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Cleveland.com

Cleveland Indians invite righties Josh Judy and Zach Putnam to spring training

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have invited minor-league right-handers Josh Judy and Zach Putnam to spring training with the big-league club. Pitchers and catchers report to Goodyear, Ariz., on Feb. 21.

Judy, drafted in the 34th round in 2007, opened last season at Class A Kinston and saved three games in five appearances. He struck out seven and did not allow a run in 4 2/3 innings. The opposition hit .235 against him.
After being promoted to Class AA Akron, Judy went 4-3 with a 3.10 ERA and converted 11 saves in 12 chances. He struck out 63, walked 18 and allowed 35 hits in 49 1/3 innings. The opposition hit .198 against him. His WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched) was 1.07.

Puitnam, a fifth round pick from Michigan in 2008, started last year by going 2-0 with a 4.13 ERA in five starts at Class A Kinston. When the big-league club ran into bullpen problems, Putnam was made a reliever.
After being promoted to Akron, he went 4-2 with a 4.13 ERA in 33 appearances. He struck out 57, walked 18 and allowed 59 hits in 56 2/3 innings. Putnam saved two games in five chances. The opposition hit .261 against him and his WHIP was 1.36.

The Indians have invited 18 players to spring training.

P.M. Cleveland Indians links: Jobs are open in the Indians' starting pitcher rotation

After going 65-97 last season, a lot has to go right for the Cleveland Indians to make any kind of impact in the American League's Central Division...as mediocre as the division is.
The No. 1 area of concern is the starting pitching, which is loaded with rotation candidates, but all with question marks.
One of the top candidates to win a spot in the rotation is left-hander Aaron Laffey, who has gone 16-18 in parts of the last three seasons with the Indians, working mostly as a starter.

John Vargo writes about Laffey for the Warren Tribune Chronicle:
Laffey is planning to do his part. He has enhanced his off-speed repertoire since joining the Tribe in 2007 - especially his change-up.
"The first season or so, I didn't really use it a ton," he said. "I used my sinker to change speeds than I would the change-up. I've gained a lot of confidence in my change-up this past season, just being about to throw it behind in the count. I can throw it for a strike, keep guys off balance and give guys a different look to that outer part of the plate for a righty. Anything they see coming in is a fastball or slider. So to see anything else coming in, that's a little bit softer and going away - to mess with the timing a little bit more - I think has helped me a lot."

Check it: Plain Dealer Indians coverage includes beat writer Paul Hoynes' report that the Tribe is inviting minor league pitchers Zach Putnam and Josh Judy to the big-league spring training camp; an Associated Press report that former Indian Ryan Garko has signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners.

Buckeye stop: The Indians Press Tour was in Columbus on Monday, and Ohio State's newspaper, The Lantern, covered it with Joshua Davidson's story on Cleveland's starting pitching; Travis Rockhold's feature on the Indians' young and talented outfield; Davidson's report on the Indians' expectations that former catcher and current first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., along with recently-signed veteran catcher Mike Redmond, can help develop Cleveland's young catchers.

Find the stroke: Designated hitter Travis Hafner, who has dealt with elbow problems the last two years and is trying to regain the form that made him a feared power hitter from 2004-07, could provide a major boost to the lineup.
David Laurila interviewed Hafner for baseballprospectus.com, including the question:
DL: You play for an organization that places a lot of value on statistical analysis. What do numbers mean to you?
TH: First and foremost, you show up to the park every day to try to become a better player and your ultimate goal for that day is to win the game. I think you pay attention…when you play other teams, you pay attention to guy’s stats up on the scoreboard to see how they’re doing. I think numbers are a big part of the game. You can’t really go out and try to put up good numbers, but if you focus on each at bat, your numbers are going to be there.

Q&A: On the Indians section of MLB.com, Anthony Castrovince is asked fans' questions, such as this one about the Indians' promising slugger, Matt LaPorta:
How is LaPorta doing after his surgeries? Can we expect him to start at first base for the season opener? The last thing I want to see is Andy Marte in an Indians uniform.
The reports on LaPorta's recovery have been nothing but positive, to this point. But I would temper expectations for him to be on the Opening Day roster until we see how he gets through the rigors of Spring Training camp. Remember that the original prognosis for LaPorta's recovery from the October procedures was four to six months. If he has even the slightest setback, the Indians don't have much incentive to push him, so it's possible he could fall toward the back end of that prognosis. We'll see.

Video: Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta talks about the team's starting pitching and about two former stars

See Video

Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta talks about former Indians Kenny Lofton and Jim Thome, about spring training and about the Indians' starting pitching.

[Hope]

Cleveland.com: Video - Indians reliever talks about Manny Acta, moving on from last season and tells fans not to give up hope on 2010.

Indians.com: Hudson seems unlikely for youthful Tribe
Valbuena at second could better fit club's mindset for '10

CLEVELAND -- Throughout the Tribe's hushed Hot Stove season, two things have been overwhelmingly clear: The Indians have little money to spend in free agency and have every intention of watching their young players develop at the Major League level in 2010.
So how on earth does free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson fit into the picture?
The short answer is that he probably doesn't.

Hudson made close to $7 million with the Dodgers last year and has reportedly been looking for a $9 million contract for 2010. Anyone who thinks the Indians can swing anything close to those figures simply hasn't been paying attention.
The longer answer is that it would appear the Indians are being floated as a suitor for Hudson's services by parties close to Hudson. It's no secret that agents do their due diligence in trying to drive up the price for their clients by creating a market, real or imagined, for them. That could be the case here.

Tribe general manager Mark Shapiro was asked about Hudson on Wednesday and followed with his tried-and-true practice of not commenting on specific players.
"Within our operating budget," he said, "we're still looking for methods to improve the team."

The word budget, in this case, might as well be bolded.
If the Indians are truly in on Hudson at this juncture, it would be more than a little surprising, given the nature of their winter pursuits. The Tribe's signings, to this point, include just one Major League free agent (backup catcher Mike Redmond, who will make $850,000) and a handful of non-roster invitees, such as Shelley Duncan, Austin Kearns, Saul Rivera and Jason Grilli.

Furthermore, the Indians have a young second baseman in Luis Valbuena who projects to receive the regular at-bats at the position this year. Valbuena had a solid rookie year in '09, batting .250 (92-for-368) with 10 homers, 25 doubles and 31 RBIs in 103 games. He improved as the year went along, batting .281 with six homers, 14 doubles and 21 RBIs from July 1 through the end of the season.
Yes, the Indians have concerns about Valbuena's ability to hit left-handed pitching, which is why they will probably continue to spell him in those situations. And yes, they would like to see a little more range from him on the defensive end.
But on a team expected to field a youthful lineup and rotation with an eye on building toward more serious contention hopes in 2011, Valbuena fits right in.

Hudson does not.
While with the Dodgers, "O-Dog," as Hudson is known, recovered from a wrist injury that sidelined him at the end of '08 and batted .283 with none homers and 62 RBIs. The 32-year-old Hudson made a base salary of $3.38 million, but performance incentives more than doubled the value of his contract.
Hudson is looking for a guarantee closer to his actual '09 earnings, though the industry speculation is that he'll have to take a pay cut.

But even a contract closer to Hudson's $3.38 million guarantee from last year would seem to run counter to the Tribe's spending strategy. And it's no secret that the Indians have higher priorities than second base. Witness their rotation, where Jake Westbrook, who hasn't thrown a pitch in the big leagues in nearly two years, is the projected No. 1 starter.

Still, Shapiro would neither confirm nor deny interest in Hudson.
"At this time, we're looking to make the biggest impact possible on the team," Shapiro said. "I understand where our greatest weaknesses are, so I could prioritize. But I'm not dealing in a realm where I can just address our priorities. We have to look at how we can most impact the club positively."

Perhaps that involves Hudson. But given the circumstances, it would appear doubtful.

Yahoo! Sports: Indians’ Sizemore regrets photo hubbub

CLEVELAND (AP)—Fully clothed, Grady Sizemore(notes) faced his public with nothing to hide.
Stung by having semi-nude photos of him posted on the Internet, Cleveland’s popular center fielder said he never intended for the photos, which Sizemore maintains were stolen from an e-mail account, to be viewed publicly and that he regrets the embarrassment their exposure has caused.
“It’s tough,” he said. “This is a situation where it’s a private matter and personal photos were stolen illegally. I’ve always tried to represent myself and the Cleveland organization as best as possible and to put everybody through this is a terrible feeling and I apologize to everybody.”

In November, the photos—one of Sizemore standing nearly naked in front of a bathroom mirror—appeared online. Sizemore, who said he took the photos for his girlfriend, contacted Major League Baseball officials to stop them from spreading to Web sites.

On Wednesday night, Sizemore was a presenter at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. After appearing on stage, Sizemore addressed the scandal but failed to accept culpability in the photos going public.
“This is a private matter,” he said. “I never intended for any of this to get out. I hate to have to put everybody through this, but in the end it just wasn’t meant to come out. It was meant for me and my girlfriend and it just happened to work out the way it did.
“You always have to be careful, but this was something that was stolen out of an e-mail account. It wasn’t like we intended for these pictures to go anywhere. We weren’t flying them anywhere. We weren’t showing them to friends. This was stolen out of an e-mail account.”

While Indians fans may move on, there’s a chance Sizemore may hear more about the photos in opposing ballparks.
“I’m not going to speculate as to what people are going to do,” he said. “I’ve put it behind me and I’m looking forward to this year.”

A two-time Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star, Sizemore underwent offseason surgery on his elbow and abdomen. He has been cleared by doctors and won’t have any limitations when training camp opens in a few weeks.
“I’ve been hitting and throwing and lifting and running and everything has felt good,” he said.

Sizemore batted a career-low .248 with 18 homers and 64 RBIs before deciding to stop playing on Sept. 4.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

Orlando Hudson Close To Deal With Twins?
By Tim Dierkes [February 4 at 3:01pm CST]
3:01pm: Christensen tweets that the Indians are outbidding Minnesota for Hudson, though he's skeptical considering Cleveland's lack of spending this offseason.

12:32pm: MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that Hudson will not play for the Nationals, and a deal is almost done with the Twins. Meanwhile ESPN's Buster Olney and Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune both seem to believe the Indians are still in the mix (links go to Twitter).

11:59am: The Twins have "intensified their pursuit" of Orlando Hudson, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The writers believe Hudson is likely to find a team this week, though the free agent second baseman is still asking for at least $6MM on a one-year deal.

Rosenthal and Morosi say the Nationals are not a clear frontrunner for Hudson, who could be swayed by the Twins' status as a contender. The Indians are seen as the least likely of the three suitors.

[Hope]

Indians.com: Sizemore moves on from picture issue Tribe outfielder ready to rebound from injury-filled 2009

CLEVELAND -- Grady Sizemore says he's back to being the picture of health. But it's a different set of pictures that defined his offseason.
In November, while Sizemore was recuperating from September surgeries that addressed his left elbow and lower abdominal wall, semi-nude photographs of him surfaced on the Internet. The photos were all taken by Sizemore and intended only for the eyes of his girlfriend. But he said they leaked after somebody hacked into her e-mail account.
"Right now, I'm doing everything I can to put it behind me," Sizemore said Thursday. "We all know what happened. I never intended for any of this to be public. This is a private matter, and I apologize that we're even here talking about it right now."

Of course, in this day and age, little involving those in the limelight remains private. Sizemore, who was in town to present an award at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, considers the experience a lesson learned.
"It's embarrassing," he said. "You don't want intimate photos of yourself out there. ... It's scary something like this can happen. But at the same time, it's not like we were out there trying to advertise ourselves or anything like that."

For that reason, Sizemore is apologetic only to a certain degree.
"I don't feel I did anything wrong," he said. "This was something that was shared between me and my girlfriend. I'm sorry that I have to involve the Indians' organization and the fans in all of this."

When the photos leaked online, Sizemore contacted MLB officials to try to prevent the pictures from spreading. But once they're out there, they're out there for all to see.
As far as catching the hacker is concerned, Sizemore said he alerted authorities to what had transpired, but he was vague about the results.
"When everything happened, the proper authorities were involved and handled it appropriately," he said. "The proper authorities handled it as best they could. I let them handle it and went about my business."

Sizemore's business involved the rehab program that he says has him at 100 percent and ready for Spring Training. He has initiated baseball activities and isn't anticipating much, if any, lag behind his teammates in camp.
The 2009 season was Sizemore's worst at the Major League level. His batting average (.248), on-base percentage (.343) and slugging percentage (.445) were all career lows for a full season. The nagging groin issue, which forced him out of the World Baseball Classic, contributed to him stealing just 13 bases after swiping 38 in 2008. The elbow issue noticeably affected him on throws from the outfield.

With the Indians out of contention by the All-Star break, the struggles of Sizemore, a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner who won the Silver Slugger Award in '08, were a bit less magnified than they might have been. He spent three weeks on the disabled list in June but wasn't shut down for surgery until Sept. 4. He said he has no regrets about trying to play through the pain.
"It was my goal to stay in there as long as I could," he said.

The 27-year-old Sizemore has quickly become one of the elder statesmen in the Tribe clubhouse, as many of his fellow core players have been traded away. A leadership role doesn't necessarily suit his quiet tendencies, but he said it's a role he's ready to take on. He is not, however, anticipating any extra pressure after his down year.
"I always feel like I want to prove myself to my teammates on the field," he said. "I don't feel I have to prove anything more than I have in previous years. I'm just trying to get healthy, get back on the field and help my team."

Indians.com: Tribe's Brantley coming of age Son of former Major Leaguer learned value of hard work

The dumbest thing Michael Brantley ever did?
He didn't have to think long and hard about the question.
Dumb and Brantley had one of their rare get-togethers the day he decided to show off his golf skills in the front yard.
Brantley is a promising prospect for the Cleveland Indians now, but, at the time of this story, he was a 14-year-old kid with nothing better to do than demonstrate to a friend his ability to loft a ball over a neighboring home.

He dropped the ball on his front lawn, drew the club back and then unwound rapidly.
Trouble was, Brantley overestimated his abilities.
"I didn't quite make it over the house," he said, a tad embarrassed even now. "I hit the roof. And in the process of hitting the roof, our next-door neighbor was a cop, and he was just going on duty. So he saw me swing a golf club, hit it and hit the roof. He came marching over, and I was so scared he was going to tell my mom and dad."

Did he?
"He sure did," Brantley said glumly. "I got in trouble for at least a month."

Of course, on the list of dumb things that 14-year-old boys do, Brantley's little tale ranks definitively low.
And that's pretty much the point.

There is an air about the 22-year-old Brantley, who projects as the Tribe's regular left fielder in 2010, that defies his youth. Always has been, in fact.
"I've always been told I'm mature for my age," he said. "That if you didn't know and had to guess, you'd think I was older. That's all due to how I was raised, growing up. I was always around older guys, and it taught me to grow up faster."

These were no ordinary "older guys." These were professional ballplayers and coaches. The young Brantley was surrounded by them because his father, Mickey, was himself a big league outfielder and, in Michael's youth, a coach at the Major and Minor League levels in the Giants, Mets and Blue Jays systems.
"I learned their maturity and ways, and I just kind of copied that," Michael said.

All those learning experiences culminated in what transpired last September, when Brantley received his first promotion to the Majors and played and acted as if he had been there his entire life. Though he did not have a dominant season at the Triple-A level, he was a natural with the Tribe, collecting a hit in his first eight games and reaching base safely in 25 of 28 games played.
This was, the Indians hope, the first step toward Brantley fulfilling the promise that made them target him in the July 2008 trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers. Brantley came to the organization as a much-heralded prospect who some think can one day step into the leadoff role full-time.

But if you're around Brantley, you get the sense that he didn't have to turn to baseball to be successful. His gumption and work ethic lead one to believe he would have been a success at any chosen career path.
His lack of pretension about his talents is also palpable.
"My mother and father really taught me the value of a dollar," he said.

And what wasn't taught, Brantley learned.
He'd say he learned it the hard way by busing tables in high school at a TGI Friday's near his Port St. Lucie, Fla., home. It was an inglorious occupation that Brantley still thinks about when he sees the money fans invest into their favorite sports teams.
"It was hard-earned sweat," he said of that job. "Nobody wants to work at a restaurant. But I was around people all the time and got great people skills from it. And it was hard work. I had to go in each day and bust my butt just to make a couple dollars so I could buy a pair of shoes or go to the school dance. What I learned is how hard it is to earn a dollar."

Now that he gets paid to do what he loves -- with the possibility of some hefty payments coming down the road -- Brantley remembers those lessons. And when he talks about his offseason, in which he has supplemented his winter conditioning with regular fishing trips and rounds of golf, he knows how blessed he is.
"Baseball's a mentally tiring sport," he said. "When I'm out there fishing or golfing, it really relaxes me. Who can say they can do that two or three times a week? I can, and I'm very fortunate."

Brantley is young enough that this perspective hasn't been challenged considerably yet. It will be, in time, and he's aware of the trappings of success and how they can change a person.
But the kid who was once scolded by the officer next door likes to keep his mistakes to a minimum and his head on straight.
"I'm always going to go about my life just like I am now," he said. "I enjoy playing for the fans. I'll shake every hand I can. Seeing smiles on kids' faces and playing for the fans? That's what this game is all about."

