As mentioned several days ago the Cleveland Indians traded utility man Mark DeRosa to the St. Louis Cardinals for reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later. That being said, the soon to be 24 year old Perez made his way to Cleveland and therefore was activated today. Not only will he be available for tonight's game against Chicago, he will also get to meet his fellow bullpen members (pictured to the left) for the first time. To make room for Perez the team sent Josh Barfield back down to Triple A Columbus. Although Barfield started the year with the Tribe he has been optioned three times this season. In the time he has spent with the club this year he has seen limited playing time in in that he has only appeared in 17 games and had just 20 at bats. Furthermore, this is not good news for Columbus Clippers All-Star Andy Cannizaro as Barfield will likely steal his playing time.
Hopefully Perez can stir something up in this god awful bullpen and show these guys how to actually pitch. On a side note, Aaron Laffey decided that he wants to pitch like the rest of the Indians bullpen and suck it up. He made what was thought to be his last rehab start yesterday at Double A Akron and only lasted 3 1/3 innings giving up 3 runs on five hits. He also walked six (how can you walk that many people) and hit one batter. Eric Wedge actually made a logical comment stating, "We need to see more than that before we bring him up here." Well no crap Wedgie.
The Tribe take on the Chicago White Sox tonight in a three game series at Progressive Field. They have lost their last four series. To take a quote from the Chinese grounds crew from the Movie Major League, "these guys are sh!tty"
Tomo Ohka pitched 7 strong innings (2 solo shots by Albert Pujols), Victor Martinez drove in the Tribe's lone run (got subsequently thrown out at second with 0 outs), Rafael Perez wild pitched the third run home, and Josh Barfield had another base running blunder that collectively led to a 3-1 for Cleveland to the Indians. The Tribe scattered 6 hits and really never had a rally going besides the third inning when Jamey Carrol reached on an error and DeRosa walked. The lineup is hurting right now with only a few guys real threats to make a game-changing impact on the game with their bat. Ohka did earn the opportunity to start at least one more game before Westbrook and Laffey return from the DL. Tomo may have even earned a spot in the bullpen.
Getting the opportunity to watch Pujols live is a site to see. He hit his second home run half way up the bleachers, the farthest home run I have seen since the days of Mark McGwire. Pujols pretty much single handidly beat the Indians, going 3-4 with 2 jacks and a double. The Cardinals first baseman is definitely, hands down the best hitter in baseball today.
I was able to attend Saturday's game and was really excited about the retro 80's jerseys, even though it was hard to see them up in the mezzanine. More importantly, it was my 6 month old son's first game at Progressive Field. He did pretty good, no major meltdowns or anything. I also got him his first autograph at the game (David Huff). The Indians lost the game, but gained a little fan for life. More on the Cardinals series after tonight's prime time matchup of Chris Carpenter vs. Cliff Lee.
Asdrubal Cabrera Wednesday became the 9th member of the disabled list (now tied for first with the Rays) with an AC joint separation or sprain of his shoulder. Ironically his injury matches his initials. Eric Wedge's favorite pinch runner Josh Barfield is back to the club, where he will presumably go back to his role of warming the bench until one of the slow footed Tribesmen need a running replacement. Expected ot fill in at shortstop will be Jhonny Peralta and Luis Valbuena with a sprinkle of Jamey Carroll from time to time. Too bad we have no other promising shortstops at Triple A to fill in, because this would be a great time to see what we have (where's Wilson Valdez when you need him!). Hopefully Peralta won't boot too many out there. The lineup for the game today is as follows...
CF Ben Francisco (R), 3B Jamey Carroll (R), 1B Victor Martinez (S), LF Shin-Soo Choo (L), SS Jhonny Peralta (R), RF Mark DeRosa (R), DH Ryan Garko (R), 2B Luis Valbuena (L), C Kelly Shoppach (R)
This collection of batters does not remind many of the '27 Yankees, that's for sure. It is the summer, it is our favorite team, and it is baseball, so crack a cold one, place it against your head, can come suffer through another losing season. Tribe Time; Where Infirmary Happens!
