Tribe Talk: Eagerly Awaiting Fausto Carmona's Return, Or Dreading It?

Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report's Tribe fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the Indians each week throughout the season.

This week we fret over whether Fausto Carmona truly got himself straightened out during his banishment to Arizona, discuss the role the Indians’ top prospects will play in the remainder of the 2009 season, and wonder if the Indians could successfully adopt a small ball approach. 

I would like to thank this week's participants Nino Colla, Dave Wiley, and The Coop for their contributions.

This discussion is open to all, so please feel free to comment below and pitch in your thoughts on the questions we're addressing this week.

Go Tribe!

1. After being banished to the Arizona desert to get his head straight, Fausto Carmona is finally back in Columbus and making a few minor league starts before rejoining the Tribe following the All-Star break.

Do you think Carmona has had enough time to work out the issues he had that earned him the demotion from the Tribe earlier this season? Is there a chance that Carmona has recovered his control and can improve the Tribe's struggling rotation in the second half of the season?

Nino Colla: I think he has. He seems to have straightened his head out at least. Whether he's going to automatically revert to what he was in 2007 in one start is another story. He might have a few more growing pains, but I think he's at least back to being a reliable major league pitcher. From what I've read, Carmona has gotten his control back for the most part.

I have some concerns about one scout saying that Carmona isn't attacking hitters like he used to. The biggest key for Fausto is to throw that splitting/slurve pitch that runs in on hitter’s hands, and throw it a lot. That's how he gets the majority of his ground balls and strikeouts. That pitch is so devastating because he can throw it for a strike but hitters can't do a damn thing about it.

I think he'll be better in the second half though and that will be a welcome sight for this rotation. His latest start in Columbus makes me think he should have one more go-round, but the important thing is that he got his head straight courtesy of the fine folks down in Arizona.

Samantha Bunten: From what I have heard, Carmona seems to have regained his control and is doing a much better job commanding his pitches. I think the real test will come with his first bad outing after he returns to the Indians’ rotation, when Carmona will have to demonstrate that he can bounce back after a bad start and not completely lose his ability to command his pitches all over again at the first sign of a stumbling block.

Carmona, like every other pitcher in baseball, is going to have bad outings. The trick for Fausto will be learning to leave those bad starts in the past and not allowing himself to be rattled by them going forward. He doesn’t need to return to his 2007 form overnight.  He just needs to show that the guy who had that monster season still exists in some form.

In a way, Carmona has been given the perfect opportunity for redemption. The season is a lost cause, so the pressure to win at all costs will be lessened tremendously, allowing Carmona to concentrate on making good quality starts for the rest of 2009, thus paving the way for a return to form in 2010.

Dave Wiley: Tough question. Carmona has spent enough time in the desert to get his head straight. The real question is, IS his head straight? Having enough time for a straight head and actually having a straight head are two different things.

A one armed midget that has his right arm but used to be a lefty would improve the Tribes' rotation at this point. Slider in a tutu would improve the Tribes' rotation at this point. Put Carmona back in the lineup.

Fausto Carmona, come on down! You are the next contestant on "Help the Indians Struggling Rotation".

The Coop: I don’t know if he’s had “enough” time to work everything out, but I have been pleased with what I’ve read. Clearly, he has the raw ability to dominate minor league hitters. But what I have been happy to see is that he seems to have regained his control, command, and confidence. It would be nice for him to get a few more starts in Columbus, but I can’t say I’m unhappy with the decision to call him back.

 It’s important to understand that there are still going to be some rough outings in Fausto’s future. Fans and management have to be patient with Carmona and not expect him to immediately return to his 2007 form. I don’t think anyone should hope that he helps the starting rotation. That ship has sailed for this year.

I don’t even care about wins and losses and even ERA. I want to see Carmona get ahead in the count, locate his fastball, and have the right mental approach. The wins and losses and ERA aren’t important this year, but those intangibles that I mentioned could be huge building blocks for 2010 and beyond.

2. It has recently been suggested that Matt LaPorta deserves a promotion to rejoin the Tribe, as he is hitting .300 on the year in AAA with 10HRs, 38 RBIs, and a .909 OPS. Do you think it is foolish for the Tribe to leave an effective LaPorta in the minors while Ben Francisco struggles in the majors?

