With spring training ready to wrap up, in fact, the Indians are on their way to Atlanta for a pair of games with the Braves on their way to Progressive Field, it wasn’t a real newsworthy camp. Cliff Lee won the fifth starter job, although he will probably start the series opener in Oakland, so Eric Wedge can split Lee and C.C. Sabathia in the rotation. And as expected, Andy Marte made the ballclub because he is out of options and cannot be sent back to Buffalo without being exposed to waivers.
Jorge Julio was a non-roster invitee, and claimed the last bullpen spot over Tom Mastny, which was a slight surprise. Aaron Fultz pitched his way off the ballclub with a putrid spring, coupled with a shaky second half of last season, and was replaced by Craig Breslow, picked up off waivers from the Red Sox. Scott Elarton was a surprise out of the bullpen, but will start the year at Buffalo, and depending how he pitches, might be the first call up if someone currently a part of the relief corps falters or is hurt.
One overlooked battle, and one created by Wedge, is who will bat second in the batting order behind Grady Sizemore. Asdrubal Cabrera finished last year hitting in that spot, and was very effective. However, the skipper wants to ease the pressure on the youngster, and guard against a sophomore slump, by putting him at the bottom of the order. Who is best suited to hitting second on the current roster?
Let’s go over the people who should not hit in the spot. One candidate brought up by many is Casey Blake. His supporters will point out that Blake takes a lot of pitches, and has the ability to take the ball to right field. However, his lifetime on-base percentage is right around 33%, not good enough to hit there. He is also prone to slumps and strikes out over 100 times per year. Remember that Blake hit second the early part of last season, and the offense took off after he was dropped in the batting order.
If not Cabrera, I would favor the left field platoon of David Dellucci and Jason Michaels. Yes, yes, this is a problem spot for the team. However, let’s see if Dellucci can recover from an off year in 2007. He has a lifetime OBP against right-handers of .355, and his counterpart, Michaels has a career on base mark of almost .400 against lefties. In addition, since Dellucci is a left-handed hitter, he is a natural to pull the ball through the hole on the right side if Grady Sizemore is on base. It’s worth a try to start the season if the manager decides to protect Cabrera.
That’s the biggest debate for the Cleveland Indians coming out of spring training. Who should bat second? In reality, it’s a solid ballclub, one of the best in the game. They are deep, especially in the pitching department. Think about it, the Buffalo pitching staff will include Jeremy Sowers, Aaron Laffey, Scott Elarton, Tom Mastny, and Adam Miller. There are many major league teams who could use any one of those guys. The Bisons line up will include Josh Barfield, Ben Francisco, Jordan Brown, and probably Trevor Crowe. Don’t concern your self with the impending free agency of C.C. Sabathia, or whether or not the Dolan ownership is frugal. Enjoy a very good summer of baseball, because the Tribe has a chance to end the 60-year drought.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 