STATE OF THE INDIANS

Click here for the Cleveland Indians 2010 team page

UPDATE 12/1/09 - 12:03PM PST
Catcher Kelly Shoppach was traded to the Rays for a PTBNL, meaning that Lou Marson is the favorite to take over as the starter with top prospect Carlos Santana also in the mix. The 23 year-old Marson was Baseball America's #3 ranked prospect in the Phillies organization before the '09 season and was part of the Cliff Lee deal in July that brought four minor leaguers to Cleveland. He hit .250 (11-for-44) with 6 doubles in a late-season audition with the Indians. The right-handed hitter doesn't have a lot of power (27 HR in 1712 minor league AB's) but he's posted a career .369 OBP in the minors. Santana, who was Baseball America's #1 ranked prospect for the Indians in '09, hit .290 with 23 HR, 97 RBI, and 90 BB's for Double-A Akron. Shoppach hit .214 with 12 HR's in 89 games for the Tribe last season.

UPDATE 11/21/09 - 3:28 PM PST
LINEUP - With a group of promising young prospects expected to contribute in 2010 and a healthy Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner, the Indians probably won't be looking for much offensive help this offseason despite the loss of All-Star catcher Victor Martinez. SS Asdrubal Cabrera (.799 OPS, 17 SB) and RF Shin-Soo Choo (.300 BA, 20 HR, 21 SB) continued to establish themselves as all-star caliber players in 2009. 1B/LF Matt LaPorta (.254 BA, 7 HR in 52 games) and OF Michael Brantley (.313 BA in 28 games), both acquired from Milwaukee in the C.C. Sabathia deal in '08, got a taste of the big leagues in '09 and have a good chance to be in the starting lineup on opening day, as does 2B Luis Valbuena (.250 BA, 10 HR in 103 games).

ROTATION - The Indians have traded two of the best pitchers (Sabathia and Cliff Lee) in baseball away in consecutive seasons and had a former 19-game winner in Fausto Carmona finish the season with a 6.32 ERA. Along with a strong comeback from Carmona, the team is hoping for a healthy Jake Westbrook (Tommy John surgery - June '08), who won 44 games for the tribe between 2004-06. Lefty David Huff finished strong in '09, winning 4 of his last 5 starts with a 2.18 ERA and fellow left-hander Aaron Laffey went 6-8 with a 4.53 ERA in his 19 starts. Justin Masterson, acquired from Boston in the Martinez deal, went 1-7 with a 4.55 ERA with Cleveland but is still only 24 years old and could also help in the bullpen. There will be a slew of young pitchers competing for spots in the spring but the best of the group could be 21 year-old Hector Rondon, who is coming off of a terrific minor league season (3.38 ERA; 146.1 IP, 143 H, 29 BB, 137 K between AA and AAA). Carlos Carrasco, the most notable player acquired in the Lee deal with Philadelphia, will also be in the mix for a starting spot although he had a rough debut (8.85 ERA in 5 starts) with the Indians in '09.

BULLPEN - Closer Kerry Wood is the leader of an inexperienced, but talented group of young relievers. Chris Perez, who did not allow a run in 21 of his first 23 relief appearances after being acquired from the Cardinals in the Mark DeRosa deal, and lefty Tony Sipp (2.93 ERA, 48 K in 40 IP) are in line to be the primary setup men for Wood. Left-hander Rafael Perez and right-handers Jose Veras, Joe Smith, and Jensen Lewis are all projected to win spots in the 'pen with Jess Todd also in the mix. Acquired in the DeRosa trade, Todd struggled after arriving in Cleveland but his minor league numbers were stellar (2.04 ERA, 25 Sv, 66 K in 53 IP) and he finished the season with seven consecutive scoreless innings.