Tribe Needs to Weather Schedule Storm

Everyone is aware that the Cleveland Indians are going through a tough patch right now, having lost 12 of their last 16 games. Their next nine games are against three teams that going into the season, most experts regarded as prime contenders to win the World Series: the Tigers, Rangers, and Nationals.

That will end a brutal stretch were the Tribe also played the Yankees, Red Sox, Reds, and Rays. That’s a tough schedule for any team.

However, the only teams that really beat up on Cleveland were the Bronx Bombers and their friends from the AL East, the BoSox. The Tribe went 2-12 against them, they are still 28-17 vs. everybody else in major league baseball.

A quick glance at the schedule shows things are about to change, and if Terry Francona’s team wants to stay in the race all season long, they have the opportunity to do just that.

This is not to underestimate any opponent, because at the beginning of the season, we felt the American League was brutal, with 13 of the 15 teams having a legitimate shot at the post-season. We excluded the Twins and Astros because of their rebuilding modes, although the former is in third place, just 2-1/2 games behind the Indians.

Still, have the Nationals visit Progressive Field next weekend, 25 of the next 33 contests are against Minnesota, the White Sox, Royals, Blue Jays, and Mariners. Only two four games series, one vs. Baltimore and the other against the Tigers, are against opponents considered among the best in the American League.

That basically takes the Indians through the end of July (and close to the trading deadline).

If you look at the balance of the schedule, there do not seem to be a lot of big bumps the rest of the way. There are three games against the Rangers, seven vs. Detroit, a three game set against the Orioles, and a three game interleague series vs. Atlanta, and three more against Oakland. The majority of the slate is games against the other AL Central teams, along with seven contests against the Astros and Marlins.

The Tribe will also play the Angels six times, but at this point it is difficult to say whether or not people should consider Los Angeles a quality team or not. They were highly touted coming into the season, but currently sit eight games below the .500 mark.

Again, this is not to take any team lightly, because the Indians need to improve the way they have hit and pitched over the last three weeks to start winning again.

And they struggled against the Yankees this season, and we feel they will end the season not making the playoffs based on the injuries and collective age of their team. They’ve been doing it with mirrors, and that likely will end. That said, the Tribe could only beat them once in seven tries.

The point is, after this stretch of games, the Cleveland Indians have an opportunity to play a lot of baseball against teams they figure to have more talent than, at least on paper.

Of course, we all know games are played on grass, not paper.

Still, things could be looking up soon for Francona’s bunch. At least, according to the schedule set up by major league baseball.

Left-Handed Relief Not There for Tribe.

Many fans of the Cleveland Indians have been concerned about the bullpen recently, mostly because of the health of closer Chris Perez and set up man Vinnie Pestano.

Yes, there was that weekend in Boston, when on consecutive days both Pestano and Perez blew games, which made for crushing defeats. But for the most part, the back end of the Tribe bullpen has been fine.

However, there is bigger problem for the Terry Francona’s bullpen, and that is the need for an effective left-handed pitcher to work late in games.

Right now, Nick Hagadone and Rich Hill have been a disaster in relief.

This past weekend, the Tampa Bay Rays scored 20 runs in the three game series. Thirteen of the runs were charged to Hagadone, Hill, and another lefty Scott Barnes, who was sent back to Columbus Saturday after giving up five runs on Friday night.

Barnes looked good in his two previous appearances, a three inning save against the Red Sox and a one inning stint against the Reds. In his appearance on Friday, he came in and gave up a pair of two run homers to left-handed hitters Matt Joyce and James Loney.

The other two guys, Hagadone and Hill have had problems throwing strikes consistently, a must for relief pitchers.

Hagadone is a power arm, but falls behind in counts and then when he comes into the strike zone, the batters smash the ball. He was last seen yesterday giving up a bomb Rays’ SS Yunel Escobar, currently batting .246.

When he can get ahead of hitters, Hagadone can be lethal, capable of striking out the best left-handed batters. But he has walked 11 in 15 innings this season, way too many, and that doesn’t count the hitters he puts into good hitters’ counts.

