Indians GM Chris Antonetti had to do something.
1. Let's start with this fact -- at least the Tribe made a deal. And at least, Kosuke Fukudome has to be better than the right-field platoon of Austin Kearns and Travis Buck. Those guys have combined for four homers, 22 RBI and a .222 average in 283 at-bats. With the Cubs, Fukudome is a .273 hitter with three homers and 13 RBI.
2. Sounds like a very minor upgrade, at least with those numbers, but Fukudome has a .374 on-base percentage, which would rank No. 12 in the American League. The Kearns/Buck combo was at .297. Those guys didn't reach base, didn't hit for power and didn't do much besides try hard.
3. I know there must be more coming from the Tribe. You can't play the Kosuke card and declare yourself the winner in the Central Division. But did you notice that the Tigers lost, 12-7, to the Angels on Thursday? If Fukudome helps the Indians win a game or two, it will matter.
4. It matters even more if Chris Antonetti can find an outfielder with some power. But at least the general manager noticed his team was no-hit Wednesday. And he reacted like the fans who said, "The Indians gotta do something!" And he became weary of Kearns/Buck in right field.
5. He also made a shrewd deal with the Cubs. Fukudome was being paid $13.5 million this season -- the final installment on a four-year, $48 million contract. The Indians will pay only $775,000 for the rest of the season. Antonetti gave up Carlton Smith, not really a prospect at Class AAA. Abner Abreu is a 21-year-old outfielder with some potential, but he's at Class A Kinston. You can't let him hold up a trade to aid the team right now.
6. This deal also means the Indians still have Jeanmar Gomez, David Huff and Zach McAllister as possibilities for a major trade. They only deal one of those young starters to make a major trade work. They need rotation depth -- but they still have one to trade.
7. Part of Fukudome's problems with the Cubs is that he was a superstar in Japan, and paid like one to play in Chicago. But in the majors, he's a fourth outfielder if your outfield is decent.
8. With Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore injured, Michael Brantley is the only outfielder who can be considered a respectable major-league starter. Ezequiel Carrera is a rookie getting his first look at the majors -- and he owns center field until further notice. It's that desperate right now. Now, it is Fukudome in right, a veteran at age 34.
9. This season, Fukudome is hitting .273 against righties and lefties. On the Indians, anyone hitting .273 against any kind of pitching looks attractive. In his first three seasons with the Cubs, he hit .262 (.794 OPS) against righties, .246 (.702 OPS) against lefties. He's 25-of-47 stealing bases in his MLB career, not exactly quick on the bases.
10. When the Cubs traded him, there was some discussion about his poor play after the All-Star break. The real trouble has been September, when he's a .199 hitter. But his best month in the majors has been August -- .275. This is a small deal that may remain a small deal -- but it's definitely a deal the Indians needed to make.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2011/07/for_the_tribe_every_little_bit.html
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