Friday preview: Cleveland limps into Metrodome
Posted on July 4th, 2008 – 10:00 AMBy Joe Christensen
Cleveland appears ready to wave the white flag, as it enters a three-game series with the Twins tonight at the Metrodome.
Paul Hoynes, in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports that Joe Borowski is likely out as closer. He was 6-for-10 in save situations, with a 12.46 ERA and an opponents batting average of .395.
Masa Kobayashi, Rafael Betancourt and Raffy Perez could be counted on to close. Jensen Lewis and Brian Slocum are coming from Class AAA Buffalo, and Juan Rincon isn’t far behind, though his ERA is 16.20.
Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro held a conference call with Manager Eric Wedge and staff on Thursday, and it’s possible they discussed trading C.C. Sabathia, especially if the Brewers or another team entices them with the right offer.
With Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook on the DL, this team has been derailed after coming one victory from the World Series.
That said, tonight is a trap game for the Twins. Last time Livan Hernandez faced the Indians, the Twins lost 12-2. Paul Byrd has given them fits, though he is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts against them this year.
The Twins are 8-1 after a day off, so it’ll be interesting to see if they come out firing tonight. Check back this afternoon for the starting lineups.
41 Responses to "Friday preview: Cleveland limps into Metrodome"
It’s important the Twins win this game tonight and keep the Indians reeling. Getting swept by the palehose and then winning the first game in this series would really sting us. I’d have a short leash on Livan tonight. The pen is rested, and may not be needed much the rest of the series. The march to Oct is in full stride right now.
I hope Cleveland brings up Rincon.
Here’s a move that could help the team, and free up a spot, for when Cuddyer returns: Trade Kubel.
Kubel has a modest one year contract, and his productivity, while not good in reality, looks okay on paper. If his name is floated, some team might bite. The Twins don’t need him, and they might nab a legitimate prospect.
You can’t afford to play down to the level of your opponent so the Twins need to stay focused and put the Indians away early. If/when they get healthy, the Indians are going to get competitive again so you need to beat up on them while they’re down.
I don’t know if the Indians will be competitive for the rest of the year. Closer by committee experiments usually fail. CC will probably be wearing XXl/XXT uniforms for someone else. The Tribe is short one starter and likely two before the end of the month. On the position side, they would trade Blake if they get any takers and probably Peralta, too.
The Twins have the bad fortune of facing a nemesis (Byrd) and two lefties, including my bet to start the All-Star game (Cliff Lee). I’m hoping for two of three, but preparing for less than that.
JoeC,
Before you complete your autopsy and coroner’s inquest into the death of the Cleveland Indians, please review your previous diagnoses for the Rangers (44-42) and the Orioles (43-41) who earlier this season were prematurely embalmed.
If Span continues to be productive & Cuddy is ready to come back, you obviously make a move with the 25th player on the roster. Which player has gotten off the bench the least in the last couple of weeks. LAMB! Span can give GOGO a day off once in a while, pinch hit, pinch run, defensive replacement, start in right when Cuddy gives Morneau a day off, etc. Someone will be interested in Lamb if Twins pay a good portion of his contract. I also would like to see the Cuddy @ 3rd experiment again. A few years ago, the Twins talked of Cuddy as a “super-sized” utility player. He can do it. I also agree with some other people on this blog. Young could easily switch to right & Span with his superior speed could cover more ground in left. It would be a mistake to trade Cuddy. We are already too “left-handed”. Some Cuddy @ 3rd, RF & 1st base sounds like za plan. Punto defensive replacement @ 3rd late in games. Some Buscher @3rd & PH sounds like a plan. Then again, after once around the league, Span could flop. I’m sure our coaching staff will do what is best for the team. 
Coco
I could not disagree with you more on the Cuddy thing. He is not a 3rd baseman nor will he ever be one. Spelling Morneau at first…fine but not regular time at third. I would rather see a platoon of Buscher and Macri.
Never fails that when some idiot reporter prematurely predicts an easy series, that team turns around and embarrasses us. Thanks Joe.
We cannot go easy on the Indians…we need to come at them on all cylinders. Never go easy on any MLB team, don’t take any win for granted.
Monroe looks like the most likely choice to exit, once Cuddyer returns, barring a trade. He would exit the same as Rincon. He would have an option to go to AAA, but would likely choose free agency, like Rincon. Free agency gives a player the chance to hook on with a major league club. Monroe would likely end up in AAA with another club, same as Rincon.
Revdrev,
“I could not disagree with you more on the Cuddy thing. He is not a 3rd baseman nor will he ever be one”
How would you compare him to Mike Lamb, as a defensive third baseman?
I’d say its a wash - a dirty wash.
Sorry about repeating myself, but….
When Cuddyer comes back, I would keep Span, Monroe and Lamb.
I would waive Bass.
If we lose him, so what?
There are millions of Bass in the sea.