Nine of those walks have come against right-handed hitters.

Hill is more of a situational lefty, someone who specializes against tough left-handed hitters, the David Ortizs and Robinson Canos of the world, players who will not be pinch hit for when a lefty comes into the game.

To be fair, Francona has had to use him in some blowout games to save his main relievers, so Hill has seen more right-handed hitter than he should. He has faced 40 hitters from that side of the plate, more than Francona probably wants him to.

Those hitters are batting .353 against Hill with a 925 OPS, which means every right-handed hitter the southpaw faces turns into Miguel Cabrera.

However, Hill has walked six left-handed hitters and has allowed two home runs to them as well, meaning he isn’t exactly shutting down those guys either.

This is developing into a huge problem for Francona and pitching coach Mickey Calloway, because they need someone who can get those tough left-handed hitters out consistently.

If Hill and Hagadone can’t do the job, then it will be up to GM Chris Antonetti to find someone who can.

If you watch the games, it really isn’t Perez and Pestano that are killing the Tribe consistently it is the left-handed pitchers.

Too many walks and home runs allowed by the set up lefties can blow up an entire bullpen.

If Tribe Makes Move, It Should Be Dealing from Strength

With the Cleveland Indians playing well and actually getting into a tie for first place after Sunday’s win over the Tigers, Tribe fans are thinking about what GM Chris Antonetti can do to put his team over the top.

Most everyone feels Terry Francona needs one more quality starting pitcher if his team is going stay in the race into and throughout September.

That leads to speculation as to what the Indians would have to give up to land someone who would upgrade the starting rotation.

Keep in mind that weakening your squad in one area to help in another doesn’t usually work out unless you have someone as good to take the place of the player you are dealing.

That would mean not trading one of the players who consistently comes up in this discussion, SS Asdrubal Cabrera.

Mike Aviles is a nice player, and has done a solid job with the Tribe, but he’s not an everyday player, let alone an everyday SS. Check his numbers, he is much more productive getting 350 to 400 at bats in a season, not 600 in a year.

That’s the argument for some so-called “experts”, you can trade Cabrera because Aviles can step in and play short.

If Antonetti was to deal Cabrera, a two-time all-star, he would have to get a top of the rotation type starter, and who is going to deal one of those? We don’t see teams willing to make that kind of trade.

If you are going to get a middle of the road starter, aren’t you better off just going with Trevor Bauer or Carlos Carrasco, either of whom might be better than someone a bad team is trying to unload?

The other player usually mentioned in trade talk is SS Francisco Lindor, Cleveland’s best prospect now playing at Class A Carolina and hitting .330 at age 19.

Certainly, Lindor would be desirable to any organization. Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan said that Lindor might just be the minor league’s top prospect period by the end of the season.

Many teams, particularly those out of the race and looking to shed salary, would be happy to trade you a good to very good starter for Lindor. However, Lindor may be the Cleveland version of Derek Jeter, a franchise SS who can play 10-15 years with the Indians.

That’s not to denigrate Cabrera, who is a very good player, arguably the best shortstop in the American League.

But Lindor is showing signs that he is special, and the Indians cannot take the chance of trading him and having him develop into a perennial all-star type player.

As said before, you have to make these types of deals from a position of strength. And where does the Indians’ organization have a lot of talent? The bullpen.

That’s why a possible trade for closer Chris Perez could make sense. The Indians have a few options they could look at to close games, such as Vinnie Pestano, Cody Allen, and perhaps Bryan Shaw.

The farm system is also filled with bullpen candidates like Trey Haley, Preston Guilmet, Scott Barnes, Bryce Stowell, and Austin Adams.

Understand that the concern there would be switching to an unproven closer in the middle of a successful season, but with the depth in this area, it’s a well calculated gamble.

If the Indians stay in contention going into July, there is little doubt they will do something. But weakening one part of the team to help somewhere else makes no sense. That’s something to watch as the season unfolds.

