Tribe Spending Spree? Not Really

One of the great myth’s surrounding the Cleveland Indians is that they conducted a huge spending spree this off-season.

According the Baseball Reference.com, the Indians spent $66.5 million on salaries last season, and right now are projected to have a payroll of $73.8 million in 2013.

That figure would still be the lowest in the AL Central Division, and only Tampa Bay, Oakland, and Houston would have lower payrolls this season.

To be fair, that figure includes only 14 players, but rest of the 40 man roster won’t cost the team a lot of moolah because most of those guys will be paid the major league minimum or a split contract which pays them less in they aren’t in the major leagues.

The only player who remains unsigned that will make more than $2 million per year is probably INF Mike Aviles.

That isn’t to say you have to spend cash to win, just look at the A’s, who won the AL Western Division and only paid $50 million in player salaries, and the Rays won more than 90 games last year with a comparable figure.

GM Chris Antonetti might be able to pull off a contending team in 2013, but it won’t be because the Dolan family opened up the purse strings. He is not spending a heck of a lot more than he did on a squad that won 68 games a year ago.

Yes, the team did spend big dollars on free agent OF Nick Swisher, but it isn’t much more than they were paying Travis Hafner the past few years. The difference is that Swisher will likely be in the lineup more often.

The Indians also signed two other free agents, 1B Mark Reynolds and P Brett Myers, but they shed the contracts of Shin-Soo Choo (traded to Cincinnati) and Roberto Hernandez (released).

Antonetti has said there won’t be more free agent signings this winter because he has spent pretty much the cash allocated to him by ownership for player salaries.

This means there wasn’t intent to spend a great deal more in 2013, but the money will be spent wisely, meaning to players who will be productive.

However, we have maintained that there is no reason the Indians should not have an $80 million payroll, meaning they should be able to spend another $5 million for another player, preferably a starting pitcher.

Because the Tribe needs to start spring training with Ubaldo Jimenez as the fifth starter.

Right now, Terry Francona goes into camp with two reliable starters, Justin Masterson and newcomer Brett Myers.

Zack McAllister showed promise last season, but he’s pitched in the big leagues for a half of a season. Trevor Bauer is one of the game’s prime prospects, but has made four major league starts. Carlos Carrasco is coming off of Tommy John surgery.

Corey Kluber and David Huff are, well, Corey Kluber and David Huff.

Which brings us to Jimenez. You can flip a coin on what kind of performance you will get out of him on a nightly basis.

And if you are interested in winning this season, and to be sure, Francona wants to, you can’t have a pitcher like that in the top three of your rotation.

Here’s hoping the ownership gives Antonetti a little bit more cash to get the payroll where it should be, so he can obtain another starter.

That would do a lot for fans that still look at this organization with a jaundiced eye.

Tribe Front Office Can’t Rest Yet

Compared to the recent past off-seasons, the Cleveland Indians have been extremely busy this winter, but they can’t stop there.

There are still a couple of holes to fill if the Tribe wants to contend for an AL Central Division title in 2013.

They still need one more bat and one more starting pitcher.

The hitter is needed because although the lineup is improved from last year by signing Mark Reynolds to replace Casey Kotchman, and getting Drew Stubbs to take the place of the hodge-podge of people who played in leftfield a year ago.

Still, both of those guys aren’t the most stable options in the world and would only be viewed as an upgrade in Cleveland. Also, keep in mind the Indians need a DH as well.

Reynolds has averaged 33 home runs a year in his five full seasons in the major leagues, but his total dropped off by 14 last year (37 to 23), although he played in 20 last games.

Add in the fact that he strikes out excessively and he’s hit over .250 only twice in six big league seasons, and the front office should recognize that there is a possibility that Reynolds could hit .220 with 20 HRs this season.

While that would be better than Kotchman, it would still rank near the bottom in terms of production among all AL first basemen.

As for Stubbs, had GM Chris Antonetti acquired him after the 2010 season, it would be viewed much more favorably. That year, Stubbs hit .255 with 22 HR, 77 RBI and a 773 OPS. At age 25, the hope was he would be improving on those numbers as he approached his prime.

However, the outfielder’s number have declined since then, dropping to a .213 average with 14 HR, 40 RBI, and a 610 OPS.

