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Home , Antonio Bastardo, Brady Aiken, Chris Perez (baseball), Clint Frazier, Danny Salazar, Dan Jennings (manager)

Naquin among 5 protected from Rule 5 By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | November 20th, 2015 Including heralded prospect , the Indians added five young players to their 40-man roster on Friday. The moves protected them from exposure to next month's . Cleveland selected the contracts of right-handed and and Naquin from -A Columbus; left-handed pitcher Shawn Morimando from -A Akron and right-handed pitcher Dylan Baker from Advanced Lynchburg. To clear a spot on the roster, the contract of right-handed pitcher C.C. Lee was sold to the Seibu Lions in Japan. The Rule 5 Draft allows teams to pluck unprotected players from other organizations. Eligible players include those who signed before turning 19 years old and have been in an organization for five years, or older signees who have been in an organization for four years. Clubs pay $50,000 to select a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. If that player doesn't stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000. This year's Rule 5 Draft is scheduled for Dec. 10 in Nashville, Tenn., at the conclusion of the annual . Among the Top 30 prospects in the Indians' system, left-handed pitcher (No. 18), Luigi Rodriguez (No. 22) and second baseman Claudio Bautista (No. 24) could be selected in the Draft. Also exposed are right-handed Jeff Johnson (1.05 ERA, 56 , 27 saves in 51 1/3 at Double-A); Josh Martin (2.27 ERA, 80 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings at Double-A); Enosil Tejeda (1.25 ERA in 43 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A) and infielder Ronny Rodriguez (.806 OPS at Double-A). Although he dealt with some injuries, the 24-year-old Naquin batted .300/.381/.446 with seven home runs, 25 doubles and 27 RBIs over 84 games combined with Akron and Columbus in 2015. MLB.com rated him the Indians' No. 5 prospect. Clevinger, 24, was 9-8 with a 2.73 ERA and 145 strikeouts over 158 innings in 27 games (26 starts) for Akron. The No. 15 prospect in the organization, Clevinger was promoted to Columbus for the postseason, winning both starts while tossing 15 1/3 scoreless innings (five hits, 17 strikeouts). Ramsey, 25, batted 243 with a .709 OPS, 12 homers, 21 doubles and 42 RBIs in 126 games for Columbus. He is listed as Cleveland's No. 12 prospect. A 2012 first-round Draft pick by the Cardinals, Ramsey was acquired from St. Louis in the 2014 trade for pitcher . Morimando, the No. 16 prospect who turned 23 years old on Friday, was 10-12 with a 3.18 ERA in 28 starts for Akron. Over 158 2/3 innings, he allowed 139 hits with 128 strikeouts. He was tied for first in starts among Eastern League pitchers. Baker, 23, opened 2015 with five hitless innings on April 9 for Lynchburg before right elbow soreness forced him to be shut down. He had season-ending elbow surgery on May 20. The Indians' fifth-round pick in 2012, Baker has a 3.64 career ERA in the Minors but has been limited to 13 starts the past two seasons because of the elbow injury and a broken leg suffered in 2014. In 47 big league relief appearances over parts of three seasons, Lee had a 4.50 ERA. for two games with the Indians, he spent most of 2015 at Columbus. The Indians' Major League roster now stands full at 40 players.

Indians promote 3 in baseball operations By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | November 20th, 2015 Indians general Mike Chernoff promoted three people within the club's baseball-operations department, it was announced on Friday. Matt Forman is now the director of baseball operations. Sky Andrecheck is the new senior director of baseball research and development, and Keith Woolner is the principal data scientist for baseball analytics. Next season will be Forman's fourth with the Indians. He spent the 2015 season as the assistant director of baseball operations. Besides aiding in the decision making within baseball operations, his duties include rule administration and interpretation, contract negotiations, arbitration, budgets, player evaluation and procurement. Andrecheck joined the organization in 2010 and was most recently the club's senior analyst. He is responsible for the club's analytical systems across baseball operations and serves as a resource for personnel and strategy decisions. Woolner, who just completed his ninth season with Cleveland, will continue to lead research using advanced metric principles, theories and concepts via engineering, statistics and data science.

Tribe inks OF Robinson to Minor League deal Moore returns to Indians with invite to The Indians added outfield depth Thursday by signing Shane Robinson to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. It was also announced that catcher Adam Moore will return to the organization with a Minor League deal and an invite to big league camp. Robinson, 31, .250/.299/.322 in 197 plate appearances for the Twins in 2015, but his defensive versatility should be an asset for Cleveland if he makes the big league club out of camp. The Indians' depth chart is questionable right now, with Michael Brantley expected to miss part of April after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right (non-throwing) shoulder, rookie Abraham Almonte returning to center and converted third baseman slotted in right. Robinson is a career .237/.302/.313 hitter in six seasons with the Cardinals and Twins. Moore, also 31, spent 2015 with Triple-A Columbus and batted .282/.328/.397 in 92 games with six home runs and 44 RBIs. He played in one big league game for Cleveland and went 1-for-4.