Aggressiveness Continues for Tribe Front Office

For the past several years, the management of the Cleveland Indians has seemed to be in a state of inertia.

Of course, this winter the front office went out and did something, getting Terry Francona to manage and inking several free agents, most notably Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and Mark Reynolds.

They’ve received a lot of credit for making those moves.

However, the maneuvers continue for the management into the regular season, something that hasn’t been the case the past few years.

Who is responsible for both styles of roster management? Was GM Chris Antonetti shown religion by Francona, who seems to insist on having a representative roster for every game, or did former skipper Manny Acta make the same requests, but was not heard by the GM?

Since day one of this season, the Indians have been very active in sending players up and down from Columbus in order to give the manager lineup flexibility.

A couple of moves in the last two weeks illustrate what we are talking about.

While Bourn was out with his finger injury, the Indians were short an outfielder, but were able to get by using Swisher and Ryan Raburn in right, moving Drew Stubbs to centerfield. However, Francona felt these guys needed some rest, so when Ezequiel Carrera was designated for assignment by Philadelphia, the Tribe picked him up.

Carrera was used as a pinch-runner in his first game and started the next night, getting two hits. The next day, the Tribe DFA’d him again, and he went through waivers and is now at Columbus, still in the organization.

This is something the front office wouldn’t have done in the past. But you know who does do stuff like that? The Boston Red Sox used to bring guys in and out all the time, and perhaps it’s not a coincidence that the Indians are doing it now, if you know what we mean.

Today, the Tribe sent struggling third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall back to AAA, but the move was probably made as insurance for Chris Perez’ tender shoulder. The Indians wanted an extra arm out of the bullpen with a doubleheader against the Yankees, and the only position player who could or deserved be moved was Chisenhall.

The guess here is Chiz will be back in ten days to two weeks, which will allow him to get his swing and confidence back. In the meantime, Raburn, Mike Aviles, and a little Reynolds will hold down the hot corner.

With the bullpen not over-exposed in the twin bill and an extra player needed in Philadelphia, where the pitcher will have to hit, look for a relief pitcher (probably Nick Hagadone, who has struggled to throw strikes in his last two outings) to be sent back to Columbus in favor of another position player, possibly Cord Phelps.

Again, it is just the Tribe getting the most of their organization, and putting the major league team in the best position to win on a night in, night out basis.

It’s what all the big teams do. And this season, it looks like the Cleveland Indians are joining the big boys, not only in the standings, but in attitude.

Great Move by Tribe to Upgrade Bench

Much of the excitement over the fine off-season the Cleveland Indians front office had been based on getting Terry Francona to manage the squad, and the signings of free agents Nick Swisher, Mark Reynolds, Michael Bourn, and Brett Myers.

They also remade the bench, and so far those guys have come up huge in the early going for the Tribe.

With the injuries to Bourn and Swisher, and remember Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis missed some time as well, the bench guys have received playing time and have been productive.

Mike Aviles is tied for third in RBIs and Ryan Raburn in sixth on the club despite having played less than many of the players Francona writes in the batting order everyday.

And what may be even bigger, they understand their role.

Gone are the days of having to play Aaron Cunningham, Brett Lillibridge, and Vinny Rottino when a starter can’t go.

GM Chris Antonetti did an excellent job of getting veterans, who understand their job and their role, to come off the bench. These guys don’t need everyday at bats to stay sharp.

On the recent five game winning streak, Aviles had a five RBI game vs. Kansas City, and Raburn reincarnated Babe Ruth slugging a pair of homers in back to back games, and getting 12 hits in 14 at bats.

That’s getting help from the bench.

It helps that both Aviles and Raburn are 32 years old. They’ve been around the game for a while and they aren’t looking for a chance to play every day.

Aviles was the Red Sox’ starting shortstop last season, but his career shows he’s been much better when he doesn’t play everyday. He hit .250 in 2012, but is a career .276 hitter.

Raburn suffered through a terrible season in 2012, batting just .171 with only one home run. However, he averaged 15 dingers a year from 2009-11 with the Tigers and can play both corner outfield spots, as well as 2B and 3B.

