Traded OF Jason Michaels and cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a PTBNL

The Indians will be covering most of Michaels' 2008 salary; of the $2.15M owed Michaels this season, the Indians will be paying  $1.68M of it. The Pirates will be utilizing Michaels as their fourth outfielder; Nyjer Morgan, optioned to Indianapolis to make room for Michaels, had been hitting .161/.257/.194 in 31 at-bats. Though neither of Pittsburgh's left-handed outfielders have much a platoon split, Michaels should get regular at-bats as at least a pinch-hitter. If Michaels does well the remainder of this season, the Pirates have an affordable $2.6M 2009 option on Michaels.

As for the Indians, this gives Ben Francisco regular major-league at-bats. Until Shin-Soo Choo is healthy, what you see in the outfield today is what you're going to get. If Francisco hits, the Indians will have another tough decision when Choo's rehab stint is done; Choo is out of options, while Francisco can still be sent down.

Designated OF Jason Michaels for Assignment

Recalled OF Ben Francisco from Buffalo (AAA)

Yes, Michaels was hitting just .207/.258/.276 so far this season. Yes, he's making the type of money that Indians wouldn't think much of to dump. And yes, Ben Francisco, an outfielder, was the best available bat in the minors. But even with all those components, the Indians wouldn't have made this move if the offense wasn't horrible. Because carrying a struggling platoon outfielder isn't that much of a burden on even a below average offensive club. It wasn't Jason Michaels struggling that earned him a ticket out of town, it was Travis Hafner, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Casey Blake. Something needed to change, and Michaels was it.

Even with the sudden glut of outfielders on the waiver wire, Michaels should find a home somewhere. Even though the idea of him as a starter came and went, he's still an attractive fourth outfielder. He's a solid defender on the corners and could probably still play center if needed. He didn't play much center for the Indians because Grady Sizemore almost never takes a day off, and even when he does, Franklin Gutierrez was the obvious choice. 

If we use the same standard in judging Michaels, Ben Francisco hasn't hit much in Buffalo. A .623 OPS with the Bisons could mean Ben was bored, but whatever the underlying reason, his April was not the reason the Indians brought him up. Ben had an excellent Spring Training, had an outstanding 2007 AAA season (.318/.382/.496), and had success in the limited time he spent in Cleveland. And he's the best offensive player the Indians had available in the minors.

Most of Ben's value lies in his bat, which has been consistent throughout his minor-league travels. He has good speed, though I think it will manifest itself better running the bases rather than stealing them.  He probably shouldn't play much in center, though the Indians have center covered. He's not going to fit in Jason Michael's old role as the right-handed platoon outfielder. Eric Wedge will probably have to run a three-man rotation on the corners to get David Dellucci, Franklin Gutierrez, and Francisco meaningful playing time. If Travis Hafner continues to struggle, perhaps Francisco could see some games as the DH.

Bringing up Francisco is not going to turn the Indians' offense around. He certainly isn't going to make up for Travis Hafner hitting .209/.305/.345 or Asdrubal Cabrera hitting below the Mendoza Line. But at this point, the Indians need any little production gain they can find.

The Indians announced today that they have signed Fausto Carmona to a three-year guranateed extension through 2011, while also extending his commitment to the Indians through the end of the 2014 season, weeks before his 31st birthday.  Carmona becomes the longest-committed Indian on the active roster, and he's one of ten who are signed through 2012 or beyond.  (Travis Hafner is committed through 2013, as are rookies Asdrubal Cabrera, Craig Breslow and Jensen Lewis.  Grady Sizemore is committed through 2012, as are second-year players Ryan Garko, Rafael Perez, Andy Marte and Franklin Gutierrez.)

Carmona's contract is guaranteed through 2011, paying a total of $14.5 million over in addition to his $500,000 salary for 2008.  The deal further gives the Indians three successive single-season club options for 2012, 2013 and 2014.  No buyouts have been reported for the three club options, but the option-year salaries will increase if Carmona is in the top five in the Cy Young voting in two successive years.

Signing bonus:  $750,000 in 2008, in addition to $500,000 salary.
Guaranteed salaries:  $2.75 million in 2009, $4.9 million in 2010, $6.1 million in 2011.
Club options without incentives:  $7 million in 2012, $9 million in 2013, $12 million in 2014.
Club options with incentives:  $9 million in 2012, $11 million in 2013, $14 million in 2014.

