At 7-2 Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Justin Masterson is emerging as the staff ace for a team that seems to be on the rise. Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Given that the last time the Cleveland Indians won the World Series was 1948, Northeast Ohio baseball fans are starved for a winner. There have been stretches over the last 65 years when the Indians have been pretty darned good, only to lose in the World Series, so they haven’t been as futile as the Cubs. But they’re starting to move into the same ballpark, so to speak.

Sick of the same, Indians management spent the off-season spending. New manager Terry Francona was hired. New players were lured to Cleveland to take over the batting order. The guys controlling the purse strings loosened them and made an effort to remake the whole team and shed the loser image.

So far it is working. Since Francona presided at the helm when the Boston Red Sox won the 2004 (and 2007) World Series, one might be suspicious that he has used up his quota of baseball miracles, but the Indians were willing to take that chance. If Francona can bring a World Series crown to the shore of Lake Erie, becoming a two-team streak-buster, then the gates to the Hall of Fame should swing open for him.

Granted, it’s a little early for all of that, but the Indians surely do appear to be having more fun than they have had in about a decade and they are more entertaining to watch. Entering Wednesday’s play Cleveland was 26-18 and in first place in the American League Central Division. The Indians may not even be able to outlast the Detroit Tigers for the division crown, but they are playing good ball and could be a playoff team without capturing the division.

One recent game that illustrates the new-look Indians took place three days ago against the Seattle Mariners. Cleveland won, 6-4. Justin Masterson raised his record to 7-2 while striking out 11 batters and looked like one of the top hurlers in the AL. In addition, Cleveland and Masterson defeated Seattle ace Felix Hernandez.

The King is far more likely to pitch a shutout than to be driven out of a game before five innings are up, but Cleveland accomplished the task. After this game outfielder-turned-first baseman Nick Swisher said, “Things are rocking.” Whether Swisher’s subconscious was on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame situated in Cleveland or he was making a conscious quip, he was right.

Swisher was one of those off-season hires that the Indians made rich with a long-term contract. He spent the last four years with the Yankees, but as someone who attended Ohio State this was coming home. At the moment he is batting .274.

The Indians have been playing well as a team. They are not clobbering foes with killer bats, nor are they overpowering them with blistering fastballs. They have been solid. Leftfielder Michael Brantley is hitting .300 and rightfielder Ryan Raburn is hitting .299. Centerfielder Michael Bourn is back from injury and is hitting .314. Catcher Carlos Santana is batting .290. One player who has given the hitters a lift over the season’s first quarter is slugger Mark Reynolds. The designated hitter has ripped 12 home runs and driven in 37. Yeah, he still strikes out at an average of once a game, but in-between he has been mashing the ball.

Cleveland does not have a collection of household names in the rotation. Masterson is at the head of the class, but otherwise the rest of the crew is muddling through. Zach McAllister has a 2.65 earned run average, but Francona is still waiting for Ubaldo Jimeniz and Scott Kazmir to pull their acts together. Trevor Bauer, 22, is being eased into the rotation full-time. Closer Chris Perez is holding things together in the bullpen with his 16 saves.

The pieces are starting to jell and the Indians look promising. It’s premature to start thinking World Series, but it’s not crazy to say Cleveland has a good shot at a playoff spot.

Greg Maddux (left) is now an Assistant Coach with his brother Mike (right) and the Texas Rangers. Maddux is one of the few 300 game winners in MLB history and won the last meeting between two members of that group eight years ago today. (Image Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports)

Only twenty four players in the history of Major League Baseball have ever gone on to win 300+ games in their careers, making the 300 Win Club one of the most exclusive groups in the game. Randy Johnson was the last to join the group – defeating the Washington Nationals on June 4, 2009 in the first game of a doubleheader when Johnson was a member of the San Francisco Giants – and with the way the game has continued to evolve and change over the years, it’s becoming increasingly more likely that we’ll never see another 300 game winner in the Major Leagues again.

