As I finished typed "Matt Flynn" into the Google search bar, "Matt Flynn Browns" was the first suggested search. I couldn't help but wonder if Google had the right idea.

Flynn drew major attention when he threw for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns in a single game last season. Flynn is still only 26 years old and owns a 92.8 career QB rating.

Obviously it was only ONE amazing game, it's hard to project him from such limited action, but it's a difficult to ignore such big numbers. Heck if Flynn threw half as good as he did in that one game, I'd still take a look at him.

He would fit nicely into Holmgrem's system and he seems to be a safer bet than Robert Griffin III. However, there is growing speculation that Flynn will go to Miami to reunite with his former offensive coordinator, Joe Philbin.

I'm ready to move on from Colt McCoy love Colt McCoy's passion and intanglibles but I don't believe he has what it takes to be an elite or borderline elite quarterback in the NFL. Elite/Borderline elite quarterbacks win superbowls.

Flynn is a gamble signing. Now is his chance to prove he can lead an offense.

The Indians have acquired Russ Canzler from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash. Last year, Canzler batted .314/401/.530 with 18 home runs and 83 RBI leading to him being named the International League MVP. Canzler will turn 26 in April and he can play first base, third base, left field and right field.

I like the fact he had a .314 BA and .931 OPS

Notable AAA players that have posted .300+ BA and 900+ OPS
2005 Corey Hart
2005 Carlos Quentin
2005 Shane Victorino
2006 Nelson Cruz
2006 James Loney
2007 Adam Jones
2008 Nelson Cruz
2010 Mark Trumbo

Back in August, FanGraphs.com wrote the following on Canzler…

“Russ Canzler has quietly been one of the most productive minor-league hitters over the past two seasons without a big league at-bat to his credit. In fact, Canzler, who is younger than Allen, has hit .280/.350/.470 in over 2,400 minor-league plate appearances spanning eight seasons.
[…]
While Canzler is not a threat to Evan Longoria for playing time at third base – nor does he have much of a future in a well-covered Tampa Bay outfield – his right-handed bat does have value to the big league roster. As it stands, the Rays have few bench options from the right-handed batter’s box. Switch-hitting infielder Elliot Johnson, and the team’s backup catcher of the day, serve as Maddon’s only bench alternatives from that side.”

That being said, there are concerns with Canzler. He strikes out a lot and might just have “average” major league power. And for the past few years he's been considered a "fringe" prospect. At the end of the day, it’s a good move for the Indians because they bought low and may end up with solid contributor to the starting lineup.

Rollercoaster. If there is one word to describe Fausto Carmona's/Robert Hernandez Heredia's career it would be Rollercoaster.

Carmona broke into the leaugue back in 2006 and struggled, posting a 5.42 ERA. The year after he put up a Cy Young performance going 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA. Carmona regressed in 2008 and 2009, made the All Star game in 2010. And last year he had some quality starts and some awful starts.

And now, before the 2012 season starts, Carmona is arrested in the Dominican Republic for using an alias name. It's easy to be frustrated with Fausto for his current situation but you have to realize that he is a product of crooked system. Tony Lastoria of IndiansProspectInsider.comsaid it best...

"Carmona’s situation brings to light an ever growing problem in the Latin American countries. Players and their families are so desperate to get away from rampant poverty in their countries that identities are often altered to help their chances as a professional baseball player. Every year players that sign professional contracts as alleged 16-17 year olds are voided as teams find through the verification process that they falsified their information, and even for the ones who clear inspection there is always a feeling of uncertainty for teams.

A lot of people may fault Carmona, but he is a product of a bad system. Major League Baseball is doing their best to police the problems with age and name falsification and the rampant use of steroids. On top of that players are often bribed by buscones (street agents) where they are promised food, shelter, training, and help with getting a signing bonus in exchange for a pre-arranged sum of money. There is only so much the league can do to control it."

The Dominican Republic is an impoverished country, they have an ineffective electricity system that experiences frequent blackouts, the country heavily involved with traffiking of cocaine and Columbian drug cartels. Dengue plague is rampant, the HIV/AIDS rate nearly twice as much as the United State's, shelters are in horrible condition and those who commit violent crimes receive light sanctions.

Who wouldn't pass up the opportunity to play baseball in the United States?

Today, we (the fans), complain when players leave for bigger contracts. They go from x-sum of millions to an even greater x-sum of millions. Can we really be mad at Latin American players obtaining contracts to escape the harsh realities of their home country?

It's clear the Browns number one priority this offseason is improving the offense. Cleveland finished 30th in the NFL in points per game with 13.6.