The Indians lost more than a game Tuesday, they lost their second most consistent everyday player when Asdrubal Cabrera attempted to break up a double play and ended up either separating or extremely bruising his left shoulder. I imagine Cliff Lee will throw his arm out and Victor will break his other knee cap sometime soon (and LeBron will anounces he is signing with some European team next season). Who really knows who the Tribe's leadoff hitter will be now. Ben Francisco? Jamey Carroll? Yikes is right. A season that most Cleveland fans thought was one of promise has turned into an utter disaster and they have only played 53 games. If Asdrubal is placed on the DL, I imagine Josh Barfield, Tony Graffanino, Matt LaPorta and possibly even Andy Marte (double Yikes) are all candidates to be recalled. J-Barf and LaPorta are probably the choices since they are on the 40 man roster.
The worst part of the injury is that it means we will be seeing Jhonny Peralta returning to shortstop. Jhonny was playing pretty well at third and moving back to the middle of the diamond will not help out the team fielding or the pitchers as Cabrera was vastly superior. This also means Mark DeRosa will be back at third base more regularly, a position he did not fare very well at before the changes were made (6 errors). This new injury should not prevent the Tribe from possibly trading DeRosa. Get the NL teams to bid against each other and take the best deal so he can play for his new NL club for 4 months instead of just 2 if a deal was made at the deadline. This team is pretty much dead, so get what you can for him and let Carroll, Valbuena, and even Gimenez fill in at the hot corner.
As for the game Tuesday, Joe Mauer keeps on killing AL pitching raising his batting average to .433 by going 3-3 with a homerun and 3 RBI. He is one of the best in the league and I imagine Twins fans will not enjoy seeing him in a Yankee uniform in 2011. Victor Martinez homered and was robbed of another by a great play by Carlos Gomez. David Huff pitched ok, but fell behind to many hitters after the 3rd inning. The Tribe had their chances to come back with runners on, but a lineup that sports Valbuena(who over swings), Crowe (who looks completely over matched), and Shoppach(who strikes out a ton but is sporting a tremendous beard) as your 7-9 tends to not strike much fear in the hearts of the opposition.
The Indians look to grind it out and get after it Wednesday as Cliff Lee takes on some guy named Anthony Swarzak. Still only 8 games back!!! (Triple Yikes!!!)
If you are Josh Barfield, you have to be pretty annoyed. You go 3-3 in limited pinch hitting duty and then are promptly sent down a week and a half later. Jamey Carroll makes his triumphant return to the Wigwam tonight, and probably will be in the lineup. Carroll is a good solid utility guy, but hopefully the "stubborn" Wedge lets him play only 1-2 times a week. The teams' future second baseman is already on the roster (Valbuena), so any time he spends on the bench besides against a tough lefty is time wasted. Everyone's favorite Italian David Dellucci has lived to see another day in Cleveland, even though he is 1 for his last 20. At this point in his career, Double D is a pinch hitter at best. With the Tribe carrying 12 pitchers and a bunch of question marks around the diamond, Dellucci will hopefully ride the pine until Hafner comes back.. His inevitable release (along with Kobayashi's) adds to the list of broken down veterans signed to bad contracts that the Indians waited way too long to release (see Jason Johnson, Jason Michaels, Roberto Hernandez, etc.) Then we will see if Shapiro has the wherewithal to cut bait with one of his biggest contract mistakes.
If there were ever a game to jump start some sort of sustained winning streak, today's game would be it. It was excruciating to watch, you never felt comfortable with any lead, and you figured the Indians would somehow blow it in the end. Well, the Tribe won Monday, but it is tough to feel good about it. How should we look at it?
Cons
One reliable bullpen member crapped the bed (Wood) another looks downright lost (Perez), and one final member came in with the winning run at the plate who has yielded 6 homeruns in 25 games. Also, your offense was no hit for 6 1/3 innings by a junkball lefty who normally pitches in middle relief. Your uninterested shortstop (Peralta) seems to be swinging a pool cue instead of a Louisville Slugger. Your key offseason infield acquisition (DeRosa) boots the ball more than Aaron Boone. Lastly, your superstar centerfielder seems to be unable to get a big hit with runners in scoring position to save his life (we all know who).
Pros
Starting pitching was solid (Carmona). Rookie reliever pitching great (Sipp). Rookie stud outfielder tied the game with a bomb (LaPorta) Were able to tie the game with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth with 2 strikes (Cabrera). Pinch hitters/late inning replacements came up clutch (Dellucci/Barfield). Struggling reliever saved the game with winning run up and one out (Lewis again). Never gave up.
