In the Navy: Cleveland Cavaliers continue shift to reincorporate blue
October 14, 2014LeBron and Kyrie to sit out tonight’s preseason game
October 14, 2014The ultra-slim chances that I had as a Cleveland Indians fan to have Victor Martinez back in a Tribe uniform have gotten even slimmer. If the Indians’ own self-professed budgetary constraints this off-season weren’t enough, the rumor mill states that Victor prefers to stay in Detroit and will give them every chance to sign him before going to the free agency market at large.
7. Victor Martinez, DH, free agent — This may not be a J.J. Hardy situation where he signs before free agency. But we do know this, according to a major league source familiar with Martinez: He prefers to work something out with the Tigers, so they will get first crack at him. If he elects free agency, comfort of the workplace will be extremely important. So you wonder about New York and whether we could be looking at more like Baltimore, Toronto, Chicago, or Texas. Suffice it to say, the Tigers would like to get it done sooner rather than later.
Look, I know it was a longshot no matter what. I’ve read and heard some claim that Victor could get a deal somewhere in the ballpark of Carlos Beltran’s three-year $45 million deal. I certainly wouldn’t hold my breath for the Indians to pony up that kind of money in free agency for a player who turns 36 over the winter. Still, Victor very well could be that missing piece in the lineup for the Indians even as he goes over 35 and toward 40 years of age.
In my dream scenario the Indians would somehow find a way to not only complete the sentimental loop with Victor Martinez, but unlike the Jim Thome stuff, he’d actually get them into the playoffs at least one more time as the team leader in the batting order as well as in the dugout.
Alas, it doesn’t appear to be happening. A boy can dream though, right?
23 Comments
When hoynsie said Victor wanted to end his career an an Indian, maybe he meant in the form of a statue.
For a brief moment I envisioned VMart back where it all began but lets face it the only way for that to happen is if he pays the Indians!
To hear those ‘in the know’ at the time, LeBron wasn’t coming back to Cleveland, and Manziel was gonna be starting for the Browns by now. Similarly, there’s ‘no chance’ Victor is coming back to the Indians. I sincerely hope the conventional wisdom is wrong again this time.
As I have offered up before around these parts, the fit is perfect in that the Indians wouldn’t have to give up any pitching and/or Lindor to get him, only money. (I’ll wait before continuing, while someone fans The Dolans, who surely passed out upon reading the end of that sentence.)
The Indians 2015 rotation will start next year as they ended this one, with far and away the best bargain in baseball at a TOTAL salary of between 3-4 million dollars. Of course it won’t last if they continue to pitch as they did to close the year, but they would be insane to trade away ANY piece of that for the next Matt LaPorta. That savings, plus the 14 million you DON’T have to give Masterson in 2015 should make this at least conceivable.
The Indians lost some 130,000 in attendance last year, and just bringing up Lindor and praying Swisher gets better isn’t gonna be enough to change that. Deficit spending on a guy who will make the whole lineup better just might.
The only way you could make the money work for a 3/$45mm is to move either Bourne or Swisher (or both, I guess). …and I think that would be difficult.
Actually starting to put together a solid young team? Why not saddle yourselves with a ridiculous overpay on an aging vet! CLEVELAND ROCKS!
I’ll take the over on $15M a year.
How is Victor a perfect fit here? We already have a multitude of bats who can barely (if at all) play the field. Chiz and Swisher should be full time DHs as it stands. Some would make the same argument for Santana. And now we’re going to overpay for a 36-year-old dude coming off a career year that doesn’t own a glove at this point. Do people not remember Travis Hafner?
If we have $15M/yr to spend, I’d rather spend it on Chase Headley.
If we have $15M/yr to spend, I’d rather spend it on Chase Headley.
All $15M, not me?
I think Headley is going to get less than $15M a year, if that’s what you mean. I’d guess like $12-13M. I’d take that over Victor at $15M+.
I know there’s bitter resentment towards the sentiment, and realize that it’s all just ethereal imaginings, but I share the dream, Craig. They said that I’m a dreamer; turns out, I’m not the only one!
