Tribe’s Tale of Bullpen Woes

The Cleveland Indians have one of the best records in Major League Baseball, currently sitting at 56-41 on the season.

That mark is one game behind the Baltimore Orioles for the best mark in the AL.

You have to wonder what people would be thinking about the Tribe if not for the bullpen problems that have plagued them this season.

Here is the list of games where the relief corps have failed Terry Francona–

Game #4, April 9th: White Sox 7, Indians 3. Yan Gomes’ 7th inning home run off Chris Sale gave the Tribe a 3-2 lead. Bryan Shaw gave up three hits to plate two runs, and then gave up a three run homer to Avisail Garcia.

Game #13, April 21st: Mariners 10, Indians 7. Mike Napoli’s dramatic two out, two run homer tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, but Cody Allen walked two in the top of the tenth, before allowing a three run jack to Robinson Cano.

Game #17, April 25th: Twins 4, Indians 3. Gomes’ homered in the 8th tied the game at 3, before Zach McAllister served up a solo shot to Oswaldo Arcia to lead off the bottom of the ninth.

Game #18, April 26th: Twins 6, Indians 5. Another homer, this one by Napoli with two out in the top of the ninth, tied it up, only to see Allen give up three hits (a caught stealing helped), the last the game winner by Miguel Sano.

Game #20, April 29th: Phillies 4, Indians 3. Tribe had a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth before the Phils tied it off Corey Kluber. But Ryan Howard clubbed a leadoff HR in the 11th off of Allen.

Game #21, April 30th: Phillies 4, Indians 3. No dramatics here, but the Tribe battled back to tie the game in the 5th at 3, but Tommy Hunter in his Cleveland debut, gave up a leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt, and a two out hit and wound up the loser.

Game #31, May 11th: Astros 5, Indians 3. Cleveland tied it up at three in the top of the ninth on Carlos Santana’s one out triple, but the Tribe couldn’t push him across. They lost in the 16th on a Marwin Gonzalez home run off of Cody Anderson.

Game #46, May 27th: Orioles 6, Indians 4. This one was tied at three going into the top of the seventh, when with one out, McAllister gave up back to back doubles and then a home run to Mark Trumbo.

Game #48, May 29th: Orioles 6, Indians 4. Tied at four in the top of the 7th, Jeff Manship gave up a long ball to Hyun Soo Kim, his first big league HR.

Game #61, June 11th: Angels 4, Indians 3. Stymied for eight innings by Matt Shoemaker, the Indians tied it with three in the ninth, with Tyler Naquin’s single evening this one up. Shaw allowed a leadoff hit, sac bunt, walk, and a game winning single to Yunel Escobar.

Game #64, June 14th: Royals 3, Indians 2. Josh Tomlin turned a 2-1 lead to Shaw after seven innings, but the reliever gave up a hit and a dinger to Salvador Perez.

Game #80, July 2nd: Blue Jays 9, Indians 6. Tribe was looking to extend their winning streak to 15 and carried a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the 7th, when Dan Otero gave up a HR to Josh Donaldson to tie it, and Toronto scored three in the 8th off Otero and Hunter.

Game #90, July 16th: Twins 5, Indians 4. Trevor Bauer carried a 4-2 lead into the 7th and had thrown over 100 pitches, but Francona wanted to squeeze one more inning out of him. He allowed a hit and a walk, and Manship and Otero allowed them to score. The winning run came in the 11th on an error.

Game #92, July 18th: Royals 7, Indians 3. Corey Kluber carried a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but Shaw gave up three straight hits to allow KC to tie it, then walked two more. Manship came up and gave up a grand slam homer.

Game #97, July 24th: Orioles 5, Indians 3. Trailing 3-2 in the 8th, the Tribe tied it on a Napoli single, but Allen gave up a two run bomb in the bottom of the ninth.

Look, we aren’t saying the Indians should have won every one of these games, that’s ridiculous. But, they’ve lost a bunch of games where they had the lead or were tied after six innings.

Too many to ignore. Had they won just half of these games, their record would be 63-34, the best in the game by plenty. That’s how good this team is.

