Covering the Corner - Choo to Reds, Indians Get Bauer from ArizonaCleveland Baseball: A team that's accomplished some things.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52871/Covering_The_Corner_Favicon-ICO..png2012-12-13T08:41:23-05:00http://www.coveringthecorner.com/rss/stream/35203872012-12-13T08:41:23-05:002012-12-13T08:41:23-05:00More Reaction to The Trade (News & Notes 12/13/12)
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<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Reaction from around the league, Hernandez "close" to being a Ray and much more.</p> <p><b>First, some followups on The Trade from Cleveland:</b></p>
<ul>
<li> <a href="http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121212&content_id=40630984&vkey=news_cle&c_id=cle">After three-way deal, Tribe not done with upgrades | indians.com: News</a> In the wake of the Indians' loudest transaction of the winter, general manager Chris Antonetti made one thing abundantly clear. "We still have work to do," he said at Progressive Field on Wednesday.</li>
<li> <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2012/12/cleveland_indians_general_mana.html">Cleveland Indians GM Chris Antonetti talks about acquiring Drew Stubbs, Trevor Bauer and future of team (video) | cleveland.com</a> <span style="line-height: 9.75px;"> </span><a href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Indians</a> General Manger Chris Antonetti spoke with the media Wednesday afternoon about the three-team trade yesterday, which saw the Indians acquire outfielder <span>Drew Stubbs</span>, pitchers <span>Trevor Bauer</span>, <span>Matt Albers</span> and <span>Bryan Shaw</span>.</li>
<li>Terry Pluto's<a href="http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2012/12/terry_plutos_morning_sports_bl.html" target="_blank"> take on the trade</a> </li>
</ul>
<p><b>Some thoughts from elsewhere:</b></p>
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<ul>
<li> <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnesn.com%2F2012%2F12%2Fshin-soo-choo-a-nice-addition-to-reds-but-indians-poised-to-be-big-winners-of-three-way-trade%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.coveringthecorner.com%2F2012%2F12%2F13%2F3762130%2Fmore-reaction-to-the-trade-news-notes-12-13-12" style="line-height: 9px;" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Shin-Soo Choo a Nice Addition to Reds, But Indians Poised to Be Big Winners of Three-Way Trade | MLB | NESN.com</a><span style="line-height: 9px;"> - NESN thinks the Indians won the trade</span> </li>
<li> <a href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/12/12/3757786/trade-reds-diamondbacks-indians-trevor-bauer-shin-soo-choo-drew-stubbs">Three-way trade leaves everyone happy, fulfilled - Baseball Nation</a> - Everyone got what they wanted, except Kevin Towers, who seems to think he got <span>Derek Jeter</span> </li>
<li> <a href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/12/12/3759280/diamondbacks-trevor-bauer-trade-three-way-indians-reds">The Diamondbacks' eagerness to deal Trevor Bauer - Baseball Nation</a> - The Indians should be wary about Arizona's willingness to deal Trevor Bauer.</li>
<li> <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121212&content_id=40624576&vkey=perspectives&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb">Peter Gammons: Acquiring pitching requires deft planning | MLB.com: News</a> Peter Gammons contrasts methods used by MLB teams recently to get pitching </li>
<li> <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/31440/is-kevin-towers-destroying-the-d-backs">Is Kevin Towers destroying the D-backs? - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN</a> A Dbacks fan blogger responds to criticism of Kevin Towers.</li>
<li>TribeVibe blog <a href="http://tribevibe.mlblogs.com/2012/12/12/national-baseball-writers-weigh-in-on-the-indians-trade/" target="_blank">samples immediate reaction from the InterTWEETz</a> </li>
<li>Castrovince's <a href="http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25525247&topic_id=8878836&c_id=cle" target="_blank">take on the trade (video)</a> </li>
</ul>
<div><b>And in non-The Trade-related news:</b></div>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li> <a href="http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/12/12/3759756/cleveland-indians-preliminary-prospect-list">Cleveland Indians Preliminary Prospect List - Minor League Ball</a> John Sickels has put up preliminary prospect lists at Minor League Ball and asked for comment</li>
<li>The Indians are still aggressively pursuing <span>Nick Swisher</span>, according to numerous sources, says <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/JimBowdenESPNxm/status/279048835723046912">Jim Bowden</a> </li>
<li> <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/tampa-bay-rays-close-to-signing-pitcher-roberto-hernandez/1265802">Tampa Bay Rays close to signing pitcher Roberto Hernandez - Tampa Bay Times</a> - New home for Roberto Hernandez? </li>
<li>St. Louis <a target="_blank" href="http://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-dodgers/2012/12/12/3760546/ski-schumaker-trade-dodgers-cardinals">has traded Skip Schumaker to the Dodgers</a>. Hole at second base in St. Louis for Cabrera? (wishcasting?)</li>
<li>LGFT Scott Elarton still chasing the dream, <a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121212&content_id=40629946&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">now with the Twins</a>.</li>
