The Cavaliers ran their winning streak to 13 games, a club record, by knocking off the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic, 115-106, last night at The "Q".  The wine and gold continue to have the league’s best record at 43-11, and lead the conference standings by eight games. 

 

The may not lose eight contests the rest of the season, so last night’s victory could have clinched home court advantage within the East for the Cavs. 

 

However, since we live in Cleveland, and we need something to worry about, there still is concern about the Cavaliers underachieving in the playoffs.  Some of the angst is directed at Mo Williams, who didn’t play well in the post-season last season.  It was Williams first foray deep into the playoffs, and he should be better prepared the second time around.

 

The other concern is directed at Mike Brown, who had problems making adjustments against the Magic last season.  This too is probably an unfounded concern, since until that series against Orlando, Brown has proven to be a pretty good playoff coach.

 

In Brown’s first year (2005-06), the Cavs won 50 games, finishing second in the Central Division to the Detroit Pistons, who won 64 games that season.  The two teams met in the conference semi-finals, where despite winning 14 less games during the regular season, the wine and gold forced the Pistons to seven games.  Most people felt the Cavs gave the Pistons a tougher series than expected.

 

The next season, Brown guided Cleveland to another 50 win season, had the second best record in the East to Detroit, who won 53 games, and then upset the Pistons in the conference finals behind LeBron James’ virtuoso performance in Game 5, and Boobie Gibson’s shooting in the deciding Game 6.  The Cavs were swept by the Spurs in The Finals, but most observers agreed the wine and gold’s appearance in the championship round was an upset.

 

Remember that team started Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic, and Drew Gooden.  That’s a good coaching job.

 

In 2007-08, Brown took a team that finished with the fourth best record in the conference into a seventh game in the Eastern semi-finals against the Boston Celtics who won 21 more games than the Cavs.  Granted, Chicago did that last season, but the ’07-’08 Celtics emerged as World Champions after beating the Pistons in the conference finals, and then the Lakers for the NBA Championship.

 

In all three of those seasons, the Cavs did better in the playoffs than they were expected to going into the post-season.  Mike Brown has to get some credit for that.

 

Based on these results, last year seems to be the aberration.  And perhaps the biggest factor for the loss to the Magic was the long layoff following the four game sweep of the Atlanta Hawks.  The Cavs were rusty in the first game against Orlando, and perhaps that win in Game 1 gave Stan Van Gundy’s crew the confidence it needed to beat Cleveland.  That and the fact the Cavaliers not got back the momentum it had coming out of the Atlanta series.

 

This is not to say Brown coached his best in that series.  He was slow to make adjustments, especially the decision to have James guard Rafer Alston so he could roam to help others on defense.  Perhaps Brown was unaccustomed to being the favorite this late in the playoffs, but he should be given the benefit of the doubt based on his past success.

 

You can criticize Brown’s offensive theories and substitution patterns, but you cannot deny his success.  Since the beginning of last season, his team has a record of 109-27.  That’s collegiate type of success, not something that occurs in the NBA. 

 

You also cannot deny that he has had success in the post-season, although he has often had the less talented team in a series.  You have to give him credit for taking the 2006-07 Cavs to the NBA Finals when they probably had no business being there. 

 

If the coaching of Mike Brown is your biggest concern about the wine and gold’s championship possibilities, then you shouldn’t worry at all.

 

JK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The clock is counting down on the beginning of spring training.  The equipment truck has left for Goodyear, Arizona, no doubt taking as many downhill routes as possible in an effort to save fuel. 

 

Sadly, no one is looking forward to the crack of the bats and thumping of catchers’ mitt.  The anticipation for this baseball season is very low.

 

Part of it is the fault of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are pursuing the first major sports championship for this city since 1964, and has the best player on the planet on its roster in LeBron James. 

 

The other part of the equation is the lack of any move by the ownership and front office to make the 2010 Indians any better.  In a division in which there is no dominant team, GM Mark Shapiro, probably under the restraints of the Dolan family, has decided to take a course of signing low cost minor league free agents and other players trying to rehabilitate their careers.