That’s why they need to get help for the bullpen going down the stretch. You simply cannot give up leads in the post-season. You can only lose two games in the Division Series, and three games in the Championship and World Series.

When you get a lead late, you have to finish the deal.

Tribe Can’t Mortgage Future Either

It is funny to listen to fans of the Cleveland Indians these days.

Granted, 68 years of waiting for another World Series title will make you irrational and downright crazy, especially when the franchise is poised to make such a run this season.

This is particularly true in terms of the July 31st trading deadline. There are many people willing to give up prospects, and a lot of them, to get a piece guaranteeing a spot in the Fall Classic.

But baseball doesn’t work that way. In fact, there is no move out there that will cement the American League pennant this season. That’s the nature of the game.

The farm system is deep enough to move one or two prospects for players who can help this season, without a doubt.

Remember, though, there were people who wanted the Indians to trade Francisco Lindor in 2013 to make a run at the post-season. The front office (and us, patting ourselves on the back) saw his special talent and realized he shouldn’t be moved.

We see the same short-sighted thinking in terms of the major league roster, particularly when it comes to Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis.

Since both players have contributed greatly to the success of this year’s edition of the Tribe, we are already hearing media and fans alike talking about extensions for both players. Usually around a three year deal.

This would be a horrific mistake.

Napoli has made himself a big part of the Tribe clubhouse, and is having his best season since 2013. And that’s terrific, but he’s also 34 years old and will turn 35 on Halloween.

A three year deal, which would probably cost the Indians over $10 million per season, would have the first baseman/DH in Cleveland through his age 37 season.

If he has his 2014 season (.248, 17 HR, 55 RBI, 789 OPS), do you want to pay $10-12 million for that? Neither does the Cleveland front office.

The same applies to Davis, who will turn 36 years old sometime during the post-season (October 19th). Davis has probably played more than the brass thought when they signed him last winter, but he has also helped in a big way.

He has already achieved a career high in home runs (9) and should also reach a career high in walks (he has 23 now, his high is 29).

If either player were willing to sign another one year deal, with a club option for a second season, we would do that, but after the solid 2016 seasons they’ve had, our guess is someone will give them a better contract than that.

Remember, the Tribe’s core is Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis, and Lindor, with players like Clint Frazier, Bradley Zimmer, Yandy Diaz, etc. on the way.

The Indians could be set for another long run at the top of the AL Central Division, just like the one in the 1990’s. It doesn’t make sense to be hampered by some bad contracts.

The smart move for Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff is to find a couple of other players in similar situations to Napoli and Davis this off-season, and give them one year deals. It’s simply a less risky proposition for the front office.

If the powers that be on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario play their cards right, they will be a contender perhaps through the end of the decade.

Fans can’t think about that, but the management has to.

Tribe Offense Has Been Big Surprise Due To Long Ball

Without a doubt, the biggest surprise for the Cleveland Indians this season has been the offense.

Everyone expected the pitching staff to excel, based on the Tribe having the best rotation in the American League, and perhaps the best in all of baseball. The bullpen could use some help, but for the most part, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen have done a solid job in the back of the ‘pen.

They haven’t disappointed either, as the staff has the lowest ERA in the AL.

There were many who expected the offense to struggle, and had those who thought this known that Michael Brantley was going to play in just 11 of Cleveland’s first 94 games, it would’ve have been felt it was too much for the pitching staff to overcome.

The reason for the surprise is simply this–the Tribe has found the long ball.

Last season, the Indians finished 13th in the American League in home runs, led by Carlos Santana with 19.

Only four other Indians hit more than 10 dingers: Brantley and Brandon Moss (traded in July) hit 15, and Yan Gomes and Francisco Lindor hit a dozen each.

That’s it.

Turn the calendar to 2016, and things are drastically different.

The Indians are 5th in the junior circuit in home runs and the power is dispersed throughout the lineup.

You have Mike Napoli leading the way with 22 bombs, waging a seemingly day to day battle with Carlos Santana for the club lead. The latter has already topped his ’15 total by belting 21 homers this season.

Jason Kipnis is closing in on his career high of 17 home runs, and his next one will tie that mark. And Lindor and rookie surprise Tyler Naquin have each hit 12 circuit clouts.