<li>And now <span>Jack Hannahan</span> <a href="http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/12/reds-sign-jack-hannahan-to-one-year-2-million-deal/" target="_blank">is LGFT, joining Donald and Choo in Cincinnati</a>.</li>
</ul>
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https://www.coveringthecorner.com/2012/12/13/3762130/more-reaction-to-the-trade-news-notes-12-13-12woodsmeister2012-12-12T13:10:26-05:002012-12-12T13:10:26-05:00Electric Guitars and Pitching: A Trade Review
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<figcaption>Jim McIsaac</figcaption>
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<p>In this Designated Columnist installment, Cee Angi compares last night's trade with the one Kansas City pulled off a couple of days ago. </p> <p></p>
<p>On Tuesday, Chris Antonetti proved that he is not only considerably smarter than <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Royals</a> general manager Dayton Moore, but that a team can jump-start its building process without sacrificing the long-term growth of his organization. Rushing things often doesn't work.</p>
<p>Growing up, my parents asked my sister and me to make detailed lists of what we wanted for Christmas. My parents never bought everything on the list, though I like to think we did a good job of making lists of incredibly practical items like books rather than Power Wheels and video games. Every few years I'd ask for a big item like an Easy Bake Oven or a basketball hoop, but mostly I wanted things that could be wrapped in shirt boxes or stuffed in a stocking.</p>
<p>Once I was old enough to start analyzing the holiday spending of my elders, I noticed a pattern. There was always one relatively big item missing from my Christmas list, which was intentional. Since my birthday is just 35 days after Jesus', my folks would just take one item I asked for and set it aside as my birthday present. It seemed like cheating, but I became a birthday gift clairvoyant and would build up anticipation of receiving the item I'd hand-selected a month earlier. For my 11<sup>th</sup> birthday, it was a pitching backstop for our backyard, which permanently absolved any member of my family from trying to catch my sliders. For my 13<sup>th</sup>, it was supposed to be a guitar.</p>
<p>I asked for a jewel blue Ibanez electric guitar and I didn't ask for much else because I knew that purchasing a guitar, case, amp, and lessons-I wasn't naturally gifted at the guitar-would be a big investment. I knew (spoiler alert) that Santa Claus wasn't real, but it never occurred to me that I wouldn't be getting that guitar for Christmas. My parents were never flush with cash, but a $500 price tag for the instrument, amp, and guidance seemed feasible. "Who can put a price tag on our kid's happiness, anyway?" my mom would say in the music store with her credit card in hand to my father, a few feet from the counter with his arms crossed, though secretly he was fine with the purchase because he'd get to see the smile on the face of his youngest on Christmas morning. I assumed it would be under the tree and that I'd be noodling like Jimi Hendrix before brunch.</p>
<p>It didn't happen. I threw a tantrum of epic proportions-the brattiest display of entitlement in my entire life*. Sure, I got some really great CD box sets with the complete works of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, but I was <i>furious </i>that I didn't get to be a rock star, too. I asked to go to the guitar store the day after Christmas to drive home the point that, "Oh hey, you forgot my guitar," and hoped being in the store might jog their memory. They both acted as though they had amnesia, and I assumed it was because they were withholding the guitar for my birthday gift.</p>
<p>*<i>I guess I do have a history of bad behavior on Christmas. I can't recall how old I was, probably just six or so, but I yelled at my grandmother and started crying after opening a package that contained an Indiana University sweatshirt instead of one from the Ohio State University. She'd been horribly confused about affiliations since we moved often, and I felt the need to throw a tantrum and my loving grandmother under the bus. We had a similar problem in 1989, when an aunt gave all of her nieces New Kids on the Block posters and I was given Donnie Wahlberg instead of Joey McIntyre, as though I had been a complete after-thought, because who the hell liked Donnie Wahlberg? Surprisingly, I kept it cool that year. </i></p>
<p><a name="_GoBack">My entitlement and impatience cost me big time. I didn't get a guitar for my birthday; in fact, I didn't get anything. Thanks to child labor laws I couldn't afford my own guitar, so I was at the mercy of parents who were hell-bent on teaching me a lesson. No amount of wishing materialized my desires -- I was a miniature Dayton Moore terrorizing my family all winter, petulantly demanding that they give me what I wanted, asserting that as soon as I got lessons I'd be as good as those I idolized. My parents, much more rational and able to take a level-headed approach to virtually everything, didn't cave until sometime the following summer, when I finally admitted I was wrong through months of repenting and routine confessions to Father G. at church. By July I had blisters on my fingertips from learning how to play "The Guns of Brixton." </a></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indians</a> and Royals have been kindred spirits in the waiting game for several seasons, hoping their prospects would mature, knowing that someday they'd be rewarded, not with a guitar under the tree, but with a sub-3.00 ERA or a .400 on base-percentage from <i>someone</i> in their farm system. Each year they both have waited for the talent to unveil itself. Both produced prospects on the position side, but the pitching didn't come along at the same pace. The waiting game creates a tension between aggressive moves and waiting for improvement from within. Despite broadly similar plights, they two teams have sought completely different solutions this offseason.</p>