On this date back in 2005, fans in attendance in Houston were able to witness a historic matchup as it was the last time that a pair of 300 game winners faced one another on the mound. Greg Maddux and the Chicago Cubs were in town for the game against the Houston Astros, who countered with Roger Clemens on the mound. Maddux pitched fairly well in the game – allowing a pair of runs on seven hits over six innings – and earned the win, his first of the season and the 306th of his career.

Houston did their damage offensively early in the game. Mike Lamb doubled in the bottom of the 1st, scoring the speedy Wily Tavares from second base with ease. The other run came in the 3rd on a solo home run by Jeff Bagwell. Chicago also saw most of their offense early, picking up a pair of runs in the top of the 2nd. Jeromy Burnitz singled to left field, driving Derrek Lee in from second. Todd Hollandsworth would step up next, doubling down the left field line to bring home Aramis Ramirez. The two sides would remain tied until the 7th, when Burnitz lead off the inning with a solo home run off of Clemens – who’d allow the three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work – that would give the Cubs the lead for good.

Maddux finished his career with 355 wins, one more than the 354 victories that Clemens would be responsible for.

Today, eight years after their memorable matchup, let’s take a quick look around the rest of FanSided MLB and see what other big moments we might look back on in the future.

Plenty has been said and written about the woes facing the Seattle Mariners’ offense on the season to date – including a piece I wrote myself this past week here at CttP – but J.J. Keller at Sodo Mojo has taken things from a slightly different angle, openly questioning whether the team is cursed instead of just simply bad. Keller focuses mostly on the struggles of Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley, and Jesus Montero – a trio of prospects who arrived in Seattle to big expectations, but who’ve all failed to live up to that billing in their respective careers to date. Keller tried to decipher the “luck” that the organization has had in developing their own prospects, examining the success rate of each organization’s top prospects from the past five years to see what percentage of those players have turned into MLB regulars. His results are interesting (we won’t spoil them here):

So while that doesn’t look that bat, it is below average. Add to that the fact that arguably their two most successful during that time, Adam Jones and Brandon Morrow, now play for different teams with little of anything to show for it in return and it feels even worse. I am sure that fits what most people would assume about the organization. They don’t produce all that many good players and the ones they do end up on another team. That notion has been repeatedly said, written, and probably yelled by numerous Mariners fans over the years.

Countering the discussion about Seattle’s inability to develop prospects, there’s no denying that the Tampa Bay Rays have had plenty of success in the area. That success has come moreso on the mound than in the field, but there still are a number of quality position prospects climbing their way through the organization. The injury to shortstop Hak-Ju Lee, however, serves as a reminder of just how quickly a promising season can change, as Robbie Knopf at Rays Colored Glasses discusses. Lee has long been known for his abilities in the field – he’s arguably one of the best defensive shortstops in the minor leagues – but his struggles have always remained constant at the plate. As Knopf writes, he’d shown some improvements early on this season but a scary knee injury suffered in a collision at second base has effectively ended his year prematurely and it’s those type of plays – the ones we can’t predict – that remind us how quick things can all end:

Some people say that baseball isn’t a team sport. Only one batter goes to the plate at a time and all focus is placed on them while all of the other players fade into the background. Double plays, however, are some of the most teamwork-involved plays in all of sports. When a groundball is hit to the second baseman, he has to throw to the shortstop in the right place at exactly the right time to let him not only catch the ball, but avoid the incoming runner and throw to first base. If the timing is off, the ball could go into the outfield or even worse, a scary injury could occur. Unfortunately, the latter was the case on Saturday.

