Cleveland Indians Hot Stove---2011-2012

• Crimson streak

  

  I would put him at short and drubs at 2nd with kipnis at 3rd. The middle infield would possibly be the best in baseball, but the question would be can kipnis play 3rd. Also I heard brantley may be moving to 1 st base. Thoughts on that?
• Laley23

  

  Id rather cut Brantley than put him at 1B. We wont win shit with a .270 9 HR 50 RBI man at 1B.
• fiction

  

  I don't want Brantley as our everyday 1B. I hope it's a move for depth. Sign a big bat in the OF and a 1B, and have Brantley as 4th OF with maybe a little time at 1B.
• Wooball

  

  I thought when the Tribe received Brantley in the trade for CC I remember seeing him listed as a OF/1B. He'd be a very Doug Mientkiewicz/Darin Erstad like 1B. I don't think you have to have prototypical players at every position. 1B, 3B, RF, LF don't need to be power bats if you can get that power from SS, 2B, C, CF. But, I can't see Asdrubal repeating his power #'s from last year. Kipnis has pop for a 2B, but he isn't a middle of the order guy. Santana is a middle of the order guy behind the plate. I could live with Brantley at 1B, IF Grady is healthy and productive in the middle of the order, and they add a RH stick w/ power to play LF.
• Crimson streak

  

  Laley23;1007309 wrote:Id rather cut Brantley than put him at 1B. We wont win **** with a .270 9 HR 50 RBI man at 1B.

  
  Agreed. I think if we can't find a first baseman in the off season put Duncan at first to start the season
• HitsRus

  

  I'm not a big fan of moving guys around out of position. I think it takes the offensive edge off when a guy has to learn a new position. That's what makes guys like DeRosa and Casey Blake so valuable because they don't seem to have a problem moving around. They are exceptions rather than the rule.
• TBone14

  

  Personally...I think Brantley is a natural 3rd baseman.
• Laley23

  

  Wooball;1007316 wrote:IF Grady is healthy and productive in the middle of the order, and they add a RH stick w/ power to play LF.

  No offense, but the quicker you and everyone else stops counting on Grady doing anything, the better people will be able to rationalize the team.
• Wooball

  

  Laley23;1007400 wrote:No offense, but the quicker you and everyone else stops counting on Grady doing anything, the better people will be able to rationalize the team.

  Haha, I'm not counting on Grady for anything other than missing over half our games. That's what why I wrote IF, although you could have easily read over that. Just saying I wouldn't completely hate Brantley at 1B if they are able to get some power production from non-traditional power positions.
• Laley23

  

  Wooball;1007489 wrote:Haha, I'm not counting on Grady for anything other than missing over half our games. That's what why I wrote IF, although you could have easily read over that. Just saying I wouldn't completely hate Brantley at 1B if they are able to get some power production from non-traditional power positions.

  haha, I know where your coming from. My point is...there is no if, lol. Its when he misses 70 games.
• grodt

  

  I am very much against moving Asdrubal back to 2nd and Kipnis to 3rd. Asdrubal is hitting his prime right now and if you want him to repeat last years performance at the plate I don't think you want him moving back to 2nd. Also, the Indians have spent a lot of time making Kipnis a 2nd baseman. Part of the reason he stayed in AAA so long was to improve his defense. No way they move him to another new position as he's about to become a full time starter.
  
  As for Brantley at 1B, no if it's full time. If it's for 20-30 games a year as a spell for whomever they have playing there, sure why not? A little depth can never hurt a team.
• TBone14

  

  I thought the reports were Hanley would play 3rd...he just wanted more money. If that's the case, we obviously have an owner that can make this happen.
• BR1986FB

  92.3 said this afternoon that the believed landing spots for Willingham are Colorado, Minnesota or Cleveland.
• Crimson streak

  

  What about David wright? The nets I'm sure are looking to rebuild he can play 1st or 3rd
• Mulva

  

  Crimson streak;1007695 wrote:What about David wright? The nets I'm sure are looking to rebuild he can play 1st or 3rd

  He isn't locked up long term and makes about $10 million too much.
• OQB

  

  Still waiting on that move Antonetti....:rolleyes:
• TBone14

  

  OQB;1009254 wrote:Still waiting on that move Antonetti....:rolleyes:

  My buddy told me he (Antonetti) had a big move coming. I told him to not hold his breath. Today..we had the funeral. RIP.
• Crimson streak

  

  The big move will be signing Austin kearns again
• Heretic

  

  Crimson streak;1009311 wrote:The big move will be signing Austin kearns again

  Or beating out the Pirates in the prestigious bidding war for the services of Jeff Francis. Because everyone wants that 16-game loser since he HAS to ready to turn things around!
• grodt

  

  Indians close to signing Felix Pie to a minor league contract. They are also rumored to be one of the final two teams still in the running for Josh Willingham.
• Crimson streak

  

  Willingham would be a pretty good signing.
• TBone14

  

  I want the Hammer.
  
  Heretic- I hope to God you are kidding about Jeff Francis
• HitsRus

  

  I'm trying not to get hopes up on Willingham....as most Cleveland fans know, the Dolans always seem to come in second when it comes to signing free agents.
• BR1986FB

  HitsRus;1012392 wrote:I'm trying not to get hopes up on Willingham....as most Cleveland fans know, the Dolans always seem to come in second when it comes to signing free agents.

  Saw Willingham's supposed asking price and it sounded like like the Tribe would be $3-4 mill per year off.
• Mulva

  

  I'm not as excited about Willingham as some of you apparently would be. It would be nice to have a guy you can expect to hit 25 home runs, but he doesn't hit for average, he's a liability defensively, and he has a pretty significant recent injury history. Missed 50 games in 2008 with a back injury, missed the last 44 games in 2010 after knee surgery, and missed 17 games with an achilles injury this past year.
  
  I know we need the right-handed power stick, but that reeks of the move bad teams make to try to fool themselves that they are a contender, when in reality it's never the type of move that's going to make a difference.