Interview with Indians GM Shapiro

The interview is here: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=5949073


It's 15 minutes long and surprisingly frank, I think.  He explains clearly what mid-market teams have to expect in the current market, which is essentially to be able to compete for a championship every four years at best and then reload. 

From this site's perspective, probably the most interesting tidbits are that he believes Carlos Santana's bat is potentially MLB-ready right now and that he will be with the Tribe as early as April and probably no later than next July.  According to Shapiro, Santana's only real weakness is game-calling.  Also, he said LaPorta will be up no later than September 1 and will receive every day at bats when he arrives.  The only reason he isn't up now is that they need to carry 13 pitchers while they stretch Masterson back out into a starter and they need their LF to be able to back up CF because of Sizemore's elbow, thus Crowe's call-up.

Also, I learned that it's pronounced Lou mar-SOWN, not Lou MAR-sen.  Who knew? (Not me.)