CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Indians President Paul Dolan met with reporters before today's game with the Twins at Progressive Field to discuss the financial state of the team and what impact that had on the recent trades of Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez and other players.
• Dolan said the Indians will lose $16 million this year despite receiving revenue sharing money from MLB.
The Indians are projecting attendance to be between 1.7 million and 1.8 million. At the start of the year it was projected at 2.2 million.
"When we had the best record in baseball in 2007, that's what we drew (2.2 million)," said Dolan. "That's what we were hoping for if this team got off fast. We felt we could have the kind of success we had in 2007 if this team played up to its potential."
• Dolan said the Indians are not receiving loans from MLB such as the Texas Rangers have received.
"I can't speak for the Texas situation," said Dolan. "I don't know the facts, but I understand there is an extreme situation there.
"On the ranks of financial losers in Major League Baseball, we are high on the list, but we're not in a situation like that one that's being described in Texas."
• Dolan said there are no plans to sell the Indians.
"I get the suggestion to sell the team a few times a day," said Dolan, with a laugh. "We have not changed our plans in anyway."
Dolan, as he's said in the past, would be open to anyone interested in investing in the Indians.
"But we haven't been openly seeking that," he said.
• Dolan said an organizational review will take place at the end of the season to determine whether there will be changes in the coaching staff and front office.
"We will look at everything at the end of the season," said Dolan. "But we have to look at the full body of work. If you look at the last four seasons, we're fifth in the American League in wins, just behind the major markets. That's a significant accomplishment in today's baseball economy.
"If every four or five years we can have a shot at the World Series like we did in 2007. And compete for a playoff spot like we did in 2005, that's as good as it gets in this market.
"That said, I think we've had the talent the last couple of years to do better than we have. We have to understand why. We'll make the changes we need to make to correct those problems."
• Dolan said ownership would be involved if the decision is made to replace manager Eric Wedge, who has one year left on his contract.
• Dolan said the Indians will carefully review the performances of Wedge, his coaching staff, the scouting department and the front office during the offseason.
"Eric and his staff have achieved a lot in their time here," he said. "When he took over in 2003, in essence, it was an expansion franchise. In a short period of time, in baseball terms, he turned it into a competitive team. He and others deserves a lot of credit.
"Despite that, we have not been successful the last few of years with a team that should have been successful. We have to understand why that is. We have to understand that fans need and want to hear a different voice and feel a different approach. We have to balance that as we make our decision in the next couple of months."
• Dolan said the Indians must improve when it comes to acquiring and developing amateur players through the draft and by other means:
"We have a very good farm system," he said. "Could it be better, yes. We've had mixed results bringing in amateur talent. When we talk about reviewing our organization that will be part of the review."
• Dolan expects attendance to go down in 2010 following the Indians performance this year and the trades of Lee, Martinez and other Indians.
"We were going to see a downward trend next year whether we did something or not," he said. "Clearly what we've done here this year will exacerbate the downward trend. By how much I don't know.
"Under no circumstances will it be as great as the financial relief we've achieved by making some of these moves which gives us some financial flexibility (in the future)."
By trading Lee and Martinez, the Indians saved $16 million in club options. Lee had a $9 million option and Martinez a $7 million option for 2010.
• Dolan said fan reaction to the recent trades has been severe. He said it will affect the team's financial health.
"The reality is we were suffering financially before we made these deals," said Dolan. "Given the fact of the team's performance this year, and the fact that if had we stayed put, we would not not been able to go outside the organization to bring in any new talent (for 2010), we would have suffered even greater losses.
"What this is all about is that we have to look longer term. We have to look at 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. . .
"We had advised Mark (Shapiro, general manager) that we could keep the team (before the trades) together for 2010, but the magnitude of the financial situation should we have not succeeded at a high level would have had a negative impact on the team for years to come.
"Now, given the level of talent we've infused into the system, and the financial flexibility we've given ourselves, we have a better chance of being successful in the years to come.
"The fans aren't happy with us now. But they wouldn't have been happy with us in the years to come if we didn't do what we've done now."