Expanded safety nets, in-market streaming coming in '16 By Paul Hagen / MLB.com | November 19th, 2015 -- Increased safety netting is likely to be in place by the opening of the 2016 season, and a new three-year agreement with FOX will allow fans to watch live in-market streaming on any mobile device, Commissioner announced as the quarterly Owners Meetings wrapped up on Thursday. Manfred said a comprehensive report and recommendation on netting will be presented at the next Owners Meetings, to be held in January in Miami. "In addition to a recommendation on the physical location of nets, there will be a broad fan education component to the program," Manfred said at the Fairmont Dallas. "We'll have more details on that program after the [next] meeting, but there will be a change there." The issue isn't as cut-and-dried as it may first appear. "A lot of things seem easy that aren't always," Manfred said. "Obviously, fan safety is paramount for us. We want our fans to be safe in the ballpark. But we also have lots of fans who are very vocal about the fact that they don't like to sit behind nets. "The toughest issues for us are when we have fans on both sides of the equation. If it's about fans and, let's say, revenue, you always try to err on the side of the fan. But if it's that the fans want 'X' on one side and we're concerned about our fans on the other side, that's a more difficult balance. We're trying to reach an appropriate balance on the topic, recognizing that it's complicated by the fact that not every stadium is laid out exactly the same." The expansion of live streaming will give fans more access than ever to follow their teams. Currently, the deal covers only the 15 markets in which FOX is the regional sports network: Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, , Detroit, Kansas City, , Miami, Milwaukee, Minnesota, , Arizona, San Diego, St. Louis and Tampa Bay. "We have begun and will continue conversations with the rights holders for the other 15 clubs and hope that the in-market streaming program will be comprehensive for the 2016 season," Manfred said. "The media landscape is changing very, very rapidly. It's important for us to make certain our content is available on as many platforms as possible in ways that fans may want to enjoy our games. And I think this is a huge step forward for the industry. I really do." MLB has pioneered the technology of live streaming in pro sports, starting with the first live stream in August 2002 and then creating MLB.TV as the first over-the-top (OTT) service. Millions of fans have watched live out-of-market games this way, and Thursday's With MLB.TV, MLB was the first sports league to stream its entire season (2003); first to wire its venues for TV-quality streaming (2005); first to use adaptive bit-rate streaming (2008); first to stream live 720p HD video (2009); first to stream live games/subscription product to the iPhone (2009); first with live video on connected devices (2009); first to stream live video to a gaming console (2010); first with live games embedded on Facebook & (2011); and first to make a live video stream embeddable to any site on the Internet (2013). Other developments the Commissioner discussed included: • The Pirates and Marlins will play regular-season games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on May 30 and 31. "That particular series will also be the host for our Day celebration [on May 31]; having that in Puerto Rico will make that really special," Manfred said. • ESPN will nationally televise seven games on the first two days of the 2016 regular season, including a Sunday night rematch between the Mets and Royals on April 3. Games for all 10 2015 postseason teams will air on Sunday and Monday. • The Commissioner addressed slides into second base, a topic that was spotlighted when Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada's leg was broken by Dodgers baserunner Chase Utley during the Division Series. "There was an extensive discussion of that issue at the General Managers Meetings, and the Competition Committee made a recommendation that we move ahead with our discussions with the MLBPA with a view toward altering the rules applicable to that type of play," Manfred said. • Regarding stadium security, in light of recent world events: "We had some conversations on that topic, and I told the owners at the end of that conversation that it will be a focal point for us in January," Manfred said. • Starting all regularly scheduled games on the last day of the regular season at 3 p.m. ET was tried for the first time this past season. The goal was to keep a team playing a later game from getting an edge by knowing the outcome of a game involving a team it might be competing with for a postseason spot. It was decided the same format will be used in 2016. • About negotiations to spin off BAM Tech, the highly successful streaming service, Manfred said: "We're really excited about the prospects for BAM Tech. I think, realistically, the timetable is early 2016." • Manfred also congratulated the Giants for being named the 2015 recipient of the Commissioner's Award for Philanthropic Excellence. The franchise was selected for its Junior Giants program, a free, noncompetitive initiative for boys and girls from ages 5 to 18. One highlight of the Meetings was a dinner at the George W. Bush Presidential Library on the SMU campus hosted by the former president and his wife, Laura. Bush is a former owner of the .

Indians add five players to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 Draft, sell contract of C.C. Lee to NPB RYAN LEWIS The Indians on Friday added five players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft and sold the contract of C.C. Lee. Rule 5 eligible players include those who were signed before turning 19 and have been in an organization for five years or those who were signed after turning 19 and have been in for four years. Any player who fits that description and isn’t on a 40-man roster is eligible to be drafted by another team, though that team must keep him on the active roster for at least a full season. Friday was the deadline for teams to make sure they keep some of their better prospects. Added to the Indians’ 40-man roster were outfielder Tyler Naquin, outfielder James Ramsey and pitchers Mike Clevinger, Shawn Morimando and Dylan Baker. Naquin, 24, is ranked as the Indians’ No. 5 prospect according to MLB.com. He hit a combined .300 with 25 doubles, 7 home runs and 27 RBI in 84 games between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus as he dealt with quad, hip and concussion issues. Naquin was a lock to be secured ahead of the deadline. Ramsey, 25, was the Indians’ return in their dealing of pitcher Justin Masterson to St. Louis. He hit .243 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI at Triple-A Columbus last season. He is ranked as the No. 12 prospect in the Indians’ system Clevinger, 24, and Morimando, 23, are rated 15th and 16th in the system, respectively. Clevinger went 9-8 with a 2.73 ERA and Morimando went 10-12 with a 3.18 ERA, both at Double-A Akron. Baker, 23, was shut down this past season after needing reconstructive elbow surgery on May 20. Lee’s contract was sold to the Saitama Seibu Lions of the Nippon League in Japan. This past season with the Indians, he logged only 1 2/3 innings at the big-league level and posted a 3.39 ERA at Triple-A Columbus. LOADED: 11.21.2015

