Q: What is Chris Perez's future with the Cleveland Indians?
Jimmy Flint: I think Perez will be fine. A lot of fans have been upset with him because there normally isn't an easy inning for him and he isn't the best in non-save situations. He's still a two-time all-star and a player we should be happy to have on our roster. Plus, if you get rid of him, it really shakes up the bullpen. Here's a link to a great statistical post defending Perez.
Danny Wisard: I've been saying this for roughly two years now, GET HIM OUT. We received Perez from the Cardinals for Mark DeRosa, and quite frankly I wish we would have just let him stay. Perez is a head case that complains and moans about fans showing up, but he can't take the criticism himself (deleting his twitter for example). I firmly believe that if the Indians can make a deal for him by the deadline that would bring over some decent starting pitching (Perez is on the last year of his contract), then he will be dealt, and Vinnie Pestano will step in as the new closer.
Jacob Mowery: I believe we may see Chris Perez pushed out of Cleveland by the fans. It’s very clear that many of our fans are not big on Perez. Most people don’t like that he turns an easy save into an edge of the seat inning. In all reality, the guy is a 2-time all-star, who has saved 105 games for us in 5 seasons. Not many closers around the league can say they have done the same at this point in their career, and I believe he will be fine when he comes back healthy. In the end, he gets the job done.
Cody Waterman: Perez has never been liked by the fans, and frankly, he has never liked the fans either. Calling them out for not going to games while the team is in first place. Yes, he is an all star closer, and yes he has proven himself before, but I am not so sure his time is Cleveland has almost ran out.
Q: What do you make of Carlos Santana's recent struggles? Where do you think he will finish the year Batting Average wise?
JF: It doesn't surprise me at all. Santana is a career .252 hitter and although he has not reached his peak potential at the plate, I think people who thought he'd keep up his torrid pace and challenge Miguel Cabrera for the batting title were crazy. Santana will likely post a career-high Batting Average though and don't expect him to finish this poorly (he only has to beat his .252 mark from last season). He is always valuable at the plate, too, because of his phenomenal plate discipline. Santana leads the team with a .399 On-base percentage. I predict he will finish the year around .285 for his average.
DW: I actually heard a rumor and I hope it's false, that Santana has been doing some sort of drugs in the locker rooms and its affecting his play (All Bets are off with Bruce Drennan, rumor was not confirmed or denied). That being said, I hope it's false. Santana, like Ryan Raburn, got very hot and just has continued to struggle at the plate. I think you're going to see him getting more at bats as a DH though here in upcoming games, as Yan Gomes has been a great fit behind the plate. Francona just can't afford to sit him every day. That being said, I think not catching every day will help Santana with his hitting, look for him to finish in the upper .280's.
JM: I’m not very surprised at all. Santana is human, just like everybody else. Everybody will experience multiple highs and lows in a full 162 game season. He’s going to find a way to break his struggles and continue to be a main contributor to this ball club. He has the potential to be an MVP kind of guy, but this probably isn’t his time. I see him finishing the year with a career high .290 average.
CW: Santana is a solid .280 hitter this year. He shows signs of brilliance like earlier this year, then goes into horrible 2-47 slumps. He is a patient hitter and I love that aspect of his game, but he is a streaky hitter. With hitters around him producing, I wonder if he will remain our everyday 5 hitter? Do you move up someone like Reynolds? Brantley?
JF: The Tribe are in the midst of a murderer's row type of schedule that could make or break there season. This stretch started with a four-game series against the Red Sox, concluded yesterday with a four-game series with the Reds and then will continue against over-.500 squads until the all-star break. Nine of the Indians next 11 series will be against teams who all have strong hopes for the playoffs.
DW: Simply said, yes. The last week, the Indians proved they can hit quality pitching. Up to yesterday, their offense was there, as they should have taken 3 of 4 from Boston and they split with the Reds. There is no doubt in mind that if the bullpen gets their heads out of their asses and pitches like they know how to, then yes this team will be fine. If they can go .500 or just above over this stretch, I call that a HUGE step in the right direction. Remember though that on any given day, any team can win. The Twins kicked our dicks in last season and they finished dead last.
JM: These next ten series will definitely make or break the season. I believe it’s still a bit early to say they have played themselves out of contention. Two defining series will be June 7-9 and July 5-8 against Detroit. At this point, they must win those two series so they can have some kind of lead going into the all-star break.
