Indians busy trade deadline

 The Cleveland Indians up until a week or so were thought to be a player for a big bat for a team trying to stay relevant in the playoff conversation.

How the team was going to afford this bat was a question to ask, but with the team sliding eight games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, it wouldn't be unreasonable to see the Indians trade some players and still add a player or two as well.

Cleveland did add a player to the roster and even another one for about an hour or two but with several deals over two days, the Indians managed to make many wonder just what the hell the team is thinking.

Let's start with the trade that brought the one player in these trades to Cleveland immediately as the Indians traded reliever Phil Maton and minor league catcher Yainer Diaz to Houston for outfielder Myles Straw.

Straw had started in centerfield for most of this season for the Astros, batting .262 with two homers, thirty-four RBI, and seventeen stolen bases.

The twenty-six-year-old Straw hits righthanded, is a plus outfielder defensively, lacks power, and has excellent speed.

In other words, Straw fits the Indians' top fetish in outfielders- fast guys without power and they can add to the several that they already have in that department in Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, Daniel Johnson, and seemingly most of their outfielders since Alex Cole.

Straw will likely be given a chance to own the centerfield job as he did in Houston, and hopefully, he'll know how to call a flyball as it seems needs to be worked on with the Indians, as Bradley Zimmer and Daniel Johnson showed last night as the pair turned a deep flyball into a Yoan Moncada homer by running into each other, but I don't see him as an upgrade over the mediocre bunch that they have already on the roster and its a safe bet that one is going out the door to either Columbus or perhaps gone period.

Maton was an average reliever (2-0 4.57 ERA in 41 innings) by most numbers, but his 61 strikeouts in 41 innings this season suggest that he may be on the verge of stepping to a higher level of performance at the age of 28 and Diaz was hitting .314 with five homers for low A Lynchburg stamping him as a prospect of note.

I think Maton is on the verge of being an excellent bullpen piece and I hate the Indians losing him.

While I don't have a problem with the Indians trading for an outfielder, I would have liked to have seen someone that isn't so similar to what the team already possesses.

I don't think Straw looks any better or worse than what the team already has and if that's the case- why trade away a decent setup guy in Maton or what appears to be an interesting catching prospect in Diaz?

With the Straw trade raising a few red flags, the other trades set alarms of various noise.

The one trade that I really liked was with the Tampa Bay Rays as the soon-to-be former Tribe shipped another of their clump of outfielders in Jordan Luplow and minor league pitcher D.J. Johnson to the Rays for minor league pitcher Peyton Battenfield.

Battenfield was a combined 5-0 with an ERA of 2.14 in fourteen starts between High A Bowling Green and AA Montgomery with 95 strikeouts in 67 innings.

Battenfield was the Astros ninth-round pick in 2019 from Oklahoma State and his numbers make him a pitcher that I think could be very helpful in the long run.

Battenfield was assigned to AA Akron.

Jordan Luplow had been on a rehab assignment with AAA Columbus and will remain on assignment with Tampa's AAA affiliate in Durham.

Luplow hit only .173 in his 121 plate appearances this season before an ankle injury but did hit seven homers and with his reputation as a lefty murderer, it made sense for Tampa to take a chance at a bounceback off their bench.

Journeyman pitcher D.J. Johnson was included in the deal after spending most of the season at AAA Columbus in their bullpen (1-2 with six saves, 3.32 ERA) and will give Tampa Bay a veteran option in their bullpen, should they require it.

This one was my favorite of all the trades considering the potential of Battenfield and the value of journeymen Luplow and Johnson.

The day before the deadline was a bit of a head-scratcher but it was possible that the market was limited for veteran second baseman Cesar Hernandez despite a career season in power numbers.

Hernandez was traded to division rival Chicago for minor league pitcher Konnor Pilkington and while I don't think the Indians are legitimately a threat to catch the White Sox, it was a sign of surrender to send Hernandez there.

Hernandez was hitting only. 234, but his eighteen homers exceeded his career-high by three already which I would have thought would have made him more desirable to a contender.

Hernandez was a free agent at the end of the year, although there is a team option and the Indians have a group of young infielders ready to move up next season, so I understand moving him but it's a really bad look when you send him to a team that you are supposedly trying to catch, even it isn't realistic to do so.

Konnor Pilkington is a lefthanded starter, who pitched fairly well for AA Birmingham in fourteen starts (4-4 3.48 ERA with 71 strikeouts) this season.

Pilkington was the White Sox third-round selection in 2018 from Mississippi State and had struggled until this season as a pro but I like his 71 strikeouts in 62 innings.

My problem with this trade isn't Pilkington, who like Peyton Battenfield was assigned to AA  Akron, trading Hernandez, or even trading to the White Sox as a division rival.

It's more about another bad look for a franchise that seems to be piling bad looks up in a large photo album.

The final deal is one of those deals that are all about the money even though the team insists it's not about the money as the Indians sent their top free-agent signee in Eddie Rosario to the Atlanta Braves along with cash considerations for veteran Pablo Sandoval, who was immediately released by Cleveland.

