Cleveland Indians Trade Rumors

Twins weren't high bidder for Hudson
Comment
February 5
Foxsports.com
 
"The Twins were not the high bidder for free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson -- at least not in total dollars. The Indians offered Hudson a two-year, $10 million deal, major-league sources say, though the present-day value would have been lower. The deal was backloaded, and a significant portion of the guarantee was in the buyout of a third-year option, according to one source. Hudson, by accepting a one-year, $5 million contract from the Twins, went with a team more likely to contend in 2010 than his two other finalists, the Indians and Nationals. His deal includes a stipulation that the Twins cannot offer him salary arbitration if he is a Type A free agent, ensuring that a team can ..."
Twins going after Hudson?
Comment
February 4
Foxsports.com
 
"The Twins have intensified their pursuit of free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson, one major league source told FOXSports.com on Thursday morning. Minnesota general manager Bill Smith declined to comment Thursday when asked if he is optimistic about his chances of adding a free agent this week. Hudson is asking for at least $6 million on a one-year deal, a separate source said. He is likely to agree to terms on a new contract this week. The Washington Nationals have been linked to Hudson for weeks, but they aren't a clear frontrunner in the market for his services. The Twins have a much better chance of reaching the playoffs this year, which could nudge Hudson in their direction. Hudson ..."
Indians sign left-hander Rafael Perez; avoid arbitration
Comment
January 19
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians have come to terms with left-hander Rafael Perez. The team and Perez were scheduled to exchange arbitration figures today. Perez signed for $795,000 with a $25,000 All-Star bonus. He was the only Indian eligible for arbitration. The Indians have not gone to arbitration with a player since 1991. Perez is coming off the worst season in his career. He was considered one of the top set-up men in the American League before that. After opening last season with the Indians, he was optioned twice to Class AAA Columbus. In 54 appearances for the Indians, Perez went 4-3 with a 7.31 ERA. He struck out 32, walked 25 and allowed 66 hits in 48 innings. The opposition hit .335 against him. ..."
Indians acquire infielder Brian Bixler from Pittsburgh
Comment
January 19
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians have acquired infielder Brian Bixler from Pittsburgh for minor league infielder Jesus Brito. Bixler was added to the 40-man roster and will compete for a spot on the big-league club as a middle infielder in spring training. Bixler, 27, hit .227 (10-for-44) with five runs and three RBI for the Pirates last year. The right-handed hitter spent most of the season at Class AAA Indianapolis where he batted .275 (111-for-403) with 71 runs, 23 doubles, eight triples, nine homers and 43 RBI. The Pirates drafted Bixler, from Sandusky, with the second pick in the 2004 draft. He made his big-league debut in 2008."
Tribe ink Redmond to one-year deal
Comment
January 15
MLB.com
 
"The Indians traded Kelly Shoppach last month because of Shoppach's expected pay raise in arbitration and because they felt particularly good about two young catchers, Lou Marson and Carlos Santana, in the pipeline. But Shoppach's departure left the Tribe without a veteran backstop to work with the club's decidedly young pitching staff, and that's where Mike Redmond comes into play. The Indians signed the 38-year-old Redmond to a one-year contract Friday. It is their first Major League free agent signing this offseason, and it brings their 40-man roster total to 39. The financial terms of the agreement were not immediately available. Redmond is a veteran of 12 Major League seasons with the ..."
Alex White, Lonnie Chisenhall, Beau Mills among Cleveland Indians spring invitees
Comment
January 14
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians list of spring training invitees increased to 16 today with the addition of seven of their own minor leaguers. Right-hander Alex White, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and first baseman Beau Mills, the organization's No.1 draft picks in 2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively, head the group. The other four invitees are right-handers Frank Herrmann and Yohan Pino, catcher Damaso Espino and infielder Niuman Romero. The Indians signed White to a $2.25 million contract last season out of the University of North Carolina after drafting him with the 15th pick in the first round. He didn't sign until minutes before the August deadline and wasn't able to pitch in the organization until the ..."
Tribe grabs Grudzielanek with Minor League deal
Comment
January 12
MLB.com
 
