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Inbox: Should Tribe be keeping Wedge?
Beat Reporter Anthony Castrovince answers fan questions
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
07/06/09 12:57 PM ET
Let's curtail all the crazy chatter right now. Though popular only among the author's close friends and family -- and even some of them have gone conspicuously absent this season -- the Indians Inbox is not going anywhere. It will remain a sporadically published feature on indians.com, at least through the end of 2009, so keep your questions coming through the handy form below. Let's see what was on your minds this week. How can the Indians possibly be keeping Eric Wedge? They were supposed to contend this year, but instead have the worst record in the American League. Why is Wedge bulletproof?-- Brad M., Lyndhurst, Ohio Even if the Indians were to remove Wedge midseason, it is highly doubtful they would have immediately brought in a long-term replacement. It is much more likely they would have used an interim manager from within the organization, then evaluated candidates from outside the organization at season's end. Given that the Indians' problems the past two seasons run much deeper than just the managerial side of the equation, I think the club is doing the right thing by giving Wedge and his staff the remainder of the year to work with a team that is presumably healthier than it was in the first half and to see what positives they can eke out of a season gone astray. This will give the Tribe's front office and ownership a more complete body of work to evaluate in October, and, with a better idea of the managerial and coaching pool available in the industry, make a more informed decision on the future of the coaching staff. If you are adamant in your belief that Wedge must go, you certainly have plenty of talking points to back up your stance, and you might get your wish in October. But for now, it's equally arguable that Wedge was dealt some bad hands this season and that he deserves at least the next three months to make the best of a bad situation. Dismissing Wedge at the All-Star break would only serve to make him a scapegoat for larger issues, and an interim situation solves nothing. General manager Mark Shapiro did the right thing Sunday by nipping the speculation about Wedge's in-season security in the bud before it becomes an invented distraction and excuse for a group of players who have underachieved. Why do the Indians stick with Ben Francisco despite his awful season and not give Matt LaPorta a legitimate shot at the starting left field position?
-- Rob, Columbus, Ohio Francisco had a strong couple of days against the A's over the weekend, but his overall numbers this season (and in the second half of '08) obviously leave quite a bit to be desired.
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Paul Cousineau of the excellent DiaTribe blog (clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com) offered up some bone-chilling Francisco numbers that I will now shamelessly steal. Against the Rays' Andy Sonnanstine this year, Francisco batted 1.000 with a 4.250 OPS, three homers and eight RBIs in four plate appearances. Against all pitchers not named Sonnanstine, he is batting .234 with a .661 OPS, three homers and 17 RBIs in 281 plate appearances.
The Indians still value Francisco's services because of Grady Sizemore's elbow condition and the need for a suitable backup in center field. They are, of course, hopeful that the improvements he showed this weekend are real. But if the Indians feel LaPorta is ready for regular action in the big leagues, they could option out Chris Gimenez, give left field to LaPorta and use Francisco as a bench option. I should preface this by saying that I am by no means a Shapiro-hater that so many fans seem to be, as I've seen him make some great moves for this club. But the John Meloan for Winston Abreu trade baffles me. Why trade away a young decent prospect for a mediocre 30-something at this point in the season, when contention hopes are dead? What are they hoping to accomplish with Abreu?-- John G., Newport News, Va. Obviously, Meloan had some mechanical and control issues at Triple-A Columbus this season. And his diminished standing within the organization was evident in the way the Indians have made what feels like 185 roster moves involving the 'pen this season, and Meloan wasn't involved in any of them. But you're right, John. This trade is puzzling. While I understand the need to inject arms into the system and see if they can help the 'pen, I don't understand sacrificing younger arms with (conceivably) higher upside to do so. With Abreu, the Indians are hoping to accomplish what 10 other Major League clubs (and one Japanese Pacific League team) tried to accomplish, to no avail. Abreu has been bouncing around from organization to organization since 1994, but he's never stuck around anywhere for any prolonged period of time. Sometimes something clicks for veteran players in Abreu's position. The Indians clearly hope that's the case here. I hated to see Mark DeRosa traded, because he has played so well for the Indians and is a professional veteran. On the other hand, something did need to be done about the bullpen. I looked at Chris Perez's stats and the number of walks he has issued (almost six per nine innings) has to be a concern. However, Kerry Wood is not a long-term solution at closer. So with the season gone south, I think it was a good trade, at least for the future.
-- Jerry, no location given The only argument for keeping DeRosa was to see if his trade value would increase as the Trade Deadline gets closer and teams get more desperate. That's difficult to predict. Generally, soon-to-be-free agents see their trade value decrease in these scenarios, given that the clubs acquiring them are getting less service time in return. In trading DeRosa, the Indians got a young, well-regarded, power arm for the back end of their bullpen in Perez, and that's an important piece for this club -- not just in this lost season but also going forward. In his entire professional career, Perez had never given up four runs in an inning. Sure enough, he did so in his Tribe debut. But don't judge him or this trade on a single outing, just as Cards' fans are encouraged not to judge the DeRosa acquisition (he started his St. Louis career by going 0-for-9 and injuring his wrist) on a single week. Can I get an Adam Miller update?
-- Jeff S., Cocoa Beach, Fla. Miller is rehabbing at the Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz., after his late April surgery to repair the flexor pulley system in his right middle finger. He is due to have a second surgery later this month. In that second procedure, team specialist Dr. Tom Graham will remove the silicone rod that is currently jutting out of Miller's finger. The rod was inserted to prevent scar tissue from forming in the finger, because scar tissue cannot adhere to silicone. Graham will also reconstruct the flexor tendon. The multi-stage reconstruction of Miller's finger was described as "career-threatening" by head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff. Miller won't be pitching anywhere this season. I've asked this question a couple times before, and you've never answered it. But I think it's a legitimate (dare I say important?) question that I'd really like to know the answer to. What is the Tribe's overall won-loss record under Shapiro? And what was it under John Hart?
-- Denny L., Seattle Record under Shapiro: 603-614 (.496). Record under Hart: 879-671 (.560). And I'm sure you realize the legitimate (dare I say important?) fact that the Indians' Opening Day payrolls under Hart ranked among the top five in all of baseball from 1996-99 and again in 2001 and ranked in the top 10 in 1995 and 2000. The only Shapiro-led club with a payroll in the top 10 was the 2002 club he inherited from Hart. And finally... The team has been disappointing, so it's time to distract Inbox readers with a couple of WWE questions. First, Pronk uses John Cena's music. Now, there's a WWE title belt in the clubhouse. So when do we get to see the Steel Cage No-Disqualification Grudge Matches between Joba Chamberlain and the midges? And where are the Divas?
-- Phil C., Cudahy, Wis. You lost me, Phil. I haven't followed professional wrestling since Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake retired. But I'm sure your Diva idea will get no shortage of support.
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
