Results tagged ‘ Chris Antonetti ’
Indians GM Chris Antonetti talks with Fan Correspondent @ClevelandChick: Part II
Our Spring Training Fan Correspondent @ClevelandChick had the chance to sit down with Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti and throw a few questions from Twitter at this Tribe legend. There were so many great questions from you and responses from Chris that it became a two-parter! For Part I of our Fan Correspondent’s interview with Indians general manager Chris Antonetti, click here.
Cleveland Chick: How do you feel Ubaldo Jimenez is going to perform this season? I want to believe in him, but my husband says I’m wasting my time. (question from Kim on Twitter)
Chris Antonetti: I wish I knew with a high degree of confidence. What I know for certain is how hard Ubaldo and (pitching coach) Mickey Callaway have worked to put him in a better position to be successful. I’m confident he’ll be a lot better than he was last year, and I know Ubaldo is confident because of the work he’s put in.
Mickey went and visited with him a couple of times, and actually (manager) Terry (Francona) went on one of the visits, to visit with Ubaldo in the Dominican Republic this winter. Once Ubaldo started his throwing program, Mickey was there with him to make sure he was on the right path. Since reporting to Goodyear, Mickey and Ubaldo have worked really hard to put him in a position to be successful. For Ubaldo, that all starts with executing his delivery consistently. He still has a lot of potential; we just now need to see that potential turn into consistent performance.
CC: Is this year’s free agent spending spree the new norm, or a one-year wonder?
CA: What I would say is that we had a great opportunity this winter, where we had financial resources available to invest back into the team, and there were the right players that were the right fit for us. So we not only signed one prominent free agent, but we were actually able to sign a couple. Ownership extended far beyond probably what we could’ve reasonably expected.
We thought in a lot ways, that we would be done after signing Nick Swisher– and the other free agents that we signed (Mark Reynolds, Brett Myers) – because that was a very significant investment. But there was another opportunity to bring in a very talented player, Michael Bourn, on a deal that made sense for us, not only for this year, but for the next few years. Ownership really stepped out and pushed the envelope in terms of what we were able to do. It was a combination of a lot of things coming together: this being the right opportunity for us, with the right players, at the right cost, to make those investments.
I’m confident as we move forward, if we have opportunities and there are the right players that are the right fits for us, we have resources available, that ownership will again make those investments.
Ownership has always tried to invest back into the organization, throughout their time, (even in) their early years where we tried to maintain top-level payrolls despite not having the revenue to support it. Every dollar that is at their disposal they’ve invested back into team, whether that’s at the Major League level, or in player development or in scouting.
Obviously in this offseason, there was the potential for some new revenue streams to come down the line. What our ownership was going to do was not only spend revenues they had available, but revenues they were hoping to have available at a later date. So the philosophy has actually been mostly consistent: continuing to reinvest with the team. I’m confident as we have additional revenues, whether from increased attendance or increased ballpark revenue, that anything we have, ownership will continue to invest back in the team as they always have done.
Tribe GM to Fan Correspondent @ClevelandChick: ‘I’m comfortable with high expectations’
Our Spring Training Fan Correspondent @ClevelandChick had the chance to sit down with Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti and throw a few questions from Twitter at the Tribe executive. There were so many great questions from you and responses from Chris that there will be two parts to the Q&A! Below is the first half of their transcribed interview from Goodyear.
ClevelandChick: What’s been the biggest surprise in Arizona so far? Who will make the final roster choices?
Chris Antonetti: In terms of surprises, I think Scott Kazmir has been one of our more pleasant surprises. Candidly, we weren’t quite sure what to expect from Scott just because he spent so much time away from the Major Leagues. To his credit, he’s worked exceptionally hard; went to independent ball last year to try to rework his delivery, went to winter ball this year, and has come to camp and has thrown the ball really well. He’s in a good spot.
In the end, it’s my responsibility to make those decisions, but it’s a very collaborative process. We’ll certainly take input of not only our scouts, but Terry and his staff. They’ll be a big part of it.
CC: What’s the whole process for choosing the final roster?
CA: It’s really a process that evolves throughout the spring. We spend a lot of time talking about the roster composition and different combinations of players to build out the team. As players play or pitch, we get additional information that helps us make those decisions. The last thing we want to have to do is react to injuries. So if guys aren’t available, that could impact how we put the roster together.