"The Indians have signed that "big-name" free agent everybody's been waiting for. G-R-U-D-Z-I-E-L-A-N-E-K. That's 12 letters. Even longer than Castrovince. Huge. Mark Grudzielanek has signed a Minor League deal with a Spring Training invite. This could be the Indians' answer to their opening in the utility infield spot, as the right-handed-hitting Grudzielanek has vast experience in the bigs at second base (1,108 games) and short (626), and a few games at third (31), just for good measure."
Indians not in talks to trade Peralta
Comment
January 11
Foxsports.com
 
"The Cardinals and Twins are among the teams still in the market for a third baseman. But it doesn't look like either of them will trade for Cleveland's Jhonny Peralta. The Indians aren't involved in any active trade talks for Peralta, one major league source told FOXSports.com on Monday morning."
Seeking right-handed bats, Cleveland Indians sign free agents Austin Kearns, Shelley Duncan
Comment
January 6
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians, in their ongoing scavenger hunt among the lower rungs of free agency, Tuesday signed right-handed hitters Austin Kearns and Shelley Duncan to minor-league contracts. Each deal included an invitation to big-league spring training. New manager Manny Acta wants to add at least one right-handed bat to balance a left-handed heavy lineup and to protect himself if first baseman/outfielder Matt LaPorta isn't ready for the regular season following surgery on his left hip and left big toe. Kearns, 29, is the more accomplished of the two and has a chance to start in left field depending how the spring-training competition unfolds with Michael Brantley, Trevor Crowe and Jordan Brown. He ..."
Tribe brings Duncan, Kearns into fold
Comment
January 5
MLB.com
 
"Still quiet on the Major League free-agent front, the Indians continue to add potential options to their Spring Training mix through Minor League deals. On Tuesday, those deals went to a pair of position players, infielder/outfielder Shelley Duncan and outfielder Austin Kearns. Both were given invites to big league camp. Duncan, 30, is coming off International League MVP honors in 2009, while a member of the Yankees organization. He batted .277 with 85 runs, 30 doubles, a league-best 30 homers and 99 RBIs in 123 games for Triple-A Scranton. He ranked second in the league in slugging percentage (.546), tied for 10th in doubles and was third in OPS (.916). He also appeared in 11 games for ..."
Cleveland Indians complete Kelly Shoppach trade; sign reliever Saul Rivera
Comment
December 21
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians got right-hander Mitch Talbot today from Tampa Bay to complete the Kelly Shoppach trade. Talbot, 26, has a career minor league record of 62-54 with a 3.79 ERA in 165 starts. Last season, he went 4-4 in 10 starts at Class AAA Durham but was slowed by a sore right elbow. Talbot ended the season healthy. Talbot was Houston's second-round pick in 2002. He's been invited to big league camp with the Indians in February. Along with Shoppach, the Indians sent Tampa Bay an undisclosed amount of cash."
Rafael Perez gets contract; Anthony Reyes, Adam Miller, Jose Veras not offered deals
Comment
December 13
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians made right-handers Anthony Reyes, Adam Miller and Jose Veras free agents by not offering them contracts by Saturday's midnight deadline. Reyes won't be ready to pitch until midseason following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, and Miller's career could be over following a fourth operation on his right middle finger in November. All players had to receive contracts by Saturday's deadline or become free agents. It's possible the Indians will bring back Miller and Reyes on minokr league deals. Saturday's moves dropped the Tribe's 40-man roster to 37. Rafael Perez, Veras and Reyes were the only Indians eligible for salary arbitration, which factored into the team's decisions ..."
Indians, Jays looking at Thames
Comment
December 12
Foxsports.com
 (scroll down)
"Free agent Marcus Thames, a popular part-time player for the Tigers in recent seasons, is drawing interest from the Indians and Blue Jays, a major league source told FOXSports.com. Both teams need right-handed power and have yet to establish clear everyday left fielders for 2010. Thames has averaged 20 home runs per year since 2006, despite the fact that he's never had more than 400 plate appearances in a major league season."
Indians take right-hander Hector Ambriz in Rule 5 draft
Comment
December 10
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians took right-hander Hector Ambriz from the Arizona Diambondbacks with the fifth pick in the Rule 5 draft. The Indians must keep him on the 25-man roster once the season starts or return him to Arizona for half of the $50,000 purchase price."
In Cleveland, Acta's stock still climbing
Comment
December 10
Washington Times
 
