Indians News
10-1-14: If it weren’t for an ugly 10-17 record in April, the Indians would have grabbed a wild-card spot. Cleveland had a .500 or better record in every other month. The emergence of Corey Kluber is one thing Indians fans should be excited about heading into next season. The right-hander finished the season with an 18-9 record, a 2.44 ERA and 269 strikeouts. I’m not sure if he’ll win the AL Cy Young, but those numbers make him a candidate for sure.
9-30-14: The Cleveland Indians led the major leagues in errors this season but the team feels good about the state of the infield going forward. The team was vocal in their assessments of Asdrubal Cabrera defensively and feels confident that his replacement Jose Ramirez can be a more than adequate replacement with the bat and far better with the glove. Even with all the issues Cleveland had this season including the declining offense of Nick Swisher and the infield defense problems the Indians were still in the hunt for the second American League Wild Card all the way until the last weekend of the season which could garner manager Terry Francona some consideration for AL Manager of the Year. The Indians had a great season by their pitching staff, specifically AL Cy Young candidate Corey Kluber, and will look to add even more arms in the offseason to try and get the team over the hump and into the promised land in 2015. Cleveland finished the 2014 season with a 85-77 record and will not be in the 2014 postseason.
9-25-14: With series wins against the Astros and Twins last week, the Indians were just 3.5 games back for the second AL wild-card spot. A loss to the Royals Tuesday eliminated them for the postseason. The Indians' remaining games are one more with Royals, and a three game set against the Rays at home. It was a good effort down the stretch, but they came up just a bit short.
9-23-14: The Cleveland Indians designated outfielder Chris Dickerson for assignment two weeks ago and sent him on an assignment to Triple-A last week. This week Dickerson elected free agency and refused his outright to the minor leagues. Dickerson will now look to latch on with a new team next season on a major league deal. The Indians are also holding internal discussions as they try and decide whether to trade or keep shortstop prospect Francisco Lindor. Cleveland seems pleased with their slightly above league average current shortstop Jose Ramirez. Ramirez is more known for his glove but his bat has been adequate enough to stick in the majors. With the high percentage of shortstop prospects that ”bust” it may be in the Indians best interest to go with Ramirez and trade Lindor this offseason for an upgrade elsewhere. Cleveland has also discussed the possibility of letting Lindor learn second base and moving current second baseman Jason Kipnis to the outfield for 2015. Cleveland’s outfield already looks pretty crowded with Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn, David Murphy, and possibly Nick Swisher moving into the outfield rotation next year.
9-18-14: The Indians made a strong push to claw back into the AL playoff picture with an 18-9 month of August, but the Tigers swept them over the weekend and they now sit five games back for the second AL wild-card spot. Corey Kluber is now 16-9 with a 2.54 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 219.2 innings pitched. He should be a lock to finish in the top five in AL CY Young voting and could end up as higher if he closes out the year strong.
9-16-14: The Cleveland Indians are getting some of their injured players back and even with the expanded rosters for September call ups the team still have outrighted outfielder Chris Dickerson off the 40 man roster and has stashed him on the Triple-A roster for the remainder of the season. The Indians gave second baseman Jason Kipnis a contract extension before the season and Kipnis admits that it was to blame for his early season struggles. Kipnis reportedly pressed at the plate while trying to live up to the new contracts and the expectations that come with a lucrative new contract. The Indians have seemingly pressed as well in the AL Wild Card race as they have fallen out of the race this week. The Indians current record is 76-72 and the team sits five games behind the Kansas City Royals for the last playoff spot.
9-12-14: The Indians have climbed back into contention thanks to a 17-10 record in their last 27 games, and they capped off last week with a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox. They have dropped two straight games this week. They will need to continue taking advantage of sub .500 teams, as 12 of their remaining 19 games are against teams with a losing record. At this point they need to make up five games in the wild-card standings.
