.

Antonetti is looking for a right-handed stick (a familiar need) and some help for his pitching staff. The Tribe have some useful players in the minor leagues to get some veteran help.

However, he is unlikely to disrupt his major league roster or trade a guy like Lindor to help get players of that ilk. It’s simply too high of a price.

Passive Tribe Need to Make Moves

The Cleveland Indians are a conservative organization when it comes to making roster moves during the regular season. It is difficult to tell whether that is the philosophy of GM Chris Antonetti or manager Manny Acta.

Some clubs, like the Red Sox, are always tinkering with the last four or five spots on the roster, trying to squeeze out wins anyway they can. However, the Tribe prefers the patient approach.

The season has reached the middle of June and there are now less than 100 games remaining in the season. And we go with this theory when it comes to players: The “Can’t be Any Worse Theory”.

That being said, here are several moves the Tribe could make right now that do not involve trades (because you need a partner to do something like that).

1. DFA Aaron Cunningham, purchase the contract of OF Trevor Crowe.
Cunningham is hitting .185 with a 479 OPS. Acta has to find it difficult to give the outfielder any playing time outside of a defensive replacement for either Johnny Damon or Shelley Duncan. Crowe hasn’t shown anything but being a marginal major leaguer in his time in Cleveland, but he has a .245 lifetime average in 653 at bats. He’s been hurt, but is hitting .307 (849 OPS) in Columbus this year.

He can take Cunningham’s place as defensive replacement and back up CF easily, and provide at least some offense.

2. Option Josh Tomlin to AAA, recall Zack McAllister.
We’ve always liked Tomlin and advocated for his call up in 2010, but that season and most of 2011, he was a solid starting pitcher, going at least six innings in most of his starts, and allowing less than a hit per inning.

This year is a different matter. He’s given up 68 hits in 56-2/3 frames, and his consistency is no longer there. He’s had four solid starts in which is ERA is an excellent 2.54. In the rest of his appearances, he has an 8.58 ERA.

Tomlin has marginal stuff and has to be pinpoint in accuracy to get out big league hitters. Let him rediscover his control at Columbus.

Meanwhile, McAllister did a solid job in four starts in Cleveland and has a 2.98 ERA at AAA with 47 strikeouts vs. 18 walks. If he can keep the Tribe in the game most nights, then he should be up here.

DFA Shelley Duncan, call up Jason Donald or Russ Canzler
Again, this is another tough decision. The front office likes what Duncan brings to the clubhouse and we have always supported Dunc because he’s had a track record of hitting lefties.

However, he’s lost the plate discipline he had early in the year (13 walks in 19 April games, 5 walks the rest of the season), and he’s hitting just .222 vs. southpaws.

Donald’s defensive issues aside, he’s hitting .283 at Columbus (.383 OBP) and hit .318 in 39 games with the Tribe last season.

Canzler deserves an extended shot in the bigs after a 931 OPS last year in AAA. He’s hitting just .263 this season with the Clippers, but sometimes guys just get too comfortable (read: bored) at AAA after success there.

There are other moves the Tribe could make as well. Tony Sipp should be sent out, but the Indians just sent LHP Scott Barnes back to the minors, and they don’t have another lefty ready at Columbus.

And anytime the Johnny Damon experiment is ready to be ended would be alright too. It’s tough for Acta to have to put out lineups on a nightly basis where his LF and 1B are out makers.

As we wrote, the Indians are very judicious in making roster moves, so don’t look for anything soon.

The AL Central race looks to be one that goes to the wire, so you can’t give away any games. If you can make your roster stronger with even small moves, the Indians need to do just that.

Can A Manager Have Favorites?

With Jack Hannahan coming off the disabled list soon, it appears that Lonnie Chisenhall will be on his way back to Columbus when that happens.

The question is did the youngster get a fair shot while he was on the roster?

Chisenhall hasn’t set the world on fire since his recall on May 28th, hitting just .216 in 37 at bats. But is his lack of production based on the way he was used?

He came up and started his first two games, before being put on the bench in his third game with the big club. He was used as a pinch-hitter in that game.

He has pretty much been in the lineup for two days, then out the next since then. For a player used to playing every day in the minor leagues, you have to wonder why he wasn’t used that way in Cleveland.

Manager Manny Acta has sat him down against left-handers, even though Chisenhall has hit .271 with 3 home runs in 48 at bats vs. left-handed starters in his career.

Yes, Chisenhall has issues with the strike zone (54 whiffs vs. 8 walks in 249 at bats) in his young career, but shouldn’t he get the opportunity to be in the lineup everyday?

It could be because Acta feels more comfortable playing veterans like Jack Hannahan, Jose Lopez, and Casey Kotchman if it all possible.

Think about it, what young player did the skipper give a full shot to unless there was no alternative?

The only one you can name is Jason Kipnis, who seemed to be an everyday player from the moment he was called up to the Indians.

Carlos Santana might qualify as well, but Lou Marson was hitting .191 at the time of Santana’s big league debut, so Acta didn’t have a huge choice.

A lot of managers have preferences in terms of playing time, but most of them have to do with production. As the season plays out, we will see if this is true for Manny Acta.