Cleveland Indians add 5 players to 40-man roster, part ways with reliever C.C. Lee Zack Meisel CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians added five minor leaguers to their 40-man roster on Friday. The team also cut ties with reliever C.C. Lee. Clubs faced a deadline Friday for protecting players from being available in the Rule 5 Draft, which will take place at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., in less than three weeks. The Indians selected the contracts of outfielders Tyler Naquin and James Ramsey and pitchers Mike Clevinger, Shawn Morimando and Dylan Baker. Thus, those five players cannot be selected by another team. The Indians' 40-man roster is now full, because the team sold Lee's contract to the Saitama Seibu Lions of the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. Lee, a native of Taiwan, posted a 4.50 ERA in parts of three seasons with the Tribe. He appeared in two games with Cleveland in 2015. He registered 28 innings with the club in 2014. Naquin, Ramsey and Clevinger all finished the 2015 campaign with Triple-A Columbus. Morimando was pitching for Double-A Akron and Baker was pitching for Class A Lynchburg. All five were eligible for the Rule 5 Draft based on accrued service time. Players signed at the age of 18 must have logged five years in the minors. A player signed at the age of 19 or later must have logged four years in the minors. Teams with an open spot on their 40-man roster can select an eligible player from another organization if they place that player on their big league roster. Naquin batted .348 with an .887 OPS at Akron before he was promoted to Columbus, where he hit .263 with a .784 OPS. Injuries limited him to 84 total games in 2015. The Indians chose him in the first round (15th overall) of the 2012 amateur draft. He is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 5 prospect in the organization. The St. Louis Cardinals selected Ramsey eight picks after the Tribe took Naquin. The teams swapped Ramsey and pitcher Justin Masterson in 2014. Ramsey batted .243 with 12 home runs in 126 games at Columbus in 2015. He is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 12 prospect in the Indians' system. Clevinger fashioned a 9-8 record and 2.73 ERA at Akron. He then made a pair of dominant starts for Columbus during the Clippers' postseason . In those two outings with Columbus, he allowed only five hits over 15 1/3 scoreless frames. He is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 15 prospect in the organization. Morimando, who turned 23 on Friday, went 10-12 with a 3.18 ERA at Akron. A 19th-round draft choice in 2011, he owns a 4.11 ERA in 108 career minor league outings. He is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 16 prospect in the Indians' system. Baker, a native of Juneau, Ala., appeared in only one game in 2015 before he underwent Tommy John surgery. In that outing -- for Lynchburg - - he tossed five hitless innings and he tallied nine strikeouts. Baker, a fifth-round draft selection in 2012, owns a 3.64 ERA in 48 career minor league appearances. The Indians left a number of players exposed for the Rule 5 Draft, including Double-A relievers Jeff Johnson (1.05 ERA in 51 1/3 innings) and Josh Martin (8-1, 2.27 ERA in 67 1/3 innings), Double-A second baseman/outfielder Todd Hankins (.261 average, 21 stolen bases), Double-A infielder Ronny Rodriguez (.806 OPS in 72 games) and Triple-A pitchers Will Roberts (3.06 ERA in 12 starts at Columbus) and Trey Haley (2.57 ERA in 18 appearances). CC Lee, with a young family, told the Indians he preferred to pitch in Asia. Indians made a deal with Seibu Lions. Lee is from Taiwan.

Cleveland Indians announce promotions in baseball operations, amateur scouting departments Paul Hoynes CLEVELAND, Ohio -- New GM Mike Chernoff on Friday announced several promotions in the Indians baseball operations and scouting departments. Matt Forman has been named director of baseball operations. Forman replaces Derek Falvey, who was recently named assistant general manager. Forman, who formerly wrote for , was the assistant director of baseball operations last year. Sky Andrecheck was named senior director of baseball research and development and Keith Woolner was named principal data scientist for baseball analytics. Andrecheck, most recently chief analyst for the Indians, has been with the club since 2010. Woolner, with an expertise in the scientific study of baseball, has worked for the Indians since 2007. In the amateur scouting department, William "Bo' Hughes was promoted to senior advisor, while Scott Meany was promoted to national crosschecker. Here are the other scouting promotions: -Mark Allen, pitching crosschecker and short-season pitching . -Jon Heuerman, Jason Smith, Mike Soper and Brad Tyler, regional scouting supervisors. -Steffan Segui and Mike Kanien area supervisors. The Tribe also hired David Compton as the area supervisor for north Florida and south Los Angeles. