They were optioned back in March when the season was put on holdCan someone explain why Indians listed Plesac, Civale and Karinchak as optioned already? The others make sense as they wouldn’t be on 30 man to start, most likely. Plus, 40 - 12 options = 28 to start vs 30 allowed. Can’t see how those 3 don’t start in Cle as roster is at 39 w/o Clase ... so they can add one of Freeman, Hill, Gose or Leone without cutting anyone else.
Good move to leave five spots open. It gives them flexibility to sign free agents or make trades if there is a run of illness at one position. However, with 55 players to work with and only 60 games to play it's extremely doubtful they will need to go looking for more major league players.
They may end up wishing they used a couple of those spots to give prospects some valuable work.
I'm wondering what the 15-man crew training at Classic Park will do. I imagine a lot of work in the batting cages and bullpens. Maybe games against the Pirates taxi squad?
Also, once the Indians get down to 30 players do the 10 cut players work out at Classic Park or do they stay and train at Progressive, doing individual workouts when the team is on the road?
With the minors shut down all the Indians minor league instructors and coaches can descend on the Prog and Classic Park for intense individual training sessions with our top prospects. The coach-to-player ratio will be amazing. It will be like all the organization's coaching expertise will be concentrated on our 23 best prospects instead of being spread out over six minor league teams and 150 players.
Are the other 100+ farm hands going to be working out in Arizona?
The rumors of the Indians conducting a fire sale within the next few months may or may not be true. But they fall in line with the idea that multiple small and mid market franchises may not be able to remain financially viable, unless they sell of their most valuable assets...at which point they become competitively unviable.
Six or so franchises that become unviable from a financial and/or competitive standpoint could very well lead to contraction. The problem is compounded by the fact that there will be almost no financial difference between being a playoff contender or a bottom feeder.
Both the owners and the players have a huge financial stake in making sure that every franchise remains both financially and competitively viable. Contraction would lead to fewer jobs...at smaller contracts..for the players, and a precipitous drop in franchise values for the owners.
Unfortunately in the every man for himself world of pro baseball, very few on either side care.
They might in two years, but by then it may be too late.
...and I fall somewhere in between. I definitely agree on the non-zero chance of it even starting...all the more so on finishing the playoffs, though I would not be shocked if they "get it in". Events are fluid and certainly there is variation between states. We really do not have a sense of how situations and state responses will come in to play, but on we go...
I.......
Don't think @CATS44 post had anything to do with what you said or at least anything i could find. So calling him out 4 times in a post isn't cool.
Forum related there is absolutely a non 0 chance the season doesn't even get started. And i know ive been playing gloom and doom but i would be shocked if this season finishes through the playoffs.
It is certainly possible, but not a scenario I find likely. This front office will plan for all contingencies, of this I am sure, but that is just doing their job.Francona's Indians teams have historically started very slow, and this year that would be a death sentence. It may not be popular, but it is realistic to envision the Indians out of contention after the first month. And given this season is nine weeks, if you are tooo far out after a month, the economics say you have to cut bait rather than fish.
Love the positive outlook...we can all use a bit of that!On the other hand, Tito's teams have often underperformed in March, April and May. Well, we skipped those months entirely so I'm expecting us to rip off 21 straight wins to open the year!
Sorry Q, wrote my post before I got down to yours. But even after I read your post, I am not sure that I would revise anything I put in mine. So if you don't think it is fair game for me to respond in the way I did, I am more than happy to avoid it, as one of the points of my post was that it had no place here.