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Moves the Indians should make for the 2nd half

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Mott the Hoople

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The Indians remain in 2nd place in the AL Central. IMO that is because of good management and the bullpen, which has become overused because of injuries.
In the big picture the Indians are a flawed team, and not a true contender. If you look at the schedule it's hard for me to see them winning more than 5 more games in the month of July.
But there are some moves that can be made to lay a solid foundation for next season. Here's some ideas:

1. DFA Zimmer. Best of luck to him.
2. Put ARosario in CF. He needs the work there. His future in Cleveland is not at SS.
3. Bring up Gimenez to play SS. Is he a long term answer, or will it be one of the kids?
4. Find a market for Caesar Hernandez. He can be a very valuable player for a contender.
5. Make a commitment to one of the young SP, like Morgan. Keep running him out there, even when the other SP start coming back healthy. Is he ready now? No. But he's learning every start.
 
The Indians remain in 2nd place in the AL Central. IMO that is because of good management and the bullpen, which has become overused because of injuries.
In the big picture the Indians are a flawed team, and not a true contender. If you look at the schedule it's hard for me to see them winning more than 5 more games in the month of July.
But there are some moves that can be made to lay a solid foundation for next season. Here's some ideas:

1. DFA Zimmer. Best of luck to him.
2. Put ARosario in CF. He needs the work there. His future in Cleveland is not at SS.
3. Bring up Gimenez to play SS. Is he a long term answer, or will it be one of the kids?
4. Find a market for Caesar Hernandez. He can be a very valuable player for a contender.
5. Make a commitment to one of the young SP, like Morgan. Keep running him out there, even when the other SP start coming back healthy. Is he ready now? No. But he's learning every start.

For now I know sometime between the All-Star break and the trade deadline we will see some roster changes...

Guys like Zimmer, Mercado won't be traded/taken off the roster unless we have a prospect/player acquired to replace them. They still have their option available so unless we have a legit need for the spot they aren't going anywhere...

Gimenez is a legit call up, so likely you swap him with Mercado...Rosario to CF, Gimenez to SS is a legit move...

Who is Hernandez' replacement if we deal him?(his market would be for a low A player at best with 40ish FV). We would try one of Miller, Clement, Arias there everyday type of thing?

Quantrill is likely to stay in the rotation....Morgan is okay with me staying in the rotation, but I don't think we have seen the last of TMac this season...

Personally at the moment... I'd still go get a Gibson from the Rangers and I suggested the minor league catcher from the Brewers, Henry to add catching depth to the farm/be our 3rd catcher...
 
That's one approach - throw in the towel, trade Hernandez and Eddie Rosario, move Amed to center, put two kids at SS and 2B, and start prepping for '22.

I don't think they're ready to do that and won't do it until it's clear they have no chance of making the playoffs even with Bieber, Civale, and Plesac in the rotation and all the position players except Naylor healthy.

Only five teams will make the A.L. playoffs. The wild card leaders at the moment are Tampa (48-36) and Oakland (49-37). The Indians (42-39) play 10 games against those teams between tonight and July 25, which is five days before the deadline. If the Indians go 4-6 or worse in those games and find themselves 10 games behind these teams on July 25 then I think they'll be sellers for sure, especially since they could save $7 million by trading Cesar and Eddie.
 
That's one approach - throw in the towel, trade Hernandez and Eddie Rosario, move Amed to center, put two kids at SS and 2B, and start prepping for '22.

I don't think they're ready to do that and won't do it until it's clear they have no chance of making the playoffs even with Bieber, Civale, and Plesac in the rotation and all the position players except Naylor healthy.

Only five teams will make the A.L. playoffs. The wild card leaders at the moment are Tampa (48-36) and Oakland (49-37). The Indians (42-39) play 10 games against those teams between tonight and July 25, which is five days before the deadline. If the Indians go 4-6 or worse in those games and find themselves 10 games behind these teams on July 25 then I think they'll be sellers for sure, especially since they could save $7 million by trading Cesar and Eddie.

I actually don't think Eddie will go anywhere, since he is playing well, but I can see Hernandez being moved...
 
The most sensible move is to trade the guys on one year deals and give some ABs and IPs to guys you hope to make an impact in 2022. This team was a reach to compete before the mass injuries to the rotation but with them the damage has just been to severe. It is going to take 93-96 wins to make the single elimination playoff. That is just not feasible.
 