To put these numbers into context, this past offseason saw Carlos Silva, a decent but thoroughly unexceptional starting pitcher, sign a four-year deal with the Mariners for an annual salary of $12 million, and of course our own Paul Byrd is making $8 million based on a deal signed two years ago, a deal that is now somewhat under-market.  In fact, Carmona's potential salary for 2012-2014 are only 3% higher than Westbrook's guaranteed salary for 2008-2010, even though salaries are likely to climb by 40% over the four years in between the two deals, and Westbrook's deal is a slightly under-market and team-friendly to start with, and Carmona's money isn't even guaranteed.

Carmona will be paid a maximum of $48 million over seven seasons, from 2008 through 2014, if all options and bonuses are exercised.  This is reportedly the richest deal ever given to a pitcher not yet eligible for arbitration, continuing the Indians' recent trend of setting new industry benchmarks for rewarding talented young players.  If Carmona continues to be a top-20 starter, he may well have earned more than the $14.5 million guarantee through arbitration by the end of 2010, let alone 2011.  In this way, "lockup contracts" such as this generally reduce a team's overall payroll commitment, or at least have a neutral effect, such that Carmona's extension should not adversely affect the Indians' ability to acquire or retain other players.

Although not seriously considered by Cy Young voters, Carmona arguably was the most effective pitcher in the AL in 2007, possibly in either league, posting a 151 ERA+ that was better than Sabathia's or Beckett's – in any season of their careers.  At the same age of 23, Sabathia had already produced almost four whole good seasons in the majors, but on the other hand, Sabathia didn't even approach Carmona's 2007 level of dominance until he was 25, and he has never matched it.  Though obscured by Sabathia's Cy Young campaign, Carmona's season was probably the best by any Indians starter of the past 35 years, dating back to Gaylord Perry's stellar 1972 Cy Young season, and seriously rivaled only by Dennis Martinez's 28 starts in 1995.

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Before playing their final Florida Spring Training game, the Indians optioned Ben Francisco to Buffalo, effectively setting their Opening Day 25-man roster. Shin-Soo Choo still has to go on the DL, but other than that, the roster's locked in.

There were two mild surprises this spring: Aaron Fultz released in favor of Craig Breslow, and Jorge Julio making the team over Tom Mastny. And for a team left intact like the Indians, no big surprises are a good thing. Thus far there have been no injuries to major-league players, no collisions with sprinkler heads, no 100-mile taxi rides, and the only controversy was between Casey Blake and Travis Hafner's pet dog.

After all these non-stories, you might wonder what the Indians' roster looks like. Well, you can see the latest 40-man roster on the left sidebar (thank you, SBN 2.0), so I'll jump right to the 25-man roster:

Infielders (plus Pronk)

 C Victor Martinez
1B Ryan Garko
2B Asdrubal Cabrera
SS Jhonny Peralta
3B Casey Blake
DH Travis Hafner
C Kelly Shoppach
IF Jamey Carroll
IF Andy Marte

Aside from the backups, no change from last year's configuration. The big question with this group concerns Marte: how often will Eric Wedge get him into games? Casey Blake's versatility will make it easier for Marte to get starts, for although Andy played first base this spring, his play there made Ryan Garko seem like a Gold Glover.

Otherwise, the playing time seems locked in. Carroll is the backup for Cabrera and Peralta, though I'd imagine he'd see most of his playing time at second, with Cabrera moving over to short on Jhonny's days off. Shoppach will catch every fifth day, with Victor Martinez playing first on most of those occasions. Of course, how well Garko (and, to some extent, Travis Hafner) hit will determine how many true days off Martinez will have.

Outfielders

RF Franklin Gutierrez
CF Grady Sizemore
LF David Dellucci
OF Jason Michaels

Dellucci's job is on the shakiest ground of any starting position player. Ben Francisco was sent down to Buffalo for no reason other than it was he who had an option. Shin-Soo Choo, who does not have an option, will be ready to play in a couple months. The Indians understand the meaning of a sunk cost, so if Dellucci isn't slugging .500 by the end of May, he'll be somewhere else.

I think Jason Michaels is pretty safe. Even though the Indians don't need a backup who can play center field (Gutierrez is probably better defensively than Sizemore there), he'd be useful with either Francisco or Choo starting in left.

Starting Rotation

LHP CC Sabathia
RHP Fausto Carmona
RHP Jake Westbrook
RHP Paul Byrd
LHP Cliff Lee

The only drama here was whether Cliff Lee could win back his starting job over a couple worthy contenders. And he did, pitching well enough to stay with the team. Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers provide the Indians excellent depth, so it isn't a given that Lee is off probation - remember, the Indians can still option him to Buffalo.

Aside from Lee, the main concern is how Fausto Carmona (and, to some extent, CC Sabathia) will fare after seeing a big uptick in innings pitched last season.

