Tribe Could Get Creative at Winter Meetings by Anthony Castrovince
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Tribe could get creative at Winter Meetings By Anthony Castrovince MLB.com @castrovince One need not stretch the metaphoric muscles much to come up with some kind of allegory linking the gambling that goes down in Las Vegas with the wheeling and dealing that goes down at baseball's Winter Meetings. That the two will be intertwined at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino this coming week makes for easy cornball copy. So let's be clear that the pun is honestly not intended when we say that the stakes are pretty high for the Cleveland Indians right now. These Winter Meetings could take place in Dutch John, Utah (not exactly a gambling mecca), and we'd still be saying much the same. That's because the Indians, who already dealt All-Star catcher Yan Gomes to the Nationals last week, are entertaining some major, franchise- altering moves right now. For reasons we've gotten into before and will get into again below, Cleveland has to be open to concepts that address current Major League needs and shore up the long-term contention outlook. And yes, that could mean moving Trevor Bauer or two-time Cy Young Award-winner Corey Kluber. With Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi off the free-agent board and the starting-pitching market percolating, the Meetings could be the ideal environment for president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff to definitively decide which direction they're going to go. Though the days of drawing up deals on bar napkins are long gone, the efficiency of the Meetings, where the front offices of every club are gathered in one building for four days, still can have the impact of putting deal discussions in a sort of time compressor. Activity can escalate quickly. So we'll see what's in the cards (OK, that pun was intended) in the coming days. For now, here's where things stand with the Meetings about to begin. Club needs The Indians need tangible help in their outfield (where Michael Brantley's departure from an already iffy alignment looms large) and in their bullpen (where the free-agent departures of Andrew Miller and Cody Allen loom large), but, first and foremost, they need the salary relief it would take to adequately fill those needs (see below for more on the payroll picture). That's why there is so much talk about Cleveland potentially dealing a starting pitcher in a trade that directly (talent) or indirectly (money) influences these areas. Whom might they trade? With the club having already dealt from one area of valued depth with the Gomes deal and Carlos Carrasco locked into a new contract extension, all eyes are on Kluber and Bauer, and either would be capable of bringing back a team-altering trade haul. Cleveland has had conversations with clubs about both players, and there is a sense in the industry that the Indians might be more inclined to move Bauer than Kluber. Of course, given the difficulty of making a deal in which two contenders both get better, it's possible neither pitcher is moved. It's possible that the Indians would try to attach Jason Kipnis, who is owed just north of $14 million and is coming off two below-average seasons, to either pitcher in a deal. Prospects to know The Indians are far more inclined to dealing from areas of depth on the Major League roster to impact that roster than doing a more traditional prospects-for-big-leaguers deal. With that said, their most valuable chips down on the farm are arguably right-hander Triston McKenzie (No. 1 on the Indians' top prospects list per MLB Pipeline), third baseman Nolan Jones (No. 2) and, given his position and near-readiness, shortstop Yu Chang (No. 6). Rule 5 Draft Unlike a tourist sauntering out of the Mandalay Bay buffet after his third piece of pie, the Indians' 40-man roster is not quite full. So they do have the room to add a player during the Rule 5 Draft. The Indians left their No. 23-rated prospect, Oscar Gonzalez, unprotected in the Rule 5, though he is only 20 years old and hasn't played above A-ball, so he wouldn't be the safest bet to stick on a big league roster for the duration of 2019. Payroll summary The gist of the Indians' winter is that they're suffering significant free-agent losses with very little accompanying salary relief because of in- house raises and arbitration cases. The Tribe has already carried franchise-record payrolls each of the past two seasons, and it is not raising the payroll. That's why the front office is trying to creatively address the needs of a maturing roster, potentially with a major trade. Senate follows House in passing bill to honor pioneer Larry Doby Associated Press CLEVELAND -- The U.S. Senate has passed legislation to honor former Cleveland Indians center fielder Larry Doby, the American League's first black ballplayer, with the Congressional Gold Medal. Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, and Rob Portman, a Cincinnati-area Republican, recently announced passage of the bill, which awaits President Donald Trump's signature. Republican Rep. Jim Renacci of Wadsworth helped gain House approval earlier. Larry Doby became the first black player in the American League, joining the Cleveland Indians less than three months after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in the NL. Kidwiler Collection/Getty Images Doby became the American League's first black player in July 1947, two months after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line with the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers. Doby was a seven-time All-Star, leading the 1948 Indians to the world championship. Born in Camden, South Carolina, Doby played high school sports in Paterson, New Jersey, and served in the Navy. He died in 2003. Napoli retires big bat after 12-year career By Matt Kelly MLB.com @mattkellyMLB Longtime slugger Mike Napoli announced his retirement Saturday via a statement released through his Twitter account. "After much thought and consideration with my family, I have decided to retire from the game of baseball," Napoli said. "I dreamed about playing baseball since I was a little kid growing up in Hollywood, [Fla.], and I was lucky enough to get paid to play a kids game for 18 years." Napoli, 37, was a free agent, and he hadn't suited up for a big league club since 2017, when he hit 29 home runs over 124 games for the Rangers. The former first baseman and catcher signed a Minor League deal with the Indians last spring, but he tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee during a Triple-A game in April and underwent season-ending surgery. Napoli began his MLB career with the Angels in 2006 and played for four franchises over a 12-year span. "I was blessed to be mentored by great people at the beginning of my career with the Angels and was able to bring that winning attitude to each clubhouse that I was fortunate to be a part of," Napoli said. "I hope to be remembered as someone who always tried to keep the clubhouse atmosphere light and inclusive, making sure that everyone was respected by his peers while leading by example, both on and off the field. "Most importantly, I am proudest of positively affecting people's lives and putting smiles on people's faces by simply being myself, reflecting the way I was brought up in South Florida." Napoli's grit and professionalism endeared him to several fan bases, most notably in Cleveland where his powerful swings to the left-field seats inspired the "Party at Napoli's" catchphrase. The 2012 All-Star finishes his career with 267 homers and 744 RBIs while having played in three World Series, including Boston's championship run in '13. Here's what my ideal Cleveland Indians 25-man roster for 2019 looks like: Joe Noga By Joe Noga, cleveland.com | Posted December 09, 2018 at 07:17 AM | Updated December 09, 2018 at 07:40 AM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Before the real wheeling and dealing begins, let's step into Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff's shoes and see what shakes out. Baseball's winter meetings are set to get underway Sunday in Las Vegas, and now is as good a time as any to put on the general manager's hat for a day and build an ideal (under the current circumstances) Cleveland Indians roster for the 2019 season. Tribe beat writer Paul Hoynes and I will each take a shot at playing GM with a payroll budget of about $135 million. We can trade anybody on the roster or sign free agents and decide which players on the 40-man roster will be sent to the minors provided they have options remaining. This exercise is not intended to be a set-in-stone prediction of what Cleveland's final roster will look like. Rather it's more of a wish list given the Indians' current situation faced with a free-agent exodus and pressing needs in the bullpen and outfield. We're also guided by the club's obvious need to cut payroll and acquire young talent with controllable contracts while remaining competitive in the American League Central Division. Assume the obvious Under this scenario, I see all of the Tribe's remaining free agents signing with other clubs. That includes Michael Brantley, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen as well as in-season pickups such as Oliver Perez.