<p>The Royals have clearly reached the tipping point where they have decided that they can no longer wait and took matters into their own hands, but their moves have been so haphazard that they are trying to improve their team's leaky bucket by plugging some holes while creating bigger ones. Last week, manager <a href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/12/3/3724042/mlb-winter-meetings-ned-yost-will-use-philosophy-to-turn-the-kansas-city-royals-into">Ned Yost said</a> that he wanted, a "change of philosophy" that will result in more power hitting -- which is a lot like trying to actualize change through the power of positive thinking given the Royals will have mostly the same lineup they did in 2012, one that ranked 13<sup>th</sup> in the league in home runs. As the saying goes, If wishes were horses, Ned Yost would ride.</p>
<p>Simultaneously, Dayton Moore decided that the pitching they had wouldn't be enough and forced improvement by acquiring an almost entirely new rotation, climaxed by the <span>James Shields</span> trade*. The sudden movements of the Royals could mean a harsh reality for the Indians: The Royals might have the pitching to best them in the AL Central standings next season. Nevertheless, take heart -- we all know the story of the tortoise and the hare.</p>
<p>*<i>This deal sent <span>Jake Odorizzi</span> to the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rays</a>, which is ironic considering that he is one of the few pitching prospects they had that seemed to be on his way to being something. There's a debate about short-term gains vs. long-term gambles on prospects, but this could easily be as regrettable as letting <span>Wil Myers</span> go in the long-term.</i></p>
<p>If you look at the current rotation for the Indians, they don't have much big-league pitching, especially with a struggling <span>Justin Masterson</span> and flailing Ubaldo Jimenez. The team's prospect ranks are thin for pitchers, and though the addition of <span>Trevor Bauer</span> in Tuesday night's trade certainly helps, it didn't solve the problem on its own. Despite their upgrades, the Royals' rotation is remains equally questionable. James Shields is an innings-eater, but he's certainly not an ace, and he's coming from one of the best pitcher's parks in the league. The Royals also acquired <span>Ervin Santana</span>, who struggled tremendously in 2012 with a 5.16 ERA giving up a league-worst 39 home runs. <span>Bruce Chen</span> is average at best, while <span>Luis Mendoza</span>, <span>Jeremy Guthrie</span>, and <span>Wade Davis</span> are suitable for the back end of the rotation. It's mind-boggling what the Royals have given up in depth (see: Baseball's top prospect, Wil Myers) to attain such a milquetoast rotation. There's a greater potential in 2013's roster when compared to past seasons, but the Royals are by no means a lock for even finishing third in the AL Central, which will likely be a battle between them, the Indians, and the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Twins</a>.</p>
<p>The Royals' decision to leverage the future for the vague hope of immediate success might have seemed to put pressure on the Indians to hurry up and get better, and the fear of being basement dwellers has been enough to send lesser organizations into spending frenzies (see: 2010 <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Red Sox</a>, 2011 <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Marlins</a>, 2012 <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Dodgers</a>). Yet, the three-way trade that involved nine players from the Indians, the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Reds</a>, and <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Diamondbacks</a> beat the Royals at their own game in that the key that unlocked the deal for the Indians, <span>Shin-Soo Choo</span>, had to be moved regardless.</p>
<p>Until Tuesday night, the Indians hadn't made any sizeable moves, but that didn't mean they weren't trying to fix the lineup to improve over last season's 94 losses and managerial regime change. In his press conference at the Winter Meetings, manager Terry Francona said, "The one thing I think we all agreed is that we need to get better. We want to do it in a way that makes sense. We're trying to be realistic, and again, there's teams out there proving that you can do it without a payroll."</p>