Time will tell us if this game made any difference in the 2009 season. They could go out tomorrow and lose ugly. I will give it the Indians, when they win (and it has not been often) they do it in exciting fashion. Let's just hope it isn't a once every three day occurrence.
I am thoroughly shocked by this news. For an organization that usually waits too long to shake up a club and call up rookies, they did the complete opposite. Recent acquisitions Matt LaPorta (.333 avg, .414 obp, 1.054 OPS in Columbus), and Luis Valbuena (.321 avg, .436 obp, .975 ops) are two potential keys to the Tribe's future and will probably see a bit of playing time over the next 2 weeks. LaPorta, the key player acquired in the CC Sabathia trade, will platoon at DH and in left. Valbuena, the young infielder brought here from Seattle in the Franklin Gutierrez deal, will take the role as a super utility guy able to play second, shortstop and third. With all of the Super 2 talk with LaPorta, I am very surprised, but not shocked. This may just be a few week audition for him as if he struggles, he can go back down and still stay under the service time threshold. Barfield will fill in as a pinch runner, late inning defensive replacement who will be eventually be sent down again when Jamey Carroll gets healthy.
Trevor Crowe struggled a bit in his first taste of the big leagues, hitting .182 in 33 at bats but displayed solid glove work and speed. He still looks outmatched at the plate, so playing everyday in Columbus will be a positive. Graffanino on the other hand was terrible, batting .130 in 23 at bats. Friday may have been the last day of major league ball for Tony, and he should be proud of his solid career. Joe Smith was a bit of a surprised, but his 7.11 era may have been a strong indicator. He didn't throw a whole lot in Spring Training so the Indians will ease him back to the pen. As for the relief corps, it now stands at Kobayashi, Perez, Chulk, Sipp, Lewis, Betancourt and Wood. Besides, Wood and Sipp (3 IP) the rest looks pretty scary. There is not much more down in Triple A to help so look for a possible trade or a guy from Double A shooting on up to the show (Pestano, maybe even Hector Rondon?). Hmmm.
At least the Indians finally hit a triple! The Tribe's record now stands at a disappointing 8-14 after dropping 2 of three to the Boston Red Sox when they had a legitimate shot at winning all three. The team collectively went 2-32 with runners in scoring position, which is down right embarrassing. Every aspect of this team needs to be dissected and critiqued heavily. Here are some rants without any raves.
Peralta is lost, needs to be sat down for a few games to figure some things out.
Why a team carrying 14 pitchers trots out a reliever who is prone to the gopher ball (Lewis) for his third consecutive inning is a mystery. Why not throw the guy (Rundles) who gets lefties out against the lefty (Van Every)?
The Indians blew a golden opportunity for a win when the Red Sox decided to sit Youklis, Drew and Lugo on the bench in favor of Bailey, Van Every, and Green. I don't care that Van Every hit the winning homerun, they are all jobbers.
Shapiro better find 7 pitchers to throw out of the bullpen that he believes in because a major league team can not have a bench of 2 or 3 guys when the starting 9 is incredibly slow and not versatile.
Lee and Carmona pitched great and have nothing to show for it.
Reyes' fastball topping out at 85 MPH was not a good sign.
Putting a closer in a tie ball game when he had pitched the night before makes no sense to me. I can understand if Wood hadn't thrown in awhile but it works like 50% of the time. I understood Wood throwing Tuesday as there really wasn't anyone left.
Moves I would make tomorrow. Cut Kobayashi, Demote Graffanino, and Rundles, and call up LaPorta, Valbuena, and Barfield. Make Shoppach your backup catcher again, sit Peralta down a few days, and stick LaPorta at DH with an occasional spot start in left. What is worth more, LaPorta losing a year of arbitration or your team losing an entire season? Barfield, Crowe, Shoppach, and Peralta make up your bench for the time being. Send Barfield down when Carroll comes back. I don't even want to get started on Dellucci.
If and when Pavano and Reyes keep sucking, ship the worse one out and call up Rondon from Akron. Would bring excitement and a guy who throws heat.
