Jensen Lewis

Hello everyone,

JRam - while I understand that a starter is more valuable than a reliever, in this case, I think Lewis could provide more value, especially immediate value, to the Indians as a reliever than as a starter.  The Indians can use more relievers than starters right now, being that our current 5 are doing pretty well for the most part, plus you have youngsters like Sowers and Laffey, along with veterans like Harris and DuBose pitching at AAA.

The bullpen, while doing pretty well in its own right, could always use another power arm or two (A. Miller and Lewis,) or another veteran arm (M. Miller,) so I agree with mcrose in that I think the choice to change Lewis into a reliever could pay more immediate dividends to the Indians than if they would have left him as a starter because it's not likely Lewis would be pitching in the Majors this year as a starter, but it's certainly a possibility as a reliever.

Plus, the Indians don't absolutely have to go trading for a reliever like Gagne or Otsuka now if the price is not to their liking.  Granted, they don't have to even if they didn't have those options, but they'd probably be more tempted to do it if they didn't have nice power-arm internal options to consider, and they have two to consider, along with a veteran arm in M. Miller.  Granted A. Miller and Lewis don't have Gagne and Otsuka's experience, but Miller and Lewis certainly aren't lacking in stuff when compared to those two, so that should enable the Indians to feel like they don't have to trade prospects they don't want to trade just to grab one of those two Texas relievers because they do have other viable options to bolster their bullpen because those three are pitching as well as they are at AAA, two because of great stuff, and one because he has ML experience and knows how to use his stuff to get ML hitters out.

Just my 2 cents.  :-)