By CHRIS ASSENHEIMER

Staff Writer

CLEVELAND — Like many of their fans, the Indians have seen enough of Joe Borowski. The beleaguered closer was designated for assignment Friday, most likely ending his tenure in Cleveland, which began last season, when the right-hander led the American League with 45 saves, but owned a bulky 5.07 ERA. Borowski, 37, was never even able to return to that form this year, going 1-3 with a 7.56 ERA in 18 appearances and blowing his fourth save in 10 opportunities Wednesday night in a sweep-clinching victory for Central Division leader Chicago. He was plagued by a biceps injury that first surfaced in spring training and led to a loss in velocity and a one-month stay on the disabled list. “It was performance dictated,” said Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro. “He is a guy that is a phenomenal teammate, a guy that we all have great respect for and care about deeply, and a guy that was a huge part of a very special season last year. We tried to give him every opportunity possible.” Cleveland is expected to handle its save situations with a committee of right-handers Masa Kobayashi and Rafael Betancourt and lefty Rafael Perez, with Kobayashi figuring to receive the bulk of the closing opportunities. The Indians also designated reliever Rick Bauer for assignment, promoting right-handers Jensen Lewis and Brian Slocum from Triple-A Buffalo to fill the vacant roster spots in the club’s struggling bullpen – a strength in 2007. Bauer a free-agent acquisition in the offseason, appeared in four games for Cleveland, posting a 13.50 ERA. Lewis, a key member of the relief corps in the second half of last season, was in a late-inning role to start the year, but struggled and was demoted to Buffalo after posting an 0-2 record and 3.82 ERA in 21 games. He went 1-2 with a 3.60 in 11 appearances for the Bisons. Slocum, a career starter, has flourished since converting to a relief role at Buffalo – one earned run in seven games. The Indians exercised a $4 million option on Borowski for this season, immediately regretting it when he pitched miserably to start the year and was placed on the injured list with a strained right biceps. He returned to reclaim his closer job, but the poor performances continued. “It’s a guy whose success was in part due to his toughness, his competitiveness and not so much his prototypical closer stuff,” Shapiro said. “Once he had the injury in spring training, I’m not sure he ever got back to where he was last year. He was already pitching with a fine line.” Borowski’s dismissal is the latest in a negative line of news that has engulfed the Indians, the defending division champs who fell a win shy of reaching the World Series, for the majority of the year. Cleveland currently sits in last place in the AL Central Division, 12 games under .500.

The dubious position has forced the front office to consider a wealth of trades, including one for ace C.C. Sabathia, who becomes a free agent at the end of the season. Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, the New York Yankees, Boston, the Chicago Cubs and Phillies are some of the clubs reportedly interested in acquiring Sabathia’s services. Shapiro declined to say whether the team was attempting to re-sign the defending AL Cy Young Award winner, who rejected a $72 million, four-year contract extension from the team this spring, but did say he has talked to other teams about possible trades. “We’ve been active for a long period of time, and the calls are coming both ways,” he said.  

o o o NOTEWORTHY: The Indians signed RHP Preston Larrison to a minor league contract. He will report to Buffalo over the next few days. Larrison has spent his entire professional career in the Tigers’ organization after being selected in the second round of 2001 draft. He spent all of this season at Triple-A Toledo, where he went 2-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 29 games, recently exercising a free agent opt-out clause in his contact. He owns an eight-year minor league record of 34-44 with a 3.75 ERA.

Assenheimer may be reached at cassenheimer@chroniclet.com or 440-329-7137.