Rajai Davis is poised to join the double figure club sitting at nine, and Juan Uribe and Lonnie Chisenhall should also hit more than 10 before the year is out.

Last season, the champion Royals based their offense on an up and down the lineup attack which featured six players with OPS of over 800 in their lineup.

The 2015 Indians had just three in Kipnis, Brantley, and Lindor, who didn’t join the team until the middle of June. Against left-handed pitchers, Ryan Raburn was added to the lineup.

That’s why the offense sputtered. There were too many inconsistencies in the hitting on a night to night basis.

This year, it’s the Indians who have the ability to keep pressure on the opponent’s pitchers throughout the lineup. Napoli, Kipnis, Lindor, Naquin, Chisenhall, and Santana all exceed 800 OPS.

That’s a solid lineup that Terry Francona puts out there every day.

We also shouldn’t lose the fact that runs scored are up around baseball this year, and it does make teams with good pitching stand out. When run scoring is down in the sport, everyone has good pitching numbers.

It gives the Tribe a bigger advantage against the teams they are competing with in the American League and throughout baseball.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to add another bat before next Sunday. There is nothing wrong with making a strong unit even stronger.

The Indians need bullpen help, so they are looking to make their pitching better, so why not make the hitting better as well.

With a seven game lead in the division, the goal isn’t making the playoffs, it should be giving the Tribe the best chance it can have to win the World Series.

That’s a realistic goal. Right now!

Last Night Reminds You Tribe Needs Help.

The Cleveland Indians have a comfortable 6-1/2 game lead in the American League Central Division, yet last night’s contest was one of the most frustrating in recent weeks.

The Tribe had a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the 7th inning against the Twins when some curious decisions were made, albeit some of them by the constraints of the roster.

Trevor Bauer wasn’t sharp in the six innings he worked and gave up a run on back-to-back two out hits in the last frame he worked. He was also over 100 pitches for the night.

But Terry Francona sent him back out for the seventh, even though the Tribe is coming off the All Star break and the bullpen is rested.

Based on what happened in the inning, it looks like Tito and Mickey Callaway wanted Bauer to pitch to Joe Mauer, because as we all know, Cleveland doesn’t have a lefty in the bullpen right now.

Bauer gave up a deflected single to the leadoff hitter, Edwardo Nunez, and then walked Mauer to put the tying run on base with no one out.

Our question would be why not have Jeff Manship or Dan Otero come in and start the inning clean. As it was, Manship was victimized by a error by Carlos Santana, and gave up a single to Brian Dozier to tie up the game.

Otero came in and got out of the two on, nobody out situation without any more runs scoring.

Our point is since Bauer wasn’t sharp, he should’ve called it a night after six innings of work. And this isn’t a second guess, we are stunned he came out for the seventh.

Not that T.J. House was setting the world on fire (he allowed six hits in 2-1/3 innings), but you need a southpaw in the bullpen. Francona got burned in the Yankee series bringing in Otero to face Brett Gardner with a 5-3 lead, only to see the slap hitter bang a three run triple to give New York a lead.

And that the Twins tied the game made Francona use Bryan Shaw for two innings on the second night of back-to- back appearances, meaning he likely cannot be used today.

The next odd decision came in the bottom of the 7th, with a man on first and two outs, when Francona sent Erik Gonzalez to the plate in his first major league at bat in a tie game and a runner on first, over Tyler Naquin, who had two hits on the night, and if 5 for 20 in his limited at bats vs. lefties.

Yes, Fernando Abad, the Twins’ reliever is tough on left handed hitters, but why take the bat out of Naquin’s hands in favor of a rookie in his first career at bat in the bigs?

If Tito would have had Juan Uribe on the bench and used him in that situation, there is no question. We would have had less of a quizzical expression had he used Abraham Almonte there. But Gonzalez?

Again, this is why the Indians need bullpen help.

They don’t have a reliable lefty to get tough left-handed hitters out. They also need more people that Francona trusts, because he clearly doesn’t want to use anyone but Allen, Shaw, Otero, and Manship in high leverage situations.

It is incumbent for Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff to do something quick. The Indians don’t want to give the Tigers or Royals any hope of getting back into the race for the division title.