"The man the Washington Nationals once hired as the hottest young manager in baseball sat at his Florida home this summer. A television was his only connection to the game that sustained him, gave him a reason to learn English and brought him from the dirt fields of the Dominican Republic to the cathedrals of the major leagues. And in those months, everything Manny Acta had built was tested. During his 2 1/2 seasons with the Nationals, Acta received ringing endorsements from Jim Leyland and Bobby Cox, made hundreds of friends and won a reputation as a sharp baseball mind who had a touch for relating to players. But those attributes couldn't stand up to the mammoth rebuilding effort Acta ..."
Several teams interested in veteran Carroll
Comment
December 8
Foxsports.com
 
"Free-agent infielder Jamey Carroll remains in demand. A number of teams are interested in Carroll, including the Indians, A's, Dodgers and Angels, according to a major-league source. Carroll, who turns 36 on Feb. 18, is looking for a two-year deal — and could get one, considering the competition to sign him. Free-agent infielder John McDonald reached a two-year, $3 million deal with the Blue Jays, Alex Cora a one-year, $2 million deal with the Mets."
Indians may use winter meetings to explore trade options for Kerry Wood
Comment
December 8
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"At the winter meetings last year, the Indians signed Kerry Wood to a two-year, $20.5 million contract. This year at the winter meetings, they'd like nothing better than to trade the hard-throwing Wood or draw the blueprints for such a deal at a later date. Pat Rooney, the agent who negotiated Wood's deal with the Tribe in Las Vegas last year, will meet with the Indians this week to see what they have in mind. "Kerry has no problem with Cleveland," said Rooney, when asked if he'd requested a trade. "They've always been honest and up front with him. Last year he was the last piece of the puzzle and they couldn't get to him." The Indians, coming off a strong second-half finish in 2008, felt ..."
Indians expected to get prospect in return for Kelly Shoppach
Comment
December 7
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"News, notes and quotes from the winter meetings at Indianapolis Downtown Marriott. -What kind of player will the Indians receive from Tampa Bay for Kelly Shoppach? Look for a return similar to what they received from the Giants for Ryan Garko last season. The Giants sent them Class A left-hander Scott Barnes, who was a combined 14-5 with a 3.41 ERA last season. He struck out 138, walked 49 and allowed 131 hits in 142 1/3 innings. Barnes, a fourth round pick in 2005, was 12-3 with a 2.85 ERA for the Giants Class A San Jose at the time of the deal. He made three starts with no record and a 2.13 ERA at Class A Kinston. At Class AA Akron, he was 2-2 in six starts with a 5.66 ERA. The ..."
Red Sox interested in Jamey Carroll
Comment
December 3
Boston Herald
 
"According to a source with knowledge of the discussions, the Red Sox have expressed interest in free agent utility infielder Jamey Carroll, who has played for the Expos, Nationals, Rockies and Indians in his career and last year hit .276 with a pair of homers in Cleveland. The 35-year-old is not on the frontburner with the Sox, who need to fill obvious holes at left field and short before they address a backup infield spot. They've let Carroll know that he's someone they'll be getting in touch with later in the offseason, if he's still available, and that their interest is genuine."
Indians to give Grilli a Minors deal
Comment
December 2
MLB.com
 