[Hope]

hopefully this is the end of this part of the story.

Cleveland Indians' Grady Sizemore discusses infamous photos, 2010 season

It's good to know Grady Sizemore hasn't been traded.
He reported to Progressive Field on Thursday to talk to reporters about those near-naked pictures of himself that hit the four corners of cyberspace in November. After the question and answer period -- including one from a reporter who said she enjoyed the pictures -- Sizemore went to a luncheon with team sponsors.
The Indians' center fielder, appearing fit and rested, looked like a law student headed for class. Neat haircut complemented by a shirt, tie, sweater, jeans and suede loafers. If he'd been wearing that outfit in the pictures that he took of himself and sent to his girlfriend, former Playboy centerfold Brittany Binger, the only reason he'd have to meet with reporters Thursday would be to give an update on his two off-season surgeries
How boring is that?

"We all know what happened," Sizemore said. "I never intended for any of this to be public. It's a private matter. I apologize that I have to be here and talking about it right now. But I'm doing what I can to put it behind me."

MLB and Sizemore's representatives, Creative Artists Agency, launched an investigation to find the hacker. Sizemore would not say if the guilty party has been apprehended.
"The proper authorities handled it the best way they could," Sizemore said. "I'll let them take care of it and go about my business."

MLB said the matter was "resolved."

Sizemore apologized to the Indians, his teammates and fans for involving them. "Yes, it's embarrassing," he said. He feels that he did nothing wrong.
"It's scary that something like this can happen," Sizemore said. "It's not like we were out there advertising ourselves. This was something shared between the two of us and someone managed to get a hold of it and do what they did."

Sizemore and Binger are still together.

The Indians have Sizemore, 27, under contract through 2011 with a club option for 2012.
"I hope there is a long-term future for me here," he said. "I've always enjoyed being an Indian. I'd love to spend my career here and be a part of this organization for as long as I could."

CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, Casey Blake, Ryan Garko, Rafael Betancourt, Carl Pavano, Paul Byrd, Edward Mujica, Kelly Shoppach, Mark DeRosa and Ben Francisco probably all felt the same at one time. Over the past two years, they were traded in an on-going fire sale that has reduced the roster to a few veterans and a lot of youngsters.
"I definitely feel like I've been left behind," Sizemore said. "Some of the close friends that you had, that you formed relationships with as friends and teammates, have all been traded and moved on.
"I definitely think this is a good chance to start over with a new group of guys. I really like the young guys we've got and the veterans that we have. I'm looking forward to starting something new this year."

Sizemore's last game in 2009 was Sept. 3. His season ended early because he needed surgery on his left elbow and left groin. He'd been playing with both injuries since spring training.
He's been running, hitting and throwing since December.
"I'm feeling good," he said. "I should be ready to go by spring training."

Sizemore hit .248 (108-for-436) with 20 doubles, six triples, 18 homers and 64 RBI last season. He said the elbow injury hurt his play the most. He had trouble throwing and he couldn't work on his swing between games because of the pain.
Manager Manny Acta has said he's likely to keep Sizemore in center field and the leadoff spot early in the season even though Michael Brantley played well in September as Sizemore's replacement. If Brantley makes the club out of spring training, Acta doesn't want to overburden him.

Later in the season, it would not be surprising if Sizemore is moved to the middle of the lineup to make room for Brantley in the leadoff spot.
"We haven't gotten into those discussions yet," Sizemore said. "For me, I've always said that's not a big deal. I'll hit wherever is best for the team and play wherever I have to play."

Empty handed:The Indians have been negotiating with Orlando Hudson's agents for the past several days, but failed to sign him. The AL rival Twins signed Hudson on Thursday night to a one-year $5 million deal.
The Twins, Nationals and Indians have been pursuing Hudson. If the Indians had signed Hudson, they would have started him at second base and moved young Luis Valbuena to a utility role.

The Indians' biggest need is starting pitching, but with the market thinning, and little money to spend, GM Mark Shapiro has explored other avenues to improve the club. Hudson, a Gold Glove winner, would have helped the Tribe's pitching with his defense.
If the Indians had signed Hudson, it's unclear if they would have to trade another player to free salary to pay him.
"We've had discussions that would involve a complementary move and others that wouldn't," Shapiro said.

Hudson hit .283 (156-for-551) with 74 runs, 35 doubles, six triples, nine homers and 62 RBI last season for the Dodgers before losing his starting job to late-season acquisition Ronnie Belliard.

Video of Grady Discussing The above

[InsaneJedi]

Seriously? They included Edward Mujica in that list? We didn't get anybody for him! It was a PTBNL or cash, and we presumably got cash. Anyone who thinks we traded Mujica to stock up on prospects is sorely mistaken. The guy just couldn't cut it in our bullpen, and was out of options.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

that guy was terrible, he did nothing to make anybody believe he was going to do anythiny...it helps pitching in san diego and in the national league

[Hope]

From what I could tell its wasn't about what they got for these guys... But rather Grady's feelings about his friends leaving and how he felt about it and how they inturn may have felt about it as well at one point or another.

CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, Casey Blake, Ryan Garko, Rafael Betancourt, Carl Pavano, Paul Byrd, Edward Mujica, Kelly Shoppach, Mark DeRosa and Ben Francisco probably all felt the same at one time. Over the past two years, they were traded in an on-going fire sale that has reduced the roster to a few veterans and a lot of youngsters.
"I definitely feel like I've been left behind," Sizemore said. "Some of the close friends that you had, that you formed relationships with as friends and teammates, have all been traded and moved on.

Now I got that from this last paragraph.

[Hope]

Cleveland Indians equipment truck leaves for spring training Monday

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There's no turning back now. Spring training is upon us.

The sure sign of that is when the Indians equipment truck heads for Goodyear, Ariz. The truck leaves Progressive Field on Monday at 9:30 a.m.

Before the truck pulls away Tony Amato, clubhouse and equipment manager, and assistant Marty Bokovitz will be available for interviews. The truck is not scheduled to speak.

Indians pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 21 with the first workout taking place Feb. 23. Position players report Feb. 24, take their physicals Feb. 25 and will join pitchers and catchers for the first full-squad workout Feb. 25.

The Indians, who will share Goodyear Ballpark with the Cincinnati Reds for the first time this spring, open Cactus League play against them on March 5. This will be the Reds first year in the desert after leaving Sarasota, Fla. Goodyear built the Reds a brand new training facility just as they did the Indians.

The Tribe left its Florida home in Winter Haven for the Arizona desert in 2009.

[Hope]

Indians.com: Veteran Wright joins Tribe's bullpen chase - Righty signs Minor League deal with invite to spring camp

CLEVELAND -- It's getting crowded in the Indians' bullpen picture. And competition can only be a good thing for a team that had the fourth-worst relief ERA in the big leagues last year.
Another veteran possibility has been added to the picture in right-hander Jamey Wright. The Indians announced on Tuesday that they have signed Wright to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training.

With the 35-year-old Wright in the fold, this is where the Tribe's bullpen stands:
Closer Kerry Wood, right-handers Chris Perez and Joe Smith and left-hander Rafael Perez are all assured jobs if healthy. Left-hander Tony Sipp would also appear to have a leg up on a spot, based on his 2009 results.

The other relievers on the 40-man roster are Hector Ambriz, Jensen Lewis and Jess Todd. Lewis and Todd have Minor League options, but Ambriz is a Rule 5 pick who must either be kept on the Opening Day roster or offered back to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Out-of-options starters Mitch Talbot and Jeremy Sowers could also enter the bullpen mix if they don't land a job in the rotation.

Wright is the fourth veteran reliever offered a non-roster invitation to camp. He joins right-handers Jason Grilli and Saul Rivera and left-hander Mike Gosling, all of whom will compete for a job.
A veteran of 14 Major League seasons, Wright began his big league career in 1996 with the Rockies, who took him with their first-round pick in the 1993 Draft. He has since spent time with the Brewers, Cardinals, Royals, Giants and Rangers.
Wright led the Royals with 65 relief appearances last year, going 3-5 with a 4.33 ERA, striking out 60 and walking 44 in 79 innings of work. The opposition batted .247 off him. His innings pitched were the seventh most in the American League.

Wright made a career-high 75 appearances out of the Rangers' bullpen in 2008, tying for the third-most in the AL, and he posted an 8-7 record and 5.12 ERA.
For his career, he is 82-115 with a 5.03 ERA in 420 games, including 246 starts.

The Indians now have 19 non-roster invitees going to camp.

[Hope]

Cleveland Indians sign durable reliever Jamey Wright to minor league deal

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Another day, another arm for manager Manny Acta.

The Indians signed veteran right-hander Jamey Wright to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training with the big league club. Indians pitchers and catchers report to Goodyear, Ariz. on Feb. 21.

Wright, 35, made 65 relief appearances with the Royals last season. It was the most by a Kansas City reliever. He would have led Tribe relievers as well.

He went 3-5 with a 4.33 ERA (38 earned runs in 79 innings). Wright struck out 60, walked 44 and allowed 73 hits. His WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched) was 1.48.

Wright's 79 innings ranked seventh in the AL for relievers. The opposition hit .247 against him with eight homers.

In 2008, Wright led Texas with 75 relief appearances, third most in the AL that season. His combined 163.1 relief innings over the 2008 and 2009 seasons are the most in the big leagues. His 140 combined appearances rank fifth in the AL.

Wright, a first-round pick by Colorado in 1993, is 82-115 with a 5.03 ERA in 420 games, including 246 starts, in his career. He won a career-high 11 games for Milwaukee in 2001.

The Indians have invited 17 players to spring training including pitchers Mike Gosling, Jason Grilli, Frank Hermann, Yohan Pino, Anthony Reyes, Saul Rivera, Alex White and Wright.

[Hope]

Cleveland.com: Michael Brantley not taking his shot at the Cleveland Indians lineup for granted

(Note: There is a video)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- At its center, baseball is a me game wrapped in a frail team concept.
If a player doesn't do what he's supposed to do, no matter how small the opportunity given, it doesn't take long for him to be replaced. So when one me internalizes and does what he does best, it's good news. The news is better when nine mes do it at the same time.

Michael Brantley joined the Indians last season in September. The Good Ship Wahoo was listing.
They were headed for 97 losses, the most in 18 years. The only reason Brantley was promoted was because Grady Sizemore, the Indians' best player, was about to go on the disabled list for not one, but two operations. The captain and the crew of this distressed vessel knew they were going to walk the plank when they dropped anchor for the last time.
Not the greatest spot to be a rah-rah rookie leading the team in chatter. But a good time to play hard, keep your mouth shut and impress the right people.

Brantley played his first two games in left field against Detroit. He batted eighth. When Sizemore was shut down on Sept. 5, Brantley moved to center field and the leadoff spot. Heady stuff for a 22-year-old in the big leagues for the first time.
All Brantley did was hit .313 (35-for-112) and score 10 runs in 28 games. He made one error.
"I heard plenty about him," said new manager Manny Acta. "Obviously it helps to have a father like Mickey Brantley, who played in the big leagues and coached in the big leagues and was able to educate him on the everyday hassles of being a major-league player."

Mickey Brantley played parts of four seasons with Seattle from 1986 through 1989. He was Toronto's hitting coach.
"It comes from being baseball-raised," said Brantley, referring to his September performance. "It came from my father talking to me and helping me through it to all the players making me comfortable in the locker room. That was a really big help for me."

The glare of the big leagues gives equal time to talent and deficiencies.
For the good, Brantley hit safely in his first eight games, only the second Indian in the last 50 years to start his career that way. Overall he reached base in 25 of his 28 games.
For the bad, 31 his 35 hits were singles, which may explain why he added 10 pounds of muscle over the off-season. After stealing 46 bases in 51 attempts (90 percent) at Class AAA Columbus, he was 4-for-8 (50 percent) with the Indians. In five minor-league seasons, Brantley has always walked more than he's struck out, but he struck out 19 times against eight walks with the Tribe.

Brantley has spent the winter processing all of that information. After finishing in a first-place tie for the International League in steals, he wasn't surprised that things were harder in the big leagues.
"At the big league level they're very smart," said Brantley. "They know when you're running and know when you're not running. They know the counts just like you do."
He said the 10 pounds he added came through weightlifting and haven't cost him any speed.

At Columbus, Brantley drew 59 walks, while striking out 48 times. In 1,849 minor-league at-bats, he's walked 258 times and struck out 190 times. Jonathan Nunnally was Brantley's hitting coach in Columbus and he'll be his hitting coach with the Indians this year.
Brantley goes to spring training with a chance to start in left. Trevor Crowe, Jordan Brown, Austin Kearns and Shelley Duncan will be competing for the same job.
"I don't think I did enough at all to guarantee the job," said Brantley. "It's only one month. Yes, I'm happy with the month, but it's not enough to say I'm guaranteed the job.
"I never want to feel that way. I want to feel I earned the job."

Said Acta, "What he did in September gives him a leg up on the position. That being said, we all know he's 22 and we're still not going to be handing out jobs because we all have to do what's best for the Indians and for the kid himself."

[Hope]

Acta ready to lay foundation for tenure - New manager eyeing better Tribe April in first season

CLEVELAND -- There will be questions answered by the Indians in Spring Training camp.

The rotation, in which only a healthy Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona and Justin Masterson seem to have guaranteed spots, will be filled out from a mix of competitors that includes Aaron Laffey, David Huff, Jeremy Sowers, Mitch Talbot and Carlos Carrasco.

Matt LaPorta's health will be evaluated, and his readiness for Opening Day will go a long way toward determining what the Indians do at first base and in left field. Utility infield and bullpen spots will also be filled.

But this will be an important developmental year for this organization, and the specific makeup of the Opening Day roster could prove to be a trivial matter by season's end.

What will matter more, in the long run, is whether a new manager, Manny Acta, can establish a positive, successful working environment with a young group of players. To that end, Spring Training, which officially kicks off when pitchers and catchers report to the Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Feb. 21, will be a meaningful evaluation period for a new coaching staff working with an impressionable group.

Acta, obviously, has given all this a decent amount of thought in the three and a half months since he took the job with the Tribe. And he assembled his coaches in Goodyear last month to talk about the challenges that lie ahead.

"I wanted them to hear how these players have been evaluated the last few years, physically and mentally," he said, "so they come into Spring Training and aren't blindsided by any of our players and approach each individual the proper way."

Of course, the coaches -- including pitching coach Tim Belcher, hitting coach Jon Nunnally, bullpen coach Scott Radinsky, bench coach Tim Tolman, first-base and catchers coach Sandy Alomar Jr. and third-base and infield coach Steve Smith -- are encouraged to only read so much into those reports. When camp begins, they'll form their own set of opinions.

The same goes for Acta.

"I'm not just going to rely on what I've heard," Acta said. "That's what Spring Training is for."

Acta knows he's inheriting a team that few people are expecting to contend this season. He adamantly refutes any notion that the club is in "rebuild" mode, but he also knows the concerns about the starting rotation, in particular, are real.

What Acta wants to do in the weeks leading up to Opening Day is establish an air of positivity in the clubhouse of a team that hasn't had a winning season since 2007. He wants his players not to focus on the talent that has been dealt away over the last two years, but on the talent that's here.

"Every one of these guys is confident in their abilities," Acta said. "They know what went wrong here, and we're going to throw some numbers at them, too, to show them what went wrong and how to fix it."

One area that interests Acta is the Tribe's trend of slow starts. The Indians had five losing Aprils in seven seasons under former skipper Eric Wedge, and Acta plans to address that with his club.

"We just need to make them aware of the slow starts and the plan we're putting together for Spring Training to see if that can help," Acta said. "Sometimes you do everything you can and, at the end of the day, you still can't control that. But we have a plan in place."

What does that plan entail?

"We're going to attack it different ways," he said. "The main thing is to probably put together our ballclub for the last week to 10 days and throw them out there, so they can be together and go all-out, so we don't have to turn on a switch in Chicago [on Opening Day]."

Acta seems to think he can assemble his Opening Day roster relatively quickly.

"We don't have that many spots [open]," he said. "We only have a couple of fights for spots. Most of the guys are pretty much settled. So it's just a matter of getting the best out of them and getting everybody on the same page."

One of the reasons the Indians hired Acta, disregarding his .385 winning percentage in two and a half years with the Nationals, was what they deem to be his ability to relate to young players and keep them motivated, even when the results aren't encouraging.

"He's obviously a guy that's got a lot of charisma, that's excited to be here," general manager Mark Shapiro said. "There is a power in the fact that he's excited to be here. He resonates a positive energy that I think has a chance to impact our team in a meaningful way."

In a matter of days, Acta and his coaches will get their first chance to make that impact. And Acta is expecting the players to be responsive.

"These are all high-character guys," he said, "and I know they're going to strive to make some changes here."

[Hope]

Indians have plenty of young options Evaluating prospects as important as building roster

CLEVELAND -- In less than a week, Indians pitchers and catchers will report to the club's Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz.

The key word there, of course, is development, as that figures to be the theme of the 2010 season.

And what better place for new manager Manny Acta and his coaching staff to gauge the talents and capabilities of a young, rebuilding ballclub than in Spring Training camp? For the Tribe, this camp won't be as much about forming the Opening Day roster as it will be about getting a read on the players in the pipeline -- the ones the Indians hope to build around in their next contention cycle.