Why Tribe Can’t Stand Pat

The second half of the baseball season starts tomorrow night, and the Cleveland Indians are in good position to make the playoffs.

They have a 6-1/2 game lead in the American League Central Division and after they return from the trip they start tomorrow, they will play 39 of their last 65 contests at Progressive Field.

So, the question is does the Tribe need to make a move before the July 31st trading deadline? After all, they lead the AL in ERA and rank third in the league in runs scored per game.

Don’t they have enough on the current roster to win the division? Isn’t Michael Brantley getting ready to come back, giving the team an added bat?

The reason is simply this…president Chris Antonetti, GM Mike Chernoff, and skipper Terry Francona cannot assume that everything that went well in the first half is going to continue after the All Star break.

Jose Ramirez has been arguably the team’s most valuable player in the first half, filling in for Brantley and hitting .295 with a 769 OPS. His prior career high in these categories is .262 with a 646 OPS.

Now, Ramirez is just 23 years old and is improving day by day as he should be, but what if he wears down because this is the most he’s played at the big league level?

Tyler Naquin was a solid hitter in the minors, but what he has done at the big league level is eye popping. He has a 965 OPS and 21 extra base hits in 159 at bats. Even the most ardent supporter of the rookie can’t think that’s going to continue.

Lonnie Chisenhall is 27 years old now and should be entering the prime of his career. He entered the break hitting .299 with a 819 OPS, both highs for his time in the bigs.

He has had hot streaks like this before, though. In 2014, Chisenhall was hitting .332 with 9 HR and 41 RBI in the first half of the year. After that, he hit .218 with an OPS of 591.

You have to have an alternative if this happens again. We aren’t saying it will, but you have to be ready.

Rajai Davis (35 years old) and Mike Napoli (34) have been huge for the Indians in the first half, but Francona has leaned on them a lot, probably more than he planned going into the season, but Brantley’s injury and the suspensions of Abraham Almonte and Marlon Byrd changed those plans.

The front office has to be prepared for a possible fall off in production from that duo.

And while Brantley should be back by at latest the beginning of August, there is no telling if he will hit like the guy who finished 3rd in the MVP voting in 2014. There may be a period of adjustment or he may wind up being 75%. Still a solid player, but not producing like normal.

Look, we aren’t saying all of these players will decline in the second half, but a good front office has to anticipate that things will go wrong. Getting another bat will allow Francona to give some players a rest and that player could be plugged in if someone regresses after the break.

And it never hurts to upgrade your bullpen, but that has been addressed before.

Yes, the Indians have good chemistry and have a very good team. However, you can still make it better.

The Tribe needs to do everything it can to win the division and avoid the dreaded, one game wild card playoff.

That’s why you make a move. It may just put you in the World Series.

Tribe Needs To Get Better…At Accomodating Crowds.

The Cleveland Indians have a growing problem.

No, it’s not a willingness to improve their team, which currently resides at the top of the American League Central Division, although the issue is a result of their success.

The problem has to do with attendance, and we aren’t complaining about the club’s rank among major league teams in getting fans to show up.

The current homestand has seen a sellout on Monday, the fourth of July, and a crowd of 24,000 plus for a noon start on Wednesday. This weekend’s four game set against the Yankees promises more large crowds at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

Who could have figured that winning baseball is the best marketing plan?

The problem is handling these larger crowds. It doesn’t seem like Progressive Field is equipped to accommodate the growing throngs of people who want to be part of Indians’ baseball.

Keep in mind that the ballpark holds approximately 8,000 people less than it did two years ago, and when 42,000 fans regularly showed up at then Jacobs Field, there didn’t seem to be the problems there are today.

Maybe our memory betrays us, but that is our perspective.

At the games we have attended over the last month or so, we have noticed long lines waiting to get in the park, and we have confirmed with several other fans that this is not unusual.

If you arrive at the park at least a half an hour before the game starts, or any event for that matter, you should be able to be in your seat by the time the contest starts. We don’t believe that is in unreasonable request.

The lines getting into Progressive Field 15-20 minutes before the first pitch should be a concern to the front office. They simply have to have a better way to get people in the seats.

