SPORTSBIZ -- JOEL HAMMOND
Few attractive options in the Carmona mess
Blog entry: January 20, 2012, 11:02 am | Author: JOEL HAMMOND
Yahoo!'s Tim Brown sort of defends Fausto Carmona or Roberto Hernandez Heredia or whatever his name is, by writing that the climate in the Dominican Republic is so bad, it's hard to blame Carmona/Heredia or countless others — stars Miguel Tejada, Vlad Guerrero and others included — for doing what it took to escape. Brown writes: If an edited date of birth and a strange new name got young Roberto Hernandez Heredia into a tryout, onto a mound, and into a scout's line of sight, you think he regrets that during his few hours in prison today? I wouldn't.
What is the Cleveland Indians' next step with Heredia/Carmona? Well, they're likely following closely the Miami Marlins' situation with the former Leo Nunez, who in September turned out to be Juan Carlos Oviedo. Oviedo is on baseball's restricted list, and still is in the Dominican Republic without a visa to return to the United States.
The Marlins, meanwhile, spent $27 million on new closer Heath Bell, likely a clear sign they don't expect Oviedo back or that they'll release him if he does come back.
Of course, for the Indians, that presents a problem, because they picked up Carmona's $7 million contract option this offseason (a move I endorsed, FYI). It appears that if he and Oviedo regain their visas and return to the States, they'll be treated like any other player: If his team doesn't want him, it can release him, but it will be on the hook for his contract.
That'd be a tough pill to swallow for the notoriously cash-strapped Indians, who were excited after re-making their rotation with Ubaldo Jimenez and Derek Lowe. With Heredia/Carmona in the fold, they'd have one of the best rotations at inducing ground balls in Major League Baseball history.
The Indians released a non-statement statement on Thursday.
From ESPN's Buster Olney, who happened to speak with Indians general manager Chris Antonetti Thursday before the news broke:
From the Indians' perspective, the best course of action is probably to assume that Carmona won't pitch this year. Whether he's innocent or guilty, he is now stuck in a legal web that may take months or years to untangle.
More baseball: The Minnesota Twins have joined the chorus of teams using dynamic ticket pricing. See Crain's story on the topic from way back in summer 2010 for a primer.
Blame the voters
Sports-talk station 92.3 The Fan has a followup to Thursday's Plain Dealer story on the Cleveland Browns asking the city for $5.8 million to be used in repairs.
According to Browns general counsel Fred Nance, there's no funny business going on, and the Browns are fronting the money. The team simply would like it paid back from the fund earmarked for such repairs earlier than usual.
Argue all you want about how the Browns have a sweetheart lease at Cleveland Browns Stadium — as outspoken Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek does in that link — and remember that the next time the team or the Indians or Cavaliers threaten to leave unless they get more public money.
But once the deal is signed, there's no quibbling with the arrangement.
If you're not following me on Twitter, what are you waiting for? And, I trust you're listening to Crain's podcasts?
And, of course, email me with any news tips you see fit for this space.
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