The question has to be whether or not Stubbs can reverse his career in Cleveland, although he will do so in a less favorable hitters’ park than the one in Cincinnati.

So Antonetti should be working on some contingency plans at both spots as well as finding a DH. It doesn’t make anyone warm and fuzzy than the possibilities is replacing Reynolds with Lou Marson, moving Carlos Santana to first base, or moving Nick Swisher to first and playing someone like Tim Fedroff in RF.

As for Stubbs, you would be looking at someone such as Ezequiel Carrera replacing him in the batting order.

On the mound, we would all feel more comfortable if the starting rotation still wasn’t relying on Ubaldo Jimenez.

Right now, Jimenez is slotting in the #2 or #3 spot along with Justin Masterson and Brett Myers, with Carlos Carrasco, Zack McAllister, and Trevor Bauer among others competing for the last two spots to open the season.

The way Jimenez pitched since coming to Cleveland, it would be better if Antonetti picked up another reliable starting pitcher, sliding the inconsistent right-hander to the fourth or fifth spot in the rotation.

Perhaps new pitching coach Mickey Calloway and Terry Francona can straighten out Jimenez’ seemingly horrible mechanics and get him to be more consistent. Until proof of that exists, you have to assume that the righty will continue to be up and down more than an elevator.

The Indians have to have better than that from a top of the rotation starter if they want to contend. If Ubaldo is in the #4 or #5 slot and he doesn’t pitch effectively, it’s not a huge problem. Right now the Tribe is too dependent on Jimenez for their success.

It is doubtful that Antonetti is sitting on what he has done this off-season, still it would be nice to do something before spring training convenes in a month, rather than during the exhibition season when the price could be higher.

Tribe Adds Grit This Off-Season

One of the overlooked aspects of the last time the Cleveland Indians made the post-season was the value of the veteran leadership provided by Trot Nixon.

Nixon hit just .251 on the season with 3 HR and 31 RBIs, but he provided a winning attitude since we was a key player on many winning teams with the Boston Red Sox. He didn’t play much after GM Mark Shapiro picked up Kenny Lofton for the stretch drive, but Lofton was another veteran who played on a ton of winning teams throughout his career, most of those being the Indians of the late 90’s.

Since then, the Indians have tried to pick up veterans for leadership but most of them haven’t been able to produce enough to stay on the field, and if they can’t be in the lineup, it is tough to provide guidance for the young players. Look at Orlando Cabrera in 2011, early in the year he provided some big hits and the team won.

However, as the season went on, Cabrera became a problem both offensively and defensively and it was getting difficult for Manny Acta to keep writing his name in the lineup. He was traded to the Giants at the deadline and wasn’t on a big league roster in 2012.

This year, Chris Antonetti has acquired three players who have some grit and can provide leadership and another guy who plays with a little swagger.

Nick Swisher was the plum of the off-season moves by Antonetti, a player who plays everyday and puts up around 25 HR and 80 RBIs on a yearly basis. He also plays with a joy and toughness, something badly needed by a team who has appeared emotionless in recent years, a reflection of the calm hand provided by Acta.

It has been said that Swisher’s enthusiasm was a key addition to a stale Yankee clubhouse when he went there in 2009 and it resulted in the only World Championship for the Bronx Bombers since 2000. He reminded the corporate Yankees that baseball was a game and it was supposed to be fun.

It’s a trait that should be welcome in the Cleveland locker room this season. His personality showed through in the press conference introducing him to the local media.

Brett Myers is another addition with experience on a winner, appearing in three post-seasons with the Phillies from 2007-09. He has been a starter in a World Series game. Put that together with six seasons of throwing 200 innings and he provides help in two areas for the Tribe.

He can give a fairly young pitching staff some leadership and he also gives the Indians a starting pitcher who can soak up innings and pitch deep into games. And he has a lifetime ERA of 4.28 as a starter.

He throws strikes, with a strikeout to walk ratio of over 2 to 1, and allows around a hit per inning for his career. Those are solid numbers.

An under the radar pick up by Antonetti is INF Mike Aviles, who has been a productive big league hitter when given limited at bats. He’s a career .277 hitter with a 715 OPS, but his numbers were dragged down a bit by last season when he played everyday for the first time. He was a .286 hitter with Kansas City (734 OPS).