 

The latest signing in this category was veteran right-hander Jamey Wright, who chief accomplishment in his career is durability.  It certainly isn’t effective pitching. 

 

Wright, 35, has been in the major leagues since 1996, a total of 14 seasons in the bigs.  His lifetime record is 82-115 with an ERA of 5.03.  He also carries the ghastly strikeout to walk ratio of 940:843 in 1702 innings. 

 

Well there you go, our pitching problems are solved. 

 

Wright is in on a minor league contract, and is likely a better candidate for the Columbus Clippers bullpen than the one in Progressive Field, but isn’t his presence in camp keeping the team from looking at younger arms?

 

He had a decent season for the Royals last season, going 3-5 with a 4.33 ERA in 65 games.  That ranks as one of the better seasons in a pretty mediocre stay in the majors.  In his 14 seasons, he has had an ERA under 4.00 for a campaign exactly once, in 2007 with Texas.

 

And that was a season in which he walked more (41) than he struck out (39) in 77 innings. 

 

Why even bring him into camp? 

 

One of the story lines of this spring is how the young pitchers perform, and if they do well, will the Tribe bring them north to start the season.  For example, let’s say Hector Rondon is very impressive in Arizona.  If he is, he should open the season in the majors.  In the past, the Indians have sent a guy like him back to AAA for more experience.

 

Who knows?  Perhaps Rondon can become this year’s Rick Porcello?

 

This organization is too worried about these guys failing instead of looking at what might happen if they succeed.   Granted, it’s a fine line, but not everybody is fragile mentally.  And if a Rondon can help the club in 2010, he should be here right from the get go.

 

The guess here is that the normal Indian thought process will be in play, and they will take the conservative route.  The wild card is new manager Manny Acta, however.  Acta may take the approach of wanting to win any game he is managing, and being less concerned with the developmental process.  That is to say, if a player needs to be developed, he should be in the minors, but if he can help us win, he should be on the major league club.

 

However, the ownership of the Indians is probably more concerned about how they didn’t think of the idea of taking water fountains out of Progressive Field.  Once again, the Dolan family is behind Dan Gilbert.

 

KM

 

 

The NBA trading deadline is coming soon.  The Cleveland Cavaliers right now have the association’s best record at 41-11, have beat the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers twice, and are currently on an 11 game winning streak, with a game against the lowly New Jersey Nets tonight.

 

Is there any reason for GM Danny Ferry to make a deal?  If it’s the right one, of course he should.

 

The biggest question is, what would be the right trade?

 

Most of the speculation involves getting Wizards’ forward Antawn Jamison in exchange for Zydrunas Ilgauskas.  While Jamison should top any wish list because he is a veteran who averages 20 points and 9 rebounds per game, and he hasn’t shown to be a problem for any team he has played for.

 

Giving up Ilgauskas is the sticking point, and not because Z has been a career long Cavalier, and is the team’s all time leader in games played. 

 

Many assume whatever team receives the big man in a trade will renounce his rights, making him a free agent so he can re-sign with the Cavs.  There is no guarantee that will be the case, and if it doesn’t happen, the wine and gold is one big man short. 

 

Much of the success the Cavs have had against the Lakers specifically, and the league in general is their presence defensively in the paint.  Suddenly, Cleveland is a very big team, especially with two seven footers manning the middle in Shaquille O’Neal and Ilgauskas roaming the paint and clogging the middle. 

 

Last year, the Cavs had a problem handling the Lakers size with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum.  This year, not so much.  They also couldn’t handle Orlando’s Dwight Howard in the playoffs, and this season (although it has only been one game), Howard got in foul trouble trying to handle O’Neal in the post.

 

Losing Ilgauskas forces Anderson Varajao to be the primary back up center.  Varajao fills that role very well in small segments as well as when Mike Brown wants to go to a small lineup with LeBron James playing power forward.  But “The Wild Thing” isn’t as effective when he’s banging against bigger bodies for an extended period of time.

 

So adding a Jamison at the expense of Ilgauskas helps the Cavs offensively, but hurts the team defensively.  The head coach emphasizes defense at all costs.  What do you think Danny Ferry will do? 

