He told me that at the end of last year. I guess it was supposed to make me feel better.

[Sizemore (he's making $318,000 this year) and Lee ($345,000) come cheap, too. Those numbers are as important to Shapiro as batting averages and ERAs. The Colon trade -- he is making $10 million this season -- was Shapiro's way of announcing the Indian's new business model: Expensive free agents were out, hunting for prospects and bargains was in. It's a little easier to sell that small-market approach when trades work out as well as that one did.] The Colon trade was the start of everything, ... It started the change.

Last year I had to prove a lot, and I feel like I was able to do that. Having this deal shows the organization has a lot of confidence in me. I appreciate that.

Nolan told me that it was not going to feel good this year, ... That's the problem. You don't know how your arm is going to feel one day to the next. Every time I go out there, it's a battle. Some days it feels better than others. And I've put a lot on it this year.

I feel like I'm supposed to be here.

Last year, things were a little different than they are now, ... I guess if you're going to look for reasons, look for excuses, I guess you could say those.