I need not watch Friday's game or my blood pressure will become a health problem.
I have a horrible feeling that the same old moves will happen tomorrow (Dellucci up).
When is the point in the season when the team decides the core of this team just is not working together as a cohesive unit?
What will be the club's excuse for their bad start this year? Hafner on the DL? The WBC? The Swine Flu?
Should I feel optimistic that they are still only 3.5 games back?
The Tribe is thankfully off Thursday, but moves the train wreck on up to Detroit where Carl Pavano (0-3 9.50 ERA) takes on Armando Gallaraga (3-0 1.85 ERA). Who you got? Are you still in the Tribe?
Travis Hafner's comeback attempt has been on hold for now, as he was placed on the 15 day DL with shoulder soreness. Pronk has been out of the lineup off and on for the past 4 days. He is off to visit Dr. Death (James Andrews) soon so he can evaluate Hafner's now chronic shoulder condition. Hafner has been pretty solid so far, so hopefully he will be ok and rest is only needed. I am happy the Indians made their decision to DL him early so we weren't forced to watch a 60% healthy player again. Rich Rundles is back, if only for a night as the bullpen was heavily taxed yesterday (7IP 1 ER). He is on the 40 man roster so it was an easy decision. I would imagine everyone's favorite Italian Double-D David Dellucci will be called up to take Hafner's roster spot tomorrow, which is unfortunate. Josh Barfield is an option, but Wedge really doesn't seem to like him very much. Chris Gimenez has an outside shot as well due to his position flexibility, but he is hitting a woefull .137 with 18 K's, not exactly numbers that show promise. Other options that most fans would like to see are Matt Laporta and Luis Valbuena, but the club usually waits until the team is in a really big hole to call up promising rookies. The move opens up more playing time for Ryan Garko, who has been swinging the bat well as of late and getting on base.
The Indians anemic offense lost their pinch runner today, as infielder Josh Barfield was sent down for new fifth starter Aaron Laffey per WTAM. This is a bit of a surprise as now the Tribe will be carrying 13 pitchers. I guess the position flexibility of the various members of the team will come in handy as J-Barf never even got a start in his week with the team. Apparently Tony Graffanino is a better guy to have glued to the bench. I expect a good start from Laffey tomorrow, for no other reason than this team is due. Also, don't be surprised to see Matt Laporta in an Indians uniform in the next few weeks as he is already hitting 8-16 and may be just the guy to help spark this slumping offense.
In a bit of a surprise move, the Tribe placed infielder Jamey Carroll on the 15 day disabled list and recalled veteran infielder Tony Graffanino. Carroll was hit on the left hand with a pitch over the weekend in Houston. The veteran Graffanino (.267 career batting average) has played in the majors in parts of 12 seasons, displaying great position flexibility being able to play anywhere on the diamond. The Indians will be his 7th major league team. Look for the 36 year old to be pretty much stapled to the bench. Trevor Crowe and Josh Barfield may see some more time due to the Carroll injury, as they have probably been moved up the ladder.
In a not so surprising development, Josh Barfield has made the Cleveland Indians as a super utility guy. Although he hasn't been exactly knocking the cover off of the ball (.184, 9-for-49 .216 on-base percentage in 19 spring games, entering Saturday.), J-Barf has shown the ability to adjust to various positions around the diamond. He seems to be playing pretty well out in the outfield, and is getting more comfortable at third base. The Indians will use Barfield as a pinch runner, late inning defensive replacement with an occasional start here and there. Manager Eric Wedge has liked what he has seen out of the former Padre...
"Josh's versatility was part of the decision,'' Wedge said Saturday. ''Also his speed, his ability to steal a base. We still feel like his hitting is coming. It has yet to translate into a game, but I feel like it will. ''He's probably a little better in right than in left. Of course, second base is his best position, and he needs some work at third.''
With the announcement, the Indians optioned the Chris Gimenez and Trevor Crowe to Triple A Columbus. Both played great in the spring, so don't be surprised if you see them up with the big league club sometime in 2009.
Gimenez showed outstanding position flexibility, playing both corner outfielders, first base, and his everyday position as a catcher. He also posted outstanding stats (.357, 10-28 2 HR, 7 RBI, .486 OBP, .670 SLG) in 20 spring games. The guy is major league ready and will force the Indians to make some pretty hard decisions on the roster very soon.
