The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Trade could pay off big-time for Indians
If Josh Donaldson can return to his old hitting form in time for the playoffs, the Indians’ trade for him will have paid off, Jeff Schudel writes. Plus, Corey Coleman flames out in Buffalo.
The trade made by Indians president Chris Antonetti acquiring Josh Donaldson late on Aug. 31 has low risk with the possibility of very high reward for the Tribe.
Donaldson, the American League MVP in 2015, played only 36 games with the Blue Jays this season, because of a calf injury that has kept him down since May 28. But he hit 33 home runs last season and his health is improving. If he can get close to that form by the time the regular season ends Sept. 30 in Kansas City, the Indians can be a force in the postseason.
“He’s an MVP-type player, middle-of-the-order bat,” Indians manager Terry Francona said Sept. 1 before the Indians hosted the Tampa Bay Rays. “When he’s on the other team — I used to joke with (Indians bench coach Brad Mills) I hope he swings so hard he hurts his back. He puts a little fear into you when he gets in the batter’s box.
“He plays with an edge. He plays hard. There’s no crystal ball. We know that. There’s a risk there, but, man, it has a chance to make us better and I applaud our guys for doing that.”
Donaldson, who will wear No. 27, was activated before the Tribe played the Rays on Sept. 1 when rosters were expanded, but travel issues delayed his arrival in Cleveland. Francona plans to meet with Donaldson, after Antonetti and General Manager Mike Chernoff meet with Donaldson, before discussing with the media when he might start playing.
The Indians gave up a player to be named later in the deal. The Blue Jays are paying $2.7 million of the remainder of Donaldson’s salary. The Indians are on the hook for only $1 million — a cheap price if it helps win a World Series.
Donaldson was rehabbing with the Toronto’s Single-A team, the Dunedin Blue Jays when the trade was made. With MLB rosters expanded on Sept. 1, the plan is for Donaldson to continue his rehab with the Indians or possibly the Akron RubberDucks, the Indians’ Double-A team.
“Obviously, this is one of the most dynamic players in the game on both sides of the ball when he’s healthy,” Antonetti said. “We think there’s an opportunity for him to get to a point this month where he’ll be playing in games regularly and has a chance to impact us in the postseason. It was not an easy process to work through, complicated by Josh’s health status this year and him now just working his way back to full health.”
Donaldson plays third base. He will not play every day, particularly as he works his way back from the calf injury. Jose Ramirez will move to second base and stay there even when Donaldson isn’t in the lineup.
“Jose assured me he would willingly do this,” Francona said. “His concern was going back and forth. I told him we wouldn’t do that.”
So what do the Indians do with Jason Kipnis? He’ll either go to the bench or move to center field, as he did last year when a hand injury forced Bradley Zimmer out of the lineup.
“This affects Kip probably more than anybody,” Francona said. “I don’t think he was jumping for joy. I don’t think we expected him to.
“He’s going to start taking balls in center field. At some point we’ll put him out there and see how he looks. We’ve seen a little bit in the past. I explained to him, our owner (Paul Dolan) did that and Chris and Cherny made the trade. I have to do my job, too. I don’t think it’s fun to hear that, but Kip is a pretty good competitor. We’ll see how it goes.”
Greg Allen, the Indians’ current center fielder, is hitting .243 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 68 games. Kipnis is hitting .227 with 13 home runs and 56 RBI in 124 games.
• Players from the Dominican Republic, Tribe third baseman Jose Ramirez’ home country, are not subject to the amateur draft. The Indians signed him in 2009 as an undrafted free agent when he was 17.
On Aug. 31, the Indians signed Jose’s 16-year-old brother, who also has Jose as his first name. The Indians’ third baseman has Enrique as a middle name. His little brother’s middle name is Baez.
The Indians also signed 16-year-old Henyer Gomez from the Dominican Republic in the international signing period. Both additions are infielders.
• Outfielder Tyler Naquin, currently on the disabled list (hip surgery) reached a milestone in his rehab Aug. 31 when he jogged outside for the first time going on the disabled list July 28. The operation was performed Aug. 3. Naquin was expected to need six to 10 weeks to recover. That puts him in a race against the calendar to be ready for the playoffs.
“I’m feeling a lot better, really, really good,” Naquin said. “Stronger than I figured after having screws put in my hip. Whenever I’m ready to go, I’ll know and they’ll know.”
Naquin, 27, has the right attitude.
“There are two ways to look at it,” Naquin said. “You can be discouraged or keep grinding. I only look at it as one option — keep grinding. There’s only a Plan A. If there’s a Plan B, it gets in the way of Plan A. I plan on being ready (for the playoffs) and we’ll see how it goes.”
Naquin hit .296 in 116 games in 2016. He struggled with the Indians last year, hitting .216 in 19 games. He played 80 games in Columbus in 2017. He has played 61 games with the Indians this season. He is hitting .264 with three home runs and 23 RBI.
Coleman flames out
Corey Coleman was cut by the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 1. He was the first draft pick selected by former Browns director of football operations Sashi Brown and the first wide receiver chosen in the 2016 draft.
The Browns started out with the second pick, traded down to eighth and traded down again before taking Coleman 15th overall.
Brown missing out on quarterback Carson Wentz (the Eagles drafted him after trading for the pick) with the second pick doesn’t have to be dredged up again. But the fact Brown missed so badly on Coleman is Exhibit A of what a poor talent judge Brown was.
Coleman caught 56 passes and scored five touchdowns in two seasons with the Browns. The coaches did not like his attitude, so General Manager John Dorsey put him on the trading block. All Dorsey could get was a 2020 seventh-round 2020 draft pick from Buffalo in a deal made Aug. 5.
It took less than a month for the Bills coaches to reach the same conclusion. Coleman caught one pass in three preseason games while playing a total of 57 offensive snaps.
Coleman’s contract guarantees him $1.5 million in 2018. The Bills are willing to eat that rather than carry him on their roster.
I didn’t know that
… Until I read my Snapple bottle cap:
A rhinoceros horn is made of compacted hair. ... Alaska has more caribou than people . ... Because of rising metal prices, since 2006 it costs the U.S. mint more to make a penny than a penny is worth . ... The only cactus plantation in the world is in Mississippi . ... MLB baseballs are rubbed in Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud, a unique mud found only near Palmyra, New Jersey . ... The potato became the first vegetable grown in space.