Indians Staying Active with Talks at Meetings Club Prefers to Acquire Offense Without Dealing

Indians staying active with talks at Meetings Club prefers to acquire offense without dealing from solid rotation Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | December 8th, 2015 NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Indians have had non-stop meetings over the past two days, gathering with rival clubs and holding internal sessions to pore over a plethora of roster possibilities. It is a safe bet that a majority of teams have at least asked about the availability of Cleveland's starting pitchers. The Tribe's preference, however, is to avoid subtracting from the rotation if it pulls the trigger on a trade to upgrade the offense. The Indians have prospects to offer, along with a variety of other players of value. One under-the-radar trading chip would be backup catcher Roberto Perez, who could be a starting catcher for many teams around baseball. Perez convinced Cleveland of that with his showing last season. "He reinforced our belief that he can be a very good starting catcher in the Major Leagues," president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings. "He handles the pitching staff really well, receives well, controls the running game extraordinarily well, manages the game, and he did a good job offensively, too, contributing in key spots." Antonetti and the Cleveland contingent met Tuesday with an assortment of teams, including Texas. The Rangers are on the hunt for starting pitching help, so inquiring about the likes ofCorey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar or Trevor Bauer makes sense. The Rangers also The Indians have a need for offense, and could use the outfield, corner infield spots or the designated hitter role to add upgrades. If it is possible to use a player with upside such as Perez, or dip into the prospect pool for trade pieces, Cleveland would rather go that route than deal away a starting pitcher and weaken a rotation that could be the team's key to October. "I would imagine," Antonetti said, "if you surveyed the landscape around baseball, there isn't any team where Carrasco or Danny or some of our other guys wouldn't be better than at least one of their five guys. That type of pitcher, especially a starting pitcher, opens up interest to almost any team." Antonetti reiterated, though, that the club would need to essentially be overwhelmed by an offer to trade any of its starters. "We're not looking to trade any of these guys at all," he said. "That's not something that we're motivated to do. But, again, for any player, there's a right value where it would make sense. So, our criteria would be, 'Does it make us a better team in 2016 and beyond?' All of those guys are very meaningful parts of our 2016 team, so any trade would have to meet a pretty high criteria to make it." Antonetti estimated the Indians have engaged in talks with 20-plus teams over the past two days, and have discussed around 25 of their players (both from Major and Minor League rosters). During a 20-minute sit-down with reporters, Antonetti's phone buzzed a handful of times. "Every day, it's literally hundreds of exchanges," Antonetti said, "whether it's meetings or phone calls or text messages." Worth noting • The Indians have reportedly discussed a one-year contract (plus an option for 2017) with free-agent outfielder Rajai Davis, according to Cleveland.com. Davis, 35, hit .258 (.746 OPS) in 112 games with Detroit last year and can offer depth for all three outfield spots. • It was reported on Monday that the Indians are among a handful of teams who have expressed interest in A's infielder Brett Lawrie. ESPN's Buster Olney reported on Tuesday that Cleveland does not appear to be a "natural landing spot" for Lawrie. • According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, the D-backs and Indians have had some trade talks. Cleveland was reportedly willing to offer Salazar in exchange for center fielderA.J. Pollock. For now, though, the D-backs are not motivated to move Pollock. • As for Perez, who will turn 27 on Dec. 23, the Braves reportedly have expressed interest, according to Cleveland.com. Any team that needs catching will likely inquire with the Tribe about the backstop, who rates as both an above-average defender and hitter behind starting catcher Yan Gomes. According to Fangraphs, Perez posted four Defensive Runs Saved in 538 1/3 innings, marking the third-fewest innings among the 15 catchers with at least four DRS last season. He led the Majors with a 39-percent caught-stealing rate among catchers with at least 40 attempted stolen bases against them. Perez also was 4.7 runs above average in terms of pitch framing, per StatCorner.com. Offensively, Perez turned in a .228/.348/.402 slash line with seven homers, 17 extra-base hits, 21 RBIs and 33 walks in 226 plate appearances. Among the 45 Major League catchers with at least 200 PAs last year, Perez ranked fourth in walk percentage (14.6), sixth in on-base percentage (.348), 10th in weighted runs created plus (110), 12th in Isolated Power (.174) and 15th in WAR (1.7). "It gets overlooked a little bit," Antonetti said of the catching tandem of Gomes and Perez. "I think that's one of the strengths of our team. We talk a lot about our rotation and other aspects of our team, but to have two quality catchers, Yan and Roberto, is really helpful for us."