There’s been ample speculation about what the Boston Red Sox will do with enigmatic right-hander Alfredo Aceves, who was optioned to the minor leagues late this past week. The pitcher has shown some flashes of talent on the mound, but has shown just as many concerns off of it thanks to his peculiar personality and apparent short fuse. Rumors and rumblings have suggested that the Red Sox could (and perhaps should) look to move him, as any opportunity to get him out of the organization could be beneficial to all involved. Steve Peterson at BoSox Injection happens to agree, concluding that the time has come for Aceves to go:

John Farrell said that Aceves got sent down strictly based on performance, which if that was the only yardstick by which he was measured then he certainly deserved to go down. Aceves is 1-1 with an 8.66 ERA. The root issue is his completely unprofessional behavior and that’s got to be a bone stuck in Farrell’s throat at this point.

Finally, this past week our own Lewie Pollis at Wahoo’s On First sat down with former Cleveland Indians pitcher Paul Byrd for an extensive and candid interview. The right-hander discussed a number of topics – from his history with the Indians organization and his views on sabermetrics to his use of HGH and what he’d like to change about the game, plus everything inbetween. Pollis’ interview was split into two parts, which can be found here: Part One and Part Two.

Opening Day is officially here. (Image Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

Opening Day is without question one of the greatest days of the year and there are plenty of notable moments that have happened on the day if you look back through the halls of baseball history.

In 1940, Bob Feller threw a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox. Hank Aaron swung at the first pitch he saw of the 1974 season, connecting on his 714th career home run. Walter Johnson started 14 Opening Day games for the Washington Senators, throwing nine shutouts. Tom Seaver started 16 (with New York, Cincinnati, and Chicago). George Bell (1988), Tuffy Rhodes (1994), and Dmitri Young (2005) hit three home runs on Opening Day.

As we’ve mentioned in the past, Call to the Pen is just one part of a broader network of sites – the FanSided Network. There are some very talented writers across our collection of sites, particularly the other 31 that make up FanSided MLB, so we’ve decided that coinciding with Opening Day it was time to start a new weekly feature here at CttP to bring you to some of that work. Each Monday morning we’ll be bringing your attention to some of the best work from the previous week. Since these will lead off the week for us, we hope it will for all of you. It’s your Starting Lineup of all that’s gone down in the past week, setting us up for the week ahead. It’s just one more way we can be sure we’re bringing you all of the MLB coverage that we possible can. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

One of the many additions to the Cleveland Indians roster is outfielder Drew Stubbs, who’s had as some have called it, a “strikeout problem” over the course of his career. Brian Heise of Wahoo’s on First (click to read the post in full) took a stab at dissection this “problem”, openly wondering (and answering) if the high strikeout rate is really the chief cause for Stubbs’ terrible 2012 season.

From Brian:

The bottom line in here is that while Stubbs was still striking out a lot, it wasn’t significantly more than his career strikeout rate and was only marginally higher than 2011 when he struck out 205 times yet still hit a reasonable .243/.321/.386. In other words, while everyone likes to point at strikeouts for the cause of Stubbs’ problems in 2012, the numbers show that simply wasn’t the case.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the AL Central Brad Swanson of Puckett’s Pond runs through some quick predictions, touching on a couple of subjects, for the upcoming Twins’ season, sort of a good news/bad news type of thing. Here’s more from Brad on part of Minnesota’s bullpen:

As far as late-inning relievers go, I think Glen Perkins and Jared Burton are extremely good values. Both have great talent and both are signed to a reasonable contract.  I am not a huge fan of the “closer role” because I think that certain players are overpaid because they can close games.  However, both of these players can close out games and aren’t overpaid when doing that job.

There are countless questions facing the Boston Red Sox this season, but few have talked about a potential sophomore slump for third baseman Will Middlebrooks. That’s just the subject that Aidan Flynn of BoSox Injection attempted to tackle, examining whether his strikeout rate and BABIP will improve enough.

From Aidan:

For those that haven’t yet figured it out yet, what scares me the most regarding Middlebrooks’ sophomore campaign is that he won’t hit for a high enough average to maintain an even acceptable on base percentage. By now, most understand the importance of on-base percentage in today’s game and even with secondary skills such as power and strong defense, a player can lose a ton of value if he cannot get on base at a decent clip. For some, Middlebrooks is expected to be an all-star and anchor for a lineup that could be without David Ortiz for some time. This year I just don’t see that happening.