 

Perhaps if he can get another big man somehow before the trading deadline, then Ferry might deal Ilgauskas, but if he can’t replace him, dealing Z would be too big of a risk to the Cavs’ title hopes.  It says here the team with the best record in the NBA will stand pat.

 

Remember that basketball is the ultimate team game.  The pieces of the puzzle have to fit together.  Right now, they do and adding an all-star type player may do more damage than good.  Ferry and Brown understand that, and most definitely will take that into consideration. 

 

Forget about sentimentality when it comes to Zydrunas Ilgauskas.  Yes, it would be a shame if he missed out on an NBA title in Cleveland after all these years, but the real reason not to deal him is it takes away a big man that the wine and gold can’t afford to lose.  The combination of Shaq and Z still gives the Cavs very good play in the middle. 

 

Unless you can replace Ilgauskas with another big man (read 7-footer), the Cavs are better off with him.

 

JK

 

The Cleveland Indians made their first appearance in the hot stove season this past week when they were involved in the Orlando Hudson sweepstakes.  Hudson wound up inking a one-year deal worth an estimated $5 million with Minnesota, but it was rumored that the Tribe offered a two-year deal worth an estimated $10 million. 

 

The question here is why were the Indians interested?

 

First of all, the Tribe’s bigger need is starting pitching.  If they are willing to spend that kind of money on a one or two year deal, why not offer it to southpaw Jarrod Washburn, a proven starter. 

 

Next, the Indians seem to have a good young player at 2B in Luis Valbuena, who is just 24 years old.  Certainly his development would be retarded by the signing of Hudson. 

 

The Indians will tell you that Valbuena struggles against lefties, but last year he had just 39 at bats against southpaws, hardly a representative sample to indicate he can’t handle them.  By the way, he hit two home runs in those 39 at bats.  Overall, Valbuena batted .250 for the season with 10 HR’s in 398 at bats.  Yes, he needs to cut down on strikeouts and improve his walk rate, but those things could improve with experience.  Plus, he was an extra base hit machine with 25 doubles and three triples in those 398 at bats.

 

Perhaps GM Mark Shapiro was thinking of moving Valbuena to third base in a platoon with Andy Marte, and thinking of dealing Jhonny Peralta?  Because there is no reason not to give Valbuena at least a share of a starting job in the infield. 

 

Once again, it says here the Indians biggest need is starting pitching, not position players. 

 

With Grady Sizemore healthy and likely to return to his old form, Shin Soo Choo in RF, perhaps the second best SS in the AL in Asdrubal Cabrera, and even Peralta, the Indians should be able to score runs.  The problem is stopping the other team from doing the same. 

 

The Tribe will tell you that Hudson helps their defense, which in turn will help the pitching staff.  Hudson is a plus defender, but probably has lost a little from where he was a couple of years ago. 

 

If the Tribe was going to spend some money, this is not the area they should spend.  Spend it on getting a reliable starting pitcher, someone who would ease the wishing and hoping that Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona will come back and be solid starters. 

 

That’s why it’s a curious move.

 

MW

 

 

 

The NFL Draft is over two months away, yet there are all sorts of mock drafts for fans to peruse.  Of course, the draft is the Cleveland Browns’ fan’s Super Bowl, as it is holds the promise of future success for the team.  It’s the one day they can look forward to how their team can become a winner.

 

There is no telling whom the team will draft because the Browns have needs at virtually every position except left tackle.  Most current mock drafts have them drafting Florida CB Joe Haden, which wouldn’t be a bad pick considering the state of the secondary.

 

Really though, any pick would help this football team.  Any pick except for a quarterback.

 

This is not to say the brown and orange don’t need a new signal caller, based on last year’s performance they most certainly do.  However, there doesn’t seem to be anyone available at the 7^th pick who could step right in and play a major role for the 2010 Browns.

 

Sam Bradford?  Injury problems.

 

Colt McCoy?  Questions about arm strength.

 

Tim Tebow?  Check out the Senior Bowl.