9-9-14: The Cleveland Indians were praised this week for how the team had built its strong starting rotation. The team’s rotation currently consists of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, and Trevor Bauer. Salazar was signed as an undrafted free agent out of high school and the other three were acquired via trade which speaks for the Indians general manager as well. That same Indians GM, Chris Antonetti, claimed outfielder J.B. Shuck from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this week after his former team designated him for assignment. Cleveland will acquire Shuck for cash considerations, likely the remainder of his contract for the season. Shuck is a left handed hitting outfielder that is under team control through the 2018 season and has experience at all three outfield positions from his time with the Angels making him attractive to Cleveland not just for this season but for the foreseeable future.
9-4-14: Prior to their mini two-game losing streak they’re currently on; the Indians were 6-1 in their last
seven games. Cleveland went 17-9 with a plus-20 run differential in the month of August. The
Indians’ pitching will need to continue if Cleveland is going to put together another late-season
playoff push. Their offense remains below average, coming off a month in which Cleveland failed to top 100 runs scored.
9-2-14: The Cleveland Indians traded left handed relief pitcher Josh Outman to the New York Yankees this week for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The way the Indians have navigated the trading deadline has been perplexing as the team is still very much in both the AL Central division race and second Wild Card race but continue to sell off their veteran pieces for little to nothing in return. The perplexing string of trades for the contenders started when they shipped shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to the Washington Nationals and traded Justin Masterson to the St. Louis Cardinals. Cleveland has gotten a good return from the Cabrera trade specifically though with Jos Ramirez’s defense at shortstop and Zach Walters’ power bat in the lineup.
8-27-14: The Indians took care of business last week, picking up series wins against the lowly Twins and Astros. They also took Game 1 of their three game series against the White Sox on Tuesday. Cleveland is now 14-8 in August. Their starting pitching has been the key to turning things around, as they have a 2.58 ERA as a group this month. Corey Kluber continues to be the ace of the staff, but guys like Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco have made a difference as of late. The Indians are only 4.5 games out of a wild-card spot.
8-26-14: The Cleveland Indians have lost Nick Swisher for the remainder of the 2014 season after he had to go under the knife with a knee surgery on both of his knees this week. Swisher was in the middle of a disappointing second season with Cleveland batting only .208/.278/.331 playing most first base for Cleveland. Swisher is in the second season of his $56 million deal with Cleveland he signed before the 2013 season. Cleveland will have Swisher back for the beginning of the 2015 season and will also have Scott Atchison after signing him to a one year extension worth $1 million for the 2016 season. The Indians are still in the thick of the Wild Card and AL Central race and can ill afford a loss as big as Swisher’s. Cleveland sits at 6-63 and is six games out in the division.
8-20-14: Do not count out Cleveland just yet. They’re just 4.5 games back of the second wildcard spot in the AL and have played some real good baseball in the month of August. They’re 6-4 in their last 10 games played and beat Minnesota Tuesday night. Corey Kluber should be considered a candidate for the AL Cy Young with his 13-6 record, 2.41 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 179.1 innings.
8-19-14: The Cleveland Indians have been locking up all their young talent in recent seasons except for one notable player in Corey Kluber. Cleveland has shown a willingness to extend positional players, most notably Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes, and Jason Kipnis, rather than pitchers as seen by the trade of Justin Masterson. The last time the Indians extended one of their starting pitchers to a long term deal Fausto Carmona was still pitching and not yet known as Roberto Hernandez. Whether the Indians decide to extend Kluber remains to be seen but if anyone on the team deserves a long term commitment it is definitely Kluber. The Indians also lost outfielder David Murphy and first baseman Nick Swisher this week to the disabled list and pitcher John Axford to a straight waiver claim to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Indians will save roughly $1.1 million in salary for the rest of the season by letting Axford go to Pittsburgh.
8-13-14: The Indians led 1-0 in their game with Arizona on Tuesday when a rain delay began at 7:57 p.m. The tarp was pulled off the field around 11 p.m. with the plan of re-starting the game about a half hour later, but a heavy storm rolled through Cleveland and the game was quickly called. The game will be made up Wednesday as part of a doubleheader.
