In Cleveland, Paul Hoynes notes the Indians yesterday showed they are in a "salary dump" after trading P Corey Kluber to the Rangers. The "big thing about this deal" is that the Indians are out from under the $17.5M option they "exercised on Kluber’s contract." Kluber’s departure drops the Indians' projected 26-man payroll to $85-90M (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 12/16). THE RINGER's Zach Kram wrote the Kluber trade is an "unmitigated disaster" for Indians fans, who must "watch their club strip itself for parts in order to save a few bucks" (THERINGER.com, 12/15).
A NEW ERA: In Minneapolis, Chip Scoggins writes the Twins winning 101 games last season "reinvigorated the interest of a sports market once beaten to a pulp by bad baseball." If the Twins "stood pat in the offseason during their years of irrelevance and did nothing to upgrade their on-field product, the reaction was a collective yawn." But the same playbook "doesn’t apply anymore." Attractive free agents "remain available, giving the Twins time and options." The organization "needs to change the narrative about being cheap" by making the "kind of signing or bold trade that causes the rest of baseball to take notice" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 12/16).
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS: In Boston, Peter Abraham wrote the Red Sox' schedule of promotional giveaways for the '20 season "seems to reveal something about their in-house expectations." Of the 12 giveaway days, "only four are centered on a current player." There are four items "featuring retired stars David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and Pedro Martinez, and four others with just team logos or the mascots" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/15).