<p>For the most part, the Indians have done exactly what Francona suggested: Keep payroll low, look for veteran players to help develop the younger talent, and improve the pitching. The Indians' moves this offseason, albeit smaller than the Royals', certainly have the potential to add value over the course of several seasons-after all, they still have spending flexibility and all of their top prospects safely tucked away on the farm. So what if the Royals become momentarily relevant in 2013 (which might not even happen), their upgrades might buy them 82 wins next season, and that's not even the goal. The goal is to win it all.</p>
<p>Over the past five years, the typical winner of the AL Central had 91 wins, but given the weak state of competition, the average needed to come in first was 86. If you don't get all the way there, there isn't a prize for getting close, no trophy for "Most Pseudo-Improved." The Royals' method may not be sustainable given the price they paid; there is no substitute for actual pitching prospects in the end, and you can't keep dealing off the Wil Myers of your system for veterans.</p>
<p>The Red Sox have offered a similar contrast to the Royals this winter. They have solid prospects coming on the position side, but not much on the pitching side. They've acquired a few veterans like <span>Mike Napoli</span> and <span>Shane Victorino</span> so as to buy time and stay respectable. but have not gone overboard on mid-range pitchers while they try to figure out if <span>Daniel Bard</span> will rebound and just how good <span>Felix Doubront</span> might be. A year from now, the Red Sox will have a much better idea where they stand with the parts they have and can reassess. <i>Then </i>perhaps spending can play a part.</p>
<p>The Indians have upgraded their manager; they will continue to seek a few veteran players to help with the growing pains, but they won't splurge on fixing the rotation or spend on big free agents (or even worse, make foolish trades) until they have the infrastructure to support it. Perhaps once Francisco Lindor and Dorssys Paulino are ready it will be time, but instead of grasping for marginal wins next year like the Royals, the Indians are doing it the <i>right </i>way by building a foundation<i>.</i> There's no point in having an ace or a sole slugger until your team can support them -- just ask <span>Felix Hernandez</span> what it's like to be an ace in an inadequate lineup.</p>
<p>The Indians may not win the division next season. In fact, unless they fill a few more gaps, they will be lucky to finish in the top three, but systematically building a roster is certainly more sustainable than the Royals, who will soon realize there's no prize for winning 85 games. One could look at the Choo deal and the arrival of Trevor Bauer and <span>Drew Stubbs</span> as not addition by subtraction but addition <i>and </i>subtraction, and thus by its very nature inadequate, but being slow or even still is often better than being impulsive. It's hard not to want things like wins or guitars. It's hard not to throw a tantrum and demand better pitching, power hitters, and an Ibanez under the tree -- electric, acoustic, or Raul -- but even when it seems like they aren't moving fast enough, take a look at the Royals' record at midseason, and thank Antonetti for keeping the roster, especially the prospects, intact. You'll need them to contend in 2014.</p>
<p><i>Cee Angi is one of SBN's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-designated-columnists">Designated Columnists,</a> one of the minds behind <a href="http://www.platoonadvantage.com/">the Platoon Advantage</a>, and the author of <a href="http://baseball-prose.com/">Baseball-Prose</a>. Follow her at <a href="https://twitter.com/CeeAngi">@CeeAngi</a>. </i></p>
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https://www.coveringthecorner.com/2012/12/12/3759164/electric-guitars-and-pitching-a-review-of-this-weeks-big-tradesCee Angi2012-12-12T07:19:00-05:002012-12-12T07:19:00-05:00CIN-CLE-ARZ MEGA-DEAL Comprehensive Review
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<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Let's take a deep breath and look at how this trade affects the Indians in 2013 and beyond.</p> <p>First, here's all the pieces in the trade:</p>
<p>Cincinnati gets: OF <span>Shin-Soo Choo</span> (CLE), IF <span>Jason Donald</span> (CLE), $3.5M (CLE)</p>
<p>Arizona gets: SS <span>Didi Gregorius</span> (CIN), LHP <span>Tony Sipp</span> (CLE), <span>Lars Anderson</span> (CLE)</p>
<p>Cleveland gets: RHP <span>Trevor Bauer</span> (ARZ), OF <span>Drew Stubbs</span> (CIN), RHP Bryan Shaw (ARZ), <span>Matt Albers</span> (ARZ)</p>
<p><b>Payroll Implications</b></p>
<p>If you add up all the pieces coming an going, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a> pretty much break even:</p>
<p>Salary Going:</p>
<ul>
<li>Shin-Soo Choo ~$7.5M (Arbitration)<br>
</li>
<li>Tony Sipp ~$1.1M (Arbitration)</li>
<li>Jason Donald ~$500K (Renewable)*</li>
<li>Lars Anderson ~$500K (Renewable)*</li>
<li>Total: $9.6M</li>
</ul>
<p>*Assuming that both Donald and Anderson would spend the season on the 25-man roster, which is a reach to say the least.</p>
<p>Salary Coming:</p>
<ul>
<li>Drew Stubbs ~$3.0M (Arbitration)</li>
<li>Matt Albers ~$1.75M (Arbitration)</li>
<li> <span>Bryan Shaw</span> ~$550K (Renewable)</li>
<li>Trevor Bauer ~$500K (Renewable)</li>
<li>$3.5M in cash in Cincinnati <br>
</li>
<li>Total: $9.35M</li>
</ul>
