CLEVELAND, Ohio — Nobody talks about the third ace who was traded.
He didn't win a Cy Young Award like CC Sabathia in 2007 or Cliff Lee in 2008, but he was still an ace. Maybe not in the mind of the Indians, who may yet be found pennywise and pound foolish in his regard.
Sabathia was sent to Milwaukee in July 2008 with much debate. The debate grew into rebellion when Lee was shipped to Philadelphia in July 2009. The trade of Carl Pavano a week later was hardly worth a harsh word following a two-year teardown of the Indians' roster as ordered by ownership.
Pavano was traded to the Twins on Aug. 7. It was a Friday and I was in the back of a cab headed into Chicago to cover a three-game series against the White Sox when the Indians announced the deal. It was for a player to be named, who turned out to be Class AAA right-hander Yohan Pino. At the time it seemed to be an exchange of afterthoughts.
There was no anger over the deal on Pavano's part. He was trying to restart his career after four profitable, but lost years with the Yankees. The Indians gave him a chance, on an inexpensive deal, and he responded by going 9-8 with a 5.37 ERA in 21 starts and 125 2/3 innings.
Not great numbers, but for a team like the Indians, who squeeze every penny, it was a bonanza. They paid Pavano a base salary of $1.5 million. When he exceeded their expectations, and started closing in on an additional $2.75 million in incentives, he was traded to the Twins. By that time ownership was bailing with buckets and pumps to avoid a loss that Indians CEO Paul Dolan said could have gone as high as $16 million. Pavano was only too happy to leave.
Three up
- 1. Allen Craig
- 2. Yunel Escobar
- 3.
Three down
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
Hot Corner
- Words to live by:
- Puckett died in 2006. He was 45.
- What would it take?
- The organization needs starting pitchers. If they could get two pitchers and another player for Carmona, they might do it.
- Because Carmona is their No. 1 starter, at least one of the pitchers would have to be ready for the big leagues.
- The chances of the Indians getting such a return for Carmona are slim. He's signed through 2011 with three club options after that.
- Homestretch:
- According to Baseball America, here's what their MLB unofficial slotted signing bonuses should be: Pomeranz, first round, fifth pick overall, $2.52 million; Washington, second round, 55th pick overall, $635,400; Wolters, third round, 87th pick overall, $405,000; Blair, fourth round, 120th pick overall, $247,700 and Cook, fifth round, 150th pick overall, $169,200.
- Pomeranz, Blair and Cook are college juniors, so their leverage is limited. Last year, Tampa Bay drafted Washington in the first round and he turned down a reported $1.1 million. He's playing at Chipola Junior College in Florida. Wolters, who committed to the University of San Diego after his freshman year in high school, was quoted as saying he was disappointed he wasn't one of the top 50 players drafted.
- If the Indians don't sign their first- or second-round picks, they will receive a compensation pick in almost the same position in next year's draft. Should they not sign Pomeranz, they'd most likely get the sixth overall pick in next year's draft. If they don't sign their third-round pick, they'll get a compensation pick between the third and fourth rounds next year.
"The Indians gave me a chance," he said last week at Target Field. "What they did in that trade definitely made the season for me."
The Twins trailed Detroit by 5 1/2 games in the AL Central the day they acquired Pavano. He beat the Tigers the next day to cut the deficit to 4 1/2. By the end of the regular season, the Twins and Tigers were tied and needed a one-game playoff to decide the division title. The Twins won.
"What we did the last six weeks of the season was crazy," Pavano said. "I think we were down, at one time, six or seven games and came back to force a 163rd game."
Pavano went 5-4 in 12 starts for Minnesota. In the AL Division Series, he pitched Game 3 against the Yankees. He allowed two runs in seven innings, but the Twins were swept in the best-of-five series.
Overall, Pavano went 14-12 with a 5.10 ERA in 33 starts. He pitched 199 1/3 innings. In the previous three years with the Yankees, he pitched a combined 145 2/3 innings.
Pavano, 34, could have taken his act on the road. He was a free agent and just starting to feel like his old self. He filed for free agency, but when the Twins offered arbitration, he accepted and signed a one-year, $7 million deal.
"I enjoyed my time here," he said. "Getting the chance to defend our division title excited me."
Most importantly, Pavano knew he'd get a chance to keep pitching. This year he's 12-6 with a 3.26 ERA in 20 starts. In the Twins' mostly homegrown rotation, beset by injuries and inconsistency, Pavano has become the lead dog.
"We've got guys who can do great things here," he said. "Francisco Liriano has been good. Scott Baker is just getting back on track after some elbow problems.
"I've been in a lot of their positions. Sometimes you have it, you lose it and you've got to regain it. You have to reinvent yourself. It's just part of growing up in the game of baseball."
The Twins entered Saturday at 51-46 and in third place in the AL Central, three games behind first-place Chicago.
"Up until now, everything we've done this year is irrelevant," said Pavano. "The next two months are the most important of the season. The pack in the AL Central is tight. It's out there for the grabbing.
"I like where we're at."