Surprise package Indians looking to take one step further

If the Minnesota Twins were the surprise package in the American League last year for negative reasons, then it would be hard to argue that the Indians were not the surprise package for all the right reasons. Manny Acta took a squad that was largely young and inexperienced and, despite their 80-82 record, the Indians had a good run at the play-offs before ultimately falling short.

Veteran acquisitions during the season included the return of Jim Thome from the Twins, Ubaldo Jiminez from the Rockies and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome from the Cubs, although neither was able to provide the spark to ignite a run at the play-offs. Ultimately, mediocre starting pitching cost the Indians dear, with only Justin Masterson recording a sub 4.00 ERA, although that’s not to say there is no reason for optimism heading into 2012.

Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera are emerging as elite players, while the young pitchers have gained experience and will be better prepared for the tough AL Central battles this time round. The signings of Derek Lowe and Kevin Slowey provide both experience and talent in that department, while the bullpen that was so impressive last season remains largely intact.

IN : Jeremy Accardo (RP – Baltimore), Russ Canzler (INF – Tampa Bay), Casey Kotchman (INF – Tampa Bay), Andy LaRoche (INF – Oakland), Fred Lewis (OF – Cincinnati), Jose Lopez (INF – Miami), Derek Lowe (SP – Atlanta), Matt Pagnozzi (C – Pittsburgh), Felix Pie (OF – Baltimore), Chris Ray (RP – Seattle), Kevin Slowey (SP – Colorado), Ryan Spilborghs (OF – Colorado), Robinson Tejeda (RP – Kansas City), Dan Wheeler (RP – Boston)

OUT : Travis Buck (OF – Houston), Chard Durbin (RP – Washington), Adam Everett (INF – Retired), Kosuke Fukudome (OF – Chicago W.S.), Justin Germano (RP – Boston), Jerad Head (OF – Detroit), Josh Judy (RP – Cincinnati), Austin Kearns (OF – Miami), Zach Putnam (RP – Colorado), Mitch Talbot (SP), Jim Thome (INF – Philadelphia)

Catchers : Carlos Santana has made himself into an elite hitting catcher during his short Major League career and is coming off a team high 27 home run season although there is some debate within the Indians front office as to whether to play Santana at catcher or at first. Lou Marson is the only other catcher on the roster and has been a steady reserve throughout his career but has little power. Matt Paganozzi leads a number of non-roster invites at the position and has hit .310 in a big league career that has been limited to just 33 games in 3 seasons, while Taiwanese youngster Chun-Hsui Chen is considered an exciting prospect.

Infielders : Depending on where Santana lines up, Matt LaPorta, who was the key piece in the C.C. Sabathia trade, is due to man first. The 26 year old has struggled, hitting just .238 in two and a half years as a full time big leaguer. Jack Hannahan will get the nod at third, while the middle infield belongs to Asdrubal Cabrera and Jason Kipnis. Cabrera bust it open last year, hitting 25 homers, beating his previous high of just six. Acta will be hoping it’s not just a flash in the pan, while Kipnis will be looking to prove the same after a promising rookie season in which he hit .274 in 36 games. Casey Kotchman and ex-Mariner stalwart Jose Lopez provide solid veteran back-up in the infield with Andy LaRoche an intriguing veteran Spring Training invite. Lonnie Chisnehall and Jason Donald provided excellent depth and are capable of performing well this season, while Cord Phelps and Russ Canzler have limited experience.

Outfielders : Grady Sizemore returns to lead a somewhat inconsistent and injury hit outfield that includes Shin-Soo Choo, who is coming off a horrible season that included a DUI arrest, and Michael Brantley, who some would argue had the best season of the trio last time round. Sizemore is entering his ninth season with the Indians, but his powers appear to have greatly diminished following two injury hit seasons. Choo hit .259 following three straight .300+ seasons. With all three being lefties, expect Shelley Duncan and Aaron Cunningham to get ample game time. Duncan, especially, is capable of putting up great numbers. Fred Lewis and Felix Pie both have a chance to earn a roster spot and provide some speed off the bench, while Ryan Spilborghs hopes a new home will help him reclaim the form that saw him become an instrumental part of the Rockies 2007 World Series run. Thomas Neal, Ezequiel Carrera and Nick Weglarz are exciting prospects that are capable of forcing their way into the roster.

Designated Hitter : While veteran Travis ‘Pronk’ Hafner returns for his tenth season in Ohio, it is debateable how much game time he will actually see as his body appears to have given up on him. The likes of Santana, Duncan and LaPorta are all decent options if and when Hafner is unable to play.

Starting Pitchers : A deep rotation doesn’t necessarily mean a good one, although the Indians have pitchers with potential. Justin Materson is the ace, going 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA last year. Ubaldo Jiminez arrived in a mid-season trade but was massively disappointing. A return to the 2010 Cy Young challenging form is a must for Cleveland. The status of Fausto Carmona is very much in the air following his false identity arrest. It appears the 28 year old Carmona is actually 31 year old Roberto Heredia and the Indians may have to plan without him. Derek Lowe and Kevin Slowey are proven veterans looking to shake off bad years. Lowe was arrested for DUI while Slowey clashed with Twins management and went 0-8 in limited game time. Josh Tomlin will be hoping to continue his development following a team high 12 wins last year, while Jeanmar Gomez, David Huff and Carlos Carrasco all had decent efforts and will be hoping to break into the rotation.

Relief Pitchers : The five key pieces to an outstanding bullpen in 2011 all return and will be hoping that it’s a case of déjà vu all over again. Chris Perez surprised everybody by claiming 36 saves, while Rafel Perez and Tony Sipp provided a lefty combination that went 11-5 with a 3.02 ERA. Vinnie Pestano and Joe Smith, on the other hand, went one better, with the righty duo combining for a 2.16 ERA. Together, the lethal quintet went 19-17 with a 2.72 ERA in 314 innings. If they can provide those sort of stats again, the Indians will be a tough team to beat whenever their starters put up a good performance. Nick Hagadone and Kelvin de la Cruz are both 6’5’’ lefties although the former is in a better position to claim a roster spot. Dan Wheeler is one of several veteran invitees that will be challenging for a roster spot. Jeremy Accardo, Chris Ray and Robinson Tejeda are the others and they all have the ability to impress in Spring Training and force their way into the Opening Day roster despite disappointing campaigns for their respective teams last season.

PREDICTION : As mentioned yesterday with the White Sox, behind Detroit, it seems that any team could finish in any position and it wouldn’t be massively surprising. The bullpen was outstanding last year, but it’s largely irrelevant if the starters don’t improve. If the likes of Lowe, Jimenez and Choo can all have decent seasons, and Cabrera doesn’t revert back to single figure home run numbers, then they could claim second, but I’ve got them in third.