Free agent outfielder Nick Swisher left Cleveland yesterday afternoon. What destination he was heading to next on his free agent tour is still a mystery, but even though he departed without signing a contract the Indians still appear the frontrunner to sign him. Tony discusses how draft pick compensation may be limiting his market and why the Indians are still his most logical landing spot.
The Cleveland Indians today announced they have signed free agent right-handed pitcher Joe Martinez and catcher Brian Jeroloman to minor league contracts with non-roster invitations to Major League camp. Martinez returns to the Indians after pitching for Triple-A Columbus in 2011 and Jeroloman will provide much needed upper level catching depth.
Today the Indians officially announced the signing of first baseman Mark Reynolds to a one year contract. The deal is for a reported $6 million and includes an additional $1.5 million in incentives. To make room on the 40-man roster the Indians designated first baseman/outfielder Russ Canzler for assignment.
We continue with our 2013 prospect coverage here at the IPI with a look at the left fielders in the Indians system. It is no secret that left field is a position of immediate need at the big league level for the Indians, but the options in the upper levels of the Indians system are limited. Tony looks at all of the left field options for the Indians now and in the future and breaks down the potential and future for the likes of Victor Cabral, Tim Fedroff, Anthony Gallas, Bo Greenwell, Jorge Martinez, Thomas Neal, Anthony Santander, Jeremie Tice and many others.
The Indians have been talking to free agent outfielder Nick Swisher for several weeks now, and today they reportedly have intensified what was already a very aggressive pursuit. According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Indians “are making a push in their effort to sign Swisher”.
In today's final edition of "Coach's Corner" this offseason, we saved the best for last. Tony recently had a chance to sit down with former High-A Carolina hitting coach and new Low-A Lake County manager Scooter Tucker and discuss a lot of the players he worked with this past season at Carolina. The Indians had a lot of very intriguing position player talent at Carolina this past season, and Tucker went into great detail on things they worked on over the course of the season. They talked about Carlos Moncrief, Ronny Rodriguez, Tony Wolters, Jesus Aguilar, Giovanny Urshela, Anthony Gallas, and more.
As some of you may have seen in a tweet I sent out last week, Indians Prospect Insider will soon be no more. No, it is not closing up shop and going away. Instead, this site will become Indians Baseball Insider. We are going from the IPI to the IBI, and the change should occur sometime between now and the next two weeks. Tony explains why the change was made and what it means for the site.
The Indians continue to be extremely active this offseason on both the free agent and trade fronts, something that a lot of fans have taken notice of and been happy to see for a change. But there is still a large segment of naysayers that will not believe anything has changed until ownership and the front office get a notable free agent to sign on the dotted line. Tony discusses how a big free agent signing may actually help the team more off the field than on it, he compares the James Shields and Ubaldo Jimenez deals, and much more.
The Nick Swisher and Edwin Jackson watch continues, and at the moment, an conclusion does not appear imminent. Swisher is said to be in no rush to sign with anyone and will spend next week visiting all the teams interested in signing him. Jackson does not appear close to signing with anyone, but that should change now that Anibal Sanchez resigned with the Tigers. The free agent spotlight is clearly on both Swisher and Jackson, and the Indians are in on both, but it remains remote they end up with either one.
It has been awhile, and thanks to the nudging from some readers, we decided to dust off this old feature and bring it back to the site. Things with the Indians have been pretty busy of late and a lot of fans want to know what the Indians are up to. Tony answers questions from fans asking about their pursuit of Nick Swisher, what other options they should consider if they don't sign him, whether the reload approach is the right one, and lots more.
With Justin Hamilton, Ryan Dempster, and Anibal Sanchez all signing today, the free agent spotlight now shines on Nick Swisher and Edwin Jackson. The Indians have offers out to both and have been aggressive in their attempts to sign them, but other teams are interested and more could join the mix after the three big signings today.
We continue with our 2013 prospect coverage here at the IPI with a look at the center fielders in the Indians system. The Indians have Michael Brantley and the newly acquired Drew Stubbs as current options at the big league level, but they have stockpiled some good prospects and depth at the position in their minor league system. Tony talks about the potential and future for the likes of Tyler Booth, Delvi Cid, Jordan Henry, Tyler Holt, D'Vone McClure, Tyler Naquin, Luigi Rodriguez, Logan Vick, LeVon Washington, and many others.
Wow, what a night for the Indians. They came away as big winners in the three-team trade last night that saw them pickup highly coveted pitching phenom Trevor Bauer. Tony chimes in with his thoughts on all the players in the deal, what may happen next for the Indians, what it means for a possible Perez or Cabrera trade, the immediate impact Francona has had on the organization, and lots more.
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.
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!
