Kluber has knee surgery, likely ready for spring Indians right-hander expected to contend for rotation spot after recovery By Zack Meisel / MLB.com | 11/30/12 6:38 PM ET CLEVELAND -- The Indians liked what they saw from right-hander late in the 2012 campaign. As long as his recovery from knee surgery goes smoothly, they'll get to see more of the hurler when the slate commences in late February.

Kluber underwent a procedure to remove torn meniscus from his right knee on Friday at the Cleveland Clinic. The knee locked up on Kluber recently while he was playing with his young daughter in Jacksonville.

The 26-year-old posted a 2-5 record and 5.14 ERA for the Tribe in 12 starts last season, though he submitted four quality starts in his last seven outings. Over his final nine appearances, Kluber logged a 4.20 ERA and tallied 43 in 49 1/3 innings.

Kluber figures to challenge for a spot in the starting rotation in the spring. New manager Terry Francona has stressed the cliche that states no club can ever have too much starting pitching. Beyond and Ubaldo Jimenez in rotation slots, the Indians are expected to take long looks at Kluber and Zach McAllister when determining their five-man starting staff for 2013.

The Padres' fourth-round selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, Kluber joined the Indians as part of a 2010 trade that sent veteran right- hander Jake Westbrook to the Cardinals and outfielder to San Diego from St. Louis.

Hannahan non-tendered; road paved for Chisenhall By Zack Meisel / MLB.com | 11/30/12 5:54 PM ET CLEVELAND -- The Lonnie Chisenhall era appears to be officially under way.

The Indians did not tender Jack Hannahan a contract for the 2013 campaign, meaning the veteran infielder will become a free agent. Teams have until midnight ET on Friday to offer contracts for the upcoming season to any arbitration-eligible players.

"The writing is on the wall as far as Lonnie getting a chance to play every day," Hannahan told MLB.com on Friday. "I'm excited for him to get that opportunity to showcase what he can do."

The Indians offered deals to Shin-Soo Choo, Justin Masterson, Mike Aviles, Lou Marson, Chris Perez, Tony Sipp and Joe Smith. Brent Lillibridge and Kevin Slowey already elected free agency after being outrighted off Cleveland's 40-man roster earlier this winter. Southpaw Rafael Perez, who was designated for assignment on Wednesday, and lefty Chris Seddon, who was designated today, were also non- tendered.

Tribe general manager Chris Antonetti earlier called the choice on Hannahan the club's "most challenging tender decision."

"I had two great years in Cleveland," Hannahan said. "I love playing in Cleveland. I love the fans of Cleveland and I have a lot of respect for [president] Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti. I really believe in what they're doing there as far as getting a team that can contend and play in October."

Hannahan, who earned $1.135 million last season, batted .244 with four homers and 29 RBIs in 105 contests in 2012, despite being hindered by a nagging back injury. Over the season's first 30 games, the .287 with three homers. A lower back issue forced him out of the lineup on May 13 for nearly two weeks, and Hannahan hit just .180 with one homer across his next 59 affairs.

"It's no secret," Hannahan said. "When I came back from my injury, I was horrible. My back was still barking and it was something I was trying to maintain and deal with. Looking back on it, I probably should've missed some more time, but I felt like I missed too much time to begin with."

Hannahan joined the Indians as a Minor League free agent prior to the 2011 campaign, but worked his way into the starting role at the hot corner that spring. He hit .250 with eight homers and 40 RBIs in 110 games in his first year in Cleveland.

Chisenhall batted .268 with five homers in 43 contests for the Indians last season. He made a swift recovery from a broken right forearm -- suffered in late June when struck by a fastball from Orioles reliever Troy Patton -- to provide the club with a glimpse of its future in September.

With Chisenhall expected to take the reins at third base and Aviles and Jason Donald in the fold as potential utility players, Hannahan became expendable. Hannahan, however, still feels he can be an everyday player.

"It's nothing new to me," Hannahan said. "I've been around the game a long time. Anyone wants to play every day and get as many at-bats as they can and help their team win as often as they can."

Nieve inks Minor League deal with Tribe

Indians extend Spring Training invite to righty, also claim McDade off waivers

By Zack Meisel / MLB.com | 11/30/12 3:25 PM ET

CLEVELAND -- The Indians added a pair of players to the organization on Friday, signing Fernando Nieve and claiming first baseman Mike McDade off waivers.

The club inked Nieve to a Minor League contract and extended to the right-hander a non-roster invitation to Spring Training.

Nieve, 30, compiled a 7-9 record and 5.96 ERA in 25 outings (24 starts) for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque last season. The Venezuela native has logged an 8-11 mark and 4.61 ERA in 99 career big league appearances. He pitched for the Astros in 2006 and '08 and the Mets in 2009-10.