Rosario was on the disabled list and I'm sure that hurt his marketability but he didn't play up to expectations hitting .254 with seven homers and forty-six RBI and the Indians shipped some cash to Atlanta to help with the remainder of his one year eight million contract.

Rosario wasn't going to be back next year and again I was Ok moving him but it looks like the team is being cheap as usual to trade him for a player that they immediately released.

Sure, the trade was a way to open a spot on the 40 man roster and it will allow a few outfielders to get some at-bats and that's all well and good but it just makes the organization look so awful.

Look, I know the Indians were tied up a bit trying to trade an injured Eddie Rosario and I thought they did very well in getting Peyton Battenfield from Tampa Bay.

But I'm far more pessimistic about the trade for Myles Straw than it seems that most are and the small payroll with promises of more next season with a new minority owner could be true but it's never going to be as much help as the franchise needs to compete consistently.

The news out of Progressive Field of late has been good on few occasions, it didn't get a lot better at the trade deadline. 

Signing free agents in the warm Arizona sun

With pitchers and catchers reporting today in Arizona, both the Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants added to their outfield situation with players that would add pop to positions that need it for both teams.
Farhan Zaidi and the Giants added other players as the Giants continue to sign players first and ask questions later.

The Giants signed the flashier name as they returned fan-favorite Hunter Pence to San Francisco on a one year contract that could see Pence make 5.5 million dollars, should he reach all of his incentives.
San Francisco allowed Pence to leave last season and Pence hit 18 homers for the Texas Rangers in just under 300 at-bats.
Pence also hit .297 for Texas and won some Comeback of the Year awards last season, so Pence might have more in the tank than was thought when the Giants allowed him to leave.
Pence will platoon in left field with Alex Dickerson and play mostly against left-handed pitching.

San Francisco also re-signed Pablo Sandoval and continued to throw darts at the wall and hope to hit the board with various players.
Sandoval hit .268 with 14 homers for the Giants in his return to the Bay Area in 272 at-bats before his season ended with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
The Giants signed Billy Hamilton in what I hope will be as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner should he make the team.
Hamilton stole 22 bases last year between the Royals and Braves but hit a combined .218 in
a career that hasn't seen Hamilton be more than an offensive liability.
San Francisco also added second baseman Yolmer Sanchez, who hit .252 with two homers for the White Sox but did win the Gold Glove so Sanchez should have a shot at making the club, as Wilmer Flores should after hitting .317 with nine homers in 89 games with Arizona.
San Francisco also signed former Phillie's first baseman Darin Ruf after Ruf spent the last three years playing in the Korean league.
Ruf might provide some power for the always power-needy Giants, but he'll strike out a ton doing that.

San Francisco has also added some interesting arms over the last month with one being handed a spot in the rotation after an awful season with Texas and Philadelphia as Drew Smyly finished 4-7 with an ERA over six in twenty-one starts.
Smyly allowed 32 homers in 114 innings and I'm really dubious of this signing, especially after Smyly missed 2017 and 2018 due to injury.
Tyson Ross was signed after a 1-5 season with Detroit that saw his season ERA finish over six and Jerry Blevins was added as a situational reliever after spending last season with Atlanta.
Nick Vincent split the season with the Phillies and Giants, was mediocre with the Giants before being released, but excellent with the Phillies in two months.
I suppose that stretch made Vincent attractive enough for a return at a minor league contract.
The most interesting addition to me was Jarlin Garcia, a one-time top prospect for the Marlins, who finished with an ERA around three in fifty-three appearances.
I'm not sure why the Marlins would waive Garcia, but he could be an excellent addition to the Giant bullpen.

And the Indians?
They did add Domingo Santana for a crowded outfield situation that could use power from someone other than Franmil Reyes and Cameron Rupp for a veteran catcher for Columbus in case of injury and that's about it for a team that cut its payroll for the season by twenty-five percent.
Santana hit 21 homers for Seattle last season and hit 30 for the Brewers in 2017, so Santana can provide some power, but he also struck out 164 times in 507 at-bats last season and with Reyes in tow, Cleveland has two of the top six strikeout leaders in the game.
Plus Santana is notorious for his awful defense and if the Indians start a game with Santana in left and Reyes in right, that will be the worst defensive outfield in the game no matter who the centerfielder is on that evening.
Still for one million dollars, if Santana hits twenty homers he'll be a bargain- just make sure that the Indians have a defensive caddy ready for those late innings.
Cameron Rupp will likely be the veteran presence in Columbus unless he has the type of spring that pushes Sandy Leon to AAA.
Rupp hit 30 homers for the Phillies between 2016 and 2017 but has spent the last two seasons in AAA for various teams.

That wraps up the recent additions as the training camps in Arizona open this week for pitchers and catchers with two wildly different management styles.
I'm not against what the Giants do in signing anyone with a pulse and seeing what they have left and you could argue that the more flyers that you take the higher chance that you find a contributor.
As for the Indians, well the lack of even a little spending is yet another red flag for a franchise that continues to spend like K-Mart in a Tiffany's world.