Certainly, Aviles and Raburn have been the key contributors, but you can’t overlook the play of reserve catcher Yan Gomes and DH Jason Giambi.

Gomes, who came in the same deal with Toronto as did Aviles, is slowly but surely replacing Lou Marson as the back up catcher, showing more offense in his limited at bats as Marson ever did. The Brazilian native has four extra base hits in 31 at bats, compared to 10 all last year from Marson.

Giambi has two doubles, two homers, and three walks in limited playing time. He’s also well-respected in the clubhouse, a great role model for the young players like Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall.

And Francona has experience in using a veteran bench too. He tries to put all of these guys in positions where they can succeed.

The production from the bench will also keep the regulars fresh over the long haul of baseball’s regular season. Last year, it was evident that Asdrubal Cabrera and Kipnis wore down from playing every day as the Tribe didn’t have a quality reserve that the manager, Manny Acta, could trust.

No one should expect Raburn to continue channel Hank Aaron for the rest of the season, and there will certainly be days and weeks where the reserve players won’t produce.

Still, the Indians filled some holes on the bench which are just as important as the ones they filled in the starting lineup.

Those moves have helped the Indians tread water during the first month of the season.

Stubbs’ Struggles are Worrisome

Before the season started, most baseball experts felt the biggest weakness for the Cleveland Indians would be starting pitching.

It has been, with only Justin Masterson and Zack McAllister showing any consistency thus far. The other three spots in the rotation seem to be wish, hope, and pray to this point in the season.

However, the offense has struggled as well, despite last night’s 19-6 beat down in Houston, and we don’t expect that to continue for much longer. Two time all-star SS Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting just .150 with only four extra base hits. As skipper Terry Francona said the other day, Cabrera’s next 50 at bats could be as hot as he is cold right now.

And 2B Jason Kipnis will start to hit too, as will young 3B Lonnie Chisenhall, who is hitting just .224 with only one walk compared to 15 strikeouts to this point.

Also, CF Michael Bourn will return in another week, and he was off to a great start, hitting .333 through the first ten games.

There is one guy to be concerned about however, and that would be OF Drew Stubbs, because his start seems to be a continuation of the downward spiral his career has been taking.

The eighth overall pick in 2006, the outfielder burst on the scene in 2009, hitting .267 with eight home runs in 42 games that season. That promise showed through even more in 2010, when the big right-handed hitter batted .255 with 22 dingers in his first year as a regular.

It’s been downhill from there as Stubbs’ production has waned while his strikeouts have started to pile up. His power numbers dropped in ’11 to 15 home runs and 14 last year, while striking out 205 times in 2011 and 166 times (in 140 fewer plate appearances) last year.

This season, Stubbs has fanned 19 times in 57 times at the plate, while having just three extra base hits, all doubles. He leads the Indians in whiffing, amazing since the Tribe has notorious swing and miss Mark Reynolds on the roster.

Reynolds, though, has been productive when making contact, leading Cleveland with 6 HR and 17 RBI. Stubbs hasn’t hit one out yet this season, and he hadn’t scored a run this season until last night. While that is not totally his fault, it is a telling stat.

With his 3 for 4 evening yesterday, Stubbs is hitting .255 on the season with a 647 OPS. That’s the nature of early season statistics, they can fluctuate greatly with one good game. His batting average was .213 before last night.

To be sure, GM Chris Antonetti and Francona were hoping Stubbs would regain his pop with a different approach and that may still be the case. As we said, it is very early. However, his early difficulties continue the trend from the past three seasons.

It is much like saying it’s only two starts for Ubaldo Jimenez in 2013. You have to remember that this is a continuation of the right-handers struggles since he came to Cleveland in July 2011.

It’s a trend, and when things are going on a downhill plane, the player needs to show improvement right away.

Stubbs needs to produce soon, because when Bourn is back, he may lose playing time by moving Nick Swisher to RF, Reynolds to 1B, and using a combination of Jason Giambi, Mike Aviles, and Carlos Santana at DH.