Toronto made a number of big moves this winter and made another bold one this past week, sending left-hander Ricky Romero down to the minor leagues to work some things out in his mechanics. The move received some mixed reviews, but Daniel George at Jays Journal thinks that it could ultimately prove to be a good thing for both Romero and the Blue Jays.

More from Daniel:

There are some positives to this news. First off, this means that fans won’t have to see 2012 staff ace Ricky Romero get completely shelled every 5 games for the club. Nothing hurts more than to see an organization keep a guy in the majors to protect his ego while he continues to get smacked around.

Finally, we’ve got one more for you this week. John Burgess at Climbing Tal’s Hill thinks that enough is enough. There’s too much talk about the historically low Opening Day payroll of the Houston Astros (who look like they might be a fun team to watch this year after last night’s win against their new division rivals). So John looks to justify the process as we await the results.

From John:

While losing really sucks, I would rather my team be horrendous for a few years than to go on a 20-year losing streak like the Pirates. Luhnow has decided to go with the “quick band aid removal method” to rebuilding so that we only have to deal with the pain for a short while instead of feeling each hair and piece of scab being ripped off with the slow rebuild.

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander is just about the best pitcher in baseball and gives his team a head start in locking down the American League Central Division.Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Detroit Tigers were picked apart in the World Series by the San Francisco Giants in 2012 and their closer situation is iffy, they should be strong enough to take command of the American League Central Division early and hold it all summer long.

Fireballing Justin Verlander on the mound and triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera at bat give the Tigers two major components in putting a winner on the field at Comerica Park.  They’ve also got slugger Prince Fielder manning first base and Victor Martinez coming back from a year sidelined with a knee injury and they added outfielder Torii Hunter. The starting rotation is solid and Phil Coke is Mr. Reliability in the bullpen however he is used. Bruce Rondon was supposed to be the closer, but the Tigers sent him to the minors Thursday, leaving a rather large hole in the bullpen.

Having a dependable closer is generally a must cornerstone for choosing a team to finish first, but the Tigers have all the other ingredients dominate the division. If they have to go to closer-by-committee, though that weakens their position, it might mean the difference between advancing in the playoffs and not.

The fact that Rick Porcello claimed the fifth starter spot over Doug Smyly is a sign of strength on the mound. Verlander, Max Scherzer, Doug Fister and Anibel Sanchez make for an otherwise sturdy rotation and Verlander may be the finest pitcher in the game. His numbers weren’t quite as gaudy last year as they were in 2011, but he was just about as effective–his teammates didn’t perform as well for him as they had the year before.

Generally speaking the Tigers are so much more talented across the board than the other four teams in the AL Central that it would be hard to see them losing the division crown. If anyone has an outside shot at the Tigers–and it really is a longshot–it’s the Cleveland Indians. The Indians worked harder than anyone else in baseball to upgrade without adding a superstar. They brought in a new manager in Terry Francona and played the free-agent market aggressively. The Indians were big spenders without being complete break-the-bank spenders.

Nick Swisher was a big-ticket item and they may have overspent for his services. But the Indians also brought in Michael Bourn, a National League All-Star, Drew Stubbs, an ace fielder, and Mark Reynolds, among others. The Indians are sick of losing and they don’t even have too many fans lef alive who remember their last World Series triumph in 1948.

Doormats for so long, there is something to be said for the Kansas City Royals, too. They have cast their lot with homegrown talent and much of its is coming of age. At the least the days of 100-l0ss seasons are in the rearview mirror. It might be a lot to ask for a winning record, but the Royals could eke out a .500-plus mark by a game or two.

Forget the hopes of the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins. Not very long ago they were both division challengers or winners, but in 2013 they will be in a dogfight for the basement.

