Tribe @ Twins 7-29-12 ~~ Slip-sliding away...

[Am I Here Again?]

Half-way thru 1st, Tribe down 1-2-3 on 7 pitches. You REALLY want the line-up?

Go Tribe *sigh*

[Bigfist]

3-1 thru five. If the game ends with a loss, I believe it is time to deal Choo and Perez.

[Adverb Harry]

3-1 thru five. If the game ends with a loss, I believe it is time to deal Choo and Perez.

Choo's admitting that it's a possibility and he's even talked to Boras to see how valid the rumors are.

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120729&content_id=35764842&vkey=news_cle&c_id=cle

Read between the lines, and it sounds like he'd welcome a trade. He says he likes it here and it's like family, "but, the more important thing is I want to win. I want to make the playoffs."

As our friend Hawk Harrelson would say, "he gone!"

[TribeinLA]

What would be classic is if Choo said something in Korean and management mistranslated it and dealt him. I have heard Choo likes his teammates and in my opinion, he is the face of the franchise depite being 30 -- not Santana and his walks and six homers (although he has been a STUD behind the dish).

Deal Perez, Marson (for value sakes, even though he's been the best backup catcher since Shoppach), Tomlin (if anyone wants him...maybe he turns out to be Greg Maddux, but I doubt it), LaPorta and a jockstrap, Ismael Rogers (would love to se him part of the longterm plan, but he's likley never going to be the gun he should), and Lowe if there's a snowman's chance in Libya that any foolish contender wants to implode purposely ala the 1919 Black Sox.

Droobs will be a Yankee after 2014 (why didn't we sign the kid through 2018?)

Untouchable -- Masterson, Brantley, Santana, Chisenhall, Kipnis, Pestano

See what we can get, but not for AA prospects only -- Ubaldo, Choo, Phelps, Joe Smith, Sipp, McAllister

Now, how bad do most of us feel about the Ubaldo trade last year? I do.

Wonder if we could trade Hafner to a contender for a A or AA reliever?

And just for my own entertainment, if everyone was healthy and somehow Jahonny had become a badass in Cleveland, how great would this lineup be:

1. Choo, rf
2. Cabrera, ss
3. Kipnis, 2b
4. Santana, c
5. Sizemore, lf
6. Hafner, dh
7. LaPorta, 1b
8. Peralta, 3b
9. Brantley, cf

^If each player was exactly who we thought they were. But alas, they are kinda who we thought they were. And we let em off the damn hook.

[Bigfist]

Tribe in LA...the problem is that no contender wants anyone you are talking about. Tomlin on a contender? C'mon..his ERA is nearly 6. Lowe..you have got to be kidding me..no one fighting for a spot in the playoffs wants to send him out there every 5 days. Laporta? You're joking, right? I guess a team desperate for a backup catcher might deal for Marson, but you won't get more than a lower level C prospect for him. Really, our best trading chips are Choo and Perez.

Good thing we have been drafting so much better since Grant took over.

[peeker643]

Well, almost made it to August being relevant.

[Adverb Harry]

I hate to say it, and I'm certainly not happy about it, but I almost feel as if this sweep needed to happen just to show the front office how badly constructed this team really is and that--unfortunately--we just aren't contenders this year.

This was the last game before the trading deadline. We're now two games under .500 and trending downward fast. There is a solid young core in place, so no rebuild is necessary. But a retool? Yeah, I'd say so.

I love Choo--absolutely love the guy--but he's gone in a year and a half. With the team's history of trading guys before they hit free agency, he's likely gone before that. He could be the biggest trade chip by any team this deadline. If a team comes calling with an overwhelming offer (crazy, but the Pirates sound like a good fit), don't you have to seriously entertain it?

[dazindiansfanuk]

The Pirates and Rangers have checked in on Shin-Soo Choo, the Indians' star right fielder.

For now, those appear to be the most interested teams, in fact.

The Indians are in a position between buyers and sellers but understand they have little chance to sign Choo to a long-term deal so may be open to the right deal. It is believed they've asked for Pirates rookie outfielder Starling Marte from Pittsburgh. The Indians would likely also seek a pitcher back in return.

The Pirates have shown interest in many outfielders, including Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, josh Willingham, Michael Cuddyer, Corey Hart and others.

The Rangers' fit is more curious. But they do seem intrigued.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/jon-h ... -star-choo

I could live with trading Choo if you get a ready made replacement and pitching. But, you'd better get some serious talent if you're gonna move him a 1 1/2 before he's a FA.