Once in the stadium, we have noticed restroom doors locked and poor staffing at concession stands. The latter means standing in line 15-20 minutes to get something to eat or drink. That’s unacceptable.

The Indians are finally getting good crowds going to Progressive Field, and they must improve the customer service.

Fans shouldn’t be expected to have to arrive an hour before a game begins in order to be in their seats when the first inning begins.

After this homestand, the Tribe will be on the road again because of the Republican Convention and won’t return until July 26th. This gives them plenty of time to fix the problem.

Because in our estimation, the crowds are going to continue to increase as the season progresses because the Indians are a very good team.

Our guess is that there will be more attendance figures over 20,000 the rest of the year, than there will be smaller crowds than that figure.

In fact, for many games, they would probably be able to sell more than 34,000 tickets, something we thought about when they put the storage containers in the right field upper deck.

What the organization doesn’t need is fans finally deciding to go to an Indians’ game, and having a bad experience due to standing in lines for extended periods.

The front office has done the hard part. They’ve put a team on the field that people want to see. Now, they have to make sure fans can be in their seats to watch it.

Tribe Not A Secret In Cleveland Anymore

The Cleveland Indians will hit the halfway point of the 2016 Major League Baseball season today in Toronto on pace for either 98 or 100 wins for the year.

And although we did predict them to win the American League Central Division title, even we didn’t think they would be this good.

Moreover, the Tribe’s club record 14 game winning streak has not only drawn attention to them nationally, but also within northeast Ohio, where they were becoming an afterthought to the Browns and the world champion Cavaliers.

We were at the Hard Rock Casino Friday evening, and when Francisco Lindor fielded the last grounder in the bottom of the 19th inning and threw to first for the out, a cheer went up throughout the venue.

Yes, people in this area are excited about the Indians.

While everyone figured the pitching staff would perform well, and it has, ranking 1st in the AL in ERA by a pretty good margin, the Indians have also scored a lot of runs, 6th in the Junior Circuit in scoring per game.

How? That’s a mystery based on the other offensive stats.

Cleveland is 10th in on base percentage, 6th in slugging, and 6th in OPS. They are 8th in batting average.

They have used their speed though, leading the league in stolen bases and triples.

They also have the most sacrifice flies and the fourth least runners left on base, meaning they have made the most of their opportunities to score runs.

That’s something you have to wonder will hold up in the second half, and that’s why many experts think the Indians need to get another hitter at the trade deadline.

While that would be nice, the back end of the bullpen is a concern too.

Bryan Shaw has been in 37 games and Cody Allen in 34. The next most games appeared in by a Cleveland reliever is 28 by Zack McAllister.

It is obvious that Terry Francona only has confidence in the first two pitchers listed and both of those guys have flaws.

Shaw is prone to giving up long balls (7 homers in 31-2/3 innings), and Allen has control issues (17 walks in 34 innings).

For those who say it is not a big deal, bringing Bryan Shaw into a one run game is a nail biter. He gives up a dinger, and it’s a tie game.

As for Allen, the walks mean he pitches himself into trouble more than he should. That’s something you can’t have in a pennant race or in the playoffs.

McAllister has been a disaster recently, so much so that Francona doesn’t use him in high leverage situations anymore. He can’t throw anything but a fastball for a strike. We know it, and so do big league hitters. There is no reason to look for anything but a heater facing the big right-hander.

We would start using Dan Otero and/or Joba Chamberlain with more regularity in close games to see if they can handle the load. But, we all know about Tito’s loyalty to those who have performed in the past.

Making a move for top flight relief pitcher would enable Allen to pitch the eighth inning and leave the 7th for Shaw.

The Tribe doesn’t need to shorten games like Kansas City because their starters are much better than the Royals, but it would make the bullpen as lethal of a weapon as the rotation.

The front office is anticipating large crowds during this week’s homestand after a 22-6 record in June and a six game lead in the division.

Who knew that winning would be the best marketing plan?

And don’t forget that after the convention leaves town, the Indians will be home for long stretches in August and September. The way the Tribe plays at Progressive Field this season, that’s a huge advantage.

