The Cleveland Indians of 2007 likely fell one game short of a World Championship. With all due respect to the Colorado Rockies, the winner of the American League Championship Series was going to win the title. So, going to the seventh game against Boston means the Tribe was this close to ending their title drought, which has now been stretched to 60 years since the 1948 World Champs. With the disappointment almost two weeks removed, it’s time to start looking at what this team needs to do to get better next season.
Remember the Indians were one of the youngest teams to make the post-season since divisional play started in 1969. It is very likely that much of the improvement needed will come from young players still developing their talent. Guys like Ryan Garko, Franklin Gutierrez, Grady Sizemore, and Jhonny Peralta should still be on an upswing in terms of their careers, while Victor Martinez is in his prime. I would think Travis Hafner would have a better year in ’08, although he will probably never approach his 2005-06 seasons. But, I think a .280, 35 HR, 110 RBI is very possible.
The biggest need continues to be a professional hitter, one that is not prone to strikeouts. The Indians ranked 2nd in the AL in whiffing this season, and these strikeouts are a reason for the streakiness of the offense. Sizemore, in particular, fans way too much. Derek Shelton needs to work with the centerfielder on making better contact, and also using the entire field more often. Imagine what a force Sizemore would be if he cut down his strikeouts by 50, and raised his average to the .290-.300 range. His on base percentage is already very good for a lead off hitter, but he could raise his RBI total by taking the ball the other way more often and by making more contact.
There is a young, professional hitter who can be had in a trade, the Marlins’ Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera will be 25 years old in April, and has already hit 138 home runs in his career with a .313 lifetime batting average. He has knocked in at least 112 runs in each of the last four seasons. He is comparable to a young Manny Ramirez. He plays 3B, and had a weight problem last season, but the dude can flat out hit. Since the Indians have a little better organization than the Marlins (where the inmates run the asylum), my guess is the Tribe can help him stay in shape. He also cannot be a free agent until after the 2009 season. Adding Cabrera would improve the attack greatly, and it is said Florida is looking for three good prospects in exchange. This is where the Tribe’s bountiful farm system comes in. Think about a package which would include an Adam Miller, Andy Marte, and Gutierrez or Ben Francisco, the Indians have the ingredients to make such a deal work.
On the pitching side, I’m concerned about the workload carried by C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, and how it will affect their performance next season. Sometimes, the extra innings pitched by the two 19 game winners have a cumulative effect. However, if Miller isn’t traded, the Indians still have eight pitchers competing for five starting rotation spots. The eight would include Cliff Lee, who needs to bounce back from a poor 2007 season, Paul Byrd, who has a club option, which the Indians would like pick up, and Aaron Laffey, who did a good job down the stretch this season, and Jeremy Sowers. It doesn’t count prospects Chuck Lofgren and
Scott Lewis.
Mark Shapiro will continue to look at options for the bullpen, since he regards (and I agree) this is the most volatile part of any team from year to year. You can’t count on Rafael Betancourt to have the same type of year next year, and who knows what Joe Borowski will give the ballclub. Look for the Tribe to look at more low cost, possible high reward options for the relief corps. Otherwise, the foundation of the bullpen will be Borowski, Betancourt, Rafael Perez, and Jensen Lewis. I’m sure there will be an addition in this area.
Overall, there is no reason this team cannot compete for another division title. The young nucleus is there. There is depth in the farm system. Injuries are always a factor, but the Tribe has done a good job over the years in keeping its pitching arms in good shape. Getting a big bat like Cabrera could be the determining factor as to whether the Cleveland Indians will stay among the American League’s elite teams. If they don’t swing such a deal, they will still be contenders to make the post season again. The Tribe and the Red Sox are probably the only AL teams who could stand pat and still contend.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 
i would just absolutely love to see the tribe pick up miguel cabrera. although i would hate to see them give up atom miller, an offensive 3rd baseman who’s not too bad with the glove either could be just what the doctor ordered for the tribe. he’d certainly be a significant upgrade over casey blake who i would still keep with the team to be a "super-platoon guy" to back-up cabrera then as well as garko at first base and both corner outfield positions. speaking of the corner outfield spots, guiterrez has earned the right to be the full-time right-fielder and as such, he needs to play there every day. as for left field, i still wouldn’t mind seeing them continue the dellucci-michaels platoon for the time being, but if they’re struggling at the trading deadline, they can always go out and get somebody like they got lofton this year. yes, i would also like to see them fortify their bullpen. if only they could get chad cordero from washington or akinori otsuka from texas, either one of them would be a significant upgrade. as for the starting rotation, do we honestly think that paul byrd will put up similar numbers next year like he did this year??? not hardly. i say pass on "the cheater" and go with one of the kids instead. hopefully sowers or lee will rebound from their poor seasons this year and laffey will continue his upward progression. we can only hope.
The reason I would consider dealing Miller is his inability to stay healthy. He has missed significant time in two of the last three years. I also agree on Byrd. His career is up and down so what do you think you are going to get after this year.