 

At this point, Mike Holmgren cannot take someone in the first round that will not contribute to the success of this football team immediately.  As previously stated, there are too many holes in other areas to fill for the Holmgren and new GM Tom Heckert to take a quarterback.

 

That’s not to say the Browns will not draft a quarterback sometime during the draft.  When Ron Wolf was running the Green Bay Packers, with Holmgren as the coach, he always drafted at least one QB per year.  It led to the Packers having Mark Brunell, Aaron Brooks, and Matt Hasselbeck as part of the organization. 

 

It’s likely Holmgren will take a quarterback later in the draft to groom as a possible starter down the road.

 

If you examine the young quarterbacks who have come into the NFL in recent years and been successful right away, such as Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, Baltimore’s Joe Flacco, and the Jets’ Mark Sanchez, they were all put in situations where the surrounding cast was pretty good to begin with, and the quarterback was the last piece of the puzzle.

 

Therefore, those guys weren’t expected to come in and carry a team right away.  And despite Cleveland’s success late in the season without decent quarterback play, that wouldn’t be the case here. 

 

If Holmgren and the coaching staff do not think either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson is the answer, and my guess is they don’t, they need to bring in an established veteran to take the controls, and then find a young passer in the draft, perhaps as early as next year’s draft. 

 

There is a trust in Holmgren and Heckert, and it says here they will make the right decision and concentrate on the other needs of this football team.  Drafting a quarterback can wait at least one more season, or until this team is ready to take the next step into a playoff contender.

 

JD

 

All season long, we have been talking about the depth of the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The deepness of the wine and gold roster has never been more evident than in the team’s current eight game winning streak, much of which has occurred without primary ball handlers Mo Williams and Delonte West.

 

In fact, the Cavs have won five straight with Daniel Gibson as the starter, and using LeBron James more and more to initiate the offense.  Gibson was getting very little time over the previous four weeks, with Jawad Williams getting more minutes after Jamario Moon went out with a pulled abdominal muscle. 

 

Basically, Mike Brown was in a situation where he had to give a player who wasn’t getting any minutes about 30-35 minutes per game, and his team didn’t miss a beat.  

 

They’ve won close games (one point wins against Oklahoma City and Miami), road games (Miami and Indiana), and blowouts (14 points against Minnesota, 21 points vs. Indiana, 25 points against the Clippers).  They are looking better and better as each month of the season passes.

 

Having James at the playmaking spot allows Brown to use a big and versatile lineup with Anthony Parker at guard, Moon or Williams at small forward, Anderson Varajao at power forward, and either Shaquille O’Neal or Zydrunas Ilgauskas at center.  And they all can defend, which is most important to the coach, and also needed at playoff time.

 

This added depth has also allowed the team to not rush West back from his broken finger.  Had the wine and gold struggled with him out, the team might have had him back in the lineup at less than 100%.  The winning allows him to heal completely because they are actually gaining in the standings, as they now have a 5-1/2 game lead over Orlando for the best record in the East. 

 

Many people have labeled Parker a disappointment, but those people are overlooking the former Raptors’ play on the defensive end.  He did a very good job on Kobe Bryant a few weeks ago, and offensively, he is in there to hit open three point looks, which he does.  Anyone who thought Parker was going to come in and average 10-12 points per night didn’t understand why the Cavs signed him.

 

They say in the playoffs, coaches play eight guys and trust seven.  Mike Brown has the unenviable position of playing up to ten guys without much of a drop off.  Because most of these guys are role players, it may not be a difficult as it looks. 

 

Then again, all the depth accumulated by GM Danny Ferry and developed by the coaching staff may come in real handy in a couple of weeks when the trading deadline arrives. 

 

JK

 

One by one, the starting pitching options for the Cleveland Indians disappear.  Just this week, free agent hurlers Jon Garland and Ben Sheets signed contracts with the San Diego Padres and Oakland A’s, respectively.  Note that neither pitcher signed with big market teams.