I feel a bit bad for White Sox second-year manager and veteran slugger Paul Konerko. I just don’t see much help for Paulie on the roster. Designated hitter Adam Dunn could hit 40 home runs with 100 RBIs and still bat under .200. That would be something to see. Also possible rescuers of Konerko’s lonely success might be some members of the starting rotation. At one time or another Chris Sale, Jake Peavy, Gavin Floyd and John Danks have all done well. But they almost all no longer seem to have good years at the same time or all stay healthy at the same time. Danks is on the 15-day disabled list now.

Joe Mauer may be king of the Twin Cities, but his royal court is substandard.

This is how I see the American League Central playing out this season: 1) Detroit Tigers; 2) Cleveland Indians; 3) Kansas City Royals; 4) Chicago White Sox; 5) Minnesota Twins.

Trevor Bauer likely won’t win a spot in Cleveland’s rotation out of Spring Training, but he’s still impressing his new manager, Terry Francona. (Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

It’s no secret that Trevor Bauer is a talented pitcher with a fair amount of potential. It’s why there was such widespread surprise when the Arizona Diamondbacks were willing to part with him (despite his “character flaws” that made him “not D’backs material”) in what amounted to a three team trade on December 11th. Now in his first Spring Training as a member of the Cleveland Indians it would seem that Bauer has done nothing but impress his new manager, Terry Francona, but he still appears likely to start the season back in the minor leagues.

Bauer had a dominant 2012 season in the minor leagues. In 22 starts combined between Double-A and Triple-A he posted a 12-2 mark, 2.42 ERA, 1.289 WHIP, and 10.8 K/9 over 130.1 IP. Bauer also made four starts for the Diamondbacks – one in June, three in July – but with mixed results. He went 1-2 with a 6.06 ERA in 16.1 IP, striking out 17 but also walking 13.

There were concerns off the field within the Arizona organization, however, that ultimately led to him being available in the right deal. D’backs GM Kevin Towers appeared to have perceived Bauer as not being a hard worker or “gritty enough” to build a team around. It became obvious Bauer would be traded and the Indians appear to have been the victors who obtained his services. And so far this Spring it appears to be working in Bauer’s favor, as Francona himself spoke highly of the young 22 year old’s work ethic when speaking with the team’s beat reporters, including Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal Online.

When you tell him something, you have to have a reason, which you’re supposed to have anyway. It was like managing Doug Glanville. You would want to say, ‘I know you’re smarter than I am. You don’t have to apologize for it.’

Cleveland faces plenty of uncertainty at the backend of their starting rotation, but no matter how strong Bauer may pitch this Spring it appears unlikely that he will land a spot in the team’s rotation when camp breaks – as that final spot may actually end up going to Scott Kazmir, who’s attempting a comeback, or even Kyle Lohse, who the Indians have continued to be linked to. Bauer will get his chance to pitch in Cleveland this season, but some added experience in the minor leagues certainly can’t hurt him in the long run.

Nick Swisher brings his career .467 slugging percentage/.828 OPS to Lake Erie’s shore after four productive seasons with the New York Yankees, averaging 25 HR/88 RBI in pinstripes. Swisher’s nemesis in the Bronx was October, his bat abandoned him in postseason play. Swisher inked a $56 million four year deal in December. Originally slotted in RF, he will transition to 1B with the addition of Michael Bourn.

Sep 18, 2012; Durham, NC, USA; Reno Aces pitcher Trevor Bauer (17) throws against the Pawtucket Red Sox in the 2012 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game. Mandatory Credit: Liz Condo-USA TODAY Sports

Scott Boras worked his magic again, enticing Antonetti to give Bourn a four year $48 million deal with a fifth year option. Bourn’s career .339 OBP is a little low for a leadoff man, but he has at least 40 steals each of the last five seasons. He is an excellent defender, being named 2012’s top defensive outfielder in the NL by Baseball America’s poll of NL managers.