"The Indians have signed reliever Jason Grilli to a Minor League deal, The Denver Post reported Wednesday. The 33-year-old right-hander will make $17,500 per month in the Minors and $800,000 if he's promoted to the big leagues. Grilli spent last season with the Rockies and Rangers, going a combined 2-3 with a 5.32 ERA in 52 games. Shipped from Colorado to Texas for cash considerations in June, Grilli missed some time in August with elbow problems and finished off the season with a 4.78 ERA in 30 relief appearances for the Rangers."
Rays acquire catcher Kelly Shoppach
Comment
December 1
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired catcher Kelly Shoppach from Cleveland for a player to be named. Shoppach, 29, hit .214 last year with 12 homers, 14 doubles, 40 RBI. Shoppach is a righthanded hitter who has a career .295 average against lefty pitchers, with a .386 OBP and .614 slugging percentage."
Indians want a veteran pitcher; if Jake Westbrook isn't ready, is Carl Pavano an answer?
Comment
November 11
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians, at the moment, are expecting Jake Westbrook to be in the starting rotation when the season opens April 5 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. It's why Westbrook will start for Ponce and manager Eduardo Perez on Nov. 28 in Puerto Rico. Perez, the Indians' former first baseman, is managing Ponce for the second year. He said Tuesday at the General Managers meetings that Westbrook will test his surgically repaired right elbow from Nov. 28 through Dec. 17. "Our expectation is, at this point, that Jake will be in our rotation at the start of the year," said assistant GM Chris Antonetti. If Westbrook, who did not make a big-league start last year and has just five in the last two ..."
Indians do some scouting housecleaning in Japan
Comment
November 9
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Latin America isn't the only part of the world where the Indians are redoing their scouting structure and methods. John Mirabelli, Indians director of scouting, said Pacific Rim scouts Jason Lee and Nate Minchey have been fired. Minchey was scouting Japan and Lee the Pacific Rim. Mirabelli said Dave DeFreitas will scout and live in Japan, while two part-time scouts will be hired to cover Taiwan and South Korea. The Indians last week announced the hiring of Ramon Pena as their new director of Latin American Operations. Pena will lived in the Dominican Republic, much like DeFreitas will live in Japan. "We want to have someone in Japan fulltime so we can to keep up with the amateur and ..."
Indians select Manny Acta
Comment
October 26
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Manny Acta was asked the question last week in Cleveland at the end of a seven-hour interview with GM Mark Shapiro and the rest of the Indians' front office. What would he do if the Indians and Astros offered him a chance to be their manager at the same time? "This is my job, and it's a business, too," replied Acta to a reporter's question. "All of us in life have to separate our heart and our head when that time comes. I don't know if I'd be so blessed that both teams would offer me this job." Not only was Acta so blessed, he had to separate heart from head and make a decision. Acta chose the Indians, who named the 40-year-old former minor-league infielder as their 40th manager Sunday. ..."
Lovullo's familiarity might hurt
Comment
October 24
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Torey Lovullo has a lot of qualities that would make him a good choice to be the Indians' next manager. Unfortunately, he has a big one working against him -- he's one of their own. The Indians have been an isolationist organization when it comes to hiring big-league managers. They haven't crossed their own bounda ries since former GM Hank Peters brought in John McNamara in 1990. For a long time, it worked. Mike Hargrove, McNa mara's successor, went to two World Series and won five division titles. Charlie Manuel, who took over for Hargrove, won a division title in 2001. Since then, it has grown rather stuffy inside the manager's office at Progressive Field.

Yes, there was ..."