Michael Bourn introduced as newest Indians player
Michael Bourn (and his son) introduced as newest members of the Cleveland Indians.
The Indians introduced Outfielder Michael Bourn as the newest member of the team today in an afternoon press conference at the club’s Spring Training facility in Goodyear, Arizona. The Bourn signing was made official Friday, as he signed a 4-year contract, with a club option for the 2017 season.
Bourn, Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti, and Bourn’s agent Scott Boras were on hand at the press conference and explained how the signing came together, and their plans for 2013 and beyond.
New Indians Outfielder Michael Bourn:
On signing for the Indians…
“I want to thank the Dolan family for giving me the opportunity to play in Cleveland, and be a part of their organization, and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity. It was a long off-season for me, but it was fun, and it was an experience. It taught me patience – it taught me a lot – but it was interesting. I landed in the spot I think that I wanted, and that was my main focus – somebody that wants me, somebody that’s committed to me, and I’m committed to them. And I’m ready to rock and roll here for them.
On where he was expecting to sign…
“Every team was on my radar when the process began, so yes [the Indians] were on my radar. I knew they were trying to compete, and any team that’s trying to compete, I’m with them. Like you said, I’m a competitor. That’s what my father taught me since I was little, so any team that’s trying to win, I want to be a part of.
“I had a good supporting cast with my mom, my dad, my girlfriend, my little boy; he always keeps a smile on my face. It was just something I had to go through, a process I had to just let unfold. I feel like I landed in a place that wants me, a place I want to be, a place with a lot of talent that has a chance to do some good things.”
On playing in an outfield with Michael Brantley and Drew Stubbs:
“Yes of course, you always want to be next to people that can play it out, I come from that with Martin [Prado] and [Jason] Heyward. I think with this one I have even more speed out there, both of those players can run, they run just like I run, so it will be exciting to watch.”
A Letter from Chris Antonetti
Dear Indians Fans:
Over the past year, we have frequently referenced how excited we are to have a young, talented core of players compose much of our major league roster.
Today, we announced that the Indians have signed Carlos Santana to a five-year contract with an additional Club option year, ensuring that a key member of that core will remain with the Indians through at least 2016 or 2017. Over the past two years, Carlos has developed into one of the elite power hitting catchers in baseball. In his first full, healthy season in the Major Leagues in 2011, Carlos led all catchers with 27 HR, finished second in RBI with 79 and set a club record for single-season home runs by a switch-hitter. In a short time, he has become one of the most feared hitters in the league and an anchor in the middle of our lineup.
In addition, his offensive production is made all the more valuable given that he plays the most demanding defensive position on the field. Since we traded for Carlos in the summer of 2008, he has continually looked to improve all facets of his game and we believe that he will develop into a cornerstone player for our team over the term of this contract.
Signing Carlos on the heels of our extension with Asdrubal Cabrera provides us stability and production at two of the most important positions on the diamond. Equally important, by signing multi-year contracts while still under contract, both players have demonstrated a desire to commit to our organization and our city. With their commitment and continued development, we are excited about our prospects for the 2012 season and beyond.
We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you soon at Progressive Field.
Go Tribe!
Chris Antonetti
Cleveland Indians Exec. VP and GM
P.S. Check out this note from the Elias Sports Bureau on where Carlos stacks up historically amongst catchers in their first full Major League seasons – last year he became one of only 4 players in the Live Ball Era (since 1920) to catch at least 80 games behind the plate while starting at least 100 games in either the 3rd or 4th spot of his team’s batting order. Pretty impressive that two of the four have happened in an Indians uniform.
