Return of the Beardedguy?

[Erie Warrior]

Tweet from JimBowdenESPNxm:

"The Indians could not be reached for comment on report that they have reached out to the Dodgers regarding possibly reacquring Casey Blake"

All kinds of awesome there.

.246/.330/.390 so far this season.

[swerb]

He's a grinder.

Even at his advanced age, > Hannahan as a 1b/3b option.

Not gonna take much to get him, he's not really playing at all in LA.

Why not.

[Erie Warrior]

Not gonna take much to get him

I believe a paycheck that won't bounce would do it.

[redneckofsc]

Jesus H is all I have to say.

[WiscTribeFan]

Think the Dodgers are gonna want Santana back for him?

Seriously, though, he's better than Hannahan at the dish, and he'd give us a RH stick that we need. The issue could be his salary, though. He's making upwards of $6M this year, with a $2M buyout for next year. If they don't want to give someone up for him, they'll have to pay full freight.

He's an upgrade, which is what you want to do to continue to inch forward. We aren't going to make any blockbuster deals, so this one makes some sense, plus he could play 1B as needed. Wouldn't mind Jamey Carroll as well (this one's for you, Peek).

[Pressrunnr]

I'd be fine with Blake ... but as I posted about a month or so ago, with the Dodgers over a barrel financially and the Tribe with a contending team and a low payroll (that in theory could sustain a bump assuming attendance blossoms assuming team stays in contention) I wonder if they could also pry one of their young starters, Billingsley or Kershaw, away from them as part of a deal to take Blake and maybe another bad contract off their hands. The model I would use is how the Red Sox had to "take" Lowell as part of their deal to get Beckett -- and then Lowell ended up giving them a couple pretty good years. It would mean, obviously, going outside of our comfort zones in terms of the level of prospects Tribe would have to give up, but again, this much like the Colon/Expos trade -- only in reverse -- this would truly be a unique opportunity made possible by a unique set of circumstances (i.e. Expos' contention/possible contraction in '02 and Dodgers' financial mess now). It would fill a hole now AND provide an ace for the rotation now and a couple more years.

[WiscTribeFan]

I'd be fine with that ... but as I posted about a month or so ago, with the Dodgers over a barrel financially and the Tribe with a contending team and a low payroll (that in theory could sustain a bump assuming attendance blossoms assuming team stays in contention) I wonder if they could also pry one of their young starters, Billingsley or Kershaw, away from them as part of a deal to take Blake and maybe another bad contract off their hands. The model I would use is how the Red Sox had to "take" Lowell as part of their deal to get Beckett -- and then Lowell ended up giving them a couple pretty good years. It would mean, obviously, giving outside of our comfort zones in terms of the level of prospects Tribe would have to give up, but again, this much like the Colon/Expos trade -- only in reverse -- this would truly be a unique opportunity made possible by a unique set of circumstances (i.e. Expos' contention/possible contraction in '02 and Dodgers' financial mess now). It would fill a hole now AND provide an ace for the rotation now and a couple more years.

Problem is, we don't have a sure fire ready to hit the majors star-in-waiting player like Hanley Ramirez sitting in our minors to pull that kinda deal off. Anibal Sanchez has turned out to be a very good major league starting pitcher as well. That deal worked out well for both teams.

This team is not going to make a major deal involving their top prospects. Ain't gonna happen, no way, no how. Best to banish those thoughts from your head because all they'll do is make you crazy.

I also don't see the Dodgers dealing either one of those pitchers regardless of financial issues. `

[cozmeesah]

He's a grinder.

Even at his advanced age, > Hannahan as a 1b/3b option.

Not gonna take much to get him, he's not really playing at all in LA.

Why not.

Exactly.

Tribe fans need to get rid of their sometimes (most of the time, actually) irrational hatred for the guy. He'd be an upgrade from Hannahan and would probably help us. What, exactly, would be wrong with that? Other than "I hate Casey Blake because Eric Wedge liked him a lot and he's a grinder" ?

[Pressrunnr]

Exactly.

Tribe fans need to get rid of their sometimes (most of the time, actually) irrational hatred for the guy. He'd be an upgrade from Hannahan and would probably help us. What, exactly, would be wrong with that? Other than "I hate Casey Blake because Eric Wedge liked him a lot and he's a grinder" ?

I agree -- and I'm the guy who always referred to watching him play as the Chinese Casey Blake Torture. In retrospect, I think a lot of the abuse he got was really the fault of the two 3Bs the team got as "long-term" answers while he was here, Aaron Boone and Andy Marte. Bringing in those two and moving Blake to RF really weakened two positions. Monday morning quarterback, of course, but if they had let Blake do his thing at 3B and the bottom of the batting order the whole time and brought in a real right fielder, a lot of the unfair Blake hatred would have been averted. Well, there's that Game 7 double-play grounder on '07, but still ...

[dazindiansfanuk]

I'd love to have Blake back.

Nothing special but he hits from the right side, is an improvement over what we have and I happen to like the guy.

[Commodore Perry]

So what's the timeline for Chisenhall? Cause I feel like if you plug casey blake in at third, he's kinda there for the season.

[peeker643]

So what's the timeline for Chisenhall? Cause I feel like if you plug casey blake in at third, he's kinda there for the season.

That's the whole idea I think. This division is going to be crazy and it's hard to see a team falling completely on their face because other AL Central teams are there to cushion the fall.

Chisenhall has not only been on the Columbus DL but also struggled early on and still has but a .760 Triple A OPS.