 

Sheets received $10 million per year from Oakland, an outrageous amount considering he didn’t pitch at all in 2009, and is coming of flexor tendon surgery in his right elbow.  It is surprising that the former Brewer received a guaranteed deal instead of an incentive laden one.

 

Garland signed for around $5 million for this season, reportedly.  It says here he would have been a perfect option for the Indians, seeing that he is a proven innings eater, a reliable starting pitcher, something the Tribe really doesn’t have on their roster, no matter what they tell you.

 

Were the Indians interested in either pitcher?  We know that they did not actively scout Sheets when we worked out for most of the other major league teams.  As for Garland, there was no buzz involving Cleveland’s interest in him, as well as Jarrod Washburn and Eric Bedard, the other quality starters on the market.

 

Over the weekend, SportsTime Ohio’s Al Pawlowski was asked about his reaction to an article by ESPN’s Buster Olney saying the Indians were cheap.  Pawlowski took the company line and said the Tribe may be active closer to spring training when some bargains may be available.  The only two possible bargains that are worth anything are the aforementioned Washburn and Bedard, so it doesn’t look good for that type of signing.

 

Again, we are not saying the Indians should have a $150 million payroll.  This market doesn’t support that.  However, having a payroll in the $45-$55 million range is being cheap.  It is projected that the Indians’ 2010 players’ salaries will be around $54 million.  That’s in the Pittsburgh Pirate territory.  At that amount, the Tribe will have a lower payroll than any other team in the division, and outside of the White Sox, there are no major markets to compete against.

 

Also, it is understood that Cleveland is rebuilding, but is it necessary in this division?  With some added starting pitching, the Dolan family could find itself in the middle of a divisional pennant race.  However, it appears they are more interested in saving money. 

 

Maybe Indian fans can root for a profit?  Instead of cheering for players like Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez, the team could display their financial statement on the jumbotron, the crowd could go wild.  Instead of following the daily standings, fans can follow the financial pages.  We understand that it’s a business, but it’s also a sport, in which supporters of the team want to see victories. 

 

The Indians have taken that aspect away from the fans.  That’s what the Dolan ownership is all about.  That’s why the fan base has been eroded.

 

MW

 

As soon as the New Orleans Saints clinched a spot in the Super Bowl on Sunday, it was just a matter of time before it was noted that the Cleveland Browns are now one of four NFL franchises that have never been to the big game, along with Jacksonville, Houston, and Detroit.

 

The Jaguars and Texans (would any state besides Texas have a franchise named after the citizens of that state?) have an excuse.  Jacksonville has been in the NFL only since 1995, while Houston entered the league in 2002.  Both teams are relatively new.

 

However, the Lions and Browns have both been in the NFL over 50 years, the Lions entering in 1930 while the Browns came into the league in 1950, although they were absent for a few years in the 90’s, thanks to Art Modell. 

 

One of the things that bug me about the NFL is their lack of awareness of history, meaning they conveniently forget about anything that happened before the first Super Bowl following the 1966 season. 

 

In fact, the NFL records now refer to all NFL Championship games before the Green Bay-Kansas City Super Bowl I matchup as NFC title games.  This was noticed looking at the record for most touchdowns in an NFC championship and the names of Gary Collins (1964) and Otto Graham (1954) are tied for the record with three apiece.

 

The legendary “Greatest Game Ever Played”, the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants that went to overtime, is now relegated to NFC Championship game status, a game in which the winner plays for the Super Bowl title. 

 

It means the glory days of the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, which occurred in the 1950’s are diminished, even though they were the NFL Champions!, the same as the team which wins a week from Sunday in Miami. 

 

However, according to the people who report about the sports right now, the Browns and Lions have never won an NFL title. 

 

Unfortunately, the Lions won the championship in 1935, 1952, 1953, and 1957.  The Browns won in 1950, 1954, 1955, and 1964.  Those are simply facts. 

 

Why can’t the NFL list the champions before 1967?  Most people think of the Vince Lombardi-led Packers as the winners of the first two Super Bowls, and that Green Bay has won three Super Bowls.  But those Packers also won NFL titles in 1961, 1962, and 1965, which means that Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke, Willie Davis and company were part of five championship squads.  In fact, the Packers have won a dozen titles in total.