Bid on Indians items for Stand Up To Cancer Fans can take part in batting practice, first pitch at Progressive Field By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | December 8th, 2015 NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Indians have once again joined the rest of Major League Baseball in offering unique experiences to fans for a good cause. As part of the fourth annual Winter Meetings charity auction, MLB, MLB Advanced Media, MLB Network and all 30 teams are putting a long list of items and events up for bidding. The Indians have three packages as part of this year's auction, which runs through 9 p.m. ET on Thursday on MLB.com and will help benefit cancer research. This auction initiative has raised nearly $500,000 since its inception four years ago and a significant portion of the proceeds from this year's event will go to Stand Up To Cancer, a longtime partner of Major League Baseball, its founding donor in 2008. In addition, this year's auction will benefit Do It For Durrett, in honor of the late Texas Rangers ESPN.com reporter Richard Durrett, who died suddenly last year, and the YouCaring page established for Miami Marlins Sun Sentinel beat writer Juan C. Rodriguez, who is currently battling a brain tumor. The first package offering is an opportunity for a fan to take batting practice at Progressive Field before an Indians home game. The winner of the experience will also get a tour of the team's clubhouse, four lower box tickets to that day's game and the chance to meet manager Terry Francona and outfielder Michael Brantley. Cleveland also has another game day experience up for auction. The winner will have the opportunity to throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the Tribe's July 9 game against the Yankees. Also included in the package is the chance to watch batting practice on the field, a clubhouse tour and seats in the press box to watch the game. The third item up for auction gives fans the chance to use Francona's Cavaliers basketball tickets for the March 23 NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The seats (section 33, row 2, seats 7-8) are located four rows from the floor and near the Cavs' bench, and come with access to the Platinum Lounge at Quicken Loans Arena. Other interesting auction items around MLB include: a Spring Training fishing trip with Rays manager Kevin Cash and his coaching staff; the chance to watch a Giants spring game from the dugout; brewing beer with Twins closer Glen Perkins; a hike up Camelback Mountain in Arizona with D-backs outfielder A.J. Pollock; golf with Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer; and a behind-the-scenes All-Star experience at Petco Park, among other packages.

Winter Meetings: Day 2 by Jordan Bastian Aaand we’re back. Welcome to Day 2 of the Winter Meetings from the Opryland Biodome Hotel here in Nashville. This will once again be your one-stop shop for Indians reports and rumors throughout the day, plus links to coverage on Indians.com. Updates: x Chris Antonetti, the Indians president of baseball operations, addressed all those Michael Brantley whispers on Day 1 of the Meetings. x Antonetti also said the Indians have set a “high bar” in any talks for their starting pitchers. Translation: it has to be the kind of impact deal Cleveland can’t walk away from. x Included in that last link are some other tidbits, including reports that Cleveland is among the teams that have checked in on A’s infielder Brett Lawrie. x Here’s more on the claim of outfielder Joey Butler. x ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Tuesday morning that Cleveland doesn’t seem like a “natural landing spot” for Lawrie, though. Right now, Giovanny Urshela projects to be the Tribe’s starter at third base. x According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, the Indians offered righty Danny Salazar in trade discussions for D-backs outfielder A.J. Pollock. Arizona, however, is not motivated to deal Pollock at the moment. x Cleveland.com reports that the Braves have inquired about catcher Roberto Perez, but it doesn’t look like there’s a match between the two clubs. x Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports that Indians have discussed a 1-year deal (with an option) with OF Rajai Davis. x MLB.com’s TR Sullivan reports that the Rangers have talked about a trade with the Indians. Texas is looking for starting pitching. The Rangers also have a stated need for catching, making Perez a possible target for Texas, too. Stay tuned for more…

Indians notebook: Like many teams, Indians must wait for market to set; club open to adding DH; Kipnis won’t be moved to outfield NASHVILLE, Tenn: The winter meetings almost always lend themselves to a flurry of moves. But for the smaller market teams, there is a holding pattern until the market sorts itself out.