8-12-14: The Cleveland Indians granted the wish of outfielder Nyjer Morgan this week by releasing him from his contract. Morgan has been on the disabled list for the better part of three months with a strained PCL muscle in his knee and requested to be released according to team sources. Manager Terry Francona stated that the decision was mutual to release Morgan after he started the season with Cleveland hitting .341/.429/.439 with one home run and three stolen bases before the injury. The Indians also lost relief pitcher Vinnie Pestano as he was claimed on waivers and subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Indians ended the week by taking two games out of three from the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium including a victory that ruined Paul O’Neill Day at Yankee Stadium.
8-6-14: A bizarre play doomed the Indians Tuesday night. In the seventh inning, the Indians had a rally going. A warmup pitch from the Cincinnati bullpen came on the field, resulting in David Murphy being caught off third base. Murphy, I guess, mistakenly thought the ball was live and edged off third. Cleveland ultimately fell to the Reds 9-2. Cleveland sits just 2.5 games back in the crazy AL wildcard race.
8-5-14: The Cleveland Indians had two major pieces to trade away at this year’s trading deadline in Justin Masterson and Asdrubal Cabrera and both players were moved before it was all said and done. On Thursday the Indians traded shortstop Cabrera to the Washington Nationals for Zach Walters. Cleveland also traded their ace Masterson to the St. Louis Cardinals for their top outfield prospect James Ramsey. The Indians ended the week by signing Jim Thome to a one day contract so that Thome could retire as a member of the Tribe. Thome spent 12 of his 22 seasons in Cleveland and returned for a shortened stint in 2011 before spending the 2012 season with the Baltimore Orioles. Thome will now presumably pursue a career as a major league manager.
7-30-14: The Cleveland Indians received some bad news when they learned they would have to place shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera on the 15 day disabled list with back spasms. In what looks to be a corresponding move more than a coincidental one the Indians have promoted their top prospect Francisco Lindor to Triple-A to play shortstop. This is either a sign that Cabrera may be out for a good amount of time, that Cabrera will not be re-signed after this season as a free agent, or both. The Indians ended the week by announcing they would be very willing to trade ace starting pitcher Justin Masterson at this year’s trading deadline. Masterson is a free agent at the end of this season but has struggled mightily all season long severely limiting his suitors.
7-28-14: The Indians looked great right after the All-Star break, but they have struggled since taking the first three games of their series against the Detroit Tigers. Cleveland then dropped five of its next six contests. Carlos Santana’s two home runs were not enough to stop the Indians’ losing streak on Friday.
7-24-14: Carlos Santana had a home run among his season high-tying four hits and Danny Salazar won in his first start in more than two months as the Indians beat the Minnesota Twins 8-2 on Tuesday night. Santana, who was 3 for 18 coming in, hit a solo shot to right field in the fifth inning to put the Indians up 4-1. Cleveland has now won for the fourth time in six games since the All-Star break. The Indians are 5 ½ games back of Detroit in the AL Central.
7-21-14: The Cleveland Indians are in second place in the AL Central division and find themselves right in the hunt for a Wild Card spot but are still not expected to be major players in this year’s trading deadline. The Indians seemingly do not have the pieces or payroll flexibility to add a major piece and do not seem willing to trade away any talent either. This report contradicts an earlier report from the week stating that the Indians were interested in adding San Diego Padres closer Joaquin Benoit to shore up their bullpen. The biggest weakness has been the inconsistency from the Indians starting rotation especially from their ace Justin Masterson.
7-19-14: Jason Kipnis and All-Star Michael Brantley played very well on Friday in the Indians’ 9-3 victory against the division-leading Detroit Tigers. Kipnis slugged two home runs, and Brantley went 4-for-5 with two runs scored. Trevor Bauer also had a quality start in the win, as Cleveland continues to fight for the second position in the American League Central.
7-17-14: The Indians have their work cut out for them if they hope to be playing in October once again this year. They open the second half with an 11-game road trip against the Tigers, Twins and Royals, that could very well determine how the rest of their season plays out. The emergence of Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall has helped offset poor first-half performances from guys like Jason Kipnis, Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana.
