Free Andy Marte! and Other Spring Training Thoughts

Some Pre-Opening Day Thoughts

Free Andy Marte!

Andy Marte is on the 25-man roster to open the season. He's out of options. If Eric Wedge's past trends are any indication, Andy Marte won't play much - maybe once or twice a week. Wedge has proven himself smitten with the league average production of Casey Blake, Super Utility Mountain Man. The problem with this is two-fold:

1. Andy Marte has been a notoriously slow starter at every level.
2. If he doesn't produce right away, fans who don't know any better will be screaming for his release or trade.

Therefore, I declare that it is time to Free Andy Marte! Play him every day or trade him. We've never seen what he can do at the major league level because he's never had enough at bats to make the adjustment propertly. Let's find out what we have. He's not going to adjust to the majors playing a couple times a week, because when he does get in, most likely he will be pressing.

Left Field

One of my co-workers, a lifelong Indians fan, had a discussion with me this week about how he was upset that the Indians optioned Ben Francisco and kept Dellucci and Michaels to platoon in left field. I can't really say I blame him too much. Francisco lit up spring training like a Christmas tree. However, given the Indians' proclivity to stick with veterans (see Blake, Casey), as well as Francisco's status (with options), it is not surprising that the Indians would send him down. Also complicating things - Shin Soo (Big League) Choo, who is out of options, and will likely be ready for the bigs after a month or two on rehab at Buffalo.

So, the bottom line here is that something will happen in the next couple months to straighten this mess out. When Big League Choo is ready, someone will go. So, relax and enjoy the fun, because there will be some dealing coming down the line.

Spring Training Mojo Watch:

Ben Francisco: Ben's ben en fuego.

Andy Marte: Marte has looked tentative in the field, and has shown flashes of power, but his spring average has been hovering near the Mendoza line.

Starting Pitching: Sabathia, Carmona, and Westbrook have all looked dominant at times. Byrd looks like Byrd. Cliff Lee has pitched just well enough to win the 5th spot, but that is as much a testament of how poorly Laffey and Sowers have pitched.

Pronk: He had occasionally looked Pronk-like this spring.

Grady Sizemore: Grady is ready. Hide the women and children, because Grady is going to set fire to the American League.

Aaron Fultz:

Pronk's Mojo

Pronk's Mojo appears right now to be busy with the Davidson Wildcats, after helping the New York Giants pull off an amazing Super Bowl upset. With any luck, Pronk's Mojo will come home in time for Opening Day. Remember, as always, if you see Pronk's Mojo, please nudge it in the general direction of Cleveland.

And we're off!

Spring training games begin today at 1:05 PM Eastern, with the Tribe going up against the Astros. Radio coverage on the station formerly known as WWWE or Gameday Audio for those out of market. Jeff Harris will start on the mound for the Tribe, in place of Jake Westbrook, who was scheduled to start but is being held out with a "sore right arm."

Pitchers and Catchers Report, But How Long Will CC Stay?

First, the good news. Pitchers and catchers report to Winter Haven today.

Now, the bad news: C. C. Sabathia has released a statement via his official website saying, in essence, that he has ceased negotiations with the Cleveland Indians on a contract extension.

This move makes it overwhelmingly likely that Sabathia will not be an Indian beyond the 2008 season. Some other team, desperate for pitching, will go well beyond what Cleveland is willing to offer Sabathia in both cash and years. If Sabathia were willing to give the Tribe a hometown discount, he would have done it already.

The Indians now have a hard choice:

• Option A - go for it all this year and ride one of the best pitchers in the major leagues, knowing that at the end of the year, he will leave and all you will get will be draft picks.
  
• Option B - trade one of the best pitchers in the major leagues for lots of prospects to a big market team that can afford to sign him , knowing that if you do this, there is the possibility that doing so potentially closes the window of opportunity for this year and alienates the fans, who will likely be showing up at the ballpark again this year after last year's exciting postseason.

Not much of a choice, is it? It seems clear that the Indians have chosen Option A. Their window to win it all is now, and they've finally won back the fans who deserted the team after their terribly underperforming 2006 season. If they do win it all, then it will be easier to justify publicly letting Sabathia go, as Tribe fans will be giddy and hungover with glee. If they don't win, however, and cannot resign Sabathia, then all we'll be hearing, once again, is how cheap Dolan is, while CC likely puts on pinstripes and plays for the FEDBU.

Even Option B looks bad - let's look at the teams who can afford Sabathia: FEDBU, FEDBU-lite, the Angels of the OC, the Dodgers, and the Mets. The Mets are out - they ponied up for Santana. The Angels have the prospects to make a trade and the money to sign Sabathia, but have made it clear in the last couple years that they're not trading prospects. The Dodgers have prospects and money, but the NL West is wide open, and it looks like they're going to try to win with the pitching they have. Both the FEDBU and FEDBU-lite have the prospects and the money, but with the Indians having their window as this year, what incentive do they have to trade their best pitcher, during their window of opportunity year, to teams that might slam that window shut in the postseason? Can you imagine what it would be like in Cleveland if the Tribe trades Sabathia to either one of these teams, and then Sabathia pitches the clinching game in a postseason series that knocks the Tribe out of postseason? If CC is set on filing for free agency, he has even less value as a rental than Santana did, as Santana was very clear that he would likely sign an extension with the right team.

Bottom line - unless the Indians win the World Series this year, they are screwed. When CC walks, they lose fickle fan support, Dolan's reputation for being cheap gets unfairly renewed, and their ability to compete takes a major hit with their loss of an ace.

It's hard to be an Indians fan today, even with pitchers and catchers reporting. The pressure to win now just increased dramatically.