Series #2- Kansas City @ Cleveland. Tribe home opening series.

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Maybe you missed my point, and that was not to state that Detroit is a contender. Only that they are much improved from last year and we will not be going 18-1 against them any longer.

Well, since we already lost two games to them I guess you get the Captain Obvious award for today.

But I agree with your point. Their pitching looks extremely suspect. Even playing three of five games against the punchless Tribe their ERA is 5.87 and that's in cold weather using their best starters.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Speaking of Gamel, the replacement of our old pal Tyler Naquin...

4-12 4R 3HR 9RBI 2BB .333 AVG .467 OBP

Tyler was 2-for-10 until having a big game against the Pirates. I'm not impressed, but I hope he can stay healthy and have a good season.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Joe Noga pointed out that Reyes is right about the Indians having no luck at the plate.

The batting average on balls in play is just .208. That’s 27th out of 29 teams because Washington hasn’t played a game yet.

He also pointed out that the Tribe has by far the fewest strikeouts in baseball, as Cats pointed out. So they're putting the bat on the ball but the hits aren't falling and the long fly balls aren't carrying - yet.

 

[CDAV45]

Well, since we already lost two games to them I guess you get the Captain Obvious award for today.

But I agree with your point. Their pitching looks extremely suspect. Even playing three of five games against the punchless Tribe their ERA is 5.87 and that's in cold weather using their best starters.

The good news is it won't just be Cleveland that no longer sweeps the floor with them. They beat the Twins yesterday in 10 innings. They can hit. Everything else other than that is suspect at best.

Captain Obvious was saying this well before the season started. I was also the one that caught all kinds of shit because I mentioned that KC might be competing with Cleveland for 3rd place.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

I'm hoping for a few young guys to get a shot by mid-April. I know most of it won't happen, but I'll explain my thinking.

vs RHP

1B-L-Jones
2B-S-Hernandez
3B-S-Ramirez
LF-L-Rosario
DH-R-Reyes
RF-L-Naylor
C-R-Perez
CF-L-Johnson
SS-L-Gimenez

Ben Gamel isn't a long-term solution and he's not really a short-term one either, especially in CF. Let's bring Johnson up and give him a shot. I'm also calling up Nolan Jones and leading him off, similar to Santana leading off in the past - a hitter with a great eye/patient approach.

vs LHP

CF-L-Luplow
2B-S-Hernandez
3B-S-Ramirez
LF-L-Rosario
DH-R-Reyes
SS-R-Rosario
RF-L-Naylor
1B-R-Chang
C-R-Perez

I'm actually fine with Luplow against LHP. I'm also giving Rosario and Chang reps against LHP to get them in the lineup. This is pretty similar to what they've been doing so far.

The lineup against lefties is exactly the one Tito used on Monday. As for the other one, he'll never have a rookie leading off and I don't know if they're even working with Jones at first base or having him focus on the outfield. Bauers and Bradley would have to flame out before they would put Jones at first and even then Chang and Naylor might be the next to audition.

My lineup would lead off with Cesar, Jose, Eddie, and Franmil every day. Cesar did a great job leading off last year but I heard he prefers to bat second and they are accomodating him. So now we have Gamel leading off? Please. I would say, "Sorry, Cesar, but until we find another Kenny Loften you're leading off".

 

[Kiddo]

Wow, a guy that had an OPS between .790 and .805 for two consecutive years against non-AL Central opponents just got $341 million? Lindor is the luckiest guy alive. He feasted on weak AL Central pitching for years and parlayed it into the third biggest contract in baseball. He's smiling all the way to the bank.

He won't be facing the A.L. Central now, though. And playing in New York at that salary the pressure will be enormous. I wish him the best, though.

There's no way he'll live up to that contract. He quit on us in the middle of a playoff run during a very short season, Mets fans are going to learn to hate him. He'll continue to play great defense, hit around .275-.280 and hit 25-30 HR but he'll never be the superstar like Trout, Tatis, Betts, Soto and Acuna are. His former teamates Jose and Bieber are better stars than Lindor.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

There's no way he'll live up to that contract. He quit on us in the middle of a playoff run during a very short season, Mets fans are going to learn to hate him. He'll continue to play great defense, hit around .275-.280 and hit 25-30 HR but he'll never be the superstar like Trout, Tatis, Betts, Soto and Acuna are. His former teamates Jose and Bieber are better stars than Lindor.

He proved last year he's not a #3 hitter. He might do OK if the Mets have him leading off. With the pitcher hitting in front of him he'll have a lot of at-bats with nobody on base which means he'll hit a lot of solo home runs. Like you said, he'll be a great defensive shortstop who makes spectacular plays and hits 30-40 home runs (mostly with the bases empty) but strikes out a lot with RISP.

 

[Steve_424]

The lineup against lefties is exactly the one Tito used on Monday. As for the other one, he'll never have a rookie leading off and I don't know if they're even working with Jones at first base or having him focus on the outfield. Bauers and Bradley would have to flame out before they would put Jones at first and even then Chang and Naylor might be the next to audition.

My lineup would lead off with Cesar, Jose, Eddie, and Franmil every day. Cesar did a great job leading off last year but I heard he prefers to bat second and they are accomodating him. So now we have Gamel leading off? Please. I would say, "Sorry, Cesar, but until we find another Kenny Loften you're leading off".

