Youth Movement 2.0

Every team at some point in the franchises’ history goes through a youth movement. Some teams seem to barter veterans for prospects every year like the Kansas City Royals, Florida Marlins, and Baltimore Orioles. Other teams draft well and build their franchise with internal prospects like the Cleveland Indians in the 90s, the Minnesota Twins at the turn of the century and the current Tampa Bay Rays. Some teams like the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox refuse to entertain a team overload and prevent their franchise from starting scratch by signing free agents each season to luxurious contacts.

Can you remember the last time the Yankees went through a youth movement? I can’t.

The baseball non-waiver trade deadline is an opportunity for teams to strengthen their team’s weakness, and for the past three years my team, the Cleveland Indians, have been major contributors to other team’s play-off runs. Unlike the past two years when the Cleveland Indians traded their top two starters, CC Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers and Cliff Lee to the Philadelphia Phillies, they received prospects with great potential in return. This season the Tribe traded veterans to create playing opportunities for prospects.

Some of the swaps the Indians made at or before the trade dead line were:

• Kerry Woods (age 32) was traded to the New York Yankees
• Austin Kerns (age 29) was traded to the New York Yankees
• Jake Westbrook (age 32) was traded to the Saint Louis Cardinals in a three team deal with the San Diego Padres
• Russell Branyan (age 34) was traded to the Seattle Mariners
• Jhonny Peralta (age 28) was traded to the Detroit Tigers

Also prior to the deadline the Indians released Pitcher Jamey Wright (age 34), Catcher Mike Redmond (age 39), and Second Baseman Mark Grudzielanek (age 39). All of these players were on the opening day roster with an average age of 34 years old and 87 total years of Major League experience for an average of 11 years per veteran.

After the trade deadline, the Indians average age on the active roster dropped 18 months from 28 years old to roughly 26.5 years of age which is the youngest active roster in baseball. This team could even get younger when Lou Marson and Michael Brantley rejoin the parent club. After the deadline, the Indians Major League roster held 50 years of service time for an average 2 years per player. Travis Hafner leads the team with eight years of service and is one of two players over the age of thirty. The other player is outfielder Shelley Duncan.

Next season no one on the present team is scheduled to turn thirty. There are three players who are scheduled for marketable raises in outfielder Grady Sizemore, Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, and Pitcher Fausto Carmona who could be traded unless both sides agree to contract extensions. Eventually, the Tribe needs to stop bartering their players and allow the current kids to develop chemistry and play ball. Will next season the Indians avoid a rummage sale or will it be a déjà-vu season again?