Royals hire Cleveland assistant as new head trainer
Comment
October 23
Kansas City Star
 
"The Royals reached outside the organization Thursday in hiring Nick Kenney to replace Nick Swartz as their new head athletic trainer. Kenney joins the organization after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant trainer for the Cleveland Indians. He previously worked two years as an assistant trainer for the Cincinnati Reds. "We have hired one of the most highly respected trainers in the game," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "Nick brings a high level of energy, enthusiasm and expertise to the Royals' organization. "I'm extremely confident that he will lead and direct our medical programs in a very progressive and dynamic manner.""
Bobby Valentine says he wants to manage the Cleveland Indians
Comment
October 22
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Former big league manager Bobby Valentine, following today's interview to be the next manager of the Indians, said "I had a great day. I met with baseball people. It couldn't be any better than that." Valentine left his gig with ESPN late Wednesday night. He arrived in Cleveland early after about two hours of sleep and met the media at 3:30 p.m. "When I managed in the states, Cleveland was a pretty progressive thinking organization," said Valentine, who managed Texas and the New York Mets. "They signed young guys to longer contracts. Built a new ballpark and filled it for 455 straight games. "That was the envy of everybody in baseball. That's the idea of the culture I had from afar. ..."
Tug of war over Acta?
Comment
October 22
Foxsports.com
 (scroll down)
"Acta not only is a finalist for the Indians, but also a leading candidate for the Astros. The Indians are not likely to alter their process because of the Astros' interest. But Astros owner Drayton McLane might react to the Indians' pursuit. The competition for Acta is reminiscent of the battle between the Rangers and Orioles for Phil Regan after the 1994 season. The Orioles' interest in Regan only intensified after club officials learned that Regan also was a target of the Rangers and their new general manager, former O's exec Doug Melvin. Orioles owner Peter Angelos, fearing he might lose Regan, would not let him leave Baltimore without a contract. McLane is the same type of owner that ..."
Acta states his case to become Tribe manager
Comment
October 21
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"When Manny Acta was 22, a coach from the Houston Astros looked him straight in the eyes and said, "You're not good enough to play in the big leagues." Acta, from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, the birthplace of so many great big leaguers, took that hard. Then he decided to do the next best thing -- make the big leagues as a coach and manager. He's done that, but he wants to do more. He could get that chance if he's hired as the Indians 40th manager. Acta went through his second interview Tuesday with the Indians. He met with team president Paul Dolan and several members of the front office. "Now that I've made it as a manager, my goal is to become a mainstay manager in the ..."
Mattingly interviews with Tribe on phone
Comment
October 20
MLB.com
 
"Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly, presumably being groomed to take over when manager Joe Torre retires, interviewed for the vacant Cleveland Indians manager's job, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported. Mattingly was reportedly one of eight to 10 candidates interviewed over the phone by Tribe general manager Mark Shapiro and assistant general manager Chris Antonetti last week, during the Indians' organizational meetings in Goodyear, Ariz. It is not known if Mattingly is one of the three to five finalists for the job who will have a more formal interview with the Tribe's higher-ups. Thus far, former Nationals skipper Manny Acta is the only confirmed finalist, as he was in Cleveland on ..."
Tribe starts second round of interviews for manager
Comment
October 20
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Manny Acta knows about rebuilding. His won-lost record has the scars to prove it. Bobby Valentine knows about starting over. After managing in the big leagues for 15 years, he spent the past six seasons not only managing in Japan, but learning to speak, write and read the language. Acta will go through his second interview today for the Indians' vacant manager's job. Valentine will do the same later this week. They are two of what could be as many as five finalists to become the 40th manager in Indians history. GM Mark Shapiro would like to have a manager in place by the end of the World Series. Game 7 is scheduled for Nov. 5. The identities of the other finalists are still not known, ..."
Veteran manager Bobby Valentine a finalist for Cleveland Indians' vacancy
Comment
October 19
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Bobby Valentine, whose New York Mets reached the World Series in 2000, is one of the finalists for the vacant Indians manager's job. Valentine, 59, it has been learned, will come to Cleveland this week for a second interview. He is expected to be one of "three to five" finalists to interview with GM Mark Shapiro and assistant GM Chris Antonetti. Shapiro and Antonetti last week conducted phone interviews with eight to 10 candidates during the Indians' organizational meetings in Goodyear, Ariz., their spring training headquarters. Valentine has managed 15 years in the big leagues. His last year was 2002 with the Mets. He spent the last six years managing the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. ..."
Cleveland Indians among MLB teams intrigued by Japanese teen hurler Kikuchi
Comment
October 19
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"On their last venture into Japan, the Indians signed right-hander Masa Kobayashi to a two-year, $6.2 million deal. The deal worked out well for Kobayashi, released during the just-completed season, not so well for the Indians. On Tuesday, Indians scout Dave DeFreitas will sit down and chat with Japanese 18-year-old left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and his adviser in Japan. Kikuchi, whose fastball has been clocked at 96 mph, is trying to decide if he'll skip the Japanese draft and sign with a big-league club. The Red Sox last year signed amateur Junichi Tazawa. Japan's teams did not draft him after he let it be known that he wanted to play in the big leagues. The move did not go over well in ..."
Ex-Nationals manager Manny Acta among the Indians' candidates to replace Wedge
Comment
October 15
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Former Washington Nationals manager Manny Acta is one of the candidates to replace Eric Wedge as manager of the Indians. Acta told The Plain Dealer Wednesday evening that he already went through a phone interview with General Manager Mark Shapiro earlier this week. Acta also will interview with Houston on Friday for their managerial opening. "I'm excited and honored to be part of this process," Acta said. "This team was only one game away from the World Series two years ago. They have lost some pieces, but I think things are going to be very exciting in Cleveland very soon. We are still very early in the process and I have to respect that process." Acta managed the Nationals for three ..."
John Farrell says he's not interested in being Cleveland Indians manager
Comment
October 14
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The next manager of the Indians will not be Boston pitching coach John Farrell. Farrell, former Indians pitcher and farm director, has withdrawn his name from consideration. He told GM Mark Shapiro this morning. "It's an honor to be considered for the job," Farrell to The Plain Dealer. "Especially for a team that I played for, my father played for and where there are so many people I know and respect. All those things considered, my desire is to fulfill the commitment between Boston and myself. "There's no denying there is an intent to manager at sometime. But I have a mutual commitment with Boston that I feel I should fulfill." Farrell pitched for the Indians from 1987 through 1990 and ..."
Farrell expected to stay in fold
Comment
October 13
Boston Globe
 
"Pitching coach John Farrell, a candidate for the Cleveland Indians managerial opening, apparently will be staying with the Red Sox for 2010. Even before the Indians contacted the Sox to request permission to speak with Farrell, Farrell told the Sox he wanted to stay. Once the Sox received a request, general manager Theo Epstein scheduled a meeting with Farrell to discuss his future. "Based on everything we've talked about, my strong expectation is he's going to stay here,'' Epstein said. "We're excited about that. He's an important guy to the organization.''"
Red Sox grant permission for Indians to talk with pitching coach John Farrell about managerial opening
Comment
October 12
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians have been granted permission to talk to Boston pitching coach John Farrell for their vacant manager's job, but the final decision will be up to Farrell. The Red Sox were eliminated from the AL Division Series on Sunday in a three-game sweep by the Los Angeles Angels. Boston GM Theo Epstein told the Associated Press that Farrell would be allowed to interview with the Indians if he wanted. Epstein added that Farrell said he would like to stay in Boston."
Cleveland Indians paring down list for new manager to replace Eric Wedge
Comment
October 8
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"GM Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti, assistant general manager, have culled their original list of 30 names down to "eight to 10" candidates to replace fired manager Eric Wedge. Shapiro, in a meeting with reporters Wednesday, said he and Antonetti will conduct telephone interviews with the remaining candidates next week during their organizational meetings at their spring training site in Goodyear, Ariz. From that list, Shapiro said the top "three to five" candidates will be picked and brought to Cleveland for interviews. Shapiro wants to have a new manager in place by the end of the World Series. The search is being conducted by Shapiro and Antonetti. They haven't asked permission to ..."
Tribe has plan for manager search
Comment
October 8
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"General Manager Mark Shapiro will forgo throwing darts at a target to choose a new manager for the Indians. Instead, Shapiro and his lieutenant, assistant general manager Chris Antonetti, have developed a careful screening process that will winnow down the number of candidates to fewer than 10, then further trim the list to no more than five. Shapiro is in no hurry. Since some of his candidates might be wearing the uniforms of teams involved in the postseason, he might not get permission to talk to them until their clubs have been eliminated from the playoffs. If any of his prospective managers continue on in the postseason through the end of the World Series, Shapiro might not be ..."
Next pitch after Wedge?
Comment
October 1
Boston Globe
 
