MLB Free Agency: Yu Darvish and Players Cleveland Indians Should Avoid

The Cleveland Indians have many holes to fill entering the 2012 MLB Season.  Filling them through free agency though, may not be the answer for the Tribe.

Many free agents this offseason carry large risks.

Should the Tribe gamble on the likes of an unknown pitcher excelling overseas in Japan, such as Yu Darvish?

Or, will they gamble on an aging power hitting outfielder like Carlos Beltran?

If one thing is certain, it’s the Cleveland Indians’ front office is not inclined to spending big money on aging free agents in their mid-30s.

Carlos Beltran, OF

At first glance, Carlos Beltran would fill a glaring hole on the Cleveland Indians’ roster.  Long gone are the days of outfielders Manny Ramirez and Grady Sizemore belting home runs.  The Tribe desperately needs a power presence at the plate.

Enter Carlos Beltran.

In 2005, Beltran would have been a great pickup for the Cleveland Indians.

Beltran is currently one of the best outfielders available in the free-agency market.  This has garnered him a lot of attention and likely a large upcoming contract offer.

The Cleveland Indians though, cannot afford and will not likely go chasing after Carlos Beltran with money. 

While he may help the Tribe in the short term, his overall value to the Indians is lacking given his age, injury concerns and declining power.

Coco Crisp, OF

Following the Cleveland Indians’ decision to cut ties with outfielder Grady Sizemore, there is a glaring hole in center field. 

Youngster Ezekiel Carrera showed nothing in his first quarter season of play to suggest he is the long term solution for the Tribe in center field.

How about Coco Crisp?

Crisp’s speed is very desirable for a center field and lead-off hitter.  However, he is declining in age and will likely begin to slow down the older he gets.  His fielding is also suspect in center field, something the Indians cannot afford in their fundamentally riddled outfield.

His hitting also leaves much to be desired for a center fielder.  He is a proven base-runner and effective base stealer once he gets on base.

Getting on, though, seems to be the problem for Crisp lately.

His .313 on base percentage leaves much to be desired.

Ryan Ludwick, OF

Ryan Ludwick was a hot commodity during the 2011 MLB Trade Deadline last summer.

How did he fare after he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates?  He declined in every statistical category with exception to on base percentage.

Ludwick finished the year with a .310 on base percentage.

In 2008, Ludwick’s best career season, he showed his ceiling.  That excellent season has inflated his career numbers.

He is a risky acquisition—you don’t know for sure which Ryan Ludwick will be on the field for your team in 2012.

Casey Kotchman, 1B

Casey Kotchman provided an adequate solution to the Tampa Bay Rays’ need for a filler first baseman after the loss of slugger Carlos Pena to the Chicago Cubs last offseason.

Kotchman, though, was not meant to be a replacement for Pena.

Clearly, his career of subpar slugging and mediocre batting was not what the Ray’s had in mind when they envisioned their first baseman after the loss of Pena.

Following a respectable season in which Kotchman hit for over .300 and marked an impressive .800 OPS, the Rays’ seem content with letting him walk.

Also, The Tribe is stacked with left handed hitters and have no room for another contact hitting leftie in their lineup.

Kotchman would be an unwise move for the Tribe, who could easily find someone with his production at first base for much less than he could demand following his 2011 rebound season.

Yu Darvish, SP

The Cleveland Indians have not openly expressed interest in obtaining Japanese pitching sensation Yu Darvish. 

At first glance, though, what’s not to like?

Darvish throws seven different pitches, does nothing but win and looks to be one of the finest prospects coming out of Japan since Hideo Nomo.

For the Tribe, the move would be very uncharacteristic.

While Darvish may appear to be a sure thing prospect, keep in the mind the expensive Japanese pitching talent that has floundered in the MLB in the past.

The Boston Red Sox $100 million signing of Daisuke Matsuzaka and his eventual collapse should provide warning and red flags to many front offices in the league.

Especially to the Cleveland Indians.