Bullpen

RHP Joe Borowski
RHP Rafael Betancourt
LHP Rafael Perez
RHP Jensen Lewis
RHP Masahide Kobayashi
LHP Craig Breslow
RHP Jorge Julio

Like last year, the Indians are going with all short relief. The Indians brought in Kobayashi to siphon off some innings from the Circle of Trust, as well as to guard against performance falloff from the COT. The Indians swapped out Fultz for Breslow, a classic example of how fungible matchup guys are. As Jay pointed out, Breslow gives the Indians more contractual upside, but he first has to get 2008 hitters before we can worry about when his arbitration cutoff will occur.

Exactly how does a small-market club assemble a championship roster?  The longest-tenured Indian may not be who you think it is.  The 2007 champs are in bold, but every transaction listed led, directly or indirectly, to acquiring a 2007 contributor.

Dec 1988 - Signed free agent Bud Black.

Jun 1989 - Drafted Alan Embree.

Sep 1990 - Traded Bud Black to Blue Jays for Mauro Gozzo, PTBNL Alex Sanchez and PTBNL Steve Cummings.
Oct 1990 - Signed amateurs Einar Diaz and Jose Cabrera.
Nov 1990 - Traded Alex Sanchez to Blue Jays for Willie Blair.
Dec 1990 - Traded a minor leaguer to the Mets for Kyle Washington.

Apr 1991 - Claimed Eddie Taubensee off waivers from Athletics.
Dec 1991 - Traded Eddie Taubensee and Willie Blair to Astros for Kenny Lofton and David Rohde.

Jul 1992 - Traded Kyle Washington to Orioles for Jose Mesa.

Jun 1993 - Signed amateur Bartolo Colon.
Jun 1993 - Drafted Richie Sexson.

Jul 1994 - Signed amateur Marco Scutaro.

Jun 1996 - Drafted John McDonald, David Riske, Paul Rigdon, Mike Bacsik and Danny Peoples.
Jul 1996 - Signed amateur Victor Martinez.

Mar 1997 - Traded Kenny Lofton and Alan Embree to Braves for David Justice and Marquis Grissom.
May 1997 - Traded Jose Cabrera to Astros for Alvin Morman.
May 1997 - Extended David Justice.
Jun 1997 - Drafted Tim Drew.

Feb 1998 - Signed free agent Shawon Dunston.
Jun 1998 - Drafted C.C. Sabathia and Ryan Drese.
Jul 1998 - Traded Shawon Dunston, Jose Mesa and Alvin Morman to Giants for Steve Reed and Jacob Cruz.
Dec 1998 - Signed free agent Roberto Alomar.

Apr 1999 - Signed amateur Jhonny Peralta.
Dec 1999 - Signed free agent Kane Davis (released by Pirates).
Dec 1999 - Signed free agent Chuck Finley.

Jun 2000 - Traded David Justice to Yankees for Ricky Ledee, Zach Day and Jake Westbrook.
Jul 2000 - Traded Paul Rigdon, Richie Sexson, Kane Davis and PTBNL Marco Scutaro to Brewers for Bob Wickman, Jason Bere and Steve Woodard.
Dec 2000 - Signed amateur Fausto Carmona.

Jun 2001 - Traded Jacob Cruz to Rockies for Jody Gerut and Josh Bard.
Jul 2001 - Traded Zach Day to Expos for Milton Bradley.
Dec 2001 - Traded Roberto Alomar, Mike Bacsik and Danny Peoples to Mets for Matt Lawton, Alex Escobar, Jerrod Riggan, PTBNL Billy Traber and PTBNL Earl Snyder.

Jan 2002 - Signed amateur Rafael Perez.
Jun 2002 - Drafted Ben Francisco.
Jun 2002 - Traded Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew to Expos for Lee Stevens, Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore.
Aug 2002 - Traded Chuck Finley to Cardinals for Luis Garcia and PTBNL Coco Crisp.
Dec 2002 - Signed free agent Casey Blake (released by Twins).
Dec 2002 - Traded Einar Diaz and Ryan Drese to Rangers for Travis Hafner and Aaron Myette.

Jan 2003 - Signed free agent Rafael Betancourt (released by Red Sox).
Jun 2003 - Drafted Ryan Garko, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Aaron Laffey.

Apr 2004 - Traded Milton Bradley to Dodgers for Franklin Gutierrez and PTBNL Andrew Brown.
Jun 2004 - Drafted Jeremy Sowers.
Nov 2004 - Re-signed Bob Wickman.
Dec 2004 - Traded Matt Lawton to Pirates for Arthur Rhodes.
Dec 2004 - Traded John McDonald to Blue Jays for PTBNL Tom Mastny.

