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With Twins’ closer Nathan ailing, Indians may be more relieved to keep Kerry Wood: Analysis

The Indians would be wise to hold onto closer Kerry Wood for the time being. Yes, the Twins need a closer following Joe Nathan's elbow injury, but after trading players left and right over the last two years, now is the time for GM Mark Shapiro to sit, wait and watch.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerKerry Wood is a high-priced closer on a low-cost rebuilding roster, but the sudden change of fortunes for Minnesota closer Joe Nathan may change the Indians' plans for Wood this season. They should at least not rush into a deal, says beat writer Paul Hoynes.

• Can Hafner rebound in 2010?: Bud Shaw | Branyan sits again in another win: InsiderGOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Closer Kerry Wood isn't going anywhere. The Indians may be more intent on keeping him today than they were when spring training opened Feb. 20.

Just because the Twins have apparently lost closer Joe Nathan for a significant part of the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, it doesn't mean the Indians are rushing to package Wood and send him to Minneapolis. The opposite is probably a truer line of reasoning.

Nati Harnik / Associated PressJoe Nathan could face season-ending surgery within the next couple of weeks, which would seriously damage the prospects of a Twins organization hoping for a big push in the AL Central in their new ballpark.Nathan has been a big part of the Twins winning three AL Central titles in the last six years. He's converted 91 percent of his saves (246-for-271) since arriving from San Francisco before the 2004 season. The Twins' bullpen has had the lowest ERA in the big leagues at 3.60 during his stay as closer.

Losing him, perhaps for the rest of the season if Tommy John surgery is needed, is the kind of blow that a team, even one built for great things as the Twins have been this year, will have a hard time deflecting.

The Twins have no proven replacement for Nathan. A championship-caliber team without a closer is a team asking to get its heart broken. Losing games late on a consistent basis ruins teams, no matter how good or bad they are.

So at this moment, the race in the AL Central has tightened. The Twins have been weakened, which means the Indians' chances of contending have improved. They're still a long shot. They have to be with question marks Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona and Justin Masterson as their top three starters, but they have drawn closer.

So GM Mark Shapiro would be wise to keep Wood. Let the season's first couple of months unfold to see just what kind of team he has under manager Manny Acta. The Indians play 26 of their first 50 games against division foes. They play the White Sox eight times and the Twins and Tigers six times each. Shapiro, in his last year as general manager, should have a good idea where the Indians stand by then.

The Indians entered spring training with the idea of opening the year with Wood. They owe him $10.5 million, an obscene contract on a team cutting payroll, but the thinking was that if Wood was going to rebound from an inconsistent 2009, why shouldn't it be for the Indians? At least until the All-Star break.

If the Indians are out of contention by then, the work of trading Wood would be easier. When teams inquired about him over the winter, they wanted the Indians to absorb most of his 2010 salary. It didn't make sense then and it still doesn't today.

By the end of July or August, the Indians will have paid Wood at least 50 percent of his contract. That should make him more attractive to a contender and the Indians might be able to get a higher return depending on how badly Wood was needed.

The vesting option on Wood's contract, which guarantees him $11 million for 2011 should he finish 55 games this year, could be troublesome in any deal, but a contender in need of closer beyond 2010 may consider that the price of doing business, especially if Wood is healthy and pitching well.

Should the Indians, by some stroke of good fortune, be in contention in late July or August, the temptation would be strong to keep Wood. It probably wouldn't happen. Over the last two years, ownership has ordered the trades of players with far bigger names and closer ties to Cleveland. Still, who knows what kind of dynamics would be at work in such a situation?

As the Indians found out in 2008, after winning 96 games in 2007, injuries can end a season before it begins. Closer Joe Borowski, catcher Victor Martinez, DH Travis Hafner and Westbrook entered the season injured and broke down. It set in motion a two-year fire sale that staggered this team.

The Twins broke from tradition this winter. They did everything the Indians didn't do to excite their fans because they're moving into a Target Field, a new outdoor ballpark. Ownership, which normally squeezes every penny out of every dollar, pushed the payroll from $65 million to $96 million.

They offered Carl Pavano arbitration and paid him $7 million. Free agents Orlando Hudson ($5 million) and Jim Thome ($1.5 million) were signed. They're still negotiating a multiyear deal with hometown hero and AL MVP, Joe Mauer.

Then the closer goes and gets hurt and everything changes.

