Weekly Wahoo Update

Sorry for not updating as often, it has been a busy summer (baby on the way). Casey Blake was traded to the Dodgers and is playing well (5-13, 1 ejection). The 2 guys they picked up (Jon Meloan and Carlos Santana) seem like a pretty solid return for a player in his free agent year. I will miss Casey as being a constant in the lineup, wherever in the field he was playing. He was one of GM Mark Shapiro's best moves over the years and would not mind seeing him back next year on a 1 year contract. I imagine someone will give him at least a two year deal because of his great versatility in the field. Also, the Indians traded for Cardinal starting pitcher Anthony Reyes, while shipping out Akron reliever Luis Pedromo. Reyes will serve as a reclamation project as he started game one of the 2006 World Series, but since has struggled. Look for him to jump to the majors sometime in August, especially if Paul Byrd is traded. Finally, Aaron Laffey was sent down to "straighten things out." Why he can't do that at the major league level for a last place team is beyond me.

On the field:

The Indians are so far 2-3 on their current homestand. I went to the game on Saturday and witnessed Fausto get pounded in the first but was OK with things since we had club seats and I was eating nachos in air conditioning while Carmona was lighting the mound on fire. Andy Marte hit a homerun, which was ok I guess. While we were leaving my friend Scott kept mumbling, "maybe next year," which seems to be the theme of Cleveland sports. Other random thoughts:

Jhonny Peralta seems to be back.

Cliff Lee surprised everyone this year besides one, himself.

When Ben Francisco is in a slump, it gets magnified. He is an aggressive hitter who swings often early in the count.

Grady Sizemore is only going to get better.

Betancourt has completely lost all of his confidence. He won't even talk to reporters anymore.

Victor Martinez seems to be only a few weeks away from returning, which will help the lineup out immensely. The season of Nightmares continues today as Cliff Lee goes for win number 15 tonight against Nate Robertson. Are you in the Tribe? Still?

Juan Rincon added to roster, Elarton to DL

Juan Rincon was added to the worst bullpen in the major leagues today, as Scott Elarton was placed on the DL. Rincon was lighting up Buffalo with a 6.75 ERA but showed good arm strength and has late innings history on a playoff club, according to Eric Wedge. The Indians lost to the Tigers tonight 9-2 on 2 hits. CC looks great as a Brewer. I am going to go throw up now.

It's official, CC to Brewers for LaPorta and 3 others.

Multiple sources are reporting that 2007 AL Cy Young winner CC Sabathia will be traded to the Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow for OF Matt LaPorta, pitchers Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson, and a player to be named later who is likely 3B Taylor Green. Laporta is the main player in this deal, so expect him to be start out at Buffalo and make his way up to Cleveland after September 1st. Here are their stats...

Matt LaPorta: .291 (.404 OBP) 20 HR 66 RBI AA Huntsville

Zach Jackson: 1-5 7.81 ERA 22 Appearances (6 starts) AAA Nashville

Rob Bryson: 3-2 4.25 ERA 22 Appearances (5 starts) A West Virginia

Taylor Green: .297 (.381 OBP) 10 HR 50 RBI A Brevard County

I was hopping the Tribe could snag the Escobar kid, but we won't know how good this trade will be until 3-4 years from now. LaPorta seems to be the real deal, and the Bryson kid has 73 K's in 55 innings pitched. CC was one of the best players ever to don a Tribe uniform and will be sorely missed. It is a sad day to be a Indians fan as our best pitcher in the past 30-some years will now be pitching elsewhere. More to come over the next 24 hours.

Indians sign Jeff Weaver, wahh wahhhhhhh.

The Indians today signed Jeff Weaver to a minor league contract. Weaver looks to be CC's replacement when he traded sometime in the coming weeks. I would assume the Tribe is looking to move Paul Byrd also, but he has been pitching horribly lately. So if Byrd and Sabathia leave, look for David Huff and Jeff Weaver to replace them, while Fausto Carmona will probably be in line for Jeremy Sowers' spot. By the way, I have always hated Jeff Weaver, so it will suck to see him give up five runs a night in Cleveland.

2007 A.L. Saves Leader Joe Borowski Designated for Assignment, (Bauer too).

The Joe Bo era in Cleveland is officially over. Joe Borowski was released Friday, as was Rick Bauer. Borowski amassed 45 saves in 2007, but arm trouble and ineffectiveness plague his 2008 season. Ole' Joe Bo did get the last out of the ALDS, so he does have a place in Cleveland Indians history. The rest of the season will see a closer by committee set-up between Masa Kobayashi, Rafael Perez and (gulp) Rafael Betancourt. Relievers Jensen Lewis and Brian Slocum were recalled to try and revive one of the worst bullpens in the major leagues.

Sal's Pals

If anyone thought this Indians' season was depressing, well things just got outstanding! The Wigwamers today traded for catcher SAL FASANO! This 36 year old journeyman has compiled a career .219 avg through parts of 10 major league seasons. His career milestone was set in 1998 where he was second in the league in hit by pitches, with 16. The main attribute he brings to this team is his outstanding facial hair. Whether it is a mustache, foo man choo, or goatee, Mr. Fasano consistently brings a finely manicured scruff each and every day. When a team is struggling the way the Tribe is, the more hair on your face, the better. I will now go cry myself to sleep.