Apr 2005 - Extended C.C. Sabathia.
Jun 2005 - Drafted Jensen Lewis.
Dec 2005 - Re-signed Bob Wickman.
Dec 2005 - Signed free agent Paul Byrd.

Jan 2006 - Signed free agent Eduardo Perez.
Jan 2006 - Traded Coco Crisp, Josh Bard and David Riske to Red Sox for Andy Marte, Kelly Shoppach and Guillermo Mota.
Jan 2006 - Traded Arthur Rhodes to Phillies for Jason Michaels.
Jun 2006 - Traded Eduardo Perez to Mariners for Asdrubal Cabrera.
Jul 2006 - Traded Bob Wickman to Braves for Max Ramirez.
Sep 2006 - Claimed Mike Rouse off waivers from Athletics.
Nov 2006 - Traded Kevin Kouzmanoff and Andrew Brown to Padres for Josh Barfield.
Dec 2006 - Signed free agents Dave Dellucci, Joe Borowski and Aaron Fultz.

Jan 2007 - Signed free agent Trot Nixon.
Jan 2007 - Trot Nixon was in Fever Pitch (2005) with Eric Bruno Borgman
Jan 2007 - Eric Bruno Borgman was in Mystic River (2003) with Kevin Bacon
Jul 2007 - Traded Max Ramirez to Rangers for Kenny Lofton.
Aug 2007 - Claimed Chris Gomez off waivers from Orioles.

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The Indians have released Roberto Hernandez and called up Ed Mujica and Ben Francisco.

Full story.

We've all been having a good chuckle about "the little things."  We laugh when the Indians are doing them (being "gritty"), we laugh when some idiot chastizes them for not doing them.  We can laugh because we know the Indians are doing the big things -- most notably, out-Quality-Starting the opposition at a furious pace.

But here's one big thing the Indians have not been doing:  hitting lefties.  Yes, it's true we've beaten Johan twice, but Johan is a freak with crazy backwards splits.  Overall, we're 8th in the league with a 746 OPS.  That may not be terrible -- indeed it may not even be significant statistically -- but we're not close to the #7 spot (Oakland's 782) and a huge distance from the top three (Detroit's 828).  And in the AL Central, not hitting lefties is a big thing.

During Spring Training, I predicted at some point that the Indians would do well against lefty starters, reasoning that a lineup composed of two of the best lefty hitters in the game (Sizemore and Hafner) plus seven decent righty hitters would make most lefty starters pretty uncomfortable -- before even considering the potential for guys like Peralta or Garko to go on a tear.  Since that hasn't happened, and since I'm not usually ENTIRELY INCORRECT!^TM, we're going to have to look for some scapegoats to explain the Tribe's woes against lefties:

• Peralta (1172) and Blake (961) are tearing it up.
  
• Pronk (962), Victor (865) and Grady (701) are doing about as well as we can expect.
  
• Garko (779) and Michaels (625) should be giving us more.
  
• Dellucci (488) and Nixon (483) have been even worse than we might have expected.
  
• Barfield (466) has been a stunning black hole -- even considering his overall April problems.

Reinstated 3B Andy Marte from the 15-Day Disabled List

Optioned OF Franklin Gutierrez to Buffalo (AAA)

It may seem strange, but this fundamentally is what the Indians are doing about it.  You see, Barfield is going to bounce back.  He had a 965 OPS against lefties in 2006, and it was 890 in 2005 in Triple-A -- both seasons hitting in very adverse environments.  These 34 AB are a fluke for him.

But Dellucci and Nixon hitting .184 against lefties, with no power?  That isn't a fluke.  Nixon's career OPS-vs-LHP is 627, and more importantly, it's 264 points below his OPS-vs-RHP.  Nixon isn't the hitter he once was, and he was never good against lefties.  Only one season did he ever reach higher than 671, and what a glorious 53 AB that must have been for him.  Dellucci's numbers vs-LHP are even worse, across the board.  That scary-for-a-lefty lineup I described a few months ago?  They weren't in it.  Neither of these guys was supposed to get any significant plate appearances against lefties, but that has been one the main effects of Marte's absence.

In two seasons at Triple-A, Marte posted a 916 OPS against lefties -- much older and more experienced lefties for that matter.  And it wasn't cheap, either -- .286 average, .500 slugging, and a lusty .226 walk rate.  Some may be skeptical that Marte will be an impact player, but only a fool would predict that he isn't going to hit lefties, given the chance.