7-15-14: The Cleveland Indians have struggled to stay afloat all season long and have been at or around the .500 mark all season long in the AL Central. The Indians did not get news to help out with that when Michael Bourn went down with a hamstring injury. To replace Bourn Cleveland went out and acquired Chris Dickerson from the Pittsburgh Pirates and he immediately dominated the Yankees pitching staff in his first four games of his 2014 Indians campaign. George Kottaras was designated for assignment by the Indians once again and has latched on with the St. Louis Cardinals rather than accepting a Triple-A assignment once again. The Indians also acquired Nick Maronde from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and will plug the 24 year old into the fold of the pitching staff. The Indians are at .500 at 47-47 heading into the All Star break.
7-14-14: The Indians, who are currently without Michael Bourn and Justin Masterson, are fighting hard to stay alive in the American League Central. With their victories on Thursday and Friday, they moved to 10 games above .500 at home this season. After dropping Wednesday’s extra-inning contest to the New York Yankees, Indians catcher Roberto Perez hit a two-run home run in his major league debut as a part of Thursday’s 9-3 win.
7-10-14: Michael Brantley, the first-time All-Star, homered and drove in three RBI’s. Nick Swisher hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning, leading Cleveland to a 5-3 victory over Masahiro Tanaka and the New York Yankees Tuesday night. Brantley raised his average to .328. Brantley now has 14 home runs and 60 RBIs, both Indian team highs. He also is tied for the AL lead with 10 outfield assists.
7-7-14: On Wednesday, the visiting Indians took the rubber game from the Los Angeles Dodgers. After being shut out in the first contest of the series, Cleveland outscored Los Angeles, 15-7, in the final two games of the series. Michael Brantley, who has scored a run in each of the team’s last three contests, hit his 13th home run of the season on Friday in the Indians’ loss to the Kansas City Royals.
7-3-14: The Cleveland Indians turned an unorthodox triple play that required a pair of video replays, and David Murphy broke out of his slump with three hits and two RBI in a 10-3 victory against the Dodgers Tuesday. The triple play started in fourth inning when Adrian Gonzalez lifted a flyball to left fielder Michael Brantley, who threw out Dee Gordon at the plate. Catcher Yan Gomes noticed Yasiel Puig running for second and fired to Jason Kipnis for the tag on Puig as he went in headfirst. Indians manager Terry Francona challenged the original safe call and got the ruling overturned, giving the Indians three outs on one play. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly then came out to challenge the call at the plate. Crazy stuff in Los Angeles.
7-2-14: The Cleveland Indians ace starting pitcher Justin Masterson has had a lingering knee issue since his second start of the season, which may explain his down season statistically. Masterson has been battling soreness in his right knee and will miss at least one start due to the lingering injury in hopes of knocking the soreness out. Masterson’s ERA is up and his velocity is down which is never a good sign for a soon to be free agent. The Indians also hope this rest will help Masterson as with every less than stellar start makes it unlikely the Indians will be able to offer him a qualifying offer and net a draft pick for him in 2015.
6-30-14: After having a frustrating start to the season, the Indians have rebounded in May and continued their strong play into the beginning of June. Unfortunately, they had trouble with the Detroit Tigers, who recently swept them. Corey Kluber stopped Cleveland’s four-game losing streak by striking out eight Arizona Diamondbacks over seven scoreless innings on Wednesday, but the Indians dropped Friday’s contest in Seattle.
6-26-14: The Indians played in the longest game in the history of Chase Field Tuesday night. Unfortunately, they came out of losing side as the Arizona beat them 9-8 in 14 innings. The Indians has multiple chances to win the game, but couldn’t come through. Cleveland went ahead 8-6 in the 11th when Randall Delgado walked Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana homered down the right-field line. Arizona would tie the game at eight in the bottom half of the 11th. Arizona's Aaron Hill ended up winning it with an RBI single in the 14th inning. Cleveland remains six games back of Detroit in the AL Central.
