Forget About Talk, It's Time for Tribe to Walk the Walk

Summary

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The final spot in that pen is still up for grabs as the team prepares to leave Winter Haven with Tom Mastny, Scott Elarton and Jorge Julio vying for the last place. Mastny was a part of last year's team, but was streaky. Elarton was a starter for the Indians in 2005 before going to Kansas City, where he struggled. Julio spent last season with the NL champion Colorado Rockies.

On the eve of pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training this year Sabathia announced he was breaking off negotiations with the Indians on a contract extension. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner said he didn't want the contract issues to be a distraction for himself or the team, and said he would speak with the media about it only once during the spring. It certainly will cost a lot for the Indians to keep him, but they intend to try again once the season ends, or possibly at the All-Star break when designated hitter Travis Hafner resigned last year.

The Indian's rotation will be rounded out by Cliff Lee, who won the fifth starter's role in a battle of left-handers with Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey, the team announced Monday. Lee is the most experienced and expensive of the three, having compiled a 54-36 record over six years for the Indians. Both he and Sowers were in the rotation at the start of last year before injuries hampered them and eventually forced them to AAA Buffalo.

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Extract

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Forget About Talk, It's Time for Tribe to Walk the Walk

CLEVELAND - If you listen to the Cleveland Indians organization it seems that everyone is saying the same thing: "The time to talk has passed."

From General Manager Mark Shapiro to the team's big, left-handed ace C.C. Sabathia, the team is ready to stop talking and start playing baseball. The Indians ope...

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