Naturally fans are going to worry about taking at bats from Garko, but there's little reason to think that will happen.  And after the past two years, does anyone really think Wedge will reduce Blake's playing time for a rookie?  Seriously?  We'll see what Wedge has to say about it in a couple of hours.  My guess is that Marte gets all the starts against lefties, knocking Nixon and Dellucci firmly out of both the lineup and the outfield on those days.  Against righties, Marte probably will be on the short side of sharing two spots with Garko and Blake.  Wedge may feel that Marte has to earn anything more than that, barring an injury.

Sure, Gutierrez would have made a better pinch runner, but most days we've got Rouse and Michaels on the bench, Sizemore and Barfield in the lineup; we're not as speed-deprived as we used to be.  Sure, Gutierrez would make a more valuable defensive replacement when Blake starts -- but really, isn't putting in Marte at 3B while Blake shifts to RF just as good?

And anyway, those are just little things.  Hitting lefties?  That's a big thing.

The Indians have acquired yet another sub-starter-quality middle infielder, claiming Mike Rouse on waivers from the Athetics today.  Rouse, 26, is considered a solid glove, rangy enough for shortstop but even better suited for second base, and he's already spent three seasons in Triple-A.  But he hasn't produced enough with the bat to earn any kind of shot in the big leagues.

Rouse was the starting shortstop in front of Grady Sizemore on Team USA's 2003 Olympic qualifying team, somewhat infamously eliminated by Mexico in the second round.  Prior to that game, Rouse had almost single-handedly mugged Panama in the opening game, and he had a 1086 OPS in twelve warmup games in the Arizona Fall League.  In affiliated minor league games, however, his pop simply has not developed as expected, as he has never managed more than 40 extra base hits in any season.

Rouse will turn 27 next April and probably is not considered a prospect at this point.  The AP reports that he is not expected to report to Cleveland this season, and it seems unlikely the Indians will allow him to hold a space on the 40-man roster throughout the offseason.

Buffalo:

Transferred RHP Steve Karasy to Buffalo (AAA) from Extended Spring

Reinstated LHP Felix Heredia from the Suspended List (AAA)

I have more hope for Karsay than for Heredia; at least Steve has been pretty good when healthy. Heredia bombed in New York in 2004, and pitched just 2.2 IP for the Mets in 2005 before missing the rest of the season with an anuerysm in his shoulder. He reported to camp with the Diamondbacks, but they released him in late March. Heredia is 31, young by LOOGY standards.

Also in the Bison bullpen is Hyang-Nam Choi, a free agent from Korea. He's struck out 12 in 9.2 innings of work.

Akron:

Placed LHP Chris Cooper on the Disabled List (AA)

Transferred LHP Victor Kleine to Akron (AA) from Extended Spring

Cooper has quietly been piling up relief innings in the organization for some time, but he hasn't really given a chance in Buffalo. The Beacon-Journal says that Cooper is suffering from left shoulder tendinitis, which could be minor or major.

Kleine is a remnant from the 2000 draft. He's been shuttling between Akron and Buffalo for the past three seasons.

Kinston:

None

Lake County:

Reinstated C Josh Noviskey from the Disabled List (A-)

Placed 1B PJ Hiser on the Disabled List (A-)

Placed LHP Ryan Edell on the Disabled List (A-)

Transferred RHP Frank Hermann to Lake County (A-) from Extended Spring

Hiser put up obscene power numbers in short-season play last year, but he's pretty old to be just getting his first taste of full-season ball.

Hermann is a Harvard man, and has been posting weekly diaries chronicling his experiences in the organization.

Placed RHP Rafael Betancourt on the 15-day Disabled List (back)

Recalled RHP Brian Slocum from AAA Buffalo (MLB debut)

This makes three relievers in one week to go on the shelf. Slocum was a 2nd Round pick in 2002, and has recently been converted to the bullpen. He had an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League (20.0 IP, 3.15 ERA, 19 SO), and has started out well in Buffalo (9.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 11 SO, 1 BB).

Here's what the bullpen looks like now:

CL Bob Wickman
RHP Guillermo Mota
LHP Scott Sauerbeck
RHP Jason Davis
RHP Brian Slocum
LHP Rafael Perez
RHP Danny "White Flag" Graves

Fernando Cabrera will probably return as soon as his 15 days are up. Steve Karsay is also a good bet to join the bullpen as soon as he's ready to go. And I would assume Perez is going back to Akron in favor of someone else (Guthrie? Stanford?). So, in other words, the relief corps one week from now might look totally different from today's configuration.