It would appear to most fans that Acta doesn’t care for the games of Matt LaPorta and Chisenhall. Granted, neither one is knocking down fences with the regularity of Babe Ruth, but the Tribe have some guys currently getting a lot of playing time without production.

For example, LaPorta’s career stats (.237 batting average, 697 OPS) are better than what Shelley Duncan is doing this season, .208, 649 OPS). Wouldn’t you give the former a legitimate chance to play LF, 1B, and DH?

Instead, he was sent back to Columbus today.

This is not to suggest that LaPorta is the answer to the Tribe’s right-handed hitting woes. It is merely to suggest he may be a better alternative than Duncan right now.

The Hannahan situation could be resolved by playing him at first base and shelving the Kotchman experiment. We are now 60 games into the season, and the veteran glove man is still hitting .215 with a 605 OPS.

Why not let Chisenhall play third regularly with Hannahan at 1B, and give Lopez some at bats at DH?

Hannahan is a good glove and should be able to do a solid job defensively at the other corner.

Again, we aren’t saying this move would vault the Tribe to the best record in the AL, but shouldn’t the manager be thinking of ways to put the best lineup on the field?

Remember, we had to watch a month of Orlando Cabrera hitting like a pitcher last season, while Cord Phelps couldn’t play more than one day in a row.

It’s alright for a manager to have guys he can turn to when the going gets tough, but stifling the development of young players at the expense of average players isn’t good for the organization.

Looking for Right Handed Bats?

As the baseball season approaches the middle of June, it looks more and more that the American League Central Division is very much up for grabs, meaning the Cleveland Indians have as good a shot as any team.

Right now, the pitching has been the biggest problem, ranking 12th in the league in ERA, but if recent outings by Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson are any indication of the future, that area may take care of itself.

Jimenez has begun to throw strikes, throwing 13-2/3 innings in his last two starts, walking just one batter. Keep in mind, prior to those two outings, he led all AL pitchers in allowing bases on balls. Clearly, whatever Scott Radinsky worked on in delaying the big righty before these starts worked.

Masterson hasn’t received any run support, but has pitched well in his last two efforts, allowing just 4 earned runs in 13 innings.

If these two have turned the corner, it means the biggest need for the Tribe is a right-handed stick.

It doesn’t figure that the Indians are going to get Albert Pujols, or someone of that ilk. In order to figure out who may be available, the first thing to look at is who has fallen out of contention.

A quick look at the standings show three teams currently more than 10 games out of first place, and all three are in the National League: Chicago, Colorado, and San Diego.

The next thing to look at is the players contract situation. It’s unlikely a team will deal someone with a reasonable deal for a short-term. That’s why the Josh Willingham trade rumors don’t make sense, unless the Twins can get a boatload of high level prospects.

Looking at the Cubs’ roster, the name that stands out is Alfonso Soriano, now 36-years-old, but with two more full seasons on a bloated contract. The more a team assumes dollar wise, the less they will have to give up in terms of prospects.

Soriano isn’t a high batting average or on base percentage guy (lifetime .274, but hasn’t hit that high since 2008), but he does hit for power, with ten straight 20 home run campaigns. And he looks like he’s on his way to an 11th with 12 HR’s this season.

It’s unlikely the Indians would want to add those kind of dollars for 2013 and 2014, but remember Travis Hafner’s deal comes off the books at the end of this season. Oh, and Soriano happens to play LF, a gaping, sucking hole for Cleveland.

A lower cost option from Chicago could be OF Reed Johnson, who can play all three OF spots. He’s a lifetime .283 hitter, whose average against lefties is .310 for his career with an 823 OPS. He would fit in nicely as a platoon player.

The Rockies don’t look like a good fit for the Indians, because the guys they might be looking to deal are left-handed hitters (Todd Helton, Jason Giambi) or in Michael Cuddyer’s case, just recently signed.

The Padres have two intriguing possibilities in OF Carlos Quentin (formerly of the White Sox) and utility OF Chris Denorfia.

Quentin, 29, is signed to a one year deal, and has had the Tribe’s interest before. Then GM Mark Shapiro tried to get him from Arizona after the 2007 season when he was eventually dealt to the White Sox.

In 2008, Quentin was a legitimate MVP candidate until he broke his hand late in the year against the Indians.

He has belted 2o home runs every year since that 2008 campaign, and although he doesn’t hit for a great average (.255 lifetime), he gets on base good enough via walks and getting hit by pitches (he’s been hit at least 15 times in each of the last four years).

Denorfia can play all three OF spots and is a lifetime .274 hitter (743 OPS). However, against left-handers, he’s a .306 hitter with a 798 OPS. He’s another guy who could fit in a platoon situation.

What can the Tribe give up? They do have good organizational depth in the bullpen and the middle infield. They won’t consider dealing last year’s first round pick and top prospect SS Francisco Lindor, but they do have two players at Class A Carolina in Tony Wolters and Ronny Rodriguez who have good futures.

And don’t forget 2B Cord Phelps, who continues to put up solid AAA numbers, but is blocked by Jason Kipnis.

More teams will drop out of contention by the end of July as the trading deadline nears. But if GM Chris Antonetti wants help right away, he can find some nice possibilities on the three teams mentioned here.