Recalled IF Ramon Vazquez from Buffalo (AAA)
Optioned IF Lou Merloni to Buffalo (AAA)
The plan was to recall Vazquez so that he could play shortstop on Sunday, allowing Jhonny Peralta to take a much-needed day off.
The plan didn't work. Vazquez made three errors, the last coming in the ninth inning when the Indians needed every out they could get.
The big problem is that there is very little depth in the high minors that can actually play shortstop. The Bisons' starting shortstop is Jason Alfaro, who hit .198/.237/.330 in Indianapolis. Joe Inglett is essentially a younger version of Merloni, and isn't really a shortstop, either.
I'd never thought I'd say this, but the Indians need a John McDonald-type, a good defender for the few times the Indians give their middle infielders a day off. The way the Indians are constructed, all a utility player needs to be able to do is to play defense and maybe pinch-run when needed. Offense isn't a problem right now: defense is. The Indians might get desperate enough to call up Eider Torres, and I'm sure they're trawling the waiver wire to find someone to fit the bill.