"We have a lot of intriguing options," general manager Mark Shapiro said.

The options have begun to roll into the complex. Several notable players, including Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, Jhonny Peralta, Asdrubal Cabrera, Luis Valbuena, Matt LaPorta, Jake Westbrook and Rafael Perez are already regulars in Goodyear. Several more players are due to arrive this week.

Pitchers and catchers will hold their first official workout Feb. 23, with position players joining them for the first full-squad workout Feb. 26.

The Spring Training calendar turns toward game activity on Friday, March 5, when the Indians open their Cactus League slate with a game against the Reds, their Ohio brethren who are joining them in Goodyear this spring. The two clubs will share the Goodyear Ballpark facility but have separate complexes and clubhouses.

So, what do the Indians hope to accomplish under the Arizona sun?

Well, there are some position battles to be had. And that all begins in the starting rotation, which, as is well-documented, will make or break this ballclub's contention hopes in 2010.

We know this much about the rotation. If Westbrook, nearly two years removed from Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, is healthy, he's the Tribe's Opening Day starter. And as long as right-handers Fausto Carmona and Justin Masterson both have their arms intact at the end of camp, they'll likely follow him.

The last two spots are difficult to predict. It will be interesting to see how left-handers Aaron Laffey, David Huff and Jeremy Sowers and right-hander Mitch Talbot fare in their bid to land a rotation spot. Laffey and Huff have their '09 performances in their favor, as Laffey was a valuable member of both the rotation and the bullpen at different points and Huff led the team in wins (11) as a rookie. But Sowers and Talbot are both out of Minor League options, which could work in their favor. Spring performance could be the final determining factor.

On the development side, spring camp will give the Major League coaching staff a look at right-handers Carlos Carrasco, Hector Rondon and Jeanmar Gomez. None of these young prospects is expected to crack the Opening Day rotation, but they'll all be in Triple-A Columbus this season, just a phone call away from the big leagues.

More competition exists in the bullpen, where the Indians will have some choices to make between the upside of youth and the potential benefits of experience.

Closer Kerry Wood and setup men Chris Perez, Rafael Perez and Joe Smith are assured spots in the 'pen. But several young members of the 40-man roster, including Tony Sipp, Jensen Lewis and Jess Todd, will have to compete against some veterans brought in on Minor League contracts, including Jason Grilli, Saul Rivera and Jamey Wright. Talbot and/or Sowers could also find themselves in the bullpen battle if they don't land a rotation spot.

The Indians also added Hector Ambriz to the relief mix, and his story will be an intriguing one to follow this spring. He's the Tribe's first Rule 5 Draft pickup in 15 years, and he'll have to either make the Opening Day roster or be offered back to the D-backs.

From a position player standpoint, the Indians are much more set, though a few battles do exist.

Behind the plate, Lou Marson is the odds-on favorite to win the starting catcher position, with veteran free-agent signee Mike Redmond backing him up. But the Indians will also give Wyatt Toregas a chance to fight for the job. They'll also be evaluating the progress of top prospect Carlos Santana, who is recovering from right hand surgery and figures to open the 2010 season at Triple-A Columbus.

At first base, LaPorta's readiness for Opening Day following a pair of October surgeries on his left hip and left big toe will be a matter worth tracking, as it has roster ramifications. If LaPorta, who projects to see the bulk of his time at first base, isn't ready, the Indians will give strong consideration to Andy Marte, who is out of Minor League options, and non-roster invitee Shelley Duncan.

Second base seemingly belongs to Valbuena, though the Indians have to decide how to dole out the at-bats. If Valbuena is protected against left-handed pitching, that opens the door to a decent amount of playing time for the middle-infield utility man. Non-roster invitees Mark Grudzielanek and Luis Rodriguez, prospect Jason Donald and recent trade acquisition Brian Bixler will compete for that job.

Left field is another area of intrigue. Michael Brantley made a strong first impression last September and has, in Acta's words, a "leg up" on the starting duties. But he'll be pushed by non-roster invitees Duncan and Austin Kearns, as well as reigning International League batting champ Jordan Brown and Trevor Crowe.

Overseeing all these evaluations and decisions will be Acta, who is hungrier than ever to succeed at this level and build a winning ballclub after two and a half largely humbling years with the Nationals.

Let the development begin.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

Victor Martinez Hopes To Avoid Free Agency
By Tim Dierkes [February 15 at 8:18am CST]
Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald has an excellent article about Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez this morning. Martinez explained that unlike some other players, he doesn't want to test free agency:

"I don't want to be jumping around, I don’t want to go somewhere else, First, I didn’t want to go out of the Indians organization. Then I'm out, and now I'm here. I came to the place where a lot of players dream to come and a lot of players wish to play here in Boston. So I'm here, I do really want to stay here and hopefully end my career in Boston."

Regarding possible extension talks, Martinez says he's "open now until the season starts." The Red Sox have a shot at getting a reasonable deal done, just as the Indians did when they locked Martinez up for five years at $15.5MM back in '05. For more Martinez discussion, check out this MLBTR post from Wednesday.

Its Victor so as far as im concerned its tribe news

[Hope]

Indians.com: Indians extend offer to Branyan Left-handed hitter would provide depth at corner positions

CLEVELAND -- Looking for depth at the corner infield and outfield spots, the Indians have an offer on the table to free agent Russell Branyan, though it was unclear on Tuesday if it's a Major League guarantee or a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training camp.

In negotiating with Branyan, who, according to FoxSports.com, has also received interest from the Rays and Red Sox, the Indians are seeking an insurance option at first base because Matt LaPorta will be coming off surgeries on his left hip and left big toe. But Branyan, who had a strong 2009 season with the Mariners, also has experience at third base and in the corner outfield positions, and that versatility could come into play.

LaPorta has been cleared to resume full baseball activities, which certainly will help his chances of being ready for Opening Day. In the left-handed-hitting Branyan, the Indians would have a veteran bat to potentially platoon with the right-handed-hitting LaPorta at first base.

The Indians have a long history with the 34-year-old Branyan, going back to when they took him in the 1994 Draft. He made his Major League debut with the Tribe in 1998.

In 2002, the Indians traded Branyan to the Reds, only to reacquire him two years later in a trade with the Braves. Branyan spent a couple of months with Triple-A Buffalo in that 2004 season before he was traded to the Brewers. Near the end of the '07 season, the Indians signed Branyan to a Minor League deal, then sent him to the Phillies two days later.

Branyan seemingly resurrected his career with Seattle last year, batting .251 with 31 homers, 76 RBIs and an .867 OPS. But concerns about his back, which sidelined him for the last month of the season, have made it difficult for him to land a job this winter. He has reportedly made significant progress in his recovery from the back problem.

All of Branyan's time with the Mariners was at first base. He hasn't played third base since 2008 and hasn't been in the outfield since 2007.

In 882 games over the past 12 seasons, Branyan has compiled a .234 average, .822 OPS, 164 homers and 396 RBIs. He has logged 946 strikeouts in 2,431 at-bats.

Branyan would, of course, do nothing to address the decidedly left-handed nature of the Tribe lineup. He likely wouldn't get many at-bats at the DH spot, which belongs to fellow left-hander Travis Hafner. Manager Manny Acta had said earlier this winter that he'd like to see the Indians add another right-handed bat to the mix.

[Hope]

Cleveland.com: Cleveland Indians reportedly make offer to Russell Branyan

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have reportedly made an offer to Russell Branyan, who hit 31 homers with Seattle last season, but failed to draw serious interest on the free agent market. MLB.com reported that the Indians have an offer on the table to the left-handed hitter.

Branyan was a seventh round draft pick of the Indians in 1994. He had a career year last season with 31 homers and 76 RBI, but played only 116 games because of a bad back. The back injury limited his market value.

With the Indians, Branyan can offer protection at first and third base and DH. He can also play right and left field, but he hasn't done that in a while.

First baseman Matt LaPorta, coming off surgery on his left toe and left hip, was just cleared to resume baseball activities Monday. It's still not known if he'll be ready to play on opening day. DH Travis Hafner is also coming off two years of right shoulder problems.

Branyan spent first 8 1/2 years of his professional career with the Indians before he was traded to Cincinnati for Ben Broussard on June 7, 2002. He rejoined the Tribe briefly in 2004 and 2007, playing exclusively at Class AAA Buffalo, before moving on.

The Indians have been negotiating with free agents Branyan, Hank Blalock and Jermaine Dye.


Catch up: Carlos Santana, who didn't get a chance to play winter ball because of a broken hamate bone in his right hand that required surgery, is in Goodyear, Ariz., getting ready for spring training. Lonnie Soloff, Indians head athletic trainer, said Santana's injury should be able to play in some Cactus League games.

Finally: Right-hander Jamey Wright made $1.4 million last season with the Royals. He made a base salary of $800,000 and $600,000 in incentives for making 65 relief appearances. He'll be in camp with the Indians this spring on a minor league deal. If he makes the club, he'll earn a base of $900,000 with a chance to make $700,000 more should he appears in 70 games.

[Hope]

Cleveland.com: Bidding for Russell Branyan down to Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It appears the bidding for Russell Branyan is down to the Indians and Rays. Foxsports.com reports that Boston is no longer interested and that has been confirmed.

The team that secures Branyan's services will most likely be the one that can guarantee him the most at-bats. Right now, it's believed that the money being offered by the Indians and Rays is about equal.

The Indians like Branyan because he gives them power and protection at first, third, DH and the corner outfield spots. First baseman Matt LaPorta is coming off surgery on his left big toe and hip. DH Travis Hafner has been slowed by a sore right shoulder for the last two years.

Branyan hit .251 (108-for-431) with 31 homers and 76 RBI last year for Seattle. He struck out 149 times and 53 of his 108 hits went for extra bases. His OPS was .867.

A bad back cost Branyan, 34, a multiyear contract this winter and a chance to stay in Seattle. The Mariners traded for Casey Kotchman and signed former Indian Ryan Garko to play first base. With spring training camps opening this weekend, Branyan is still unsigned.

GM Mark Shapiro would not comment on the negotiations. Branyan made $1.4 million last year.

Branyan has hit 210 homers in the minors and 164 in the big leagues. He's a former Indians draft pick and spent the first 8 1/2 years of his pro career in the organization.

Look, but don't touch: The Indians were one of 15 teams who expressed an interest in injured right-hander Chien-Ming Wang this winter. They seriously considered him before deciding about six weeks ago it wasn't a good fit. - Wang signed with the Nationals on Tuesday.

[Hope]

Touted Nunnally brings confidence to job Tribe's new hitting coach fair, familiar with players

CLEVELAND -- Jon Nunnally's reputation preceded him to Cleveland. And in this case, that was a good thing.

When new manager Manny Acta and the Indians were deciding what to do with the hitting coach spot, Nunnally was a clear candidate, given the work he had done with the Tribe's young hitters at Triple-A Columbus. But Nunnally also had established hitters such as Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, who had become familiar with Nunnally's talents, going to bat for him.

"It means a lot to me," Nunnally said. "I think I got the job in the right way."

So what makes the 38-year-old Nunnally, who played professionally for 15 seasons and spent parts of six seasons in the Majors, such a joy to work with?

Allow Nunnally to explain.

"The main thing," he said, "is in talking to these [hitters], I don't treat anybody different. You've got the Travis Hafners [established Major Leaguers] and you have the Beau Millses [prospects] and all these guys in different levels. But I work with everybody the same.

"You have a guy in rookie ball, I'm going to work with him just like I work with my Major League guys. I'm fair with everybody. I never say, 'This guy won't make it to the big leagues or can't do it.' I let them know they all have the ability to do the things they want to during the game, and I give them all the confidence in the world that they are the best."

Nunnally has confidence in the situation he's inheriting. But he knows the Indians are not without their share of projects.

This is an offensive unit that finished eighth in the American League in runs scored (773, or 4.8 runs per game), seventh in batting average (.264), fourth in doubles (314), 10th in homers (161), sixth in on-base percentage (.339) and eighth in slugging percentage (.417).

Now, had Sizemore not been injured, and had Victor Martinez and Mark DeRosa not been traded, the Indians undoubtedly would have seen better end results on the offensive end. But Nunnally's job is to get more consistency out of the bats, regardless of who is slotted into the lineup.

"I know each and every hitter," he said. "I've talked with them. I know what makes them tick. I know a lot of the problems they go through. A lot of these guys have been in [the big leagues] for a couple years, so it's a little bit easier to talk to them and know what to expect. When things start to go bad for them, I know what to go to them with. We have a connection because we've been working together so long."

Nunnally got into the coaching ranks immediately after his playing days came to a close in 2006. He was the hitting coach at Class A Kinston in '07 and '08 before joining the staff at Columbus last year.

Acta's decision on the hitting coach came down to Nunnally and Minor League field coordinator Dave Hudgens, who has experience as a Major League hitting coach with the A's. Both men were at Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason, with Hudgens managing and Nunnally serving as his hitting coach for the eventual Venezuelan League champs.

Nunnally said the situation of vying for the job with Hudgens was not awkward. In fact, he credited Hudgens with helping him get to this point in his career. Hudgens was the Tribe's Minor League hitting coordinator at the time Nunnally joined the organization as a coach.

"I've always talked to Dave," Nunnally said. "He let me get my plan of attack of how to attack these hitters. He helped me a lot. He helped me get some things together in my mind and put plans together."

Nunnally has begun to formulate his plans for the likes of Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo as they continue to grow as Major League threats. He'll also be entrusted with getting Sizemore back on track after his injury-plagued '09 and Hafner back on track now that his shoulder issues are apparently behind him.

"Each individual is different," Nunnally said. "Being different, you work with them all in different ways. I have to get to know every person -- take the time to get to know them. That makes it easier to teach and work for them."

[Hope]

Cleveland.com: Only a physical stands in the way of Cleveland Indians signing Russell Branyan

CLEVELAND -- If Russell Branyan passes his physical, he'll be pulling on an Indians uniform for the fourth time in his career just in time for spring training. He's scheduled to take the physical in a "few days' in Goodyear, Ariz., where the Indians open camp Sunday.
GM Mark Shapiro would only say that, "We're making progress" with Branyan and his agents.

ESPN is reporting that the Indians have signed Branyan to a one-year deal worth $2 million. The deal reportedly includes a mutual option for 2011 worth $5 million. Any deal depends on Branyan getting a clean bill of health. There are question about his back.
Boston, Tampa Bay and the Indians have been tracking Branyan this week. Boston dropped out at midweek to make it a two-team tug-of-war for the left-handed slugger, who hit 31 homers and struck out 149 times last year for Seattle..

A source said Branyan would pick the team that guaranteed him the most at-bats because the money being offered was believed to be a wash.
Shapiro said negotiations with Tampa Bay have been spirited. The Rays are a much better team than the Indians, but play in the rugged AL East and have power-hitting Carlos Pena at first and All-Star Evan Longoria at third. Branyan's competition at the Indians infield corner positions is not nearly as stout with Matt LaPorta at first and Jhonny Peralta at third. Branyan can also play the left and right field.
Branyan, who had a career power year cut short by a bad back last season, made $1.4 million in 2009.

He spent the first 8 1/2 years of his pro career with the Indians. He broke into the big leagues in 1998 before the Indians traded him to Cincinnati in 2002 for Ben Broussard. He returned twice more at the Class AAA level.
Branyan played with Tampa Bay in 2006.
It will be interesting to see how the Indians use him if the deal goes through. He's expected to see most of his time at first where LaPorta is coming off surgery on his left toe and hip. LaPorta could be moved to left field where he could cost Michael Brantley a chance to open the season in the big leagues.
He would also offer protection at DH where Travis Hafner has battled right shoulder problems for the last two years.

Branyan hit .251 (108-for-431) with 31 homers and 76 RBI last year. His 149 strikeouts were offset by 58 extra base hits and an OPS of .867.
His bad back cost him a multiyear contract this winter and a chance to stay in Seattle. The Mariners traded for Casey Kotchman and signed former Indian Ryan Garko to play first base when a deal couldn't be worked out with Branyan.
Branyan, 34, has hit 210 homers in the minors and 164 in the big leagues. He has 946 career strikeouts in 2,431 at bats.

Indians.com: Branyan accepts Indians' deal Veteran reportedly agrees to one-year, $2 million contract

CLEVELAND -- Russell Branyan has reportedly accepted the Indians' contract proposal and could emerge as the club's primary first baseman.
ESPN.com reported Friday afternoon that Branyan and the Indians have come to terms on a one-year contract with a $2 million base and up to $1 million in additional incentives. The deal would also reportedly include a 2011 mutual option worth $5 million.

The Indians did not immediately confirm or deny the report.

If the two sides have come to terms, Branyan, whose ailing back prevented him from playing the final month of the 2009 season with the Mariners, would have to complete a physical examination before the deal is complete. Branyan was not at the Tribe's Goodyear, Ariz., complex, where the physical would likely be conducted, on Friday.
Branyan was mulling over offers from the Indians and the Rays in recent days. The Indians were targeting veteran options at first base, where Matt LaPorta will be coming off left hip and left big toe surgeries. But Branyan, coming off a strong season with the Mariners, also has experience at third base and in the corner outfield, which could come into play. He could also be an insurance option at designated hitter, should Travis Hafner's surgically repaired right shoulder continue to give him problems.

