Blue Jays Discussion: The long, slow march of a winter off-season

[phillipmike]

What exactly is your criticism and who are you aiming it at? Let's start there.

See below;

Some free agent signs that the Jays had no shot at getting or had little to no need or interest in;

Some "Jays fans" from this forum;

Lots of people are complaining for the sake of complaining or for attention.

And i am aiming it at anyone who is doing what i pointed out above.

 

[phillipmike]

 

[theaub]

Not really because the cries for attention from these posters wouldnt come every time after random signings like a Justin Smoak.

Welcome to being a Jays fan or even a Toronto fan. This isnt new, players dont want to come to Canada on a rebuilding team in the toughest division in baseball unless they have ties here or you severely overpay.

Best way to get and keep talent is draft, develop and re-sign. You dont have to sell players on Toronto or overpay for them if they already lived/played here. Its the story of every franchise in Toronto, Raptors and Leafs included. Guys like Lowry, Derozan, Siakam, Matthews, Marner, Rielly etc. stay because they know what its all about. Leafs are a premier market in the NHL and the Raps just won a championship and they still had trouble luring players and they still will, its called reality.

How does the first paragraph link with the latter two? Smoak wanted to stay here and we chose not to offer him a deal.

If the answer isn't giving Rowdy Tellez 500 AB there and its signing Travis Shaw or some retread like that, its a fair criticism to ask why you just wouldn't bring back Smoak for another year.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[Discoverer]

How does the first paragraph link with the latter two? Smoak wanted to stay here and we chose not to offer him a deal.

If the answer isn't giving Rowdy Tellez 500 AB there and its signing Travis Shaw or some retread like that, its a fair criticism to ask why you just wouldn't bring back Smoak for another year.

Meh... I love Smoak, but he's also 33 and coming off a replacement-level season. I wasn't completely against bringing him back, but I don't think there's any situation in which not bringing him back warrants much criticism.

 

[zeke]

See below;




Lots of people are complaining for the sake of complaining or for attention.

And i am aiming it at anyone who is doing what i pointed out above.

Definitely nothing to complain about.

 

[Discoverer]

There's plenty to complain about. There's also plenty of complaining about stupid things, but that's probably the same for every fanbase.

 

[Leafin]

The lack of improving our rotation is definitely worthy of fan complaint.

rotation is looking pretty shit if you ask me. Wasting away a season of our young kids is unacceptable.

 

[phillipmike]

How does the first paragraph link with the latter two? Smoak wanted to stay here and we chose not to offer him a deal.

If the answer isn't giving Rowdy Tellez 500 AB there and its signing Travis Shaw or some retread like that, its a fair criticism to ask why you just wouldn't bring back Smoak for another year.

Discoverer outlined my thoughts. Smoak is good but i dont think anyone really wanted him back or cared that he left. He was a 0.2 fWAR player last season and 1.7 the year before. He isnt going to raise the floor much of this team and couldnt net us a prospect last deadline so it likely is a meaningless re-sign.

Outside of the rotation and maybe the pen, the Jays need meaningful upgrades or none at all on the position player side. You need reliable innings out of your rotation hence why i am fine if we played in the mid to low tiers of the starting options in Roark, Anderson and Yamaguchi. Because those guys are much better than what we had and should have next season. I think Tellez can replicate Smoak's 0.2 fWAR season.

Same goes for the pen, not so much to get better long term but because you can raise the floor and maybe get some intriguing prospects back in trade like we did with Phelps getting Hatch. Only really need at least 1 of these to hit. Other examples are Hudson, Smith, Oh, etc.

But on the position side you need to give your young players a chance because that is where you can find something you didnt know you had - its exactly what you do when you rebuild, well if you are doing it properly. If we clogged our team with mid tier vets on short term deals then you likely dont see the seasons you got from guys like Gurriel, Biggio, and maybe McGuire. Thats a starting LF, starting 2B, and a 1B platoon catcher making less than 5M combined. Jays can now use those resources saved on other spots in the roster.

Tellez getting 500 PAs wouldnt be a bad thing for me. He either sinks or swims and if he swims then you just found another core piece making under 1M like we may have in Gurriel and Biggio or at least better trade chips. Similar to the outfield, if we cant find a meaningful upgrade then im fine rolling with Hernandez, Alford, Fisher and McKinney with Grichuk and Gurriel - one of them is bound to breakout. And if they dont, make a trade or signing next off-season. All about opportunity cost, if a good to great player that provides a meaningful upgrade makes sense, then you make the deal, if not then let the kids play - thats what a rebuild is.

