The Indians made a big trade on Tuesday night shipping out outfielder Shin-Soo Choo and three other players for right-handed starting pitching phenom Trevor Bauer, outfielder Drew Stubbs, and two Major League relievers. Charlie Adams chimes in with some great analysis of all the players the Indians gave up and received, and gives his thoughts on the big three-team nine player deal.
It was a quiet night in winter ball Tuesday with numerous leagues having the night off. However, some of the winter's top performers faced off in the Dominican Winter League All-Star Game, which pitted the Dominican's top performers against top performers from the Venezuelan Winter League. The IPI's Steve Orbanek recaps all the action as he takes you Around the Farm.
The Cleveland Indians acquired Trevor Bauer and three other players tonight as a part of a three-team nine player mega-trade involving outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. The IPI's Jim Piascik has the scoop on what Bauer will bring to the team: a legit front of the rotation starting pitcher.
The Indians have received right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer, right-handed pitcher Matt Albers, and right-handed pitcher Bryan Shaw from the Diamondbacks and outfielder Drew Stubbs from the Reds. To complete the deal the Indians sent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, infielder Jason Donald and cash considerations to the Reds, and sent left-handed pitcher Tony Sipp and first baseman Lars Anderson to the Diamondbacks.
Smoke Signals is back on the cyberwaves tonight for a special half hour edition from 11:00pm – 11:30pm EST. In tonight's special show, Tony Lastoria, Jim Pete, and Steve Orbanek will discuss the just completed mega three team nine-player deal that saw the Indians part with Shin-Soo Choo and add Trevor Bauer. They will discuss the specifics of the deal, what it means for the Indians, what they gained and lost, and what this may mean going forward.
According to a report from Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, the Indians and Reds are deep in trade talks for Shin-Soo Choo. The reported players the Indians could receive in the deal are young shortstop Didi Gregorius and outfielder Drew Stubbs. There is also talk that the Indians may send another player to the Reds to complete the deal.
We continue with our 2013 prospect coverage here at the IPI with a look at the catchers in the Indians system. With Carlos Santana seemingly locked into the position for the next few years, the Indians do not appear to have an immediate need at the position, but they have several prospects at the system and have created a lot of depth and upside at the position. Tony talks about the potential and future for the likes of Alex Monsalve, Yan Gomes, Eric Haase, Alex Lavisky, Jake Lowery, and Roberto Perez, up-and-comers Yiober Marquina and Francisco Mejia, and many others (16 catchers in all).
The IPI's Steve Orbanek returns with the latest edition of Then & Now. Steve looks this week at Chris McGuiness, who was selected in last week's Rule 5 Draft by the Indians. McGuiness has had a solid minor league career, but what does the future hold for the 24-year-old left-handed hitter? Does he have a chance at sticking with the Tribe? Steve reviews McGuiness' career after the jump.
All the winter leagues were off last night either because no games were scheduled or they were postponed. With no games, Tony provides an "ATF Six-Pack" and takes a quick look at six players of interest. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is still playing even in the midst of trade rumors, first baseman Mike McDade could be on the chopping block with the recent pickup of Mark Reynolds, and more.
The IPI's Tony Lastoria recently had a chance to sit down and have a conversation with former Double-A Akron pitching coach and new Triple-A Columbus pitching coach Tony Arnold about some of the pitchers he had at Akron this past season. They talked about the strides made by the likes of T.J. House, Trey Haley, Preston Guilmet, Rob Bryson, Shawn Armstrong, Danny Salazar, Brett Brach, Toru Murata and others.
The Indians made their first major signing of the offseason last night as the team inked first baseman Mark Reynolds to a one-year deal worth $6 million. Reynolds certainly fills some glaring holes for the Indians, but he is not without his flaws as well. Was Reynolds the right signing for the Tribe? The IPI's Steve Orbanek ponders after the jump.
Andrew Campbell continued his Australian League dominance with a two-hit performance that extended his hit streak to eight ballgames. Asdrubal Cabrera followed up his two-hit, winter league debut with a two-hit, winter league follow up. Joseph Colon and Giovanni Soto were the two Cleveland Indians' representatives in the Puerto Rican Winter League All-Star game, and they didn't disappoint. Check out another edition of Around the Farm.
According to several reports, the Indians have agreed to a deal with free agent third baseman/first baseman Mark Reynolds pending a physical. It is being reported that the terms of the deal are a one year deal for $6 million with an additional $1.5 million in incentives.
It was quite a busy week for the Indians in the winter meetings out in Nashville. They did not come away from the meetings making any signings or trades, but the foundation was more than laid on a lot of deals. They missed out on a few players they wanted to sign and they have a few deals on the table to some others, and Tony says it is time to seal the deal and get some of these signings and trades to go through to help change the perception of the team not only for the fans, but the players, agents and teams around the league. All that and more in today's Happenings...
The rumors for a potential trade of Asdrubal Cabrera are at a premium right now. In the meantime, the Tribe shortstop made his winter league debut on Saturday night, and showcased a bit of the offense that is making him such a hot commodity. Carlos Santana also broke out of a prolonged slump with three hits of his own. Join Jim Pete for Saturday Night's edition of Around the Farm...
The IPI's Steve Orbanek returns with this week's edition of Then & Now. Steve looks at right-hander Trey Haley this week, who just completed his fifth season in the Indians system. Haley arguably possesses the best fastball in the Indians system, but will high walk totals prevent Haley from ever making a Major League impact? Steve looks back at Haley's career after the jump.
The 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!