Aviles struck us as a player with a chip on his shoulder when playing for the Royals. He flipped his bat when homering against the Indians with Kansas City, it was a galling act considering he never hit more than 13 dingers in a season.

However, when he plays for your team, it’s the kind of attitude you like to see. Here’s hoping he brings the same edge to the Indians.

Every move made by the Tribe this off-season has improved the ball club in terms of production, with the exception of swapping Shin-Soo Choo for Swisher which is a break even move.

But these moves have also provided the 2013 Indians with a winning attitude, a ‘tude that starts with the new manager, Terry Francona. The Indians who take the field this coming April won’t make excuses. They will expect to win every game.

Tribe Takes a Good Risk in Choo Trade

When the rumors of Shin-Soo Choo being traded to Cincinnati for OF Drew Stubbs and minor league SS Didi Gregorius started yesterday, our immediate reaction was a sickening feeling.

Trading one of the team’s best hitters, even though he would be a free agent at the end of the year, for a minor leaguer (when your farm system is loaded with prospects at that position) and another strikeout machine with a low batting average, isn’t very attractive.

However, dealing Choo for a potential big time starting pitcher is a good move.

Getting Trevor Bauer, Arizona’s top pitching prospect, a guy who is among the top ten prospects in all of baseball, for a player who wasn’t going to be with the Indians after 2013 has to be considered a win for GM Chris Antonetti.

In order to get back to the top of the AL Central, the Tribe needs to improve their starting pitching, and getting one of the best prospects in the game has to be viewed favorably.

And it was done without trading SS Asdrubal Cabrera, which had been rumored over the last month.

Bauer will be 22 next season and last year went 12-2 between AA and AAA with a 2.42 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 130 innings. He did make four big league starts, going 1-2 with a 6.06 ERA.

That’s what you call a small sample though.

Antonetti also received a couple of hard throwing bullpen guys in Mitch Albers and Bryan Shaw to increase depth in the relief corps. Perhaps one of those two or a guy like Joe Smith can be used in another trade.

The other players the Tribe gave up were superfluous. Jason Donald never looked to be more than a platoon player and his best defensive position was 2B. He was stuck behind newcomer Mike Aviles anyway.

Tony Sipp was a key part of the Indians bullpen the past few years, but with Nick Hagadone and Scott Barnes on the roster, he was a candidate to be moved.

And Lars Anderson was a throw in.

Do the Indians still have work to do? Of course. The loss of Choo leaves a huge void in an offense that already struggled to score runs last season. Stubbs and his low batting average (he hit .214 last year) and ton of strikeouts, doesn’t come near to replacing him.

They also still could use a proven starting pitcher to go along with Justin Masterson. That would put Carlos Carrasco, Ubaldo Jimenez and Bauer in the mix to be the fourth and fifth guys in the rotation to start the year.

Meaning Jimenez could be expendable.

As for Cabrera, the trade rumors that swirled around him at the winter meetings may have been the Indians sending him a message.

The past two seasons, he has either came to spring training heavy or gained weight during the season. The organization may have been telling him to get his act together, and Terry Francona may be saying it is time to realize his talent.

It is doubtful the Tribe will deal him now, because that would mean having to find two good offensive players to replace him and Choo.

Forget about Stubbs, if can figure out how to make contact, he will be an asset. He is an excellent defensive outfielder and can steal a base if he can get to first.

His lack of contact, as well as that of Mark Reynolds, who figures to be the Indians’ first baseman will not help the offense. Although the Tribe did need a guy who can score a run with one swing of the bat.

If Reynolds can hit 30 HRs, he will help. But make no mistake, he’s an all or nothing hitter. If he’s hitting in the 7-8-9 spot, that’s okay.

The reason to be excited about this deal is getting a potential ace like Bauer. The Indians haven’t been able to draft a top of the rotation pitcher since C.C. Sabathia.

They may have got one yesterday for a player who was going to leave after next season.

No Moves Mean No Tickets Sold

The Cleveland Indians’ front office has been so inert in recent years; they are starting to get credit for doing anything.

So, the fact they are talking about trades and/or signing free agents at the winter meeting is making some fans happy.