 

[phillipmike]

Definitely nothing to complain about.

Correct, nothing to complain about right after a Justin Smoak signing.

The lack of improving our rotation is definitely worthy of fan complaint.

rotation is looking pretty **** if you ask me. Wasting away a season of our young kids is unacceptable.

Man when the season starts tomorrow we are going to be screwed. Not like we have 99 days to figure this out.

EDIT:

To finish the season the rotation was; Shoemaker, Thornton, Borucki, Waguespack and Font/Kay/Zeuch.

Jays have kept them and added Roark, Anderson and Yamaguchi with 3 months until opening day. How is that not an improvement? May not be the improvement YOU want, but its a pretty sizable improvement based on want we had to finish the season.

 

[Kurtz]

Our current payroll sits like $50 mil below what it was last year, so I think there are definitely moves that will be made on the pitching side yet.

On the hitting side, I'm not so sure. When Shapiro was on Tim and Sid, he mentioned that there were lots of guys in the org who he wanted to give a full chance to (I believe he specifically talked about Teoscar and Fisher).

I wouldn't mind bringing EE back for 1 year, but I like the notion of giving Tellez a chance. When AA refused to move Rowdy in a deal for Zobrist, it ultimately ended up probably costing us the World Series (having Ben instead of Goins vs KC who wouldn't have had Zobrist imo would have put us over), so it'd be extra nice if Rowdy actually turned into something for us.

 

[phillipmike]

Our current payroll sits like $50 mil below what it was last year, so I think there are definitely moves that will be made on the pitching side yet.

On the hitting side, I'm not so sure. When Shapiro was on Tim and Sid, he mentioned that there were lots of guys in the org who he wanted to give a full chance to (I believe he specifically talked about Teoscar and Fisher).

I wouldn't mind bringing EE back for 1 year, but I like the notion of giving Tellez a chance. When AA refused to move Rowdy in a deal for Zobrist, it ultimately ended up probably costing us the World Series (having Ben instead of Goins vs KC who wouldn't have had Zobrist imo would have put us over), so it'd be extra nice if Rowdy actually turned into something for us.

I read that it was Boyd who Beane wanted for Zobrist. So it came down to Zobrist or Price and AA had to decide and he decided on Price. Once Boyd was off the table, Beane moved Zobrist elsewhere.

But you are right, i found AA's quote;

In Toronto, my one regret is we had a deal lined up for Ben Zobrist. We didn’t want to move guys like Rowdy Tellez and so on that would’ve been add-ons to the deal because we had Encarnacion and Bautista scheduled to be free agents.

We didn’t make that deal and in hindsight, maybe if we added him, we get to the World Series.

 

[phillipmike]

 

[phillipmike]

 

[phillipmike]

 

[Lightsol]

See below;




Lots of people are complaining for the sake of complaining or for attention.

And i am aiming it at anyone who is doing what i pointed out above.

"Why don't they just throw $100 million at somebody? Who cares who it is or how good they are, just do it to show you CAN!"

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

See below;




Lots of people are complaining for the sake of complaining or for attention.

And i am aiming it at anyone who is doing what i pointed out above.

Whatever that image is does not show up on my computer, and I imagine I'm better off for it. If people are complaining for the sake of complaining, or making uneducated criticisms, my recommendation is to ignore them.

Man when the season starts tomorrow we are going to be screwed. Not like we have 99 days to figure this out.

EDIT:

To finish the season the rotation was; Shoemaker, Thornton, Borucki, Waguespack and Font/Kay/Zeuch.

Jays have kept them and added Roark, Anderson and Yamaguchi with 3 months until opening day. How is that not an improvement? May not be the improvement YOU want, but its a pretty sizable improvement based on want we had to finish the season.

See, now here's where I don't support your stance. You seem to be defending the front office's performance to date, citing improvements (which are marginal, at best) and time remaining in the offseason. Though the time remaining is very much so accurate, its clear that the opportunity to improve this roster, and specifically the pitching staff, has deteriorated significantly since the offseason began. Any significant improvements will now need to be made at cost (i.e. overpaying a player\pitcher they shouldn't; i.e. Ryu or Keuchel, or using prospect\player capital to acquire someone via trade).