The Tribe brass was hoping Drew Stubbs could regain the production of his early career when they dealt for him this winter. Right now, they have to be a little concerned that he won’t.

Tribe Organizational Depth in View Early

The baseball season is just 11 games old, and the depth the Cleveland Indians acquired in the off-season has already been put to the test.

First, the starting rotation had a horrible two turns through, with many pitchers not being able to go more than five innings. That took a toll on the bullpen, so Terry Francona and the front office were able to change on the fly and add an extra relief pitcher.

Of course, the two rainouts helped because they were able to skip a start for the fifth guy in the rotation.

Scott Kazmir made a rehab start with Columbus last night and he is on track to make his first start in Houston this weekend, so Francona got away without having to use somebody he didn’t want to use.

With the nagging elbow injury for 2B Jason Kipnis, the skipper has had to use Mike Aviles and Ryan Raburn, both established major league players, to fill in. This is different from having to use players like Aaron Cunningham, Austin Kearns, or Luis Valbuena as substitutes.

Aviles was the starting shortstop for Boston last season, and although the Sox wound up with virtually the same record as the Indians, both teams fell apart in the last two months, so it wasn’t like either team was like the Astros and Marlins of 2013.

Raburn is also experienced, having appeared in over 100 games three times with the Tigers and hitting double digits in home runs in three different seasons.

Tito has had to alter his catchers early this season too. Carlos Santana hurt his thumb/wrist during the home opener, and Lou Marson hurt his neck in a home plate collision, so Yan Gomes was called up from Columbus, and has done a good job handling the pitchers and also hit a home run on Saturday.

Now, CF Michael Bourn is going to miss perhaps of week’s worth of games with stitches in his finger. No problem. Francona will move Drew Stubbs to center, and he can play Raburn in right, or he can put Nick Swisher in right, use Mark Reynolds at first base and give Jason Giambi some at bats as the DH.

Giambi may be 42 years old, and won the American League MVP in 2000, but he has made his living in recent years by being a productive bat off the bench in Colorado.

Besides Gomes, the added depth also extends to the minor leagues. For example, with Bourn down and Kipnis out, the Tribe called up Cord Phelps, who had an excellent spring and has a very good history of hitting in the minors, to the 25-man roster.

They no longer have to use a player who has no business being in the big leagues.

At other times, they stayed longer with a struggling player because they didn’t have a better option available. This was the case with Johnny Damon last season.

And that bodes very well for the success of this ballclub. You have to have options because things never work out the way it is planned in the off-season. In the past few years, this organization had few alternatives.

This year, the depth they’ve accumulated is being put to the test before the first month of the season plays out.

Only a Few Roster Battles Remain for Tribe

Opening Day is a little over two weeks away, and you can see the roster for the Cleveland Indians beginning to take shape.

In the last week, Zack McAllister was told he will be the fourth starter in the rotation and Cody Allen was informed he will be in the bullpen in Toronto on April 2nd when the Tribe opens the season.

Both youngsters deserved it based on how they performed last season.

That doesn’t leave many spots left on the 25 man roster.

Figuring that Terry Francona will keep 13 position players and 12 pitchers, there figures to be perhaps one spot left on the bench, the fifth spot in the starting rotation, and a battle for the what figures to be two spots for southpaws in the bullpen and one spot for a right-hander.

The starting lineup figures to be something like this–

Michael Bourn CF
Asdrubal Cabrera SS
Jason Kipnis 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Carlos Santana C
Michael Brantley LF
Mark Reynolds DH
Lonnie Chisenhall 3B
Drew Stubbs RF

For sure, Mike Aviles, who is performing very well at the World Baseball Classic, will have one bench spot and figures to be in the lineup three or four times per week. Ryan Raburn looks like his versatility will earn him another spot, as he can play 2B, 3B, LF, and RF. And Jason Giambi will claim the third spot, getting at bats at DH and/or 1B.

