2012 Cleveland Indians Spring Training Team Preview | Cactus League Teams

Cleveland Indians
Mgr. Manny Acta # 11
2011 record 80-82
Second Place, AL Central

Will the real Fausto Carmona please stand up?

About three weeks prior to the date Cleveland Indians pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report to spring training camp in Goodyear, AZ, the Indians were forced to place the big right handed starter formerly known as Fausto Carmona on Major League Baseball’s restricted list. It appears that the six-year veteran reportedly born in the Dominican Republic on December 7, 1983 has been pitching under an assumed identity. Believed to be Roberto (Heredia) Hernandez, whoever he really is, the Cleveland franchise would probably prefer to have the pitcher who went 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA, and finished fourth in AL Cy Young award voting in 2007 rather than the guy who was 7-15 with a 5.25 ERA last year.

Despite the poor performance by whoever he was last year, the Indians still picked up the $7 million on his contract for the 2012 season.

According to a report on the ESPN television show “Outside the Lines,” the pitcher masquerading as Fausto Carmona has been paying the family of the real Carmona to use his name and identity. When the Indians picked up the 2012 option on the right-handers contract the family being paid requested an increase which the pitcher denied, resulting in the false identity being revealed during an interview with the real Carmona’s mother on a Dominican radio program.

The pitcher was arrested and released on $13,000 bail and instructed to forfeit his passport. As of this writing the situation had yet to be resolved.

Carmona/Hernandez was perhaps the weakest link on a young Cleveland pitching staff that included, Justin Masterson, 26 (12-10, 3.21, 216 IP) and Josh Tomlin, 26 (12-7, 4.25 in 26 starts).

The surprising Cleveland Indians moved into first place on April 7 and remained there just about every day until July 20. The Indians remained in contention well inot August and the team’s eventual second place finish was its best in five seasons since winning the AL Central division in 2007.

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, 26 was named to his first All-Star team and emerged as one of the games’ rising stars, knocking 25 home runs with 92 RBI. His acrobatic play in the field was reminiscent of Omar Vizquel and earned him regular appearances on ESPN’s Sports Center top plays. At the time of this writing Cabrera was eligible for arbitration and seeking $5.2 million with the club offering $3.75 million.

Arrivals: OF Ryan Spilborghs, OF Felix Pie
Departures: INF Orlando Cabrera (retired), RHP Zach Putnam

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