UPCOMING SCHEDULE - AUGUST 2018 - TRIBE a lock playoff team?

mjp28

To finish August.......

Date	Opp	Time	TV	Indians : Pitcher	Opp: Pitcher
Tue. 28	vs. Min	7:10 PM ET	STOh/FSN	C. Carrasco (15-7)	K. Gibson (7-10)
Wed. 29	vs. Min	7:10 PM ET	STOh/FSN	A. Plutko (4-4)	K. Stewart (0-1)
Thu. 30	vs. Min	1:10 PM ET	FB <--- what TV is that?	M. Clevinger (9-7)	J. Odorizzi (5-8 and the BROWNS in Detroit at 7 pm)
Fri. 31	vs. TB	7:10 PM ET	STOh/SUN	C. Kluber (16-7)

This season's almost over.

mjp28

Thursday 8/30 their magic number is 16......with all of September left to play.

Dutch Oven

Indians trade for 3b Josh Donaldson from Toronto.

mjp28

@dutch-oven said:

Indians trade for 3b Josh Donaldson from Toronto.

https://www.mlb.com/news/josh-donaldson-traded-to-indians/c-292746468

Cleveland acquired Donaldson and $2.7 million from Toronto in exchange for a player to be named later, meaning the Indians will be responsible for $1 million of the third baseman's $23 million salary for this season. In order to add Donaldson to the 40-man roster, the Indians transferred center fielder Leonys Martin (out for the year) to the 60-day disabled list.

Indians acquire Donaldson00:19Aug. 31st, 2018

The 32-year-old Donaldson -- currently rehabbing a left calf injury that has sidelined him since late May -- will be eligible for the postseason for the Indians, who are closing in on their third straight American League Central title. Players needed to be dealt prior to 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday night in order to be eligible for the playoffs with the acquiring team. In Donaldson's case, he went unclaimed on waivers before Toronto and Cleveland struck the deal.

Naturally, the Indians and Blue Jays have a four-game series in Toronto, beginning Thursday.

Chris Antonetti, the Indians' president of baseball operations, said that the club began its push to land Donaldson around 1 p.m. ET, when the third baseman cleared waivers. On Saturday, the third baseman will be active for Cleveland's game against Tampa Bay, but Antonetti and manager Terry Francona will meet with Donaldson to go over the plan for the coming days and week.

"Obviously, this is one of the most dynamic players in the game on both sides of the ball when he's healthy," Antonetti said. "We think there's an opportunity for him to get to a point this month where he'll be playing in games regularly and has a chance to impact us in the postseason. It was not an easy process to work through, complicated by Josh's health status this year and him now just working his way back to full health."

• Expect plenty of emotion and passion from Donaldson in October

Due to the trade, Donaldson will not be eligible for a Qualifying Offer (estimated to be in the neighborhood of $17 million or $18 million). The 2015 AL Most Valuable Player will become an unrestricted free agent without Draft pick compensation tied to his signing.

In Donaldson, the Indians are getting a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger who has finished in the top four in MVP voting three times in his career. Across the 2013-17 seasons between stints with the A's and Blue Jays, Donaldson hit .282 with a .901 OPS, averaging 33 homers, 32 doubles, 98 RBIs and 98 runs scored per season. In that span, he posted a 145 OPS+, indicating he performed 45 percent above league average.

This season has been a different story, though........