The more you think about the Tribe’s deals with Coco Crisp and others, the better they look. Really. Seriously. A couple things to consider:
- The Indians potentially got a future star in Marte. This is not news. But go with me for a second and just imagine having a real player at third base. He’ll play in 2007, and he’ll be in the majors by June 2006 if Aaron Boone struggles. In that sense, it gives the Tribe a much better chance at having an offensive weapon at third base in 2006. If Boone sucks then Marte gets his chance.
- Swapping Bard for Shoppach is key. Shoppach is every bit the catcher Bard is, except he really can hit. Scratch Shoppach on your lineup card for at least 60 games, and maybe (and hopefully) much more. Shoppach is what makes this deal a potentially positive one for the 2006 season. The Indians have to be hoping Shoppach becomes a near-everyday player.
- Half the problems are first base may also be solved. Because the more Shoppach can catch, the more Victor Martinez may play first base. And Ben Broussard plays a little less.
- The trade clearly helps the bullpen. Riske was dead weight to this team after Wedge lost all confidence in him down the 2005 stretch. Mota is an obvious upgrade even if he isn’t the force he was a couple years ago, which isn’t out of the question. None of this quite replaces Howry, but it’s a viable plan. And without this deal the Indians are clearly in worse shape in the bullpen.
- Jason Michaels is probably a decent player. A .380 on base percentage is not bad, and is much better than Crisp’s. In fact, I’d say the odds are very good that Michaels gives the Indians comperable production in left field. He’s the equal of Crisp in the outfield, and he gets on base. Maybe he doesn’t have the decent power that Crisp has been developing, but I think swapping Shoppach for the offensively-challenged Bard about makes up for that. And I think if Michaels can hit around .290 and play good defense that ought to be good enough for a year or two, and if he outperformans that all the better.
- Consider Aaron Boone, Ben Broussard, and Casey Blake. None had good years in 2005, and no one is counting on much. But at least one of these guys ought to bounce back and make a contribution. Blake is a decent player and is my pick to play well. If he can get his average back up he coule really improve the offensive punch of this lineup. Broussard seemed pretty lost to me most of last season and probably has the least amount of time to prove himself. Boone is a good defender and a battler, but his offensive ability is somewhat limited even if he plays well. Best case scenario: Blake rediscovers his stroke at the plate, Boone holds it together to be decent for a year, and Broussard develops into more of a platoon player with the unspectacular Eduardo Perez. Give me a pleasant suprise from one of these guys and I’ll be happy.
I feel horrible for the residents of Eastlake, who are getting
buried in stadium debt. I remember a few years ago I was working nearby at Lubrizol in Wickliffe and the new stadium was all the rage. If I remember correctly, the stadium even had then-mayor Dan DiLiberto’s name on it. Wow, it didn’t take long for things to take a turn for the worse. It’s really too bad too because the Lake County Captains have generally been a good draw and the park looks really nice while driving by. There’s got to be a way out of this mess, right? Maybe the Indians can indirectly assist by supporting some of Eastlake’s ancillary services that may suffer due to the ballpark. It’s not the Indians responsibility, but it would be a nice gesture. The Captains, afterall, are an Indians farm team and the proximity to Cleveland is a boon to both teams.
Julio Franco is 47 years old, and he just signed a two-year contract. This is a dude that played with Corey Snyder and Mel Hall at Municipal Stadium. Amazing.