Today is another opening day as the Double A Akron Aeros are supposed to kick off its season against the Bowie Baysox 7:05 p.m. tonight at Canal Park.

Ohio.com Aeros beat reporter Stephanie Storm is getting the season started by talking to the Indian’s most-heralded prospect, Carlos Santana.

The switch-hitting catcher draws comparisons to Victor Martinez for his offensive abilities.

Scroll down to the previous post to get a full series preview.

The Plain Dealer also took a minute to look at the Indian’s minor league systems and how they have centralized them in Ohio. Single A Kinston (North Carolina) and the Indian’s spring training complex in Arizona are the only two minor league clubs not in Ohio.

The Indians will be looking to bounce back from their dreadful debut Monday tonight. Although Terry Pluto writes that the shot Cliff Lee took off the elbow had more to do with the bad outing then anything.

Paul Hoynes wrote Lee did have some bright spots. Hoynes also notes that five of the last seven World Series champions lost its openers.

The Star-Telegram in Texas wrote that tonight’s starting pitcher Vincente Padilla was the Ranger’s best pitcher last year is now in a contract season.

The Rangers also got a smooth start from rookie shortstop Elvis Andrus and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The two heralded prospects were traded to the Rangers from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Mark Texiera two seasons ago.

The Rest…

Anthony Castrovince wrote about Travis Hafner’s journey the past few seasons.

The Classic Indian’s movie “Major League” is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It doesn’t mention it in the story, but the Indians will have Rick Vaughn bobble head night on June 15th.

The start of the season is finally here as the Indians are set to face the Texas Rangers at 2:05 today at the Ball Park at Arlington. More on that though in a later post.

Not too much information to “roundup” this morning. It appears as though the beat writers are recharging their batteries for a 162-game stretch here.

Sheldon Ocker did offer an intriguing piece on releiver Jensen Lewis today.

Lewis, who finished the season strong last year at the back of the bullpen, moves back into a setup role for new closer Kerry Wood.

Manager Eric Wedge is going to have his work cut out for him this season with all the versatility on the team, Paul Hoynes wrote.

Wedge, who usually tinkers with his lineup a lot anyways, has even more options with this team.

Hoynes also broke down this year’s salary figures. The Indians bumped the salary up to $80.52 million this season. Travis Hafner is the most expensive piece at $11.5 million this season.

Other news

The season kicked off last night when the Braves beat the reigning world champion Phillies 4-1 in Philadelphia. Phillies starter Brett Meyers made as if he was Clay Counsil last night as he gave up three home runs in the first three innings.

Brian McCann hit an absolute bomb. Jeff Francoeur found the left field seats and rookie Jordan Schafer, who has a game style comparable to Grady Sizemore, sent a ball to straight away center for his first major league hit.

New Braves ace Derek Lowe took care of the rest as he cruised through eight innings, allowing just two hits and getting 13 ground outs.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Rich Exner and Bill Lubinger used their computer-assisted reporting skills to dig into the economic slate of Major League baseball today.

Does maximum cash equate to winning?

It’s an interesting report, but flawed in many areas and just not broad enough overall.

It is obvious from the onset Exner and Lubinger may be examining a sport they know little about:

But while reviving the call for a cap on major-league salaries that many owners believe would give teams equal footing, Red Sox President Larry Lucchino reminded the media, “An old adage says [there's] three things money can’t buy — love, happiness and the American League pennant.”

But a Plain Dealer comparison of payrolls and team performance over the last 13 seasons (1996-2008) suggests that, yes, Larry, you can buy your way into the postseason.

Making the postseason and winning an American League pennant are two different things guys.

Obviously there is going to be a direct correlation with spending money and making the playoffs. Baseball has always been an uneven playing field.

The reporters offered these bullet points in their story:

• Nearly 80 percent of the 104 playoff teams since 1996 ranked among the top half in payrolls.
• Eight of the 13 World Series titles were won by teams ranked among the top 10 payrolls.
• Last season, the three teams with the highest payrolls — the Yankees, Detroit and New York Mets — sat out the playoffs. But other high payroll teams dominated: No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 all reached the postseason.

