Marte Time

The Tribe has called up third baseman Andy Marte from triple-A Buffalo.

Tribe fans will now get their first look at the key component to to Coco Crisp trade last off-season.

Marte's hitting has improved slightly as of late as he's been making better contact at the plate. He's learning how to better excercise his impressive power, as evident in his domination of the home run derby at the International League All-Star Game.

However, comments from Tribe GM Mark Shapiro in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer surely weren't an endorsement of Marte's readiness to perform at the major league level.

"He looked better in spring training," said Shapiro. "He needs work."

Pardon my ignorance, but I was somehow hoodwinked into believing four months at triple-A Buffalo would've garnered some semblance of an improvement in some aspect of Marte's game. While Marte looked ready for prime-time during spring training, the ensuing 2006 season at Buffalo has been nothing short of a disappointment.

Marte has played in 96 games at Buffalo and cranked out 15 home runs and 46 RBI. He leaves western New York with a robust batting average of .261. He's struck out 81 times to go against only 33 walks.

NEWSFLASH TO AARON BOONE HATERS:

Marte isn't any better defensively, as he's already committed 19 errors.

Now I'm not jumping off the Marte bandwagon yet, as the youngster has yet to play a game in an Indians uniform at the big league level.

At the same time, such a lethargic performance and such noticible steps backwards between spring training and today surely don't instill much confidence in the capabilities of the Indians minor league instructors.

While everyone wants to fire Eric Wedge, the so-called "loaded" minor league system that the Indians boast continues to churn out players who have significant deficiencies in certain fundamental aspects of their game.

Jhonny Peralta has struggled with his fielding, Victor has struggled with his throwing, "Five-tool" prospect Franklin Gutierrez can't hit a ball past the warning track and nobody can lay down a bunt (with my apologies to Joe Inglett.)

I still have faith in the Indians as a team and an organization, and Andy Marte should turn out to be a solid ballplayer.

Yet, those who wish to criticize Eric Wedge regarding the fundamental deficiencies of certain players will be armed with more ammunition as they get an extended look at Marte.

Except that ammunition shouldn't be pointed at Wedge, it should be redirected to professional instruction that the Indians are offering their players at the minor league level...

Or lack thereof...

Bentley's Knee Explodes

Day two of training camp...

First practice in pads...

A city (Cleveland) and organization (Browns) seemingly cursed...

What did you expect would happen to the team's most expensive free-agent acquisition?

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Browns center LeCharles Bentley has torn the patellar tendon in his left knee and will miss the entire 2006 season.

The team's biggest free agent signing and only "Pro Bowl" player sidelined for the season on the first play of contact drills.

TIME OUT!

Before I entrap myself into regurgitating the rantings that you're undoubtedly hearing everywhere else, I'm going to stop myself.

I'll leave all the whining and crying to the sports talk show hosts.

I'll leave all the speculation about a curse or jinx to the columnists.

I'm here to tell you to step back from the ledge.

Don't go head first off the Valley View bridge just yet.

While losing Bentley is definitely a significant loss for the Browns, it isn't the end of the world.

More than anything, the loss of Bentley is a hit to the unbridled optimism and sense of euphoria that has surrounded Phil Savage's off-season acquisitions and the upcoming 2006 Browns season.

The transition began when the last of the Browns' popular whipping boys, team president John Collins and quarterback Trent Dilfer, exited the organization. Collins resigned following his power struggle with Phil Savage in January while Dilfer was traded to the 49ers after failing to come to grips with his role on the team.

After this "organizational cleansing," the orange and brown faithful slowly began reverting to the never-ending homerism that surrounded the Browns teams led by Bernie Kosar.

Add the word "starting" before hometown boy Charlie Frye's position of "quarterback" and the fans began to experience goosebumps.

Following the signings of "hometown boys" Bentley, Dave Zastudil, Bob Hallen and Joe Jurevicius the train had left the station...

Dawgs from all over couldn't prevent themselves from thinking the same thing:

"After three years without football and seven years of football hell, the Browns are BACK!"

Yeah, ok.

The orange and brown faithful need to learn to keep their heads. The 2006 Browns weren't awarded an automatic playoff spot because they made a couple solid off-season acquisitions. At the same time, the season isn't over simply due to the loss of LeCharles.

Had the Browns simply not signed Bentley, I strongly doubt this season would've been doomed from the start.

As poor as Jeff Faine performed at times, Reuben Droughns still managed to run for over 1,000 yards behind him last season.

I fail to understand how Bentley was going to assist in preventing the Steelers from scoring 41 points.

Not to diminish the value LeCharles Bentley would've brought to the 2006 Browns...

But the biggest hit today was to the psyche of a fanbase that has been battered and bruised for the last decade, not to the product that will take the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium in September.