That’s setting the bar very, very low.

First of all, they should be making moves to help the team win, that is their job. However, that’s not good enough either. They should be making good moves to improve the ballclub. Making the wrong move is worse than no move at all.

You hear this from some fans and even some in the media about the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. They say you have to give the front office credit for taking a risk.

We didn’t like the trade at the time because GM Chris Antonetti gave up his top two pitching prospects (and three in the top ten organizationally) and didn’t get a true ace in return. You have to get a #1 starter if you are doing that, and to this point, Jimenez has been a bust.

Here’s hoping new pitching coach Mickey Calloway can straighten him out because he doesn’t have sound mechanics.

We read similar comments about the Indians’ offer to free agent OF Shane Victorino, which was reportedly four years totaling $44 million.

This would have been a bad contract, so why give the front office credit? Victorino is 32 years old coming off a poor season, and over the past two years has been a poor hitter against right-handed pitchers.

Unless of course, the front office was saving face because they knew there was no way the outfielder was going to take their offer.

Since the Indians claim they can’t spend a lot on payroll, a contract like the one they offered to Victorino would come back to bite them.

There was excitement regarding a possible megadeal involved Cleveland, Arizona, Texas and one other team in which the Indians would be dealing SS Asdrubal Cabrera and received three or four (depending on the report) major league ready prospects.

That deal or a form of it may occur down the line, but at this point Cabrera is still an Indians.

Cleveland is also believed to be in on free agent OF Nick Swisher, but so are other teams.

So basically, the Indians haven’t done anything thus far to improve their team. And then they wonder why they have a problem selling tickets and generating interest.

Any buzz created around a professional franchise has to be created in the off-season, and right now, less than three weeks before Christmas; the Indians have done nothing except hiring Terry Francona as manager to make anyone think anything has changed.

And managers do not sell tickets.

Again, this is not to say that Antonetti should make a move just to say he did something. That’s not enough. But he hasn’t done a darn thing to show fans, which buy the tickets, that this is a team to come down and watch.

Is it too much to ask the Indians’ management to make moves that will help the franchise in 2013 and not hamstring it for the future?

No. That’s their job. They are supposed to be experts in evaluating talent and deciding what fair market value is.

Now there is still time to make some moves to improve the 2013 edition of the Cleveland Indians. It’s just a little disappointing that nothing has happened as of yet. If the team wants some ticket buying momentum in the gift giving season, they need to do something sooner rather than later.

Dreaming of Stanton in Tribe Uniform

As baseball enters their annual winter meetings this week, the Cleveland Indians are said to be shopping most of their best players.

Shin-Soo Choo is on the market because he will be a free agent at the end of the 2013 season and his agent is Scott Boras, who almost always takes his clients to the free market.

Chris Perez is on the block because he’s due a big raise in arbitration, and is arguably the team’s biggest trading chip. If there is any strength in the organization it is in the relief pitching department, and the front office may just feel they can fill a few holes by dealing Perez, and they have options to replace him.

And Asdrubal Cabrera is said to be likely to be moved because he plays a premium position and there is a shortage of shortstop available. GM Chris Antonetti may want to maximize Cabrera’s value right now.

All of these players have one thing in common, they are due to make a lot of cash.

Even though the Dolan family is reportedly set to sell SportsTime Ohio to Fox for a reported $200 million, it doesn’t look like any of that money is going into the baseball operation.

If the Indians want to add payroll, they certainly have plenty of options. The free agent market has spiraled out of control once again with players like B. J. Upton getting $15 million per year and .211 hitting Russell Martin getting $8.5 million a season.

So the smart play would be to take on some cash in a trade or wait for the initial wave of free agency to pass and see what kind of value is out there.

If they want to make a big splash, there is one player out there that the Indians should make a bona-fide offer on, and that is Marlins’ OF Giancarlo Stanton.

At last year’s trading deadline, there was some discussion in the media about dealing the Tribe’s top prospect SS Francisco Lindor. We were against this because if you are going to deal a talent like him, you have to get a player who is still on the way up and has plenty of time under Cleveland’s control.

Stanton is that guy. For one, he just turned 23 years old last month, meaning he will play the entire ’13 campaign at that age.