LaPorta has been cleared to resume full baseball activities, which certainly helps his chances of being ready for Opening Day. In the left-handed-hitting Branyan, the Indians would have a veteran bat to potentially platoon with the right-handed-hitting LaPorta at first base. It's also possible that LaPorta could go back to left field.
The Indians have a long history with the 34-year-old Branyan, going back to when they took him in the 1994 Draft. He made his Major League debut with the Tribe in 1998.

In 2002, the Indians traded Branyan to the Reds, only to reacquire him two years later in a trade with the Braves. Branyan spent a couple months with Triple-A Buffalo in that '04 season before he was traded to the Brewers. Near the end of the '07 season, the Indians signed Branyan to a Minor League deal, then sent him to the Phillies two days later.
Branyan seemingly resurrected his career in Seattle last year, batting .251 with 31 homers, 76 RBIs and an .867 OPS. But concerns about his back made it difficult for him to land the multiyear deal he was looking for this winter. He has reportedly made significant progress in his recovery from the back issue.

All of Branyan's time with the Mariners came at first base. He hasn't played at third since 2008 and hasn't been in the outfield since 2007.
In 882 games over the last 12 seasons, Branyan has compiled a .234 average, .822 OPS, 164 homers and 396 RBIs. He has logged 946 strikeouts in 2,431 at-bats.
Branyan would be just the second -- and, likely, final -- free agent signed by the Tribe to a Major League contract this winter. The club also signed backup catcher Mike Redmond to a one-year, $850,000 deal.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

Well.... at least we get the Strikeouts back that we lost with shoppach

[TribefanstuckinMA]

Well.... at least we get the Strikeouts back that we lost with shoppach

OMG! I was thinking that exact same thing while I was reading this! "Glad" to see Shapiro's style of bringing on reclamation projects isn't dropping off his last year as GM.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

I mean it is a pretty low risk deal, and we do need a 1st basemen if laporta isnt ready. Besides I like Branyan, he may not be the ideal ..um batter... but ..... i like him more if he stays healthy so we can trade him

[Hope]

Cleveland.com:

INDIANS 2010 NOTABLE DATES
Goodyear, Ariz. — Pitchers and catchers report Sunday to spring training at the Indians' player development complex. Here are some key dates, facts and figures for the upcoming season.

Feb. 23: First official workout for pitchers and catchers.

Feb. 24: Position players report.

Feb. 26: First full-squad workout.

March 1: Early camp for minor-league prospects.

March 5: Indians open Cactus League season vs. Cincinnati at
Goodyear Ballpark. Game on WTAM AM/1100.

April 3: Indians end Cactus League season vs. Cincinnati at Goodyear Ballpark. Game on WTAM AM/1100.

April 5: Indians open regular season against Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field.

April 12: Indians play Texas in home opener at Progressive Field.

April 17: First of three free cap nights.
May 1: First $1 dog night. There will be five more.
May 7: First postgame fireworks show. It’s the first of 12.
June 13: Shin-Soo Choo bobblehead.
July 24: A bobblehead of Grady Sizemore making a catch against the center field wall.

[Hope]

Cleveland.com: Cleveland Indians briefing: Manny Acta feels good vibes on first day


GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- This will be a daily briefing of the Indians second spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. We're at 43 days and counting until the regular season opens April 5 in Chicago.

Day one: Indians pitchers and catchers reported to Goodyear, Ariz. today for spring training. Not much fanfare. Most of them have been here for several days if not weeks.

Good vibrations: Manager Manny Acta is impressed by the commitment his players have shown by reporting early to camp..
"It's exciting," said Acta. "So much has been said over the years about the new era ballplayer. These guys nowadays show a big-time commitment to their jobs. For the last week or so, it looks like we have our full squad here already. It's refreshing to see that."

Present and accounted for: Acta said every player who is supposed to be in camp has reported.

Weather: Quiet, rainy, cool. Sun started to break through later in the day.

Face in the crowd: Charlie Nagy, new Tribe Triple-A pitching coach, reported to camp. He came in carrying his gear in his hands. Clubhouse manager Tony Amato kiddingly said, "Nice equipment bag."

Lights, camera action: Fausto Carmona, Rafael Perez and a few other pitchers threw off the mound Sunday morning. New pitching coach Tim Belcher and bullpen coach Scott Radinsky watched.

More access: Autograph hunters will be happy with a move the Indians made this spring. A sidewalk has been built that allows fans to get closer to players as they make their way to and from the main diamond right outside the locker room. Fans and players will be separated by a 4-foot high chain link fence, which won't interfer with autographs or pictures.

Roster breakdown: The Tribe's 40-man roster includes 19 pitchers, five catchers, nine infielders and seven outfielders. There are 19 spring-training invitees, including 10 pitchers, one catcher, six infielders and two outfielders.
If Russell Branyan passes his physical Tuesday, the Indians will have 60 players in camp. Acta said he preferred to wait for official word on Branyan before talking about how he fits into the scheme of things.

Gutter ball: Matt Underwood, Tribe announcer, reported to camp with a broken middle finger on his left hand from a bowling mishap. Underwood and Rick Manning will start a week's worth of shows on SportsTime Ohio Monday at 10 p.m. Manager Manny Acta, Belcher and first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. will be their guests.

Schedule: Pitchers and catchers get their physicals Monday and start official practices Tuesday. Position players report Wednesday.

[Hope]

Russell Branyan provides some pre-camp intrigue as Cleveland Indians' pitchers, catchers report in Arizona

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Russell Branyan's anticipated arrival not only conjures thoughts of home runs and strikeouts, but of intrigue. If Branyan passes his physical Tuesday and becomes a member of the Indians, where is he going to play and who is going to lose at-bats or get bumped about because of it?

Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley could be in line for a bump or two if Branyan's back and other body parts get the all-clear from Indians team doctors.
"Let's wait until everything becomes official," said new manager Manny Acta, Sunday afternoon on the first day of spring training. "Then I'll answer all the questions."

Branyan played first base for Seattle last season when he hit a career-high 31 homers despite back pain. LaPorta was in line to play first this year even after undergoing surgery on his left hip and left big toe during the off-season. Now Branyan is a factor, which could make LaPorta a platoon player or move him to left field.

LaPorta played 29 games in left, 10 at first and 10 in right last season. If LaPorta moves to left, Brantley might be headed back to Class AAA Columbus so he can play regularly.
It's still unknown if LaPorta will be able to start the Cactus League season or the regular season on time because of his two surgeries.
"We still have to wait to see how he reacts to the everyday work we put in before we start playing games," said Acta.

LaPorta has been running, catching grounders and fly balls and swinging the bat in Goodyear.

Branyan can play right field and third base as well. He last played third in 2008. Could he be a platoon partner with Jhonny Peralta if it doesn't stress his back?

Pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report Sunday. A couple did, but most of the 29 pitchers and six catchers have been here for a while.
"I'm excited," said Acta. "The fact that I showed up here a week early and I could see Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera on the field a week before pitchers and catchers are supposed to be on the field ... that excites me."

Acta has been ready for camp to start since Christmas and New Year's came and went.
"This is a great time for every one of us," he said. "For the coaching staff and the players. Spring training is just a beautiful time. Everybody is zero and zero and looking forward to it."

Here are some other subjects Acta addressed:

Luis Valbuena: "He comes into camp as our second baseman. ... We're aware of his problems against left-handed pitchers. But we're going to give him a chance to show us what he's learned over the winter. We're not in the business of developing platoon players at 23 years old."

Fausto Carmona and Rafael Perez: "We're very encouraged by the way they threw the ball in winter ball. ... We're looking forward to them bouncing back."

Untested catchers Lou Marson and Wyatt Toregas. "It doesn't worry me. We need to find out about these guys. I think [first-base coach] Sandy Alomar and [pitching coach] Tim Belcher will be huge with our catchers and pitchers."


No comment: The Indians wouldn't say if Dominican shortstop Edward Salcedo is the one who got away or the one they wanted to get away. In fact, they didn't say much of anything when asked Sunday to comment on the Atlanta Braves reportedly being close to signing Salcedo.

Said John Mirabelli, the team's director of scouting operations, "As our policy, the Cleveland Indians do not comment on players who are not part of our organization whether it is a major-league free agent or amateur at any level. There is not reason for us to comment on who we may or may not have interest in."

Salcedo used to work out regularly at the Indians' baseball academy in the Dominican. In 2007, a Dominican newspaper reported that the Indians signed him for $2.3 million. The Indians denied the deal and reports that Salcedo lied about his age followed.

The Associated Press over the weekend reported that deal with the Indians was nullified when the United States government questioned whether Salcedo was born in 1989. The AP says Atlanta asked MLB to investigate Salcedo's age. MLB determined he was born in 1991.

Finally: Acta will wear No. 11 as Indians manager. He wore No. 14 with the Nationals, but 14 has been retired by the Indians to honor Hall of Famer Larry Doby.

[Hope]

Indians.com: Questions linger for Branyan, LaPorta - Veteran's physical to impact prospect's future

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Pitchers and catchers officially reported to the Indians' Player Development Complex on Sunday. That date, however, was merely ceremonial, as many of them had been here for several days and, in some cases, weeks.
In fact, nearly all of the 59 pitchers, catchers and position players on the Tribe's spring roster are already in camp and ready to gear up for the 2010 season.

On Tuesday, the guy likely to become the 60th member of that roster will arrive. Russell Branyan, who agreed to terms with the Indians on a one-year contract on Friday, is slated to show up that day to take the physical examination that both sides hope will complete the deal.
If all goes well with the physical -- and it generally takes a day for the Tribe to have the final results -- Branyan is slated to sign his name on a contract that will pay him a base salary of $2 million, with up to $1 million more in possible incentives. The deal also includes a 2011 mutual option worth $5 million.

That much is known. What's unclear is how the Indians will divvy up the first base at-bats between Branyan and highly touted youngster Matt LaPorta.
"Let's wait until everything becomes official," manager Manny Acta said Sunday. "Then we'll answer all those questions."

There are questions to be answered this spring regarding LaPorta's health. In October, he had arthroscopic surgery on his left hip, as well as a second surgical procedure to address a turf toe injury he suffered on the last day of the '09 season.
Acta said that, to this point, all the reports on LaPorta's recovery and potential preparedness for Opening Day 2010 are positive.
"He has already been working out on the field," Acta said. "We're going to monitor his at-bats and keep an eye on him."

Acta indicated that LaPorta might be a week behind his teammates, in terms of getting into Cactus League games.
"We still have to wait to see how he responds to everyday work he puts in before the games," Acta said.

All winter, Acta has made it clear he intends to give LaPorta, who batted .254 with a .750 OPS, seven homers and 21 RBIs in 52 games in his first exposure to the big leagues last year, the bulk of his playing time at first base. General manager Mark Shapiro, meanwhile, hasn't been so quick to make that assertion, as he's often listed left field as a possibility for LaPorta, who was solely an outfielder in his professional career before taking on some first base at Triple-A Columbus last season.

It could be that Branyan's presence bumps LaPorta back to left field, thereby bumping Michael Brantley back to Columbus. Or it could be that the left-handed-hitting Branyan and the right-handed-hitting LaPorta serve as a platoon, of sorts, at first base.
Ultimately, it will be up to Acta to decide, and he wasn't divulging his plans just yet. When asked who his first baseman would be "in a perfect world," he paused before giving his response.
"In a perfect world?" he said. "Albert Pujols."

Alas, the Indians operate in a world with a payroll somewhere in the neighborhood of $60 million. That's why they were quiet all winter before this recent activity in the bargain basement portion of the Hot Stove calendar.

The 34-year-old Branyan went into the winter looking for a multiyear deal, but concerns about his back, which prevented him from playing the last month of the '09 season with the Mariners, hurt his market. The Indians and Rays were in on Branyan last week, reportedly with similar offers. Ultimately, Branyan chose to sign with a Tribe team with which he has a long history.

Branyan was a seventh-round selection by the Indians in the 1994 Draft, and he made his Major League debut with the Tribe in 1998. In 2002, the Indians dealt Branyan to the Reds in the deal that netted them Ben Broussard. They reacquired Branyan in 2004, and he spent a couple months with Triple-A before he was traded to the Brewers. Near the end of the '07 season, the Indians signed Branyan to a Minor League deal, then dealt him to the Phillies two days later.

The '09 season saw Branyan's career resurrected with a strong first half in Seattle. For the season, he batted .251 with 31 homers, 76 RBIs and an .867 OPS before the back issue shut him down.

For now, the question is whether Branyan and his back will pass the Indians' physical exam. If Branyan gets past that stage, the next question will be how the Indians intend to use him and how his presence will affect the fate of LaPorta.

[Hope]

Cleveland.com: Cleveland Indians spring training briefing: Jeremy Sowers sidelined with strained left shoulder

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- This will be a daily briefing of the Indians second spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. We're at 42 days and counting until the regular season opens April 5 in Chicago. Follow me on twitter.com for daily updates.

Sidelined: Left-hander Jeremy Sowers says he'll be two weeks behind the Tribe's other pitchers as he rehabs a strained left shoulder. Indians pitchers will start throwing 10-minute bullpens Tuesday.
Sowers has been in Goodyear for over a month rehabbing the shoulder. It started giving him problems last season, but he said it wasn't bad enough to where he couldn't pitch. Sowers is out of options. It's hard to see him breaking camp with the big league club as a starter or reliever. So he may open the year on the disabled list.
He says surgery, at the moment, is not an option.

Day two: Indians pitchers and catchers, who reported Sunday, will undergo physicals today. First official workout is Tuesday.

Tower of babble: Manager Manny Acta and GM Mark Shapiro/Chris Antonetti will hold two-on-one meetings today with each of the 35 pitchers and catchers -- 29 pitchers, six catchers -- in camp. The meetings let each player know where he stands stand coming into camp. That includes what his chances are of making the big-league club and where he'll probably start the season.

In this corner: If they get through camp healthy, we already know who the opening day pitchers will be April 5 when the Indians start the regular season in Chicago against the White Sox. The Indians said Jake Westbrook would be their No.1 guy at the end of last season if his right elbow cooperated and that hasn't changed. On Sunday manager Ozzie Guillen said Mark Buehrle would do the honors for the Pale Hose. It will be a rematch of the 2005 season opener when Buehrle beat Westbrook, 1-0, at U.S. Cellular Field.
Westbrook missed all but five starts in the last two years because of Tommy John surgery on his elbow. Said Acta, "We'll keep our eye on Jake, but he has no (physical) restrictions."

Hello, neighbor: Just down the road from the Indians new player development complex stands the Reds new player development complex. There will be a press conference for left-hander Aroldis Chapman, a Cuban defector who signed a six-year $30.25 million deal during the offseason. GM Walt Jocketty, manager Dusty Baker and pitching coach Bryan Price will also attend.

Good packing: Left-hander Mike Gosling, who pitched with the Tribe last year and returns as a spring training invitee this year, carried his gear into the locker room Sunday afternoon in a big black garbage bag.
"The bag fits better into my car than my equipment bag," said Gosling.
Gosling made the drive to Goodyear from his home in San Diego.

No interruptions, please: Before speaking to reporters Sunday, Acta silenced not one, but two cellphones.
"I've got a Spanish phone, too," said Acta with a smile. "It only speaks Spanish."

Schedule: Position players report Wednesday.

[Sara Tonyn]

I'm opposed to the Branyan deal. Why? Because no matter how banged up LaPorta is now, in a few months, he'll be back ready to play full time. And we really do want to provide him an everyday job (we're probably not going to contend anyway; might as well get some at-bats out of your future) and CONSISTENCY (no more platoons, please!). The problem is that Acta will feel obligated to play Branyan enough to make his salary worth it, which will result in inconsistency. What's the point of spending 2 million bucks on a season you probably won't compete in?

I don't really like signing Branyan a whole lot either. True, he has power but he's another lefty and we needed a right hand bat. I started screaming about getting a right hand bat right after the season ended. But nooooooo...

Plus Branyan has a bad back so who knows how or if that will hold up? If he's out when LaPorta is still out, then (drum roll, please...) who's on 1st? (Our #1 catcher?)

And I know peeps here don't want to see a lot of whiffs but that's probably gonna happen.

The way it looks now it could be Branyan starting the year at 1B, then when LaPorta is ready, it'll be what you fear: the dreaded platoon system kicking in (based on who the opposing pitcher is).

We could have picked up a healthy, right-handed Garko to play 1B for 1/4 the amount of money. Gark isn't going to hit a ton of HRs but as a cheap right-hand bat off the bench he'd be fine and there'd be no need to platoon LaPorta. Of course if LaPorta had been shut down earlier than he was last year, which would have been the brightest thing to do, he'd likely be 100% already.

Then again, new season, new manager, new coaches, so maybe there's nothing to worry about.

[TribefanstuckinMA]

..............Of course if LaPorta had been shut down earlier than he was last year, which would have been the brightest thing to do, he'd likely be 100% already.

Then again, new season, new manager, new coaches, so maybe there's nothing to worry about.

AND if LaPorta had been shut down earlier in the year he wouldn't have sustained the injured left toe in the LAST game of the year! Note in the inked story the "turf toe" is the more serious of the two boo-boos.

Agreed on new season, et al. New hopes and dreams.... Wonder how long before - heck, may as well be optimistic for spring training, at least, right?

[Hope]

LOTS OF NEWS...