6-24-14: The Cleveland Indians have designated Josh Outman for assignment even though he posted a 3.28 ERA in 24.2 innings this season. Outman pitched well but also walked way too many batters, 5.8/9, for the Indians to keep him around. Outman does get same handed batters out as a left handed pitcher and could be valuable to another team as a LOOGY or specialist type pitcher out of the bullpen. The Indians will not look to trade Outman rather than lose him for nothing to another team via free agency.
6-18-14: Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin gave up six runs in 5 1/3 innings as the Indians fell to the Angels 9-3 this past Tuesday. The loss dropped Tomlin to 4-4 on the year and ended Cleveland's 10-game home winning streak. Indians left fielder Michael Brantley was scratched from the lineup, and had tests on the head and neck injuries he sustained Monday while trying to break up a double play. Lonnie Chisenhall, who entered Tuesday’s game with a 0-for-13 slump, hit a solo homer in the fourth that put Cleveland in front 2-1. The Indians are three games back of AL Central leading Kansas City.
6-17-14: The Cleveland Indians are in a catch 22 position this season with their offense and defense. Their best offensive players in Nick Swisher, Carlos Santana, and Lonnie Chisenhall are also their worst defending players. In Santana’s and Swisher’s defense they are playing somewhat out of position but the Indians are still one of the worst defending teams in all of Major League Baseball right now.
6-10-14: The Cleveland Indians selected Bradley Zimmer in their first pick in the 2014 MLB First Year Players Draft on Thursday to play outfield in the future out of San Francisco. The Indians also drafted Justus Sheffield in the first round as compensation for losing Ubaldo Jimenez and have signed him to a below slot deal. Sheffield signed for $1.6 million, under the slot recommendation of $1.733 million, and also received $250K in scholarships to attend Vanderbilt University. With the bonus being paid upfront and the scholarship payment the Indians only saved a mere $133K on the deal. The Indians have been in last place in the American League Central division this season but find themselves in second place currently with a 32-31 record, a mere 3.5 games back of the Detroit Tigers.
6-3-14: The Cleveland Indians presence at the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft was pretty nonexistent but Cleveland is primed to make noise at the 2014 draft. Last year the Indians gave up two picks by signing Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn and had only two picks in the first 79 selections but this year will have four picks in that same span this season. The Indians have the 21, 31, 28, and 61 picks in this year’s draft after losing the likes of Ubaldo Jimenez. The Indians have finally jumped out of the cellar in the American League Central division and are just six games out of first place in the division.
5-28-14: The Cleveland Indians are still in the cellar of the American League Central division but look to be climbing out of it while challenging the White Sox for fourth place. The Indians have gotten back shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and are close to having second basemen Jason Kipnis back which will help with Cleveland’s potential push up the standings ladder. The Indians are still employing the closer by committee with Scott Atchison, Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, and Marc Rzepczynski in a somewhat controversial move that has yet to show dividends anytime it has been used across the league. While the players are saying the right things it’s hard to argue by looking at the numbers that the move is not disrupting the bullpen.
5-21-14: The Cleveland Indians this time last year were in the thick of things for the American League Central division title and a Wild Card berth, this year they are in last place in the division and left scratching their heads wondering how to right the ship. The Indians currently sit at 20-25 in the division and are 4-6 in their last ten games. The team is struggling across the board outside of the young guys in Jason Kipnis and Yan Gomes. Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher most notably are struggling at the plate and Cleveland is missing Ubaldo Jimenez more than they thought they would at this point.
5-15-14: The Cleveland Indians spent a lot of money just a couple winters back and are definitely not reaping the benefits of opening the purse strings after two weeks of May baseball. The Indians find themselves in last place in the American League Central division and by the looks of their negative run differential it does not look to get any better any time soon. The Indians have struggled on the road this season and have lost over twice as many games as they have won but have protected their home stadium with a winning record at home. The Indians have Yan Gomes back off the paternity list to help with the cause and also got to keep George Kottaras in the fold after designating him for assignment and him accepting his assignment to Triple-A.
