The Indians were surprisingly big spenders this off-season but was it enough to put them in contention in the AL Central?
Indians on TOC
End of Season Postmortem
Hope for the Hopeless
2013 Season Preview
You May Say I'm a Dreamer (12:00 PM)
2013 Burning Question (1:30 PM)
This Is My Nightmare (3:00 PM)
2013 X-Factor (4:30 PM)
Depth Chart (as of 3/12)
C: Carlos Santana
1B: Nick Swisher
2B: Jason Kipnis
SS: Asdrubal Cabrera
3B: Lonnie Chisenhall/Mike Aviles
LF: Michael Brantley
CF: Michael Bourn
RF: Drew Stubbs
DH: Mark Reynolds
SP: Ubaldo Jimenez
SP: Justin Masterson
SP: Brett Myers
SP: Zach McAllister
SP: Daisuke Matsuzaka
CL: Chris Perez
New Faces
While it was expected that the Indians were going to spend some money this off-season, nobody expected the Tribe to start throwing around cash like they were making it rain at a rundown strip club at the Flats. Their big ticket item was Nick Swisher, who gives them a much-needed big (well, sort of) bat in the middle of the order. Behind him was Mark Reynolds as a cheaper sourcer of power and, more importantly, power from the right side in a lineup that was almost exclusively left-hand dominant in 2012. They then bolstered their rotation with the signing of Brett Myers who should do a fine job of eating innings. Cleveland also took a flier on Daisuke Matsuzaka because, well, why not. Of course their free agency romp wasn't done at that point as the Indians came out of nowhere to swoop in and sign Michael Bourn to an under-priced contract, slotting him in center and giving them a leadoff hitter that could be the key to the Cleveland offense dragging itself out of the doldrums and into sweet, sweet mediocrity.
Not content with raiding the free agent market, the Indians horned their way into one of the bigger trades of the off-season as well. They swapped Shin-Soo Choo in a three-way deal that landed them top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer and outfielder Drew Stubbs who projects as their right fielder, at least until they find a better option. In a smaller move, the Indians acquired Mike Aviles who should split time at third with Lonnie Chisenhall when not backing up Cabrera and Kipnis
Departures
Losing Shin-Soo Choo left sizeable hole in the Cleveland lineup, but one they filled admirably with the addition of Michael Bourn. The Indians also parted ways with long-time, oft-injured DH Travis Hafner, though they once again accounted for that loss and then some in signing Nick Swisher. Similarly, the Tribe swapped out Casey Kotchman for Mark Reynolds. On the pitching side, Roberto Hernandez nee Fausto Carmona had his option declined, making him a free agent, where he ultimately ended up in Tampa Bay. Last, but certainly not least, the Tribe finally found a way to quit Grady Sizemore. He didn't play for them at all last season, but seeing the franchise resist the temptation to pay for him to convalesce on the DL for them is a real step forward.
Impact Rookies
A few lesser rookies like reliever Cody Allen or Rule V selection Chris McGuiness have a chance to contribute as role players this season, but where the Indians are really looking for a major impact is from Trevor Bauer. Bauer is considered to be a very smart, talented and advanced pitching prospect with a very high ceiling. However, his personality seemed to wear thin in the Arizona organization extremely quickly, which is why he was even available to be acquired by Cleveland. He had a cup of coffee with the D'Backs last season that didn't go very well, but the expectation is that Bauer has the kind of talent to be a serious contender for Rookie of the Year once Cleveland calls him up which should happen this season, possibly as soon as Opening Day.
Position Battles
There are a few positions that are unsettled on the Cleveland roster starting with Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Brantley who will both be jockeying with Mike Aviles and Ryan Raburn, respectively, to avoid or at least minimize falling into a platoon arrangement. Where the competition is more wide open is in right field. Drew Stubbs, who is a fine fielder but woeful hitter, is the frontrunner to start, but he will have to fend off Raburn, Aviles, Ezequiel Carrera and Chris McGuiness who could all horn in on his playing time by moving into right themselves or forcing the Indians to move Swisher from first to right and Reynolds from DH to first base. When it comes to pitchers, the staff is more or less set with the exception of the final slot in the rotation which has some intriguing names battling it out for the Opening Day gig. There is the aforementioned Bauer along with Carlos Carrasco, a talented players still working his way back from arm problems, and the reclamation project that is Daisuke Matsuzaka. Heck, there is even an outside shot that the lost and forgotten Scott Kazmir could somehow work his way into the equation given the encouraging scouting reports on him this spring. That fifth starter job may not be a glamorous one, but there sure is a lot of brand name recognition involved.
Injury Concerns
The most immediate concern for the Tribe is closer Chris Perez who could miss the start of the season with a strained shoulder. They have Vinnie Pestano ready to step in to the closer's role, but it would come at the cost of their overall bullpen depth. Other than that, there are no major injury concerns entering the season which is what happens when you are no longer counting on Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore to be major contributors.
Burning Question
What are the Indians going to get out of Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson in 2013?
Best Case
The best case scenario is pretty much what Cleveland management is banking on as they seek to take advantage of the watered down AL Central. A big part of the plan involved the Tigers once again failing to run away with the division even though they have a clear talent advantage. To close that talent gap, the Indians will need Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson to not only overcome the awful seasons they both just turned in but rebound all the way to their peak form or awfully close to it, especially Jimenez. They'll probably need Trevor Bauer to step up and make good on his hype too because even in a best case scenario, the Indians lineup will be hard pressed to be anything other than above average. To even achieve that level, they'll need to guys like Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana to take their games to the next level. A big factor in their success will be staying healthy because while they have improved their lineup and rotation, this just isn't a deep team that can absorb more than that normal amount of injuries.
Worst Case
Things start bad from day one as both Masterson and Jimenez are the same pitcher with near 5.00 ERAs, forcing Cleveland to finally oust them from the rotation only to call upon Bauer and Carrasco who both just aren't ready to contribute in the majors. But their rotation struggles pale in comparison to the failed make-over of the batting order. The top of the order turns into a liability as Michael Bourn struggles to adapt to the American League and Jason Kipnis regresses. By mid-season, the Indians are already selling veterans off for spare parts and they limp to the finish line as the last place team in a bad division.
Realistic Prediction
New manager Terry Francona and the lively personality of Nick Swisher should at least inject a new injury into the Cleveland clubhouse which will be a big boost to a club that has to be forlorn at their recent pattern of making a strong showing in the first half of the season before collapsing in the second half. The infusion of new talent should be a big help as well, but this probably just isn't there yet in terms of being a contender. The rotation has too many question marks and the lineup, while better, is still nothing special. A .500 record and a second place finish should be considered a modest success for this club as they ready themselves to be bigger players in the AL Central in 2014 and 2015.