That often happens once the highest-priced free agents land somewhere and set the market for all that follow. The Indians are one of the franchises forced to be patient while the likes of Jason Heyward and others look for deals while agents of free agents that won’t require such a high price tag drag their feet.

Multiple reports indicated that the free-agent market, particularly that among outfielders — the Indians’ primary target this offseason — is parked until the top names are off the board and teams see what kind of value they hold.

“I do think there are cases where that happens. Each situation is unique,” Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said. “I think there are some agents that want to move forward, because they may assess the marketplace and feel that they want to get their clients in a good place at a fair value, and not maybe hold out to get the absolute last dollar. There are other cases where things may have to play out at the top of the market before players are placing players in the tier just below. It’s really dependent upon a lot of factors and how many teams are looking for a particular player or a particular type of player, and how many players are out there that fit that need.”

Go big?

The Indians could be in the market for a center fielder or a big bat as a first baseman/designated hitter. For now, it looks like they and other teams in their market size will have to wait to see who is available at what price.

Antonetti did indicate this week that the preference is for the team to sign a player who can play the field in some way, but said they wouldn’t back away from signing a designated hitter if it became the right deal to make.

That market would involve Pedro Alvarez, Chris Carter and Mike Napoli, all of whom are available as power bats who would primarily be designated hitters or share time at first base along with Carlos Santana and Chris Johnson.

“I think there’s generally a benefit to having players who have defensive potential and can play another position besides DH,” Antonetti said. “That’s generally our preference. … [But] I wouldn’t say hesitation. If we felt that was the best way for us to improve the team, then that’s what we would do. David Ortiz, we would find a spot for him.”

Kipnis staying put

One way to bolster the offense that’s been suggested is to acquire an infielder and move Jason Kipnis to the outfield. Kipnis has played outfield before and moved to second base early in his career.

The Indians, though, do not consider that an option at this time.

“Not at this point. It’s not something we’re considering,” Antonetti said. “That transition from being in the infield and the outfield and bouncing back and forth is a lot easier said than done.”