5-7-14: The Cleveland Indians are easily the most disappointing team in the American League Central after the first month first of games in 2014. Cleveland was in the race for a playoff spot all season in 2013 and currently find themselves in last place in 2014 in early May. The Indians are close to getting catcher Yan Gomes back after he was placed on the paternity list and have gotten pitcher Chris Tomlin back. In a corresponding roster move the Indians designated sought after catcher George Kottaras for assignment after he made just four plate appearances for the big league club, although he did hit two home runs and draw a walk in that time. While the Indians pitching staff has struggled Aaron Harang, who was a member of the Indians before being informed he would not make the team out of spring training camp, has enjoyed success with the Atlanta Braves. You have to wonder if the Indians are kicking themselves for letting Harang go for nothing or not plugging him into their own rotation.
4-28-14: The Cleveland Indians have spent much of the first month of the 2014 season taking care of their own, most evidently by signing stars Jason Kipnis, Yan Gomes, and Michael Brantley to a combined 14 years and $100 million in contract extensions. The Indians have also taken chances on free agents that have paid off after a month, most notably John Axford at the back end of their bullpen who has been stellar in the closers role. The Indians have been a .500 team in the month of April in the American League Central division but may have the rest of the division right where they want them. The Indians have not played close to their potential yet this season and are still right in the thick of things for a division title or at least a wild card berth. Remember to vote for your favorite Indians players in the upcoming MLB All Star Game as voting has opened up this week for the prestigious event.
4-14-14: The Indians have lost four of their last five overall, including two-of-three in Chicago this weekend. Several of the Tribe’s big hitters are scuffling early on, as Asdrubal Cabrera, Nick Swisher, Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis are all hitting under .240 to start. David Murphy has been solid in his first season with the Indians, as he already leads the team with 11 RBI’s. Cleveland (6-7) will head to Detroit for three games starting Tuesday.
4-7-14: The Tribe impressively won two out of three games in Oakland to kick things off this year, but came home and then lost two of three to Minnesota, disappointingly. The bullpen has been extremely busy early on, as Scott Atchison, Marc Rzepczynski, Cody Allen, Josh Outman, Bryan Shaw, Blake Wood and John Axford have all already appeared in three of Cleveland’s first six games. The Cleveland Indians will host the San Diego Padres for a three-game series starting Monday evening.
4-1-14: Justin Masterson’s season got off to a fine start as the Indians’ ace went seven strong innings without allowing a run to the A’s while striking out four. Cleveland’s offense didn’t wake up until the 9th, however, when they struck for a pair of runs off of Oakland’s Jim Johnson. John Axford picked up the save as the Indians took the season opener, 2-0.
3-27-14: The Cleveland Indians lost a little starting pitching depth in the last week of Spring Training as they released Aaron Harang per his request, and he quickly latched on with the Atlanta Braves. The Indians also named Carlos Santana, former catcher, designated hitter, and first basemen, as their every day third basemen for the 2014 season. Scott Atchison was signed to a minor league deal this winter and was informed he would be making the Opening Day roster and added to the 40 man and 25 man rosters to help bolster the bullpen for Cleveland. Atchison had a strong spring allowing two walks and one hit in eight innings with eight strikeouts of work for the Indians. The Indians have one of the lowest payrolls in all of baseball for 2014 but still looks to challenge the Detroit Tigers and the rest of the league for the American League Central division title or one of the two Wild Card spots for the postseason.
3-20-14: The Cleveland Indians far and away have the best record in all of spring training, and especially in the Cactus League, behind young pitching and power hitting. The Indians have a lot of work to do replacing Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir and it starts with extending Justin Masterson, those talks are still on hold for now though as both sides are working towards a deal. Speaking of Masterson he has been named the Opening Day starter for the Indians, not that this should come as a surprise to anyone. Jason Giambi was slated to get some time at DH this season but has recently broken a rib and will start the season on the disabled list with the injury opening the door for someone out of the Indians system. Giambi will miss three to four weeks with the injury as the Indians season starts in less than two weeks.
