Spring training is less than a month away. In fact, in a little over two weeks, pitchers and catchers will report to the Indians’ new home in Goodyear, AZ. There is no question, the players, manager, and the front office feel the 2009 Tribe can compete and win the Central Division title for the second time in three years. However, there still are questions…
1). The starting rotation. As of today, the rotation is led by ’08 Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona. It would be ridiculous to think Lee can match his 22-3 record of last season, and in fact, if he wins 16-18 games, that would be a very good season. If Carmona is healthy, he can be dominant. He did have problems throwing strikes before he hurt his hip last year, so that is a concern.
Currently, the oft-injured Carl Pavano is in the #3 hole, with righty Anthony Reyes as the 4th starter. The fifth spot is up for grabs with Aaron Laffey the front-runner, but with Jeremy Sowers, Zach Jackson, David Huff, and Scott Lewis in the mix. You can see why there is cause for concern. Manager Eric Wedge and GM Mark Shapiro cannot let one of these guys struggle for two months without making a move, and you can make a scenario where all of them could have problems.
This is definitely the biggest question mark for the 2009 Indians. The sleeper is the bunch is Huff, who throws harder than the rest of the southpaws mentioned, who would all be considered soft tossers. Pavano is the biggest gamble here. Although did make seven starts for the Yankees last season, his ERA was 5.91 in 34-1/3 innings. His best two starts were against Toronto (6 IP, 1 ER) and Baltimore (5 IP, 2 ER), hardly offensive juggernauts. To have him as the third starter is a huge leap of faith.
2). The Infield Defense. I know Mark De Rosa says he prefers the left side of the infield, and I’m sure that Jhonny Peralta would prefer to stay at shortstop. However, you cannot convince me that the Tribe’s best infield defensive alignment would have Asdrubal Cabrera at short, with De Rosa at 2B, and Peralta making the move to 3B.
Cabrera can be one of the better gloves in the American League at SS, and it is mystery as to why the Indians aren’t making the move. Perhaps they are waiting to see Cabrera when he arrives at camp. Last year, he came to Florida overweight and got off to a terrible start at the plate. He was eventually sent back to the minors in mid-season.
This might just be a test for the youngster who was called up late in the ’07 season, and helped the Tribe to a division title. If he is in shape, then Eric Wedge will make the move to improve his infield defense. I am not one of those who feels Peralta is awful defensively at short, but there is no doubt the defense would be better with De Rosa at 2B and Peralta at the hot corner.
3). Leftfield. The Indians have ranked in the top half of the American League for several years now without getting real production from the corner outfield spots. To compensate, the Tribe has had good offensive numbers out of the shortstop position (Peralta), centerfield (Grady Sizemore) and catcher (Victor Martinez and Kelly Shoppach), non-traditional offensive spots.
This year, the Tribe is going to go with Ben Francisco as the regular LF. If David Dellucci in still on the roster, he will get a chance to play against some tough right-handed pitchers. Francisco hit .266 with 15 HR and 54 RBI’s a year ago, but faded badly down the stretch. Is that good enough for a championship contender?
If Travis Hafner returns to a guy who can hit 30 HR and knock in 100 runs, then Francisco is fine. However, Hafner’s comeback goes into the Carl Pavano territory. You really can’t count on it. If Ben Francisco hits like he did through the end of July, the offense will be okay, but if he hits like he did the last two months, it’s a problem.
One thing about Francisco, he should benefit from batting lower in the order. Last year, he was thrust into the #3 spot in the order, while this year he will probably hit in the lower third of the order.
KM
Cleveland Sports Perspective 