I agree I don't think Tito would lead off Jones, just sharing what I think would be a good lineup to try. I do think Jones will get the call in May, either at 1B or RF with Naylor in the other spot. Jones is a really patient hitter (he led all Indians minor leaguers in walks in 2019) and actually reminds me in some ways of Santana. We talk a lot about promoting Johnson or Bradley, but Jones is the guy IMO who has the most potential internally to give this offense a shot in the arm in 2021.

 

[Kevalier]

Francona's continued misuse of part-time players is infuriating. Ben Gamel is more than fine as a fourth or fifth outfielder, who plays once a week. Of course, Francona leads him off against every right-handed starter. What happened to "finding out what you have in young players?" I'm also puzzled by the decision to platoon at SS instead of giving Gimenez an opportunity to be the everyday SS. For what it's worth, his splits were actually favorable against LHP in 2019. To me, the following lineup construction makes the most sense:

CF- Amed Rosario every day
RF-Naylor against RHP/Luplow against LHP
1B-Bauers against RHP/Naylor against LHP (at least until Bauers is DFA'd)
SS- Gimenez

Gamel and Chang play sparingly instead of both being used in platoons.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

I agree I don't think Tito would lead off Jones, just sharing what I think would be a good lineup to try. I do think Jones will get the call in May, either at 1B or RF with Naylor in the other spot. Jones is a really patient hitter (he led all Indians minor leaguers in walks in 2019) and actually reminds me in some ways of Santana. We talk a lot about promoting Johnson or Bradley, but Jones is the guy IMO who has the most potential internally to give this offense a shot in the arm in 2021.

Jones is the better bat and prospect, without a doubt.

Johnson and Bradley are at the points where they either get a shot in the bigs, or they move on with their careers.

I think Bobby Bradley is never going to hit at the major league level--but I'd rather give him a chance over Jake Bauers.

If the plan is to ride Bauers for a little while as his last shot in the bigs, then give Bradley his chance, I guess I'm okay with that--but I don't think it's the best move for a team trying to win now.

I'm also a bit jaded by how much we've wasted the value of certain prospects/players, like Yu Chang. He had so much more value as a young, power-hitting middle infield prospect than whatever he is now. To never really give these kids chances is, on the one hand, a consequence of being a WS contender for an extended period of time--but on the other hand, is hopefully a missed opportunity our front office can learn from moving forward.

 

[Steve_424]

Jones is the better bat and prospect, without a doubt.

Johnson and Bradley are at the points where they either get a shot in the bigs, or they move on with their careers.

I think Bobby Bradley is never going to hit at the major league level--but I'd rather give him a chance over Jake Bauers.

If the plan is to ride Bauers for a little while as his last shot in the bigs, then give Bradley his chance, I guess I'm okay with that--but I don't think it's the best move for a team trying to win now.

I'm also a bit jaded by how much we've wasted the value of certain prospects/players, like Yu Chang. He had so much more value as a young, power-hitting middle infield prospect than whatever he is now. To never really give these kids chances is, on the one hand, a consequence of being a WS contender for an extended period of time--but on the other hand, is hopefully a missed opportunity our front office can learn from moving forward.

If it were up to me Bradley's shot would be now and Jones would replace him in May if it wasn't working out, fully passing on another round of the Jake Bauers experience.

 

[NEOLeo]

Francona's continued misuse of part-time players is infuriating. Ben Gamel is more than fine as a fourth or fifth outfielder, who plays once a week. Of course, Francona leads him off against every right-handed starter. What happened to "finding out what you have in young players?" I'm also puzzled by the decision to platoon at SS instead of giving Gimenez an opportunity to be the everyday SS. For what it's worth, his splits were actually favorable against LHP in 2019. To me, the following lineup construction makes the most sense:

CF- Amed Rosario every day
RF-Naylor against RHP/Luplow against LHP
1B-Bauers against RHP/Naylor against LHP (at least until Bauers is DFA'd)
SS- Gimenez

Gamel and Chang play sparingly instead of both being used in platoons.

Today is the lineup that pushed it over the edge for me. I could understand not starting Rosario in CF in Detroit. But not today. With Gamel in CF again it appears Tito has settled on a straight Luplow/Gamel platoon with Rosario on the wrong side of a SS platoon. This makes no sense and it hinders the development of two young, promising players in Johnson (who is clearly a better option than Gamel) and Gimenez (who should be playing every day). It also renders Amed's bat virtually useless as he withers away on the bench waiting for a left hander to make a start.

 

[Andrew Scheid]

Today is the lineup that pushed it over the edge for me. I could understand not starting Rosario in CF in Detroit. But not today. With Gamel in CF again it appears Tito has settled on a straight Luplow/Gamel platoon with Rosario on the wrong side of a SS platoon. This makes no sense and it hinders the development of two young, promising players in Johnson (who is clearly a better option than Gamel) and Gimenez (who should be playing every day). It also renders Amed's bat virtually useless as he withers away on the bench waiting for a left hander to make a start.

Yep.

Just as Delino DeShields was trotted out nearly every day last season instead of giving a 25 year-old Daniel Johnson center field, now we have another low-ceiling vet getting considerable time at the behest of a younger, more promising player. This time he's blocking Amed and DJ.

Why did Tito cite the "cavernous outfield in Comerica" as the reason to play Gamel, if he still plays him in CF in Cleveland? Total nonsense.

 

[Cassity14]

I can always count on Francona to overplay known, poor commodities (especially to start a season) and to construct lineups like it's 1931.

 

[Criznit]

There is no reason Ben Gamel should be batting lead off as well.. If you want to play him in center, whatever... Gross. But batting him leadoff?? Give me a break.

Also Perez needs to be batting higher than 8th.