The top half in payrolls is a broad spectrum. There is a huge difference between the 2008 Yankees who had a payroll of $209,081,579 and the No. 15 team, the Milwaukee Brewers, who had a payroll of $81,004,167. The Indians came in at No. 16 with a payroll of $78,970,067.

The Brewers were the only playoff team of that group.

The Top 10 payrolls are also interesting. The No. 10 team last year, the Atlanta Braves, had a payroll that was half of the Yankees at $102,424,018. Heck the No. 2 team, the Detroit Tigers were far behind the Yankees at $138,685,197.

While a team may be in the top 10 or 15 of payrolls, it doesn’t mean they are throwing around a lot of cash. There is just such a huge difference after you get past the Yankees.
Click here to check out everyone’s payroll from last season

But what the report really ignores is how Major League baseball is beginning to close the economic gap through revenue sharing.

In 2001 the revenue sharing system circulated $169 million dollars throughout all of Major League Baseball, according to Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci in his new book, the Yankee Years. By 2008 the figure jumped to $408 million dollars.

This has allowed teams like the Tampa Bay Rays the ability to sign some of their premiere young players, Like Evan Longoria, to long term deals.

Now that small market teams can afford to buy out their star player’s arbitration years (six years), players are not hitting the free agent market till they are about 30 years old. Making there attractiveness to possible buyers less then they would be if they were hitting the market at 25, reaching their peak years.

This leaves the free-wheeling Yankees, who like to purge free agency, with choices that are getting closer to the downside of their career.

While there is always going to be a disparity between the top payrolls and the lower payrolls, teams are starting to catch up just by being economically efficient as well.

Which, Exner and Lubinger tried to cover in their second story:

Only Oakland, Minnesota, Atlanta, Houston and St. Louis graded out better (than the Indians) in analyzing the combination of win totals and opening day payrolls over the 13 full seasons since the 1994-95 work stoppage.

Not suprisingly, the Oakland A’s — with their dollar-stretching ways made famous by the 2003 book Moneyball — got more for their money than any other team in baseball.

Former Indians farmhand Max Ramirez is excelling in the Texas Rangers organization. The catcher is the No. 8 prospect in the Rangers organization, according to Baseball America.

Ramirez just won Rookie of the Year in the Venezuelan Winter League on Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

The Indians acquired Ramirez from the Atlanta Braves in 2006 for relief pitcher Bob Wickman. Cleveland then traded Ramirez to the Rangers in 2007 for Kenny Lofton.

Despite losing Ramirez, The Indians have a highly touted catching prospect of their own in Carlos Santana, a switching catcher acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Casey Blake deal last season.

Santana is the Indians top-rated prospect according to Baseball America.

Texas Rangers short stop Michael Young was recently asked to move from his position of shortstop to third base in order to make room for super prospect Elvis Andrus, who was acquired from the Atlanta Braves in the Mark Texiera trade.

How did Young respond? By asking for a trade, reports MLB.com.

Young has been an all-star every year since moving to shortstop in (2004) and even won a Gold Glove in 2008.

So, what does the trade market look like for a Gold glove winner who is a career .300 hitter with a career OPS of .788? Not very good.

ESPN’s Buster Olney says that Young is nearly untradeable. He cites his age (32), declining ability and, most importantly, his high salary ($16 million per for the next five years).

Olney’s co-worker, Rob Neyer, calls the entire situation foolish.

According to Mike Hindman, of the Dallas Morning News, young’s numbers have been in decline for the past three seasons and his best day are behind him. Hindman also references Bill James range rating system and John Dewan’s fielding bible to say that, despite winning the Gold Glove, young is in the bottom tier of fielding shortstops.

Rangers General manager Jon Daniels expects Young to be with the team this season, according to MLB.com. The story also does a nice job of breaking down his trade market.

The Boston Globe’s Red Sox blog, Extra Bases, has an update on the signing of former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli and future Hall of Famer John Smoltz.

Baldelli officially has joined the Red Sox on a one year contract.

Smoltz is finalizing a one year, five million dollar deal with the team, which also could offer five million in incentives.

Anyone else think it will be weird seeing Smoltz in anything but a Braves uniform? I guess he did start with the Detroit Tigers though after all.