Drew Stubbs will patrol a corner outfield spot for the Indians, giving them a pair of plus defenders in the outfield. He came to Cleveland as part of a three team trade that sent Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati. Stubbs has 100 steals and 51 home runs the last three years. However his OPS has trended downward and he strikes out far too often.

Slugger Mark Reynolds comes to Cleveland after two seasons in Baltimore on a one year $6 million deal. Last year his line was 23 HR/69 RBI/.429 slugging percentage.From 2009 through 2011 he averaged 38 HR/91 RBI, but he strikeouts roughly once every three plate appearances. He will likely DH now that Swisher will play first.

The acquisition of utility infielder Mike Aviles flew under the radar. His two year $6 million deal provides Francona lineup flexibility and quality depth at three infield positions.

The Indians lack of pitching, an AL worst 4.79 ERA, contributed to their second half collapse. The Tribe obtained future potential ace Trevor Bauer as the centerpiece of the three team deal that also brought them Stubbs. Bauer will be given an opportunity to win the fifth starting pitcher job in Spring Training. He was the #1 prospect in the AA Southern League and the #3 prospect in the AAA Pacific Coast League according to Baseball America.

Matt Albers, a useful setup man, was also acquired in the deal. He had a 2.39 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 60.1 innings in 2012.

Brett Myers spent one year in a relief role with Houston and the White Sox, but is expected to be the fourth starter for the Indians in 2013. He pitched over 200 innings in both 2010 and 201, going 21-22 for the Astros with a combined 3.79 ERA.

The bullpen may get a welcome addition from within. Baseball America’s #4 rated Cleveland prospect Cody Allen was successful in a 27 game stint in 2012. He will open the season as a setup man, but may unseat Chris Perez as closer.

Antonetti went all 2008 by signing Daisuke Matsuzaka and Scott Kazmir to minor league contracts. Another golden oldie coming to the rock ‘n’ roll capital is Jason Giambi. The Giambino figures to serve as a left handed PH if he makes the squad.

The starting staff is still the biggest weakness entering 2013. Francona is “excited about our pitching because it seems like we have some depth.” But the three headed monster of Ubaldo Jimenez-Justin Masterson-Zach McAllister will scare nobody except the paying patrons of the Jake. Bauer is a potential ace, but struggled in a small sample as a Diamondback.

The 2013 lineup will be improved, Bourn and Swisher are capable additions. However, Stubbs and Reynolds may strike out a combined 400 times, killing rallies if they bat near each other in the order. Bourn, Stubbs and Michael Brantley will be the best defensive outfield in the AL, but they provide little power.

After four straight losing seasons, 81 wins seems like an achievable goal in Francona’s first year in Cleveland. Whatever their record at the end of 2013, the Indians faithful should be encouraged that owner Larry Dolan has opened up his wallet and returned the franchise to relevance.

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Lineup

Since the dust has settled, for now, the new-look Indians can be dissected. The lineup should look something like this:

One interesting aspect of the Indians’ new lineup is that it projects to have at least three lefthanders as well as at least three switch hitters, depending on how it’s constructed. The lineup possesses great speed (Bourn, Kipnis, Stubbs) and also great power (Cabrera, Swisher, Santana, Reynolds). The defense will likely be a weak point, with the exception of Bourn in center, but the offensive potential the lineup possesses should more than compensate for the sub-par defending. The projected lineup for the Indians is not quite on par with that of the Tigers, but it is likely second best in the division.

The Rotation

The stable of pitchers for the 2013 Cleveland Indians will look like this:

At the top of the roatation, Masterson and Jimenez pitched to 4.93 and 5.40 ERAs last year, respectively. Brett Myers fared better, posting a 3.31 ERA. He did so, however, as a reliever, while also posting his second lowest strikeout rate since 2002. Thus, there is reason to question whether he can match last year’s moderate levels of success.