Yes, something could still be accomplished. However, the likelihood is quite low. You can like and believe in Matt Shoemaker (I do too) and Ryan Borucki (I do too), but that should not preclude you from honestly and intelligently criticizing this front office.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Couple trade scenarios to ponder:

1) Sign Yasiel Puig to the Avisail Garcia contract;
- Trade Randall Grichuk + Eric Pardinho + Sean Reid-Foley for Zac Gallen and Kevin Cron

2) Trade T.J. Zeuch, Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Eric Pardinho for Caleb Smith and Brian Anderson

I like Puig as an undervalued guy for several reasons, and even independent of a Grichuk trade. You could technically play them along side each other. I think Charlie Montoyo may be the perfect manager for him.

The trade to Arizona would likely require the Jays to add, though I think Gallen is attainable especially now with their rotation depth. I've long espoused my love for Kevin Cron, who is blocked by Christian Walker. For those unfamiliar, think a ceiling of Pete Alonso (Lite) and a floor of his brother C.J.

The second trade is predicated on figuring out what the hell the Marlins are actually trying to do. Caleb Smith has great stuff, but also has homerun issues. With the right approach and some strategic changes, he has late twenties breakout lefty potential (ala Cliff Lee). Good buy low candidate. Anderson is a great piece. A poster brought him up as an option earlier this offseason, so credit to them. He can play both corner outfield spots, and 3B.

 

[Discoverer]

So... I've been under the impression the entire offseason to this point that Ryu was a QO player. I think I even looked it up, scanned an article, saw his name, and moved on. I'm guessing what I "read" was about him accepting the QO last year because he's very much not a compensation guy this year. Huh.

 

[phillipmike]

Couple trade scenarios to ponder:

1) Sign Yasiel Puig to the Avisail Garcia contract;
- Trade Randall Grichuk + Eric Pardinho + Sean Reid-Foley for Zac Gallen and Kevin Cron

2) Trade T.J. Zeuch, Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Eric Pardinho for Caleb Smith and Brian Anderson

I like Puig as an undervalued guy for several reasons, and even independent of a Grichuk trade. You could technically play them along side each other. I think Charlie Montoyo may be the perfect manager for him.

The trade to Arizona would likely require the Jays to add, though I think Gallen is attainable especially now with their rotation depth. I've long espoused my love for Kevin Cron, who is blocked by Christian Walker. For those unfamiliar, think a ceiling of Pete Alonso (Lite) and a floor of his brother C.J.

The second trade is predicated on figuring out what the hell the Marlins are actually trying to do. Caleb Smith has great stuff, but also has homerun issues. With the right approach and some strategic changes, he has late twenties breakout lefty potential (ala Cliff Lee). Good buy low candidate. Anderson is a great piece. A poster brought him up as an option earlier this offseason, so credit to them. He can play both corner outfield spots, and 3B.

I like Puig too, very undervalued - would be a good buy low signing. I highly doubt Arizona trades Gallen, Hazen loves him and gave up a very good prospect in Jazz Chisholm for him. Gallen had some great numbers and the Miaim trade of Ozuna might be the only trade Miami has won recently as they got some good piece back.

Also Pardinho so good that we can trade him twice?

 

[phillipmike]

Whatever that image is does not show up on my computer, and I imagine I'm better off for it. If people are complaining for the sake of complaining, or making uneducated criticisms, my recommendation is to ignore them.

I like pointing out their hypocrisy or illogical takes, been doing it for a long time, not going to stop now to appease you.

See, now here's where I don't support your stance. You seem to be defending the front office's performance to date, citing improvements (which are marginal, at best) and time remaining in the offseason. Though the time remaining is very much so accurate, its clear that the opportunity to improve this roster, and specifically the pitching staff, has deteriorated significantly since the offseason began. Any significant improvements will now need to be made at cost (i.e. overpaying a player\pitcher they shouldn't; i.e. Ryu or Keuchel, or using prospect\player capital to acquire someone via trade).

Yes, something could still be accomplished. However, the likelihood is quite low. You can like and believe in Matt Shoemaker (I do too) and Ryan Borucki (I do too), but that should not preclude you from honestly and intelligently criticizing this front office.

