Cleveland Indians: Jose Ramirez trade rumors are sickening

Cleveland Indians: Jose Ramirez trade rumors are sickening

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A trade rumor has the Cleveland Indians moving Jose Ramirez to the Braves.

A Twitter rumor has the Cleveland Indians talking about a Jose Ramirez trade to the Atlanta Braves.

The rumor comes from Dan Clark, who Tweets @DanClarkSports. I learned about the Tweet from 92.3 The Fan reporter Daryl Ruiter, who commented via retweet on Ramirez’s contract status. For Ruiter to comment, gives validity to Clark’s words.

If it’s true, it’s sickening. Tribe fans just watched the team deal one of the top five players in its history. Trading Francisco Lindor was a tough pill to swallow, but it’s something all of us knew would eventually happen.

However, trading Ramirez, a player who’s finished in the top four of the AL MVP vote for three of the last four years, and who happens to be one of the best bargains in baseball? If it’s true, The Dolans are telling the fan base that 2021 doesn’t matter.

Yet, they’ll try to spin it the other way around, as they did after dealing Lindor. They’ll send Chris Antonetti back out there to say they plan to contend behind a pitching staff fronted by Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale and Triston McKenzie.

Ramirez is due to earn $9 million next season. This isn’t an aren’t exorbitant sums for a major professional sports franchise to pay in 21st century. The club also has options for 2022 and 2023, with J-Ram set to earn $12 and $14 million, respectively. The Indians already have the lowest payroll in baseball–how low do they want to go?

Perhaps they think they can do what the A’s and Rays seem to do on a yearly basis. Pay no one, yet somehow make the postseason. These teams develop their own talent and spend wisely in free agency.

Losing Ramirez and and Lindor in the same offseason by trade would trump trading C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee in back-to-back seasons (2008 and 2009). Frankly, I don’t know how the Dolans would come back from it.

Ownership is in tough spot. Running a sports franchise without being able to host customers? They were hemorrhaging cash daily, losing “tens of millions” during the truncated 2020 campaign.

That said, other teams are scaling back, but they aren’t out there blowing themselves into pieces. I’ve tried to defend the Dolans fiscal prudence, because they’ve put together a stellar front office that’s delivered a playoff team in in five of the last eight seasons.

The same can’t be said bout the Browns, who had the town’s undying loyalty for 20 years without coming close to winning a championship, let alone a division title. Meanwhile, the Cavs aren’t revenant unless the once-in-a-generation talent who was born 30 miles away decides he wants to play for them.

If the Dolans do seriously consider this trade, they should look to sell. Collect their $1 billion in the sale and enjoy the view of Lake Erie and sip mojitos at the Shoreby Club.

I know: Don’t expect the new owner top spend like the Yankees. Most diehards are realistic about the market. That said, do expect the next owner to support a contender by not wasting what could be the game’s next great pitching rotation. Additionally, don’t look for them to trade an MVP candidate in his prime who makes peanuts compared to other MVP contenders.

If this trade did come to fruition, the Indians better return stud prospects Christian Pache and pitcher Ian Anderson for three years of Ramirez. The Braves probably don’t want to do it, which means the Indians will get the short end of the stick, which they always seem to do when they trade a player.

Hopefully, this rumor goes the way of a lot of others rumors: Here today, gone tomorrow, and downright crazy to even consider it a week from now.

Cleveland Indians rumors: Eddie Rosario not on free-agent radar

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The Cleveland Indians probably won’t be signing free agent Eddie Rosario.

Scoring Eddie Rosario in free agency would be a huge coup for the Cleveland Indians. By adding the slugger, the Indians would be addressing a major need in the outfield by helping to subtract from the rival Twins.

Plus, Rosario would add some meat to the middle-of-the-order for a lineup that will struggle to score runs.

The Indians said they would re-invest some of the money they saved by trading Francisco Lindor, so naturally, Rosario is one of the players the Tribe fan base turned their eyes toward.

Unfortunately, while some team will get Rosario on a bargain deal, the contract he’ll receive will likely be too pricey for the Tribe’s liking.

Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto wrote that he heard whispers regarding Rosario, but “was told he’s not on the [Indians’] radar.”