Given that 2009 is shaping up to be a lost season for the Indians, should the team consider shutting down injured Grady Sizemore for the year and bringing up LaPorta to fill in while Sizemore has surgery and recuperates?

Nino Colla: I think right now, you can't really make a move. Ben Francisco seems to be getting hot, and until he cools off I'd keep him there. I would have been all for it a week ago. Either way I don't think it will be long before LaPorta is up here and starting every day in left field. Shapiro and Wedge will want to play him every day this time around, so they want to make sure they call him up when that possibility is open.

If the Indians get to the point where they actually wave the white flag, they better sit Grady Sizemore and have him undergo his surgery. Since they know it needs to be done, do it now and have him 100 percent for not just the 2010 season, but 2010 Spring Training. There is no reason for him to keep playing if they give up on the season, especially with three guys in the minors that need an extended look.

Samantha Bunten:  While I will be happy to see LaPorta promoted when the September call-ups occur, I don’t think there is any sense in speeding up the process and bringing him up now for two reasons:

First, if his last trip to the majors told us anything, it is that he isn’t ready. I’m glad to see that he is hitting so well in AAA, but a .190 average with one HR and a .286 OBP tells me he’s not prepared to face down major league pitching just yet.

LaPorta has had 699 at-bats in the minors, and conventional baseball wisdom says most players need about 1500 at-bats in the minors before they are ready to play in the big leagues. The bottom line is that LaPorta just isn’t prepared yet.

Second, I’m not ready to give up on Francisco. He has improved significantly over the last few weeks, and I expect he will continue to improve as long as he is given regular playing time going forward.

The roster spot should be Francisco’s to lose, and right now he is making an excellent case for his right to keep it. This won’t hurt LaPorta, as he isn’t ready yet anyway, and will give Francisco a chance to turn things around—for good this time.

The only real reasons I can see for promoting LaPorta now are to pare down the overcrowded outfield in AAA-Columbus, or to fill Sizemore’s roster spot if the team were to decide to shut him down early since the season is all but lost.

Personally, I am in favor of shutting down Sizemore now because the earlier he can get the surgery over with, the more time he will have to recover completely before the 2010 season, but I do not see the Indians choosing to pursue this course of action.  

Dave Wiley: I don't think the Tribe should shut down Francisco. I do think it might be a good idea for LaPorta to fill in for Grady Sizemore and give him a chance to "get himself right." LaPorta deserves another shot. If that is considered foolish, I'd say it fits right in with letting Wedge hang around the rest of the year. Let's just hope another movie isn't made about the Indians.

The Coop: I’m not going to call it “foolish.” I can really see both sides of the argument. I think Ben Francisco still has the potential to have a solid major league career. But unfortunately, like many of the Indians’ big prospects over the last several years, his development has not been nearly as quick as one would hope.

Still, I’m not sure sending him back to Columbus is going to do any good at this point in his career. Francisco’s days in Cleveland are numbered if he doesn’t start producing consistently, and if he doesn’t know that, then he is not too bright.

This could be putting some undue pressure on him, but the reality of the situation is that Matt LaPorta is going to get plenty of shots with the Indians with the hope that it will justify the CC Sabathia trade. And presuming the Tribe hangs onto Shin-Soo Choo and Sizemore for the foreseeable future, there won’t be too much playing time up for grabs down the road.

Bringing up LaPorta won’t help the Indians make a playoff push (although it might help sell some tickets!), so having him stay in AAA and polish his game is fine with me. I’m sure he’ll be a September call-up and he’ll get more experience during the last few agonizing weeks of the season.

Shutting down Sizemore makes a lot of sense, but the front office will probably let Grady make the decision, which means surgery won’t happen until after the season. If Sizemore does call it a year, I’d just as soon have Ryan Garko replace him (Garko to left, Francisco to center).

3. One of the biggest problems for the Indians' offense this season has been the inability to move runners in an efficient, consistent manner. Small ball is a much more common strategy among NL teams, but has proven to be successful in AL baseball for teams like the Angels and the Twins.