Whether it's trades, free agency, or the draft there's numerous scenerios that could play out. Here's a few I would consider.

1. Trade both first round picks (and possibly more) for the number one overall pick and draft Andrew Luck. The NFL is becoming a pass heavy league. Teams don't need a number one tier running back to compete for the Super Bowl.

2. Trade down*. *BUT NOT too far down (remain in top 10), and ONLY if the return is big. Robert Griffin III doesn't fit Holmgren's west coast offense. But, I found it interesting the Tony Dungy likes Griffin over Andrew Luck. And wideout Justin Blackmon isn't nearly as projected as Calvin Johnson or AJ Green were. However, I wouldn't be upset if the Browns took Blackmon.

3. Draft wide receiver Justin Blackmon. While Phil Taylor had a nice rookie season, the Browns passed on Julio Jones who had 959 receiving yards in 13 games played.

4. Quarterback competition. This isn't my favorite. A competition between McCoy, Wallace, and others sounds boring. McCoy isn't a bust yet, he lacked offensive weapons to stretch the field and his offensive line was often inconsistent. However, McCoy did miss key throws when he had the chance.

There is no quick fix for the Browns. Obviously, expectations for 2012 are more wins and improvements from Shurmur and both sides of the ball.

Yesterday, Chris Antonetti announced he had one trade on the table that would be so surprising that you couldn't get it in 50 guesses.

That doesn’t necessary mean a blockbuster, but it’s definitely an intriguing statement. Here a few of my guesses…




Scenario 1:Ike Davis to Cleveland
Chris Perez and Josh Tomlin to NY Mets

Pros: -Davis is 24 years old
-Davis is under control for several seasons.
-Davis would be cheap
-In 2010, Davis hit .264, .351 OBP, .440 slug%, .345 wOBP, 19 home
runs, 71 RBI.
-Before Davis got hurt last year he was hitting .302 with a .383 OBP and
averaging 1 home run every 21 at bats (that's about 26 home runs with 550
at bats).

Cons: -He is a lefty
-His ankle might be a concern.
-A little over a year of MLB experience
-This trade would create a hole in the rotation.

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Scenario 2: Carlos Lee to Cleveland
Rafael Perez and Chris Perez to Houston

Pros: -Lee an accomplished right handed power hitter
-Lee has had 89+ RBI for 9 straight seasons
-Lee plays first base and outfield

Cons: -Lee will is 36 years old
-Lee will make 18.5 million in 2012 (the final year of his contract), Astros
would have to eat at least half of that
-This trade could hurt the bullpen

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Scenario 3:Kevin Youkilis to Cleveland
Joe Smith, Rafael Perez and a player to be named later to Boston.

Pros: -Youkilis is an accomplished right handed power hitter
-He is versatile, he can play first base, third base and outfield

Cons: -Youkilis has dealt with hip problems in the past few years and hasn’t reached
500 at bats since 2008.
-he will make 12 million in 2012, Boston would have to eat some of that contract.

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Scenario 4: Gabby Sanchez to Cleveland
Josh Tomlin, and 2 prospects to Miami

Pro: -Sanchez is a young, solid right handed power hitter
-He is under control for several years
-He is cheap
-He has a solid glove

Cons: In both 2010 and 2011, his "post all star break" batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage dropped off significantly

Comments: The Sanchez deal would be the best fit for the Indians. The fact he is young, cheap, healthy and a proven major leaguer would fit perfectly with the Indians. However, since Pujols has turned down the Marlins offer it makes it more likely the Marlins will hang on to him. But, the Marlins may be in the running for Prince Fielder.

A sloppy game with an exciting finish. Colt McCoy struggled all game, but moved the chains and made the touchdown when the game was on the line. Colt showed off his intangibles of mental toughness and leadership. MoMass helped Colt out by making an outstanding catch.

As much as I liked Colt's 4th quarter drive, I am still concerned. He missed a lot of open receivers throughout the game. And in 3 games this year Colt is averaging under 6 yards per completion. He cannot continue to live under 6 yards. He doesn't have to average over 8 yards such as a Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers or Ben Rothlisberger, but he could live above 7 yards such as Drew Brees, Matt Hasselbeck or Joe Flacco.

But, McCoy is still very young, he still has a lot of time to improve. He is showing signs of beig first legitimate quarterback since the Browns 1999 return. Colt is known for working hard, so you know he will continue to address all weaknesses of his game.

