If you read my Rundown yesterday, you'll know we were planning to examine the Cavaliers options in free agency and the off-season. In a nutshell, the Cavaliers cap situation drastically limits their options in free agency. But their best option, and the most likely as well, was that they'd go ahead and re-sign all of their free agents because (a) they can go over the salary cap to do so, providing Dan Gilbert was willing to foot a significant luxury tax bill and (b) because this group was excellent in the second half of the season and took Golden State to six games in the Finals while missing two of it's most important pieces.

 

The Cavs wasted little time in locking down three key free agents, as Kevin Love announced yesterday via the Players Tribune that he's staying in Cleveland long-term, and Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert came to terms on new deals as well. Love's deal will reportedly be worth $110 million over 5 years with a player option after the fourth year. Thompson will collect $80 million over 5 seasons, and Shumpert will ink a 4year/$40 million dollar contract to stay in Cleveland.

LeBron James will re-sign at some point, perhaps even sooner-than-later now that the pieces have began to tumble for the Cavs. J.R. Smith and the team have mutual interest in getting a deal done, but it's yet to be seen what will happen with Smith's situation. He turned down a $6.5 million player option in order to seek out a longer deal, which as long as his desired terms are within reason, I'd have to imagine there's a good chance the Cavs would bring Smith back because they're not going to get a player of his level on a minimum contract. Matt Dellavedova is a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavaliers would be able to match any offers from potential suitors for the back-up guard. However, it's unclear what offers may come Dellavedova's way during free agency, so it might come down to a "wait-and-see" approach to re-upping Delly.
 

Carlos Carrasco came about as close as you can to completing a no-hitter before Rays rookie Joey Butler, whose walk earlier in the evening ended a perfect game, hit a run-scoring single with 2 down and 2 strikes in the bottom of the ninth. The Indians would take their third straight win over the Rays, 8-1.

Carrasco struck out 13 in 8.2 innings, exiting after allowing Butler's hit and 124 pitches. Austin Adams came on to secure the final out. Carrasco walked two and hit a batter in the 9^th as well. Had he completed the no-no, it would have been the first in 34 seasons for the Indians. Carrasco improved to 10-6 with the win.

 

Brandon Moss led the Indians offense by going 2/4 at the plate, a 3-Run home run (13^th) and collecting 5 RBIs, bumping his team leading total to 42. Jason Kipnis added two hits and an RBI, and Michael Brantley and David Murphy each drove in runs in the Indians third straight win.

The Tribe will go for a sweep in an early game this afternoon. Hear the action on WJAW FM 100.9 at 11:37.

 

Johnny Cueto tossed 8 innings, allowing one run on 4 hits, 8 strikeouts and a walk, improving to 5-5 as the Reds beat the Twins 2-1. The Reds took 2-of-3 in the series against Minnesota.

Cueto's future in Cincinnati is unclear, and as the season heading toward the trade-deadline and Cueto in the last year of his contract, it's a very realistic possibility that Cueto will be dealt. Cueto allowed a lone earned run on a ground-out last night, and dealing him might bring a sizable package in return as the Reds make their way through an injury riddled season.

Joey Votto collected two RBI's to account for both Reds runs. Votto's sac-fly in the 3^rd gave the Reds a 1-0 lead, scoring Brandon Phillips. Votto drew a walk in the 5^th with the based loaded, forcing in the Reds other score.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 16^th save by working a 1-2-3 9^th.

Reds are off today before opening with the Brewers at Great American Ballpark on Friday.

 

 

Neil Walker hit two home runs and had four hits, Pedro Alvarez and Starling Marte added homers as well, and the Pirates beat the Tigers 9-3. A.J. Burnett improved to 7-3 with the win.

After falling behind 1-0 in the 2^nd, the Pirates offense got to work in the 3^rd, putting up 5 runs on Alfredo Simon. Walker's first longball of the evening, a 2-run shot, kicked off the rally. Francisco Cervelli drove in a another run with a ground-out, then Gregory Polanco knocked in a run with a single and came around to score on a throwing error after Jordy Mercer's infield single. The Pirates scored another in 6^th as Walker scored on a wild pitch from Al Alburquerque.

 

The Pirates roughed up Simon, who falls to 7-5, for 6 earned runs on 15 hits in 5.2 innings. Simon struck out seven and walked none. Burnett went 7 innings for the Pirates, allowing 7 hits, 2 earned runs, and no walks while striking out four.

 

The Pirates pushed a 6-2 lead entering the 8^th even farther out of reach with three home runs in the inning. Walker's second of the evening was the first of the three blasts given up by Joba Chamberlain. Alverez and Marte each took liftoff in the inning as well.

The Pirates will go for the sweep today in Detriot, 12:05 pregame time on WJAW AM 630.

 

The Pirates will return to PNC Park Friday to open up a holiday-weekend series against the Indians.