He also will not be a free agent until after the 2017 season, meaning the Indians would control him for five more seasons. Add to both of those bits of information the fact that he is an out-and-out stud, with already 93 big league home runs.

He led the National League in slugging percentage last season at .608. He’s not a product of his ball park either. His home and road splits are virtually the same.

As good as Lindor can be, if he has to be the centerpiece of a deal to get Giancarlo Stanton, then so be it.

Following the 2007 season, the Marlins were shopping a young right-handed hitter named Miguel Cabrera. We thought he was the closest thing to Manny Ramirez that would come around in a long time, and said the Tribe should go out and get him. They didn’t and look how it has worked out for the Tigers.

He has won two home run titles, two RBI crowns, and two batting titles since going to the Motor City. And Detroit has been to the playoffs two straight years.

Because it’s the Indians, it is likely a dream, but if the front office wanted to get people excited about baseball in this city once again, they would start a conversation with Miami. It may be a long time until another hitter like Giancarlo Stanton could be available.

Tribe Doesn’t Need Rebuild.

The 2012 baseball season ended just two weeks ago, and already the Cleveland Indians are worrying us in terms of next year’s season.

Why? Because there are many indications that GM Chris Antonetti is prepared to do another total rebuild. The Indians will point to the success the Oakland A’s had this year in using that tactic, but really, how often does dealing for a bunch of prospect have an impact the very next season?

If it happened all the time, then everyone would do it.

This thought comes from the rumors that the Tribe is taking offers on SS Asdrubal Cabrera, OF Shin-Soo Choo, SP Justin Masterson, and closer Chris Perez.

Sounds again like the front office is giving up on 2013, much the same as they gave up on the 2010 season when they dealt Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee at the trading deadline.

Enough is enough.

While certainly the Indians should look at dealing a couple of those guys, most notably Perez, to try to fill some holes, trading all of them makes long time fans think of the 1970’s and 1980’s when the Indians routinely traded their best players.

That list is as long as your arm.

If Antonetti is going to go down that path, he has to get major league ready players, not guys who won’t be contributors in Cleveland until 2014 or 2015.

Also, Oakland’s rebuild was helped significantly by going out and signing Cuban free agent Yoenis Cespedes to a big contract. In a normal year, by that meaning no Mike Trout, Cespedes would have been the AL Rookie of the Year.

How many people think the Dolans will make a big financial commitment to anyone?

So far this winter, the Indians had a chance to get either Ervin Santana or Dan Haren from the Angels for basically a one-year contract. It would have been a lot of cash, but for one year, why not?

At the end of the season, most people agreed that the Indians had some solid young players, like Cabrera, Michael Brantley, Carlos Santana, and Jason Kipnis. Why not add to those guys and try to win now?

The desire to trade Choo is understandable. He will probably be looking for a four or five-year deal, and since the outfielder is 30 years old, that might be pushing it. A three-year deal would work for the Indians, but his agent Scott Boras is sure to want more.

Masterson has shown to be no better than a #3 starter, too inconsistent to be a staff ace. If you can fill one of your holes at LF or 1B by dealing him, it may be worth it.

And we’ve discussed the organizational depth in the bullpen as a reason for dealing Perez.

But trading all of them and include Cabrera as well seems like a total rebuild.

The Indians would then need a first baseman, shortstop, left fielder, right fielder, designated hitter, and three starting pitchers.

Would you buy tickets to watch that?

Instead, why not get 1B/3B/DH Kevin Youkilis for a two-year deal, sign Joe Blanton as a starting pitcher, and trade one of four rumored to be dealt for more pitching and/or a LF?

That way, you have a chance to win next year without being on the hook for a bunch of crazy contracts.

It’s not as though the Cleveland Indians have a lot of age on the roster. So why not build on the talent already there.

Tribe Trade Is A Good First Step

The Cleveland Indians made their first move of the off-season on Saturday, dealing reliever Esmil Rogers to Toronto for infielder Mike Aviles and C/INF Yan Gomes.

Although Rogers was pretty effective for the Tribe since coming over from Colorado on waivers during the season, and may have been a closer option should the team trade Chris Perez in the off-season, it was a good move for GM Chris Antonetti, and an aggressive move at that.