"After the Indians fired manager Eric Wedge yesterday, speculation centered on Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell as a prime candidate to replace him because of his strong ties to the Cleveland organization and his high standing in the game. After the Indians fired manager Eric Wedge yesterday, speculation centered on Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell as a prime candidate to replace him because of his strong ties to the Cleveland organization and his high standing in the game."
Look who's being mentioned as a managerial candidate in Cleveland!
Comment
September 26
Seattle Times
 columnist Larry Stone
"I don't think I've ever been as blindsided by a move as I was on that early July day in 2007 when Mike Hargrove stepped down as Mariners' manager. Didn't see it coming, not one tiny bit -- heck, the Mariners were on a seven-game winning streak (soon to be eight when Hargrove won his final game) and were surprisingly in the thick of the AL West race. In fact, I still can't say that I really understand it. I know there are a lot of sinister theories about what really happened to cause Hargrove to step down, and I have no doubt that there was more going on behind the scenes than we'll ever know -- or at least more than we know now. But in talking extensively to Hargrove, publicly and ..."
Timetable on Wedge remains the same
Comment
September 23
MLB.com
 
"The Astros got a jump-start on the annual postseason purge of Major League skippers when they relieved Cecil Cooper of his duties on Monday. For the Indians, however, the timeline regarding the fate of manager Eric Wedge appears to be status quo. The Tribe's front office and ownership continue to meet regularly to discuss a wide array of issues in the organization, and Wedge's job security is one of those topics. General manager Mark Shapiro said that a decision on Wedge has not been made. An announcement regarding the skipper's fate, one way or another, is expected at or shortly after season's end. The Indians, who have 13 games remaining, play their final game of '09 on Oct. 4 in Boston. ..."
Wedge's fate is anyone's guess
Comment
September 20
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"Remember when Eric Wedge's job was the biggest issue on the planet? Less than three months ago, fans and many in the media demanded that Wedge be fired as manager of the Indians. General Manager Mark Shapiro cut off the speculation and lowered the temperature by announcing that Wedge would remain at his post until the end of the season, at which time the entire realm of baseball operations would be scrutinized and evaluated. Of course, Wedge's job is no more or less secure now than it was in July. The only difference: People have stopped talking and writing about it. Presumably, the question of who will manage the Tribe next year will be answered in a few weeks. Maybe the decision already ..."
Manager saysBrantley should...
Comment
September 19
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"Will Michael Brantley have a chance to compete for an everyday job in the Indians' lineup next spring? ''I believe he could,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ''I believe he should. A prospective outfield of Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore and Brantley is going to run a lot of balls down.'' Brantley has yet to show an ability to drive the ball, but that's fine with Wedge. ''If he sprays the ball around, hits balls in front of outfielders, hits balls in the gaps, that will be fine,'' Wedge said. ''I think he'll get his share of doubles and triples. I look at him as a leadoff type of guy.'' Could Brantley be an alternative to Sizemore in the leadoff spot? ''He could be,'' Wedge said. ONE MORE DAY - ..."
Cleveland Indians' Eric Wedge: Are his days as Tribe manager numbered?
Comment
September 18
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Manager Eric Wedge began what could be the final 17 games of his managerial career in Cleveland on Thursday night when the Indians opened a four-game series against the A's at the Coliseum. A decision regarding the future of Wedge and his coaching staff is coming, reportedly a quick one, following the Indians' final game Oct. 4. Some feel the decision has already been made as the Indians trudge to the finish of a second straight season that opened to the blare of trumpets and is closing to empty seats and jeers from the crowd. Not so, said GM Mark Shapiro. "Nothing has been determined," Shapiro said. "The timeline remains the same." Shapiro, in many regards, has a general manager's ..."