Cleveland.com:

Getting hit by a falling house was the only thing that didn't happen to Joe Smith last year. The sidearmer spent the winter recovering from left knee surgery and says he's healthy.

Andy Marte says the strained right oblique muscle that knocked him out of winter ball is healed.

MLB memo spotted on the Tribe's clubhouse bulletin board prohibiting deadly weapons in the clubhouse. Must be the Gilbert Arenas factor.

Tribe TV broadcaster Matt Underwood arrived in camp with a broken left middle finger. He did it bowling. Don't ask.

History says Cleveland Indians may consider new deals for rising stars Asdrubal Cabrera, Shin-Soo Choo

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The offers haven't been made, and perhaps they won't be, but Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera would listen.
In the past, the Indians have offered young players contract extensions if they showed what they were capable of doing with cold hard stats the season before. That's how it worked for CC Sabathia, Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner and Fausto Carmona.
The Indians would purchase arbitration and free agent years in exchange for millions in dollars and security.

Choo and Cabrera fit the blueprint perfectly. Choo, 27, has two years and 119 days in the big leagues. Cabrera, 24, has two years and 27 days. Last year the Indians lost 97 games, but Choo and Cabrera did what they could to keep the wolf from door. Choo hit .300 with 38 doubles, 20 homers and 86 RBI. When he wasn't doing that, he was stealing 21 bases and throwing 11 runners out from right field.
Cabrera hit .308 with 42 doubles, six homers and 68 RBI. He scored 81 runs and played a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop once he made the move from second base.

Spring training is the time the Indians make these moves. They usually wait until late March or early April. So far the trail is cold.
"They haven't talked to me or my agents," said Choo, Monday afternoon as rain hit the Valley of the Sun for the third straight day. "But I would like to stay with the Indians for a long time. I like it here."
Cabrera felt the same.

Chris Antonetti, who will assume the Indians' general manager duties at the end of the season, said in a text, "we don't believe it is constructive to discuss any actual or potential negotiations publicly."
Antonetti added that the team's current financial situation -- payroll is being cut from $81.5 million to between $55 million and $65 million -- would have no bearing on whether they made extension offers.
Last year, Choo made $420,300 and Cabrera $416,700.

Choo returned home this winter to Pusan, South Korea where people treated him like a movie star. Not only was he coming off a career year, but a documentary on his life was being shown on Korean TV. Some of it was filmed last year in Cleveland.
"My wife cried when she saw it," said Choo. "My dad was in the documentary and he cried. It was the first time I've ever seen my dad cry."
Part of the documentary talked about Choo going to the Arizona Rookie League with Seattle in 2001. His mother wanted him to come home to Korea because it was too hot. His father was worried because other players were so much bigger than his son.
"He never said that to me until I saw it on the documentary," said Choo.
Choo spent 35 days in Pusan before returning to Arizona, where he and his family own a house near Goodyear.

Cabrera, who just started swinging the bat a week ago following off-season surgery on his right elbow, didn't play winter ball for the first time in several years.
"I went on a vacation and spent time with my family," said Cabrera.

This will be an interesting year for Choo. In his home country he could go from movie start to international incident. He owes the Korean army two years of service before he's 30. He'll be 28 by the end of this season.
"This is it," Choo said.

If the Indians let Choo play on Korea's national team in November, and they win a gold medal in the Asian games, he and his teammates would be free of their military obligation.
Then there's Plan B. Manager Manny Acta said in December that Choo was studying to become an American citizen. The Korean media wasn't enamored with that idea and the Indians said Acta made a mistake.
"I got 20 to 50 calls from Korean reporters after that came out," said Choo. "Korea is very sensitive to this."

Yet it's the question everyone wants him to answer. Is he going to keep playing baseball or get ready for basic training?
"It was the first thing Jake Westbrook asked me," said Choo, with a laugh. "I said, 'Jake, I'm with you guys. Don't worry about it.'"

INDIANS CHATTER
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Indians have a new manager in Manny Acta and a new coaching staff. In the coming days Chatter will provide a quick look at the new coaches, complete with three quick questions. Scott Radinsky, 41, bullpen coach.

Background: Radinsky, a left-hander, pitched 11 seasons in the bigs with the White Sox, Dodgers, St. Louis and Indians. He was 42-25 with a 3.44 ERA and 52 saves in 557 games. Lead singer for alternative rock band Pulley.

Q. Toughest hitter you faced?
A. “Luis Polonia. He never swung and missed.”
Q. Favorite ballpark?
A. “Dodger Stadium. I grew up going to games there and then got to play there.”
Q. Favorite catcher?
A. Carlton Fisk and Tom Prince.

Cleveland Indians spring training briefing: Let the games, or at least the practices, begin

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- This will be a daily briefing of the Indians second spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. We're at 41 days and counting until the regular season opens April 5 in Chicago.

Day three: Pitchers and catchers take the field at 11:30 a.m. EST today for the first official workout of camp. Position players who have come to camp early can participate as well. Practice opens with 30 minutes of stretching under new strength coach Stan Kessler.
"Let the games begin," said manager Manny Acta.

On the mound: Three groups of pitchers will throw off the mounds starting with Justin Masterson, Rafael Perez, Jake Westbrook, Kerry Wood and Jamey Wright. Group II will be Jason Grilli, Aaron Laffey, Chris Perez and Joe Smith. Group III will be Kelvin De La Cruz, Jeanmar Gomez, Saul Rivera and Alex White. Gomez threw a perfect game at Class AA Akron last year and White is the Tribe's No.1 pick from 2009.

Will he or won't he? Russell Branyan is scheduled to report to camp today for a physical. If he passes, the reported one-year $2 million deal he signed with the Tribe kicks in. The deal reportedly includes $1 million in incentives and a $5 million mutual club option for 2011.
Branyan hit 31 homers last season with Seattle, but had his season derailed by a sore back.

No problem: Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera says his surgically repaired right elbow feels good.
"I'm doing everything," he said, "swinging, throwing, taking ground balls. I have no restrictions. I'll be able to start practice with everyone else."
As for the Indians outlook this year, Cabrera said, "We've got a young team. I think we can do a good job this year, but everything is different this year. We're working on putting everything together."
Cabrera has been in Goodyear since Jan. 20.

Outdoor ball: The Twins are excited about leaving the Metrodome to play outdoors at Target Field. Former Twins infielder Brian Buscher, in camp with the Indians as a non-roster player, isn't so sure.
"I'm not sure if I'd want to play outside in Minneapolis in April," said Buscher. "You can't wear shorts there until June. But I know a lot of the guys are excited about it."

Schedule: Position players report Wednesday, take physicals Thursday and begin full-squad workouts Friday.

[Hope]

Indians.com:

Choo eyeing options as deadline nears
Winning gold in Asian Games would waive military service

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Shin-Soo Choo's military obligation to his native South Korea has been weighing on his mind for several years.
And now, as the deadline for that obligation nears, even Choo's Indians teammates are starting to wonder if their right fielder will have to give up two years of his career to satisfy the demands of his country.
"Jake Westbrook asked me about it," Choo said Monday. "I told him, 'I'm with you guys. Don't worry about it.'"

Able-bodied South Korean men must serve two years in the military by the time they turn 30 years old. For the 27-year-old Choo, who turns 28 in July, that deadline is coming up quick.
Choo spent his entire life preparing to become a professional baseball player, and he refuses to walk away from the game at a point where he should be entering his prime. He is hoping to get clearance from the Indians to participate on the South Korean baseball team in the 2010 Asian Games, which take place in November. If he does, and his team wins a gold medal, Choo would receive an exemption from the South Korean government.

But what if Choo doesn't get that clearance or the Korean team doesn't win the gold?
Well, in that case, he would have to go to his backup plan. He's not divulging what that would be, because he knows people back home are hanging on his every word.
It could be that Choo would pursue citizenship in the United States. Perhaps more likely is the possibility that he would simply not return to his native land and avoid the obligation.
No matter how the situation shakes out, one thing that is certain is that Choo has no plans to miss the 2011 and '12 seasons.
"I try not to think about [the military obligation]," he said.

Choo, coming off a solid first full season in the big leagues, went back home to Korea for 35 days this winter and enjoyed rock-star-type popularity. In November, a Korean television network ran a documentary on Choo that was shot late in the 2009 season.
"A lot of people watched it," Choo said.

Choo said he got emotional when he saw that, unbeknownst to him, his father had been interviewed for the documentary. His father told the story of the first time Choo and his family visited the United States after he was signed by the Mariners in 2000.
The family came to Arizona, and Choo's mother complained that the weather was too hot. His father, meanwhile, looked at American and Latin players who were, in many cases, taller than Choo, and he worried that his son would struggle to adjust to the language barrier and the culture differences.

"That was the first time I knew he was thinking that," Choo said of watching the documentary. "I started to cry."

Choo's popularity level stateside might not be what it is currently in Korea, but that will change if he reaches his potential. He batted .300 with an .883 OPS last year, becoming the first Asian-born player to notch 20 homers and 20 stolen bases (he actually swiped 21) in a single season.

After the 2010 season, Choo will be eligible for his first round of salary arbitration. It's a distinct possibility the Indians will try to work out a contract extension with him this spring to buy out his arbitration years. That would be yet another sign that Choo isn't going anywhere, regardless of his obligation back home.

As reporting date hits, most Indians early - Acta's squad has plenty of questions in his first season

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians had the latest official report date on MLB's Spring Training calendar, but you wouldn't know it by walking around the Tribe's Player Development Complex on Monday morning.
As Jake Westbrook received his annual eye exam at one end of the hallway, Travis Hafner was walking toward the exit at the other, bat in hand and headed for the cages. In between those two veterans stood a clubhouse packed with players from all positions. Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore strode in from their morning workout, while reliever Jensen Lewis and outfielder Michael Brantley played a spirited game of cards.

It all felt like a midseason -- or, at the least, mid-spring -- environment. Though the work officially begins with Tuesday's morning workout for pitchers and catchers on the back fields of the Goodyear complex, the reality is that many Tribe players have been here for days and, in some cases, weeks.
"I'm excited," new manager Manny Acta said. "For me to show up a week before pitchers and catchers report and to see Hafner, Sizemore, Choo and [Asdrubal] Cabrera on the field one week before pitchers and catchers are supposed to be on the field excites me."

Acta said he has been eager to get going ever since the holiday season came to a close. He knows he has plenty of work to do over the next six weeks.
In that timeframe, it is up to Acta and his coaching staff to gauge the talents and capabilities of a young, rebuilding ballclub. For the Tribe, this camp won't be as much about forming the Opening Day roster as it will be about getting a read on the players in the pipeline -- the ones the Indians hope to build around in their next contention cycle.
Third baseman Jhonny Peralta was once one of those young, developing players. Now, he's one of the few elder statesmen on the scene.
"Believe me, every young guy here is good," Peralta said. "We can do something this year."

First, though, questions must be answered. And the answers will begin to form during a Cactus League slate that opens March 5 against the Tribe's new Spring Training neighbors, the Reds, who will share Goodyear Ballpark while training in a separate facility a mile down the road.
So, what do the Indians hope to accomplish under the Arizona sun?
Well, there are some position battles to be had. And that all begins in the starting rotation, which, as is well documented, will make or break this ballclub's contention hopes in 2010.
We know this much about the rotation. If Westbrook, nearly two years removed from Tommy John surgery, is healthy, he's the Tribe's Opening Day starter. And as long as right-handers Fausto Carmona and Justin Masterson both have their arms intact at the end of camp, they'll likely follow him.

The last two spots are difficult to predict. It will be interesting to see how left-handers Aaron Laffey, David Huff and Jeremy Sowers and right-hander Mitch Talbot fare in their bid to land a rotation spot. Laffey and Huff have their '09 performances in their favor, as Laffey was a valuable member of both the rotation and the bullpen at different points and Huff led the team in wins (11) as a rookie. Sowers and Talbot, meanwhile, are both out of Minor League options, which could work in their favor. Spring performance could be the final determining factor, and Sowers will be a bit behind, in that regard, as he deals with left shoulder soreness.

On the development side, spring camp will give the Major League coaching staff a look at right-handers Carlos Carrasco, Hector Rondon and Jeanmar Gomez. None of these young prospects is expected to crack the Opening Day rotation, but they'll all be in Triple-A Columbus this season, just a phone call away from the big leagues.

More competition exists in the bullpen, where the Indians will have some choices to make between the upside of youth and the potential benefits of experience.
Closer Kerry Wood and setup men Chris Perez, Rafael Perez and Joe Smith are assured spots in the 'pen. But several young members of the 40-man roster, including Tony Sipp, Lewis and Jess Todd, will have to compete against some veterans brought in on Minor League contracts, including Jason Grilli, Saul Rivera and Jamey Wright. Talbot and/or Sowers could also find themselves in the bullpen battle if they don't land a rotation spot.

The Indians also added Hector Ambriz to the relief mix, and his story will be an intriguing one to follow this spring. He's the Tribe's first Rule 5 Draft pickup in 15 years, and he'll have to either make the Opening Day roster or be offered back to the D-backs.

From a position-player standpoint, the Indians are much more set, though a few battles do exist.
It appears the bulk of the playing time at first base will go to Russell Branyan, assuming the veteran free-agent signee passes his physical exam Tuesday. Branyan's presence could bump Matt LaPorta, who is recovering from October surgeries on his left hip and left big toe, back to left field. And that, in turn, could bump Brantley, who made a strong first impression in the big leagues last September, back to Triple-A Columbus.
Non-roster invitees Shelley Duncan and Austin Kearns also crowd the first-base/left-field picture. And the Indians also have Trevor Crowe and reigning International League batting champ Jordan Brown in their outfield mix. Acta and his coaches will have to pore through these options and sort it all out.

Behind the plate, Lou Marson is the odds-on favorite to win the starting catcher position, with veteran free-agent signee Mike Redmond backing him up. But the Indians say they will also give Wyatt Toregas a chance to fight for the job. They'll also be evaluating the progress of top prospect Carlos Santana, who is recovering from right hand surgery and figures to open the 2010 season at Triple-A Columbus.

Second base seemingly belongs to Luis Valbuena, though the Indians have to decide how to dole out the at-bats. If Valbuena is protected against left-handed pitching, that opens the door to a decent amount of playing time for the middle infield utilityman. Non-roster invitees Mark Grudzielanek and Luis Rodriguez, prospect Jason Donald and recent trade acquisition Brian Bixler will compete for that job.

Valbuena said he's excited about the opportunity to prove himself in front of a new coaching staff.
"I feel good," he said, "because you have to work hard to show them you're ready to play for them."

That's an attitude that resonates with Acta.
"So much has been said over the years about the new-era ballplayer," he said. "But these guys nowadays show a big-time commitment to their jobs. For the last week or so, it looks like we have our full squad here already. It's refreshing to see that."

Castro's blog Notes:

Nearly every member of the 59-player spring roster (Branyan would make 60) is already here, even though position players aren't due to report until Wednesday and the first full-squad workout won't take place until Friday. "I'm excited," Acta said. "For me to show up a week before pitchers and catchers report and to see [Travis] Hafner, [Grady] Sizemore, [Shin-Soo] Choo and [Asdrubal] Cabrera on the field one week before pitchers and catchers are supposed to be on the field excites me."

The Indians are wearing new batting practice caps this year. No Chief Wahoo. No script "I." These blue caps feature the old-school, block "C" in red lettering, with a red brim.

Top prospect Carlos Santana, who had surgery to remove a broken hamate bone in his right hand in December, said he has no restrictions and should be ready to play when the Cactus League season opens next week. It will be interesting to see if Santana's power is affected by that surgery this season.

Jhonny Peralta's been around here long enough to know that players often get moved in the final guaranteed year of their contracts. And given Peralta, who is due to make $4.6 million this year, is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, he's curious to see what happens. "I don't know what they're going to do," he said, "but I want to be here. I don't know what's on their mind. There's nothing I can do about it. I'll just try to play how I play."

Peralta became a father over the winter. His wife Molly gave birth to a daughter, Analise, in October. "It's a great experience," he said of fatherhood. [Posters note: Congrads to Jhonny and Molly on the new baby!]

Peralta still sounds a bit mystified over how the third base situation played out last year. "In Spring Training, they didn't say to me that I'd be playing third base [during the season]," he said. "Then one day in the middle of the season, they say I'm playing third base."

Anthony Reyes, who had Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery and an ulnar nerve transposition surgery last June, said his arm feels stable and strong. He's throwing long toss right now. He's not sure when he'll start throwing off a mound. Reyes probably won't be a big league option until July, at the absolute earliest.

Chris Gimenez raved about his Venezuelan winter ball experience. He left for Venezuela in November, just eight days after he and his wife, Kelly, were married. "I told my wife [going to winter ball] was our honeymoon," he said. "She probably loved that. ... I was a little worried about here down there, a tall, skinny white girl walking around. But everything went great." Gimenez admitted he needed the winter ball grooming time because he found his offensive performance in the second half last year to be "embarrassing." [Posters Note: Congrads to Chris and his new wife, wishing you two all the best]
Gimenez is still being groomed as a super utility type. He's probably one of the guys on the bubble when/if the Indians have to clear a spot on the 40-man for Russell Branyan.

Jamey Wright is roughly 9 feet tall, give or take a few feet.