That leaves the backup catcher with Lou Marson and Yan Gomes vying for that spot. Marson’s problem is his hitting and he can’t play another position. He’s hitting .214 (3 for 14) in spring training, although he has walked eight times. He’s a .220 lifetime hitter with a .301 slugging percentage for his career.

Gomes has hit well thus far (1o for 26 with a home run), and can play 1B, 3B, and LF as well. He’s not as accomplished defensively as Marson, not by a long shot. But when Marson plays, many times Santana will not get a full day off because Francona would hit for Marson in a key situation.

The guess here is the Tribe wants Gomes to catch on an everyday basis to develop his craft, so Marson makes the squad.

The fifth starter looks like it is between veteran left-hander Scott Kazmir, Carlos Carrasco, and Trevor Bauer. As of right now, Kazmir is the leading candidate. Francona and GM Chris Antonetti probably want Carrasco to be eased back in after coming back from elbow surgery and Bauer to get more AAA experience.

Which brings us to the bullpen. Chris Perez, Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith, and now Allen are locks, although there is a chance that Perez opens the season on the disabled list.

It appears Francona will carry two lefties and with Rich Hill being added to the 40 man roster a week ago, it’s a good bet he will make the team. That leaves Nick Hagadone, Scott Barnes, and maybe David Huff for one spot. Hagadone has had the better spring and has power stuff. He’s allowed just two hits and struck out seven in five innings. He would appear to be the leader in the clubhouse.

The last spot in the ‘pen figures to be between three pitchers who weren’t with the Tribe in 2012: Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw, and Matt Capps. Capps has had the most big league success with 138 big league saves, but Shaw has pitched the best so far allowing one run in five innings with seven strikeouts.

This battle figures to go all the way to the end of camp, but keep in mind that Capps isn’t on the 40 man roster.

If the roster goes this way, it means the Indians will have to put some players with major league experience on waivers, guys like Ezequiel Carrera, Huff, Capps, and/or Albers. That’s something different for this organization after the last few years.

If you want to compete in baseball today, you must have some depth. These Indians finally have some.

The New Tribe Started with Tito

As last season started for the Cleveland Indians, they were a stagnant organization.

The ownership didn’t spend any money and what may be worse, they seemed immune to the criticism they were getting on an almost daily basis from the Tribe’s fan base. Season tickets were dropping like a rock. Apathy was starting to set in.

The baseball operation people were inert as well. They settled for free agents than no one else wanted, players like Casey Kotchman and Johnny Damon, and tried an experiment with virtually an all left-handed hitting batting order.

They seemed to be grasping at straws, trying wild theories in an effort to put together a winning season.

The manager was a nice man, but had a very subdued personality, and his team played like it. A member of the local media here said the Indians never looked like they were having any fun playing the game.

You couldn’t argue that point.

A year later, and it seems like a whole new organization, and it looks like it started with the hiring of Terry Francona as the new manager.

For whatever reason, be it the friendship that started with Indians’ president Mark Shapiro when he was a consultant with the Tribe after losing his managerial gig in Philadelphia, and perhaps coupled with Cleveland being the place his father, the “real Tito” as the skipper calls him, experienced his most success as a player, but the two-time World Series winner felt drawn to the job vacated by Acta.

Whether it was discussed during the interview process or not, the Dolan family decided to open up the purse strings shortly after the new manager was in place.

The front office didn’t go crazy in spending, but the combination of Travis Hafner’s money coming off the books, and the cash which came available through the sale of SportsTime Ohio, but the Indians signed three established solid, good major league players in Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and Brett Myers.

The respect players around the league have for Francona was evident in Nick Swisher’s decision to sign a four-year deal here. It would have been a shock if the former Yankee had signed with the Tribe if the former Boston manager wasn’t here.

Swisher was ebullient in his praise for Francona at his introductory press conference, and his admiration for him has continued all during spring training. Myers played for Brad Mills, the new Tribe third base coach in Houston, and this relationship (along with cash) surely helped the right-hander sign in Cleveland.