<p>The cash was sent to cover the difference in salary between Choo and Stubbs, but I think the difference is closer to $4.5M than $3.5; if that's corrected then the Indians take on $1M, and if you figured that Donald/Anderson weren't going to be pulling a major-league salary, $2M. Which is a lot to you and I, but not much in the grand scheme of things on a baseball payroll. This trade will not financially affect the Indians going after <span>Nick Swisher</span> or any other free agent that they were thinking of going after.</p>
<p><b>Service Time Issues</b></p>
<p>Another way to look at the deal is the team control, or in other words, how long before the principals of the deal have until free agency. Here's the approximate service times of the players in the deal and the resulting team control the tclubs have:</p>
<p>CLE Players Received</p>
<ul>
<li>Matt Albers 5.141 (1 year)<br>
</li>
<li>Drew Stubbs 3.047 (3 years)<br>
</li>
<li>Bryan Shaw 1.081 (5 years)</li>
<li>Trevor Bauer 0.021 (6 years)</li>
</ul>
<p>CIN Players Received</p>
<ul>
<li>Shin-Soo Choo 5.119 (1 Year)</li>
<li>Jason Donald 1.158 (5 Years)</li>
</ul>
<p>ARZ Players Received</p>
<ul>
<li>Tony Sipp 3.138 (3 Years)</li>
<li>Didi Gregorius 0.033 (6 Years)</li>
<li>Lars Anderson 0.053 (6 Years)</li>
</ul>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> get the best current player in the deal (Choo), but only for a year, as he is a 99.99% chance to become a free agent at the end of the year. Heck, just make it 100% since his agent is Scott Boras. The Reds are unlikely to even try to retain him, but they would get a compensatory draft pick out of it since Choo will spend the entire season in Cincinnati. Choo is rental for the Reds, and given their playoff aspirations, that's fine with them. Both teams could prolong free agency a season by sending the players to the minors for a month or so if they wanted to. So keep that in mind if the Indians send Bauer to Columbus after a good spring.</p>
<p><b>40-Man Roster Implications</b></p>
<p>By trading away four players and receiving two in return, the roster is still at 40 players, so they'll need to remove someone when they officially sign <span>Mark Reynolds</span>, assuming they don't make a trade between now and then. Two of the players that the I had thought the Indians could DFA were actually included in this trade, so that leaves a much smaller list of players to pick from. Here's the possibilities from my standpoint:</p>
<p>RHP Blake Wood - waiver claim this winter, will start the season on the Disabled List</p>
<p>1B Mike McDade - waiver claim this winter</p>
<p>LHP David Huff - Very poor 2012 minor-league campaign, though showed some promise very late in the year. Out of options.</p>
<p><b>25-Man Roster Implications</b></p>
<p>Here's where the Indians lose in the short-term. They were already looking for a corner outfielder, but now they really need to land one. The Indians did get back an outfielder in the deal in Drew Stubbs, but while Stubbs is a good defender in center, he was awful at the plate in 2012, and adding him to the lineup is going to create a hole wherever he's placed, whether that be center (most likely) or elsewhere. Finding an outfielder in free agency or via trade might have a been a priority before, but now it's priority 1A.</p>
<p>Both Albers and Shaw should slot into the bullpen, so that takes away a potential open spot for a guy like Frank Herrmann. The trade of Sipp means that the Indians will not have a left-hander returning next season; <span>Rafael Perez</span> was non-tendered last week. So that means the door is open for <span>Nick Hagadone</span> and/or <span>Scott Barnes</span> to earn an important role in the bullpen next spring.</p>
<p>As mentioned above, the Indians could push out Bauer's free agent eligibility by sending him to the minors for a month or so in 2013, but if they don't Bauer most likely pushes <span>Corey Kluber</span> to Columbus.</p>
<p><b>Short-Term Value</b></p>
<p>The Indians are big short-term losers in this deal because they very likely dealt the best 2013 performer in the deal. Choo has generally been a 3-5 win player since 2008 with the exception of his injury-shortened 2011 campaign, and there's no reason to think that he won't be that valuable in 2013. The Reds are apparently going to play Choo in center field, which Choo hasn't played since very early in his career, so they'll lose some defensive value there. I suppose the idea is to take the hit on defense and hope to make it up in overall offense (a la the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Tigers</a> and <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> last year). Choo's defensive in recent years has been tied to his arm, so moving to center diminishes that advantage somewhat. Great American Ballpark doesn't have a spacious outfield, so maybe the Reds can get away with Choo in center.</p>
<p>Matt Albers had a career year in 2012 split between Boston and Arizona; he was dealt at the deadline to Arizona (along with <span>Scott Podsednik</span>) for LGFT Craig Breslow (which is probably why Tony Sipp was included in the deal) and pitched well with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> the last couple months of the season. He was a 1.1 win player last year, which was better than anyone else in the Cleveland bullpen except for <span>Vinnie Pestano</span>.</p>