I could see the Tribe adding Nick Wittgren to the pieces they are willing to trade away..
Reading the tea leaves, it sounds like he's already there--and possibly the likeliest player on this roster to get traded. Veteran bullpen arm that we don't really need or care to hang on to--but might have value to a contender.
 
That's one approach - throw in the towel, trade Hernandez and Eddie Rosario, move Amed to center, put two kids at SS and 2B, and start prepping for '22.

I don't think they're ready to do that and won't do it until it's clear they have no chance of making the playoffs even with Bieber, Civale, and Plesac in the rotation and all the position players except Naylor healthy.

Only five teams will make the A.L. playoffs. The wild card leaders at the moment are Tampa (48-36) and Oakland (49-37). The Indians (42-39) play 10 games against those teams between tonight and July 25, which is five days before the deadline. If the Indians go 4-6 or worse in those games and find themselves 10 games behind these teams on July 25 then I think they'll be sellers for sure, especially since they could save $7 million by trading Cesar and Eddie.
That towell was thrown in on November 5th of 2020.. it was then that the final decision to "not compete" in 2021 was sealed with the notion and announcement that Francisco Lindor would be made available for trade.. Clevinger.. Bauer.. Kluber were already gone.. Santana = history.. More exits followed including and most importantly to the question, Carlos Carrasco.. The flowing red ink and lack of truly ml ready depth in the minor league system said.. the 2021 season is going to be a lean year..

At the halfway point of the 2021 season.. the Indians are clinging to a nearly .500 record (slightly above).. That is a wonderful result given the talent and situation within the division.. a division that is being ruled by a club that was fortold. as early as the fall of 2019, as the team that would be the class of the division in 2021.. a notion that was scoffed at due to the lack of pitching, btw..

...and suggesting there was a question about throwing in the towell.. just doesn't make a lot of sense.. that towell had the reds, yellows, oranges and browning leaves of late autumn laying on top.. having the chances to compete removed from the real world..

.. this reality.. engendered opinions and suggestions that had at its core a fear of just how deep the reload / rebuild was going to be.. Some posters were able to see the truth !! It was clear, and beyond any reasonable doubt that this was the time that the best players be considered for trade while holding out hope for the barest of chances to compete. The long term competitiveness and the short term belief that this team could compete in 2021 was at odds..

This desire to compete was, of course, from a narrow and desperate perspective.. The presence of others, aghast at the idea that a fatted calf was going to be traded.. pronounced that all of these guys need to be kept for the express purpose of competing.. or wait for some time in the future.. but while still under team control.. [shrug] A one year regrouping was the desperate hope.. imho..

thoughts?...
 
Some of the above, if imagined as a narration by John Facenda, is still silly.:chuckle: ...the reds, the yellows. hehe
 
Amed has been a better player this year than Frankie and CC has yet to throw a pitch for the Mets. The Lindor trade actually made us better this year, especially since the savings allowed us to sign Cesar and Eddie. I don't think they were throwing in the towel because they included Amed in the deal. You could argue that it was Lindor and CC for Amed, Gimenez, Eddie, Cesar, and a couple of prospects.

If they throw in the towel it will be due to starting pitcher injuries. If not for that I think we would be right there with the White Sox.
 
Amed has been a better player this year than Frankie and CC has yet to throw a pitch for the Mets. The Lindor trade actually made us better this year, especially since the savings allowed us to sign Cesar and Eddie. I don't think they were throwing in the towel because they included Amed in the deal. You could argue that it was Lindor and CC for Amed, Gimenez, Eddie, Cesar, and a couple of prospects.

If they throw in the towel it will be due to starting pitcher injuries. If not for that I think we would be right there with the White Sox.
Wham, I agree with you 100%.
 
This desire to compete was, of course, from a narrow and desperate perspective.. The presence of others, aghast at the idea that a fatted calf was going to be traded.. pronounced that all of these guys need to be kept for the express purpose of competing.. or wait for some time in the future.. but while still under team control.. [shrug] A one year regrouping was the desperate hope.. imho..

thoughts?...
JRam? Fat? That's harsh.
 
Full on re-build. Jose for top prospects.

This core is not a good enough to win a championship at all… Move your best players cause they will not be here when the next window opens but those players you get in return might open that window sooner…
 

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