 

It’s also disrespecting to the greats who played during this era.  While many speak of Joe Montana and his four championships, keep in mind that Bart Starr won five NFL titles, or that Otto Graham and Johnny Unitas were at the helm for three championship teams. 

 

It is time the NFL recognized all teams who have won NFL Championships.  They can definitely speak of the Super Bowl era, but they shouldn’t forget the formative years of the league in the 1940’s and 50’s.

 

JD

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers got some bad news before last night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers as they found out Mo Williams will be out 4-6 weeks with a sprained shoulder.  The news didn’t affect them as they went out and beat the defending champs 93-87, thus sweeping the two regular season games against Los Angeles.

 

Despite the victory, the Cavs received more bad news after the game as Delonte West injured his ring finger on his shooting hand, and may miss significant time.

 

Kobe Bryant has the reputation as the ultimate closer in the NBA, a reputation, I may add, that is well deserved.  However, last night it was LeBron James who took over the game down the stretch, scoring 11 straight points late in the fourth quarter to get the wine and gold a victory.

 

Bryant started out hot, but ended the game needing 31 shots to get his 31 points.  Of course, Bryant came into the game reportedly suffering some effects from the flu, a bad back, and a broken finger.  Why does it always seem Bryant isn’t at his best physically against the Cavaliers?

 

The Cavs used a combination of physical defense by Anthony Parker early, and double teams with Parker and Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the fourth quarter to keep Bryant in check.

 

James was much more efficient, scoring 37 points on 25 shots, while dishing out 9 assists.  He was just the opposite of Bryant on this evening, shooting the ball very poorly early in the night, but hit some big shots from the perimeter late.  In the interim, he attacked the basket, getting to the free throw line 12 times, making 10.

 

The King had help, though.  Shaquille O’Neal put the Laker bigs in foul trouble, Parker hit two big threes in the second half, and J.J. Hickson played one of his best games with 11 points and more importantly 14 rebounds. 

 

The Cavs now have to look forward to an immediate future without Williams and likely, West.  Daniel Gibson will probably move into the starting lineup if West is out for a while, but even with Delonte healthy, ball handling would be a concern.  Gibson struggles with the ball when pressured by defenders. 

 

GM Danny Ferry may bring back Coby Karl on a ten-day contract to bolster the spot, but Karl really hasn’t played extended minutes (76 total career) in the NBA, especially as a point guard.  He’s more of a shooting guard who can play point if necessary.

 

Ferry may also look at Antonio Daniels, who the Cavs took a look at earlier this season.  But if West is going to be out for an extended time, the team will need to add a guard who can handle the ball unless LBJ takes over some of those duties, and that’s something the Cavaliers should stay away from.  James is far more important as the finisher.

 

At this point, it appears the moves made over the summer have paid off.  The Cavs are 3-1 on the season against the Celtics, Lakers, and Magic, with two of the three wins on the road. 

 

The moves Ferry makes in the next couple of days to bring in a guard may be just as important for the wine and gold if they want to secure home court advantage throughout the playoffs. 

 

JK

 

The Cleveland Indians actually showed a little activity last week, signing free agent veteran catcher Mike Redmond, and trading prospect Jose Brito to Pittsburgh for light hitting utility man Brian Bixler, a Sandusky native. 

 

Going into the off-season, GM Mark Shapiro said he wanted a right-handed hitter, a backup catcher, and a utility man, and he filled all three spots.  Now you can debate how well those spots were filled by guys like Austin Kearns, Shelley Duncan, Mark Grudzielanek, Redmond, and Bixler, but they were filled.

 

Didn’t anyone look at the pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation?

 

Actually, getting Redmond is a good signing.  He’s been a solid hitter in his career, albeit without a lot of power.  He’s 39 years old, but hasn’t been a regular in his time in the big leagues; in fact, he’s never played 100 games in a season.  He’s a lifetime .289 hitter, but has just 13 homers in 2201 career at bats.  He also puts the ball in play on a regular basis.