If the Indians have any depth in their organization it is in the bullpen where they have several young arms ready to move up to the major leagues.

We have said the Tribe needs to get better with every move they make this off-season, and they did so with this move.

The 2012 edition of the Indians did not have a legitimate utility infielder to give SS Asdrubal Cabrera or 2B Jason Kipnis a day off. This took its toll after the all-star break when both were running on fumes and were producing.

Aviles, who will be 32 at the beginning of next season, is a legitimate major leaguer with a .277 lifetime batting average. However, last year was his first year with over 500 at bats and his hitting suffered, with his average dipping to .250.

So it appears he would be solid in a reverse role. He can hit lefties, with a lifetime .295 batting average and 797 OPS.

If the plan is to trade Cabrera and use Aviles everyday at short as a stop-gap until Francisco Lindor is ready, then it is not a good plan.

Aviles is not regarding as a good defensive shortstop and has a lower range factor than Cabrera did in 2012.

Still, the veteran is a better stick than Jack Hannahan and Brent Lillibridge, so the Indians are better after the deal than they were before, and that’s exactly what the front office needs to do.

Gomes is another right-handed hitter, which means perhaps the organization has come off the all left-handed hitter theory they embraced last season. He’s a corner infield guy who can also catch, meaning he’s a good bench player. And he has some pop in his bat, hitting four home runs in 111 big league at bats.

He hit .328 at Las Vegas last season, but the Pacific Coast League is a notorious hitters circuit and Vegas is one of the chief reasons for that reputation. From his minor league numbers, he looks like a free swinger. So he will likely open the season at Columbus and provide organizational depth.

After a slow hot stove season last winter, the Indians took a step toward addressing one of their weaknesses very quickly after the 2012 season ended. They should get kudos for doing that and for the move they made here.

Hopefully, this is the first move in a busy winter for Antonetti. And we also hope he is working very closely with Terry Francona to assemble a roster that the manager wants.

It feels like in recent years that the manager and front office weren’t on the same page when it came to who should be on the roster and get playing time.

Building some roster depth was needed, but the Tribe still needs a 1B, LF, and a DH or a catcher if Carlos Santana is moved to fill one of those other needs, as well as a couple of starting pitchers.

It may be that Francona has brought the sense of urgency that has been lacking since the Ubaldo Jimenez trade in July 2011.

That might be the new skipper’s biggest impact of all.

Tribe Needs to Change, Not Overhaul

The rumors about the Cleveland Indians’ off-season are starting to fly fast and furious.

MLB Network contributor Jon Heyman reported that the Dolan family is growing disenchanted with manager Manny Acta, leading to speculation that he will be dismissed.

Another report has the Tribe willing to trade players such as Asdrubal Cabrera, Shin-Soo Choo, Justin Masterson, and Chris Perez.

Sound like a total rebuilding effort, doesn’t it? Wonder how that will play with a fan base already angry by this season’s turn of events.

Then again, it has also been reported that because people don’t show up at Progressive Field, the front office doesn’t feel the need to make major changes in the off-season.

Nice, huh?

The Indians don’t need to destroy everything this winter, but they do need to make major changes, particularly in the pitching staff.

In regards to trading Cabrera and Choo, GM Chris Antonetti (or whoever will hold that title) would basically be dealing their best two offensive players.

And if you do that, you must replace both of them with equally talented players if you plan on contending next season. Therefore, it makes no sense to trade either player, although the organization is scared silly about Choo’s impending free agency.

With Lonnie Chisenhall looking like he’s ready to assume the hot corner, the Indians need to get a solid right-handed bat to play 1B or LF, and they will have improved the offense greatly.

Part of the problem this season was the five decent hitters the team has hit in the top five spots in the batting order. A couple would get on base, and the dreadful sticks in the 6-7-8-9 slots would come up and make outs.

That why a good team needs at least seven good hitters in the lineup. The Tribe does need to add some power, because you need to score every once in a while by getting one hit, a home run.

As for the pitching staff, the bullpen should be fine, even if you trade Chris Perez, but not because he blasted management, but because you have Vinnie Pestano, who can close.

The one area the Cleveland farm system has some prospects in relief pitching with guys like Scott Barnes, C.C. Lee, Cody Allen, Tyler Sturdevant, etc. ready to help the big league club.

