From Paul Hoynes:

1. I'd be instant messaging Boston GM Theo Epstein constantly to see if I
could bring Manny Ramirez back to Cleveland.

2. I'd be watching the Japanese free agents closely to see if an inexpensive
closer such as Takashi Saito (Dodgers) or Akinori Ot suka (Rangers) was
available.

3. I'd keep Fausto Carmona as a starter and try to trade Paul Byrd this
winter. If I couldn't trade Byrd, I'd put Carmona in the setup role for 2007
to be my version of Detroit's Joel Zumaya -- with a little less velocity.

4. If I couldn't acquire a closer through free agency or the international
market, I'd try to make a deal for somone like the Angels' Scot Shields or
Toronto's Brandon League and groom him as a closer.

5. I'd give pitching coach Carl Willis and the Tribe's trainers and strength
coaches a raise for keeping my starting rotation healthy over the last two
years.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What do you guys think ?

I'm not sure about #1.
Manny is a great hitter, but he really couldn't care less about the team.
Would his .......Words fail me here....
Rather "Odd" attitude negatively affect the other players.
Can you imagine Wedge being his manager ?

I don't know enough about #2 to comment on any potential players.
Thoughts?

I like #3 a lot.
I'm no fan of Byrd at all.

I like #4, but he never mentions who he'd trade. I'd trade JP, VM and Byrd
in a heartbeat.
Any market for Michaels ?

I think #5 should be tempered with the bullpen's collapse. CC's early injury
was rather
an issue also.


Steve

1. I don't know..this would be intriguing for several reasons. I
think Manny would welcome a trade back to Cleveland since he was
"comfortable" here. Certainly, taking on the majority, if not all, of
his salary would show that the Dolans are serious about winning. Maybe
they need to talke a big gulp and make a move of this magnitude. I
don't know what Boston would want in return, but a chance like this
would make use of the Indians' vaunted farm system.

2. They upgraded their Asian scouting, so this is a possibility.

3. I can see packaging Byrd in some sort of trade for a SS or 2B. He
wouldn't bring too much by himself, but in the right package, he'd be
attractive.

4. The chances of getting a ready-made closer look slim this winter,
so I'd go along with Hoynsie here. Peralta, Michaels, Choo....these
guys are expendable to varying degrees. Martinez will stay in
Cleveland, but he's got to work on the throwing. Plus, if Garko is
traded, he can plaay 1B as needed.

5. Hoynsie has a good point here....over the past two years, the
starters have been pretty darn durable.

> 1. I'd be instant messaging Boston GM Theo Epstein constantly to see if I

I like it. Why not? He was never a bad clubhouse guy, and by all accounts
seems well liked (though very quirky). He's a hell of a hitter, and just
what the team needs.


Sure, whatever. Japanese, Polish, Mongolian. Whatever, as long as the guy
can get outs in the 9th inning.


Byrd is a decent #4 pitcher. I'm all for trading him if the return is a
starter somewhere in the field. Or as part of a package.


Shields may be tough to get. Look at what the Reds gave up to get bullpen
help during the season. Taking a proven set up man from a team that will be
hoping to win a division will take more than an immobile SS, a Byrd, or a
"prospect". (Unless that prospect is a guy that most on this board won't
want to part with.)

I'd also go after Torre is he's let go. Hell, I'd sign him before I'd pay
Manny.

"Running Jack Flash" <bar9773@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1vxWg.9999$OE1.1409@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com...
Boy, if he'd play 150+ games, and put up numbers like he can,
that'd be great. I'd leave him in LF too. Manny, Grady, and Casey....

I like this too.
A lot.

Steve

On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:34:21 GMT, "Running Jack Flash"
<bar9773@hotmail.com> wrote:


certain meteorological conditions will take place in the infernal
regions before we take a player making $20mil a year, even if boston
didn't want anything in return - which i doubt.

besides, manny ISN'T what the team needs - we finished 2nd in MLB in
total runs scored, 4th in slugging, tied for 3rd in .OPS and *still*
managed to finish 6 games below .500, even though each member of the
starting rotation at the end of the year fiinished with records
*above* .500.

- we need a closer;
- we need a setup man;
- we need a time machine to go back and undo the trading of brandon
phillips - that trade probably screwed us more than any other
transaction this year;

"i can spell. i just can't type."

barry wrote:
Phillips tailed off considerably in the 2nd half last season. Last I
looked he was hitting .279 in the last week. Ramirez will be starting
his 13th season. He now is only an OLD man-child who's best days are
behind him. Torre?!!! Please! He couldn't win the last 8 years with a
200M team! enough said! Wedge stays for SURE! Players give their best
for him and that's what counts most. How many club house problems has
he ever had except for Bradley? the Idiot! All we really need is a BIG
improvement in defense and about 3-4 top relievers! Kouz in Left field!

On 10 Oct 2006 10:17:11 -0700, "wolfagain" <wolf@provide.net> wrote:


i thought it would be a given that if we didn't need manny to bolster
our offense, phillips wouldn't be desired for his offense as much as
his defense - i'm not confident that peralta will come around
defensively and we just don't have another middle infielder in the
system that's a viable major league player in 2007.


i'm not so sure about that. i think he'll continue to sneeze RBI for
another 4-5 years at least.


torre is a good manager, along the lines of a mike hargrove - a good
guy to manage a bunch a talented major leaguers. not necessarily the
best choice to manage a bunch of rookies perhaps. but anybody who can
put up with steinbrenner for that long has to have a certain amount of
character and moxie i'd like to see in a manager.


we might have someone in our current group who will turn out to be a
decent set up man but a closer is going to be hard to find
unfortunately IMO.


that would be interesting. but if he can hit a ton, LF is the place
where most power hitting defensive liabilities go on your typical
team.

this also more or less assumes marte is our everyday 3B. i think marte
has the tools but if he's got a fragile psyche or immaturity issues,
wedge is not necessarily the best manager to build him up, if how he
handled phillips is any indication.





"i can spell. i just can't type."

> this also more or less assumes marte is our everyday 3B. i think marte

Well, maybe. It sounds like Phillips was the fragile psyche. Think
Maurice Clarrett: I think he had the same type of star-struck attitude
about himself and wasn't willing to do the work necessary to keep
himself at that level.

On Wed, 11 Oct 2006 13:55:23 GMT, Jim <korski@gmail.com> wrote:


that's one example, but doesn't cover everything. for example, i doubt
that orel hershiser would have become the pitcher he was if he'd
started under wedge - it took a manager like lasorda who motivated him
by nicknaming him "bulldog" to build up his confidence. and lasorda
had a stretch where he had 5-6 rookies of the year in a row.

i guess my take is that if we can identify players in this category,
they might be better served by developing in the minors under a
manager whose priority is more on talent development (and this may go
beyond physical skills) rather than winning.

"i can spell. i just can't type."

> that's one example, but doesn't cover everything. for example, i doubt

Alright, I'll buy that. I guess it's possible that Phillips just needed
the right coach; maybe Wedge wasn't the right guy. I did have him the
highest on my list of "guys who would do much better with some different
scenery."


Agreed, thanks for the perspective.