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 11.21.2015 Will Jose Ramirez make it out of winter ball healthy? Cleveland Indians notes Paul Hoynes CLEVELAND, Ohio – In the winter of 2013 Jose Ramirez slid into a base playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic and came away needing surgery on his left thumb. It cost him a chance to make the Indians out of spring training in 2014 because he couldn't swing the bat properly. Last week Ramirez was upended at second base for Toros del Este, his winter ball team, and carted off the field on a stretcher. A broken leg was feared, but he escaped with a twisted right ankle and was expected to be back playing in a few days. Ballplayers have been playing winter ball forever. It's a good way for younger players such as Ramirez, 23, to get extra playing time, earn money and stay in shape. For native sons like Ramirez, it is a chance to play for the teams they rooted for growing up. In Latin American countries, teams own the rights to players born in that country. Such arrangements can make things hard for big league executives. They want their players to do everything possible to improve. In the Dominican Republic, winning comes first. It's a highly-competitive atmosphere and that helps players as well. But common sense and an understanding of the big picture is needed. As former Tribe Jose Mesa once said, "The big leagues is where the money is." "It's a balance between wanting guys to continue to improve by playing versus the potential risks of playing," said Indians GM Mike Chernoff. "We're balancing that all the time. With pitchers and there's always more risk involved than a position player, but as we saw with Jose there's always a risk." Big league teams can use the fatigue factor to keep some players out of winter ball. There are guidelines for and at-bats that would stop a player from participating. Ramirez, who had 489 at-bats between the Indians and Class AAA Columbus last season, did not reach those limits. "Jose always plays winter ball," said Chernoff. "He loves playing. In a lot of ways, as long as it's limited and not the whole offseason, it can be good for him." Ramirez is hitting .300 (15-for-50) with two triples and three RBI for Este. He's scored five runs and stolen five bases in seven attempts. Sayonara: The Indians sold right-hander CC Lee to the Seibu Lions in Japan for two reasons – he was out of options and he wanted to pitch closer to home after his wife gave birth to their first child. Since Lee is from Taiwan, Japan is a lot closer to home than Cleveland. Lee, 29, pitched parts of three seasons with the Indians. Manager was a fan. He said the only thing that kept Lee from winning a fulltime job in the bullpen was confidence. He went 4-3 with a 3.39 ERA and five saves in 48 games for Class AAA Columbus. He struck out 65 and walked 16 in 58 1/3 innings. Lee made just two appearances for the Indians this year. Lee, who spent seven years in the Indians' organization, can negotiate a new deal with Seibu, probably for between $500,000-$1 million. It's believed the Indians received between $350,000 and $500,000 for Lee. Nice touch: Matt Quatraro, Indians assistant hitting coach, managed the Scottsdale Scorpions to the championship Saturday with a 6-4 win over Surprise. The managerial gig gave Quatraro a chance to work with Tribe prospects , Yandy Diaz, Todd Hankins and Jerry Lucas. "It's been a great developmental opportunity for all of our guys out there to have Q as their manager," said Chernoff. "This time of year you don't often get one of your major league hitting coaches to work with. So we basically got an extra month of development for those guys." Frazier went into the championship game hitting .281 (25-for-89) with three homers, eight RBI and .785 OPS. Frazier, the Tribe's No.1 pick in 2013, has yet to play above Class A, but his showing in the AFL against MLB's top prospects has to have helped his confidence. "He knows he belongs at the upper levels," said Carter Hawkins, Indians director of player development. "He knows his game that has played in A ball can play above that. I think that was important for him." Frazier, batting leadoff and playing center field for Scottsdale on Saturday, went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. Testing, testing: Left-hander is playing catch at 120 feet as he recovers from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow. The Indians used their No.1 pick in June to draft Aiken and gave him a $2,513,280 signing bonus even though he had undergone surgery in late March. Aiken's rehab is on schedule. If it continues on that path, he could be throwing in rehab games sometime in April. used the No.1 pick in the 2014 draft to select Aiken, but did not sign him after questions arose about Aiken's elbow. Where are they now? Frank Herrmann, former Tribe reliever and Bullpen Mafia member, signed a minor league deal with the Phillies and will go to big league camp in February. Herrmann pitched at the Class AAA level last season for the Angels and Pirates. He went 4-2 with a save and 53 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings . . .The recently fired head athletic trainer Lee Kuntz and the rest of their training medical staff. Kuntz, who worked for the Nationals for seven years, worked as a trainer for several years in the Indians' minor league system. Price of business: When the Angels didn't exercise 's $7 million club option for 2016, the Indians had to play Murphy's $500,000 buyout. The Indians traded Murphy to the Angels on July 27. They received shortstop Eric Stamets in the trade. Stamets, noted for his glove, but not his bat, hit .197 (23-for-117) with one homer and 12 RBI in 33 games after the trade. He hit .230 (76-for-331) with four homers and 35 RBI for the season. Murphy is a free agent. Vote is in: Here's how I voted for the AL MVP award that went to Toronto's on Thursday: 1. Donaldson. 2. , Angels. 3. Jose Bautista, Toronto. 4. Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City, 5. Prince Fielder, Texas. 6. Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto. 7. Chris Davis, Baltimore. 8. Nelson Cruz, . 9. , Baltimore. 10. J.D. Martinez, Detroit. Here's how I voted for the AL Rookie of the Year award that was won by Houston's . 1. , Indians. 2. Correa, Houston. 