Houston signed Nieve as an amateur free agent in 1999. The Mets claimed him off waivers in 2009. He briefly latched on with the Pirates and, for a second time, the Astros, before landing in Los Angeles.

In 198 Minor League appearances over 12 seasons, Nieve has racked up a 58-47 record and 4.12 ERA, with 840 strikeouts in 909 innings.

Cleveland claimed McDade, 23, off outright waivers from the Blue Jays, who drafted him in the sixth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. To clear a spot for him on the 40-man roster, the Indians designated southpaw Chris Seddon for assignment.

McDade experienced his first taste of Triple-A last season and batted .338 (24-for-71) in 18 contests for Las Vegas. In 100 games at -A New Hampshire in 2012, the switch-hitter batted .275 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs. He his a career .265 hitter with 76 long balls over six Minor League seasons.

Indians non-tender three players, including Hannahan; Kluber has surgery By Sheldon Ocker Jack Hannahan was one of three players with whom the Indians parted company today by failing to offer them contracts for 2013. Veteran left-handed reliever Rafael Perez already had been designated for assignment, almost assuring that he would not return. Another lefty reliever, Chris Seddon, also was designated Friday to make room for a player claimed on waivers.. Undoubtedly General Manager Chris Antonetti’s most difficult decision was what to do with Hannahan, who was the club’s regular third baseman for most of 2011 and 2012. The decision to let go of Hannahan indicates the Tribe is ready to make a commitment to Lonnie Chisenhall, Starter Corey Kluber underwent a menisectomy to his right knee Friday at the Cleveland Clinic, with Dr. Rick Parker performing the arthroscopic procedure. . Kluber is expected to be free to participate in all activities by the time spring exhibition season begins late in February. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 12.01.2012

Jack Hannahan among three players released by Indians By Sheldon Ocker Jack Hannahan was one of three players with whom the Indians parted company Friday by failing to offer them contracts for 2013. Veteran left-handed reliever Rafael Perez already had been designated for assignment, almost assuring that he would not return. Another lefty reliever, Chris Seddon, also was designated Friday to make room for a player claimed on waivers. Undoubtedly General Manager Chris Antonetti’s most difficult decision was what to do with Hannahan, who was the club’s regular third baseman for most of 2011 and 2012. The decision to let go of Hannahan indicates the Tribe is ready to make a commitment to Lonnie Chisenhall, who played third for most of September, batting .257 with two home runs and seven RBI in 19 games. Hannahan regressed from his surprisingly good season of 2011, when he won the third-base job on the strength of his defense but contributed several timely hits to the attack. For the season, he batted .250 with eight homers and 40 RBI in 110 games. His career WAR (wins above replacement) is 64.9. The average WAR for those position players already in the Hall of Fame is 65. Among the Hall of Famers who have a lower career WAR than Lofton are Eddie Murray, Willie McCovey, Lou Boudreau, Jackie Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Lou Brock.

Lofton led the American League in stolen bases five consecutive years (1992 to 96). Only three other players have done that, and two of them are in the Hall of Fame: Rickey Henderson and Luis Aparicio.

Lofton was a six-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. He ranks 15th all-time with 622 stolen bases — only eight Hall of Famers have more.

He has 2,428 career hits (average Hall of Famer: 2,399), and 1,528 runs scored, which is about 100 more than the average Hall of Famer, and more than Roberto Alomar, Mike Schmidt, Napoleon Lajoie and Rod Carew.

Lofton's best year was his most overlooked year — the 1994 season, in which the Indians played 113 games due to the players' strike. When the season was halted Lofton was on a pace to hit .349 with 202 hits, 15 home runs, 132 runs scored, 76 stolen bases, 40 doubles and 11 triples.

His No. 1 tool, of course, was his blinding speed. I remember in spring training in 1992, his first year with the Indians, after General Manager John Hart stole him from Houston in a trade for Willie Blair and Eddie Taubensee.

We had heard about Lofton's speed, but it wasn't until spring training that year that we got to actually see it. It was breathtaking. We also got to see, almost immediately, the Lofton competitiveness, the Lofton athleticism, and the Lofton swagger. He had tons of all of it.

He was probably the most competitive player on maybe the most ferociously competitive Indians' team ever — the 100-win (in 144 games) 1995 Tribe. His athleticism was always on display, but if you need proof, Google his over-the-bullpen wall, -robbing catch off B.J. Surhoff.

His swagger? Whenever he drew a walk he had a habit of cockily flipping his bat on top of home plate, basically taunting the pitcher for not throwing him a strike.

He did it once to crusty Jack Morris, and the next time Morris faced him, Morris buzzed Lofton's kneecaps.

