FanHouse Jason Knapp

When the Cleveland Indians received Jason Knapp from the Philadelphia Phillies as part of the Cliff Lee trade they knew that Knapp was on the minor league disabled list at the time. Still, after going over his medical records with the Phillies, Cleveland wasn't concerned about Knapp's biceps tendinitis. Then they had their own doctors take a look at Knapp a few weeks ago.

What they found were some "loose bodies" in Knapp's throwing shoulder. "Loose bodies" that were already in Knapp's arm when the Indians acquired him from the Phillis, and will now require him to undergo surgery on the shoulder.

When the Cleveland Indians traded Cliff Lee to the Philadelphia Phillies before the deadline it was a tough pill for Indians fans to swallow. For the second straight season a team that was supposed to contend for a division title traded the ace of their rotation. The Tribe got four players in return for Lee from Philadelphia, but the key to the deal was 18-year old right-hander Jason Knapp.

Had Knapp not been included in the package, Lee would still be in Cleveland. Well, if Indians fans thought the trades of Lee and CC Sabathia were hard to accept, then they're definitely not going to be happy with the latest news. Knapp has a shoulder problem and will be undergoing an MRI.

Being a Cleveland Indians fan can't be the easiest thing right now. As if the fact that the Tribe are scuffling their way through another long season at 42-60 isn't enough, a familiar feeling crept into the collective psyche of Indians fans everywhere on Wednesday afternoon.

The Indians sent Cliff Lee to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Ben Francisco for four prospects -- pitcher Jason Knapp, pitcher Carlos Carrasco, catcher Lou Marson and shortstop Jason Donald. It's a trade that sounds the death knell for the Indians in 2009, and most likely in 2010 as well. Worse yet, it is nothing new for Indians fans, who just last summer saw the team send its ace CC Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers for four young prospects.

What's an Indians fan to think of all this? How are they supposed to see the light at the end of the tunnel? If there is one, it's hard to see.

No National League team has gone to back-to-back World Series since the 1995-96 Braves.

Until now.

OK, the Phillies could miss out on a second straight pennant. They could cough up a seven-game lead on the NL East. They could lose in a short playoff series.

But with the addition of Cliff Lee on Wednesday, they are more than the defending NL champions in name. Even though the Dodgers have a better record, Los Angeles will need to knock Philadelphia off of its perch.