Suddenly, there is a buzz in this city about the Indians. Opening Day tickets sold out in six minutes. Granted, they are playing New York, but people are excited about this baseball team. You hear fans talking about the battle for the spots in the starting rotation, and who is doing well during exhibition play.

After last season’s collapse after August 1st, this franchise seemed to be in a coma, with many long time supporters looking to pull the plug. Then, Terry Francona was hired as the new skipper and almost immediate jump started fan interest in this baseball team.

To be sure, Francona never asked to be the savior of this baseball team. However, there is no question he just may be the Pied Piper who leads fans back to Progressive Field.

The elder Francona, “the real Tito” has to be proud of the mark his son is making in Cleveland.

Could Brantley Be Tribe’s Breakout Player?

There is no question that interest in the Cleveland Indians may be at its highest level since the beginning of the 2008 season, just a few months after the Tribe came within one game of making the World Series, but were beaten out by the Red Sox, managed by a guy named Terry Francona.

Now Francona is here, the ownership and front office went out and signed free agents Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and Brett Myers, and traded for a potential ace starting pitcher in Trevor Bauer.

Fans can’t wait for the season opener on April 2nd in Toronto.

The improvement on the Cleveland roster can be noted in that out of the players who started for the Tribe last season and left, only Shin-Soo Choo is considered a key component on his new team. Jack Hannahan, Casey Kotchman, and Shelly Duncan are all considered either bench players or are on minor league contracts to start spring training.

The other big addition to this squad is speed and athleticism, something that was lacking in previous seasons, even going back to the Eric Wedge era. It is refreshing to hear Francona talk about his team taking extra bases on hits to the outfield. It doesn’t appear there will be much station to station baseball played by the Indians this season.

Francona compared his team to the Angels in the Mike Scoscia era, but when those teams scored a lot of runs, they depended on a lot of high batting averages. The Indians don’t have many players who have a history of hitting close to .300.

To be sure, there are concerns for the new skipper and his staff. There will be plenty of strikeouts in the starting lineup, meaning the offense could be very streaky at times. When the guys who don’t make contact consistently are in a period of whiffing, scoring runs could be very tough indeed.

As much as Swisher and Bourn will be important to the Indians scoring more runs, the bigger pressure is probably on the young hitters on the team making big leaps, meaning Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Carlos Santana. If all three of those players can start producing the way they did in the minor leagues, (remember Santana has the most service time of the three, just 2-1/2 seasons), the Indians could have a very potent offense.

However, the biggest jump to be made by any Indian this season could be by LF Michael Brantley.

It is easy to overlook Brantley because he has been here longer than any of the other three mentioned players, arriving in 2009 for the first time, and starting as a regular shortly after Santana in ’10. But Brantley is still just 25 years old, turning 26 in May. He won’t reach the magic 27-year-old season until 2014.

He has shown steady improvement over the last three years, with his on base percentage going from .296 in 2010 to .348 last year, and his slugging percentage rising from .327 three seasons ago to .402 in 2012. If he makes the same improvement on his OPS this year as he did from 2011 to 2012, he will be around 800, which would make him a very good offensive player.

“Dr. Smooth” had 47 extra base hits in ’12, 37 of them doubles. As a comparison, Asdrubal Cabrera had 52 extra base knocks in 2009, 42 of them doubles. Two years later, Cabrera got stronger and some of those doubles became home runs, as ACab belted 25 dingers in 2011.

As Brantley gets stronger with age, the same effect could happen to him as well, and some of those doubles could wind up flying over the fence. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Tribe’s new leftfielder wound up with 15 to 20 bombs this summer.

You have to love young players who get better every season and still are in the 25 to 26-year-old range. Michael Brantley is one of those players. His most comparable player through age 25 is OF Terry Moore, who starred for the Cardinals in the 1940’s.

At age 27, Moore hit .295 with 17 home runs and an OPS of 849. The following year, he hit .304 with 17 dingers and an OPS of 831.

If Brantley can follow suit, the Tribe has another very good bat in their lineup.

Based on the improvement he has shown since arriving in the big leagues, don’t bet against Brantley becoming that type of player.