CW: Were keeping this simple, "put up or shut up time". For years the Tribe has started off hot and then withered away around the all-star break. I'd like to believe this team is a little different. two-out hitting and scoring, home-run power nearly anywhere in the lineup, and a manger who wont let these guys rest on their morals. Can they survive this difficult run? Is the Pope, Catholic?
JF: Something has to happen here. The Indians have two starters with an ERA over 5. Jimenez has been surprisingly good, but has had a handful of starts that have really inflated his ERA. I really think something is going to give at some point, if the Indians could target a proven SP, that would really help them compete moving forward, do I think it will happen? Probably not, unless the team can get back to its winning ways. Corey Kluber has had a K:BB ration of above six and has shown great control, so if he can keep it up he will likely keep his spot in the rotation. Scott Kazmir has shown improvement and has struck out a lot of hitters, but I think he or Ubaldo (or both) will likely be out of the rotation by the all-star break.
DW: The Indians have been talking about Brett Myers going into a relief spot when he comes back, but I hope he never comes back. I think you'll see Bauer and Carrasco up here after the All Star Break, especially if they are contending. Unfortunately, I don't think Ubaldo is going anywhere and it saddens me, the guy is such a head case. You just honestly never know which one you're going to get. Scott Kazmir has been solid at times, but he's still a major work in progress. Kluber has been impressive, and ZMac has been a very pleasant surprise. I don't think the Indians however will make a trade. Expect to see Bauer/Carrasco up by the end of year, and don't forget about Danny Salazar.
JM: Honestly, I don’t think the team will do much at all. They have never been a team that was quick to make changes, and I don’t think a players coach like Tito will stir things up just yet. I believe he will ride out Kazmir and Ubaldo until the break. After the break, we will most likely see both guys on short leashes, especially with Carrasco patiently waiting in Columbus. It will be interesting to see how they will deal with his suspension as well. If he can get his head together, look for him to be a good asset to this rotation, as he has shown with his dominance in Columbus.
CW: I think we will makes some moves around the all-star break and bring in a solid arm from a non contending team, with the way we shelled out some cash this winter, I think we will be able to grab an arm and a good one.
JF: Tough question here... I think he goes straight to the bullpen when he gets back to Cleveland. His ERA was among the highest in the league and it looked like he was pitching batting practice with the amount of dingers he was allowing. He could be a reliable long or middle reliever, depending on how Tito wants to use him. Unfortunately, the bullpen came into the season as a strength, but is becoming the team's biggest weakness, so maybe Myers will be more comfortable in the pen and be able to give the Tribe a much needed boost
DW: Keep him! As the batting practice pitcher. That's all I'm saying, sick of that guy and watching home run after home run.
JM: Get rid of him..
But really, the guy was hard to watch when he was on the mound, and it’s hard for me to think that he will help our already struggling bullpen. Is it too early to say this was a bad signing??
CW: Put him in the pen. He is not a starter this late in his career. I don't believe he is mentally or physically able to be a starter anymore. He may find some comfort being in the bullpen and could really help mentor a few of those younger guys out there. That's my move.
BONUS! Who is the biggest surprise of the season so far?
JF: Mark Reynolds and Carlos Santana. They both have cooled off considerably though and they will be huge keys moving forward if the Indians want to sniff playoff baseball. Reynolds has hit 13 home runs and is among the AL-leaders in RBI. Santana's average has fallen off from earlier in the year, but he is still hitting a respectable .285 with a near .400 on-base percentage. These two will need to get back to their earlier pace to keep powering a Tribe offense that ranks fifth in the league in runs scored.
DW: This ties for me between McAllister and Gomes. No one expected these two to play HUGE roles, but look what they've done. McAllister has provided exceptional consistency, and Gomes has shown that he belongs here, with a tremendous arm behind the plate, and a much better catcher than Carlos Santana. I think the biggest surprise is what we've done after all the injuries and who's really stepped up. Raburn, the injury to Lou Marson, Brett Myers allowing Kluber to start. Last year, any of those guys go down, we've got no one that could step in (really, you think we did? Aaron Cunningham, Shelley Duncan, Johnny Damon...) I'm not saying the injuries have been good for us, but I'm saying that certain guys have gotten "hot" at just the right time.
JM: I believe the biggest surprise would have to be Zach McAllister. He was one of my question marks in the bullpen coming into the season. Not so much as if he can be good, but more as how good he can be. To this point, he has clearly played like our number 2 guy, and has been surprisingly consistent. Even though he has a record of 4-4, he has pitched at least 5 innings, and allowed no more than 3 earned runs in a game this season. If he can keep that up while our offense gets back on track, he will continue to surprise people throughout this season.
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