Lofton could hit, he could run, he could play defense with anyone. Is he a Hall of Famer? He may benefit this year by being on the ballot with a handful of steroid users, for whom many writers, this one included, refuse to vote.

He may be hurt by the fact that speedy leadoff hitter Tim Raines, who in the '80s was Kenny Lofton before Kenny Lofton, is not yet in the Hall, but is on the ballot this year as well.

Lofton's career batting average was .299. He missed hitting .300 for his 17-year career by four hits.

I'm that close to voting for him — or not.

Lofton could reach over fences. I'm sitting on one.

Indians non-tender Jack Hannahan, Rafael Perez, Chris Seddon By Jim Ingraham The Indians made third baseman Jack Hannahan a free agent Friday by not tendering the 32-year-old veteran a contract for the 2013 season. Friday was the deadline for teams to tender contracts to players on their 40-man roster.

The Indians also did not tender contracts to Rafael Perez and Chris Seddon.

The decision on Hannahan means that barring the acquisition of another third baseman during the offseason, the Indians are committing to Lonnie Chisenhall at third base for next year.

Hannahan split time at the position with Chisenhall for much of the last two years. In 2012, Hannahan appeared in 105 games. In 287 at-bats, he hit .244 with four home runs and 20 RBI. In 2011, his first season with the Tribe, Hannahan hit .250 with eight homers and 40 RBI in 320 at- bats.

Perez missed most of last season with a strained muscle in his left side, appearing in eight games and going 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA. He was designated for assignment by the Indians on Thursday.

Seddon started the 2012 season at Triple-A Columbus but was called up by the Indians in the second half of the season. In 17 games (two starts and 15 relief appearances), he was 1-1 with a 3.67 ERA.

The Indians also announced on Friday pitcher Corey Kluber underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee at the Cleveland Clinic in order to repair some torn meniscus. He suffered the injury playing with his daughter.

The Indians said Kluber should be ready to pitch in games at the start of the exhibition season in late February.

MLB seeking changes to for players from Japan

By Jeff Passan | Yahoo! Sports – 18 hours ago

Major League Baseball and Nippon are discussing significant changes to the posting system that brings players from

Japan to the major leagues, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

While the talks haven't moved beyond cursory stages, MLB is pushing NPB for a system in which teams no longer would bid blindly for the right to negotiate with a player but rather would participate in a traditional, open auction, the sources said.

Such a format likely would lessen the amount of money funneled toward the Japanese team that posts the player. In the cases of Yu

Darvish and Daisuke Matsuzaka, their NPB teams received more than a $50 million windfall, a huge boon for a league with manifold financial struggles.

MLB and the players' union agree they'd prefer to see a larger percentage of the money spent on high-end imports go to the player, the sources said. Darvish received a six-year, $60 million contract from the on top of their posting fee, and Matsuzaka signed with the

Boston Red Sox for six years and $52 million.

Major league executives expect no players this season to post from NPB, which owns players' rights for nine seasons before they become free agents eligible to play in MLB without a posting fee. The won the posting auction for Korean left-hander Ryu Hyun-Jin with a $25.75 million bid and have less than two weeks to finalize a contract with him or lose his rights. When the player does not sign, as occurred last year with shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima and the , the posting fee is refunded.

MLB will continue communicating with NPB throughout the year and hopes to have the new policy implemented following the 2013 season, sources said. MLB declined to comment. An email to a spokesman for NPB was not returned.

The relationship between the leagues has been historically amicable and strong, and the posting system was instituted after Hideo Nomo and

Alfonso Soriano exploited loopholes in the leagues' agreement to go from Japan to the United States without compensation.