 

As for Bixler, he seems to be a John McDonald-type of player:  good glove, no bat.  He hit .227 in 44 at bats with the Bucs last season, but hit just .157 in 108 at bats in 2008.  He can play all over the infield, but is a shortstop by trade.  He will be in the mix to replace Jamey Carroll as the backup infielder.

 

However, the starting pitching is a huge question mark, and that puts the Tribe on the outside looking in when it comes to contending for a division title.  Here are the candidates to start for the 2010 Cleveland Indians:

 

Jake Westbrook:  The expectation is he will be the Opening Day starter.  However, he’s pitched exactly 34 innings in the major leagues since starting Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS against the Red Sox.  Please note he only started 25 games that year, so he’s three years removed from the last of three consecutive 200 inning seasons from 2004-06.  Even when healthy, Westbrook has a lifetime ERA of 4.31.  If he can hold up, he’s a good third starter, but…

 

Fausto Carmona:  Carmona has pitched in the major leagues in four seasons, and has had three years with an ERA of over 5.00.  That would make his 19-8 season in ’07 the aberration, correct?  He has electric stuff, but has had problems controlling it.  Without his magical 2007 campaign, he’s 14-29 in the majors with a 5.79 ERA.  Right now, he should be a fifth starter with his track record.  Someone you aren’t really counting on, which is a direct opposite of how the Tribe views him.

 

David Huff:  The 25-year-old southpaw led the Indians in victories last season with 11, but had an ERA of over 5.61 and allowed 159 hits in 128 innings.  Huff should be getting better, and did improve as the season went along last season, but he has no proven track record.  At this point in his development, he should be a back of the rotation guy. 

 

Justin Masterson:  Acquired in the Victor Martinez deal, the 25-year-old right-hander is another young guy with plus stuff.  However, he went 1-7 with a 4.55 ERA after joining the Tribe, and has thrown all of 217 innings in the show.  Control has been an issue with 100 walks in those frames to go along with 187 strikeouts.  He may be better suited coming out of the bullpen, and in fact has made only 25 starts in 78 major league appearances.

 

 Aaron Laffey:  The 25-year-old southpaw may have the best track record of any of the young pitchers, with a 16-18 career record accompanying a 4.39 ERA.  Unfortunately, he has only pitched 264 big league innings, with a high of 121 last season.  He has problems finding the strike zone at times, as evidenced by a whiff to walk ratio of 127:100.  He needs to show better control to succeed long term as a starter.  Yet another guy suited for the back of a rotation.

 

Jeremy Sowers:  This former first round pick may need a big spring training to save his employment with the Indians.  After a promising rookie season (7-4, 3.57 ERA) in 2006, Sowers has gone 11-26 with a 5.63 ERA over the past three seasons.  Sowers’ history has been that he’s good the first time through an order, but struggles thereafter.  Right now, he should rank behind both Huff and Laffey.

 

Carlos Carrasco:  One of the guys who came to town in the Cliff Lee deal, the 23-year-old righty was a top prospect in Philly, who’s star fell a little bit.  He struggled mightily in his September call up with the Tribe, going 0-4 with an 8.87 ERA.  His minor league numbers were 11-10 with a 4.64 ERA last season.  He has always been a guy who looks better than his numbers.  If he does well in Goodyear, he should get a shot at opening the season in the bigs, as opposed to some of the other alternatives.

 

Hector Rondon:  The 22-year-old is the dark horse in this race because of the Tribe’s cautiousness in dealing with prospects.  Rondon started last season in Akron where he went 7-5 with a 2.75 ERA before being promoted to Columbus, where he was 4-5 with a 4.00 ERA at the tender age of 21.  However, with the shortcomings of the other candidates, Rondon should get a shot if he pitches well in the desert.

 

As you can see, the starting rotation is a gaping hole for the Cleveland Indians.  If Fausto Carmona returns to his 2007 form, if Carrasco or Rondon prove ready to win at the big league level, if Westbrook holds up all season long. 

 

For a team with the offense and bullpen to compete in the AL Central, that’s too many question marks. 

 

KM