Why would the Twins want to trade Kubel, their third-most productive hitter, to free up room for Cuddyer? Or let go of Monroe, who has added a little power to our bench? Lamb should be the first to go when Cuddyer comes back — isn’t Span a left-handed hitter? That gives them a left-handed hitter off the bench option that Lamb fills right now.
Where did Joe predict an easy series? He’s referring to Cleveland making changes for the future, as their season begins to look like a lost cause. I don’t think Joe is saying they aren’t capable of playing a strong series against the Twins. The “white flag” is a reference about the season, he’s not saying that the Indians are going to quit trying to win every game. That is my read on it, anyway. Joe can speak for himself.
By the time Cuddyer returns, there will be approximately 4.8 million reasons why Lamb will stay with the team, while there will be approximately 1.8 million reasons why Monroe will stay.
If you were Billy Smith, would you rather go to the Pohlads and say, they are about to “eat” 4.8 mil, or 1.8 mil? Case closed. Lamb stays.
Keep in mind that the Pohlads just recently dined on a bunch of Rincon salary. I’m sure it didn’t go down easy. Was it about 1.4 mil? I haven’t checked those numbers.
Tightwads like Pohlads, don’t like to see their money tossed around foolishly.
N+I Craig…I’m glad you’re only a fan and blogger. It would be hard to support a team if it made the changes you suggest. Sadly, you’re probably right about Lamb staying with the club. I’d like to see him released outright but it would be against-type for ownership/mgmt. to cut him loose. Nobody in big business admits to expensive mistakes anymore. It would be refreshing to see it happen in this case. Go Twins! (I’m starting to believe.)
I think the Twins really need to keep Monroe. He gives us a dimension off the bench and some additional depth in case of injury. Plus even with a low average he’s third on the team in HR’s and has had some big games. Sorry, can’t see the Twins getting rid of his power.
I think likely Buecsher or Span heads back to the minors. That way we lose no players. The idea to try and trade Lamb is a good one, might as well package Everett if they can as well. The younger Twins have really earned their spots at this point and tough decisions need to be made.
Terry Ryan signed Luis Rivas to a 1.8 mil contract his final season with the Twins. Rivas may have won it in arbitration, I don’t recall. Anyway, Rivas spent a good portion of that season in AAA. Ryan didn’t tender a contract to Rivas after the season, essentially releasing him. Ryan stated at Twinsfest that part of the reason he did that, was because he didn’t want to lose his job. You can bet the Pohlads, were none to happy paying 1.8 mil to a guy playing in AAA.
The Twins front office is under close scrutiny. Would the Pohlads roll heads, if they didn’t like how things were looking? You bet they would. That front office is under plenty of pressure.
Carl Pohlad made big money in foreclosures. Families tossed out in the street during economic hard times. There would be no qualms about, figuratively speaking, putting a GM’s head on the block and dropping the axe.
The Twins front office is under tremendous pressure to win. Winning brings in fans, and fans bring in money. That’s what the whole thing is about, money. They are under equal pressure to get the maximum utilization from the payroll.
Sometimes those two pressures conflict. That is the case right now with Lamb, and to a lesser extent, Monroe. Getting rid of Lamb, could help the team win, there are better players in AAA. Gardy really can’t use Lamb, for anything, any longer.
As long as the Twins win, the pressure is low. If the Twins start losing, the pressure ratchets up a notch, to do something, with this virtually useless player.
That’s all you need to know for today. Class dismissed.
Back on the subject of the Tribe…Did somebody say “Casey Blake is on the market”?
I know trades within the division are generally frowned upon…but….eh…eh?
Of course, he could be another of those: “Guys that beats up the Twins but that’s about it” guys.
Here how it works…. Kubel isn’t going to get traded, he is still under team control for modest money and is one of 2 power threats in the starting lineup….. Lamb has a 2 year contract so I doubt we will see him go….. And Span isn’t playing that great…. I would guess that Span might be sent down, depending on the situation….. I like the guy but .290 ba in limited ab’s isn’t the greatest…. Its good but who else are they going to get rid of…. I think Punto should go but I think if you make that move Macri has to be called up…. Monroe might be shopped because he has played alright and may bring something and doesn’t really have a future with the Twins after this year…. But hey who knows…
Since Cuddyer isn’t due back till post all-star break, it might need to play out a little more. Maybe there is an injury so the move will take care of itself. Maybe Buscher struggles the next few games, giving the team a reason to send him down instead of Span. If the Twins could get a good prospect for Bonser, they may go that route. No reason for Monroe to go anywhere, he serves a purpose off the bench.
I think that for the right price, everyone but Mauer, Morneau, & Nathan are available.
I would throw Slowey and probably Baker in the untouchables as well.
um, joe, span is 4-for-10 with three doubles, three runs, a stolen base, a walk and an RBI since the call-up.
i think the “but hey who knows…” is the most astute part of your post.