Other Highlights
-Montario Hardesty amassing 86 total yards in Hillis' absence.
-Cribbs catching 49 yards and a TD.
-Watson catching 64 yards.
-Browns defense holding Miami out of goal range in the final seconds of the game, sacks from Antyba Rubin, Phil Taylor, D'Qwell Jackson, Jayme Mitchell, Chris Gocong, and Mike Adams game ending interception.

Well, what a drastic change of emotions that was. Yes, it's only one game. But given the circumstance and expectations, it was a game that should have been won. The Browns were playing at home against a rookie quarterback. And the rookie quarterback's backup, delivered the finals blows in the fourth quarter.

First impressions of this game; the Browns looked unprepared and lacked discipline. And that goes from the management to the players. They looked like they had regressed from last year. I didn’t expect much from the Browns this year but when you have a young Bengals team at home, who was widely ranked last in the league in power rankings, you have to beat them.

It didn’t help that the offensive line is missing two big pieces in Eric Steinbach and Tony Pashos. It didn’t help that the punter, Richmond McGee, went into the game injured and booted three punts under 30 yards (14 year veteran, Brad Maynard, was signed to take over punting duties while McGee is on the injured reserve). It didn’t help that the team lacked awareness in the fourth quarter.

It’s hard to evaluate Colt McCoy’s McCoy’s performance. He looked to be settling in a groove in the second quarter, but then the offensive line proved to be a big flaw.

Some positives to take from the game....
-Mo Massaquoi caught 3 passes for 77 yards
-Montario Hardesty showed some explosive bursts in his runs,
-Cribbs’ provided a much needed kickoff return (of 51 yards) to swing some momentum in the Browns’ favor.

Shurmur has made it clear improvements will be made from himself to the players. Much more football is left. This Sunday the Browns take on a Colts team missing their offensive captain, Peyton Manning. And their defensive captain, Gary Brackett. This doesn’t mean it will be easy, but hopefully the Browns take advantage the Colts’ missing pieces.

Happy Browns Day! No matter our expectations for the Browns, the first game of the season always brings fans excitement and optimism.

This year is particularly exciting as Pat Shurmur helms the Browns in his first year as a head football coach in the NFL. Although Shurmur may seem unknown to the average football fan, he is familiar with Holmgren’s style of westcoast offense and he is considered a major development factor in the careers of quarterbacks, Donavon McNabb and Sam Bradford.

I expect the Browns to improve, although it won’t really show up in the win-loss column. I can see the Browns finishing 5-11. Young defensive players such as Joe Haden, TJ Ward, and Ahtyba Rubin made solid contributions last year and incoming defensive players, Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard, will look to add to that success.

The offensive line is taking a hit with Eric Steinbach beginning the year on the injured reserve, but the line should be relatively strong protection for Colt and Peyton.

Peyton Hillis was a workhorse last year. He took so much of a beating that in his final three games he played with cracked ribs. In 2011, he needs help to carry the workload. The Browns addressed this need by signing veteran Brandon Jackson. Jackson had experience rushing and receiving as a running back. Unfortunately, Jackson suffered a bad toe injury and will miss the season. That leaves Montario Hardesty and Armond Smith as backups, both have a combined ZERO NFL games played.

And now, the man who has been heralded as the team leader, the man with maturity and fearlessness, the man known for his strong work ethic, that man is, Colt McCoy. The Texas Longhorn has MUCH to prove in the NFL. I still have concerns over his arm strength, size, and “top ten” QB potential . I am not sure that he can be a quarterback that matches up with Ben Rothlisberger or Joe Flacco. I do know is that we will know what kind of quarterback Colt is by the end of this season.

I know that Colt McCoy has the mental makeup of a quarterback. He’s tough, patient and intelligent. But in 2011, he needs to prove he has the “NFL talent” to be a long term QB.

I know it's early to talk about this. But with the Indian's success in 2011, it got me thinking what the Indians should do to contend in 2012. Here's my list...

1. Lockup Asdrubal longterm.
2. Aquire a right handed power bat
3. Offer extension to Ubaldo
4. Determine what to do with Sizemore
5. Determine what to do with Carmona
6. Offer Choo reasonable arbitration
7. Determine what to do with LaPorta

Since 4, 5, and 7 are debateable. Here's what I would do

4. Don't pick up Sizemore's 8.5 million option. I love Grady, but for the past three years he has found numerous trips to the DL. Putting that much money into him isn't worth it. I would offer him 3 million with incentives.

5. Carmona has found his groove after the All Star break. He has a 7 milion dollar club option for 2012. I would pick that option up. Having him as your 4th or 5th starter is pretty impressive.