3. Billy Burns, Oakland. Finally: Members of the Indians front office and Delaware North Sportservice will play host to Thanksgiving dinner for area charities Sunday at the Terrace Club at from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 11.22.2015 Cleveland Indians have Terry Talkin' about trading a starter such as and outfielders -- Terry Pluto (photos) Terry Pluto CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If the Indians are going to trade one of their top three starters, my choice is Danny Salazar. And to make a major move to improve the team's offense, it probably will mean parting with , Carlos Carrasco or Salazar. Start with the contract situations: The Indians have Kluber signed through 2019 with team options for 2020 and 2021. He's 29 years old. Carrasco is signed through 2018 with team options for 2019 and 2020. He's 28 years old. Salazar isn't signed long-term. But the 25-year-old right-hander can't be a free agent until 2021. So the Indians will be dealing from a position of strength because none of their pitchers is anywhere close to free agency. Why Salazar? He's coming off an excellent season, a 14-10 record with a 3.45 ERA. There are many other stats about Salazar, but they all point to the fact that he was one of the top 15 starters in the last season. So why consider trading him? While he is younger (25) than Carrasco (28) and Kluber (29), I wonder about his arm. I'm talking long term, not right now. Salazar has been healthy in the last two seasons. He had elbow reconstruction surgery (Tommy John) on August 10, 2010. The Indians were very careful about his workload. They did not allow him to throw 100 innings in a season until 2013, when the threw 142 between the minors and majors. The Tribe also had Salazar on very strict pitch counts until last season. I know, Carrasco had Tommy John surgery on September 21, 2011. In 2013, he threw 118 innings between the Tribe and the minors. The Tribe brought Carrasco back faster and he was not under such tight pitch count restrictions. Kluber has never had any arm surgery. Until Salazar had his breakout season in 2015, there seemed to be concerns about his durability. Maybe all of those are gone. Maybe the Indians were just being overly cautious with a young pitcher who has one of the most powerful arms in baseball. To be fair to Salazar, in 6-of-30 starts last season he threw at least 110 pitches. He matured from having a horrible spring and opening the season in Class AAA Columbus to pitching as well as any Tribe starter by the end of the season. So this is not saying, "Trade the guy quick before he gets hurt." It's saying, "Of the three pitchers, who is the best bet to trade?" Salazar also may bring the most in a trade because he's the youngest. This much is certain, we will hear all the Tribe starters mentioned in trade rumors. Other teams know the Indians must find at least one regular outfielder. Virtually every team would want one of the Tribe's top starters. The Tribe is not going to play the big money free agent game. There is no reason to have a fantasy about a significant free agent coming to Cleveland. To improve the team, they have to trade. And to find a regular outfielder who can hit, they probably have to trade someone such as Salazar. TALKING OUTFIELDERS 1. Yasiel Puig is not coming to the Tribe. The Dodgers have talked to the Indians about their troubled outfielder. The Tribe has no interest in him. Puig batted .255 (.758 OPS) with 11 HR and 38 RBI last season. There are reports that several Dodger veterans want him traded. He had hamstring and attitude problems. 2. The Yankees supposedly are offering for one of the Tribe's top starters. There may be a prospect involved such as , their 2013 first-round pick who batted .255 (.777 OPS) with 20 HR and 72 RBI between Class AA and AAA last season. 3. Gardner is 32. He has three years and $38 million left on his contract. He batted .259 (.742 OPS) with 16 HR, 66 RBI and 20 steals for the Yankees last season. Not very exciting, given the cost. Even if the Yankees want to pay a big chunk of his contract, a package of Gardner/prospects does nothing for me when it comes to dealing a top starter. Gardner also is a speed player, and you wonder how long he can be effective at the age of 32. 4. He would be signed as an extra outfielder, but the Tribe may have some interest in Rajai Davis. He's 35 and batted .258 (,746 OPS) with 8 HR and 30 RBI for the Tigers last season in 370 at bats. He is a free agent. He can run, having 20 stolen bases last season. 5. I've heard Alex Rios mentioned with the Indians. Remember, every modest free agent outfielder will probably be mentioned with the Tribe. He'll be 35 next season. In the last two years, he has 8 HR in 932 plate appearances, batting .270 (.670 OPS). Not real exciting. 6. This is my idea for a minor-league contract: . He was with the Tribe in 2013, batting .233 (.665 OPS) with 10 HR and 45 RBI. In 2014, Stubbs went to Colorado, batting .289 (.821 OPS) with 15 HR and 43 RBI. He is an excellent outfielder and good baserunner. He tends to hit lefties (.276 career). He strikes out a lot ... I mean, A LOT!!!. Like once every three plate appearances. 7. In 2015, it was as if the 31-year-old Stubbs forgot how to play. He batted .195 with 5 HR and 10 RBI, striking out 60 times in 140 plate appearances. He split the year between Texas and Colorado. He is a free agent. I had a soft spot for him back in 2013. I'd love to bring him to the team on a minor-league deal, much like the Tribe did with in 2013. 8. The Indians added 31-year-old Shane Robinson on a minor league deal. He has been in the Majors for parts of six seasons, batting .237 (.615 OPS) with 5 HR and 53 RBI in 582 career at bats. He's just an extra guy. 9. You will hear some trade rumors between the Tribe and Toronto. Mark Shapiro is the new Blue Jays president. Tribe President Chris Antonetti and General Manager Mike Chernoff were both Shapiro's proteges. The name popping up is Kevin Pillar, the 26-year-old super center fielder for the Blue Jays. He is a Gold Glove caliber player. He batted .268 (.713 OPS) with 12 HR, 56 RBI and was 25-of-29 in steals. He won't be a free agent until after 2020. 10. If you notice, there are not many big hitters on this list. Not many are available. If the Tribe does trade one of its top three starters, they need to find someone in the outfield who can drive in some runs. ABOUT THE INVESTOR SEARCH The Indians continue to look at possible minority investors. I don't have any names, but I have been doing some checking around. I've heard the following: 1. The Dolan family has absolutely no intention of selling the team. They have owned it for 16 years and intend to keep it. 2. The minority investor will be just that -- a minority investor. The investor will not have any real say in how the team is run. The Dolans intend to keep full control. They will rely on General Manager Chris Antonetti and his baseball people to make baseball decisions. 3. It's doubtful the minority investor will make a major difference when it comes to the team's payroll. It may go up a bit, but not a lot because of a new investor. 4. I hear the new payroll for 2016 will increase from about $86 million in 2015 to the $90 million range in 2016. 