Carrasco will be next trade acquisition to join big-league roster
Comment
August 30
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians can call up players from the minors starting Tuesday, and among the first will be right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who will start Tuesday night against Detroit. Carrasco is 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA in six starts since being acquired from the Phillies as part of the Cliff Lee deal. Carrasco has 36 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings in Columbus. The opposition is hitting .196 against him. Overall, Carrasco is 10-11 with a 4.64 ERA in 26 starts at Columbus and Lehigh Valley. He has 148 strikeouts in 157 innings. The opposition is hitting .245."
Cleveland Indians President Paul Dolan reports team will lose $16 million this year
Comment
August 7
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Indians President Paul Dolan said the team will lose $16 million this season even with the aid of revenue sharing from Major League Baseball. He said the loss would have been greater if they hadn't traded six players, including Cy Young winner Cliff Lee and All-Star catcher Victor Martinez, between June 27 and July 31. "The reality is we were suffering financially before we made these deals," he said. "Given the fact of the team's performance this year, and the fact that if had we stayed put [and not made any trades], we would not have been able to go outside the organization to bring in any new talent [for 2010], we would have suffered even greater losses. "What this is all about is ..."
Red Sox acquire slugger Victor Martinez from Indians; Kotchman from Braves
Comment
July 31
Boston Herald
 
"The Red Sox have added another bat to their arsenal as they head down the home stretch and also have traded one left-handed hitting first baseman for another. According to a source, the Red Sox have acquired Cleveland Indians switch-hitting first baseman/catcher Victor Martinez in a trade this afternoon, just an hour before the 4:01 p.m. trade deadline. The Sox also completed a swap with the Atlanta Braves, sending recently acquired Adam LaRoche to the Atlanta Braves for Casey Kotchman, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. In exchange for Martinez, the Sox sent the Indians right-handed middle reliever Justin Masterson, right-handed pitcher and 2008 sandwich-round pick Bryan ..."
Red Sox on verge of landing Martinez
Comment
July 31
Foxsports.com
 
"The Red Sox are on the verge of acquiring catcher Victor Martinez from the Indians, according to a major-league source. News of the deal first was reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The deal is straight-up between the Red Sox and Indians. No third team is involved. The deal almost certainly will end the Red Sox's pursuit of Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, likely ensuring that he will remain in San Diego. The Red Sox can use Martinez as a catcher, first baseman and DH. When he plays first, Kevin Youkilis will move to third, spelling Mike Lowell. In effect, Martinez gives the Red Sox protection against regressions by Lowell, catcher Jason Varitek and designated hitter David ..."
Red Sox working on three-way deal
Comment
July 31
ESPN.com
 
"The Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians were discussing a three-way trade Thursday night that would send Victor Martinez to Boston, Clay Buchholz to Cleveland and prospects flying in all directions, according to clubs that spoke to both teams. The Red Sox also would attempt to move recently acquired Adam LaRoche, either to a third team or in a companion deal, to make room for Martinez in their lineup, one source said. The Red Sox have spent several days working on parallel deals with Toronto for Roy Halladay, San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez and Cleveland for Martinez. There were indications Thursday afternoon that they were making no headway with Toronto and San Diego, but that they ..."