The Indians acquire Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome on Thursday for two prospects. GM Chris Antonetti says he's not ready to stop there and will keep trying to improve the team through trades.
New Indians outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. CLEVELAND, Ohio — If newly acquired Indians outfielder Kosuke Fukudome didn't ring your bell, don't burn your Chief Wahoo jersey just yet. GM Chris Antonetti is still trying to improve his second-place ballclub, which picked up a half-game on the AL Central-leading Tigers on Thursday without even playing.
"We feel we're better today than we were yesterday," said Antonetti, talking Thursday about the trade that brought the 34-year-old Fukudome to Cleveland from the Cubs for prospects Abner Abreu and right-hander Carlton Smith. "We improved incrementally."
The deadline for making deals without waivers is Sunday at 4 p.m. Should the Indians stay in contention through the heat of August, the next deadline to ponder is Aug. 31. Waivers will be needed on traded players at that point, but it's the last time a team can add help and have it be eligible for the postseason.
"We're going to look at any way we can improve our run scoring and run prevention," Antonetti said. "Fukudome helps us with both those things."
Antonetti said he's open to adding a pitcher or another hitter. He said just because Fukudome is scheduled to get most of the playing time in right field, and Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore are scheduled to come off the disabled list sometime between late August and early September, he would consider adding another outfielder, who could supply immediate help in trying to reclaim first place in the AL Central.
He's not the only one talking that way.
"Hopefully, [this is] our first of a couple deals," Indians CEO Paul Dolan said at the Cleveland Indians Charities golf tournament Thursday. "We're trying to add to the team this year with the hope of competing in September and into October."
Fukodome file
Name: Kosuke Fukudome (KOH-skay foo-koo-DOUGH-may)
Born: April 26, 1977, Osaki, Japan
Resides: Aichi-Ken, Japan
Bats: Left-handed. Throws: Right-handed. Ht/Wt: 6-0, 200
Family: Wife, Kazue; son, Hayato
Career in Japan: No. 1 draft pick of Chunichi Dragons in 1999. Played nine seasons for Dragons, hitting .305 (1,175-for-3,852) with 713 runs, 264 doubles, 38 triples, 192 homers, 647 RBI and 71 steals.
Career with Cubs: Signed with Cubs Dec. 19, 2007. Hit .262 (432-for-1,651) with 236 runs, 98 doubles, 12 triples, 37 homers, 169 RBI and 27 steals for Cubs.
Honors: Represented the Cubs in the 2008 All-Star Game. Helped Japan win the gold medal in the World Baseball Classic in 2006. Led the Cubs with 38 doubles and 93 walks in 2009.
SOURCE: Cubs 2011 media guide
The Indians have had on-going talks with the Dodgers about right-hander Hiroki Kuroda and infielder Jamey Carroll. Those talks have hit a lull over the past few days, but they don't appear to be dead.
Various rumors have the Indians pursuing Colorado right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, who won 19 games last year, but had struggled this year until a recent hot streak. Jimenez is making $2.8 million this year, $4.2 million next year and has club option worth $5.75 million in 2013. That's called a club-friendly contract, which is one of the reasons so many teams are interested.
The price for Jimenez will be high and until recently it didn't sound as if the Indians were willing to meet it. Perhaps they've changed their mind, which means they might be willing to deal part of the prospect quartet of Drew Pomeranz, Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall and Alex White.
Should the Rockies or Dodgers want a big-league ready pitcher in return for Jimenez or Kuroda, the Indians have several options.
The Tribe has been linked to San Diego outfielder Ryan Ludwick and right-hander Aaron Harang and Oakland outfielder Josh Willingham. Carlos Quentin would certainly look good in a Tribe uniform if the White Sox continue to deal veterans as they did with Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen on Wednesday. The Indians and Chicago, however, haven't made a deal since 1994.
Fukudome was hitting .273 (80-for-293) with three homers and 13 RBI in 87 games this season with the Cubs. The left-handed hitter has 46 walks, 57 strikeouts and a .742 OPS.
Travis Buck was designated for assignment to make room for Fukudome, who is scheduled to join the team tonight against Kansas City. He'll wear No. 1. Buck and Austin Kearns were platooning in right following the injuries to Choo and Sizemore.
The Indians had to do a lot of talking to land a guy with only 13 RBI. Fukudome is in the last year for a four-year, $48 million deal. The deal included a limited no-trade clause. The Indians were one of the teams on his no-trade list.
"I won't go into details, but through our conversations with the Cubs, we found out what was important to Fukudome," said Antonetti, regarding how he bypassed the no-trade clause. "I think the idea of playing for a contender and getting regular at-bats appealed to him."
Fukudome is a free agent at the end of the year. He'll be a Type B free agent. If the Indians offer him arbitration and he declines, they could get a draft pick as compensation next June as long as he signs with another big-league club. Of course, that depends on if there are any changes in the compensation rules when a new basic agreement is approved.
"Right now he's going to start in right field," manager Manny Acta said.
As for what happens when Sizemore and Choo return, the Indians are in a live-for-today mode.
"I know we have [Choo and Sizemore] out. You've got to think about tomorrow, and we'll cross the bridge when we get there," Acta said. "Hopefully, those guys can get healthy and help us out, but Kosuke has been a good player the last couple of years and he's going to give us some stability in the outfield."
Fukudome is making $13.5 million this year. The Indians are on the hook for $775,000 of that.
The Indians will get Fukudome when he's hot. He's hitting .429 (6-for-14) in his past seven games. He spent 69 games in the leadoff spot this season, hitting .268 (71-for-265) with 29 runs.
He's hitting .273 against righties and lefties.
"I think he's a spark for our lineup," right-hander Josh Tomlin said. "Knowing that they're adding players gives us, I guess, that mentality that we are going to go forward and try to win this thing this year."
Abreu, 22, is hitting .243 (82-for-377) with 16 doubles, five triples, 12 homers, 34 RBI and 42 runs for Class A Kinston. He's a 6-3, 182-pound outfielder.
Smith, 25, is the brother of former Indians No.1 pick Corey Smith. He's 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 34 games at Class AAA Columbus. Smith is 6-1 and 219 pounds. He's been in the Indians' system for seven years.
Plain Dealer reporter Bill Lubinger contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2011/07/cleveland_indians_trade_for_ko.html
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