5. Paul Dolan has taken on many of the big picture responsibilities of the franchise that formerly were under Shapiro. 6. I was wondering how the Indians will pay the $15 million they sent to Atlanta to cover the contracts in the Chris Johnson for Nick Swisher/Michael Bourn deal. I heard that $7.5 million was shipped to Atlanta when the trade was made. The other $7.5 million will be paid in 2016. ABOUT THE BALLPARK 1. The District Ticket offer where fans could watch games in the The Corner Bar area and wander around the park worked out well for the team. For $14, each fan was admitted and received a free drink. Those tickets were sold out for most Friday and Saturday games. 2. The Tribe surveys show that 70 percent of fans like the first phase of ballpark renovations. About 90 percent of those surveyed were positive about The Corner Bar and said the improvements gave them a more positive view of the ballpark. 3. Right field concessions were up about 70 percent from a year ago. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 11.22.2015 Why didn't Cleveland Indians protect Hector Rondon in Rule 5 draft? Hey, Hoynsie Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio – Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here or Tweet him at @Hoynsie. Hey, Hoynsie: Why didn't the Indians protectHector Rondon in the Rule 5 draft after the 2012 season? -- Stuart Wallack, Bridgewater, N.J. Hey, Stuart: Rondon, once one of the Tribe's top prospects, hadn't pitched much in the three years before the Rule 5 draft. He missed 2010 because of Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. The next year he fractured the same elbow in winter ball and needed more surgery. The Indians had closer , , Joe Smith, Esmil Rogers, Tony Sipp, Cody Allen, and Frank Herrmann in the big-league bullpen at the time. Rondon reached Triple-A for the Indians as a starter, but after his injuries he was moved to the bullpen. Give the Cubs credit. They scouted Rondon in winter ball before the draft and knew he was throwing well. They took a chance and it worked. Rondon has taken over as the Cubs closer. He went 6-4 with 1.67 ERA and 30 saves in 34 chances this year. In 2014, he was 4-4 with a 2.42 ERA with 29 saves in 33 chances. The Indians also lost lefty T.J. McFarland in 2012 Rule 5 draft. McFarland, who won 16 games in the minors for the Indians in 2012, has turned into a useful left-handed reliever for the Orioles. In three years, he's made 105 big-league appearances for Baltimore. Hey, Hoynsie: Is possible for that the Tribe would be interested in trading Danny Salazar for Paul Goldschmidt of the ? He seems to be just the kind of player the Indians need. – Anna H., Anchorage, Ark. Hey, Anna: Goldschmidt is the kind of player any team needs, especially the Indians. Unfortunately, he's the face of Arizona's franchise. I can't imagine they'd trade him. Hey, Hoynsie: Why do I hear so much about trading Carlos Carrasco? Cookie, in my opinion, is one of the most difficult pitchers to hit in the big leagues. His pitches are electric and he had two near no-hitters last season. Why would you give that away, when every team in baseball is trying to find that? – Jeff Lewis, Sydney, Australia. Hey, Jeff: Carrasco is signed to a club friendly deal for three more years plus two club options. Add that to the fact that he's shown in the last two years that he can be a good pitcher and it's easy to understand why Carrasco is the subject of trade rumors. Then there is the Indians need for outfielders and their inability to swim in the deep end of the free agent to find one. Personally, I don't think the Indians will trade him, but there are multiple reasons to think they will. Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think the Indian would consider Carlos Gonzalez from the Rockies in a trade or is his salary and issue? – Steven Ward, Chardon. Hey, Steven: I think money and performance would be an issue. The Rockies owe Gonzalez, 30, $17 million in 2016 and $20 million in 2017. I know he had a good season this year (.271, 40 homers, 97 RBI, .864 OPS in 153 games), but he played only 70 games in 2014 and 110 in 2013. There are certainly ways around the money, depending on how much of Gonzalez's salary the Rockies would pay. The Coors Field factor, however, would have to be considered. Gonzalez has been a much better hitter during his career in Denver's high altitude than he has on the road. Hey, Hoynsie: Watching give up four of Boston's top prospects for 60 innings from closer makes me happy to know that the Indians have a president and GM who would never overpay for a closer. Dombrowski is going to gut one of the best farm systems in baseball just like he did in Detroit. Why is he so revered when honestly, in my opinion, he is overrated?– Nick Kellogg, Austin, Texas. Hey, Nick: A farm system can be used to upgrade the parent team in two ways – promotions or trades to bring in big-league ready talent. Dombrowski has done it both ways in producing winners with the and . He was brought to Boston to win. The Red Sox have finished last for two straight years. That doesn't work in Boston. If you're the new guy in town, as Dombrowski is in Boston, it's easier to trade prospects you had no hand in drafting. I like the way Dombrowski operates. He's also been fortunate, at least in his last two stops, to work for owners who have tons and tons of money. That always makes it easier. Hey, Hoynsie: Is there any way to know who the three voters are who voted for Roberto Osuna and Billy Burns ahead of Francisco Lindor for the AL Rookie of the Year award. And which one of them left Lindor off his ballot completely? –Stephen Robinson, Canton. Hey, Stephen: Go to the Baseball Writers Association of America's website (bbwaa.com) and all the votes are there. I understand why Osuna got some second place votes. But why Lindor was left off one voter's ballot is a mystery. Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think MLB encourages big deals being announced during the winter meetings to produce more excitement about the week? My assumption is the Tribe already has a deal in place for a certain outfielder, but won't announce it until the meetings. – Jeff Bowers, New Philadelphia. Hey, Jeff: If the Indians had a deal in place, they wouldn't sit on it. They'd announce it as soon as they could. If not, some reporter would find out and announce it for them. And if you're thinking they have a deal in place for Yasiel Puig, stop it. It's not going to happen.