<p>2012 was <span>Bryan Shaw's</span> first full season the majors, and he did a decent job, accumulating 0.3 wins. He had a rather big split between right-handers and left-handers, which makes sense given that his cutter is his best pitch. He's not a strikeout pitcher; he's successful when he induces weak contact. With most of the other guys in the bullpen (and the rotation) power guys, Shaw might fit in well as a change of pace.</p>
<p>Trevor Bauer threw just 16.1 innings in the majors last year and got rocked, allowing 13 runs in that major-league time. He did strike out 17 batters, but allowed 14 hits and 13 walks. That short time in the majors may have been his undoing, as he clashed with the major-league staff as to how to attack hitters; Bauer thought that he would have success staying up in the zone, and the coaching staff thought differently. That clash led to his demotion in mid-July, and although Bauer mended some fences after the season, it looks like that episode may have been one reason why he was available in a trade to begin with.</p>
<p>Jason Donald appeared in 43 games with the Indians in 2012 and was awful at the plate. He's not really a shortstop, so he'll have to make a career of being able to play multiple positions. That trend start with some time in the outfield, and now that he's going to a National League club, that ability to play there should be more useful. When the Indians acquired <span>Mike Aviles</span> earlier this winter Donald became superfluous.</p>
<p>Lars Anderson has no short-term value; he's extremely likely to start the season in AAA, and given Arizona's status at first base, it would take a couple of injuries for him to appear in a major-league game in 2013. And that's if he hits.</p>
<p><b>Long-Term Value</b></p>
<p>This is why everyone is excited about this trade. As mentioned above, Choo is going to walk at the end of the season, and so getting a player like Bauer for one year of Choo is quite a haul.</p>
<p>Trevor Bauer was the third pick overall in the 2011 draft out of UCLA. Probably the only reason why Bauer didn't go any higher was that he's not a huge guy like a <span>Justin Verlander</span> or <span>David Price</span>; Bauer set several records in three years at UCLA, including strikeouts and career wins and had the best stuff of anyone in the draft with the possible exception of Dylan Bundy. Bauer's workout regimen and delivery drew a lot of comparisons to <span>Tim Lincecum</span>, who also has a similar build. Trevor has four major-league pitches (fastball, splitter, curve, and slider) with his 12-to-6 curve being his pitch. Missing bats should not be a problem for Bauer in the majors, but he'll need to become more efficient with his pitches; he walked 4.2 batters in his short time in the minors. Just 22 years old (2013 age), Bauer has the upside of an ace, and he can start the season in the Cleveland rotation if the Indians want him to (see the service time section).</p>
<p>Translated in WAR, he could be worth 22-24 wins over the six seasons Indians control him, or if they manage his service time right, another 3-4 wins beyond that. Now that's his upside; if he becomes more of a mid-rotation guy or loses a season or so to injury, the Indians would get 16-18 wins (3 WAR/year) out of him. He's a pitcher, so there's also the possibility that he gets hurt and never pitches again, but given the cost of the deal, that's a risk the Indians almost had to take given the upside.</p>
<p>This type of pitcher would not be available to the Indians on the free agent market; <span>Zack Greinke</span>, who was the best pitcher available, just signed with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> for 6 years and $147M (or $24.5M/year). And I think Bauer has a better upside. The only way for the Indians to get a player like Bauer in both ability and service time is through trade or the draft. That it only took Choo and not <span>Asdrubal Cabrera</span> is quite a coup for the Indians. Arizona GM Kevin Towers apparently coveted Didi Gregorius, and the Indians had exactly the type of player the Reds were looking for; a high-OBP outfielder that can lead off in front of Joey Votto. The Indians could still trade Asdrubal Cabrera if they wanted to; there's still teams looking for upgrades at shortstop, but that's to this trade, they don't have to.</p>
<p>The other player worth talking about from the Indians' perspective in this section is Shaw, who could be a serviceable reliever for the next 5 seasons. That would translate into 2.5-3 wins over the course of his Indians career.</p>
<p><b>Conclusion</b></p>
<p>The Reds came out winners here, as they filled a gigantic hole in their lineup without taking much away from their major-league roster. The Indians came out winners for the reasons detailed above. The Diamondbacks? I still don't understand (a) why Gregorius was the guy Towers wanted and (b) why he was willing to deal Bauer to get him. Kudos to Chris Antonetti for recognizing who Towers wanted and making things work so that the Indians still got the pitching they wanted even after the various Asdrubal Cabrera trades fizzled out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(Note: I'll update the 40-man roster chart tonight. Ran out of time this morning.)</p>
https://www.coveringthecorner.com/2012/12/12/3757940/cin-cle-arz-mega-deal-comprehensive-reviewRyan2012-12-12T07:17:40-05:002012-12-12T07:17:40-05:00Bauer and Stubbs: A Video Tour