I think if they get a viable ML 3B option they'd prefer to give Chisenhall the season in AAA.

[gotribe31]

I'd be fine with Blake ... but as I posted about a month or so ago, with the Dodgers over a barrel financially and the Tribe with a contending team and a low payroll (that in theory could sustain a bump assuming attendance blossoms assuming team stays in contention) I wonder if they could also pry one of their young starters, Billingsley or Kershaw, away from them as part of a deal to take Blake and maybe another bad contract off their hands. The model I would use is how the Red Sox had to "take" Lowell as part of their deal to get Beckett -- and then Lowell ended up giving them a couple pretty good years. It would mean, obviously, going outside of our comfort zones in terms of the level of prospects Tribe would have to give up, but again, this much like the Colon/Expos trade -- only in reverse -- this would truly be a unique opportunity made possible by a unique set of circumstances (i.e. Expos' contention/possible contraction in '02 and Dodgers' financial mess now). It would fill a hole now AND provide an ace for the rotation now and a couple more years.

1) Kershaw and Bills are cheap, young and talented. Pitchers like Kershaw don't get traded. We could probably not come up with an offer in our system that's worth a true #1 lefthanded starter like him.

2) We are not and will never be in a position to trade young talent for young talent plus bad contracts. The Red Sox can pull off deals like this, we can't. If Kershaw could be had for prospects plus $$$, someone else would come along and offer to take way more money than we ever could. Nothing about this idea is possible.

[gotribe31]

So what's the timeline for Chisenhall? Cause I feel like if you plug casey blake in at third, he's kinda there for the season.

I think at this point the most you'll see from Chiz is a Sept callup. He still struggles against LHP, and his defense still needs a little work. He could use more AAA at bats.

Kipnis is closer to getting called up than Chiz, in my opinion. Phelps is just getting his shot at 2B first.

[TribeNut]

If they get him on the cheap and use him primarily at 1B, great, but if they expect him to be a logical upgrade at 3B then count me out. The small uptick in offensive production can't justify the falloff in defense. There is a reason why the infield defense was mediocre at best in Blake's time here.

[Pressrunnr]

1) Kershaw and Bills are cheap, young and talented. Pitchers like Kershaw don't get traded. We could probably not come up with an offer in our system that's worth a true #1 lefthanded starter like him.

2) We are not and will never be in a position to trade young talent for young talent plus bad contracts. The Red Sox can pull off deals like this, we can't. If Kershaw could be had for prospects plus $$$, someone else would come along and offer to take way more money than we ever could. Nothing about this idea is possible.

1. True enough, when we're talking about 99.99 percent of the time. Your typical struggling team would never consider such a thing. That's why I compare this situation to the Expos in '02. We're told we can never expect to get a haul similar to the one we got for Colon because it was clearly a "unique" situation, with the Expos contending AND seemingly bound for contraction. Along the same lines, the Dodgers are in a unique situation as well. With the team's crazy legal situation and the league vetoing every attempt they have to use their Fox Sports deal as a lifeline, making payroll might just force them to do something a-typical -- in this case, dealing a top, cheap young pitcher as a means to unload bad contracts. Are they really in THAT much of a bind? Would the league even let them do such a thing? A longshot, to be sure. But as long as the Indians are thinking of picking at the Casey Blake-Jamey Carroll tree anyway, why the heck not try?

2. I don't hold their purse strings, so I can't say what they would or wouldn't do, other than to acknowledge that, as a rule, you're right, taking on bad contracts that way isn't the way the Indians -- or any small or mid size market team -- can operate. Again, though, if there was ever a year it was possible, it would be now. Their payroll is still very low, their core players aren't going to get expensive for a couple years and with contention -- with the addition of a "bold" move to motivate the fans, not to mention a playoff appearance they probably didn't factor into the budgeting process in January -- perhaps there would be enough added revenue (and dare we suggest, a one-time only deficit spending gamble) to take on a year or two of bad contract. Biggest problem I see -- and it's probably an insurmountable one, I'll confess -- is that it would be bold, and this front office, for better or for worse, typically doesn't "do" bold.

[Symbolic47]

It would be MUCH easier to pry Billingsly away than Kershaw. But still, it isn't happening.

[Dnthateonthepronk]

Tweet from JimBowdenESPNxm:

"The Indians could not be reached for comment on report that they have reached out to the Dodgers regarding possibly reacquring Casey Blake"

All kinds of awesome there.

.246/.330/.390 so far this season.

just so long as they dont give them back Carlos Santanna

[googleeph2]

Not gonna take much to get him

I believe a paycheck that won't bounce would do it.

That was funny.

That's moneyball, right? Take advantage where there is value.

I like a RH hitter like Blake on the Tribe this yr. If not him, someone similar.

Also, a Paul Byrd circa 2007 type starter- a guy who might be counted on to give the staff a veteran presence. You guys who know more may not agree, but if the move were made right now, why not send Herrmann down and move Carmona to middle relief for the time being.

Is Jason Bere still playing? ha

[leadpipe]

I'd love to have Blake back.

Nothing special but he hits from the right side, is an improvement over what we have and I happen to like the guy.

He'd hit more than Hannahan if he went opposite handed.

[Symbolic47]

Hell half of us could hit better than Jack. I wish we still had CC, as we could just pinch hit him when Jack comes up in the clutch. :)

[Dnthateonthepronk]

That's moneyball, right?

I saw the add for that movie the other day. Brad Pitt is playing Billy Beane