The 2014 Cleveland Indians

[Huber.]

I'm expecting a letdown season like 2008

Well then it wouldn't be a letdown season then would it?

 

[BimboColesHair]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Indians have informed RHP Aaron Harang that he will not be on Opening Day roster. He can opt out of his contract on Monday.</p>&mdash; Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBastian/statuses/447777251883360256">March 23, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Looks like its down to Bauer, Carrasco, and Tomlin for the last starter job

 

[Anglefan]

The 2008 season actually was a letdown though. That team should have been the best in the league, if not all of baseball. This is still pretty much just an average team.

 

[Derek]

The 2008 season actually was a letdown though. That team should have been the best in the league, if not all of baseball. This is still pretty much just an average team.

Not sure how you can say this team is average. Our line up is well above average, and our pitching staff has shown the ability to be above average as well.

 

[macbdog]

The 2008 season actually was a letdown though. That team should have been the best in the league, if not all of baseball. This is still pretty much just an average team.

So if it looks like an average team, then you feel they will do worse than .500? Because if thfinish at .500, and that is what you think they are... then how is it a letdown?

 

[Anglefan]

I said it wouldn't be a letdown. That was my point.

It was about a .500 team last year that had some luck and it's about the same team this year. I think the offense will be better, the starting pitching will be a little worse, and the bullpen will be a little better. This team can be better than last year's team and still finish .500. I expect a low to mid 80s win total and with a little luck they can compete for a playoff spot again (and the division).

 

[davedugan43]

Wow man. Some serious skepticism in here.

 

[Derek]

I said it wouldn't be a letdown. That was my point.

It was about a .500 team last year that had some luck and it's about the same team this year. I think the offense will be better, the starting pitching will be a little worse, and the bullpen will be a little better. This team can be better than last year's team and still finish .500. I expect a low to mid 80s win total and with a little luck they can compete for a playoff spot again (and the division).

If the hitting is better, the starters are only a little worse, and the bullpen is better then how does this team go backwards in wins? I agree that this is probably a mid to high 80s win team, but I don't really see what luck was involved last year. Our run differential reflected our record pretty well.

 

[Steve_424]

I said it wouldn't be a letdown. That was my point.

It was about a .500 team last year that had some luck and it's about the same team this year. I think the offense will be better, the starting pitching will be a little worse, and the bullpen will be a little better. This team can be better than last year's team and still finish .500. I expect a low to mid 80s win total and with a little luck they can compete for a playoff spot again (and the division).

"Some luck" does not equal 11 more wins than you are saying they were good enough to win.

 

[Steve_424]

It’s rare that a pitcher seen by most as front-of-the-rotation quality (and entering his prime years) is willing to accept a contract below market value. Yes, it is still a lot of money. Yes, it will push the payroll up higher. And we’ll be honest - no, attendance probably won’t boost much from the signing. Every long-term contract extension comes with some risk. However with Masterson willing to sign a contract shorter in length, some of that risk is alleviated. It also allows the team, should they choose to, to move on from Masterson in a few years when some of the other younger players sart hitting arbitration. Let’s not forget too that if the team underperforms and the contract becomes one they are simply no longer able to afford, they would surely have plenty of suitors on the trade front.

However, the Cleveland Indians – from the Dolan Family to Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti to Terry Francona and the players themselves – all say the goal is to win a World Series. The pieces are certainly there. Jason Kipnis, Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Carlos Santana, and Vinnie Pestano are all under team control through 2017. Danny Salazar, Michael Brantley, Cody Allen, Yan Gomes, Corey Kluber, and Zach McAllister are locked up under team control even further down the road. The only other soon-to-be free agent is Asdrubal Cabrera, and the Indians have prize prospect Francisco Lindor waiting to take his place next year (or possibly sooner). The missing piece is Masterson, a workhorse who can anchor a staff, a guy you can feel confident rolling with in the biggest games on the biggest stage, the perfect leader of a talented young rotation. Without him the Indians would be relying on a lot of youth – Kluber and McAllister both project as solid middle-of-the-rotation pitchers, Josh Tomlin seems to be more of a fourth or fifth option, and Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer have yet to fulfill potential at this point. Only Danny Salazar has shown flashes of being an ace (and I think he will be), but he still only has eleven games started in the big leagues.

Signing Masterson to an extension will take the Indians out of their comfort zone, but sometimes you need to do that in order to achieve great accomplishments – in this case, building a team good enough to win it all. It’s time for the Indians front office to follow through on their plan that started with bringing in Francona, Swisher, and Bourn to change the culture, the show the players, fans, and Major League Baseball they are serious about winning a World Series.

