2020 Off-Season Rumors/News

[Real Deal]

This is a pretty accurate depiction of what happened.

What’s weird is how, in spite of media talking with fans about the incident, they chose to cover Frankie’s “real ness” about wanting to stay in Cleveland.

I’ve heard $35M/per year over 10 years is the ask, FWIW.

Sounds doable if you can guarantee 30k per game while gaining a bigger TV audience which is possible. Say the Dolans re-sign Lindor, does the full percentage of Dolanz haters run to the season ticket line? If that's the case then I do see a uptick in the franchise's value. 18-22k seems like the ol faithful, of the Dolan's re-sign Lindor and win over the city, I could realistically see another 8k packing the stadium and averages going up to support such a contract. If the Tribe could average 26-30k then I see nothing wrong with $350 million dollar contract. Problem is getting 26k in end of March, all of April, and early May. I totally see 30k+ in the summer.

Re-signing Lindor could make this a baseball town again, with the Browns shitshow, the awful state of the Cavs, a ballzy move by the Dolans could spark a new generation. Then look into some sort of roof, please. Lindor, roof, value could only shoot to the moon.

 

[AZ_]

Sounds doable if you can guarantee 30k per game while gaining a bigger TV audience which is possible. Say the Dolans re-sign Lindor, does the full percentage of Dolanz haters run to the season ticket line? If that's the case then I do see a uptick in the franchise's value. 18-22k seems like the ol faithful, of the Dolan's re-sign Lindor and win over the city, I could realistically see another 8k packing the stadium and averages going up to support such a contract. If the Tribe could average 26-30k then I see nothing wrong with $350 million dollar contract. Problem is getting 26k in end of March, all of April, and early May. I totally see 30k+ in the summer.

Re-signing Lindor could make this a baseball town again, with the Browns shitshow, the awful state of the Cavs, a ballzy move by the Dolans could spark a new generation. Then look into some sort of roof, please. Lindor, roof, value could only shoot to the moon.

Zero reason to believe they’d buy tickets, and it’s an impossible standard for them to meet.

It’s just not a realistic expectation from a fan base who hasn’t shown up in 20 years.

And what happens if Lindor approaches an even historical average decline of Shortstops? Or worse?

 

[BimboColesHair]

Has he been open to any negotiation? One thing that stuck out to me is he sort of painted a picture of him just waiting for the Tribe to come with the offer and he'd sign it, but everything I've heard/read is that he's going to test the market no matter what.

I mentioned in here a few months ago that the dialogue opened up again between his camp and the Indians.

Everything I have been told is Indians will have 1st crack at him, he wants to stay, but the offer has to be right for him. He’s not going to sign a lowball offer because he wants to stay.

Have heard the gap is closing, but the gap to begin with was huge.

I still contend that it could most certainly happen and it wouldn’t surprise me, strictly because I think the odds of the Dolans paying him on the back half of his contract are slim.

If all things are even, he really does want to stay in Cleveland. That’s not lip service for the fans, what he said yesterday. That’s stuff that’s been heard through the back channels for well over a year now.

 

[Steve_424]

Zero reason to believe they’d buy tickets, and it’s an impossible standard for them to meet.

It’s just not a realistic expectation from a fan base who hasn’t shown up in 20 years.

And what happens if Lindor approaches an even historical average decline of Shortstops? Or worse?

The 2016 Indians won 94 games and made it to the World Series. They averaged 19,650 fans, good for 28th in MLB. That offseason they gave Edwin Encarnacion a $60 Million dollar deal as a free agent. Attendance went up to an average of 25,285, good for 22nd in MLB as the Indians won 102 games. In 2018, they won 91 games en route to their 3rd straight Central Division title and although their rank bumped up to 21st, attendance actually went down from 2017 to an average of 24,083. In 2019 attendance dipped yet again to 22,008, good for 21st in MLB.

Since Tito took over, the Indians have been a winning team all seven seasons and a playoff team in four of those seven seasons. The highest average attendance during that time was the 25,285 in 2017.

The theory that signing Lindor to a big extension is going to increase attendance is a hopeful one but just isn't supported by much evidence. Evidence does indicate attendance is going to be mediocre to terrible regardless of how the team does on the field and/or how much ownership spends.

If they did do it, excuses for attendance being low would just shift to other things: complaints about them not spending even more, or ticket prices, or the weather (which is valid for the early months), or something about the stupid Wahoo logo.

I mean, there are still people bitching about them trading Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia despite the Indians getting 10 years and counting of Carrasco and 10 years of Brantley in those deals, respectively. I certainly understood people being mad at the time, but now we know they were both wildly successful trades for the Indians.

It's almost like nothing they do is going to change the fan response...