March 30 roster moves: Donald, Wheeler make the team
Goodyear, AZ – Good afternoon everyone, just wanted to pass along some breaking roster moves passed along by Indians GM Chris Antonetti a few minutes ago. Chris announced that INF JASON DONALD and RHP DAN WHEELER have both been told that they will make the Indians Opening Day 25-man roster. Jason went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles yesterday to raise his spring average to .293 (12-41), while Dan has posted scoreless efforts in each of his last 5 relief appearances for the Tribe with opponents going just 4-for-17 (.235) in that span. C MATT PAGNOZZI, INF GREGORIO PETIT and OF FELIX PIE have all been told that they will not make the Opening Day roster, but will remain in Major League camp for the time being. The front office has also decided to exercise a retention bonus to keep INF JOSE LOPEZ in Major League camp, a move required by a new provision in the CBA for a certain classification of Major League free agents (’20b’) who sign Minor League contracts. If Jose does not break camp with the Indians, he will start the season at Triple-A Columbus. Dan also fell into this classification of Major League agents, but was informed of making the team prior to the required deadline (5 days before the start of the season).
Our Baseball Operations Dept. also announced that the club has reduced the roster by seven (7) additional players. INF RUSS CANZLER and LHP NICK HAGADONE have both been optioned to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. C LUKE CARLIN, INF ANDY LaROCHE, RHP CHRIS RAY, LHP CHRIS SEDDON and RHP ROBINSON TEJEDA have all been re-assigned to minor league camp. There are currently 34 players remaining in Major League spring training camp (27 on 40-man, 7 non-roster invitees).
Welcome to TribeVibe!
“For me, broadcasting the game is like sitting in the stands talking to the fellow sitting next to me.” – Herb Score
With the true spirit of Herb Score in mind, we want you sitting next to us too, so to speak. As we begin yet another season of The Great Game, the Cleveland Indians front office is thrilled to introduce you to TribeVibe, a brand new MLBlog on Indians.com. We’ve had so much success connecting with all of you through the Indians Facebook page and our Twitter accounts (@Indians, @TribeInsider ) that we decided to take that a step further and create TribeVibe as a way for fans to gain even better access to information about the Cleveland Indians.
The goal of TribeVibe is simple – to give you an inside perspective of what it’s like to be with a Major League Baseball team for a full season. That means different things to different people in this industry, so we want to make a concerted effort to show you the game through a variety of lenses.
Naturally, our focus will be on what you care most about – the team – and frankly it’s an exciting time to be following the Indians. We embark on the 2012 season with the opportunity to watch a young group of athletes as they grow together and tackle the daily challenges that come with learning how to win on a consistent basis. This club has also been constructed with several respected veterans who are in place to set a positive example, offer advice and provide perspective as this process unfolds. Throw in the outstanding leadership qualities of Manny Acta and we can’t wait to help you get to know this group of players and coaches even better. Let’s face it, the camaraderie and comedy that exist in a major league clubhouse make it a pretty special place and we think we’ve come up with some creative features that will allow us to have a little fun and highlight the unique personalities who represent the Block “C”.
TribeVibe will also be geared towards helping you keep up with the Indians when they’re away from home and that will begin immediately with the latest news from spring training as the 25-man roster begins to take shape in our final days here in Arizona. We hope that all fans have the opportunity to visit the Tribe in Goodyear, Arizona at some point, but in the meantime TribeVibe will bring the Cactus League action straight to you. Once the season starts, you’ll see this concept transition into road trips as we stow readers away in our carry-on luggage and provide a glimpse into the daily grind of leaving the comforts of Progressive Field and Cleveland behind.
Last, but certainly not least, we’ll take you inside the front office to keep you informed of the latest decisions made by our Baseball Operations Department and coaching staff – TribeVibe can be your source for official press releases, injury news and even pre-game lineup cards. Along the way, we can also provide information that will make transaction rules and the thought process behind certain types of roster moves easier to comprehend. The complex strategies involved account for just a few of the reasons that we all share a love and passion for America’s Pastime.
While the Indians Baseball Information Department will serve as the primary voice of TribeVibe on a day-to-day basis, you may also hear from people like Indians President Mark Shapiro, General Manager Chris Antonetti and Senior VP of Public Affairs Bob DiBiasio from time to time. These respected executives, along with more than 150 employees, have and will continue to shape the culture of an organization that cares deeply about bringing championship baseball back to the city of Cleveland. We’re all very excited to be sharing this brand new forum with you so please don’t hesitate to leave comments or contact us directly – if you have suggestions for the types of features you want to see more of in this space, shoot us an email at TribeVibe@indians.com and we’ll do our best to incorporate them going forward.
Welcome to TribeVibe, we’re glad you’re here!
