Cleveland Indians News: Roberto Perez cleared; Joba Chamberlain Added

Roberto Perez Cleared After Concussion Scare

While the opener being “cold out” was a letdown, the Cleveland Indians did get some good news yesterday as backup catcher Roberto Perez was medically cleared following a concussion scare.  As mentioned yesterday Perez’s health was a question that was holding up the Tribe’s ability to finalize the Opening Day roster. They needed Major League Baseball to sign off due to baseball cracking down on concussions in the wake of all the bad publicity the National Football League has gotten.

Perez was hurt in Saturday’s exhibition game with the Texas Rangers after taking a pair of foul tips off the mask. He eventually left the game and was replaced by minor league Jeremy Lucas.  Perez being healthy is great news as despite being a backup, he was one of the best catchers in the game last year, posting a higher WAR than Royal’s catcher Salvador Perez (1.7 versus 1.6).  Roberto should play a key role for the 2016 Indians.

Joba Chamberlain Added to Roster

As mentioned yesterday, the Perez injury was holding up the Tribe’s ability to finalize its roster and thus Joba Chamberlain (who was told he made the team last week) was in roster limbo. However, yesterday evening he was officially added to the Tribe’s 25-man roster.  This move leaves the Tribe with 13 pitchers on the roster, including eight relievers.  The members of the Tribe’s bullpen are as follows:

"Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Zach McAllister, Jeff Manship, Dan Otero, Ross Detwiler, Trevor Bauer, and Chamberlain"

It remains to be seen just how long the Tribe will carry eight relievers or what Chamberlain’s role will be in the crowded bullpen.  He’s a guy that has a history of success so it would not shock me if we see him playing a much bigger role at some point this season, similar to guys like Scott Atchison and Jeff Manship in years past.

James Ramsey Designated for Assignment

To make room for Chamberlain the Cleveland Indians designated minor league outfielder James Ramsey for assignment. This move cleared the necessary 40-man roster spot needed to add Chamberlain, and it’s a move that comes with some controversy. Ramsey was just recently added to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. It’s extremely odd that the Indians would feel the need to protect Ramsey in November but then be willing to risk losing him just four months later. 

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Ramsey joined the Indians back in the summer of 2014 when he was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals for Justin Masterson. I talked about the outfielder in more detail just a few weeks ago when he ranked as our Number 21 prospect in the Tribe’s system. The 26-year old was a bit buried on the depth chart, but I’m still pretty surprised that Jesus Aguilar or Joey Butler weren’t considered first…

Ramsey is the third member of the Indians to be designated for assignment in the last 48 hours. Zach Walters and Giovanni Soto were designated for assignment earlier to make room for Marlon Byrd and Ross Detwiler. All three guys removed from the roster will need to clear waivers in order to remain with the Indians organization. The Tribe has 10 days to trade them as well.

Tommy Hunter to Disabled List

Rounding out yesterday’s roster transactions was right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter being placed on the 15-Day disabled list.  Hunter was a major league free agent signing by the Indians this winter, agreeing to a one-year, $2 million deal with the Tribe. He was known to be behind the curve heading into camp and a trip to the disabled list seemed likely from day one.He’s not expected to miss a ton of time, maybe a month or so and should slot into the back of the Tribe’s bullpen once healthy. The fact that he was not placed on the 60-Day disabled list (which would have saved Ramsey from being cut), tells us that the Tribe is optimistic he won’t miss a ton of time.

Hunter is not expected to miss a ton of time, maybe a month or so and should slot into the back of the Tribe’s bullpen once healthy. The fact that he was not placed on the 60-Day disabled list (which would have saved Ramsey from being cut), tells us that the Tribe is optimistic he won’t miss a ton of time. In an ironic twist to this story, catcher Tony Wolters, who was designated for assignment to make room for Hunter on the Tribe’s 40-man roster, was recently named the backup catcher for the Colorado Rockies.

Next: Indians Finalizing Roster; Perez Uncertain

Opening Day Take Two

The Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox will try again to open the season after yesterday’s cancellation. Both Corey Kluber and David Price will take the hill as originally planned yesterday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm EST at Progressive Field where it figures to be a cold one, with temperatures as low as 32⁰F at first pitch.