The Panda Returns

It goes to show how disappointing the 2017 season has been for the San Francisco Giants after a season that most (including me) expected to see a solid championship contender and instead received a team that is so bad that they have a chance to have the first pick in next years draft (currently they would pick second) that the most exciting thing of late (other than the return of Madison Bumgarner) was the signing of a player that hit .212 this season and was basically paid to go away.

The return of Pablo Sandoval is surprising when you consider the noise that he made when he left for a five year and nearly one hundred million dollar contract with New York Lite err.Boston Red Sox.
Sandoval left on less than great terms after turning down the Giants offer after the team won the 2014 World Series and made several disparaging comments about the team and its players after arriving in Boston.
Sandoval made sure that he apologized to the Giants and their fans after he signed a minor league contract.which was smart in order to take that off the table and allow him to concentrate on a comeback that seems unlikely to end well,if his numbers in Boston indicate what Sandoval's value is at this time.

The Giants are in a position to see what a once valuable player can give since of the remaining two and a half years on the contract that Sandoval signed with Boston,only the veterans minimum would have to be paid by San Francisco,if Sandoval is ever able to make the parent club again.
The minor league contract will see Sandoval play third base for the next six weeks or so in AAA for Sacramento and gauge his progress from there.

Sandoval was clearly out of his element in Boston when his first season (2015) was the highlight of his tenure with pedestrian numbers of .245,10 homers and 47 runs batted in,followed it up with just three games in 2016 (0 for 6) and  his struggles in just 32 games this season continued at .212,4 homers with 12 RBI.
I thought that Sandoval was the type of player that could lose his skills quickly (I wrote it here) because of his size and weight issues and I've seen it happen before (George "Boomer" Scott anyone?),but I was still surprised that it began to happen almost immediately after leaving the Giants.

Sometimes players are made for certain teams,leagues and even ballparks and Pablo Sandoval might be one of these players.
It's hard to believe,but Pablo Sandoval is still just 30 years old.although he turns 31 in August.
It seems like he should be closer to 35,but in theory,if Sandoval is a "horse for a course" for San Francisco,he could have time left as a contributor at an extremely low price tag.
I'm all for giving it a try,but I'm not counting on that happening.
Still,it is something for Giants followers to keep tabs on for a while in a season that ranks among the most disappointing in franchise history....

Giants lose the Panda

The  San Francisco Giants thought that they had a chance to re-sign Pablo Sandoval after the post-season.
Turns out that the free spending Boston Red Sox had other things in mind as New York lite signed the Giants third baseman away with a five year deal (6th year on an option) worth 95 million dollars.

Now I'm not going to complain too much about the spending-if you really care,go back and read this from four years ago-nothing's changed,so I'll instead discuss what the Giants need to do and a little about the Panda that Boston bought in their latest trip to the carnival.

The Red Sox had a gaping hole at third base and Sandoval is a good fit there-for now.
Five years at that cost is a hefty amount for a player with weight issues,injury problems (although none in the last two seasons) and for a player that looks like part of a power hitter,doesn't have the production of such,although the move from AT&T Park to Fenway might solve some of that.
An underrated defender,Sandoval will be fine at third for a few years until he may eat his way off the position and for the Red Sox talk of Sandoval transitioning to David Ortiz's DH spot after Ortiz retires,I'm not sure if that's a sure thing either.
Players of Sandoval's size and plate discipline tend to flame out fast and that could happen here.
I think Sandoval is a fine player and could fare very well in Boston,but this is a contract that does have its risks for the Red Sox.

Meanwhile for the Giants,a huge loss as now a team that was already looking for improvement in left field and a starter for the rotation and has added third base as a must need.
The Giants are going to have to do something about third base and other than maybe Chase Headley,there isn't really an answer from free agency.
Not sure if the Giants will get into that race (The Indians are reported to be interested though) and if not the Giants are going to have to make a deal as the only players on the roster that can play the hot corner is veteran utility infielder Joaquin Arias,minor league slugger Adam Duvall and Matt Duffy,who appears better suited for the middle infield positions as far as his bat goes.

The Giants need another arm to slot in behind Madison Bumgarner,the returning from injury Matt Cain,Tim Hudson and Tim Lincecum.
Jake Peavy and Ryan Vogelsong are free agents and unless one of them returns (Please don't let it be Vogelsong),the Giants will have to get an arm from somewhere because most of the arms that are highly thought of would be rushed to join the rotation,
The Giants have been linked to Jon Lester,who would slot in rather nicely.

The Giants are involved in the race for Cuban defector Yasmany Tomas,who is reported to be perhaps the best power hitter yet of the Cubans to hit the big leagues.
Tomas will not come cheap and a signing of him and Lester might mean the Giants might have to try to get by at third with a bargain basement plan of Arias,Duffy, Duvall or a veteran signed off the scrap heap.
Tomas would more replace the Sandoval bat and give the Giants a chance to have an above average hitting outfield for the first years with Tomas,Angel Pagan returning from injury and Hunter Pence,

It's going to an interesting few weeks in San Francisco and just how and with who they patch these holes with just might determine if the Giants have a chance to repeat or even make the playoffs....