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.
Let’s start with a prediction; no player is going to more polarizing on the 2013 Cleveland Indians than Mark Reynolds. It would be too easy to say that Reynolds is an upgrade from Casey Kotchman and leave it at that. Reynolds will be an upgrade from Kotchman, that’s a slam dunk. The real question, as the title asks, is whether or not Reynolds was the right move on the free agent market. The IPI's Michael Goodman takes a deeper look into the value the Indians new first baseman brings to the team.
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.
As you read this, outfielder Nick Swisher is on a plane out of Cleveland. The free agent outfielder was in town today and visited Indians facilities as the team continues to pursue his services. A standing offer is apparently on the table for Swisher, so these next few days could become quite interesting.
The IPI's Steve Orbanek returns with a new edition of Then & Now. Thomas Neal put together a brilliant performance for the Akron Aeros this past season and was rewarded with a call up to Cleveland in September. However, Neal's playing time was quite limited, and there's no guarantee that the outfielder is in the Indians plans moving forward. Steve looks back at Neal's career and ponders the California native's future after the jump.
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”.
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.
Chris Antonetti acquired quite a few new players for Terry Francona's team in 2013, but the question of how these pieces will fit into the lineup still remains. Charlie Adams offers his help, using one of the seminal sabermetric books (aptly named "The Book") to fit the pieces together, sometimes yielding surprising results.
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.
With all the news surrounding trades and free agents this past week, it's been easy to forget about all of the Indians that are still competing in the various winter leagues. Speaking of trades, former potential trade bait Asdrubal Cabrera made his debut in the VWL this week and has gotten off to a hot start. Ezequiel Carrera and Andrew Campbell also continue to impress for their respective clubs. The IPI's Steve Orbanek recaps all of the week's action in this edition of the Winter Ball Notebook.
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.
No baseball adage rings truer than the saying ‘you can never have enough pitching.’ It may seem cliché, but not if you’re one of the many Cleveland Indians fans that watched your favorite team last season go seemingly full weeks without a quality start. The IPI's Michael Goodman makes his site debut with a look at the Indians starting rotation now and in the future, and what options they have to improve it.
Terry Francona and Chris Antonetti are off to a good start this offseason with reshaping the major league roster. To take this team from simply improved to playoff contention, though, some upgrades will need to come cheaply via the minor league system. As such, the growth of minor league players into major league contributors is a key to having successful teams in Cleveland. The IPI's Jim Piascik provides his list of ten prospects he thinks can help the team in 2013.
The Cleveland Indians 2012-2013 offseason is in full swing, and to say that Chris Antonetti has been active would be an understatement. With the Indians acquiring Trevor Bauer and Drew Stubbs in their latest move, it's clear that this isn't the same old Indians...and they aren't done. Join Jim Pete at the Corner of Carnegie, as he takes a look at the Indians new aggression....
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!
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