I’ve spoken with quite a few people in the last week are that just sick to death of all the draft talk and re-hash that has been going on, and frankly, I can’t disagree with them.
It’s bound to happen – with the 24 hour news cycle, in a period where not much is happening, the only choice is to recap, and recap the recaps, and speculate wildly. Some of these guys, I think, are just saying the most ludicrous thing they can think of, just to get someone to pay attention.
Mo Claiborne got a 4 on his Wonderlic. I really want to comment on that.
But I’m going to play the better part of valor here. No more draft talk unless something truly substantial happens.
I’ve been analyzing the Tribe, with Opening Day right around the corner, so you can look forward to some thoughts on that in the coming days.
I also feel like I should change the logo, given that Hillis is no longer with us. Opinions on that, and any lingering draft talk you wanna get off your chest in the comments, please.
Stay Tuned.
Indians win 103 games and the World Series.
Ha! I’m guessing 84 wins and about 6 games out of the second wild card spot. Hafner has a decent bounce-back year before the Tribe buys him out for 2013, Grady plays about 90 games before leaving town for good, and Jimenez finishes somewhere around .500 with a 4.50-4.75 ERA.
Masterson keeps improving, but lefties still hammer him due to his arm slot, and he can’t quite make the jump to the upper echelon of right-handed starters (something like 15-9, 3.85/1.20). Choo stays healthy and puts up good numbers for his last full season with the Tribe. As his arbitration years keep building, I’m guessing they trade him (and Scott Boras) in July, 2013.
Santana is a beast. Kipnis struggles early but looks promising by August. I’m guessing his season ends up around a .270/.345/.425 line, but he turns it on late and ends the season batting second ahead of Santana (something like .290/.355/.470 in the second half).
Sadly, Chisenhall struggles in Columbus, enough that they can’t justify taking Hannahan’s glove off the field. The Chizz takes the ride up I-71 due to some sort of injury in June, but but he won’t get back to Cleveland full-time until September call-ups. Lastly, Chris Perez kinda sucks but keeps his job all season because Acta understands you use your best reliever (Pestano) to get the higher-leverage outs in the 7th and 8th.
I hope many of those turn out to be wrong, especially about Lonnie and Choo’s eventual departure, but those are my expectations of the Tribe this year.
Joe Thomas for banner pic, as thou shalt have no other gods before Him.
If you really want to put a lockdown on draft talk, then Kyrie or Carlos Santana for the banner pic until May. Maybe longer, depending on how the rest of the NFL offseason plays out.
4!
(24)
/math joke