Phil Savage said it best when he took the reigns of the organization in January of 2005.

"We need to get rid of the 'woe is me' and 'run-for-the-hills' attitude."

That doesn't change now.

Tribe and the Trading Deadline

Ah, the Indians.

Those beloved Wahoos from the shores of the Cuyahoga.

A year removed from a 93-win season, our beloved Tribe is in 4th place in the AL Central and could lose over 90 games this season.

Its no secret the season is lost.

With the trading deadline rapidly approaching we've seen the Indians make two moves in the last week. First, the Tribe sent closer Bob Wickman to the Atlanta Braves for class-A minor league catcher Max Ramirez.

Six days later, Mark Shapiro swapped Indians starting first baseman Ben Broussard for Seattle Mariners outfielder Shin Soo Choo.

In the aftermath of these two deals, fans and media alike have been scratching their heads.

After all, how could Bob Wickman, the Indians all-time saves leader, only bring back a class-A catcher in a deal?

Why didn't Mark Shapiro wait another week and see if Wicky's value increased?

Broussard was hitting well over .300 and is under contract for another two years. Why trade him for a minor league outfielder?

Here's why:

Wickman is at the end of his career. He has two months remaining in the 2006 season and is expected to retire after its conclusion. While still relatively effective as a closer, he pitches to contact and does not posses great stuff.

Wickman's value was much higher in the eyes of Cleveland fans than in the eyes of executives across Major League Baseball. I hate to break it to some of you, but 38-year-old closers with two months remaining not only on their contract but in their career generally do not bring much more than a class-A catcher in return.

"But then," many ask...

"Why not wait another week and see if his value goes up?"

I'll tell you why, and the answer is two-fold.

Ronnie Belliard and the 10-5 rule.

Belliard was a prime target to be dealt before the July 31st trading deadline. Then Belliard pulled a hamstring a week ago.

Now there is no way the Indians can move Belliard for anything of value before the deadline.

The Indians saw a player they liked in Max Ramirez and pulled the trigger on the Wickman trade. While they may have been able to squeeze a tiny bit more out of another team in exchange for Wickman had they waited another week, the odds were just as good that Wickman could have been injured or been lit up in an appearance this week, therefore lowering his value even more.

It wasn't worth waiting.

Now for the 10-5 rule.

Bob Wickman had a right to veto any trade as a result of the "10-5 rule" which states that a player must approve any trade if they have over 10 years of service time in the big leagues, five of which have been with their current team.

It was widely believed that three teams expressed an interest in Bob Wickman.

Problem is this: Wickman reportedly turned down trades to two different teams before agreeing to be dealt to Atlanta.

So if there were three teams interested and Wickman rejected trades to two of them, that leaves one team left...

The Atlanta Braves, who offered Max Ramirez.

So why wait?

On to the Broussard trade...Although he is in the midst of a career year, trading Ben Broussard makes a great deal of sense on many fronts. First off, Ben's value will never be higher. Secondly, he was a platoon player having a career year who is slated to go to arbitration this offseason. (Broussard likely would have been awarded a one-year contract worth over 5 million in arbitration, a bit of a hefty price for a part time player)

In addition, while Broussard stepped up his game significantly this season offensively, he has continued to make more mental mistakes than anyone on the Indians roster.

Whether throwing to the wrong base or getting picked off while running the bases, Ben's head wasn't always in the game, leaving him at-odds with manager Eric Wedge.

Physical errors are acceptable. They happen to everyone and are a part of the game.

Continuous mental mistakes are not.

In dealing Broussard the Indians accomplish a couple things. First, they bring in a talented corner outfielder in Shin Soo-Choo who is major league ready. Choo has hit for average at every level, possesses Sizemore-like speed and has an above average arm for right field.

Seattle considered him one of their best prospects going into the season, but his value to the organization was diminished with Ichiro, Jeremy Reed and Raul Ibanez entrenched in the Mariner outfield.

In addition to adding a promising young corner outfielder, the Indians also free up an impact position at first base. With Broussard on the roster, adding an impact first baseman via free agency this offseason was not an option. Considering the public outcry for the Dolans to spend money after the failures of the 2006 season, the Indians have no choice but to open up the wallet in free agency this offseason.

Had Broussard not been moved, the only positions "of need" for the Indians this offseason would've been at second base and in the outfield. By trading Broussard the Tribe now has increased flexibility, meaning an impact first baseman could be added to the shopping list this offseason while exploring other options at the other positions of need.

Remember the name Sean Casey.

I'll have more coming up in my first of multiple "Offseason Outlooks" coming up this week.

(That's right, it's not even August and we're going to start exploring off-season options...)

Only in Cleveland.