The pre-camp meetings the began today serve to let a player know where he stands coming into the season. Acta said he didn't have these meetings in Washington, but he loves the idea. "It's tremendous," he said. "It's a step toward building communication and making things clear to every one of the guys."

The pitchers and catchers will hold their first official workout Tuesday morning. Position players officially report Wednesday, even though they all seem to be here already.

[/LOTS OF NEWS]

[Hope]

Indians.com: Playoff hero Boone announces retirement - Player whose homer sent Yanks to '03 Series joins ESPN

Aaron Boone, the last active link to one of baseball's most enduring families, announced his retirement on Tuesday.
Boone, part of a three-generation chain of All-Stars, last played for the Houston Astros in a distinguished career highlighted by a famous postseason home run for the New York Yankees.

He plans to begin a career as a broadcaster for ESPN.
"It is with a sense of pride, sadness, and enthusiasm that I formally announce my retirement after 16 years of professional baseball," Boone said as part of a prepared statement. "It has been a privilege and honor to have played in the Major Leagues for 12 seasons for six different clubs.
"While it's tough to leave the game as a player, I am eager to start my next career with my new team at ESPN."

Boone, the son of All-Star catcher Bob Boone and brother of All-Star second baseman Bret Boone, began his career with the Cincinnati Reds and was a productive mainstay for several seasons. The youngest Boone broke in as a starter at third base in 1998 and held that position until 2003, when he was traded to the Yankees in a deal right before the non-waiver Trade Deadline.
And though Boone was an All-Star with the Reds that season, he made his biggest impact in October. The former third-round draftee had slumped in the Division Series, but he broke Boston's back by blasting an 11th-inning walk-off homer in the seventh game of the American League Championship Series, a shot that lifted the Yankees into the World Series against the Marlins.

Boone, who will turn 37 in March, missed the entire 2004 season after injuring his left knee in an offseason basketball game. He came back and spent two seasons with the Indians, then played with Florida, Washington and Houston. Boone's last stop -- a 10-game stint with the Astros -- came just five months after he had open-heart surgery to replace a bicuspid aortic valve.
Boone didn't manage a hit in those 10 games with Houston, but he is believed to be the first player to return from open-heart surgery and play in the Major Leagues. The former infielder will end his career with a .263 batting average, 126 homers and 555 RBIs. Boone's grandfather, Ray Boone, was an All-Star in 1954 and '56 for the Detroit Tigers.
"Terrific guy, terrific playing career, which gets somewhat overshadowed, at least in the Houston market, by what he went through last year from the standpoint of the heart," Astros general manager Ed Wade said. "Tremendous courage, great baseball family.
"And I certainly hope that over the course of the next 50 years that he fills a multitude of roles in baseball. I think he'd be a terrific broadcaster, I think he'd be a terrific GM at some point in time. ... I've known his dad since 1977, and I take pride in the fact that we were a part of his successful battle last year. I think we created an environment for him to do exactly what we promised him, to get back on the field in September."

Cleveland.com: Former Cleveland Indian and 2003 New York Yankees playoff hero Aaron Boone retires

New York - Aaron Boone has ended his 12-year major league career and will become a baseball analyst for ESPN.
He announced his retirement on Tuesday, saying it was "a privilege and honor" to have played for six different clubs in the majors.
Boone was a member of the Houston Astros in 2009, when he is believed to have been the first player to return to Major League Baseball after open-heart surgery.

The third generation major leaguer had his best season in 2003, when he was an All-Star splitting time between the Reds and Yankees. His home run in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the ALCS that year lifted the Yankees over the Boston Red Sox.
Boone will appear on "Baseball Tonight" beginning in March. He worked for ESPN Radio during the 2009 NL division series.

[Hope]

Cleveland.com:

Young pitchers' talent brightens Manny Acta's day as camp officially opens: Indians Insider

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- One of the reasons Manny Acta chose the Indians over the Astros after being offered a chance to manage both teams this winter was young talent. He felt the Indians had it and the Astros didn't.
Acta saw some of that talent Tuesday in the first workout of spring training. Prospects Kelvin De La Cruz, Jeanmar Gomez and Alex White pitched in the third and final group. They are still a long way from the big leagues, but Acta noticed them during their 10-minute bullpen sessions.
"It was refreshing to see those young guys throw the ball like they did," said Acta. "The Gomezes of the world ... De La Cruz and Alex White. Granted it was just a bullpen, but it was nice to see what the future looks like here."

Gomez went 10-4 with a 3.43 ERA in 22 starts at Class AA Akron last year. One of the victories was a perfect game. He started the year at Class A Kinston, going 2-2 in four starts.
De La Cruz opened last year at Kinston by going 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 12 innings in two starts. He missed the rest of the year with a left elbow/forearm injury.
White was the Tribe's No.1 pick last year in the June draft.
"Gomez threw a very nice bullpen for a young man," said Acta. "We heard about his fastball command and we saw that today. We told him in our meeting Monday that he put himself on the map with the perfect game and what he did last year."

The Indians will monitor De La Cruz's innings because he pitched so little last year.
"He's a guy we're very high on," said Acta. "If he stays healthy, he could come quick."

Welcome to camp: Look for the Indians to announce Wednesday that they've come to terms with Russell Branyan. He underwent a physical, including an MRI, on Tuesday.
The Indians and Branyan have agreed on a one-year, $2 million deal with $1 million in incentives. The deal, which reportedly includes a $5 million mutual option for 2011, depends on him passing the physical.
When asked about Branyan, Acta said, "Patience, you'll have plenty of stories to write [Wednesday]. ... Save some room."
Branyan hit 31 homers last year for Seattle. The Indians out-bid Tampa Bay for his services.

Good feel: Jake Westbrook cruised through his first 10-minute bullpen session.
"I felt great," said Westbrook, who missed last season with Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. "It felt good to be part of the team again. I went out and stretched with everybody. It's been a long time since I've done that. I even

Inner compass: It's always a good thing when a pitcher knows which direction his pitches are going. That wasn't the case last season for Anthony Reyes when he faced Cincinnati on May 22. In three innings, he walked six, hit two batters and threw 59 pitches, 36 for balls.
Somehow he allowed only one run.
It was Reyes' last start of the season. He underwent reconstructive surgery on his right elbow on June 12.
"At least now I know where the ball is going," said Reyes. "I had no idea where the ball was going in Cincinnati. That was not a good feeling."

Reyes, who opened last season in the rotation, has three or four more months of rehab left before he can take the mound.
"I have my mind set on pitching again this year," he said. "I just hope my body will let me do it."

Reyes pitched with a bad right elbow for at least two years. His elbow required a ligament transplant and the ulnar nerve had to be moved.
"I did it for as long as I possibly could," he said. "The doctors told me my ligament was barely attached. Now it's attached and it feels stable."

Finally: The only player who hasn't reported to camp yet is infielder Niuman Romero. Position players are scheduled to report Wednesday, take physicals Thursday and begin workouts Friday.

Outfield prospect Nick Weglarz practiced Wednesday. During the off-season, he had surgery for a stress fracture in his left leg.

Former Tribe GM John Hart went to dinner with Mark Shapiro on Monday night. Hart is a consultant with Texas.

Tony Graffanino, who made the Tribe's opening day roster last year following an injury to Jamey Carroll, visited camp Tuesday.

The Indians have a new manager in Manny Acta and a new coaching staff. In the coming days, Chatter will provide a quick look at the new coaches, complete with three quick questions.
Sandy Alomar Jr., 43, first base coach, catching instructor.
Background: Alomar played 20 seasons in the big leagues, 11 in Cleveland. He ranks third in games caught in Indians history with 950. Jim Hegan (1,491) and Steve O’Neill (1,335) are first and second. Alomar, whose father Sandy and brother Robby played in the big leagues, went to six All-Star games with the Indians. He played in five postseason series with the Tribe and drove in 19 runs in the 2007 postseason when the Indians reached the World Series.
Q. Toughest pitcher you ever faced?
A. Pedro Martinez.
Q. Favorite ballpark.
A. The Jake (Progressive Field).
Q. Favorite pitcher to catch?
A. In Cleveland, it was Charles Nagy. He was my man. I loved catching him.

[Hope]

Cleveland.com:

Kerry Wood won't complain about role on rebuilding Cleveland Indians

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- This isn't the team Kerry Wood figured he'd be with in the spring of 2010. The name and colors are the same, but the team he signed with was supposed to be a contender, a team built to play in late October with the winds off Lake Erie whipping and shredding the flags at Progressive Field.
That was before last season when Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, Mark DeRosa, Carl Pavano, Ben Francisco and Rafael Betancourt were traded and manager Eric Wedge and his coaching staff were fired. Now Wood is a veteran making big money on a club that's reducing payroll and starting over.

To his credit, he hasn't asked to be traded, but it's probably on his mind.
"There are no guarantees in the game," said Wood on Tuesday after the Indians' first practice of spring training. "You sign with an organization thinking they're headed in the right direction. Obviously we were, but as a team we didn't go out and do what we were expected to do.
"Upper management made decisions to rebuild and I've got to be part of that. I signed my contract. I'm here for the duration of my contract. I want to help these guys get better and help us win."

Wood, 32, will make $10.5 million this year. Travis Hafner will make $11.5 million and Jake Westbrook $11 million. They are the remnants of a plan that didn't work. This year their combined salaries could equal half of the entire 25-man payroll. If the last two years are any indication of the Indians' corporate strategy, at least one will be traded. Such a deal will be hard to make.
Westbrook and Hafner aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Westbrook, a free agent at the end of the year, has barely pitched the last two seasons because of surgery on his right elbow. Hafner, with two years and $28.75 million left on his contract after 2010, has seen his production drop into oblivion the last two years because of a sore right shoulder.

That leaves Wood as the most viable trade candidate. The interest was lukewarm over the winter. A couple of teams inquired, but they wanted the Indians to absorb the lion's share of his 2010 salary. It was a deal breaker.
Wood didn't exactly divide and conquer in his first year as an American League closer. He was underworked, no doubt, making only 58 appearances and saving 20 games in 26 chances. Health has always been Wood's greatest enemy in baseball. Last year it was rust.
At present, the plans for Wood would seem to be as direct as one of his 97 mph fastballs. If they play well, and somehow get into and stay in the AL Central race, he's their closer. If they fall out of the race, they'll try to trade him.

No matter what happens, he's best served by pitching well. Not only would he create a bigger market for himself, but he'd go along way toward vesting his $11 million option for 2011. It kicks in if he finishes 55 games this season. He could have vested it last year, but finished five games short at 50.
Manny Acta and Tim Belcher, the new manager and pitching coach, are working toward making Wood the best closer he can be. Acta says he'll use Wood in more four-out save situations. He did it twice last year, saving one game and blowing another.
"With Kerry's experience as a starter, we feel he can handle that," said Acta.
Said Wood, "We talked about that Monday. Manny said he's not opposed to a four or five-out save. Obviously, it won't happen a lot, but I'm not opposed to that."

Acta said Wood won't go for more than three days without pitching. Last season, with the Indians' inability to create save situations, he disappeared from the pen for long stretches.
"Kerry is a power guy," said Acta. "Power guys need a little more maintenance than finesse guys."

This is Wood's third year as a full-time closer. He spent his first eight seasons as a starter with great stuff who couldn't stay off the disabled list.
"This job is still fairly new to me," he said. "I feel comfortable when I'm out there. It's just evolving into that role when you don't pitch for three or four days. How do you stay sharp? We got tested in that role last year."

[Hope]

Cleveland Indians spring training briefing: Let's do it again

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- This will be a daily briefing of the Indians second spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. We're at 40 days and counting until the regular season opens April 5 in Chicago. Follow me on twitter.com/hoynsie for daily updates.

Day four: Practice for pitchers and catchers begins today with stretching at 11:30 a.m. EST under new strength coach Joe Kessler. Position players are scheduled to report today, but they're all in camp with the exception of infielder Niuman Romero. Position players can practice as well, but it's optional.
"It's like we've started (full-squad workouts) two days earlier than scheduled," said manager Manny Acta, after Tuesday's first workout. "That's impressive to me that everyone of those guys (position players), from veterans to young guys, are already out there."

Do it again: The spring-training drills look the same under Acta as they did under Eric Wedge, Charlie Manuel, Mike Hargrove, John McNamara, Doc Edwards, Pat Corrales, Mike Ferraro etc. Pitcher's Fielding Practice (PFP) has been going on as long as baseball has been played.
"The drills are very important," said Acta. "Baseball is repetition. These guys know that they'll see that every year. That's how you become good. . .by doing drills over and over and over.
"We made it clear to them that the commitment doesn't come just from spending time doing it, but by doing it with energy. Doing it as close to game speed as possible. The leadership shown Tuesday (first workout) by our veteran guys is going to go a long way. They were taking it very serious. . .as they should."

Smile for the birdie: After practice Tuesday, players were getting individual pictures taken in their regular season uniforms at Goodyear Stadium for use on the scoreboard during the regular season. Said catcher Lou Marson, "They took the picture straight on so they didn't catch my good side."
Marson and Wyatt Toregas are competing for the starting job with Mike Redmond backing up the winner.
"Whoever wins the job between Marson and Toregas is going to be the everyday guy," said Acta. "We're not bringing in Mike to split time with these guys. Mike is really going to come in handy helping out these guys, but he's not coming over here to get 400 at-bats."

Always room for improvement: Kerry Wood has been at the pitching game as a starter and closer for a long time, but he's still trying to get better.
"I want to sharpen up my breaking ball and cutter this spring," said Wood, "and as a staff, we need to throw more first-pitch strikes. We didn't do a very good job of that last year."

Schedule: Position players report today, take physicals Thursday and begin full-squad workouts Friday. First Cactus League game is March 5 against Cincinnati.

[Hope]

Indians.com:

Westbrook pain-free as camp opens
After missing 2009 season, righty excited to get going

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- A simple, 10-minute bullpen session is a pitcher's initiation into the season that lies ahead.
But for Jake Westbrook, the time leading up to those 10 minutes that transpired Tuesday morning must have felt like an eternity.
Now more than 20 months removed from the Tommy John surgery that ended his 2008 and (unbeknownst to him at the time) his 2009 seasons, Westbrook is finally healthy enough to be penciled into the Indians' rotation. And given the youthful and unproven nature of that rotation, Westbrook is penciled in at the top. He's expected to be the Tribe's Opening Day starter on April 5 in Chicago.

First, though, Westbrook, who completed a four-start stint in the Puerto Rican Winter League this offseason, must get through the grind of Spring Training camp. Tuesday's mound session was an important step in that regard.
"It means a lot to me," Westbrook said of his participation in the Tribe's first official workout for pitchers and catchers. "Coming out to stretch with all the guys ... I didn't get to do that last year. I was just doing my thing in rehab."

Rehab proved to be a lengthier ordeal than Westbrook initially anticipated. A year ago at this time, he was expecting to join the Indians either shortly before or shortly after the '09 All-Star break. But he suffered two setbacks in his recovery, and all he had to show for a season's worth of rehab were three Minor League appearances.
"It was tough," he said. "Never having had surgery before, part of me wanted to say, 'Why can't I just pitch through it?' But you have to trust the people involved in it. I'm glad I didn't work through it and hurt myself more."

Still, it hurt Westbrook to see the Indians struggling and know he could do nothing to help. In the time since he made his last Major League appearance, back on May 24, 2008, he's seen friends like CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee get shipped off for prospects as the Indians got younger and younger.
Now, the bearded Westbrook is one of the few in the over-30 crowd in this clubhouse. The Tribe will be counting on him not just to occupy the No. 1 spot of the rotation, but also to be a leader.
"Jake's a guy that's important to this team in more than one way," general manager Mark Shapiro said. "He's a meaningful guy for us, both in terms of performance and presence."

Shapiro recognized Westbrook's value enough in 2007 to sign him to a three-year, $33 million contract extension. The rationale behind that deal was sound, as Westbrook proved durable (at least 210 innings pitched each season) and successful (at least 14 wins recorded each season) from 2004-06.
But in the time since that deal was signed, Westbrook has battled multiple injuries. In 2007, he was limited to 25 starts and went 6-9 with a 4.32 ERA. He's made just five starts since the beginning of the '08 season.

Now 32, Westbrook, who owns a career record of 63-64 with a 4.31 ERA, is entering perhaps his final season with the Indians, as this is the final year of his contract. He could become trade bait by midseason if he pitches well and the team falls out of contention.
Westbrook doesn't know what the future holds, and the lengthy road back from Tommy John surgery taught him to respect the present.
"I guess I needed a little more time to recover," he said. "I'm 32, not 25."

But Westbrook's eagerness to find his old form was evident Tuesday, as he attacked the first official bullpen session of the spring. New pitching coach Tim Belcher looked on as Westbrook threw all his pitches pain-free.
At several points, Belcher had to tell Westbrook to slow down.
"I felt like a stable-bred horse jockey trying to pull the reins back," Belcher said with a laugh. "But Jake's a rapid-fire kind of guy. He's always been that way. Even in 10 minutes today, he probably threw five or six or eight more pitches than anybody else."

Soon, Westbrook hopes, he'll be throwing pitches that count. He's happy he took the Indians' advice and pitched in Puerto Rico this winter to ensure his arm is where he needs it to be, and he's thrilled to be back on the field with his teammates in these early days of camp.
But Westbrook has bigger goals in mind.
"I want to get back in my routine of being one of those guys that you can count on for 200-plus innings," he said. "I want to be that guy again.

