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OFFSEASON PLAYER MOVEMENT

Player signed	Player lost
	RHP Jaret Wright (option declined)
	1B Jim Thome (free agent)
Acquired via trade	Players traded
Cash (Athletics)	RHP Roy Smith
1B Travis Hafner, RHP Aaron Myette (Rangers)	C Einar Diaz, RHP Ryan Drese

Complete Player Movement

Diaz, Drese sent to Texas


	Diaz

The Indians, in need of a replacement for Jim Thome, acquired first baseman Travis Hafner and right-hander Aaron Myette from the Rangers for catcher Einar Diaz and right-hander Ryan Drese. Hafner, 25, made an impression on the Indians last season, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a homer and three RBI at Jacobs Field on Aug. 11. Hafner split last season between Triple-A Oklahoma and the Rangers. At Oklahoma, Hafner hit .342 (137-for-401) with 22 doubles, 21 homers and 77 RBI in 110 games. He appeared in his first 23 games for the Rangers and hit .242 in 62 at-bats with one homer and six RBI. Myette, 25, also split the 2002 season between Oklahoma and Texas, going 7-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 16 starts at Triple-A and 2-5 with a 10.06 ERA for Texas.

Gammons: Diamond notes

Thome base now Philly


	Thome, 32, is a career .287 hitter with 334 HRs and 927 RBI.

Jim Thome, the most coveted hitter in the free-agent market, agreed to a six-year contract offer Dec. 2 with the Phillies. The club's agreement with the left-handed power hitter is worth as much as $94 million, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported. The guarantee is $85 million, which breaks down to $82 million for six years, plus either a $3 million buyout or a vesting $12-million option for the seventh year. It is believed the contract contains a full no-trade clause. The deal was announced Dec. 3.

NEWS AND NOTES

Hoping to have veteran pitchers to help tutor their young arms, the Indians offered salary arbitration to Dave Burba and Terry Mulholland on Dec. 7. The team also offered arbitration to 1B Jim Thome, who signed with the Phillies. By making the offer, the Indians get a compensatory draft pick for losing Thome through free agency.
The Indians declined to offer arbitration to RHP Charles Nagy, C Eddie Perez and 1B Lee Stevens.
Closer Bob Wickman underwent successful reconstructive elbow surgery in Anaheim, Calif. on Dec. 6. Wickman will miss all of next season and will begin rehabilitation in Cleveland after the holidays. Danys Baez, a starter for most of 2002, will assume the closer's duties.
Buddy Bell was hired as the Indians' bench coach on Nov. 27, returning to the team he began his playing career with.
Utilityman Bill Selby broke his left hand sliding into home plate while playing winter ball in Mexico. Selby, who played in 65 games last season, sustained a hairline fracture near his wrist. He will wear a cast for several weeks, but the team said the 32-year-old will not need surgery and should be ready for spring training. The Indians recently signed Selby to a $325,000, one-year contract and assigned him to Triple-A Buffalo.
The Indians on Nov. 21 named Marty Brown manager of the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He takes over for Eric Wedge. The 39-year-old Brown spent his last six seasons as a minor-league manager in the Pirates organization. The Indians also have hired managers for three other farm clubs. Torey Lovullo will be in charge of the Single-A Kinston Indians, Luis Rivera will be manager of the Single-A Lake County Captains and Ted Kubiak will lead the short season Single-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
The Indians signed RHPs Jason Beverlin and Jason Boyd to minor-league contracts on Nov. 21.
The Indians purchased the contracts of OFs Jody Gerut, Ryan Church, RHPs Fernando Cabrera and Francisco Cruceta, and INF Jhonny Peralta on Nov. 20.
DH Ellis Burks underwent arthroscopic surgery Nov. 13 to repair the A/C joint in his left shoulder.
The Indians traded RHP Roy Smith to the Athletics on Nov. 13 for cash. Smith spent most of last year at Triple-A Buffalo, going 5-4 with a 3.84 ERA in 70 appearances.

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"The Indians are going in a way they want to go and I respect that. I've loved that organization and I still will."
– New Phillie Jim Thome

2002 AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
TEAM	W	L	PCT	GB
Minnesota	94	67	.584	-
Chicago	81	81	.500	13.5
Cleveland	74	88	.457	20.5
Kansas City	62	100	.383	32.5
Detroit	55	106	.342	39.0
Complete Standings

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ON THE FARM

Minor league affiliates:
Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
    Sched./Results | Stats | Official Site
Akron Aeros (AA):
    Sched./Results | Stats | Official Site
Kinston Indians (A):
    Stats | Official Site
Columbus RedStixx (A):
    Stats | Official Site
Mahoning Valley Scrappers (A):
    Official Site
Burlington Indians (R):
    Official Site


AVG	J. Thome	.304
HR	J. Thome	52
RBI	J. Thome	118
RUN	J. Thome	101
SB	O. Vizquel	18
WIN	C. Sabathia	13
SV	B. Wickman	20
ERA	C. Sabathia	4.37
Complete Team Statistics: Batting \| Pitching


C	E. Diaz	ROTATION
1B	J. Thome	C. Sabathia
2B	J. McDonald	R. Drese
3B	T. Fryman	R. Rodriguez
SS	O. Vizquel	B. Tallet
LF	L. Stevens	T. Mulholland
CF	C. Crisp	CLOSER
RF	K. Garcia	D. Baez
DH	E. Burks


Nov 28: Named Buddy Bell bench coach, Eddie Murray hitting coach, Jeff Datz first base and organizational coach, Mike Brown pitching coach, Luis Isaac bullpen coach and Joel Skinner third base coach.
Nov 22: Signed pitchers Jason Boyd and Jason Beverlin to minor league contracts and invited them to spring training.
Complete Team Transactions


No significant injuries.