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The Cleveland Indians have signed first baseman Casey Kotchman, according to reports.
The Cleveland Indians still don't have a first baseman for the 2012 MLB season. On Thursday, there was reported interest in Carlos Pena, and now there's some more potential interest, courtesy of MLB Blogs, who suggest that the team might also be interested in acquiring the services of another first baseman, Casey Kotchman.
They're two very different players. Despite them both having about the same value in the free agent market right now, they each do different things. Pena, for instance, is a power slugger with a propensity to strike out to go along with his propensity to hit home runs. Kotchman doesn't hit nearly as many home runs, but he has a much improved strikeout number, Kotchman struck out about 100 times less than Pena did in 2011.
Pena hit .225 in 2011, while Kotchman hit .306. Based on the Indians situation, Kotchman might actually be a better fit, on top of the fact that he should come cheaper, something that certainly means a lot for the Indians in their current financial situation.
For more on the Cleveland Indians, check out Let's Go Tribe. You can also head over to SB Nation's main MLB hub at Baseball Nation.
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Casey Kotchman, Cleveland Indians Come To Terms On Contract
Casey Kotchman was one of two players the Cleveland Indians were said to be eyeing to play first base for the club last month, but it sounds like he's the first one to decide to join the club. The 28-year-old first baseman reportedly came to terms with the club on Thursday.
Cotchman, who spent last season playing with the Tampa Bay Rays, will join his sixth MLB team since entering the league in 2004. CBS Sports' Jon Heyman was the first to report the deal.
The Indians were originally said to be deciding between Kotchman and Carlos Pena, a decision SB Nation Cleveland looked at when it was originally reported:
For more on the Cleveland Indians, check out Let's Go Tribe. You can also head over to SB Nation's main MLB hub at Baseball Nation.
Feb 02 3:49p by Scott Schroeder