The Indians are not traditionally a "small ball team", but do you think this approach could work for them to help solve the problem? Do the Indians have the type of players and sense of strategic play to render them capable of executing this approach successfully?

Nino Colla: No, no, and no. Small ball doesn't work for this team. The Angels are the only team in the American League that really use this method anyway. This talent is not set to do it.

I'd like to see a little more running and putting the runners in motion with guys like Choo on base because he's a smart base-runner. The same goes for Cabrera and for Francisco when he plays. I think the running game will also improve whenever Brantley arrives. But no small ball tactics.

The occasional hit-and-run and base stealing is fine, as this team has some fast players, but they don't have many burners. They've got a pair of smart base-runners in Grady Sizemore and Choo, and that leads me to favor occasional stolen base attempts.

The problem with the offense isn't the lack of small ball. The problem is their approach. You know how a team takes on the personality of their manager? Well a team's hitting approach takes on the personality of their hitting coach’s approach, and his approach is to draw walks and work counts.

Sometimes, against pitchers who have bad control or try to go for the strikeout, that works beautifully. Other times, when a Justin Verlander or Brian Bannister (two completely different pitchers, mind you), throw strikes and throw them effectively on the corners and early in the count, it is a disaster.

This team needs to be a little more aggressive in certain situations. That's Derek Shelton's downside as a hitting instructor; the fact that he doesn't know when to tell these guys to be aggressive. He's got great ideas and sometimes, maybe even most of the time, his strategy works. Other times it doesn't, and when it doesn't, it usually creates a failure for the team of a far greater significance than the success it creates when it does work.

Samantha Bunten: In theory this is a worthy solution to a problem the Indians seem unable to solve. But in reality, a small ball approach does not make sense for this team.

I am of the opinion that small ball is an excellent strategy even in the American League, and from a philosophical standpoint I like the way it uses the lineup more democratically than an approach that relies on the team’s power hitters does.

Unfortunately, I do not think the Indians are a team that is built for this style of play. With the exception of Choo and Sizemore, their lineup does not have much to offer in terms of successful base-stealers or even smart base runners.

Cabrera and Francisco both have the speed to fit into this category, but at this point do not yet have the savvy required to be considered truly smart base runners at the major league level. At the plate, the team as a group posts too many strike outs and makes too little contact to produce the number of base runners needed to successfully run a small ball offense.

Also, far more important to the case against the Indians adopting a small ball strategy than the player’s ability to execute such an approach on the field is the fact that manager Eric Wedge is not even close to possessing the level of strategic ability required of a manager to run a small ball style of offense.

Wedge has always been a manager who shied away from aggression in his approach and who reacts to events on the field as passively as possible. Just look at his approach to handling the pitching game: leaving pitchers on the mound for far too long and being sharply reluctant to pull the trigger in yanking them out of a game betrays a sense of hesitancy that would make him a guaranteed failure if he tried to run a small ball offense.

Given that Wedge is, for all intents and purposes, already a failure, perhaps there is no harm in trying. Still, as much as I respect the small ball style and would like to see the Indians be more aggressive on the base paths and utilize the hit-and-run more often, I don’t think small ball is in any way the right approach for them.

Dave Wiley: Sure, the Indians have a lot of speed at the top of the order and could play small ball. That strategy might even help the likes of Sizemore and Francisco, who are always trying to clobber the ball.

Base hits and OBP should not be sacrificed in order for a bunch of 1-run homers. There are enough slow dudes at the bottom of the line-up to swing for the fences. The work of the hitting coach has not been an Indians’ strong suit for two years now.

The Coop: Being a fan of an American League team my whole life, I have never really been a big fan of “small ball,” although I do see its merits. Mostly, I’ve always been content to wait for the 3-run homer. However, incorporating a few elements of small ball would probably help the team, at least in theory.

Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any evidence that the Tribe could do it! Seriously, think about how many horrible bunt attempts you’ve seen. How about stolen bases or hit-and-runs? The team never runs, so who knows which players would be best suited for this type of offense?

