The Indians continue to be active in the trade market in their effort to rebuild their pitching staff and their organizational options. They certainly took another step this afternoon by reportedly shipping Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco to the Phils. What does it all mean?

According to multiple sources, the Indians have traded Cliff Lee to Philadelphia for 18 year old right-handed pitcher Jason Knapp, 22 year old right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco, 24 year old middle infielder Jason Donald and 23 year old catcher Lou Marson. In addition to Lee, the Phillies will get outfielder Ben Francisco.

First a bit about Lee and Francisco. This past spring training, Lee looked totally lost on the mound in Goodyear, Arizona. He had command problems and his ball remained up in the zone. He got hit and hit hard. His first few starts during the season showed much of the same. Suddenly, Lee found his command, used the entire plate and flashed signs of his stellar 2008 season when he won the Cy Young Award. He has had a good, but not great season to date. His team has not produced runs for him, but he has pitched well enough to win. Basically a contact pitcher, Lee uses that good command and an ability to make hitters swing at his pitch for his success. The Phillies got themselves an innings eater with a desire to win. He will be a big help in their rotation and he will leave a huge void in the Tribe's starting staff. Lee approached Cleveland's brass about a contract extension during this past spring training. The team indicated that the economy and other factors dictated that they would wait on signing the lefty to a new contract.

Francisco has both frustrated and thrilled the fans of Cleveland. He has a tendency to get into prolonged slumps when he pulls pitches and gets himself out. When he's hot he is using more of the entire field and he becomes aggressive on the bases in a positive way. He's a good outfielder, capable of playing all three positions. In Philadelphia he certainly won't be able to wrestle a starting job away from any of their current starters. At best, it is likely he will come off the bench and play some against left-handed pitching or spell a starter now and again. He has value as a 4th outfielder.

Certainly Knapp has to be viewed as the prize in this deal for Cleveland. He's a 6 foot 5 right-handed starter with huge upside. Knapp is seen as having good movement on his fastball that usually sits at 90- 91. He's capable of throwing 94. He is young, and that means his fastball is more developed than his breaking pitches. His curve and change are works in progress. He will be working on improving those three pitches while learning to repeat his delivery. How soon he pitches for Cleveland is dependent upon how quickly Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook are ready for prime time again. The Indians are not known for rushing players to the big leagues. They have traditionally used aging veterans to fill in while waiting for prospects to develop.
But he'll be on the fast track along with Carrasco.

Carrasco is only 22, but it seems we've been talking about him for quite some time. He throws both a two seam and a four seam fastball, and he too can hit 94 with relative ease. He is well regarded by most scouts and is seen just slightly behind Kyle Drabek in ability and projection. Carrasco might see action very soon as an Indian starter, but again, that will depend upon the progress of their current staff. One knock on Carrasco has been his over throwing and spending of excessive energy on the mound, tiring himself out. That will probably be corrected sooner than later.

The acquisition of Marson is very confusing to this observer. The Indians are loaded at catcher. They have Victor Martinez, Kelly Shoppach, Chris Giminez, Wyatt Toregas and minor league phenom Carlos Santana. By the time you read this, one of those catchers may be a former Indian. Martinez has been the subject of discussion among the Tribe and a number of clubs.

Among the best hitters this observer saw in the Arizona Fall League this past season was Jason Donald. At that time, his plate coverage, contact, bat speed, use of the entire field and on base percentage were outstanding. He played third base as well as shortstop. He isn't having a good season to date, but he figures to help the Indians. Especially since they probably won't re-sign Jamey Carroll. Donald is a good hitter and he has the ability to help the big club in a utility role or coming off the bench to pinch run or play defense. He is more than a "throw in" in this deal. In the Fall League, scouts really talked highly about him as they watched him hit the gaps and take pitches where they were thrown.

The Indians will miss the steady presence of Cliff Lee. They can easily replace Ben Francisco. This trade helps pave the way for Michael Brantley as well as Matt LaPorta to be on the club in September or next season. The 2010 roster will be young, inexpensive and more than likely fun to watch. Andy Marte probably has one more chance to impress the front office at first base/third base, the pitching staff has gotten much younger and the team has changed.
All of the moves do save money (yes, including the Ryan Garko deal). The Phillies have a better chance of repeating as World Champions. Cliff Lee gets to pitch for a winner. So, it's a win-win-win. And yes, the young players in the trade may get to accelerate their careers. Another win. Is everybody happy?