[Hope]

Cleveland.com: Cleveland Indians sign Russell Branyan; he'll start at first base

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Russell Branyan passed his physical today and officially became the Indians starting first baseman. That's right he'll be starting at first base.
"He's going to get the majority of playing time," said manager Manny Acta. "We didn't sign him to be a backup guy."

That means Matt LaPorta will be on the move to left field. He still could play some first base, but Acta made it clear Branyan is going to be the regular there.
If LaPorta starts in left field, Michael Brantley could be headed for Class AAA Columbus.
"Those two young kids (LaPorta and Brantley) are going to be playing every day this season," said Acta.

The Indians manager just didn't say at what level.

Two corresponding moves were made to create space for Branyan, 34. Chris Gimenez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Class AAA Columbus. Gimenez will remain in camp as an invitee. Right-hander Anthony Reyes' contract was purchased from Columbus and placed on the 60-man roster to make room for Branyan on the 40-man roster.
Reyes, recovering from reconstructive surgery on his right elbow, threw two bullpens for the Tribe in recent days. They saw enough to convince them that he could help them sometime this season. Reyes had an out in his contract and could have become a free agent at the end of spring training.
"We saw what we needed to see," said GM Mark Shapiro. "We think he can help us."

Branyan will be in camp on Thursday.
Last season Branyan hit .251 with 31 homers and 76 RBI for Seattle. He was slowed by a bad back in the second half. That's why the Indians waited until he passed his physical to announce the deal.
This is Branyan's fourth tour with the Tribe. He's always been a big power, big strikeout guy.
"Like anyone else strikeouts bother me when they happen with a guy on third and less than two out," said Acta. "But sometime you'd rather have a strikeout than a guy hitting into a double play. We will welcome the 30 homers he can provide for us."
Branyan will make $2 million this year with a $5 million mudual option for 2010. The deal also includes incentives.

Indians.com: Branyan passes physical, joins Tribe - First baseman's contract includes incentives, 2011 option

The Indians finally made the signing of Russell Branyan official Wednesday.
Now it's up to manager Manny Acta to decide what to do with him and what his presence means to the immediate futures of the two principle acquisitions in the 2008 CC Sabathia trade, Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley.
Where LaPorta and Brantley once seemed bound for everyday duties at first base and left field, respectively, LaPorta might now be headed back to left and Brantley might be headed back to Triple-A Columbus, because Branyan is penciled in as Acta's regular first baseman.
"We didn't sign [Branyan] to be a backup guy," Acta said.

The Indians were satisfied enough with the results of Branyan's physical examination to officially sign off on his one-year, $2 million contract. Branyan, who completed the exam Tuesday, can also receive up to $1 million in performance incentives, and the deal includes a mutual option for 2011 worth $5 million.
In anticipation of the Branyan signing, the Tribe made a move to make room for him on the 40-man roster. Utility man Chris Gimenez was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus and will remain in camp as a non-roster invitee. Right-hander Anthony Reyes, recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery performed last summer, was then added to the 40-man and placed on the 60-day disabled list. Reyes had an out in his contract at the end of camp, and the Indians wanted to keep him around as a potential option in the second half.

Branyan, meanwhile, was not at camp Wednesday but will arrive Thursday, ready to take over at first base.
"He adds depth we didn't have at first base," Acta said. "We were an injury away from not feeling as comfortable. We're more covered now."

The Indians will be counting on Branyan to provide some muscle to their youthful lineup. The 34-year-old Branyan belted 31 homers in 431 at-bats for the Mariners last season, batting .251 with an .867 OPS in 116 games.
Branyan, however, was sidelined for the final month of the '09 season because of a bad back, which is why the Indians' physical was not considered a mere formality. But the Tribe determined he carried a tolerable amount of risk.
"He went through a rigorous physical and is moving around fine," general manager Mark Shapiro said.

But the Indians will still have to be careful with Branyan, just as they'll be careful with designated hitter Travis Hafner, who has battled shoulder issues the last two years. One of the reasons the Indians signed Branyan was to provide an insurance policy for Pronk.
Branyan is yet another left-handed hitter in a lineup full of them. Shapiro said he added Branyan, in lieu of a right-hander, because he felt he was the remaining free agent with the most potential to positively impact the club. The Tribe had also kicked the tires on Jermaine Dye and Hank Blalock.
"The fact remains that we face right-handed pitchers 70 or 75 percent of the time," Shapiro said. "We'll well-suited for the majority of the pitchers we'll be facing."

This will be Branyan's fourth go-around with the Indians, the team that took him in the seventh round of the 1994 First-Year Player Draft. He made his Major League debut with the Tribe in 1998 and spent parts of the '99, 2000, '01 and '02 seasons in Cleveland before he was dealt to the Reds in the '02 trade that brought Ben Broussard to the Indians.
Branyan would later be reacquired by the Tribe in 2004 and spend three months at its Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo. In '07, he was briefly acquired and added to the Triple-A roster, only to be shipped to the Phillies just two days later.
Just when it seemed Branyan's career was all but over, he exploded with his season in Seattle last year.
"His career path has not been linear," Shapiro said. "He's had to crawl his way back when nobody believed in him. That resolve and toughness, combined with him wanting to be here, can positively impact on our team."

Branyan, a career .234 hitter with 164 homers and 396 RBIs in 882 career games in the big leagues, looked for a multiyear deal in the free-agent market, but the back issue prevented that proposition.
With Branyan in the fold, the outlook changes for LaPorta, who split his time between first and left last season and had been the Tribe's purported starter at first, assuming he continues to progress well in his recovery from offseason hip and toe surgeries. It also likely changes for Brantley, who made a sizzling September debut in the big leagues but still might need some Triple-A seasoning.
"Both of those guys are going to play every day, somewhere," Acta said. "It's too early in camp [to determine what will happen]. Both of those guys are a big part of our future, but we're still in the development process."

[Hope]

Updates from the blog explaining the last above story:

UPDATE: The Indians also purchased the contract of Anthony Reyes from Triple-A Columbus and placed him on the 60-day disabled list.

UPDATE No. 2: What essentially happened is Gimenez was designated (and cleared waivers) to make room for Reyes, who was then placed on the DL to make room for Branyan. The reason the Indians did this was because Reyes (who is, as you recall, recovering from Tommy John) has an out in his contract at the end of camp, and the Indians wants to keep him around should he recover in time to help them in the second half.

Also, Shapiro and Manny Acta confirmed our expectations that Branyan will be the regular at first base, though they stopped short of saying that confirms that Matt LaPorta will be a regular in left. They said both LaPorta and Brantley will be playing every day "somewhere."

I'd still expect LaPorta in left and Brantley in Columbus on Opening Day.

UPDATE No. 3: I neglected to mention that while Branyan is viewed as a potential option at third base, Acta does not plan to use him in the outfield.

Castro's Blog:

Fausto Carmona threw a bullpen session this morning, and Manny Acta and pitching coach Tim Belcher both seemed impressed with the results. They're also happy with Carmona's conditioning. You might remember that Carmona came to camp last year with a spare tire, but he looks better this time around. "He's been working hard with a personal trainer he has in the Dominican," Acta said.

Assuming he stays healthy, right-hander Mitch Talbot, the guy acquired in the December trade that sent Kelly Shoppach to the Rays, will be on the Opening Day roster in some capacity, most likely in the rotation. He is, after all, out of Minor League options, and the Indians didn't acquire him just to discard him.

Talbot, who threw his first bullpen session this morning, said he's excited to be in the rotation mix here. "I knew Tampa wasn't sure what to do with me," he said. "To come over here, where they seem to have a plan for me, is encouraging. With [David] Price and [Wade] Davis, [the Rays'] golden boys, I knew it wasn't looking too good for me, as far as being a starter, and that's what I want to be. I was not really looking forward to being a long reliever and pitching once every two weeks or so. I'm really happy to be here where I can actually compete for a starting spot."

I mentioned Tuesday that Alex White, last year's No. 1 Draft pick, looked poised in his first bullpen session for the Major League coaching staff. White, predictably, said he's enjoying big-league camp. "I'm just trying not to stand out, except when I'm on the mound," he said. "You just mimic the veterans and do what they do." White will begin this season as a starter - most likely at Class A Lake County or Kinston - but he knows a bullpen move is a possibility. "It could change any day," he said of his role. "Right now, I'm going to build up to get a bunch of innings in and be ready as a ster. But if need be, I'd go to the bullpen without any questions."

The Indians have five players on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list. They are: C Carlos Santana (10), 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (31), LHP Nick Hagadone (44), RHP Jason Knapp (64) and White (65). The Rays led all clubs with seven representatives on the list, while the Indians and Cubs tied for second place.

If you're wondering, the early report date for Minor Leaguers is March 2. They'll all be here by March 8.

Trevor Crowe was kind enough to point out to me that I was mistaken when I recently wrote that Mike Redmond is the only member of the Tribe's roster who possesses a World Series ring. I had forgotten that Lou Marson, by virtue of his four plate appearances with the '08 Phillies, also has one. Isn't it a bit strange that the catching spot -- probably the flimsiest non-pitching position on this club -- is the only spot where the Indians have World Series winners?

Daniel Fields, the son of Minor League hitting coordinator Bruce Fields, has been soaking up big-league camp and taking some BP here the last few days. Daniel was a Michigan prep star who was taken by the Tigers (for whom Bruce served as an outfielder in the 1980s and a hitting coach from 2003-05) in the sixth round of last year's Draft. He's a highly touted shortstop who signed for $1.6 million, and he'll report to Tigers' camp in Lakeland, Fla., in early March. Seems like a nice kid, too.

[Hope]

Compliments of Castro's Blog a link to the: 2010 Indians Spring Training Photo Gallery

Indians.com: Rehabbing Reyes re-added to roster - Move keeps right-hander from opting out of Minors deal

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians think enough of Anthony Reyes and his recovery from Tommy John surgery to pay him Major League money this season.

Reyes, who was removed from the 40-man roster over the winter and then signed to a Minor League contract, was added back to the 40-man Wednesday and placed on the 60-day disabled list.

The Tribe made this move because Reyes had an out in his contract at the end of camp and could have used it to become a free agent.

"We signed him [to the Minor League deal] with the intent of adding him back to the roster at some point," general manager Mark Shapiro said. "We wanted to gauge where he is [in his recovery], and we're confident in where he's at. We're excited about the progress he's making and feel he can help us this year."

Reyes was a big help at the end of the '08 season, after the Indians acquired him in a low-profile trade with the Cardinals just before the non-waiver Trade Deadline. Reyes made six starts in August and early September and went 2-1 with a 1.83 ERA.

But the Indians acquired Reyes with the knowledge that he had a chronic elbow condition that could give him trouble at any point, and trouble came calling in September '08. The elbow flared up, and Reyes' season ended prematurely. He made the club's Opening Day rotation last year, only to have the elbow affect him again in his eighth start of the season, a memorably rough start against the Reds.

Reyes was shut down and had two surgeries performed in June '09 -- the Tommy John ligament replacement and an ulnar nerve transposition procedure.

If all goes well, Reyes, 28, could be ready to pitch in the big leagues again in the second half. For now, he's just playing long-toss and throwing off flat ground.

"My elbow feels stable and strong," he said. "They say it's a 12-month recovery. I'm hoping for 11."

Cleveland.com: Cleveland Indians spring training briefing: Sometimes left is right

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- This will be a daily briefing of the Indians second spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. We're at 39 days and counting until the regular season opens April 5 in Chicago.

Day five: Practice for pitchers and catchers begins today with stretching at 11:30 a.m. Position players will get poked and prodded in their physicals. Pitchers start their throwing program at noon EST and practice ends with catchers' conditioning at 1:50 p.m. EST.

Disadvantage: Today is the third straight day for pitchers throwing bullpen sessions. When full-squad workouts start Friday, they'll advance to throwing batting practice. It's a day most hitters hate because pitchers have been throwing all their pitchers for three days, while the hitters, at the most, have been hitting against coaches throwing BP.

Right of way: Given their choice, GM Mark Shapiro and manager Manny Acta preferred to add a right-handed hitter to the Tribe's lineup instead of lefty Russell Branyan. The lineup already includes lefties Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, Travis Hafner, Luis Valbuena and Michael Brantley, if he wins a job.
"The consequences of this (signing Branyan) are that we're left-handed dominant," said Shapiro. "We recognized that the best complement to our team was a right-handed bat, but in choosing between a left-handed run producer and a right-handed hitter, we wanted the run producer. We felt Russ was the highest impact player available to help us at this time."
Said Acta, "If I could have added a Russell Branyan from the right side, I would have."

Come one, come all: The workouts are open to the public. The access for fans isn't as good as it was in Winter Haven, Fla., but the Indians have taken steps to improve it, especially on the lower fields where the position players hit and catchers workout.

Schedule: First full squad workouts are Friday. The Baseball Assistance Team, Inc., an organization of former players that takes care of former players in need, will meet with the Indians on Saturday at 8 a.m. There will be a fan fest at Goodyear Ballpark on Saturday. The Reds and Indians will each workout at the ballpark.

[Hope]

Cleveland.com: Reporter bashes Cleveland Indians

It must be baseball season, well at least spring training, because the bashing of the Cleveland Indians has already started.

Reporter Nick Carrabine of The News-Herald slams the acquisition of Russell Branyan, and makes fun of several other things associated with the Indians.

For example:
While the Indians’ pitching should be nothing short of a disastrous adventure this season, the offense could be nothing to mess with and could cause nightmares for many right-handed pitchers, which is the majority of hurlers.

The Cleveland Indians hurlers will literally make you want to hurl. But that is a whole other blog for another day.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

Thoughts from the photo gallery hope linked to:
1) The Pronk has lost some SERIOUS weight since 2006. Maybe it's just cuz it's not the baseball season yet

thanks

[Hope]

Don't forget that Hafner said he and his wife have been on a strict diet, and exercise with a trainer, and imo probably little sleep with the baby *shrug*

Not sure what the pic is with Jhonny, was it one you stretch for and the pic snapped before showing movement? we don't know. first ground balls of the spring training season are taken at knee level as Cleveland Indians 3rd baseman Jhonny Peralta grabs a grounder during the 2010 spring training camp.

LMAO My guess is if your typing fast and what device your using to do the typing, spelling mistakes will happen, been there done that, but then maybe they are "itching to get started"

Hey Fausto looks pretty good this year, as they reminded us in the story about the belly he had last year. Personal trainer did him good.

Somemore Photo's of Spring Training - might want to bookmark if your interested this seems to be the page they are stored on daily.

[Hope]

From Castro's Blog

A scintillating morning at the PDC today. Guys stretched, guys played catch, guys took some groundballs, and a few guys even got up on the mound and threw the baseball into the glove of a catcher. It was pretty cool. Wish you could have been there.

Things will begin to pick up considerably tomorrow, when the position players join the pitchers and catchers for the first full-squad workout of camp. Manny Acta will address the players beforehand with his first major pep talk as Tribe skipper. He said he's been saving his best "Vincente Lombardo" material for Friday. Mainly, Acta will stress the importance of getting off to a strong start and try to instill a winning mentality in this young club. "We want to make these guys believe we can win," he said.

You might have seen White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on Twitter (@ozzieguillen). You won't be seeing Acta in the same capacity. "I'm not a Facebook guy, I'm not a Twitter guy, I'm not a MySpace guy," he said. Vincente Lombardo... err... Vince Lombardi probably would have been the same way.

Friday will also mark the initiation of live batting practice. It's always a treat to watch a guy like Grady Sizemore stand in against a teammate like Fausto Carmona and see how he fares, especially when you consider how far ahead of the hitters the pitchers are at this point.

Russell Branyan was in camp today and spoke to reporters about his decision to sign with the Tribe, rather than the Rays. He admitted it was a tough choice, but, in the end, decided the Indians were the better fit. He's not sure if he'll have the same guarantees to be the everyday guy at first base, as he was in Seattle, but he's comfortable with the opportunities he will have here. "I've spoken to Mark [Shapiro] and Manny, and the way they want to handle it is to do whatever's best for the ballclub," Branyan said. "They're trying to create a winner in Cleveland, and whatever it takes is what's going to happen."

As you might expect, the Indians are expecting to carry 12 pitchers at the outset of the season, so it'll be the standard seven-man bullpen. It's possible the Tribe will carry two lefties in the 'pen in Rafael Perez and Tony Sipp. Acta said he's not hung up on the need to have two lefties. "It's only important if the guys are usable and you can have confidence in them," Acta said. "We don't need to have a certain amount of lefties or righties."

What the Indians do need to do this spring is get a read on Rule 5 Draft pickup Hector Ambriz. If he doesn't make the Opening Day roster, he must be offered back to the Diamondbacks. "Obviously, we have to give the guy an opportunity," Acta said. He said getting a good look at Ambriz will be more important than gauging veterans like Jamey Wright or Jason Grilli, who have more of a track record that can be counted on.

Acta feels Carlos Santana's English has progressed to the point of usability, when it comes to working with a pitching staff. "He's not an introverted type of kid," Acta said of Santana. "He's not afraid to speak, he's not shy. His English is going to continue to improve. He knows how important it is, and he's going to put as much effort as possible into that."

