Last night, the Cleveland Indians drove a nail into the Minnesota Twins’ coffin with Victor Martinez’ three run home run off of Joe Nathan in the 11th inning, giving the Tribe a come from ahead and then from behind 12-9 win at Progressive Field. It was the Tribe catcher’s 2nd dinger since his return from the disabled list at the end of August, and reiterated how much the Indians miss a healthy Martinez in the lineup.
Last week, we looked at pitchers who have sewn up a spot on the 2009 roster and today; we will look at the everyday players. One can safely say that Grady Sizemore will be the starting CF on Opening Day 2009, and that might be the only position that is set in stone. However, there are several players who will be in the lineup, but no one is sure where they will play. These players would be Victor Martinez, Jhonny Peralta, Asdrubal Cabrera, Shin-Soo Choo, and if healthy, Travis Hafner. What position they will play is still up in the air.
It is no secret that GM Mark Shapiro would like to get an infielder, focusing on a 2B or 3B. If the player plays the keystone spot, then Peralta will move to 3B with Cabrera going to SS. If Shapiro gets a third baseman, then things get murky. There is no question that Cabrera is the Tribe’s best defensive SS, but there has been no mention of Peralta being moved to 2B. That is the move I would make. Peralta may have below average range at SS, but he should be fine at second. The only question would be making the pivot on the double play, especially with your back to the base runner.
As for the outfield, Sizemore and Choo have two of the spot covered, which leaves a gaping hole in one of the corner spots. Franklin Gutierrez is intriguing as a fourth outfielder that can hit lefties (.300/.345/.500 over the last three years). As for Ben Francisco, is it me or the more I see him, the less I think he is a potential starter in the future? That means this team needs an everyday corner outfielder. That guy could be Matt LaPorta midway through the season, but there is no way he will break camp with the big club. And I think everyone would agree that David Dellucci is not an option either.
I will reiterate my position on Kelly Shoppach, who has had a marvelous second half. He is the most tradable commodity the team has, and I would bet against him having this type of season in ’09. It is time to maximize his value. Victor Martinez is a solid catcher, but the team needs to get a solid backup for next year.
Ryan Garko has suffered through a terrible 2008 season, but based on his track record, I would try to keep him on the roster, although I would look for a player to challenge him for the job. And simply put, the biggest key for the Tribe offensively is to get Hafner back to the type of player he was from 2004-06. In fact, even a decrease in production to 25 HR, 100 RBI’s would be acceptable.
That leaves the ballclub with a hole in the outfield, either 2B or 3B, and perhaps 1B, which is almost half of the lineup. My candidate to fill the hole at the hot corner is Adrian Beltre of the Mariners, who is on the last year of his contract, and Seattle is looking to dump payroll. Away from Safeco Field, Beltre is a .273/.320/.479 hitter the last three years. What’s even better is he is not a windmill at the plate, striking out about 100 times per year in over 500 at bats. He’s also a good defender.
In the outfield, I would be persuaded to get a stopgap guy knowing LaPorta is on the horizon. However, I don’t want a guy like Pat Burrell who fans 150 times per year. If you could get a younger guy who can play everyday, remember that LaPorta’s natural position is 1B. Again, I would be looking for a “professional” hitter who hits around .290 with 20 HR per year power. Shoppach could be the bait to get that type of player.
Here are the players I don’t think will be in the organization when camp opens in Arizona in February: Andy Marte, Josh Barfield, Francisco, and David Dellucci. Garko could be added to that group if he is needed as a throw-in in a bigger deal. Jamey Carroll would be welcomed back as a utility man because he plays solid defense, and does the fundamental things at the plate.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 