7. As I said in an earlier piece, LaPorta can hit in the clutch. But he compared to other AL Central firstbasemen (Paul Konerko, Miguel Cabrera) LaPorta's numbers are weak. The window of opportunity is just opening and if the Indians can find a firstbasemen this offseason, then that would be the best option. I'd keep LaPorta on as a firstbasemen/outfielder though.

The newest Indian is former Rockie's Ace, Ubaldo Jimenez. The Indians gave up a lot. Three prospects of their top ten. Drew Pomeranz (#4), Alex White (#2), Joe Gardner (#9) and Matt McBride (Prospect rankings from Baseball America).

I'm stunned. The Indians gave up quite a bit. I envisioned future pitching staffs with Pomeranz and White composing 2 of the top 3. Granted, it's minor league talent. But, Jimenez is a proven Major League ace. He is 27 years old and the Indians control his friendly contract through 2012 and options year of 2013 and 2014. You may point out his 4.20 ERA this year, however, his ERA in hitter friendly Coors Field is 5.55, his ERA away is 2.83.

I'm still concerned with the Indians offense. They definatley need another bat with some pop (And they may very well add one by tomorrow). You might be thinking, "They could have used those prospects to get a power bat." I too thought that. But it's the old philosophy, "Pitching wins Championships." You might have wanted Hunter Pence, but his value over-skyrocketed as the deadline drew near. I think the Indians will address the right handed power bat this offseason. But just think, a playoff of rotation of Masterson, Jimenez, and Tomlin would be fantastic.

Pomeranz and White could be several years away from their prime, they might be aces, but that might not happen until 2013 or beyond. Jimenez gives the Indians the chance to have top tier rotation for now until 2014. I still see the Indians adding a bat before the deadline tomorrow. Let's all take a deep breath before judging this trade too quickly.

The Indians have aquired outfielder, Kosuke Fukudome from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for minor leaguers, Abner Abreu (Outfielder) and Carlton Smith Reliever).

There's no question the Fukudome will be better than Kearns/Buck/Duncan. But there is a question to the degree of impact he will have on the Indians lineup. Fukudome will fit nicely batting second with his .374 OBP (compared to Buck and Kearns with .275 and .318). He has average speed, an average arm and doesn't strikeout often. He doesn't have the power the Indians were hoping to aquire, but they may not be done trading.

According to Jordan Bastian Fukudome currently would qualify as Type B free agent and would be worth draft compensation if offered arbitration and he declines. Fukudome is 34 years old.

The Indians gave up AAA Reliever, Carlton Smith, this season he is carrying 4.50 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 45 innings. And, Outfielder Abner Abreu, who is best remember for his breakout year at Lake County in 2009, but he has tailed off since then posting OPS of .651 in 2010 and .723 this season.

Overall, the Indians didn't put there future at risk by aquiring Fukudome. He is a nice piece who won't soley put the Indians into AL Central Champs. But the Indians may be one power bat away from helping their offensive struggles.

According to a report from NBC, the Cleveland Indians (and Washington Nationals) are showing a lot of interest in Ray's outfielder, BJ Upton.

While Upton is having a down year, he would be an instant upgrade over Travis Buck, Austin Kearns, or Shelley Duncan. Upton brings a combination of speed, power, and defense. However, his batting average, on base percentage and strikeout rate isn't very impressive. In 2007 Upton posted a 4.5 WAR (6th best in the AL) followed by 5.0 (4th best in the AL), 2.3, and 3.9 (9th best in the AL) in the years following.

Upton is still young at 26 years old. If aquired the Indians would have him through 2012. He could replace the often injured Grady Sizemore in centerfield. The Indians have a surplus of relievers (Major League and Minor League) that they could offer.

Upton would fit in nicely batting second behind Michael Brantley and in front of Asdrubal and Hafner. Or He could even bat 5th or 6th with his power potential. I wouldn't be surprised if the Indians made a move. But, it has to be the right move, it can't mortgage our future for contending because the window of opportunity is just opening.

With Choo out for an extended time, Carlos Santana's bat will largely dictate the Indians offense during the post All Star break. Santana has proven he can get on base. But he needs to raise his batting average to help the Indians create more runs.

With Sizemore's questionable health and Choo and the DL, the Indians will be relying on Santana to lead the offense. Hopefully, Santana can evolve into the middle of the order threat we have envisioned in him.

Down the road, I wouldn't mind converting Santana to a full time firstbasemen. I think his bat is to valuable to keep at catcher and a firstbasemen's careers last longer (and healthier) than catchers. However, I wouldn't do that until this team has solid offensive contributors at other positions (second base, third base, outfield).