Indians trying to avoid dealing a starting pitcher but open to all opportunities to improve offense By Ryan Lewis NASHVILLE, Tenn: If the Indians want to significantly improve their offense, they know they’ll likely have to dip into their starting rotation, the clear strength of the roster. They’re just not wild about that idea. President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti and General Manager Mike Chernoff are reluctant to part with a starting pitcher but know they have a valuable commodity. In the interest of adding a bat and bolstering a lackluster offense, they’re still listening to all offers. “Our rotation’s been a strength of the team, so we would be very judicious in considering trading away any one of those guys,” Antonetti said. “It’s certainly not our intent. It’s not our motivation. We’re not looking to do it. But, we have to be open minded. If there’s a way for us to really impact our team and make a deal that we think makes us a better, more complete, more competitive team in 2016, we’ll be open to it. But, that’s a pretty high bar.” Evidenced by the $200-million plus contracts given to starting pitchers David Price and Zack Greinke this winter, the value of top-of-the-line pitchers continues to rise. And with Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer under team control for several seasons, the Indians hold a treasure chest of potential in that position and have been fielding consistent calls from teams looking to pry one of them away. While trying to maximize value for the likes of, in all likelihood, Carrasco or Salazar, Antonetti and Chernoff are continuing to try to find ways to add offense but not lose a key starter. Antonetti said Tuesday that the Indians have discussed trades with 22-23 teams involving roughly 25 players, with much of that talk surely being centered around one of the team’s starting pitchers. “Starting pitching is a little bit different than any other position,” Antonetti said. “Teams only have one third baseman or one shortstop or two catchers, but starting pitchers, there are five spots. I would imagine if you surveyed the landscape around baseball, there isn’t any team where Carrasco or Danny or some of our other guys wouldn’t be better than at least one of their five guys.” The answers the Indians are looking for might involve backup catcher Roberto Perez, who could be a starter on most teams. Perez’s name was connected to trade rumors involving the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers on Tuesday. He holds a good deal of value behind starter Yan Gomes. Last season Perez had a wRC+ of 110, indicating he was 10 percent better than the average hitter. He’s also always been thought of as a strong defensive catcher, drawing rave reviews from coaches and the pitching staff during the six weeks Gomes missed early last season. Then again, dealing Perez would take away the Indians’ insurance at a position that, like the starting rotation, often requires value beyond the everyday starter. “I think that’s one of the strengths of our team,” Antonetti said. “We talk a lot about our rotation and other aspects of our team but to have two quality catchers, Yan and Roberto, is really helpful for us because when we want to give Yan a day off, we feel great about Roberto stepping in and filling the spot and that’s not always the case with a backup catcher.” Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 12.09.2015 More dialogue does not always mean more transactions: Five things we learned Tuesday at the Winter Meetings Print Email Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Here are five things to take away from Tuesday, the second day of baseball's winter meetings. No. 1: All of the texts, calls, emails, smoke signals and carrier pigeons in the world don't always add up to a deal. Chris Antonetti's phone buzzed, buzzed and buzzed some more as he met with reporters on Tuesday afternoon at the Opryland resort in Nashville. Antonetti said the Indians have had dialogue with 22 or 23 teams this week about 20 or so of the Tribe's players and prospects. "Every day, it's literally hundreds of exchanges, whether it's meetings or phone calls or text messages," Antonetti said. Those conversations have not yet led to a trade. No. 2: What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say. The Indians started their meetings for the day shortly after 7 a.m. on Tuesday. Throughout the day, Antonetti, general manager Mike Chernoff and assistant GM Derek Falvey swapped ideas with opposing front office executives. They also monitor the rumor mill a bit, though Antonetti said they can't afford to devote much time to that. Placing every front office under one roof for a few days can increase the pressure to act quickly. "We actually joke about that a lot," Antonetti said. "We try to make sure that we don't alter our decision-making process, just because of the fact that we're sitting in a hotel room in Nashville. It's not always easy to do, but we try to remind ourselves to maintain that same approach and discipline. It gets harder to do the more fatigued you get." No. 3: Free agents often get rewarded for what they've done, not what they will do. Ben Zobrist is a talented, versatile player. He helped the Royals to a World Series title, as he replaced the struggling Omar Infante at second base. Zobrist agreed to a