As Cleveland Cavaliers wait on Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ return, role players Green, Jackson don’t stress over their status

Both of the Cavaliers' young prospects insist they're not worrying about the return of the team's veteran center after March 22.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerDarnell Jackson hasn't had much opportunity to impress in his second season with the Cavaliers, but insists he's not worried about being dropped from the roster when Zydrunas Ilgauskas returns around March 22. “I’m not worrying about it at all. It’s going to be exciting seeing Z come back.”

• Next game: Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers, Friday, 7 p.m.INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Darnell Jackson and Danny Green are looking forward to the expected return of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, but one might not be here when he gets back.

If the Cavs bring back Ilgauskas on or shortly after March 22, the first date they can negotiate with him, they are going to have to make a roster move. Jackson, a 6-foot-9, 253-pound power forward from Kansas, or Green, a 6-6 210-pound rookie point guard from North Carolina, are the likely candidates to go, because neither has guaranteed money for next season.

They both insist they're not worrying about that right now and are continuing to do whatever it is the team needs.

Scott Shaw / The Plain DealerDanny Green has had brief moments of success during his rookie season, but isn't stressing about his status. "All I can do is control what I do, and I’m going to continue to do that — keep playing, keep getting better, keep proving to these guys that I can play and I belong," he said. "That’s all I can do right now.”"It's not hard at all," said Jackson, who has played in 26 games but is averaging less than a point and a rebound in 4.2 minutes per game. "This is my job. I'm a professional. I have to know when I get on the court, I have to do what I do. I'm a professional athlete. I have to be ready.

"I'm not worrying about it at all. It's going to be exciting seeing Z come back."

Green says nothing has changed. His playing time has been sporadic, not unusual for a rookie playing for coach Mike Brown. He is averaging 2.4 points in playing just 16 games.

"We have a lot of veterans on this team, and they've been here, they've put their time in, they put their work in," Green said. "I'm just trying to fit in. I've learned a lot from these guys, working hard every day, trying to get better every day. That's the goal for me. I feel like I'm doing a decent job adjusting.

"I can't change my approach. A lot of stuff is out of my control. I can't worry about the stuff that I can't control. All I can do is control what I do, and I'm going to continue to do that -- keep playing, keep getting better, keep proving to these guys that I can play and I belong. That's all I can do right now."

Each player had a short and successful stint with the Erie BayHawks, the Cavs' affiliate in the NBA's D-League. Jackson had 34 points and 12 rebounds in his one game; Green averaged 25.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in two games.

The question will be whether the team elects to keeps an extra big man or a spare guard.

Brown, who used both players against the Bucks on Saturday, is pleased with their continued effort and enthusiasm.

"They know that their number could be called at any time, so they just keep themselves ready," the coach said. "I went to Darnell in the Milwaukee game, and it wasn't until the last second that I decided to go to him. I went to Danny in the Milwaukee game, and it wasn't until the last second that I decided to go to him.

"So with the injuries and people out, being in their shoes, they just have to stay ready. They have to stay ready because their number could be called at any time, and both those guys have done a nice job with that."

Light day: Antawn Jamison and LeBron James headlined a group of Cavs who did not practice on Wednesday. Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao and Anthony Parker also did not practice with a variety of injuries. Shaquille O'Neal continues to rehab his right thumb out of town.

While James is expected to play on Friday, Jamison is listed as day-to-day with stiffness in his left knee that forced him out of Monday's game against San Antonio. He said he has a cyst in the knee that fills with fluid periodically. While he's not sure about Friday's game at Philadelphia, he said he would play Sunday when Boston visits.

"It's something that occurred earlier in the season," Jamison said of the cyst. "With proper treatment, it went away. So I don't see this lingering any longer than it has the last couple of days."

He said surgery would not be necessary.

"I know my body," he said. "My mechanics, the way I run, contributed to this. We addressed that. There are certain things I have to do before and after to maintain. I'm not a young buck any more."

Furthermore, Jamison said, having three days off this week aided his recovery.

"It's perfect timing for something like this to happen now," he said. "This organization is looking at the overall picture to make sure guys are healthy when it counts."

Brown has not decided yet who would start if Jamison can't play at Philadephia.

"There's plenty of guys I could go to if Antawn doesn't play," Brown said, mentioning Jackson and Leon Powe. The coach said he'd like to continue to bring Varejao off the bench.

Tribe patient while waiting on Branyan

Because of a herniated disc in his lower back, Russell Branyan has yet to appear in a Cactus League game with the Tribe.