Shortly after the Cleveland Indians exercised the team option on Fausto Carmona(notes) and cut ties with Grady Sizemore(notes) on Monday, October 31 the Indians made another splash in acquiring veteran pitcher Derek Lowe(notes) from the Atlanta Braves.

In the deal the Indians receive Derek Lowe and cash for minor league pitcher Chris Jones. Lowe is due $15 million in 2012, with Atlanta estimated to pick up the tab on $10 million.

Lowe struggled in 2011 going 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA. He also recorded 137 strikeouts while walking 70. In his career he boasts a 166-146 record paired with a 3.94 ERA. He also has earned 85 saves in his career.

In acquiring the 38-year-old pitcher the Indians immediately add depth and experience to their young rotation. As of today the starting rotation already appears to be greatly improved with Justin Masterson(notes), Josh Tomlin(notes), Ubaldo Jimenez(notes), Fausto Carmona, and now Lowe as the starting five.

While I realize many casual fans will immediately look at his stats from last season and start bashing the deal, it is important to realize the team made a great move that will improve the team. Lowe gets a change of scenery in the American League and the Indians get a veteran pitcher who is capable of eating innings. Even as the fourth or fifth starter he is a steal at $5 million next season.

I am sorry to report to fellow Tribe fans that the Indians will not be signing former Indian CC Sabathia(notes) to a five-year $1 billion dollar deal this offseason nor will Albert Pujols(notes) be starting at first base on opening day. The Indians are being realistic in their efforts to improve the team, and that trend will continue through the offseason.

More MLB Commentary from this Contributor:

Indians exercise option on Carmona, decline Sizemore: A fan’s reaction

Boston Red Sox look to the future, forget the past: A fan’s view

Fan’s take: Can Jim Thome be the next Indians’ player/coach?

Sources:

All data provided by MLB.com

Associated Press – Indians acquire RHP Derek Lowe

Paul Rados is an avid Cleveland Indians fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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Shortly after the Cleveland Indians exercised the team option on Fausto Carmona(notes) and cut ties with Grady Sizemore(notes) on Monday, October 31 the Indians made another splash in acquiring veteran pitcher Derek Lowe(notes) from the Atlanta Braves.

In the deal the Indians receive Derek Lowe and cash for minor league pitcher Chris Jones. Lowe is due $15 million in 2012, with Atlanta estimated to pick up the tab on $10 million.

Lowe struggled in 2011 going 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA. He also recorded 137 strikeouts while walking 70. In his career he boasts a 166-146 record paired with a 3.94 ERA. He also has earned 85 saves in his career.

In acquiring the 38-year-old pitcher the Indians immediately add depth and experience to their young rotation. As of today the starting rotation already appears to be greatly improved with Justin Masterson(notes), Josh Tomlin(notes), Ubaldo Jimenez(notes), Fausto Carmona, and now Lowe as the starting five.

While I realize many casual fans will immediately look at his stats from last season and start bashing the deal, it is important to realize the team made a great move that will improve the team. Lowe gets a change of scenery in the American League and the Indians get a veteran pitcher who is capable of eating innings. Even as the fourth or fifth starter he is a steal at $5 million next season.

I am sorry to report to fellow Tribe fans that the Indians will not be signing former Indian CC Sabathia(notes) to a five-year $1 billion dollar deal this offseason nor will Albert Pujols(notes) be starting at first base on opening day. The Indians are being realistic in their efforts to improve the team, and that trend will continue through the offseason.

More MLB Commentary from this Contributor:

Indians exercise option on Carmona, decline Sizemore: A fan’s reaction

Boston Red Sox look to the future, forget the past: A fan’s view

Fan’s take: Can Jim Thome be the next Indians’ player/coach?

Sources:

All data provided by MLB.com

Associated Press – Indians acquire RHP Derek Lowe

Paul Rados is an avid Cleveland Indians fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Indians are expected to make a decision Monday on whether they’ll exercise the 2012 club options on center fielder Grady Sizemore and right-hander Fausto Carmona.

GM Chris Antonetti said he’d most likely wait until the deadline to make the call and it looks like that’s what he’ll do. A decision on all big-league club options must be made three days after the final game of the World Series, which was Friday.

The Indians hold a $9 million option on Sizemore and a $7 million option on Carmona. Sizemore, 29, can become a free agent if the option is declined. Carmona would still be under team control if the option is declined because he doesn’t have six years in service time.

Carmona, 27, would be eligible for salary arbitration if the option isn’t picked up. There is a chance he could make more in arbitration than he would with the option. The only way Carmona could become a free agent is if the Indians didn’t offer him a contract for 2012. That’s unlikely.

Sizemore, a former All-Star center fielder and 30-30 man, has had five operations in the last three years. His injuries have severely limited his ability to stay on the field. If he becomes a free agent, the Indians could try to re-sign him for less money. Negotiations to restructure the $9 million option have not been fruitful.

Carmona, the Indians’ opening day starter last season, went 7-15 with a 5.25 ERA and was eventually passed in the rotation pecking order by Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The Indians have re-signed catcher Luke Carlin to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training in February.

Carlin, 30, spent last year with the Class AAA Columbus Clipps, the Indians top farm club. He hit .213 (40-for-188) with eight doubles, five homers, 27 RBI in 63 games. He missed five weeks of the season with a sore right elbow.

He has appeared in 52 big leagues games, including six with the Indians at the end of the 2010 season.

Read More: mike maddux, pitching coach, red sox manager, red sox off-season, Greg Maddux (P – LOS), Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers

According to the Boston Herald Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux – brother of Greg Maddux – may be a candidate to replace Terry Francona as Red Sox manager. 

After nine seasons as a pitching coach in Milwaukee and Texas, [Maddux] may be interested in managing.

Other candidates for the job include Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, Cleveland Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin, Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum and Toronto Blue Jays first base coach Torey Lovullo.

Maddux pitched 15 season in the Majors, retiring in 2000. When he retired he became the pitching coach of the Houston Astros Double-A team before becoming the Milwaukee Brewers pitching coach. He coached in Milwaukee for six seasons and is currently coaching in the World Series as the Texas Rangers pitching coach, who he’s been with since 2008.

From NESN: 

According to Scott Lauber’s report, during Maddux’s three years on manager Ron Washington’s staff, the Rangers have posted a 4.03 team ERA, including 3.79 this season.

For more Boston Red Sox coverage, visit our team page and blog, Over The Monster.

There has been plenty of chatter about Cardinals manager Tony La Russa’s debacle in the fifth game of the World Series.

You remember?

La Russa goes to the mound, makes a pitching change — and the wrong reliever comes in from the bullpen.

News-Herald reporter Jim Ingraham writes how the same thing happened to Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta.

Good thing it wasn’t in a Major League game.

“The exact same thing happened to me a few years ago when I was managing in winter ball in the Dominican Republic,” said Acta. “It’s really embarrassing. because people think you’re a fricking idiot.”

 ”I looked at the guy,” said Acta, “and said, ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ ”

Acta’s debacle happened didn’t happen in the Majors, but it doesn’t make it any less embarassing.

“In some ways, mine was even worse,” he said, “because the guy who came in was a right-hander, and so was the batter, but I had to tell that pitcher to walk the hitter, and then I brought in a left-hander to face the right-hander. It was one of the worst days in my career.”

More Tribe

Here are Paul Hoynes’ thoughts about Grady Sizemore and the Tribe.

Jim Thome plans to return to MLB.