Barfield out 6-8 weeks, Indians sign INF Morgan Ensberg to minor league deal

Josh Barfield may have more of a forgettable 2008 than 2007. At least last year he was healthy. Barfield had surgery to fix his finger and will be out 6-8 weeks. Tough luck for Josh as he was only able to appear in 2 games, going 0-6. The Tribe also signed former Yankee Morgan Ensberg to a minor league deal and sent him to Buffalo. He is pretty much a depth signing for the parent club. The Bisons have been pretty awful this year so hopefully he helps them win a few games. Asdrubal Cabrera has been ripping the ball all over the yard down there, so hopefully he can continue his progress and be back up in Cleveland around the All-Star Break.

Victor Martinez and Josh Barfield to DL: Yamid Haad and Jorge Veladia called up

Who in the heck are Yamid Haad and Jorge Velandia? This just goes to show how injuries can kill a team. Haad is 30 a career backup, and currently batting .159 in Buffalo and Veladia, a 33 year old career minor leaguer was picked up in April after the Toronto Blue Jays cut him. Jorge was batting a crisp .235. Victor may be out awhile, and Barfield just got some bad luck. I can't wait to watch the double play combo of Velandia to Carroll! Did 2007 really happen?

J-Barf all smiles while slumping Drubal sent down.

Josh Barfield was probably the happiest man in the Tribe dugout today as he finally is back with the big club after a little over two months in Triple A Buffalo. He didn't really improve on his problem areas (too many K's, not many walks) but Asdrubal Cabrera has been downright inept at the plate. Wedge loved having him on the roster with due to his superior glove, but his at bats were not improving. Hopefully Cabrera will be back soon as currently the only back-up for Peralta at shortstop is Jamey Carroll and that is not a good sign. With Andy Marte entrenched on the bench, we will see if J-Barf can finally develop into the talent the Indians brass projected him to be.

Sowers Called Up, Slocum sent down, Tribe loses again.

The Indians lost Sunday 5-2 to Detroit. As it stands today, they are currently 8 1/2 games out of first place and 7 games under .500. Barring a miraculous winning streak, the 2008 version of the Cleveland Indians looks about done. With all of their major extension signings on the DL (Westbrook, Carmona, Hafner), the starting staff looking vulnerable, the bullpen crapping the bed, and the offense mired in a season long slump sans one four-day stretch in Texas, it is becoming increasingly painful to watch them play day in and day out.

The papers today are pondering the question of whether or not to trade CC Sabathia. I say might as well, it would be better than letting him walk in 2009 and he has more value now than at the trading deadline (July 31st). I would consider hanging onto and then resigning Paul Byrd next year if he is looking for a modest 1 year deal with a club option (like $4-5 million per season). Although he does have the propensity to allow the big innings, the guy is a workhorse and really enjoys being an Indian. As a 5th starter I cannot think of better guy to have on this club.

The Indians future is still somewhat bright, but this is the time for GM Mark Shapiro to make some key decisions. His free agent track record has been sub par, so trades have been one of his only avenues of player acquisition success. We fans need something to talk about concerning the Tribe, or the next 2 months will be extra long until Training Camp begins for the Cleveland Browns.

Indians Select Infielder Lonnie Chisenhall with First Round Selection

The Cleveland Indians just selected with the 29th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft shortstop/third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall Pitt Comunity College in North Carolina. Only 19, this left handed hitter projects to be a corner outfielder in the majors who has a crisp line drive swing with potential power. He was arrested as a freshman at the University of South Carolina on charges of burglary and grand larceny and was subsequently kicked off of the team. The Indians front office is very thorough in their background checks of players, so they must feel confident that Chisenall's past digressions are now behind him. With the lack of high ceiling position players in the minors, the Tribe was almost forced to go with a bat with this selection. Baseball America ranks him as the 74th top prospect so Shapiro and Company may be reaching here a bit. Minor League Baseball has an excellent write-up on him here, and also check out Cleveland Indians Minor League Insider with up to the minute draft news.

Breaking Blockbuster News: Mastny and Lewis sent down, Brian Slocum and Rick Bauer called up.

Can you believe it? I sure can't. In a move that is sure to change the Indians fortunes, Tom Mastny and Jensen Lewis were sent to Triple A. You cannot really blame Mastny for his performance Tuesday, but he was really, really bad. Lewis was more of an emergency call up as the front office still wants him to sort out his velocity issues. Rick "Jack" Bauer was called up and his minor league stats are impressive (1.55 era, 15 saves). Hopefully it will translate to the majors. Brian Slocum on the other hand has been getting pounded down in Sabres country, posting a 5.44 era in starting duty. Apparently that performances warranted a call up. Slocum is also apparently the clubs barber in Spring Training, so I guess with the way the economy is today, a player with multiple skills is a plus. Either one of these guys (or possibly Elarton or Mujica) will be sent down Sunday when Jeremy Sowers is called up to start. One of the strengths I felt going into 2008 was the bullpen. Boy was I wrong. Watching the army of arms toting the rubber last night gave me flashbacks of Mark Wohlers and Jose Jimenez, which is never a good thing. And by the way, Edward Mujica is horrible. Also, pictured to the right is Brian Slocum, I had no idea what he looked like so here he is!

