Tribe Off Season/Hot Stove thread.

• wes_mantooth

  

  The other rumor that is floating around is that the Tribe is active to help make a sale of the team more attractive. I hope this is true...lol
• Laley23

  

  Im very happy with the offseason.
  
  But at the same time Im pissed moves like this werent made when we were good with Cy Young pitchers.
• dazedconfused

  

  dazedconfused;1349724 wrote:what's the lineup going to look like?

  best i came up with was brantley/kipnis in the first two spots, some combination of swisher/reynolds/santana 3-4-5, cabrera/chisenhall 6-7 and the dh and stubbs rounding out the order
• royal_k

  

  dazedconfused;1350131 wrote:best i came up with was brantley/kipnis in the first two spots, some combination of swisher/reynolds/santana 3-4-5, cabrera/chisenhall 6-7 and the dh and stubbs rounding out the order

  
  It's gonna be a much better lineup if they stay away from injuries and hit to their potential.
• september63

  

  There are a ton of SO's in this line up.
• IggyPride00

  

  september63;1350186 wrote:There are a ton of SO's in this line up.

  I am not sure what the record is, but Stubbs/Swisher/Reynolds in the same line-up should be tremendous if they get a season's worth of at bats.
  
  We will have quite possibly the worst contacting hitting line-up in MLB.
• TBone14

  

  dazedconfused;1350131 wrote:best i came up with was brantley/kipnis in the first two spots, some combination of swisher/reynolds/santana 3-4-5, cabrera/chisenhall 6-7 and the dh and stubbs rounding out the order

  If I had to set the lineup it would look like this:
  
  Brantley
  Kipnis
  Cabrera
  Reynolds
  Swisher
  Santana
  Chisenhall
  DH- Still a big hole here.
  Stubbs
• royal_k

  

  I would do this
  
  Brantley
  Kipnis
  Cabrera
  Swisher
  Santana
  Reynolds
  Chisenhall
  DH
  Stubbs
  
  This way you have the 3 switch hitters all in a row. Would make it hard for late inning match ups.
• HitsRus

  

  Gonna need to figure out who is the DH to really get a grip on the lineup....unless the Tribe can find an everyday stud for that position (unlikely), we are going to have a lot of different looks depending on who the opponents are pitching.
  
  I am curious if the Tribe will try to bring back Hafner at a greatly reduced price.
• royal_k

  

  HitsRus;1350216 wrote:Gonna need to figure out who is the DH to really get a grip on the lineup....unless the Tribe can find an everyday stud for that position (unlikely), we are going to have a lot of different looks depending on who the opponents are pitching.
  
  I am curious if the Tribe will try to bring back Hafner at a greatly reduced price.

  Or maybe Sizemore makes the greatest comeback ever...:laugh:
• IggyPride00

  

  I am curious if the Tribe will try to bring back Hafner at a greatly reduced price.

  Doubt it highly. I think they use the DH more as a rotating position because some of the guys on this team are bad fielders, and having a DH incapable of playing the field greatly limits Francona's flexibility with using the position. I could see Santana starting to get more AB's at DH, and Reynolds as well as neither is going to be mistaken as Gold Glove Caliber at their position. Hafner is just too one dimensional in that he can't do anything other than swing a bat to help the team (and it was iffy at points as to whether he could even do that anymore).
  
  I could be wrong though.
• like_that

  

  wes_mantooth;1350109 wrote:The other rumor that is floating around is that the Tribe is active to help make a sale of the team more attractive. I hope this is true...lol

  Out of all the LOL cleveland rumors, please make this one come true!
• HitsRus

  

  With Swisher's signing, starting pitching becomes the main focus. I could see the Tribe trying to pick up an aging, but still productive hitter, to provide some pop off the bench and for some DH at bats.
  
  One thing that hasn't been talked about, is that with the addition of Drew Stubbs, and if Zeke Carrera sees more time as the team's 4th outfielder, the Tribe has become faster,... and now with the addition of Swish and Reynolds, has considerably more power.
  That's a major upgrade in the offense.
• IggyPride00

  

  now with the addition of Swish and Reynolds, has considerably more power

  Make no mistake, this team is no longer built to play small ball. We are loaded up with relatively low average hitters that strike out a ton but have some good pop in their bat.
  
  We won't be manufacturing many runs, but we will be hitting more 2 and 3 run homers than we have in years.
• TBone14

  

  HitsRus;1350337 wrote:With Swisher's signing, starting pitching becomes the main focus. I could see the Tribe trying to pick up an aging, but still productive hitter, to provide some pop off the bench and for some DH at bats.
  
