Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Progressive takes field for a price
Indians to gets millions annually for changing name of Jacobs Field
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Saturday, Jan 12, 2008


CLEVELAND: Everyone should have such problems.
When Indians president Paul Dolan was asked Friday what the Tribe would do with an extra $57.6 million, the son of owner Larry Dolan couldn't hide the faintest of smiles.
''The money will go into the general fund (as opposed to the C.C. Sabathia fund) to be used for all the things we do,'' he said. ''But No. 1, we want to put a quality team on the field. Obviously, this will help us with our payroll.''
So maybe the effort to keep Sabathia from fleeing the Tribe on the wings of free agency next fall will get a boost, after all.
The Indians will not be receiving the additional cash all at once for agreeing to change the name of Jacobs Field to Progressive Field. Progressive Insurance, which purchased the naming rights and other perks, will hand over to the team an average of $3.6 million for each of the next 16 years, beginning with $3.1 million in 2008.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Indians' prospects get ready for spring
Aeros Gimenez, Head on same path after differing offseasons
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Friday, Jan 11, 2008


The Aeros' season doesn't start for another three months, but preparation is already under way for a select handful of Indians minor leaguers.
As part of the Indians Winter Development Program, 10 Tribe prospects stopped in Akron on Thursday night to take part in the Aeros' Winter Warmup Party. A majority of them will suit up for the Aeros come April ? including catcher Chris Gimenez and right fielder Stephen Head.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Indians president Paul Dolan said the $57.6 million that the team receives from Progressive Insurance will go into a general fund and that it will help with the team's payroll. But because the team is scheduled to receive only an average of $3.6 million per year for the next 16 years, it's hard to imagine that it will have any effect on whom he might sign. That amount barely buys a good utility infielder these days.
As much as the new sponsor paid for the rights, the name isn't expected to be on the old Jacobs Field for a couple of months.

 

[bukIpower]

yeah.... with Detroit/chicago improving it'll be an uphill battle for my tribe this year. We need one more middle of the line up hitter to really get this team going.

 

[OH10]

yeah.... with Detroit/chicago improving it'll be an uphill battle for my tribe this year. We need one more middle of the line up hitter to really get this team going.

They REALLY need to sign C.C. if they can.

Worst case scenario: Indians have a strong first half of the season, convincing Shapiro to hold on to C.C. for a World Series run. But the Tigers pull out the division in the second half and the Indians fall short for the wild card to the Yankees. Then, predictably, C.C. signs with the Angels in the offseason.

Man, that would suck. Sign him NOW or trade him NOW.

 

[bukIpower]

imo trade him now... He's not worth the 18 million we'll be giving him. Carmona IS, but he's not.... C.C is good but he has problems with command on some games, and it seems like teams usually hit him pretty hard but C.C gets good fielding. I think that C.C will ask for too much thats all.. Like you said though... wait till the middle of the year and lets see where we're at.. if we're in first then keep C.C but if not Trade him.

 

[tsteele316]

Cleveland is rumored to have offered CC more per year, but only a 4 year deal, something along the lines of $80 million over 4 years. That deal I can live with.

Unfortunately, some team will probably give him that over 7 years and cleveland will be boned.

quite frankly, regardless of their standing in the division come June, if CC is still unsigned, trade him. some team will still sell the farm to get him midseason.

 

[OH10]

quite frankly, regardless of their standing in the division come June, if CC is still unsigned, trade him. some team will still sell the farm to get him midseason.

I agree. But will Shapiro have the stones to pull off the trade?

 

[tsteele316]

I agree. But will Shapiro have the stones to pull off the trade?

no. he's too worried about fan appeasement. the minute it looks like fans are going to be pissed at the organization, Dolan will fold up the wallet tighter than he already has.

 

[Piney]

quite frankly, regardless of their standing in the division come June, if CC is still unsigned, trade him. some team will still sell the farm to get him midseason.

I agree. But will Shapiro have the stones to pull off the trade?

I think it would come down to what we got in the trade. It will become SO interesting come July. The factors are so many. How are we winning? What does the rest of the pitching staff look like? Is Adam Miller tearing it up in the minors? Are we in the division lead? By how much? how bout the wild card positioning? And do we have a glaring need.

There is more but imagine this scenario, Our pitching is lights out again, Carmona isn't a fluke and Byrd and Westrbook and the 5th starter (lets say Laffey) are crushing the league in pitching. BUT, our hitting is still suspect. Hafner is struggling again and our corner outfielders are average and Casey Blake is being Casey Blake.

Then let us say the Dodgers want CC. The Dodgers offer their stud hitting prospects as they do have quite a few. And the guys they are offering are up in the bigs and have hit in the bigs. I am too lazy to grab names but let us say the guys they offer would end up starting in either LF/RF and also a starting 3B and would add significant offense to the lineup.

Of course the Dodgers would be giving us more but the 2 big bats would be every day players for the Indians the day they get here.

Now THAT makes things interesting.

But really... if we are in contention Shapiro will play out the string and go for broke this year in hopes that Carmona and CC learn from last postseason and lead us to the promised land.

This is Cleveland... I am sick of waiting for next year and if keeping CC this year and losing him for nothing gives us another chance to win it all... then so be it!

 

[OH10]

This is Cleveland... I am sick of waiting for next year and if keeping CC this year and losing him for nothing gives us another chance to win it all... then so be it!

So you're saying a small-market team that needs every long-term advantage it can get should just mortgage its future for one run?

Fuck that. Trade C.C. He didn't do shit in the playoffs last year anyway. If he doesn't want to be here, then simply ride him hard for the first half of the season, then dump his bones on someone else for some hitting.

 

[LitlBuck]

So you're saying a small-market team that needs every long-term advantage it can get should just mortgage its future for one run?

Fuck that. Trade C.C. He didn't do shit in the playoffs last year anyway. If he doesn't want to be here, then simply ride him hard for the first half of the season, then dump his bones on someone else for some hitting.

At first I was going to disagree with you and say hold on to CC until the middle of the season and see where we are at but the more I think about it the more I agree with you. If he is not signed by the end of spring training Trade Him! I am sick and tired of waiting and especially getting hosed by some player who wants a 6-7 year deal. In that span of time, his arm could go bad or he could walk off a bridge.
We signed Raffy B for two years with an option for a third. It was on Cleveland.com.

 

[OH10]

We signed Raffy B for two years with an option for a third. It was on Cleveland.com.

Yeah, but apparently the Indians are offering Casey Blake over $5 million in arbitration. Predictably, Casey is asking for 6+ per year. I say he isn't worth 20 Arizona Ranch wings from Quaker Steak. But Shapiro's the GM.

 

[Brutus1]

Then let us say the Dodgers want CC. The Dodgers offer their stud hitting prospects as they do have quite a few. And the guys they are offering are up in the bigs and have hit in the bigs. I am too lazy to grab names but let us say the guys they offer would end up starting in either LF/RF and also a starting 3B and would add significant offense to the lineup.

!

Matt Kemp for starters.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Indians lock up Betancourt

Thursday, January 24, 2008 6:41 AM

Right-hander Rafael Betancourt and the Cleveland Indians signed a two-year contract worth a reported $5.4 million, to avoid arbitration.
Betancourt, 32, has been the Tribe's most consistent reliever in recent years, and he was one of the most dominant relievers in the game last season, going 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA and considerably more strikeouts (80) than base runners (60). His new contract includes incentives if he becomes the team's closer.

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