four-year, $56 million contract with the Cubs on Tuesday evening. He'll turn 35 in May. Zobrist might produce enough to warrant all of that cash. But the Cubs will also be paying him when he's 38 years old. Will he still be able to man second base, or play in the outfield? Will he have enough bat speed remaining to sock a fastball through the hole on the infield? For the Cubs, that's a concern for another day (or year). In many cases, free agents earn hefty salaries for what they will contribute in the front end of a contract. Because of the league's service time qualifications, many players don't even reach free agency until the later stages of their careers. No. 4: It's all in the eye of the beholder. Roberto Perez might have more value to another team than he would to the Indians, and if that's the case, the Tribe might be able to deal him for some help. It won't be simple, though. The Braves reached out to the Indians, but Antonetti and Co. couldn't find a fit. Atlanta, in a rebuild, doesn't have much major league-ready talent with which to part. The Braves also aren't looking to send away prospects. Perez regularly filled in for Yan Gomes in 2015. He could start for some other teams. Should the Tribe capitalize on their depth at catcher and dangle Perez? "To have two quality catchers, Yan and Roberto, is really helpful for us," Antonetti said, "because when we want to give Yan a day off, we feel great about Roberto stepping in and filling the spot and that's not always the case with a backup catcher." Braves checked in on Roberto Perez No. 5: Still don't know what I was waitin' for. Members of the Baseball Writers Association of America voted on Tuesday to permit MLB.com writers access to apply for admission into the BBWAA. An article in the BBWAA constitution previously prohibited such. This change figures to increase the overall body of the BBWAA and the number of reporters who own a postseason awards ballot, as well as -- eventually -- those who own a Hall of Fame ballot. Longtime Boston Globe writer Dan Shaughnessy was also selected as the winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for his contributions to baseball writing. Shaughnessy co-wrote the 2013 book "Francona: The Red Sox Years" with manager Terry Francona. Jody Gerut, now a player agent, has fond memories of his rookie season with Cleveland Indians Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- To Jody Gerut, it doesn't seem like 12 years ago. He cherishes the memories from his rookie season, that sharp single to center off of Sterling Hitchcock. He can vividly recall the details of that 2003 campaign, which makes it feel fresh, recent. Of course, Gerut, clad in a tan suit jacket, looks like he could still slap a single the other way. The 38-year-old, now an agent with Wasserman Media Group, is spending the week at the Winter Meetings in Nashville. He has worked as an agent for three years. "It's fairly close [to playing]," Gerut said. "It's the same game, but it's a totally different perspective." The Indians acquired Gerut and Josh Bard from the Colorado Rockies in 2001 in exchange for outfielder Jacob Cruz. Gerut, a former second- round draft pick, debuted for the Tribe in 2003. He posted a .279/.336/.494 slash line, with 22 home runs, 75 RBIs and 33 doubles in 127 games. He finished fourth in the balloting for Rookie of the Year. Royals shortstop Angel Berroa, Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui and Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli garnered more votes. The Sporting News selected Gerut as the top rookie position player in the American League. Gerut especially treasures one moment from his rookie season. On July 10, 2003, Gerut poked a single up the middle in the bottom of the 10th inning to score Coco Crisp, as the Indians topped the Yankees, 3-2. New York, sitting atop the AL East, dropped to 55-35. The Indians, a young, rebuilding team under Eric Wedge, improved to 39-51. "It was a really special moment," Gerut said, "because it was a really good Yankees team and at that point, we were still young and growing and needing for things like that to happen to believe in ourselves." The Indians struggled that year to a 68-94 record, good for fourth in the AL Central. Gerut never replicated his fine rookie showing. He hit .252 with a .739 OPS, 11 home runs and 13 steals in 2004. He tore a knee ligament in September and missed the start of the following season. In July 2005, the Indians shipped him to the Cubs for outfielder Jason Dubois. Gerut spent the rest of that season with Chicago and Pittsburgh. He played for the Padres and Brewers for two years each. He posted an .845 OPS in 100 contests with San Diego in 2008. He played his last career game in 2010 with Milwaukee. Gerut said the transition into agency work wasn't too challenging, since he was still involved in baseball. "In the end," he said, "that's what it's all about. That's what makes it not a terribly huge leap." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 12.09.2015 Atlanta Braves talk to Cleveland Indians about catcher Roberto Perez Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Indians think Roberto Perez will be a starting catcher one day. It sounds like some other teams feel the same. The rebuilding Atlanta Braves have talked to the Indians about Perez, who appeared in 70 games last season in his first full year in the big leagues. Perez hit .228 (42-for-184) with nine doubles, seven homers and 21 RBI. It doesn't appear the talks went anywhere because the Indians didn't think they could get equal value back. Perez, 26, was the Indians starter for basically the first six weeks of last season after Yan Gomes injured his right knee. Perez showed a patient approach at the plate, which resulted in 33 walks and played a part in his .751 OPS. He led all big league catchers who faced a minimum of 40 stolen base attempts by throwing out 39 percent (16-for-41) of the runners who challenged him. "Roberto reinforced our beliefs that he can be a very good starting catcher in the major leagues," said Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations. "He handles the pitching staff really well, controls the running game extraordinarily well and manages the game. "He did a good job offensively, too, contributing in key spots." Atlanta has veteran A.J. Pierzynski and Christian Bethancourt doing their catching. The Indians are carrying three catchers on their 40-man roster with Gomes, Perez and Tony Wolters. They've invited catchers Adam Moore and Anthony Recker to big league camp on minor league deals. "Our catching gets overlooked a little, but I think that's one of the strengths of our team," said Antonetti. "Having Yan and Roberto is really helpful for us." Cleveland Indians have talked to Arizona about Danny Salazar-A.J. Pollock trade Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Chris Antonetti estimates that he and the Indians' contingent at the winter meetings have talked to about 23 teams involving at least 25 of their players since arriving at the Opryland Resort and Convention Center on Sunday evening. The number is even greater when you include agents, who are trying to find their clients work. Here are some of the deals they've discussed. On Monday they met with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks, fresh off their surprise signing of Zack Greinke, still wanted another start and asked about Danny Salazar. The Indians were will to discuss Salazar, but asked for center fielder A.J. Pollock. Salazar went 14-10 with a 3.45 ERA in his first full season in the big leagues. He struck out 195 and walked 53 in 185 innings. Salazar, 26, is making just over the minimum and is under control for five more years. Pollock, 28, played 151 games in center last season. He hit .315 (192-for-609) with 20 homers and 76 RBI. Pollock, a right-handed hitter, scored 111, stole 39 bases in 46 chances and posted a .865 OPS. The Indians, who prefer to keep their starting pitching intact, told Arizona that they could afford to trade only one of their starters in the right deal. The Diamondbacks, with a crowded outfield, have come close to saying Pollock is off limits. The two teams then talked about a quantity over quality deal. One of the players mentioned was Arizona third baseman Jake Lamb. Last year Lamb, a left-handed hitter, batted .263 (92-for-350) for Arizona. The Indians could form a platoon of Lamb and Giovanny Urshela at third base. Arizona wants at least one more starter to go with Greinke, Patrick Corbin, Ruby De La Rosa and Robbie Ray. They've talked to free agent Mike Leake and discussed acquiring Shelby Miller from the Braves. If the Indians were to trade a starter, they believe they have enough depth to keep the rotation strong. After Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Salazar, Trevor Bauer and Cody Anderson, they have Josh Tomlin and TJ House, who is said to be healthy again after missing much of last season with a sore left shoulder. In the minors, Mike Clevinger, Ryan Merritt and Adam Plutko could be ready to help by midseason. Clevinger went 9-8 with a 2.73 ERA in 27 games, including 26 starts, at Class AA Akron. He joined Class AAA Columbus for the playoffs and pitched well. Merritt went 10-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 22 starts at Akron. In Columbus, the left-hander went 2-0 with a 4.20 ERA. Plutko was a combined 13-7 with a 2.39 ERA at Akron and Class A Lynchburg. In 166 innings, he struck out 137. "We're not looking to trade any of our guys at all," said Antonetti. "That's not something we're motivated to do. But, again, for any player there's a right value where it would make sense. "So our criteria would be, 'does it make us a better team in 2016 and beyond?'" Pollock, eligible for arbitration this offseason, made $519,500 last season and is under control for three more years. He could certainly fill the Tribe's vacancy in center field. If not, the Indians are discussing a one-year deal with free agent outfielder Rajai Davis, who played with Detroit last season. Davis, 35, played 46 games in center field and 39 in left and 10 in right field. Davis, a right-handed hitter, hit .258 (88-for-341) with eight homers and 30 RBI last season. He stole 18 bases in 26 attempts and posted a .746 OPS. It's also believed the Indians have an interest in free agent lefty Cory Luebke, 30, who hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2013 because of two Tommy John surgeries on his elbow. He threw a total of seven innings in the minors last season for San Diego. The Indians have only two left-handed relievers on their 40-man, but it's not known if Luebke is ready to compete for a job. The Indians also talked to Atlanta. The Braves, looking for a catcher, asked about backup Roberto Perez. The Indians, who didn't think they could get equal value, declined. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 12.09.2015 New Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins finding his way at winter meetings: Griffin By: Richard Griffin Baseball Columnist, Published on Tue Dec 08 2015 NASHVILLE—A debut press briefing on Day 2 of the winter meetings by Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins lacked clarity, careening wildly toward the opaque. But give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the 42-year-old rookie GM was nervous. Or perhaps he had been over-coached by team president Mark Shapiro in the art of saying little. But the 20-minute session in the team’s suite at the fabulous Opryland Resort, the cradle of country music, had his audience humming Merle Haggard’s “Working Man Blues.” Regarding Edwin Encarnacion and his sudden demand that a contract extension be in place by opening day or else he will test free agency at the end of the season and not re-sign with the Jays, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com spoke to his agent, Paul Kinzer. He confirmed he met with the team Monday evening and laid down Encarnacion’s conditions moving forward. Atkins then commented. “We’re open and want to work toward players being comfortable, feeling good about the start of their season, and we’ll continue to work towards that,” Atkins said of the Jays’ reaction to the news. “If our phone rings we’re answering it — and working hard to put players in the best environment possible.” It was pointed out there are 36 position players in the American League that will be making as much or more money than Encarnacion. That list includes Melky Cabrera, Adam LaRoche, Chase Headley, Colby Rasmus, Rusney Castillo and Coco Crisp. Is Encarnacion the 37th most productive player in the league, or is there a way to correct that inequity in a creative way? “Here’s what I can tell you about our team — we feel really good about 2016 and we’re going to look to make it better,” Atkins responded. “We are very happy to have him on it.” Atkins showed a glimpse of his human side when he spoke about a Sunday meeting he arranged at the hotel with starter R.A. Dickey, a Nashville resident. The first-year GM had spoken about a desire to meet with most of the team’s major players before spring training, and Dickey was first. “He and I had some common things in our past,” Atkins said of the veteran knuckleballer. “We’re the same age and have some really good mutual friends. So I enjoyed talking to him, getting to know him a little bit further. He’s really good friends with our pitching coach, Mickey Callaway, in Cleveland. His wife went to school with a good friend of mine . . . when you play minor-league baseball and in the world of professional baseball you end up crossing paths and having a lot of mutual friends. But I had never met (Dickey). So it was just fun to have that interaction.” Reading between the lines of his other tiptoeing, it sounded like the Jays were getting close to signing a relief pitcher from the free agent ranks. The market for relievers has been evolving rapidly, and Atkins said he was closer to adding someone than he had been when he arrived here. “I’m not going to comment on specific players that we’re targeting, but we really feel good about progress we’ve made here in the time that we’ve had,” Atkins said. “I’m excited about (Tuesday night) and (Wednesday) morning and we’re a little bit closer every day to making the team a little bit better.” Atkins, the former Indians vice-president of player personnel, was asked what type of pitchers he preferred, what was his preferred repertoire in an attempt to maybe narrow down the scope. “I like the type of pitchers the Toronto Blue Jays like,” Atkins said, somewhat redundantly. “So I want to be collaborative in thinking about that. Just my input is a part of it, but two things that come to mind are durability and outs. I like pitchers that can get outs and can take the ball.” Now, it’s difficult to compare Atkin’s Tuesday to former GM Alex Anthopoulos’ winter meetings debut in December 2009 in Indianapolis. Back then, two months into his tenure of replacing J.P. Ricciardi, the then-32-year-old had been given one main task — find a new home for ace Roy Halladay. So with Anthopoulos in Indy, there was always a relevant line of questioning, and even though he skated through that five-day session, there was always something to write about. This is a difficult situation for Atkins, who is part of a three-headed leadership committee of Shapiro and GM runner-up Tony LaCava, who ran the briefing on the first day. The lines of authority will surely become clearer as everyone becomes more familiar, but for now we’ll finish with Atkins’ answer as to whether the 13 pitching prospects that were traded by the Jays in July made it tougher to put together deals now because of the sudden thinning of the farm system. “The fact they had the talent in the system to make those moves is very telling about the strength of the organization,” Atkins said. “It was impressive to watch the run that team made . . . as I look at the organization, we’re just looking at how we can make it better,” Atkins said. Toronto Star LOADED: 12.09.2015