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<img alt="ANOTHER RHH THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE LAST YEAR!" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2VZofWr0Jb4jVttuJkierEu-9dk=/0x488:2585x2211/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/4834373/20120718_mjr_su5_029.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>ANOTHER RHH THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE LAST YEAR! | Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Well, that was something.</p> <p>Iiiiiiiiff you've been under a rock for the past eighteen hours (before the internet, right now is when you'd all find out about this—and I wouldn't be the one telling you) the Indians traded one year of Shin-Soo Choo for Trevor Bauer, Drew Stubbs, Matt Albers and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=price-002bry">Another</a> Reliever Who Spells Brian Bryan.</p>
<p>Bauer is a fascinating one. Here's an <a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/4/13/2946634/trevor-bauer-youtube-arizona-diamondbacks">SBN thing on him from March</a>, in which I initially saw this video:</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XNirdgxitIk" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe></p>
<p>Hard to believe 3 minutes just passed, huh?</p>
<p>And here's his controversial long tossing:</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LwLhnSTbRPA" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>If you're still awake (I swear I've seen a better one than that), maybe watching Tim Lincecum comment on him will wake you up?<br><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QN8_I__im-M" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>Still awake? Get used to this delivery:</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LRM-ivBtQIc" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe></p>
<p>and here it is against MLB hitters</p>
<p><iframe src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=22965949&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" frameborder="0" height="224" width="400">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></p>
<p>Oh yeah, we got this guy too:</p>
<p><iframe src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=21012851&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" frameborder="0" height="224" width="400">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></p>
<p>NICK SWISHER WAS IN THE SHOE AD BEFORE THAT LAST VIDEO. IT'S MEANT TO BE!</p>
<p><iframe src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=21968185&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" frameborder="0" height="224" width="400">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></p>
https://www.coveringthecorner.com/2012/12/12/3757402/trevor-bauer-and-drew-stubbs-videoswestbrook2012-12-11T22:37:19-05:002012-12-11T22:37:19-05:00CIN-CLE-ARZ MEGA-DEAL Quick Breakdown
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BxSrLw9MshsvAxV5oKzxnwGt1zY=/0x671:2635x2428/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/4829985/20120718_mjr_su5_026.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This will be the quick and dirty breakdown of the three-way deal between the Indians, Reds, and Diamondbacks. The long version, energy permitting, should be on your computer screen first thing tomorrow morning. </p> <p>Well, that was quite a rush; while driving home tonight, I was under the impression that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a> were going to trade <span>Shin-Soo Choo</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> for Didi Gregorius. Five hours and seven more players later, the Indians have the pitching upgrade that they weren't going to get on the free agent market, and all for one year of Choo (who wasn't going to be the club after 2013 anyway), <span>Tony Sipp</span>, <span>Jason Donald</span>, and <span>Lars Anderson</span>. The latter two players probably weren't going to last the winter on the 40-man roster, and I'm guessing that's why the Indians included them in the deal.</p>
<p>From the Tribe fan's perspective, the big deal here was the Indians getting <span>Trevor Bauer</span>. Bauer was Baseball America's #9 prospect going into the 2012 season, and he didn't do anything to ruin the praise heaped on him; he held allowed just 107 hits in 130.1 minor-league innings, striking out 157. He did have some control problems, walking 61, but that was the only real knock on his performance. And keep in mind that 2012 was Bauer's first full season in professional baseball; after being drafted third overall in the 2011 draft, he signed in mid-August and only threw 25.2 innings.</p>
<p>So why the heck was Bauer traded given his draft pedigree and success? It seems that one of the reasons was that Bauer and the Arizona staff didn't see eye-to-eye on his conditioning strategy. Bauer is a proponent of extreme long-tossing and works with rubber tubes, an approach that is almost completely at odds with most major-league conditioning regimens. His stuff is excellent, starting with a 12-6 curve, and including a mid-90s fastball. He has two other good pitches (and slider and splitter) and that makes him one of the best pitching prospects in the game. His upside is a top of the rotation pitcher.</p>
