Shapiro bets his career on deals

Ask an Indians fan the difference between Mark Shapiro and the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and he might be hard-pressed to give you an answer.
"One's green and the other is a bumbling fool," was one response. Considering Shapiro's relative inexperience as a major league general manager, we'll leave you to decide which description best fits him.
One thing's for sure: The residents of Whoville were a lot more forgiving of the Grinch than Tribe fans the last two days. Internet chat sites were filled with any number of topics entitled, "Shapiro is an idiot" or (our favorite) "Shapiro: Shemp called, he wants his brain back".
There are several troubling aspects of the deal Shapiro turned Thursday night, sending right-hander Bartolo Colon, a player to be named later (it's expected to be right-hander Tim Drew) and cash to the Montreal Expos for first baseman Lee Stevens and three prospects.
For one, Shapiro told us during the offseason that the 2002 Indians would be built on pitching and defense. So why, in his two biggest trades, has he dealt the team's best starter and arguably its best defensive player? (Certainly, Roberto Alomar was the Indians' most consistent offensive player.)
Shapiro, like any GM, relies on scouting reports as part of any decision-making that goes on. So far, Indians' scouts rate a failing grade. They grossly overrated Ricky Gutierrez, both at the plate and in the field.
The inclusion of Stevens and one of the Expos' prospects, shortstop Brandon Phillips, should pique the interest of conspiracy theorists.
Stevens is a career first baseman -- he's appeared in 789 major league games and less than 25 of those as an outfielder -- leading us to speculate that Jim Thome shouldn't be unpacking his suitcases with any haste.
Can't compare
Which brings us back to the Alomar vs. Gutierrez comparison: Shapiro traded a consistent .300 hitter to the Mets and replaced him with guy who's batted .267 for his career.
If he really does plan to ship Thome, the first man to hit 300 homers for the Indians and a career .285 hitter, Shapiro will replace him with Stevens, who has hit better than .285 just once in his six full major-league seasons.
Phillips, just 21, was considered Montreal's best prospect. He hit .327 in 60 games at AA Harrisburg (Pa.) with nine homers and 35 RBIs, and .257 in 10 games at AAA Ottawa. More troubling, Phillips had a combined 39 strikeouts (as compared to just 18 walks) in 280 at-bats this season, and had stolen just six bases.
It can safely be assumed that Phillips is one of the contenders to replace Omar Vizquel.
The only pitcher in the trade, left-hander Cliff Lee, was fairly dominant at Harrisburg, posting a 7-2 record and 3.23 ERA, with 105 strikeouts and just 23 walks in 861/3 innings.
Years away
Phillips, Lee and outfielder Grady Sizemore, a 19-year old toiling in Class A, are all at least a couple of years away from seriously contending for major-league roster spots. That's why it's hard not to knock Shapiro for this deal: Colon was a proven commodity, traded for four unknowns.
Shapiro admitted it: "We are clearly moving to a total rebuilding process aimed at 2004 and 2005." (Such honesty should send ticket sales through the, well, floor, for 2003.)
There is some solace for Indians' fans: Think back to 1997, when we all got a good laugh out of the White Sox's fire sale about this same time in the season. Many of their starters this season were those unknowns Chicago acquired.
Shapiro is betting his career that a similar good fortune befalls the Tribe in two or three years.
XRob Todor is sports editor of The Vindicator. Write to him at todor@vindy.com.