Crowe also played great, (.289, 13-45, 6 SB) and played all out in every game he appeared in. Trevor is a player to watch and will be the first call up position player wise in 2009 when an injury occurs. Crowe looks to be poised to make an impact in 2009 as well.
The final bullpen slot seems down to Vinnie Chulk and Zach Jackson. Jackson seems to still have the inside edge as a left handed long man, but Chulk has pitched great as well. Look for a decision Monday or Tuesday.
I was lucky enough to attend an Indians season ticket holders' Town Hall event held at Westlake High School Tuesday where Assistant GM Chris Antoneti and Manager Eric Wedge, among others (Bob Dibiasio, Dennis Lehman) answered some questions from the common folk. The usual softball questions were asked as I expected, since we all were pretty much just fans excited to talk to the leaders of our favorite club. The panel was extremely cordial and answered even the stupid questions about signing big name free agents. I was able to record about 15 minutes of it, (I am the guy who asked about the teams' philosophy on injuries and if the Tribe would resign Manny) and took a few mental notes as well. This first video is about Travis Hafner and Jake Westbrook.
Here is a synopsis of what I heard
When Wedge was asked about Andy Marte, he basically said they haven't been able to tap into his full potential in Cleveland and that it might have to happen somewhere else. Said for some guys sometimes their ability to stay consistant just clicks on one day(used the example of Casey Blake after 8 years in the minors and Jamie Moyer, saying he remembers facing him in the minors). I would say Marte is pretty much done as an Indian.
Wedge said they wouldn't have guessed Cliff Lee would accomplish the season he had after his first spring training start (joked that he asked Carl Willis what the two had been working on all winter). After his amazing April continued into May and June, Wedge knew Lee's season would be special. Told Cliff after CC was traded, he was the man, his ace. Also mentioned Kelly Shoppach while speaking about Lee prominantly, so don't be surprised to see a Lee/Shoppach battery most of the time.
Antonetti spoke about how the Indians decided to bring in Carl Pavano. Said he was in the best shape he had been in 4 years. Pavano also bluntly talked about that he pretty much sucked in New York and was ready for a big comeback. Apparently the team was impressed with his desire to bounce back and Pavano seemed to be the most physically recovered reclamation project out there. Stressed it was a low risk/high reward signing.
Wedge spoke about how Josh Barfield needs to develop some more "flexibility" in his game to make the club, saying that he may need to learn the outfield to become more versatile. Also talked about Ryan Garko learning some left field (yikes!) for when Victor Martinez plays first. Doesn't have any illusions that Garko will be the next Willie Mays out there, but just being serviceable would add to club overall. Also said DeRosa would play some right field for Choo against tougher lefties and that Jamey Carroll may patrol the outfield as well. The skipper seems to really want to be able to juggle his players around to find the right fit any given day. Stressed it was a 162 game season and needs to be treated as such. (never overact to any situation).
Antoneti mentioned 3 players to watch in AA Akron, Carlos Santana, Beau Mills, and Hector Rondon as well as hyping up the AAA Columbus outfield of Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, and Trevor Crowe (compared him to Coco Crisp).
Wedge spoke a bit about the usual question that comes up at these type of events, Cleveland's market size and players coming and going. He said that the 10 game losing streak was more of a product of the players' uncertainty about the CC trade talks and felt the team didn't really give their best effort. Said a lot of players got exposure last year to the big league team that they normally would not have, and will help come 2009. Mentioned that the two biggest team leaders left (Sabathia, Blake) but more talent will come on through (mentioned Matt LaPorta, David Huff). Antonetti talked about even though the season was a disappointment, they were able to replenish the farm system more than expected through their various deals.
When I asked about the teams feeling concerning disclosing injuries, Wedge and Antonetti both basically said that the team would lose a competitive advantage if they told the media every little bump and bruise. (The video is below).
It was a fun experience for my wife Lynsey and I to go out and hear about our beloved Tribe (It was also the first time we left our 1 month old son at Grandma's house). The event gave the fans an up close feeling of where the front office hopes and feels the team will be in 2009. We will be off to the winter caravan tour in Sandusky with Ryan Garko and David Huff Monday so I will have some stuff up here about that as well. Here is the last clip which is really just financial talk and kind of boring. For all you Derek Jeter fans there is some drooling over him in here as well. Enjoy!