Nick Cafardo / SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES / Teams are closing in fast on game’s top closers Now that strong bullpens are more important than ever, clubs in need of closers are moving swiftly. By Nick Cafardo GLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 22, 2015 At a time when strong bullpens are more important than ever as a result of starters going fewer, major league teams who need closers are acting swiftly. Craig Kimbrel was acquired by the Red Sox from the Padres. The Tigers got Francisco Rodriguez from the Brewers. The Mariners obtained Joaquin Benoit from the Padres. And it won’t stop there. There are reports that 2015 saves leader of the Pirates, the Yankees’ , and the Reds’ could all be moved before or during the Winter Meetings in Nashville, which start Dec. 6. Melancon and Chapman are entering the final year of their contracts before free agency and would stand to earn big deals if they continue to perform well. The Reds are rebuilding, but the Pirates have been contenders lately. Melancon saved 51 games last season, and since the season ended, he has heard his name mentioned as a possible trade chip. Why would the Pirates trade such an important part of their team? Melancon’s performance the last three seasons should net him a sizable contract. And the Pirates just aren’t into those. “It’s been part of my career in baseball,” said Melancon from his home in Houston. “I’ve been traded four times, so really I’ve been there and done it, and if it happens again, then I’ll deal with it. “I love the Pirates. I love our group of guys and would love to stay here, but I also understand the business of it. “Every organization has a different business plan, and if the Pirates feel they need to deal me, then I understand that. Our people haven’t said a word to me about the possibility, so until that changes, I’m assuming I’m starting the year with the Pirates.” Melancon, who also has pitched for the Yankees, Astros, and Red Sox, is into his fifth week of workouts in the Houston area, working with “at least one person represented from every organization.” Melancon rarely stops working. In fact, he said he regrets taking six days off last offseason, feeling it set him back. So this offseason, Melancon already feels like he’s ready to go and in great shape. The 30-year-old righthander was 3-2 with a 2.23 ERA and 0.926 WHIP last season, making the All-Star team and finishing eighth in the National League voting. Melancon has seen the Red Sox send four prospects to the Padres for Kimbrel, and has read the reports about Chapman possibly being traded. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has even left the door open to trading Miller, a huge part of their success last season, knowing he has Dellin Betances to close games. The Tigers, who have long searched for that perfect closer, decided to put their fate in the hands of Rodriguez, who has reinvented himself in recent years and had a very good 2015 season for the Brewers. Rodriguez, who had 38 saves last season and 44 the year before, is only 33 and could be the solution in Detroit. Rodriguez had a ridiculously low 0.860 WHIP last season to go with a 1-3 record and 2.21 ERA. His opponents’ batting average has dropped each year since 2011, when it was .243. In 2015, opponents batted just .189 against Rodriguez. Also, Rodriguez threw 373 and 353 last season, and batters hit .338 off the and .098 off the change. There are still plenty of teams who need that bullpen . The Astros, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Rangers, and others could be in the hunt for Chapman. The Diamondbacks made a big push at the trade deadline but came up short. The Reds listened to Boston’s pitch for Chapman but required more than the Red Sox offered for Kimbrel, and the Sox weren’t comfortable going the extra mile for a pitcher who can become a free agent after 2016. Melancon is in the same boat. He earned $5.4 million in 2015 and stands to double that in arbitration. The Pirates are leery of paying a closer that much, so we may see movement on Melancon. The Reds are in transition and would likely deal some of their veteran pieces to build toward a couple of years down the road. If that’s their intention, Chapman is a luxury they can’t afford, and he would bring back a nice haul of young players. The Reds could also deal third baseman , second baseman , and right fielder Jay Bruce. But Chapman would bring back the most. Miller’s name has been out there only because when asked about the possibility of dealing the lefthander to fill other needs, Cashman responded that he would keep an open mind. The Astros have Miller atop their list for a closer, according to a major league source, and Melancon is also on that list. The Astros have several prospects they could deal for a top reliever. The Yankees could use another and a righthanded bat. Miller could land one or both. The Yankees have enough power arms that they could take that chance of just moving everyone up a notch and have Betances close. Or they could add another setup man, which is cheaper than the $9 million per year being given to Miller. The Yankees seem to be operating differently than they once did. It would be surprising to see them involved in a major free agent signing for a power hitter like or Yoenis Cespedes, or a pitcher like or . EVEN BETTER Giants focused on year ahead Next year is an even year, and you know what that means. The are on the clock. The Giants won the World Series in 2010, ’12, and ’14, so 2016 could be their year. The Giants failed to make the playoffs in 2015. They didn’t have a bad season, finishing over .500, but their starting pitching struggled, and they could use some pop in their lineup. They have shed ’s $13 million salary and now must assess how deeply they want to go in the free agent market for a power bat. Expect them to be active on David Price, Zack Greinke, , and Jeff Samardzija, and to look closely into Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes. San Francisco also could be a destination for 37-year-old , who has a rebuilt elbow that might be able to withstand a three-year deal. “We’re considering all options,” said Giants GM Bobby Evans. “Can’t isolate just one level of the market over another right now. We’re completely open-minded.” The Giants went hard after and James Shields last offseason. Their offers were as good or better on both, but they lost out to the Cubs and Padres. Lester, who had pitched a half-season in Oakland, didn’t want to go back to the Bay Area, and San Diego is Shields’s hometown. This time, the Giants are hoping that the city of San Francisco, the fact that AT&T is a pitchers’ ballpark, and the team’s recent history of success will be selling points. The Giants need a pitching boost, someone who can feed off lefthander . The aforementioned free agents would certainly fit the bill, but Evans is also looking into the trade market, where Atlanta’s and Julio Teheran have been discussed. But the Braves and other teams have been trying to pry from the Giants third baseman Matt Duffy and second baseman Joe Panik, players Evans and executive vice president Brian Sabean don’t want to deal. Slugger Chris Davis has also been linked to the Giants, who could move Brandon Belt from first base to the outfield. Suffice to say, the Giants will be one of the more aggressive teams on high-end players. This past week, they tied up shortstop Brandon Crawford, a Bay Area native, with a six-year, $75 million deal. Crawford joked, “Three more even years.” Apropos of nothing 1. The Hall of Fame has submitted 10 names for consideration by the Pre-Integration Era Committee: Doc Adams, Sam Breadon, Bill Dahlen, , Garry Herrmann, Marty Marion, Frank McCormick, Harry Stovey, Chris Von Der Ahe, and . Candidates need 75 percent of the votes for election. 