In contrast to the front of the rotation, the back-end could provide something for Cleveland fans to look forward to. Though he ended up finishing with fairly pedestrian numbers, young right-hander Zach McAllister posted 8.72 strikeouts per nine innings while walking only 2.13 batters per nine during the first half of the 2012 season. Though his 4.10 k/bb ratio from the first half would eventually settle at 2.89, there is still great reason to believe that the 25 year old could have a very solid 2013.

In addition to McAllister, the back-end of the Indians’ pitching rotation could potentially feature 22 year old right-hander Trevor Bauer. Bauer, ranked as baseball’s 25th best prospect by Keith Law, saw some time in the majors for the Arizona Diamondbacks last year after tearing through the club’s minor league ranks. His performance once he reached the big leagues was disappointing, but it is worth noting that his struggles came while hampered by a groin injury suffered in his first start with the team. If Bauer is healthy, he could bring a much needed strikeout-heavy presence to the Indians’ rotation.

The Outlook

Though pitching could potentially be a sore spot for Cleveland this year, there is still reason for optimism. Primarily, it’s that the offense is fantastic. The Indians’ lineup is extremely potent 1-5, and there’s also some decent upside in the back with Stubbs and Reynolds. Cleveland will have the offense necessary to contend this year, whether or not the pitching and defense can hold up their end of the bargain, however, will be the real question.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Matsuzaka, 32, had some terrible numbers a year ago with Boston (1-7, 8.28 ERA, 1.71 WHIP), but it’s unfair to judge him based solely on those numbers. Unnoticed is the fact that he posted the lowest walk rate since his rookie season (3.9), struck out nearly a batter an inning, and got extremely unlucky on batted balls in play (.336).

Furthermore, only 57.9 percent of his runners were left stranded on base, an incredible number considering the average rate is at about 72 percent. Dice-K pitched far, far better than his numbers indicate in 2012, and the Indians may well have a pleasant surprise with this signing.

Can’t get enough of Spencer? Check out his work at StanGraphs and follow him on Twitter at @shendricks221.

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, Raburn was not at useful in 2012 (he was actually worth negative 1.5 WAR according to FanGraphs), and despite coming off three straight respectable seasons as a solid bench player for the Tigers, the organization decided he wasn’t worth the $2.1 million salary assigned to him through arbitration — an understandable choice.

Consequently, the former fifth round draft selection in 2001 hit the open market and now finds himself with a minor league contract and an invitation to come to spring training with the Cleveland Indians. If any team needs help offensively, it’s Cleveland, so Raburn actually has a chance to be a serviceable player as long as they don’t have any plans of overusing him.

That said, it’s a pretty slow news day if the signing of Ryan Raburn is worth reporting at all.

Can’t get enough of Spencer? Check out his work at StanGraphs and follow him on Twitter at @shendricks221.

(Image Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports)

Gomez threw 90.2 innings for the Indians this past season, making 20 appearances including 17 starts. He posted a 5-8 record and 5.96 ERA in that span, adding a 1.423 WHIP. He added 11 more starts at Triple-A, going 6-5 with a 4.41 ERA over 69.1 innings. Since making his MLB Debut in 2010 he’s a combined 14-16 with a 5.18 ERA, 4.9 K/9, and 3.1 BB/9 over 42 appearances (38 GS, 206.2 IP) in the past three seasons. Gomez will turn 25 just before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in early February. He’s expected to compete for a spot in Pittsburgh’s uncertain starting rotation.

Latimore was Pittsburgh’s 4th Round selection in the 2007 Draft, but he’s failed to develop much in the way of plate discipline since passing up on a commitment to the University of North Carolina to sign with the Pirates. He spent the past two season’s with Double-A Altoona, batting a combined .245/.308/.422 with 30 HR, 56 doubles, and an astounding 245 strikeouts in 971 plate appearances. Latimore will turn 24 at the start of February and holds a highly uncertain future.

This ultimately could be one of those classic “change of scenery” deals that could benefit both teams in the long run. Neither player should have a substantial impact in the upcoming season.