Joe Lemire>INSIDE BASEBALL The top 10 things to watch for at Winter Meetings extravaganza The classic Black Friday scene: hundreds wait in line for a discount department store to open its doors, behind which lie limited supplies of affordable gifts, prompting shoppers to storm in and frantically snag the remaining inventory. 'Tis the season of shopping sprees, but don't expect any baseball general manager to be doing the same outside Nashville's Opryland Hotel in advance of the annual Winter Meetings, which start Monday. That's because it's also the season of sticker shock. The dominos have started to fall this offseason -- in the last 48 hours free agents B.J. Upton and Russell Martin signed, Denard Span was traded and David Wright signed a long-term extension in lieu of a possible trade -- and the early returns indicate a decided markup on costs. Not that this time of year ever fostered bargains, per se, but this year the inflation has been pronounced. The Braves signed Upton, who has extraordinary talent but also had a sub-.300 on-base percentage this past season, for five years and $75.25 million. The Dodgers and Reds signed relievers Brandon League and Jonathan Broxton, respectively, to three-year deals worth more than $20 million each. The Pirates signed Martin, who batted .211 this season, for two years and $17 million. The Red Sox signed platoon outfielder Jonny Gomes for two years and $10 million. The Cubs signed spot starter and long reliever Scott Feldman for one year and $6 million. That's not to pan any of those deals. In fact, those are mostly good deals in the new marketplace. A confluence of factors are to blame for the steep price tags: an influx of national television money for everybody and regional broadcast deals for some; the increasing number of early contract extensions handed out, thereby limiting supply; and the perceived rising value of top prospects, with many organizations seemingly more reluctant to trade packages of minor leaguers for established major leaguers, meaning free agency becomes the more viable option. (For details on just how lucrative some of these television deals are, check the excellent work of Wendy Thurm for FanGraphs.com.) We must recalibrate our intuitive senses of worth as the game continues to receive an injection of money with a dwindling supply of players available on the open market, with free-agent contracts following the basic macroeconomic tenet that inflation and unemployment are inversely related. So with all that in mind, what should we expect from this year's Winter Meetings? Continued inflation. As discussed above, the price of free agents only continues to rise. Agents can use the riches of the forthcoming national TV deal as leverage. Don't be too surprised at some gaudy contract AAVs (average annual value). Could the outfield dominoes fall? The one position with a normal offseason's worth of talent is in the outfield, and it's possible that Upton's deal established the market enough for others -- Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, Angel Pagan, Shane Victorino, Cody Ross and Ryan Ludwick -- to follow suit. Sure, Torii Hunter already signed with the Tigers, but his was more of a special case of a veteran looking for a short- term contract, unlike the others who are mostly looking for longer deals. A Winter Meetings eve signing? Each of the past two years a major free agent has signed the night before the official proceedings began. In 2010 Jayson Werth signed his seven-year, $126 million deal with the Nationals on Sunday night as many attendees were still in transit, a decision repeated in '11 when Jose Reyes signed for six years with the Marlins. A couple -- but not all -- of the big moves. Long thought to be a fertile time for trades and free-agent signings, given the assemblage of every club decision maker and agent under one hotel roof, the Winter Meetings can be overrated for the number of big moves that happen during the proceedings. Negotiations between teams or between a team and agent are of course facilitated by the proximity, but it's not like email, text messages, Skype, conference calls and Morse code don't exist. This isn't the only time teams can communicate, of course, and many discussions held at the Winter Meetings lead to transactions later in the offseason. (And a team or agent might use the Winter Meetings as an artificial deadline to evoke the other's best offer.) Reyes, Werth, Adam Dunn and now Upton are some of the big free agents to have signed before the meetings in the last three offseasons; Prince Fielder and are two superstars who signed after the meetings. Riches to rags. Until the final hours of last year's meetings, when the Angels signed both and C.J. Wilson, the week belonged to the Marlins, who generated daily headlines for their free-agent triumvirate of Reyes, Buehrle and, a few days prior, Heath Bell. Along with their heavy courtship of Pujols, Marlins management generated "the same frenzy and crowds as entourage-ensconced rock stars" any time they walked through the lobby, as this scribe noted last year. Expect the opposite this year. Miami no longer has any of those three signees on its roster and will be popular this year only with clubs interested in Ricky Nolasco as a back-of-the-rotation starter, given the assurances (whatever those are worth) that young slugger Giancarlo Stanton won't be traded. Sleeping giant. The Red Sox freed up huge tracts of payroll by moving the gigantic salaries of Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett to the Dodgers last August. Though Boston doesn't appear to be in on first-tier free agents Josh Hamilton and Zack Greinke, it could snag two second-tier players, such as Mike Napoli and Nick Swisher. That may be a more shrewd use of their resources, though the pair would still cost some $125 million or so. The Sox, in part thanks to that Dodgers deal, have enough prospects to swing a trade for a proven player, but they may choose to conserve their resources some if they decide the club is best suited for a transition year before making a more serious run in 2014. Los Angeles bidding war. And, of course, the other unpredictable giants are both in L.A. Few saw the Angels' double strike of Pujols and Wilson coming last year; after finishing third in the AL West in 2012 and in need of rotation help, look for the Halos to be aggressive in trying to retain Greinke -- and who knows what else? The Dodgers, meanwhile, seem to have unlimited coffers with management unafraid to spend it. They are also reportedly after Greinke, and while other clubs are too, the best bet is that he stays in Southern California. Might of the Mystery Team. Lee to the Phillies? Pujols to the Angels? Fielder to the Tigers? Those weren't popular predictions, and while the idea of interest from mystery teams is nothing new, it's more pronounced than ever in the Twitter Age of reporting. Unexpected hilarity. Amidst the long days and nights of rumormongering, some levity helps, such as last year's incident when a man unsuspectingly walked into a hotel fountain.