Sipp says he isn't overly superstitious when it comes to jersey numbers, and that's a good thing. Last season, you may recall, Sipp was No. 49. But he lost that number to new pitching coach Tim Belcher (seniority reigns supreme in these matters). So Sipp took over No. 33, which he lost Wednesday when the Indians signed Russell Branyan. Now, Sipp is wearing No. 46, for who knows how long. "Scott Lewis told me that's his old number," Sipp said. "So if he comes back, I'll probably lose it again."

David Huff changed his number to 28, which was worn recently by former bench coach Jeff Datz and not-so-recently by STO broadcaster Rick Manning and the legendary Cory Snyder, among others.

The Indians will have two intrasquad games leading up to the March 5 Cactus League opener against the Reds. Those games will take place next Wednesday and Thursday. Smart money's on the Tribe.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

Hope that team wins number changes this year too

[Hope]

Playing time is key factor in Russell Branyan's return to Cleveland: Indians Insider

Team stretching to start the day

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Russell Branyan, in the end, had two places to play baseball this season. One was Cleveland, the other St. Petersburg, Fla., home of the Rays.

The Rays are the better team, reaching the World Series in 2008. Branyan played for the Rays in 2006 and likes manager Joe Maddon.

Cleveland, despite being dubbed by Forbes magazine as the most miserable city in the country, had some things in its favor.

The Indians drafted and signed Branyan in 1994. Mark Shapiro was the farm director at the time. Now he's the general manager.
Branyan's wife, Jill, is from Cleveland. Two of

Branyan's 'teammates from his Class AAA days at Buffalo, Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta, are on the club.

"It was a very tough decision," said Branyan.

The contract offers, reportedly, were equal, but the Indians had an edge in one category. They told him he would be their regular first baseman. Last time anyone checked, Carlos Pena, who tied for the AL lead in homers last year with 39, was starting at first for the Rays.

Branyan picked Cleveland, a decision that's been known for several days but didn't become official until he passed a physical Wednesday.

In question was a herniated disk in Branyan's back that put him on the disabled list in September. Despite the injury, Branyan had a career year, hitting .251 with 31 homers and 76 RBI for Seattle.

"My back is good," said Branyan. "I wouldn't be here today if we all didn't feel I could manage it."

Branyan's arrival puts the squeeze on Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Andy Marte and others. LaPorta was scheduled to play first, but will apparently move to left field and compete with Brantley. Marte, expected to back up at first and third, is out of options and might be out of luck.

Said Brantley: "I'm worried about my business. I can't worry about what business decisions get made. I'm just going to go out there, give 110 percent at all times and see what decision they make at the end of spring training."

Branyan, who has been with the Indians' organization four different times, says his 2009 season was the result of being given a chance to play every day for the first time in his career. Branyan, who lives by the homer and strikeout, has always been a bench or platoon player.

He said he owed much to Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik and manager Don Wakamatsu.

"Almost every day last year in spring training, Wakamatsu would walk up behind me and tell me, 'Russell, you're my first baseman,' " said Branyan. "By the end of spring training, I believed him."

Branyan, if his back cooperates, will get the same chance in Cleveland.

Keys to camp: Manager Manny Acta says throwing strikes and improving the defense will be two goals for spring training.

The Indians walked the second-most batters in the American League last year. They walked 598, while Kansas City walked 600.

Tribe starters led the AL with 357 walks. Tribe relievers walked 241, third-most in the league.

The Indians made 97 errors and finished eighth in fielding percentage at .984.

"Offensively, I think we're going to score enough runs," said Acta. "But we have to pound the strike zone and tighten up the defense, especially on the infield."

Finally: Acta, like all managers, uses his best spring-training speech for the first day of full-squad workouts. That's today.

"I've saved my Vincente Lombardo speech," said Acta, putting his own spin on the name of Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi.

Not sure if Acta was going to use Lombardi's "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" line, but it should be entertaining.

[Hope]

Cleveland Indians are playing catch-up behind the plate during spring training

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians have started spring training without a regular catcher. It's a problem because someone has to get behind the plate or every pitch is going to bounce to the backstop.

It's a unique situation for the Indians because over the past 6-1/2 years three-time All-Star Victor Martinez took care of that unpleasant job. Last spring, the Indians had what many teams considered two starting catchers in Martinez and Kelly Shoppach

Martinez was traded to Boston in July to save money. Shoppach was traded to Tampa Bay in December for the same reason, but on a smaller scale.

It's going to take a while to assemble the pieces left behind.

Lou Marson and Wyatt Toregas, who don't have a year's time in the big leagues between them, will hold a catch-off for the starting job. It starts today with the first full-squad workout and could last until early April.

Veteran Mike Redmond was signed to help the winner over the rough spots of the season.

If Marson or Toregas aren't the answer, Carlos Santana will be waiting at Class AAA Columbus to save the day.

Sounds logical, but when was the last time logic worked for the Indians?

Manny Acta, like all managers, requires a lot more than offense from his catchers.

"Nobody is just going to throw a pitch with conviction just because you can swing the stick," said Acta. "You need to earn their trust."

Acta is looking for a catcher who calls a good game, works well with the pitching staff, blocks balls in the dirt and throws well. But most of all, he's looking for a catcher who can get the best out of whatever pitcher is on the mound when he's behind the plate.

Toregas and Marson have been listening.

"You want to take all the pressure off your pitcher when he's on the mound," said Toregas, a 24th-round draft choice by the Indians in 2004. "You don't want him to think about what pitch he wants to throw."

Toregas made his big-league debut Aug. 1, the day after Martinez was traded. Toregas appeared in 19 games and hit .176 (9-for-51) with six RBI.

Marson came to the Indians from Philadelphia in the Cliff Lee trade July 29. He caught 21 games in the big leagues last year, seven with the Phillies and 14 with the Indians.

"It was a great experience last year," said Marson, a fourth-round pick in 2004. "It doesn't matter what fingers you put down, what matters is that they trust what you put down. That's what I'm going to try and get out of this spring."

Marson caught 14 games in September. That could give him an edge. He hit .250 (11-for-44) with four RBI last year with the Tribe. In 22 games in the big leagues, including one in 2008, he has hit one homer.

"Marson is a guy who gives you an approach to hitting that translates to the big leagues," said GM Mark Shapiro. "Obviously, he doesn't have a lot of power, but he puts the ball in play and gets on base."

The best part of Toregas' game is defense, but he hit .284 (59-for-208) with 10 doubles, seven homers and 29 RBI last year at Columbus.

"He calls a good game, blocks well, has a pretty good arm," said Shapiro. "Last year, his bat made some strides and that was good to see."

Hovering over Marson and Toregas is Santana, the Indians' top prospect. He seems recovered from a broken hamate bone in his right hand, but Acta and Shapiro have made it clear he will spend the year at Columbus, despite bringing the Class AA Eastern League to its knees last year by hitting .290 (124-for-428) with 30 doubles, two triples, 23 homers and 97 RBI.

"We're really excited about Carlos, but he's a guy who has never caught a Class AAA game," said Shapiro. "We love his tools, we love his production to date, it's just that we feel he's going to benefit from some finishing."

Shapiro would not say if Santana would make his big-league debut this year.

"That's a byproduct of his progression and whoever is the starting catcher," said Shapiro.

Indians Chatter:

Tim Belcher, 48, pitching coach

Background: Born in Sparta, Ohio, he was the No. 1 pick in the 1983 June draft. Pitched 14 years in the big leagues, going 146-140 with seven teams. Belcher won 10 or more games in nine of his 14 seasons and helped the Dodg ers upset Oak land by winning Game 4 of the 1988 World Se ries. Spent the past eight years working in the Indians' baseball operations de partment.

Q: Toughest hitter you ever faced?
A: Manny Ramirez. I couldn't get him out.

Q: Favorite ballpark?
A: Dodger Stadium.

Q: Pitching coach's biggest challenge?
A: Making enough time for every pitcher that needs you.

[Hope]

UPDATED

Matt LaPorta is aiming for March 10 to return to lineup: Cleveland Indians spring training briefing

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians second spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. We're at 38 days and counting until the regular season opens April 5 in Chicago.

Day six: First full-squad workout of spring training starts today at 10 a.m. MT (noon EST). It will include a throwing program for all players, individual defensive drills, team defense on bunt plays, fundamentals and batting practice. Practice ends with baserunning drills and coaches throwing batting practice at 12:10 p.m. MT (2:10 p.m. EST).

Circle that date: Matt LaPorta, recovering from surgery on his left big toe and left hip, says March 10 is the tentative date for him to start playing Cactus League games. The exhibition season start March 5.
As for being pushed to left field with the arrival of first baseman Russell Branyan, LaPorta said, "I can't worry about positions until I'm 100 percent."
LaPorta participated in Friday's first full-squad workout, taking grounders at first.
"I'll probably keep taking grounders at first for the first couple of weeks before the move me out to left," said LaPorta.

Visitor of the day: Former Indians second baseman Carlos Baerga visited camp Friday. He was laughing and joking with old teammates Charlie Nagy and Joel Skinner.
"You might see me coaching next year," said Baerga, who does color on games for ESPN DePortes.
Baerga asked a group of reporters if they'd seen hot-tempered Albert Belle lately.
"I'm going to try to get Albert out here," he said with a laugh. "First we've got to get him to come to Indians Fantasy Camp."
Albert Belle in fantasy camp. Now that would worth the price of admission.
Baerga says his 14-year-old son is playing center field in Puerto Rico.
"He's a good player," said Baerga. "We could have another Baerga in the big leagues."

Track 'em down: To save his hitter's hands on the first day of full-squad workouts, manager Manny Acta had the batters track the offerings of pitchers instead of swing at them. That's track as in stand there and watch the ball go by. The hitters then went and took batting practice off the coaches.

They're still around: One-time prospects Adam Miller and Scott Lewis will come to camp with the minor leaguers in early March. Miller's career is in jeapordy because of repeates surgeries on his right middle finge. Lewis was taken off the 40-man at the end of last season after missing much of the year with left elbow problems.
"It's unbelievable how tough Miller is," said Chris Antonetti, assistant general manager. "Anyone else would have quit a long time ago."

Acta's dozen: Acta says he's leaning toward having a 12-man pitching staff. As for the bullpen mix, Acta says he's not committed to having a certain number of lefties or righties. He wants pitchers who can get hitters out.
"When you talk about a mix in a bullpen," said Acta, "that leans too much toward a left right type of thing. I need guys who can come in and shorten the game. I think we have the right mix here without bringing up lefties and righties.
"I really like our bullpen. I know they didn't pitch well last year, but we have a lot of guys back there with the potential to miss bats. We have Joe Smith back healthy this year. It's going to be a tough competition. We've brought some quality arms in to camp."

He'll get a shot: Rule 5 pick Hector Ambriz, trying to make the club in the bullpen, will get a chance to show his stuff.
"He has to get an opportunity," said Acta. "We liked him enough to take him in the Rule 5. We want to make a sound decision on him."
The Indians drafted Ambriz from Arizona. If he doesn't make their 25-man roster, they must return him in exchange for $25,000, half the price they paid to draft him. They might also work a deal out with the Diamondbacks to keep Ambriz.

Big O: Acta has confidence in the Tribe's offense, especially if Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore can play full seasons. They were both hurting last year, but the Indians still scored the second most runs in the AL Central. The division champion Twins finished first with 817, while the Indians, who tied the Royals for last place, finished second with 773.

Language barrier? The Indians say catching prospect Carlos Santana has made strides in learning English, which improves his communication with the pitching staff.
"A lot of credit goes to him," said Acta. "He was taking classes during the offseason back home (Dominican Republic). He's not an introverted type of kid. He's friendly and he's not afraid to speak, whether he pronounces a word right or not. He's not shy.
"He's just going to continue to improve. He knows how important it is to him. We've stressed that a lot. He's open into putting as much effort as possible into that."

Schedule: Workouts are free and open to the public. They usually start between 9:30 a.m. MT (11:30 a.m. EST) and last until 12:30 p.m. MT (2:30 EST). They are open to the public. The schedule will vary once Cactus League games start March 5. There's a fan fest Saturday at Goodyear Ballpark. The Reds and Indians will workout. Sunday is Photo Day, where news agencies from around the country come to Goodyear to get pictures of Indians players.

[Hope]

Wanted: Position for LaPorta to play Indians haven't divulged their plans for young slugger

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- What, exactly, is Matt LaPorta? An outfielder or a first baseman?

"I haven't known my whole life," LaPorta said with a laugh. "Even in college, people would ask me, and I'd just say, 'I'm a hitter.'"

LaPorta, acquired in the 2008 trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers and brought up to the big leagues for the first time last season, is a promising enough young hitter that the Indians are expected to find some place for him in their everyday lineup in 2010.

But now that Russell Branyan is in the fold on a one-year contract, it appears the previous plans to turn LaPorta into a full-time first baseman have been put on hold and left field will be his domain.

But the Indians haven't divulged their intentions for LaPorta to anybody, LaPorta included.

"Right now, the focus is on getting me back to 100 percent," LaPorta said. "We can't talk about my position until I'm 100 percent."

LaPorta is now 4 1/2 months removed from a pair of surgeries last October. Doctors cleaned out his left hip joint and repaired a sprain of the joint at the base of his left big toe. He's been rehabbing ever since, making the Tribe's Player Development Complex his winter home away from home.

Cleared to resume baseball activities last week, LaPorta was a full participant Friday, as the Indians held their first full-squad workout of spring camp.

"The last couple days, I've really been getting after it," LaPorta said. "I've felt great, and I'm really pleased with where I'm at. I've reached one level of the ladder, and I feel great."

Although nothing is set in stone when it comes to rehab, the tentative date for LaPorta to join his teammates in Cactus League games is March 10. That's just five days after the Tribe's exhibition opener against the Reds, so he's currently not far behind at all and appears on track to be ready by Opening Day.

The right-handed-hitting LaPorta, who can spell Travis Hafner at the DH spot, if need be, is also on track to be a full-time player, no matter what position he happens to occupy on a given day.

"He's going to get 500 at-bats, if he's healthy," manager Manny Acta said. "That's what's important here."

This is viewed as an important developmental year for LaPorta, a power bat the Indians hope to build around in the middle of their order in the not-too-distant future. His long-term future will likely see him at first base, which is why the move back to the outfield puzzles some.

LaPorta will see the majority of his reps at first base this spring, because the outfield is his more natural position and because the 2009 season marked the first time in his professional career that he played at first.

"I put in a lot of time at that position last year to make up for the two years I missed," he said, when he played solely in the outfield.

LaPorta's rookie season not only saw him work in at first but also saw him get his first 181 at-bats in the big leagues. His first stint with the Tribe from May 2-26 saw him hit just .190 (8-for-42) with a homer and four RBIs. After a little more grooming time at Triple-A Columbus, he came back on Aug. 19 and batted .273 (38-for-139) with 12 doubles, six homers and 17 RBIs in 39 games through the remainder of the season.

The Indians don't think LaPorta, who batted .299 with a .917 OPS at Columbus last year, has anything left to prove at the Triple-A level. They're not as sold on another Sabathia trade acquisition, Michael Brantley, who had a strong September in the big leagues but will probably get bumped back to Columbus because of the Branyan signing and the ensuing move of LaPorta to left.

LaPorta said he's fine with moving back and forth from one position to another, if need be.

"Wherever the team needs me most," he said, "I feel I can fill that position."

Because no matter where he plays, LaPorta expects to hit.

[Hope]

Acta inspires with words and actions Manager hits grounders, shags flies in first full-squad workout

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Manny Acta gave some inspiring words to his players Friday morning, before the first full-squad workout of his first Spring Training camp as manager of the Indians.

Then he went out and participated himself.

Acta is active when it comes to spring preparation. He hits fungoes to the infielders, shags fly balls in the outfield and even helps clean up when the day is done. Where his predecessor, Eric Wedge, was more of a delegator overseeing the daily drills, Acta takes on more of a participatory role.

"I used to be an infield and third-base coach," Acta said. "I'm not going to stop instructing and coaching just because I'm a manager. I can still do it, so I'm going to do it."

What Acta can't do right now is throw batting practice, but he's getting there. He said he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in September ("Twenty years of throwing BP takes a toll on you," he explained.) and is on the road to recovery. He hopes to be throwing BP again in a couple of months.

"I just don't like to be standing behind the batting cage," he said. "I'll hit ground balls every day."

Acta's presence has provided a looser environment in camp, but he was all business in the morning meeting in which he had told reporters he would deliver his best "Vincente Lombardo" material.

After the speech, Acta said his influence runs more along the lines of NCAA basketball legend John Wooden than the NFL legend Vince Lombardi. But no matter the influence, Acta's message to this young club was simple: Believe in yourself.

"We respect [the media's prevailing opinion that the Indians won't be contenders this year], but we don't have to believe it," he said. "We have to be positive, and why not? We have a talented team. In baseball, predictions are a part of it, but people seem to be wrong just about every year. We are proof of that, because people picked this ballclub to win last year."

Acta's message seemed to hit home.

"He was very motivating," said left-hander David Huff, who led the team in wins as a rookie last year. "You can sense his energy and his passion and his pride. He makes us believe we are a good team. We're young, but we've still got the right guys to go about our business."