Hi all:
I’m in favor of trading for Kazmanouf (sp?)from SD….I’m still thinking the combo of Boof on the mound and Oof at 3b is a great marketing gimmick and will help sell tickets. Who to trade to get him? Don’t trade Kubel for crying out loud. Without him its Twinkies offense instead of Twins. Why would they take Lamb, Everett, Monroe? Teams like SD will want young guys with which to build. So give them a AAA pitching prospect, not Tyler or Fransciso though, and Span. Call it a day. “oof” will give them a bounce at third, reasonable glove, and a great name for commercial purposes. What could be better than this? Not even A-Rod would work that well. Besides, we couldnt get him for Span and a AAA pitcher.
and a great name for commercial purposes. What could be better than this? Not even A-Rod would work that well.
I think if you had A-Rod on the Twins, he could be called “Meany McJerkface” and people would still be excited to come watch the Twins. 
Do you suppose Madonna would come with him?
I like T’s bit. I could see ARod, with an egg mcmuffin in hand, doing an ad for Ronald McDonald night at the Dome, with a little ditty jingle:
“With Mcjerkface on third, and Madonna in the nude;
Means the Twins will win, ya’ know it’s true!”
Wooo another person on board for trading for Kouzmanoff!
The only person that makes sense to trade is Span, and as it turns out, he’s what San Diego needs most anyway. A leadoff hitter and center fielder. With limited HR power, but great speed and power to the gaps, Span’s a perfect leadoff hitter for PETCO. As for other players people are talking about trading/DFA’ing:
Kubel: Signed to a cheap, one-year deal, and under MN control for the next two years. He’s the only legit power threat we have right now behind Morneau. He can play both corner OFs, and has a pretty good arm, though his accuracy leaves some to be desired. He’s not going anywhere.
Monroe: He’s batting under .230 and has put up zero numbers against lefties. He’s playing better right now, but I doubt he’ll garner much interest. Besides, Gardenhire loves having a right-handed power bat off the bench, and Craig’s great in the clubhouse it seems like. He’s an intense, emotional, outspoken player. The Twins don’t have many of those. I think he’s staying put.
Lamb: Two-year contract looking worse and worse, but also making it harder to cut him. He’ll probably stay.
Punto: Impossible, even it makes perfect sense. Gardy would try to instigate a ritual suicide while mourning his loss. He’s a good late-inning replacement anyway (Too bad Gardy can’t realize that’s all he is…)
Bass: Bass has been solid as a long-reliever actually, especially lately. Aside from his rough outings against the Tigers, he’s been great. Over the last month, he’s 1-0 with a 2.95 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in 18.1 IP. He’s a groundball pitcher, so he’s nice to be able to bring in when the Twins need to get a double play in the 7th or something, and also has the stamina to pitch 3 or 4 innings if a starter gets rocked. Why trade that?
Bonser: Boof would actually draw decent interest since he’s still relatively young and has a lot of promise. He could get a mid-level prospect from a team that needs SP.
I think an ideal move for the Twins would be to package Bonser, a home-run plagued pitcher, and Span to the Padres for Kouzmanoff. PETCO’s dimensions would help both Bonser and Span, and the Twins get a power right-handed bat at third base, possibly another mid-level prospect from the Pads as well. Also frees up a spot in the bullpen for Korecky, who’s been very good between the Majors and AAA this year (3.41 ERA in 31.2 IP between the two levels).
Bonser and Span have quickly lost their spots in this organization it seems like… may as well get something for them while they’re young as opposed to let them rot on the bench or in AAA.
Aside from Punto/Gardy manlove. Nicky’s got a spot on the bench, and really it’s not a bad thing.
He can play several positions in a pinch, which leaves the bench with more openigns to have some hitting vs. defense.
Not to mention his contracts up at the end of the year…and I would assist in leading the mob if they endedup brining him back.
You and me T… we’ll lead a pack in jumping off the right field bleachers on opening day 2009 if Punto’s back.
Good idea Steve, except…I’d much prefer the left field fence. The ones in right field are rather high.
Trade Cuddyer - does anyone in Minnesota see this? It is obvious from this angle.
Bonser and Lamb would also be a nice package - keep Span folks! You should hear the raves about the Twins outfield speed and reduction of extra base hits with Young, Gomes abd Span in the outfield. Lots of admiration and cause for concern by the Twins opponents. Cuddyer is done in Minny or should be.
one problem, socal: gonna be tough to get anyone to bite on cuddyer’s contract.
Craig–take a nap.
I’m with Steve from Fridley. Boof & prospect for Kouzmanouf(?) or Headly from Padres. Maybe keep Span & sub another prospect. Buscher has been doing well, but it would be nice to add another RH bat to lineup. ….. The Brewers are too right handed, how about Lamb & prospect for Bill Hall? I think Hall’s contract is even worse than Lamb’s. Hall platoons with Bouscher at 3rd, back ups SS & CF. Hall has power but probably strikes out too much, so this probably won’t happen. Just saying, if we could use a RH bat, trade a LH bat to a team with opposite needs.