I agree it’ll take more then $15M/yr for Victor but I wouldn’t want to spend that on Headley. He’s gone downhill for a few years. Where are you putting Chisenhall, trade bait? I’d still prefer Kipnis at 3b, Lindor at SS and Ramirez at 2b and use any money on either a power hitting OFer or perhaps a stud SP.
I’m on my way…
It’s just such a depressing dream.
But it’s not your dream, and it doesn’t depress us!
Based on your wishlist, it doesn’t sound like you want VMart either.
Headly was a 3-4 win player last year.
Chiz: DH/PH/3B on occasion. I’m not convinced he can/should play everyday.
Kipnis has never played an inning at 3B. So while I would be open to the idea in the long run, I don’t think you can just pencil him in at the position and be done with it.
I like Lindor/Ramirez up the middle.
I am convinced that we missed the playoffs because of defense, mainly infield defense. Plain and simple. I’m sure we all remember those “worst defense ever” articles from back in June. I’d be okay with a power hitting OF or a starter, but if I’m buying one thing it’s a third baseman who is good with the glove and (hopefully) not bad with the bat. That is our most obvious, glaring hole. To not address it is insane. It’d be making the exact same mistake we made last off-season.
It’s insanity! INSANE!
You need a little bit of insanity to do great things. – Henry Rollins
The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success. – Bruce Feirstein
For me, insanity is super sanity. The normal is psychotic. Normal means lack of imagination, lack of creativity. – Jean Dubuffet
Insanity: A perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world. – R. D. Laing
Insanity is often the logic of an accurate mind overtasked. – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Glad to see your Googling skills are still up to snuff.
Bing.
Oh.
I love VMart and the story it would be for him to return however based upon cost, defensive position and age he just doesn’t make sense. As you mentioned he’ll cost to much based on the presence of Swisher no place to play him and he is coming off a career year. These three things make me look elsewhere.
I’m not convinced on Chisenhall either which is why he’d be trade bait for me. Still I’d like a better replacement then Headley especially a more economic replacement. Hence me looking at Kipnis at third base. You fill from within while getting Ramirez a spot. This also means you can look to finally addressing that third outfield spot. Murphy will still be around but for me he’s a fourth OFer at best. Raburn is gone.
The defense was definitely a problem especially 3B but once they settled in with Martinez at 1B and Ramirez at SS it got better. I think the duo of Lindor-Ramirez would be outstanding, eventually. Kipnis at third base would be a new position but he’d be way better then the hole known as Chisenhall. IMO. This again brings me back to that third OF spot.
I’m being greedy I’d also like to see either a stud SP or at the least veteran innings eater added to the rotation. You are looking at Kluber, Carrasco, Bauer, Salazar and House I personally would like to see another arm added meaning either Salazar or House goes back down to Columbus. I’m leaning towards Salazar because I think not only could he use more work but I like having a lefty like House in the rotation to break things up. Ideally I’d plug someone in between Kiuber and Carrasco as well since they both pitch in similar ways.
Just some ideas. I need to find a free agent list to see who will be available.
Outside of being higher on Headley, I am with you on all of that.
I actually think we may have better options on the trade market than in the free agent market.
Who used the phrase ” will give Detroit the first chance “, first??? If V-Marrt did, Why wouldn’t he consider us first, and that is far from a great sign!!! In fact, I’d say, it means, signing with Detroit IS NOT HIS PRIORITY, just an obvious option………………………..
Sentimentality aside, what the Indians really need is a right-handed power bat in the middle of their lineup. Victor is a switch hitter so he fits that role to a certain degree, but my concern is whether he can match the 32 HR’s he hit in 2014 for the next three years. Victor is a very good overall hitter, but HR power is far from his best tool. Look at the following HR totals: 20 (2010), 14 (2012), and 12 (2013). Our current, admittedly flawed No 4 hitter, Carlos Santana, hits consistently more bombs than that. You’d also be taking VMart out from hitting between Miguel Cabrera and a red-hot JD. Martinez. Granted, he’d be sandwiched between Brantley and Santana, a pretty good duo in themselves. But with his age, lack of consistent HR track record, and defensive liabilities, I don’t see giving him 3 years of $15M per.