A.L. Central Discussion 2016

[WiggyRuss]

Pitching is not the weak area for the Tribe. Kluber struck out 6 day. He's locked in, razor sharp, I'd say. Plus, putting on that bock C raises his game to whole another level.

Bauer just looked amazing in his last spring training start- and got sent to the pen because the Indians starting pitching is so deep.

Kluber is primed to compete for the Cy Young again this year it looks like to me.

I just hope Brantley comes back fairly soon and is healthy when he gets back. 2 years ago Kipnis got hurt - pulled an abdominal or something- and really never got right. The Tribe needs Brantley to be the guy he has been the last 2 years if they are gonna have a shot.

and again- i gotta keep going back to the fact that the Indians had just so much dead weight last season- guys that werent just bad- that were truly putrid. Jose Ramirez was AWFUL for the first 60 games at SS. Aviles was HORRIBLE. Swisher was HORRIBLE. Moss- for the most part- was HORRIBLE. The Chiz/Urshela 3b combo was so bad offensively its ridiculous.

The Indians dont need Mike Napoli to be good- they just need him not to suck. The Indians dont need Juan Uribe to be even a top 20 3rd basemen- they just need him not to be a black hole. Naquin in center over Bourne has to be a drastic improvement - it just has to be.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Pretty relaxed at this point in time. Former Red Sox first rounder Reymond Fuentes hit 389 in ST and probably will be starting in RF on opening day. Kind of figured he could be a decent 4th OF'er, but we really don't have much else to try out there- and Snider in Kauffman makes my head hurt.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Pretty relaxed at this point in time. Former Red Sox first rounder Reymond Fuentes hit 389 in ST and probably will be starting in RF on opening day. Kind of figured he could be a decent 4th OF'er, but we really don't have much else to try out there- and Snider in Kauffman makes my head hurt.

i think its a good call to give a guy with talent and upside like that a shot....why not....you guys ahve plenty of offense otherwise...

have the Royals announced their rotation yet?

 

[Fountain City Blues]

i think its a good call to give a guy with talent and upside like that a shot....why not....you guys ahve plenty of offense otherwise...

have the Royals announced their rotation yet?

I think so- it's more representative of scheduling quirks in the first few months than reality per se, but:

1. Volquez
2. Kennedy
3. Ventura
4. Chris Young
5. Medlen

Ventura recently had the flu so they probably like the idea of giving him an extra break. Royals probably take the opportunity to skip Medlen starts given he has 2 TJS's on his resume.

 

[broncosmitty]

Taylor? Yuk yuk. Try north a bit. Clinton twp. Just moved. Into a deluxe apartment. Moving on up

Beans don't burn on the grill.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I think so- it's more representative of scheduling quirks in the first few months than reality per se, but:

1. Volquez
2. Kennedy
3. Ventura
4. Chris Young
5. Medlen

Ventura recently had the flu so they probably like the idea of giving him an extra break. Royals probably take the opportunity to skip Medlen starts given he has 2 TJS's on his resume.

At one point I really thought that Danny Duffy was gonna be a decent starting pitcher...He was pretty good 2 years ago and i thought he might keep improving- but i guess not.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

At one point I really thought that Danny Duffy was gonna be a decent starting pitcher...He was pretty good 2 years ago and i thought he might keep improving- but i guess not.

That'll happen when velocity drops after TJS, and well, the whole not being able to repeat mechanics thing is not very helpful. Oh well, he can still shoot 97 out of the pen from the left side so it's not really a big loss now.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Pitching is not the weak area for the Tribe. Kluber struck out 6 day. He's locked in, razor sharp, I'd say. Plus, putting on that bock C raises his game to whole another level.

Razor sharp. Razor.

 

[broncosmitty]

Bauer just looked amazing in his last spring training start- and got sent to the pen because the Indians starting pitching is so deep.

Kluber is primed to compete for the Cy Young again this year it looks like to me.

I just hope Brantley comes back fairly soon and is healthy when he gets back. 2 years ago Kipnis got hurt - pulled an abdominal or something- and really never got right. The Tribe needs Brantley to be the guy he has been the last 2 years if they are gonna have a shot.

and again- i gotta keep going back to the fact that the Indians had just so much dead weight last season- guys that werent just bad- that were truly putrid. Jose Ramirez was AWFUL for the first 60 games at SS. Aviles was HORRIBLE. Swisher was HORRIBLE. Moss- for the most part- was HORRIBLE. The Chiz/Urshela 3b combo was so bad offensively its ridiculous.

The Indians dont need Mike Napoli to be good- they just need him not to suck. The Indians dont need Juan Uribe to be even a top 20 3rd basemen- they just need him not to be a black hole. Naquin in center over Bourne has to be a drastic improvement - it just has to be.

What about Yan Gomes?


Word on the street is.......




He's a bum.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

What about Yan Gomes?


Word on the street is.......




He's a bum.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

I think so- it's more representative of scheduling quirks in the first few months than reality per se, but:

1. Volquez
2. Kennedy
3. Ventura
4. Chris Young
5. Medlen

Ventura recently had the flu so they probably like the idea of giving him an extra break. Royals probably take the opportunity to skip Medlen starts given he has 2 TJS's on his resume.

Amazing to me thats a World Championship rotation

 

[Howie115]

Speaking of "razor sharp", Shane Greene with 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 9 Ks yesterday against the Orioles. He is the Tigers #5 starter (Matt Boyd optioned to AAA). Overall in the spring, he had a 1.86 ERA and 23 Ks in 19.1 innings. Hit 97 on the radar gun a couple of times, so it appears he is fully healthy.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Speaking of "razor sharp", Shane Greene with 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 9 Ks yesterday against the Orioles. He is the Tigers #5 starter (Matt Boyd optioned to AAA). Overall in the spring, he had a 1.86 ERA and 23 Ks in 19.1 innings. Hit 97 on the radar gun a couple of times, so it appears he is fully healthy.

Sounds like the Shane Green we saw for 3 starts in April 2015

 

[Howie115]

Sounds like the Shane Green we saw for 3 starts in April 2015

No sane fan ever thought he was going to be as good as we saw in those three starts. But he's not as bad as we saw later in the year, either. He ran into both confidence and health issues as the season went along. I think he can be a serviceable 4-something ERA starter, which is good enough to win a decent amount of games with the Tigers' offense.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

No sane fan ever thought he was going to be as good as we saw in those three starts. But he's not as bad as we saw later in the year, either. He ran into both confidence and health issues as the season went along. I think he can be a serviceable 4-something ERA starter, which is good enough to win a decent amount of games with the Tigers' offense.

He started talking a lotta smack about the Yankees for trading him after he got off to that great start....It was all downhill from there

Lesson being : Dont talk smack about my Yankees, God is a Yankees fan

 

[Howie115]

Taylor? Yuk yuk. Try north a bit. Clinton twp. Just moved. Into a deluxe apartment. Moving on up

As long as it isn't those apartments over by 15 & Harper. Kinda slummy there. My son was staying with a friend in those apartments once ... they called for a pizza and the guy on the phone said they wouldn't deliver to that area.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Amazing to me thats a World Championship rotation

Goes to show you what good defense at all 9 spots can do for you. Lot of pitchers outperforming their peripherals by no insignificant margin.

 

[broncosmitty]

It's like they named themselves after a dildo and then got right to work, writin for Tubbs.

 

[navamind]

the prospect of opening the season against Kluber/Carrasco/Salazar doesn't thrill me

 

[Howie115]

CBSsports staff predictions for the ALC. Wow, really going out on a limb.