 

[AZ_]

 

[Anglefan]

If the hitting is better, the starters are only a little worse, and the bullpen is better then how does this team go backwards in wins? I agree that this is probably a mid to high 80s win team, but I don't really see what luck was involved last year. Our run differential reflected our record pretty well.

Not sure if you're serious. I don't even know where to start in explaining all of the different aspects of luck that exist within a single baseball season. Even one single game. There's a reason they play 162 games. I could go on and on and on and on about it.

But the most simple way that they were lucky is the 30-17 record in one run games, which was the second best in baseball (Yankees 30-16). Detroit was 20-26. That's why they were a 100 win team that won 93 games and the Indians were an 85 win team that won 92 games.

 

[Chris]

It’s rare that a pitcher seen by most as front-of-the-rotation quality (and entering his prime years) is willing to accept a contract below market value. Yes, it is still a lot of money. Yes, it will push the payroll up higher. And we’ll be honest - no, attendance probably won’t boost much from the signing. Every long-term contract extension comes with some risk. However with Masterson willing to sign a contract shorter in length, some of that risk is alleviated. It also allows the team, should they choose to, to move on from Masterson in a few years when some of the other younger players sart hitting arbitration. Let’s not forget too that if the team underperforms and the contract becomes one they are simply no longer able to afford, they would surely have plenty of suitors on the trade front.

However, the Cleveland Indians – from the Dolan Family to Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti to Terry Francona and the players themselves – all say the goal is to win a World Series. The pieces are certainly there. Jason Kipnis, Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Carlos Santana, and Vinnie Pestano are all under team control through 2017. Danny Salazar, Michael Brantley, Cody Allen, Yan Gomes, Corey Kluber, and Zach McAllister are locked up under team control even further down the road. The only other soon-to-be free agent is Asdrubal Cabrera, and the Indians have prize prospect Francisco Lindor waiting to take his place next year (or possibly sooner). The missing piece is Masterson, a workhorse who can anchor a staff, a guy you can feel confident rolling with in the biggest games on the biggest stage, the perfect leader of a talented young rotation. Without him the Indians would be relying on a lot of youth – Kluber and McAllister both project as solid middle-of-the-rotation pitchers, Josh Tomlin seems to be more of a fourth or fifth option, and Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer have yet to fulfill potential at this point. Only Danny Salazar has shown flashes of being an ace (and I think he will be), but he still only has eleven games started in the big leagues.

Signing Masterson to an extension will take the Indians out of their comfort zone, but sometimes you need to do that in order to achieve great accomplishments – in this case, building a team good enough to win it all. It’s time for the Indians front office to follow through on their plan that started with bringing in Francona, Swisher, and Bourn to change the culture, the show the players, fans, and Major League Baseball they are serious about winning a World Series.

Well said.

 

[MoFlo]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bourn unsure if he'll be ready for opening day. Indians.</p>&mdash; paul hoynes (@hoynsie) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoynsie/statuses/448123985385881601">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>CC Lee and Bryan LaHair's lockers are empty. No official word from Indians.</p>&mdash; paul hoynes (@hoynsie) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoynsie/statuses/448124641538629634">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Trevor Bauer just met with Francona and other staff members. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Indians&amp;src=hash">#Indians</a></p>&mdash; paul hoynes (@hoynsie) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoynsie/statuses/448125364397555712">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bourn just went into meeting with Tito and Antonneti. DL?</p>&mdash; paul hoynes (@hoynsie) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoynsie/statuses/448127109068623873">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Indians have told Justin Sellers he 'll open season at Class AAA and play SS.</p>&mdash; paul hoynes (@hoynsie) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoynsie/statuses/448127497767358464">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Morgan just got called into office. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Indians&amp;src=hash">#Indians</a></p>&mdash; paul hoynes (@hoynsie) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoynsie/statuses/448128586537385984">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Morgan makes Tribe roster. He said Tony Plush does as well.</p>&mdash; paul hoynes (@hoynsie) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoynsie/statuses/448130767848079361">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[AZ_]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>RHP C.C. Lee and RHP Trevor Bauer have been optioned to AAA Columbus.</p>&mdash; Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBastian/statuses/448142978519801856">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>RHP Aaron Harang asked for and was granted his release. He is now a free agent.</p>&mdash; Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBastian/statuses/448143165388644352">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>1B Bryan LaHair, C Luke Carlin &amp; 1B David Cooper have been reassigned to Minor League camp. Carlin will stay on MLB side for now.</p>&mdash; Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBastian/statuses/448143095717040128">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote>
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