 

[Otsego Mar]

Nothing is going to pack the stands full here in Cleveland currently. Maybe in 10-20 years.

Best of luck to Frankie somewhere else. I echo everyone else in saying that you can't blame any owner for not wanting to pay 300-400 mil for any player in Cleveland's current market.

 

[N7RobBob]

We like to complain about market size, unwillingness to spend money by owner, but how the hell do we not factor in the fact that there is no salary cap within baseball?

The system is designed to funnel big names into bigger markets. Until that is changed it won't matter who the player is or who the owner is we will continue to be at a disadvantage. We also know it's unlikely to change unless all the small markets band together, but that still might not be enough.

Just wanted to throw in something else other than shitting on the dolans or the players, who if in their shoes we'd take the money to.

Just see it all as we need to break the cycle, just like many things in this country.

 

[macbdog]

I have to disagree that things would never change- I think a title would create a ton of Goodwill, at least short term. And would win over a new generation. I think, with how they have kept winning since, that things would be way different had they pulled 2016 out their ass. That was an epic underdog team and on the heels of the Cavs... But alas.

That said, Frankie is the Star that Cleveland needs, not the one Cleveland deserves.

 

[Juice is Loose]

A sports book I use has the Indians total wins at o/u 85.5. I feel like the over is a no brainer?

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Nothing is going to pack the stands full here in Cleveland currently. Maybe in 10-20 years.

Best of luck to Frankie somewhere else. I echo everyone else in saying that you can't blame any owner for not wanting to pay 300-400 mil for any player in Cleveland's current market.

If we got a dome, then you might have something closer to the vibe the Tribe had in 1994 when the Jake opened. I think you'd see a significant jump in attendance if that happened. By significant, I'd say 10k/game on the low end. But I don't think there is really the willingness to put that much money into it.

 

[Connor]

We can’t all be blessed with beauty like @The Oi

I secretly hope @The Oi looks exactly like his profile picture

 

[MadThinker88]

If we got a dome, then you might have something closer to the vibe the Tribe had in 1994 when the Jake opened. I think you'd see a significant jump in attendance if that happened. By significant, I'd say 10k/game on the low end. But I don't think there is really the willingness to put that much money into it.

IF CLE was putting on a roof, it would need to be retractable...

Part of the attendance issue with the Metrodome was it was static. I spent a handful of years up in NW Wisconsin (about 90 minuets from Minnie) & I heard all about why the dome needed to go. With the limited number of good weather days up in Minnie, fans disliked being inside when the weather was actually decent. Yes the dome helped in the early season & when it rained but people liked being outside when it was possible. That was part of the reason the new place is open-air.

After seeing what was happening in Minnie, it was part of the reason MKE made sure their park had a retractable roof. Yes, protect from the elements when necessary but they open it up whenever they can..

 

[Kevalier]

I secretly hope @The Oi looks exactly like his profile picture

I can confirm that is the case although he’s slightly more jacked than Desmond Bryant.

 

[kidduck]

I honestly have no clue what it would take to get fans back to an attendance level that would make
the franchise even a mid-level player for the high-middle to upper level talent regarding $$$.

It's hard to see how the Dolans ever pull it off. Logical or not, enough fans have scorned
the team for over a decade. Times have changed and fans aren't satisfied with
a plus .500 team that has not grabbed the WS in most of our lifetimes. Then fans deal with seeing
the best players go elsewhere for $$$ for at least some of their prime years.

From a distance, the WS versus the Cubs showed the passion level of Cleveland fans for the games
at Progressive Field. Watching the telecasts and listening to the radio broadcasts, it seemed that
half the fans were rooting for the Cubbies.

Finally, we must face the reality that to get the top talent to sign in Cleveland, there must be
an overpay. Which we'd be bitching about at the first sign of the player under performing.

Miracles do happen but the one due the Indians and their fans must be taking the very
elongated scenic route.

 

[DCTribefan]

I honestly have no clue what it would take to get fans back to an attendance level that would make
the franchise even a mid-level player for the high-middle to upper level talent regarding $$$.

It's hard to see how the Dolans ever pull it off. Logical or not, enough fans have scorned
the team for over a decade. Times have changed and fans aren't satisfied with
a plus .500 team that has not grabbed the WS in most of our lifetimes. Then fans deal with seeing
the best players go elsewhere for $$$ for at least some of their prime years.

From a distance, the WS versus the Cubs showed the passion level of Cleveland fans for the games
at Progressive Field. Watching the telecasts and listening to the radio broadcasts, it seemed that
half the fans were rooting for the Cubbies.

Maybe because one third of the fans at Prog. Field were Cubs fans who bought tickets from Tribe fans cashing in on the opportunity.

 

[The Oi]

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