As the visions of Wood dance through the heads of Tribe fans everywhere, my thoughts have immediately move towards the infield. After viewing STO's Matt Underwood interview Eric Wedge about everything Indians, some items up for debate have become clearer.
Basically said if no infield moves were made, Peralta would remain at Shortstop which can't be good for Barfield.
When asked about Shoppach/Martinez/Garko First Base/Catcher situation, Wedge said that Shoppach's role would increase behind the dish, but the league will adjust to him at bat. He stated that he won't commit to anything at the moment, leading me to believe that they are shopping him hardcore (with 3 catchers on the 40man) for a middle infielder.
The team is looking at probably after January 1 for a starting pitcher but Shapiro and Antonetti have been kicking the tires on every possibility.
Tribe is exploring everything at closer (trade/free agent) so it seems they are coming up with a back up plan if the Kerry Wood deal falls through.
The skipper seems pretty optimistic about the Indians addressing the needs of the team. I am relieved to know that Wedge doesn't see a Cabrera/Barfield double play combination in 2009. The next 48 hours may paint a more clearer picture of what team will be taking the field come opening day
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.
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?
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.
I will not be doing a recap of the Rangers series because who really wants to discuss anything about this lifeless team anyways. The Indians are a bad baseball team right now in need of some help. Minor league moves like promoting Shin Soo Choo or Josh Barfield will not do the trick. Some sort of impact bat is needed for the immediate future to help ignite the smoldering offense. With Travis Hafner sucking and now apparently having some sort of shoulder injury, the middle of the order has no power threat whatsoever. You may say, "Jhonny Peralta has 10 homers!" He also has driven in only 7 runners besides himself. The stat line of 10 HR, 17 RBI looks video game-esque.
The Tribe still has a pretty deep minor league system, especially when it comes to pitching. I would hope GM Mark Shapiro would stop sitting on his hands and make the impact trade for major league talent that he has yet to make in his seven years as general manager. They can ill afford to be afraid of dealing a potential top prospect anymore, this team is on the cusp of disaster.
I really do feel for Eric Wedge. People can blame him for lineup issues or relief pitching matchups, but really what can he do at this point? With the extreme lack of clutch hitting, it taxes the bullpen and starters. The pitchers can't give up any runs or the game is over. He could pull a Jim Leyland and swear up a storm, but that would go against everything Wedge's character as manager.
Mark Shapiro and company must let the fans know what their focus is for the rest of 2008 and beyond. GM speak is getting old quickly, so if he feels that this year may be a bust, then it his duty to cut bait (trade CC, Byrd, Blake) and focus on the future.
Paul Hoynes has just reported that Jorge Julio will be the sixth member of the Tribe bullpen for 2008 and Josh Barfield and Scott Elarton will start the year in Triple-A Buffalo. This isn't any big news, but this means the last spot in the pen is down to Tom Mastny and Craig Breslow. As speculated earlier, you would assume Mastny will be sent down as Breslow pitched a shutout inning today to earn a save. Also, with Barfield being sent down, the last utility spot is probably down to Andy Gonzalez and Andy Marte. Buster Onley of espn.com said on the Mike and Mike show this morning that the Cleveland Indians were the deepest team in the majors. These demotions help illustrate the fact the Indians will have many viable options if and when injuries occur to the big league ball club. Shapiro has said that he would like to get the 25 man roster set by Friday, so we shall see.
As mentioned several days ago the Cleveland Indians traded utility man Mark DeRosa to the St. Louis Cardinals for reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later. That being said, the soon to be 24 year old Perez made his way to Cleveland and therefore was activated today. Not only will he be available for tonight's game against Chicago, he will also get to meet his fellow bullpen members (pictured to the left) for the first time. To make room for Perez the team sent Josh Barfield back down to Triple A Columbus. Although Barfield started the year with the Tribe he has been optioned three times this season. In the time he has spent with the club this year he has seen limited playing time in in that he has only appeared in 17 games and had just 20 at bats. Furthermore, this is not good news for Columbus Clippers All-Star Andy Cannizaro as Barfield will likely steal his playing time.