Then, to make matters worse, I don’t believe Eric Wedge has the stones to manage this way over the long-haul for 162 games. He’s not a grind-it-out kind of guy. He’s also content to wait for the homer. So, while I would not be opposed to trying some small ball, I think the team is lacking the players and manager to pull it off.

4. The promotion of some of the Tribe's top prospects this season (Matt LaPorta, David Huff, Trevor Crowe, etc.) has produced mixed results. Are there other players currently in the minor league system who you would like to see promoted to the Indians in the second half of the season?

Other than the players who have already made an appearance at the big league level this year, what current Indians minor leaguer do you think would have the most positive impact if called up to the Tribe?

Nino Colla: There are two in my mind, and there would have been three if the Indians didn’t just trade John Meloan for a journeyman reliever. The first one may sound crazy, but ever think of giving Andy Marte one more shot? I'm not sure there is a place to play him, but there is an interesting predicament going on with Marte in AAA.

With Crowe, Brantley, and LaPorta all in the outfield, Jordan Brown and Stephen Head also being able to play the outfield, be the DH, or play first, and Wes Hodges back at third, there are simply no at-bats for Marte.

The guy is a Triple-A All-Star who's been hitting the cover off the ball, not home run wise, but average wise. He still has a few flaws, but he's improved and sort of matured from what I can tell. Maybe it's time for him to get one last shot and see if there is anything there.

If you call him up and he bombs or rides the bench, all the value you built up in him is gone and you are back where you started earlier this year, only this time at the end of the season and he's just going to walk and sign on with another minor league team.

You could trade him now at the highest value you will ever have on him, unless he gets to the majors and explodes, or you can take a chance and see if that potential he has is still there. It's an interesting position that Shapiro is in and I think in the next week or so it will be resolved one way or another.

The one guy who definitely deserves a call-up is Jordan Brown. Like Marte, his position is sort of locked up, but he can play the outfield and you could give him some of Ben Francisco's time in left if you want to wait on LaPorta.

Brown is lower in the pecking order though and honestly, the Indians wasted their shot to see what Brown has earlier in the year. Brown is a motivated guy after not being rostered in the 2008 offseason.

There was a point this year when Hafner was on the DL that there were open spots, and the Indians could have given Brown a short audition at first, designated hitter, and the outfield with the opportunity to play 4-5 times a week. That isn't something they did though.

I think Brown is a professional hitter that deserves a shot. They traded Michael Aubrey away, which tells me they still have some faith in Brown, but them not giving him a call tells me they don't have as much faith in him as I do.

Samantha Bunten: I wouldn’t mind seeing David Huff stick around for the second half, as I think he has done a very solid job of stepping up to a challenge he never should have had to face at this stage of his career.

I would prefer that Trevor Crowe stay in AAA, as he looks consistently helpless facing major league pitching and could benefit from a chance to further hone his skills in Columbus for at least the rest of this season.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Jordan Brown get a call-up in the second half, as I think he has earned the right to an audition and he has less to lose by being promoted (potentially) too early at this point than a guy like LaPorta, whose career would greatly benefit from more time in the minors.

The player who I think would have the most positive impact if called up is, without question, pitcher Hector Rondon. However, I am absolutely not in favor of making that move.

If the Indians were in the playoff race, I would be all for calling up a pitcher who might not be truly ready if I thought he could help the team. In that scenario, the Tribe could justify calling up Rondon in a move similar to what the Rays did with David Price last year.

Alas, there will be no playoff hunt for the Tribe this year, and therefore no reason to fast track a player who began the season in AA ball to the majors when he isn’t fully formed as a pitcher. The Indians’ winning percentage is under .400; this means there is absolutely no way to justify making a move that could damage a player’s whole career in order to potentially eke out three or four additional wins.

Dave Wiley: I'd like to see the mascot for the Lake County Captains promoted to the bigs. Additionally, they have a clown that makes the best balloon animals I have ever seen. You promote those two guys, I'm thinking the rest of the balloon world/mascot population would have to take the Indians seriously. It’s an opportune time anyhow with the San Diego Chicken considering retirement.