  One thing that hasn't been talked about, is that with the addition of Drew Stubbs, and if Zeke Carrera sees more time as the team's 4th outfielder, the Tribe has become faster,... and now with the addition of Swish and Reynolds, has considerably more power.
  That's a major upgrade in the offense.

  
  Swisher is off a career high in doubles and has over 25 homers in 6 straight seasons I believe. He does strikeout but he also has a Thome like eye at the plate and walks a ton. His OBP is usually in the. 370-.380 range even though he only hits. 260-.270.
  
  This is a great move for the Tribe. Good offseason. Like you said, we have gotten faster and added power and hopefully a stud front end of the rotation guy. I even like the Kazmir deal. No risk but if he somehow found his form would be a nice lefty in the rotation.
• IggyPride00

  

  Alot of the national publications are down on the Swisher signing it seems.
  
  I actually get how from the outside it actually doesn't make much sense for us, but as a fan I couldn't take another season like last year where we just couldn't score runs.
  
  Heard on the radio this morning that Swisher's 5 year vests based on plate appearances in year 4, so if he is healthy essentially he is going to get that 5th for sure which brings the deal to 5 years $70 million.
  
  It is nice to see the Dolan's willing to pay market rate for once even when they were kind of bidding against themselves as none of the big boys were really in play on Swisher.
• ts1227

  

  STO sale to FOX completed today. $230M for the network, plus $40M/yr for the TV rights to the Indians for 10 years
  
  Looks like it will operate as an "FSN Ohio 2", with more info bring decided over the next 6 weeks.
  
  http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2012/12/fox_sports_purchases_sto_for_a.html#incart_river
• IggyPride00

  

  Off the books: Hafner ($13M), Sizemore (5M), Lowe (5M), Carmona (4M), Perez (2M)...
  
  Added to the 2013 payroll: Swisher ($14M) and Reynolds ($6M).

  Saw someone mention this in the comment section on the STO sale.
  
  The Swisher/Francona signings appear to be the bright shiney object management will use to give the impression they are spending, when in reality we will have a lower payroll in all likelihood even though more revenue will be pouring into the Dolan coffers.
  
  Hadn't crunched the numbers like that, but they have really managed to pull one over on us as it feels like they are spending, but in reality that is not the case.
• TBone14

  

  IggyPride00;1352108 wrote:Saw someone mention this in the comment section on the STO sale.
  
  The Swisher/Francona signings appear to be the bright shiney object management will use to give the impression they are spending, when in reality we will have a lower payroll in all likelihood even though more revenue will be pouring into the Dolan coffers.
  
  Hadn't crunched the numbers like that, but they have really managed to pull one over on us as it feels like they are spending, but in reality that is not the case.

  
  Well they could have resigned Hannahan or Kotchman and brought in the next David Delucci or Jason Michaels to play the corner outfield spot and sat on the extra dough.
• royal_k

  

  TBone14;1352195 wrote:Well they could have resigned Hannahan or Kotchman and brought in the next David Delucci or Jason Michaels to play the corner outfield spot and sat on the extra dough.

  Yeah, they actually made a couple aggressive moves, unlike years past. Could they spend more? Yeah, they still have a lower cap total. But, at least there is the potential of fielding a competitive team.
• Footwedge

  SMH at major league baseball....again. 70 million for a lifetime 258 hitter with 21 or so annual homers. No woder swish is "the life of the clubhouse". I will root my ass off for him....but he is not an upgrade for Choo.
  
  We have upgraded at first base....but just slightly only because we haven't had a decent first baseman since Ryan Garko.
  
  I like the acquisition of the Reds top pitching prospect. That...should be the management's mindset...not trading away top pitching prospects for a 1 year flash in the pan.
• lhslep134

  

  Footwedge;1352378 wrote:
  I like the acquisition of the Reds top pitching prospect..

  Except we didn't get the Reds' top pitching prospect. Not surprised you got that fact wrong.
• ohiobucks1

  

  I'm pretty happy with the moves this offseason. I would love to get a DH though... Maybe resign Hafner and hope and pray?
• HitsRus

  

  I would take Pronk back....IF...there was no one better...and he could be had at less than $1.2 mill. I could understand though, that some on here wouldn't want him back at any price
• Footwedge

  lhslep134;1352384 wrote:Except we didn't get the Reds' top pitching prospect. Not surprised you got that fact wrong.

  Only facts you need to know...
  
  Pomeranz ERA 4.93
  Ubaldo 5.40
  
  So much for your pitching prospect theory.