You misrepresent my points. I have "honestly and intelligently criticizing this front office" many times before. I gave them Fs for the Donaldson and Happ deals and pretty much an F on the Osuna deal unless they get something substantial back for Giles.

Im just realistic in my expectations. If you are realistically evaluating the Jays by expecting them to lure a top 5 free agent in one of best free agent groups in recent history then all the power to you. I just think you set yourself up for disappointment.

The Jays and even Toronto sports teams have had a troubling of history of luring big name free agents to the city. I dont expect big name free agents to now come to a baseball team when they have never been an attractive option to begin with, while being 1.5 years in their rebuild, in a new country for most, in the hardest division in baseball. If you are winning with a big window, it should be easier to get free agents.

My expectations are they add many short term players to raise the floor of the team and so far they have done that and looks like they will continue to do that. I think that is very realistic to ask in year 2 of your rebuild. When vladdy shows he is one of the best players in the game to go with a great young supporting cast, i think free agents will want to play here. And like Shapiro said, we wont have to overpay for them now when we are losing because when we are winning it should be easier to attract talent on the free agent market.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

I like Puig too, very undervalued - would be a good buy low signing. I highly doubt Arizona trades Gallen, Hazen loves him and gave up a very good prospect in Jazz Chisholm for him. Gallen had some great numbers and the Miaim trade of Ozuna might be the only trade Miami has won recently as they got some good piece back.

Also Pardinho so good that we can trade him twice?

Very clearly two separate scenarios. Have nothing to do with one another. Multiple options.

I like pointing out their hypocrisy or illogical takes, been doing it for a long time, not going to stop now to appease you.

Now, now. Let's not take anything personally.

You misrepresent my points. I have "honestly and intelligently criticizing this front office" many times before. I gave them Fs for the Donaldson and Happ deals and pretty much an F on the Osuna deal unless they get something substantial back for Giles.

You've also began to defend them (for lack of a better word) blindly. Which is unfortunate given your baseball IQ.

Im just realistic in my expectations. If you are realistically evaluating the Jays by expecting them to lure a top 5 free agent in one of best free agent groups in recent history then all the power to you. I just think you set yourself up for disappointment.

Interesting. I fail to see how any free agent ranked below Cole\Strasburg was not realistic for a franchise with the level of available budget.

The Jays and even Toronto sports teams have had a troubling of history of luring big name free agents to the city. I dont expect big name free agents to now come to a baseball team when they have never been an attractive option to begin with, while being 1.5 years in their rebuild, in a new country for most, in the hardest division in baseball. If you are winning with a big window, it should be easier to get free agents.

Bullshit. You're making excuses for a lack of execution.

My expectations are they add many short term players to raise the floor of the team and so far they have done that and looks like they will continue to do that. I think that is very realistic to ask in year 2 of your rebuild. When vladdy shows he is one of the best players in the game to go with a great young supporting cast, i think free agents will want to play here. And like Shapiro said, we wont have to overpay for them now when we are losing because when we are winning it should be easier to attract talent on the free agent market.

They most certainly have not done that. Chase Anderson is a flawed pitcher, who cannot get Right handed batters out, in a division that features the likes of Stanton, Torres, Judge, Betts, Bogaerts, etc. He raises no floor and is a distinct waste of capital allocation. Roark is mediocre. Acquiring someone who is better than Jacob Waguespack is not something that should be viewed as an accomplishment. Yamaguchi has a chance to be a good reliever, and I'm fine with the acquisition.

Assuming free agents will not sign with the Blue Jays due to their location and where they are in their rebuild (which is not a good excuse given we've seen free agents sign with teams in the midst of rebuilds before) is removing the blame from those it should assigned to. If I can overpay Tanner Roark, I can overpay Zach Wheeler, or Jake Odorizzi, or Ryu. I don't need to play in the dumpster, they're choosing to.

For it to be December 20th (72% of the top-25 free agents signed and spoken for), and they're sitting with their dicks in their hands and ~$50MM in available payroll, and not one pitcher with a steamer600 WAR over 2.0 is a failure. Stating that as a fact is not being unrealistic.

 

[phillipmike]

Very clearly two separate scenarios. Have nothing to do with one another. Multiple options.

My mistake!

Now, now. Let's not take anything personally.

Nothing personal at all, quite fun for me, i like showing how illogical some posters are being.