2. One National League GM said righthanders Darren O’Day, , Tyler Clippard, and are getting the most attention among free agent relievers, and lefthanders Tony Sipp, Neal Cotts, and Antonio Bastardo are also getting some love. 3. Yoenis Cespedes helped his value with his performance for the Mets, Justin Upton is a big righthanded bat, and plays good defense to go with his above-average offense. But one American League GM sized them up this way: “Consistency of effort is a problem for both Cespedes and Upton. Given the amount of years and money you’d have to give, not sure they’re worth it. Heyward is what he is. His age could lead you to believe his production offensively might get better, but his elite defense is certainly proven and consistent. But at the end of the day, he hits about 18-20 homers, knocks in 70 runs, and has an OPS of about .790. Do you give north of $20 million a year for that?” 4. On the flip side, our AL GM is head over heels for and . “The analytics guys don’t like when we call good players ‘winners,’ ” said the GM. “But these guys are winners. Kansas City may not be in the position to sign either, but they are one of the many reasons why the Royals won. Wherever these two end up, they will make their teams better.” Our GM thinks the White Sox would be a great fit for Zobrist, and Gordon would be perfect for the Red Sox. 5. The Cardinals and Red Sox are seen as the best fits for Chris Davis. Both need power. With retiring at the end of next season, Davis would be a nice longer-term replacement than, say, Hanley Ramirez. 6. We asked five GMs: Would you take Ramirez if at least half his salary were paid? All five said no. Maybe we didn’t ask the right ones. 7. Have I said what a great signingRich Hill was for the A’s? Even though his success last season occurred in September, a tough month in which to judge, he pitched extremely well against the Blue Jays and Yankees, which were playoff teams, and mastered the Rays and Orioles. Updates on nine 1. Brett Gardner, OF, Yankees — Gardner could be available, according to a Yankees source, but it won’t be for an infielder such as the Cubs’ Starlin Castro, as was reported last week. The Yankees do need a second baseman, but any deal involving Gardner would have to net a starting pitcher. It’s also not a slam dunk that Gardner gets traded, given he’s one of the team leaders. 2. Dee Gordon, 2B, Marlins — The Marlins have a few players that other teams are interested in, including center fielder Marcell Ozuna, who could be dealt for starting pitching. But Gordon has received a ton of interest, being a second baseman who can hit as well as run. The Marlins have listened, but it would have to be a huge deal in which front-line, controllable pitching would come in return. Seems unlikely. 3. , former GM and manager, Marlins — Jennings was let go after the season, but he wants to stay in baseball. Because he’s such a good scout, Jennings has drawn a lot of interest as an adviser/special assistant. The Rangers are interested. 4. Jeffrey Loria, owner, Marlins — Love him or hate him, Loria pays his staff some of the top wages in baseball. He pried pitching guru Jim Benedict from the Pirates, making him vice president of pitching development and giving him a five-year deal for $500,000 annually. Benedict could also have a say in ’s pitching coach. Former Red Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves is in the mix. 5. Kennys Vargas, 1B/DH, Twins — Vargas idolizes David Ortiz, and has the same body type and similar power. But he had a poor 2015 (175 at-bats, 5 homers, 17 RBIs) and now the Twins are trying to figure out where he fits. Vargas, 25, hit .283 with 13 homers and 46 RBIs with a .910 OPS in the minors in 2015. The answer next season is likely Triple A to start, but the Twins will be patient with Vargas. Ortiz is a reminder of that. The Red Sox signed Ortiz after he was released by the Twins, who got no takers at the GM meetings. Forget about the mistake the Twins made; how about the other teams, including the Red Sox, who passed on trading for him? 6. Trevor Plouffe, 3B, Twins — The Twins have fielded inquiries on Plouffe since they won the bidding on Korean 1B/DH Byung-Ho Park, with teams thinking Minnesota could use Miguel Sano at third. But the Twins would have to sign Park first. The Twins know Plouffe would be a huge chip in trying to acquire pitching if they decide to go that way. They are actively looking for relievers. 7. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Rockies — Gonzalez could be traded this winter, but teams have to beware of whether he is a product of Coors Field. The numbers seem to indicate that. Gonzalez has hit .324 and slugged .604 at home in his career, and hit .255 and slugged .441 on the road. That’s not to say he couldn’t play 81 games somewhere else and put up nice numbers. But you always wonder. 8. Trevor Cahill, RHP, free agent — Cahill rebounded well from some rough outings out of the Braves bullpen. After being released by Atlanta, he went to the Cubs and made 11 quality relief appearances, and at 27 is rebuilding his career. “His priority is to be a starting pitcher again, but he would accept a bullpen spot if he doesn’t secure a starting job,” said his agent, John Boggs. 9. John Lackey, RHP, free agent — The Cardinals may feel they’ve gotten the best out of Lackey, but they have kept their toes in the water. The Red Sox also inquired, but their priority is finding an ace. Lackey wants to stay in the NL, and the Cubs and Giants may have the best shot of signing him. From the Bill Chuck files: “Aroldis Chapman led all relievers with 170 swings and misses on fastballs (40 percent), Craig Kimbrel had 106 swings and misses (30.1 percent), while led the Red Sox bullpen last year with 69 swings and misses (20.4 percent).” . . . Happy birthday, (35), Jay Payton (43), and Mike Benjamin (50). Team guys The Nationals’ disappointing season didn’t take away from the MVP year turned in by outfielder , who set franchise marks in seven offensive categories. And that includes the 36 years the franchise played in Montreal, not just the 11 years in Washington. A look at Harper and some other notable players who put themselves atop franchise lists in 2015. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.22.2015