Pluto added that he also heard the Indians like Red Sox free agent Jackie Bradley, but he too, will be outside of the Tribe’s budget.

1. At second base, Pluto wrote about the Indians desire to bring back the consistent Cesar Hernandez. The long-time columnist then discussed the number of free agents available at the position. ESPN projected a one-year, $7 million contract for Hernandez this winter. He signed for just over $6 million last season.

Pluto guesses the Indians would like to pay him $4 million for 2021. I’m not sure Hernandez will get what ESPN predict, but I don’t see him settling for the Tribe’s offer, either, if it is that low.

2. Pluto’s been writing about this since the trade and it’s starting to bother me: He expects newly acquired 22-year-old shortstop Andres Gimenez to open the season at Triple-A.

The Indians have historically played prospects who are close to the big leagues at Triple-A because the cold weather they deal with on the north shore could make for some frozen bats.

So to keep their confidence high, they go to the minors, fly under the radar and wait until sunny days pave their way from Columbus to Cleveland.

In that sense, it makes sense: Give Gimenez the best chance to be successful. On the other hand, Amed Rosario will likely start at short while he’s gone. Rosario is the same guy Gimenez took the starting shortstop gig from while they were in New York.

When it comes to messaging, well, the Tribe can be in a league all to themselves sometimes.

3. Michael Brantley signed a two-year, $32 million contract with Houston, so yeah, it was a pipe dream to even think the outfielder could come back to Cleveland.

4. Pluto didn’t sources any of this, but he threw out some names as to players the Tribe should make a run at: Kevin Pillar (.288, .798 OPS) and Robbie Grossman (.241, .722 OPS) with 15 HR in 674 plate appearances.

5. The Indians payroll is in the $35-$40 million range. They may add $5 million to $10 million (at the most), before the start of the season, according to Pluto.

6. Brad Hand signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Indians. Cleveland released the closer after failing to pick up his option. The Tribe put him through waivers in an effort to induce a trade, but nobody bit and the Nationals got him without having to give anything up in return.

Cleveland Indians rumors: Cesar Hernandez returning on 2-year deal

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New Cleveland Indians rumors have them bringing back Cesar Hernandez

Cesar Hernandez is coming back to Cleveland, according to the latest Cleveland Indians rumors, bringing his Gold Glove defense back to second base for the retooling club.

According to Daniel Alvarez Montes of the Spanish-language El Extra Base, Hernandez and the Indians were finalizing the details of a two-year deal that would include a team option for 2022.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported shortly thereafter the deal was done, pending a physical.

Cleveland added Hernandez as a free agent in December 2019 and was not disappointed. The Venezuelan who will be 31 in May hit .283/.355/.408 in 58 games and 261 plate appearances, with an AL-leading 20 doubles to go with three homers and 20 RBI. Hernandez also earned his first career Gold Glove for his defensive work at second base.

Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006, Hernandez emerged from the farm system in 2013 and became a regular in 2015. He led the majors with 11 triples in 2016 and stole 80 bases over parts of seven seasons in Philadelphia, but did not attempt to swipe a bag in 2020.

For his career, he is a .277/.352/.383 hitter with 49 homers in 3,543 plate appearances. Hernandez clubbed a career-best 15 homers in 2018 and posted a career-high 71 RBI in 2019. Last season’s OPS+ of 106 was his best since a career-high 110 mark in 2017.

Hernandez started both games in the Indians’ two-game loss to the New York Yankees in the Wild-Card Series, going 3-for-8 with a double, two runs and an RBI. Cleveland was outscored 22-12 in the series, with former closer Brad Hand — who just signed with the Washington Nationals, unable to hold a 9-8 lead in the ninth inning of Game 2 in a 10-9 season-ending defeat.

Cleveland will have a different look this season after trading both shortstop Francisco Lindor and right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who started Game 2 last fall, to the New York Mets for young infielder Andres Gimenez, shortstop Amed Rosario, and a pair of minor-leaguers in right-hander Josh Wolf and 19-year-old left-hander Isaiah Greene — a second-round pick last June.

Rosario is expected to replace Lindor at shortstop, while the Indians also lost three free agents from their everyday lineup — first baseman Carlos Santana signed with the Kansas City Royals, while outfielders Tyler Naguin and Delino DeShields remain unsigned.