You've also began to defend them (for lack of a better word) blindly. Which is unfortunate given your baseball IQ.

When i give them failing grades on 3 major moves, i dont know how you can say i defend them blindly. Im just reasonable in my evaluation of a rebuilding team. Like i said we are barely in 2 years of a true rebuild.

I like the direction they have taken in building from within. Rebuilding takes time and i want to see what they built, and so far, i like the prospects they brought in and how the developed. Wish their trades were a bit better but like trades and free agency, you have outside factors where as drafting you can control. The built core will go a long way, like it did for the Leafs and the Raps. Same time i gave AA as well.

Interesting. I fail to see how any free agent ranked below Cole\Strasburg was not realistic for a franchise with the level of available budget.

Been through this. You just dont want to see nor accept that its not always about money. Much more factors that ive explained to you already but you dont want to see the reality.

Wheeler didnt want to come here or even go as far as Chicago when they offered him more money. So your example is just plain wrong, we have strong evidence to suggest that Wheeler wanted a specific location and money wouldnt have changed his mind. You think, throw more money and he will come and its just plain wrong.

Bull****. You're making excuses for a lack of execution.

Called being a realist. What was AA's excuse? Hamels didnt want to waive his no trade clause. Ervin Santana backed out on a deal last minute. Could get Ian Kinsler to waive. Jon Lester didnt want to come to Toronto. Reyes and Buerhle didnt want to sign here. Buerhle didnt sound like he wanted to be here after he was traded. Even Danny Green and Kawhi didnt want to be here. Its always been a problem for any GM in Toronto, there are rare rare exceptions but not the rule. Martin is the only recent big name and the reason why he signed is because he was from here and we were in his price range. Realist.

Wheeler: Staying in this area for my wife's family was very important for me. I rejected more money from Chicago to stay in the Northeast US.
DJQ: Throw more money. Offer limo rides. offer airplanes. LACK OF EXECUTION!!!!

Should the Boston Bruins had offered Tavares limo rides and more money to get him? Because this is how crazy your position sounds. The player had geography on his mind and its not acceptable to you that a free agent had free will to make his own decision> Its not like he decided to not not pick your team, just that he picked one that better suited his preference and family needs. Happens all the time.

Has been reported that the Jays offered more or similar money to players like Odorizzi, Gibson, Lindblom, Porcello etc. More to it than money. The strong historical evidence is there that Toronto is not a hot spot for free agents.

They most certainly have not done that. Chase Anderson is a flawed pitcher, who cannot get Right handed batters out, in a division that features the likes of Stanton, Torres, Judge, Betts, Bogaerts, etc. He raises no floor and is a distinct waste of capital allocation. Roark is mediocre. Acquiring someone who is better than Jacob Waguespack is not something that should be viewed as an accomplishment. Yamaguchi has a chance to be a good reliever, and I'm fine with the acquisition.

Assuming free agents will not sign with the Blue Jays due to their location and where they are in their rebuild (which is not a good excuse given we've seen free agents sign with teams in the midst of rebuilds before) is removing the blame from those it should assigned to. If I can overpay Tanner Roark, I can overpay Zach Wheeler, or Jake Odorizzi, or Ryu. I don't need to play in the dumpster, they're choosing to.

For it to be December 20th (72% of the top-25 free agents signed and spoken for), and they're sitting with their dicks in their hands and ~$50MM in available payroll, and not one pitcher with a steamer600 WAR over 2.0 is a failure. Stating that as a fact is not being unrealistic.

Matter of opinion. Year 2 of a rebuild, my expectations are realistic and reasonable. Yours arent and if you dont adjust to reality you are going to be pounding your keyboard for years and years and years and not under this front office, many more after it. Even a top executive like Dombrowski spurned the Jays for a better offer with the Red Sox. Coaches like Maddon didnt give the Jays a second look when he went to the Cubs. Girardi was never serious about the Jays.

Overpaying maybe 1-2M per for 2 years on Roark is vastly different than overpaying on Wheeler/Ryu with multiple extra years and much higher AAV. Much more risk involved and you know that.

If we are sitting here in year 2 and 3 of our contention window and we have holes in the rotation and we are signing Roarks and Andersons then yeah its a huge problem . In year one we acquired Shoemaker, Buchholz, Richard. This year we aimed higher in Roark and Anderson - i still expect another pitcher, likely better than what we have too. I expect better in year 3 if our young players dont take another step.

