Photo: Cleveland.com/Jon Fobes

Did you plan on attending a Tribe game in October any of the next four seasons? If you did, this is a heads-up that you can make other plans. The Indians have officially thrown in the towel, backed the truck up, dug the hole and covered themselves up with dirt, phoned it in, and called the time of death on the 2010, 2011, and likely 2012 seasons. They will be buried next to the '09 season in the Curse Of Cleveland graveyard. The seasons are survived by far less fans than they had originally.

For the second straight season, the Cleveland Indians have made a July trade sending away the defending AL Cy Young Award winner for prospects. They added their everyday leftfielder in Ben Francisco to the deal. In return, the Indians will receive four of Philadelphia's Top 10 prospects according to Baseball America. But, they all have incredibly obvious drawbacks, and none are considered a blue-chip prospect, something you should expect when trading a Cy Young winner with a year and a half left under contract. Call it what you want (Shapiro Rebuild 2.0, Nuclear Winter, Slash and Burn, The Trade), but it signals the next phase in the vicious cycle that is small-market Major League Baseball business.

I was anticipating that the Tribe was going to trade Cliff Lee. What I did not expect was them doing so without receiving a stud prospect that everyone could at least rally around. With the Sabathia deal, it was Matt LaPorta. For Casey Blake, it was Carlos Santana. They even got solid returns at first glance for Betancourt, DeRosa, and Garko in my opinion. But, this trade is a nightmare any way that you dissect it. Here's the initial reaction, and no doubt it is quite bitter, but bear with me while I try to pick up the pieces of my fanhood.

The Lee-Francisco returns are RHP Carlos Carrasco (ranked #2 in B.A.), C Lou Marson (ranked 3rd), SS Jason Donald (4th), and RHP Jason Knapp (10th).

Carrasco is a 22-year-old righty that is currently at Triple-A. This year at Lehigh Valley, he is 6-9 with a 5.18 ERA in 20 starts. In 114 2/3 innings, he has 118 hits, 38 walks, and 112 strikeouts. Basically, he has been hit hard, but he has a decent walk total per nine innings and solid strikeout numbers. Last year, Carrasco between AA and AAA was 9-9 with a 3.69 ERA in 151 1/3 innings. According to Baseball America, he has a 91-94 mph fastball that has late life and can reach 96. He also has a plus-changeup and an average curveball that at times is considered a plus pitch. Consistency is his drawback right now. Carrasco was rumored to be involved in the center of trade talks for Jays' ace Roy Halladay, but the Jays wisely turned that deal down.

Marson is a 23-year-old right-handed catcher also currently at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. This season, in 211 at-bats, he is batting at a .294 clip with 1 homer and 24 RBI. He is also 4-for-17 with the Phillies this season as well. He was said to be the Phillies' starting catcher of the future, and he is probably ahead of Akron Aero Carlos Santana in development currently. He has good discipline, but he is not known for having much power. Last season, his numbers were .314 with 5 homers and 46 RBI at Double-A. While Marson has an average throwing arm at best for a catcher, he is known for being a good receiver with the ability to still throw out baserunners at a 37 percent clip last year thanks to a quick transfer.

Donald, 24, plays shortstop at Lehigh Valley. In 208 ABs, he is hitting just .236 this season with 1 homer and 16 RBI. Last season, he performed well at Double-A Reading, sporting a .307 average with 14 souvenirs and 54 RBI. The 3rd round pick of the '06 draft is developing some power and is an above-average baserunner (just 35 career steals in the minors, though). The big mark against this guy is that he can't stay at shortstop defensively (my, have we heard THAT before?). He will either be moved to second or third in all likelihood.

Knapp is thought to have the highest ceiling of the four players. The 18-year-old righthanded fireballer has hit 97 mph, and there is talk that he could develop into a guy that can crack triple digits at times with the heater. He was Philadelphia's 2nd round pick in last year's draft, and he's 2-7 with a 4.01 ERA at Single-A Lakewood in 85 1/3 innings. He does, however, have a whopping 111 strikeouts in those 85 1/3 innings. He walks four guys per nine innings though, which is above average. Knapp is developing a curve, slider, and change as well. He is currently on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis. He is the key to the deal in many people's minds, mine included.

The main reason this deal rubs me the wrong way is that it is no doubt a SALARY DUMP. Buster Olney has reported that Shapiro has been ordered to dump salary for next season. Bruce Drennan estimates that the payroll will be in the high 50 millions or low 60 millions next season. Lee and his hefty contract were prime trade material. Virtually every person with any knowledge of these prospects absolutely hates this deal for the Tribe, so why should I be any different?

Dolan is afraid to spend any money because the Indians are likely taking a bath financially. He NEEDS to sell the team if he is going to slash and burn a payroll that was only 14th in the league at season's beginning. The team has parted with the pro-rated versions of DeRosa's contract ($5.5 million in all), Garko's ($450k, eligible for arbitration of ~$2.5 million next year), Betancourt's ($3.4 million, with a $5 million team option for next year), and now Lee's ($6 million, option of $9 million next year).

The Indians are going full-go into a massive rebuilding project, much like the one that began with the dealing of another ace (Bartolo Colon in 2002). It took two wasted seasons ('03 & '04) for the Tribe to come close to the postseason in 2005, choking in the final week. You should expect that same type of curve here. I'm telling you right now; forget about 2010 and 2011. In 2012, perhaps the Indians can rebound and expect to be contenders.

If you ask me though, it looks like we traded Cy Young and our leftfielder for a setup man, a number five starter, a backup catcher, and a super utility infielder. Kudos, Shapiro! You had one of the two best trade pieces on the market with a year and a half on his contract, and you couldn't get one blue chip prospect, not one. Throwing in Ben Francisco, who I do think will be a solid fourth outfielder if not fringe starter, for no reason whatsoever. This deal would have stunk to high heaven without including Ben. At least he didn't have to stay in Cleveland more than one day after losing his buddy Ryan Garko.

Shapiro said in his press conference that he expects to have the three Triple-A guys helping them compete next year, and I'll tell you THAT is a load of CRAP! He says that the main reason they decided to make this move was that they couldn't add anything to this team for next year, and he also said that he has not been instructed to dump payroll; that TOO is a load of CRAP. He likes the core, and he mentioned several of those guys in the majors and minors. One name missing... was Victor Martinez. You can read the writing on the wall for that one.

The team and its ownership fully deserves the hailstorm of wrath that they will feel from this decision, including the bottom dropping out of attendance (already estimated to hit below 2 million) and absolute disbelief and verbal abuse from their fanbase. I truly hope this causes Larry Dolan to wind up flat broke and forced to sell the team, where the Indians may have half a chance with an owner that is willing to spend money to make money.

The thing that everyone seems to forget about is that Major League Baseball is economically flawed to the core. The mid-market and small-market teams don't have a true chance to compete year after year. When the New York Yankees can boast a payroll more than twice the one that Cleveland can afford, teams in small and mid markets are playing against a stacked deck. Baseball NEEDS a salary cap, or it will always be the New Yorks, Los Angeleses, Chicagos, and Bostons sitting at the top year after year after year. Meanwhile, the Clevelands, Kansas Citys, Cincinnatis, Tampa Bays, Pittsburghs, and Milwaukees will struggle to make the playoffs once a decade.

In closing, I really feel for the Tribe fans during the fallout of this deal. But, I am hoping if nothing else that this decision will bring about the end of a managerial career, new ownership, and an era, much like the mid-90s where Indians baseball is relevant once again.

Wake me up in three years! (Or tomorrow/Friday when they trade Victor Martinez)

Kirk

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