Cleveland Indians Offseason News, Notes, and Rumors

[Steve_424]

Sizemore with two bad knees still seems faster than Brantley, as sad as that is.

I don't particularly want either player leading off.

Over the past two years, Brantley has 23 bases in 30 attempts. Over the same time, Sizemore has 4 steals in 8 attempts. Sizemore had 0 steals in 71 games last season.

Sizemore isn't a factor on the basepaths anymore. Brantley is at least a little bit of one. I'll take Brantley.

 

[Huber.]

Bye Thome

what would Philadelphia want with Thome?

 

[AZ_]

I'm just hoping Brantley's fall was because of the wrist injury and not just a sign of the league adjusting.

Unless he can get his OBP up to the .350+ range, he doesn't hit for enough power or have enough speed to be a factor in this league.

 

[Nom]

I'm just hoping Brantley's fall was because of the wrist injury and not just a sign of the league adjusting.

Unless he can get his OBP up to the .350+ range, he doesn't hit for enough power or have enough speed to be a factor in this league.

Brantley is such a strange case - when you watch his individual at bats, he seems to be the perfect OBP guy. He fouls off a lot of pitches, he has long at bats, he appears to have a good eye -

But it never translates into getting on base a ton.

I agree that I hope this has all been due to injuries - but I was hoping the same thing about LaPorta before last season, too.

 

[macbdog]

Brantley is such a strange case - when you watch his individual at bats, he seems to be the perfect OBP guy. He fouls off a lot of pitches, he has long at bats, he appears to have a good eye -

But it never translates into getting on base a ton.

I agree that I hope this has all been due to injuries - but I was hoping the same thing about LaPorta before last season, too.

Brantley is just about at 1000 ABs- a benchmark of sorts for your hitters, usually by that point you know what they are capable of at the bigleague level. Injuries or not, Brantley is going to have to come out of the gate hot if he is to not only take a starting job but keep his place on the team. He either wins the LF job or you wonder if they should send him down- Zeke Carrera is much better suited to be the club's 4th OFer. Brantley does some good things in his ABs, but that has to translate into results at this point. He also has to be able to steal 25-30 bases, and I just don't see that ability in him anymore. The pop has to develop.

 

[Nom]

Brantley is just about at 1000 ABs- a benchmark of sorts for your hitters, usually by that point you know what they are capable of at the bigleague level. Injuries or not, Brantley is going to have to come out of the gate hot if he is to not only take a starting job but keep his place on the team. He either wins the LF job or you wonder if they should send him down- Zeke Carrera is much better suited to be the club's 4th OFer. Brantley does some good things in his ABs, but that has to translate into results at this point. He also has to be able to steal 25-30 bases, and I just don't see that ability in him anymore. The pop has to develop.

Agreed about Brantley.

He is a fan favorite, but his supposed strengths (speed, defense, OBP) haven't translated to the majors. When you add on the fact that he hits for very little power - he actually provides very little value in LF.

I don't understand how he was billed as a guy with plus defense and speed coming up. That is normally something that doesn't just disappear. A LF with little power who doesn't steal many bases and doesn't get on base is more or less useless.

And it really handcuffs this team. If Brantley were able to play a solid CF and provide some speed, we wouldn't need to go get a CF or make a tough decision and pick-up Grady's option.

 

[bigjmac0815]

what would Philadelphia want with Thome?

Howard will be out for a part of the season and Philly would need a bat plus to help get Thome his championship ring

 

[macbdog]

Howard will be out for a part of the season and Philly would need a bat plus to help get Thome his championship ring

Jim Thome hasn't played in the field in 4 years, and in the two years prior, played in a grand total of 28 innings. Thome isn't going to be filling in at 1B for the Phillies. What he would be is a pinch hitter and, if this realignment thing goes through and the Astros switch for next year, then he becomes a DH for the AL games. If Jim Thome is ready for really, really part-time duty, then he signs with the Phillies. If he still wants to play on any regular basis, he has to find an AL team. Unless the Tribe somehow finds a spot on the roster for him- not sure how they carry two DHs- I just hope he retires.

 

[AZ_]

Howard will be out for a part of the season and Philly would need a bat plus to help get Thome his championship ring

Uh yea...Jim Thome is not playing 1B for the Phillies.

I think that much is set in stone.

 

[DougHeil]

Over the past two years, Brantley has 23 bases in 30 attempts. Over the same time, Sizemore has 4 steals in 8 attempts. Sizemore had 0 steals in 71 games last season.

Sizemore isn't a factor on the basepaths anymore. Brantley is at least a little bit of one. I'll take Brantley.

I'm not getting the doubt about Brantley in here. This kid is 24 years old. 24. Twenty-Four Y e a r s O l d. I think he originally hurt his wrist in June. He played with it for a long time. It coincided with his decline at the plate. You can't swing the bat with a hurt wrist that needs surgery.

He's 24. 24. 24.

I personally don't know what's not to like? The Indians don't understand the doubt either because you can be assured Michael Brantley is going to start in LF or in CF. Period.

 

[DougHeil]

The Indians now have one more full day to make decisions on Carmona and Sizemore. They probably need it.

 

[macbdog]

I'm not getting the doubt about Brantley in here. This kid is 24 years old. 24. Twenty-Four Y e a r s O l d. I think he originally hurt his wrist in June. He played with it for a long time. It coincided with his decline at the plate. You can't swing the bat with a hurt wrist that needs surgery.

He's 24. 24. 24.

I personally don't know what's not to like? The Indians don't understand the doubt either because you can be assured Michael Brantley is going to start in LF or in CF. Period.

Well, while Brantley's wrist was hurt it didn't explain his inability to steal bases. It also doesn't explain his lack of improvement on defense- something that goes back to his minorleague days. As a slap hitter with little power, he absolutely has to find a 'plus', or at least be good in a couple other areas- and he is not. He needed to make improvements to stay in CF since his days in A ball and he hasn't done it.

The wrist may explain his hitting woes, it may not- we can only go by his actual production. Unless he comes back from this wrist injury with at least enough pop to keep pitchers honest then he will continue to be a mediocre-at-best hitter. I hope he does great in spring training and takes a starting spot, I really do- but I think the Tribe would be foolish to hand him LF. I think a signing of a 1B and having him and LaPorta split LF would be a good place to start.

 

[Steve_424]

I'm not getting the doubt about Brantley in here. This kid is 24 years old. 24. Twenty-Four Y e a r s O l d. I think he originally hurt his wrist in June. He played with it for a long time. It coincided with his decline at the plate. You can't swing the bat with a hurt wrist that needs surgery.

He's 24. 24. 24.

I personally don't know what's not to like? The Indians don't understand the doubt either because you can be assured Michael Brantley is going to start in LF or in CF. Period.

Brantley in May and June (Pre-Injury): 188 AB, 29 R, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 20 BB, 26 SO, 7 SB, 2 CS, .354 OBP, .409 SLG, .763 OPS

Brantley June through August (After Initial Injury): 263 AB, 34 R, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 14 BB, 50 SO, 6 SB, 3 CS, .292 OBP, .365 SLG

 

[MoFlo]

Hey, anybody know how old Michael Brantley is?

 

[DougHeil]

Hey, anybody know how old Michael Brantley is?

T w e n t y - F o u r .

24. Years. Old. 24.

Born = May 15th, 1987
Arbitration Eligible = 2014
Free Agent eligible = 2017

We have this kid for another 6 seasons. He's making the minimum of 411K through 2014.

What's not to like?