As far as players, things like their number of remaining options are more the determining factors in who goes up and down than actual ability in a lot of cases. If the Indians farm system is as stacked as it has always claimed to be, just move the Indians down to AAA and move the AAA team up. See who does better.

The Coop: I don’t really think I’m qualified to give an opinion on which minor leaguers I’d like to see called up to the bigs. I don’t have much time to follow the affiliates other than to check out an occasional headline or two. That being said, I really feel like it’s important for the guys who are currently on the major league roster—and the guys who will be soon—to just take the bull by the horns and step it up.

It seems like none of the guys who have gotten a chance with the big league club have done anything to warrant staying. Over the years, guys like Shoppach, Francisco, Crowe, Barfield, Marte, and Huff have been boring and uninspiring, if not just bad.

I’m looking for young guys who are going to play hard and consistently produce when they have the chance. I’m sick of chalking up certain players’ performances to “he’s young” or “he needs experience.” I want guys who are going to man up and get the job done, no excuses. The rest of them can stay in the minors.

5. Fun Question of the week: The 2009 season has gone so badly in Cleveland that even the most blindly optimistic Tribe fans have given up hope for a miraculous comeback that lands the Indians in the playoffs.

That said, what team or teams will you be pulling for down the stretch and in the post season and why?

Who would you never, ever root for?

Nino Colla: Well I'm still following the Indians and will do so every day of the year. But as the Indians drop farther and farther away from first place and any hope at making the playoffs, I find myself more and more interested in the rest of baseball.

One team whose bandwagon I’ve been on since the start of the year is the Florida Marlins, my pick to win the NL East.

Some people thought I was crazy, and still did when they were leading the NL East to start the year. Then I got laughed at when they fell down to earth, but now they are healthy, pitching wise, and right back in the thick of it. Who's laughing now?

I think the Marlins got staying power and they are my own little underdog that I'm pulling for, even if they are the same team that ripped our hearts out in 1997. It's okay since none of those players are still on that team.

I would never root for the Yankees as long as I live. Let's just leave it at that. You couldn't pay me their payroll to do so either.

Samantha Bunten: I like the Brewers because they have the best owner in baseball, a brilliant manager in Ken Macha, and a charismatic, hard-working young team that plays with a lot of heart.

I would also back St. Louis out of respect for their outstanding fan base and well-run organization, the Phillies on behalf of Jamie Moyer, and the Mariners for the sake of giving the incomparable Ken Griffey Junior one last chance to win it all. I also like the Dodgers and the Rangers because they’re so much fun to watch.

I would never root for the Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Cubs, or Tigers.

Dave Wiley: Never, ever root for the Yankees. That is just a rule. You are either a Yankees fan, or you hate them.

Never root for Boston either, unless Boston is playing the Yankees. Always root for the Central Division Champion unless it’s the White Sox, because that is counter-productive to rooting for the Cubbies.

If it wasn't for Manny Ramirez being a part of the Dodgers, I'd take them hands down. You have the history, the shunning of the current coach by the hated Yankees, and Casey Blake, an ex-Indian everyone hated see go, playing third base. You have a group of guys playing small ball. On top of that, you have the history. Tommy Lasorda is one of the coolest guys in baseball.

Also, I always root for the Cubs. Ownership will be changing hands is a guarantee that the Cubs will win the World Series. After all, that is how the Cleveland Browns broke their Super Bowl Curse. They changed owners and moved to Baltimore. (Writer disclaimer—I am not implying the Cubs are headed to Baltimore).

The Coop: Being a Clevelander, it should come as no surprise that I am a big supporter of the underdog. I also love to cheer for teams who have not had a lot of recent success. For these reasons, I’m rooting for the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins in the American League and San Francisco in the National League. I’ve also always admired St. Louis for being such a great baseball town and having a well-run franchise.

I would never, ever, EVER root for the New York Yankees, for obvious reasons…UNLESS, they’re playing the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox and their fans are the most obnoxious, annoying, rude, arrogant, and loathsome people in all of sports. They do not deserve any of the World Series championships they’ve won, and I hope that someday a Biblical plague wipes Fenway Park off the map forever.