But the front office can’t stand pat, and we don’t think they will. They know this is one of baseball’s best team this season.

Right Now? No Complaints

The month of June was certainly a wonderful month for the city of Cleveland.

The Cleveland Cavaliers broke the 52 year drought for the city without a major league sports championship. The whole area partied like never before, and citizens still have a collective smile on their face that may not be wiped off for a long time.

Or at least until the Browns start playing.

And the Indians have gone 21-6 during the month, and currently are riding a 12 game winning streak, one game away from tying the franchise record.

They have stamped themselves as one of the best teams in the American League.

So, right now, there is nothing to complain about with the Cleveland sports scene, and if you can come up with something, you are probably nit-picking.

Sure, some people continue to bring up the Cavaliers possibly trading Kevin Love, but that seems to be more about those people not understanding that Love has sacrificed his scoring for the good of the team.

Also, if you are going to move Love, don’t you have to get somebody better than him? We understand the usual mentality here is a bunch of average players is greater than one all-star player, but for the most part, the players who are better than Kevin Love in the NBA, aren’t being traded by their teams.

There isn’t even any angst about LeBron James leaving the Cavs after opting out of his contract this week. James has publicly stated he is returning to defend the championship, and his agent told people a year ago that he would be opting out of his contracts in 2015 and 2016 to maximize his earning capabilities.

We feel confident also, that the front office will do everything it can do to keep JR Smith on the roster, and Matthew Dellavedova too, unless another team breaks the bank for him.

Do we have concerns about the Indians’ bullpen? Yes, but we’ve discussed this before and with the starting pitchers giving Terry Francona at least seven innings on most nights recently, it’s become less of a factor.

Dead roster spots for the Tribe? Outside of Tito’s obsession with having eight relievers, many of whom sit around in the bullpen eating sunflower seeds, getting paid to watch games, you really can’t complain about someone being on the roster who shouldn’t be.

The club’s 25th man, Michael Martinez, has proved very useful and has actually mixed in some key hits and supplied good defense at several positions. He’s a lifetime .200 hitter, but is hitting .290 with the Indians in limited at bats.

The Browns are a month away from opening training camp and OTA’s are over, so there isn’t anything to worry about there for the time being. Hue Jackson seems to be giving young players, who Mike Pettine seemed to ignore, a new life.

There actually seems like the new front office has a plan in place to get better using young guys, instead of mixing in fading veterans in an attempt to win a few games to stay relevant into November.

It’s good to be a Cleveland sports fan right now. Today.

We are sure something will irritate us soon. That’s the nature of sports.

If Tribe Makes A Deal, They Have Depth in System

The hottest team in baseball resides right here in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians have rolled off 10 straight wins, and currently sit atop the American League Central Division by five games over the Kansas City Royals.

There shouldn’t be any doubt that president Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff should be sellers when the major league trade deadline hits at the end of July.

What should the Indians be focusing on?

Many people want Cleveland to get a bat, believing the offensive surge that has occurred over the last month is not sustainable.

We believe the focus should be on the bullpen, because Terry Francona seems to trust only Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen when he has a lead late in games, and both of those guys have some warts that are troublesome.

Shaw has been prone to the long ball, and Allen goes through periods where he struggles to throw strikes.

As a result, Francona is letting his starters go longer into games than normal, something may not be a big deal one or two times through the rotation, but if the Indians are going to make a run in the post season, they need to monitor the workload of the starting pitchers.

We have already seen Tito and Mickey Callaway push back Danny Salazar earlier in the month, and Corey Kluber got an extra day as well.

Most of the speculation regarding getting help either in the bullpen and/or in the lineup centers on giving up prospects, as that is what most teams are looking for.

If you are going to push to go deep into the playoffs, you can’t deal people currently on the roster. You need to add to the squad, not move people around.

So, eliminate the speculation on dealing Trevor Bauer and Lonnie Chisenhall. Tyler Naquin may be expendable, because he could still get sent back to minors when Abraham Almonte is activated.

We wouldn’t do that, but the Indians might.

So, what prospects are expendable?