Westbrook to DL again, Lewis back up, Mastny to start tonight

Jake Westbrook is being placed on the 15 day DL for the second time this year tomorrow with elbow issues. Jensen Lewis has been recalled, and Tom Mastny will start tonight in Texas. With the Rangers starting a minor league pitcher due to Vincente Padillas' family issues and the Tribe going with the pen, the score may resemble a beer league softball game. That puts three key guys on the Disabled List (Carmona, Hafner, Westbrook), and another hobbled (Martinez). They won yesterday, so let's make it two in a row for the first time in three weeks!

Mastny up, Aubrey down.

Tom Mastny has been recalled by the Cleveland Indians, and First Baseman Michael Aubrey has been sent to Buffalo. I understand sending Aubrey down because he has struggled for a week (along with the rest of the team), but bringing up a pitcher? I guess it really does not matter, but carrying 12 pitchers on a team who can't hit is kind of ridiculous. Another blockbuter move by the Wahoos.

Pronk to DL, Choo to the Rescue

Friday the Indians placed Designated Hitter Travis Hafner on the 15 day DL with a shoulder injury. Hafner should be out for at least a month due to interleague play coming up in the middle of the month. This is the best case scenario for Hafner, as he has struggled all year. Hopefully he can heal and straighten out these massive batting struggles. Shin Soo Choo is back, and will be added to the various platoons going on throughout the lineup. We will get to see what type of hitter he is as he will be used 3 or 4 times a week. With Victor Martinez continuing his own personal power outage, the middle of the lineup looks bleak. Still the team is only 5 games out, so who knows.

Believe it or not, Jorge isn't at home

Anthony Castrovince of indians.com is reporting that Jorge Julio will be designated for assignment tomorrow when Jake Westbrook is activated from the disabled list. Jorge has been horrible as of late, laying proverbial eggs against the White Sox and Rangers. Management liked his fastball, and apparently so did opposing hitters. Everytime he came in to pitch, Tribe fans everywhere I think died a little. Surprisingly, Scott Elarton and Edward Mujica survived to pitch another day, but neither are on solid ground. The Bullpen now consists of...

Borowski

Kobayashi

Perez

Betancourt

Elarton

Mujica

Not exactly reminiscant of the Nasty Boys. Hopefully guys like Mastny and Lewis can figure out there issues in Triple A. Also I imagine that they will eventually stick Travis Hafner on the DL and promote Shin Soo Choo over the weekend. With Interleague play coming up, the current lite hitting Hafner won't be needed until the end of June.

Fausto to DL, Lewis sent down, Mujica, Elarton called up

A whole bunch of roster moves were made Saturday, as apparently Fausto Carmona's hip hurt him enough for the Indians to place him on the 15 day DL. Also, the Tribe sent down Jensen Lewis in a move to help locate his velocity. Lewis has not pitched horrible, but if his fastball is not clocking in at least the high 80's, it is a problem. Scott Elarton returns to Cleveland to fill a role in long relief. The team did not really have an innings eater out in the pen all year. Edward Mujica was added for the time being until Jake Westbrook is activated from the DL. Mujica has been pretty bad in the big leagues so far, so I would imagine he will only come in in mop up duty, Elarton took the place of Breslow on the 40 man roster. Finally, the Tribe won last night for the first time in 8 games. It figures the first game I don't watch in a week they win.

Breslow Designated for Assignment, JoeBo Back

Anthony Castrovince of Indians.com is reporting that Craig Breslow will be DFA'd tomorrow in order to add Joe Borowski back to the big club. Breslow had a 3.24 in 8 1/3 innings of work. Craig, we hardly knew you since Wedge would pitch you every ten games. Andy Marte lives to sit on the bench another day.

Tribe adds pitcher to 40 Man Roster, Oneli Perez

The Cleveland Indians claimed relief pitcher Oneli Perez off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox. In 14 appearances at Triple A Charlotte, the 25 year old Perez went o-1 with a 9.53. (eesshh). Shapiro and the gang must like something about him to give the guy a trial run for a week or two until Shin Soo Choo comes back from his rehab assignment. Not player was needed to be dropped since the team DFA'd Jason Tyner Friday. I know absoulutely nothing about old Oneli, except by the picture to the left he seems to like children, mascots, and blondes.

Aubrey Called up, Sowers sent back to Buffalo

First Baseman Michael Aubrey has been called up by the Tribe, as Jeremy Sowers has been sent back down. Aubrey is in the last year of options so they will get to see him pinch hit and play some first base over the next week until Joe Borowski (gulp!) is ready. He has been raking at Akron and Buffalo, so hopefully he will be a helpful left handed bat off of the bench. Sowers pitched OK yesterday, going 5 innings while giving up 3 runs. He is the teams 7th starter, and probably won't see much more action unless injuries or rainouts happen.