As for the starting rotation, keep Zack McAllister and feel free to get rid of everyone else.

Justin Masterson has a good arm, but doesn’t have the demeanor to be a top of the rotation starter. Ubaldo Jimenez has a $6 million option for next year, but you can get someone more reliable than him for that money.

Roberto Hernandez? Goodbye.

Jeanmar Gomez and Cory Kluber can compete for spots in the ’13 rotation at spring training. But you have to go out and get at least one proven arm and more prospects.

And hope than Carlos Carrasco can come back from Tommy John surgery.

That’s where the GM should concentrate his efforts. The Indians rank last in the AL in ERA, a major reason for why they are where they are.

The other thing that must change is the total passiveness of the organization. Some players deserve patience, such as Chisenhall.

If he hitting .230 in the middle of May, the manager has to keep writing his name in the lineup.

If a borderline veteran isn’t doing the job, he has to be replaced instead of carrying them around all season long.

It may seem crazy to say this after the incredible losing skein the Indians have been on, but they do not need a total rebuild.

The pitching staff is in need of dire repair, but other than that, it’s the philosophy of the organization that needs the biggest facelift.

They have to stop being afraid. They need to get over their fear of young players, big contacts, and aggressiveness.

Until that happens and they upgrade the talent, firing Manny Acta will have little or no effect.

What the Dolans Should Do

The end of this baseball season can’t come soon enough, and it seems insane to keep going over the inadequacies of the current roster any more.

It’s starting to feel like piling on to mention that Casey Kotchman, Jack Hannahan, and Shelley Duncan stink. Oops, we did it again!

And since the people who run the franchise don’t feel any urgency to address the future of the franchise, we decided to fill a suggestion box and tell the ownership what they should be doing.

First, changes must be made in the upper reaches of the organization. At least two of the big three (Mark Shapiro, Chris Antonetti, and Manny Acta) have to be replaced.

And we don’t care how coveted Antonetti was several years ago. He completely messed up the off-season, particularly not giving Josh Willingham a third year, and giving Grady Sizemore $5 million to take a year off.

Bring in a new GM who has experience with a successful mid market team. Perhaps he can shed a fresh perspective on the way teams like the Indians have to operate.

Of course, that GM will want to hire a new manager. Let him. Although Acta is a small part of the blame this season, he’s not a difference maker. Right now, this young team needs someone who will be a disciplinarian, an old school type of guy.

That type of skipper doesn’t last long, and isn’t the type of guy hired by the Indians in a long time, but for the next couple of years, it would be the correct choice.

The next thing they have to do is raise the payroll. Again, no knowledgeable fan thinks the Tribe can have a payroll of $150 million. However, $85 million should be well within the Indians’ means.

That would mean a whole lot of money for the new GM to spend after the Travis Hafner settlement is reached.

It would also mean a competitive offer can be made to arguably the Tribe’s best player, Shin-Soo Choo. A nice 3-year deal at $10-11 million per year should work.

It would also allow the Indians to get a quality starting pitcher and a right-handed bat that it desperately needs.

The higher payroll commitment would stop the trolling for low risk, high reward free agents like Kotchman. The players the team signs are available after Christmas for a reason, no one wants them, at least good teams don’t want them.

It will also eliminate the need to keep these marginal players on the Opening Day roster at the expense of younger players. For example, the Indians should have handed Lonnie Chisenhall the 3B job from the beginning of camp, and told him it was his job to lose.

The player development department should also be overhauled. Mid market teams need to have a steady flow of talent acquired from the draft. That hasn’t been the case in Cleveland.

In addition, the Indians need to promote players quicker. Yes, Akron may win the Eastern League, but they are doing it with a lot of players who are repeating AA ball for a second year. There isn’t any reason why OF Thomas Neal and C/1B Chun Chen should still be in Akron with the numbers they’ve put up.

And if a guy hasn’t performed in several opportunities, cut him loose. David Huff comes to mind here. If he isn’t an option to help the big league team, then release him.

This is just the beginning of what should be done with the Cleveland Indians going forward.

It may be painful for the Dolan family to do some of these things, but what they are doing now isn’t working.

Changes should start on October 4th. The day after this nightmare season ends.