Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have been eliminated from the NBA playoffs, there will be more scrutiny on the local baseball team, the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe has been dreadful this season, mired in last place in the AL Central Division, but because they are in that division, their season isn’t over. They sit just 7-1/2 games behind the first place Detroit Tigers.
Since the beginning of the season, the ballclub has made several changes. One that should have been made over the winter was moving Jhonny Peralta to 3B and Asdrubal Cabrera to shortstop. They re-made the bullpen after a shaky start by several relievers, bringing in veterans like Matt Herges, Luis Vizcaino, and Greg Aquino. Herges and Aquino were signed in the off-season by GM Mark Shapiro to provide depth, and that move has paid dividends.
However, if the Indians want to get back in the race, there are several more moves that need to be made.
The starting pitching continues to be a mess. Outside of Cliff Lee and Carl Pavano, none of the starters can be counted on to take the game into the seventh inning. Waiting for Jake Westbrook is not a solution either. Westbrook is coming off arm surgery, and no one knows if he can contribute at all this season. Mark Shapiro needs to turn over every stone to find a serviceable starter.
Jeremy Sowers is not the answer either. He has had too many chances since his initial success in his rookie year for anyone to believe he is the answer. Even last night, he was cruising for five innings, and then just lost his control. I would give the benefit of the doubt, though, to another southpaw, rookie David Huff. He did pitch well in his rain-shortened start last Thursday, and I’m anxious to see him again tonight against the Twins.
There are rumors that the team is shopping Mark DeRosa for major league ready pitching, and with DeRosa now playing leftfield where the Indians have many options, he is indeed expendable, especially since he is a free agent at the end of the year. However, it is difficult to believe another team would deal an established pitcher for DeRosa.
Another problem the Indians need to address is Kelly Shoppach. The catcher is striking out at an alarming rate, and it appears his breakout season of a year ago was indeed an aberration. Shoppach is catching on days when Lee and Pavano pitch, so he is doing a good job in that area, but his offense is a mess. Add to this the fact that the Tribe’s best prospect is C Carlos Santana, currently playing in Akron. If Shapiro can get an established arm for Shoppach, he has to think seriously about making a deal.
If they can’t trade for a starter, they should put right-hander Hector Rondon on the fast track. Rondon pitched very well in spring training, and the Indians need only to look at the first place Tigers to see a young starter who has done well in Rick Porcello. The Indians are afraid of having a young guy emotionally scarred by being brought up too soon, but if this team can get better starting pitching, they can make a move in the standings.
I do not want to hear excuses about the injuries. Sure, Grady Sizemore is on the disabled list, but he hasn’t been close to the player he was last year. His injury may have affected his swing, as his hand comes off the bat on outside pitches, but there are still over 100 games remaining on the schedule, so you have to keep playing. Also, the Indians are scoring enough runs even with Sizemore being a below average hitter because of the elbow.
The Indians can still turn this season around, but it will take some bold moves by a front office that has been loathe to make such moves to get it done. There are some tradable pieces here, but will Mark Shapiro pull the trigger to improve the starting rotation?
KM
Cleveland Sports Perspective 