08 Feb 2016 01:55:42
Cleveland has one of the best rotations in the American League. A strong catcher who can work well with pitchers is something that they need. I strongly believe that they are the X-Factor of the AL. If their dynamic trio of Kluber, Carrasco, and Salazar perform as well as they did last year, an offense led by Lindor and possibly Brantley can land them, at least, a wild card berth.

Trade proposal

MIL sends Jonathan Lucroy, Will Smith to CLE

Lucroy is a definite top 10 catcher and possibly a top 5. Smith is an above average relief pitcher who has gone unnoticed because he plays on a bad team.

CLE sends Clint Frazier, Rob Kaminsky, Luigi Rodriguez, and Mike Clevinger

all are young prospects with upside.

1.) 08 Feb 2016
08 Feb 2016 03:47:39
So Yan Gomes and Jonathan Lucroy are going to fight for playing time?

2.) 08 Feb 2016
08 Feb 2016 11:42:28
Indians have Gomes, and he is pretty good himself.

3.) 08 Feb 2016
08 Feb 2016 11:52:04
The Indians, with Kluber, Salazar, Carrasco and Bauer, could easily be this year's Mets that ride a strong rotation to the World Series. But they have other needs - 3B, OF, maybe 1B - to be addressed well ahead of a catcher.

4.) 08 Feb 2016
08 Feb 2016 13:33:12
With the return of Yan Gomes behind the plate, the Indians have perhaps the best pair of backstops in baseball. Both the Yanimal and Roberto Perez are accomplished defense first catchers. Both have their moments with a bat, especially Yan, who can hit with just about anyone.

Lucroy wouldn't even start.

5.) 08 Feb 2016
08 Feb 2016 14:22:07
Lucroy would start over Robrto Perez. Any day.

6.) 08 Feb 2016
08 Feb 2016 15:08:59
Of course. Roberto Perez is the back up. he would back up Lucroy, just like he backs up Gomes. To clarify

GOMES >>>>>> lucroy.

7.) 08 Feb 2016
08 Feb 2016 16:04:48
In what world is Gomes better than Lucroy?

Cumulative over the past three season:
WAR:
Lucroy- 10.7
Gomes- 8.7

wRC+:
Lucroy- 117
Gomes- 108

BB%/ K%
Lucroy- 9.0/ 12.4
Gomes- 4.5/ 23.7

wRAA
Lucroy- 43.5
Gomes- 13.8

And then there's this:

WPA (win probability added. How much does a teams chances to win go up with that player in the game, context dependent) :

Lucroy- 5.29
Gomes- -0.35

The only major metric Gomes has over Lucroy is that, defensively, he is better.

But every major offensive stat clearly favors Lucroy. To a point where you're willing to give a little on the defensive end to get his offensive numbers.

8.) 09 Feb 2016
09 Feb 2016 02:21:46
Gomes could catch. Lucroy could play first. Santana could DH. Napoli could watch.

9.) 09 Feb 2016
09 Feb 2016 14:56:48
The front of Cleavlands rotation is nowhere near the Mets rotation.

10.) 09 Feb 2016
09 Feb 2016 16:35:27
"Cleveland has one of the best rotations in the American League"

I didn't know the Mets were in the American League.

11.) 09 Feb 2016
09 Feb 2016 16:38:51
And for what it's worth: the Indians rotation was just below the Mets last year.

Cumulative WAR: Mets 17.3, Indians 15.9

Getting raging homers to consider stats is like getting Donald Trump to use a hairbrush.

12.) 09 Feb 2016
09 Feb 2016 17:40:31
Noah Syndergaard, Jacob DeGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz, Bartolo Colon, and Zach Wheeler
versus
Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin, and Cody Anderson
are about equal but NYM is better.