If the Indians are going to make a big splash, they would like have to give up one of their two prime outfield prospects, Bradley Zimmer or Clint Frazier. Right now, Frazier is the brighter star, having a better season in Akron.

The other guy people talk about is Bobby Bradley, the slugging first baseman at Class A Lynchburg. Bradley has contact issues, but when he connects, the ball goes a long, long way. The talent evaluators with the Tribe have to decide whether or not Bradley will ever be more than the next Russell Branyan.

If they don’t think so, he could be a very popular piece in making a major move.

The Tribe also has some starting pitching in reserve, guys who could contribute to a major league team as early as next year.

We’ve already seen Mike Clevinger, but there is also Adam Plutko, Ryan Merritt, Shawn Morimando, and in the lower levels of the minors, you have Julian Merryweather and Justus Sheffield.

And don’t forget C Francisco Mejia, just promoted to Lynchburg and the Tribe’s representative in The Futures’ Game.

If the Indians receive a player they would control for 2017 and perhaps 2018, they may be willing to move a top line prospect. However, it would be very difficult to move Zimmer and Frazier, two guys who could be starters as early as next year, for a two month rental.

The farm system is finally producing, and if the Indians play it right, they could be the team to beat in the Central Division for the next 4-5 seasons.

Besides the prospects, they have Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez, both under 23-years-old playing everyday.

Antonetti and Chernoff have plenty of ammunition to go out and get an impact player without giving up on the future.

They can deal from organization depth. It’s been a long time since the Indians could say that.

Does Tribe Have MLB’s Best Pitching?

Lost in the championship fever that has stuck Cleveland and northeast Ohio is the possibility that another of our major league teams can make a post-season appearance.

That would be the Cleveland Indians, who have won six straight overall, 11 consecutive games at Progressive Field, and currently sit three games ahead of the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central Division.

The Tribe is led by their pitching staff, which leads the American League in ERA at 3.57.

Do the Indians have the best pitching in baseball? You can make a case they do.

Cleveland’s ERA would rank 6th in the National League, but you have to take into account that AL teams score more than their Senior Circuit counterparts by an average of .15 runs per contest.

However, you also have to figure in the ball parks that each of the five NL teams play in.

This season, Progressive Field is the second best hitters park in the major leagues, behind only the thin air in Colorado at Coors Field.

So, the Tribe hurlers are compiling that low ERA playing half of their games in the best hitters yard in baseball that rests close to sea level.

The five NL teams with lower team ERA’s are the Cubs, Mets, Dodgers, Nationals, and Giants.

The best offensive yard of those teams is AT & T Park in San Francisco, and it ranks 17th in favoring offense. Remember, there are 30 major league teams, so they are in the bottom half of that category.

Wrigley Field has a reputation as a great hitters’ yard, but the wind must be blowing in so far this season, because it ranks 26th.

Citi Field (Mets) is 18th, Nationals Park is 22nd, and Dodger Stadium is ahead of only Tropicana Field in Tampa in promoting offense.

What would the Indians ERA be if they didn’t play in a hitter’s park? Their ERA on the road this season is 3.47.

That figure is better than San Francisco (3.56) and Los Angeles’ (3.80) figure on the road, and virtually the same as Washington’s (3.46).

This means the Cubs and Mets aren’t just pitching great at home in pitcher friendly stadiums, they are doing it on the road too.

The factor that favors the Indians is that 10 of the parks favoring batters are in the American League, the only “pitchers’ parks” in the Junior Circuit are Tampa, Oakland, Seattle, Houston, and Chicago.

By the way, the only surprise there in US Cellular in the Windy City. The NL shocker is Cincinnati, which we call “Great American Bandbox”.

So, perhaps the Indians don’t have the best pitching staff in the majors, but it’s pretty fair to say they are definitely in the top three.

And that’s with some bullpen issues that raise their heads occasionally. Remember, the Tribe has lost eight games that they were tied or led after six innings, and dropped three others where they tied it up after trailing after six.

If they had won half of those games, the Indians would be 47-24 today, and have a commanding lead in the division.

That’s why we feel the biggest need for this team at the deadline is another arm in the bullpen that Terry Francona trusts.

As Tito often says, when you think you have enough pitching, you go out and get a little more.