 

[phillipmike]

 

[phillipmike]

The 10 biggest MLB trades of the 2010s

8) Toronto adds its missing piece
Nov. 28, 2014: A's trade 3B Josh Donaldson to Blue Jays for 2B/3B Brett Lawrie, SS Franklin Barreto, P Sean Nolin and P Kendall Graveman
What even? The 2014 A's traded for Jon Lester, Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija, but they fell apart down the stretch, and had they not blown a 7-3 seventh-inning AL Wild Card Game lead vs. the Royals, recent baseball history would have looked very different. In response, they ... traded one of baseball's best players over the previous two years. The A's reportedly didn't really want to move him, but they relented only when Toronto agreed to give up all four players Oakland insisted upon. Two weeks later, the A's flipped Samardzija to the White Sox in a deal that paid off enormously, returning Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt and Josh Phegley.
The Blue Jays hadn't seen October since winning the 1993 World Series, and they were desperate to get back. They kicked off the winter by trading for Marco Estrada, and 10 days earlier, they signed catcher Russell Martin to a five-year deal. Though Lawrie was a popular Canadian player, he'd also been just a league-average player. When you can get a Donaldson, you get him.
Were the takes good or bad? Ben Lindbergh's Grantland article was titled "Why Oakland’s Seemingly Insane Josh Donaldson Trade Is Defensible at Worst and Sell-High Smart at Best," so there's that. "Deals like this are how teams climb from the 80-85 win treadmill to the 90-win tier of World Series favorites," wrote FanGraphs about the Blue Jays. It's "a shocker that effectively signals a rebuild on the part of the A’s," said Sports Illustrated, and Oakland did indeed finish in last place in the AL West each of the next three seasons.
And then what happened? If Donaldson had been good for the A's, he broke out for the Blue Jays, hitting 41 homers with a 151 OPS+ and beating out Mike Trout for the 2015 AL MVP Award. Paired with Bautista and Edwin Encarnación, Donaldson and the Blue Jays made it to the ALCS in each of his first two seasons with Toronto, though they couldn't progress further; Donaldson put up three star-level seasons, smashing 111 homers with a 151 OPS+. He was traded to Cleveland in the midst of an injury-plagued 2018. Even with a relatively limited Toronto tenure, he's one of the 10 most valuable position players in franchise history.
Oakland's return hasn't provided the same benefits. Lawrie lasted a single disappointing year in Oakland before being traded, and Nolin's six games for the 2015 A's are, to date, his last Major League appearances. Graveman started on Opening Day in 2017 and '18, but he topped out at "average" and hasn't pitched since early 2018 due to Tommy John surgery. The only remaining player, Barreto, is still only 23, but a .189/.220/.378 slash line in 209 plate appearances over parts of three seasons isn't giving much hope he'll be more than a backup.
Would each team do it again? Donaldson was an enormous part of the most memorable Blue Jays teams in decades, so of course they would. This is one the A's would absolutely love to have back.

Dickey/Thor and Price trades were in the honorable mentions.

Shapiro led teams made 3 deals that were seen positively;

• The Trevor Bauer/Didi Gregorius/Shin-Soo Choo trade (2012)

1. July 31, 2010: P Corey Kluber traded by Padres to Indians as part of a three-team trade that sent P Jake Westbrook and P Nick Greenwood to Cardinals and OF Ryan Ludwick to Padres.
The 2010 Cardinals, atop the NL Central at the time, were looking for a veteran starter with Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse out with injuries. The 2010 Padres, atop the NL West at the time, wanted another veteran bat a day after acquiring Miguel Tejada. And the 2010 Indians? Well, they were in last place, on their way to losing 93 games. Neither the Cardinals nor the Padres held onto their leads, although Westbrook was a big part of the 2011 St. Louis team that won the World Series. Kluber, meanwhile, became a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner with a 3.16 career ERA.

5. Aug. 7, 2014: P Mike Clevinger traded by Angels to Indians for P Vinnie Pestano.
Clevinger was a gangly Class A pitcher for the Angels when they gave him up for the final 21 1/3 innings of Pestano's career. After joining Cleveland, he gained velocity and has a 2.96 ERA in 447 2/3 starts over the last three years. In 2019, he allowed three or fewer runs 17 times in 21 starts.