3-13-14: The Cleveland Indians are an exciting team to watch this spring after a strong 2013 season. Carlos Santana, a catcher who converted to first base, is learning third base, Justin Masterson is working towards signing an extension with the team, and the Indians ticket prices are staying the same for the most part. Cleveland has the best Cactus League record so far this season and look to ride the hot bats and young power arms all the way in 2014.
3-5-14: The Cleveland Indians have seemingly begun to transition there once young starting catcher Carlos Santana into a third basement. The young slugger will make periodic starts at third base throughout the spring. The Indians organization have made it clear that they are interested in extending the contract of 26-year-old Jason Kipnis.
1-24-14: The Cleveland Indians are hoping that Danny Salazar can live up to expectations as he is being heralded as the best Indians pitching prospect since CC Sabathia. One interesting note is that the Indians are debating changing catcher Carlos Santana to third base as prospect Yan Gomes has been climbing through the ranks and appears poised to win the starting job.
1-7-14: It's looking as if Ubaldo Jimenez will no longer be a member of the Cleveland Indians as he recently announced that he is looking for four-year deal worth up to $20 million per season. Although it's reported that his asking price may have come down is unlikely that the Indians will get into a bidding war with the Yankees or Blue Jays who were also rumored to be heavy Suiters.
12-9-13: The Cleveland Indians made many improvements last season including winning 10 straight games to finish the season. Unfortunately their winning streak with snap as soon as possible season play began as they lost to the Tampa Bay rays in the one game playing game. Not enough credit can be given to manager Terry Francona who took in unflattering roster and led them to 92 wins finishing just one game behind the tigers for first place in the Central division. The Indians will return with much of the same roster as they did last year hoping to continue the success they had in their home ballpark with a posted a 51–30 record.
9-30-13: Despite not having a roster filled with all-star names it is not much of a surprise that the Cleavland Indians are in the playoff hunt. Under the leadership of Terry Francona and a veteran ballclub the Indians of manage 90 winds and currently are the second American League wild-card team. Coming into the weekend the Indians hold a one game lead over Texas who is also fighting for that final playoff spot. Cleveland has been friendly to the Indians as they posted a 51–30 record at home. Nick Swisher led the team in homeruns with 21 this season. The Cleveland Indians scored 735 run so far this season and that ranks fifth best in all of baseball. Over the weekend they will face the rival Minnesota Twins in Minnesota.
8/20/13 - The Cleveland Indians are in second place with a record of 68 – 58. They Trilva division leading Detroit Tigers by 6 games. The Indians are five and five in the last 10 games. This week Cleveland is on the West Coast to face the Los Angeles Angels. They opened up that road trip with a 5-2 win over the Angels.
In terms of the wildcard race in the American League the Cleveland Indians are 4.5 games behind the Tampa Bay rays and theOakland Athletics.
8/6/13 - The Cleveland Indians of surprise many with their strong play throughout the season. Currently they are in second place in the Central, but also hold the second wild-card position in the American League. The Indians have a 9-1 record in their last 10 games.
7/31/13 - The Indians have acquired left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski from the St. Louis Cardinals for a minor league infielder.
7/18/13 - Through the first half of the season under new manager Terry Francona the Cleveland Indians have impressed. With limited offensive power and not many big names to speak of the Indians have one for the road heading into the break. Behind the bat of second baseman Jason Kipnis and the solid pitching from Justin Masterson the Indians are currently in second place with 51 wins. The Indians are currently only 1.5 games out of first place behind the Detroit Tigers. Once the regular season resumes the Indians will head to Minnesota for series against the Twins.
7/7/13 - Two Cleveland Indians were selected for the 2013 American League All-Star Game. 10-game winner Justin Masterson and second baseman Jason Kipnis will both be making their first all-star game appearance.
6/12/13 - Losers of 8 in a row, the Cleveland Indians are the only second-place team in baseball with a losing record. Playing in a weak division under new manager Terry Francona The Indians will try to break their losing streak against the Texas Rangers this week. Newly acquired Nick Swisher Is hitting 240 with seven homeruns. The young leftfielder Michael Brantley is leading the team in batting average hitting 284.