<p>What's the risks? Bauer could get hurt and never be the same pitcher again. But to get Bauer the Indians gave up one year of Shin-Soo Choo, two years of Tony Sipp, and two players that are marginal 40-man roster players. Donald was probably not going to last the winter on the 40-man roster, as he was out of options, and Anderson was likely going to spend the 2013 season in AAA trying to resurrect his career. Sipp had a down year in 2012 and is two years away from free agency. So in other words, the Indians didn't risk a whole lot in the package of players they gave up.</p>
<p>The Indians also got back <span>Drew Stubbs</span>, an excellent center fielder but awful hitter, and two relievers from Arizona in <span>Matt Albers</span> and <span>Bryan Shaw</span>. Shaw is more intriguing of the two, though both could help the Tribe bullpen next season.</p>
<p>Did I say this was going to be quick? Ok, I'll leave off here, with much more to come tomorrow morning.</p>
https://www.coveringthecorner.com/cleveland_indians_2012_2013_offseason/2012/12/11/3757218/cin-cle-arz-mega-deal-quick-breakdownRyan2012-12-11T21:26:59-05:002012-12-11T21:26:59-05:00Done Deal: Indians Get Bauer/Stubbs/Albers/Shaw
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/tribeinsider/status/278684638774427649">It's official:</a></p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>...new <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Indians">#Indians</a> include (from ARI) RHP Trevor Bauer, RHP Matt Albers, RHP Bryan Shaw & (from CIN) OF Drew Stubbs…</p>
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) <a href="https://twitter.com/Indians/status/278684539881132034" data-datetime="2012-12-12T02:15:46+00:00">December 12, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>...ARI acq. INF Didi Gregorius (from CIN) & LHP Tony Sipp (from CLE), while CIN acq. OF Shin-Soo Choo, INF Jason Donald and cash (from CLE)</p>
— Cleveland Indians(@tribeinsider) <a href="https://twitter.com/tribeinsider/status/278684638774427649" data-datetime="2012-12-12T02:16:10+00:00">December 12, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p>For those keeping score at home, here's what each team is getting:</p>
<p>Cincinnati: OF Shin-Soo Choo, IF Jason Donald, $3.5M</p>
<p>Arizona: SS Didi Gregorius, LHP Tony Sipp, 1B Lars Anderson</p>
<p>Cleveland: RHP Trevor Bauer, OF Drew Stubbs, RHP Matt Albers, RHP Bryan Shaw</p>
https://www.coveringthecorner.com/2012/12/11/3757082/deal-is-done-indians-get-bauer-albers-shaw-stubbsRyan2012-12-11T20:57:57-05:002012-12-11T20:57:57-05:00Heyman: CIN-CLE part of deal done
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<p>Jon Heyman <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/278677007963930624">is reporting</a> that Choo and Donald have been dealt to Cincinnati:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>choo goes to <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23reds">#reds</a>. done deal.</p>
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/278677007963930624" data-datetime="2012-12-12T01:45:50+00:00">December 12, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23reds">#reds</a> also get jason donald in choo deal. working on rest. theres a lot more.</p>
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/278677664477351936" data-datetime="2012-12-12T01:48:27+00:00">December 12, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Most of the reports were saying that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a> are getting shortstop <span>Didi Gregorius</span> and outfielder <span>Drew Stubbs</span> from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a>. The second half of the deal would supposedly involve the Indians trading Gregorius to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> for pitching, though it's looking like the Arizona deal is much more complicated than that.</p>
https://www.coveringthecorner.com/2012/12/11/3757012/heyman-cin-cle-part-of-deal-doneRyan2012-12-11T19:59:43-05:002012-12-11T19:59:43-05:00Donald, Choo to CIN, CLE to get AZ Pitcher
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/niJDU94c1Gw7q3G5gYoAyFkQ6qE=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47827951/large_letsgotribe.com.minimal.0.png" />
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/278661995618787329">From Ken Rosenthal</a>:</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Three-team trade, per source, will look like this: Choo, <span>Jason Donald</span> to <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Reds">#Reds</a>, Gregorius to <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Diamondbacks">#Diamondbacks</a>, Stubbs, AZ pitcher to <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Indians">#Indians</a>.</p>
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/278661995618787329" data-datetime="2012-12-12T00:46:11+00:00">December 12, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/278662002241597441">and.</a>..</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Corbin, Skaggs and Bauer were among <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Diamondbacks">#Diamondbacks</a> pitchers who were in play. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Indians">#Indians</a> would get one in this deal; Skaggs unlikely.</p>
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/278662002241597441" data-datetime="2012-12-12T00:46:13+00:00">December 12, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<p>If the deal works out as laid out here, I'd be very happy.</p>
https://www.coveringthecorner.com/2012/12/11/3756854/rosenthal-donald-choo-to-cin-cle-to-get-arizona-pitcherRyan