The Indians have had a major roster turnover this off-season, and many are wondering if they are ready to become a threat again in the American League Central. They certainly have tough competition between the Tigers, White Sox, and possibly even the Royals. Winning the American League Central won't be an easy feat, but Cleveland certainly has the talent to pose a threat.
Asdrubal Cabrera is the team's best offensive player, and, despite the trade rumors, he will be in Cleveland for the long-run. He is getting better with each passing season, and should continue his fine production in 2013. Carlos Santana has some flaws in his game, but will be the team's backstop for the next couple of years. There is no question that Santana has incredible power, however, his strike-out rate is very alarming. Over at first base the Indians finally have a decent player, and that is Mark Reynolds. Reynolds came over to Cleveland on a one year deal, and will certainly see a lot of playing time in 2013. His strike-out numbers concern me, as well as pretty much every other fan in the game, so that could end up hurting the Indians. It is home run or bust with Reynolds, and I wouldn't be thrilled with having a player like that.
Trust me I'm not going to completely bash the Indians offense, because there are a few other bright spots. Jason Kipnis has the potential to be one of the best second-baseman in the game, and could find himself being a 20-20 or even a 30-30 player within the next couple of years. Lonnie Chisenhall has yet to break out at the big league level, but I like his potential and hope that he stays healthy so he can prove himself. The outfield is extremely solid, especially with the most recent addition : Michael Bourn. Bourn will immediately provide Cleveland with an above-average lead-off hitter. He is a huge upgrade over Drew Stubbs, who may find himself as trade bait now. Nick Swisher, another key addition, will give the Indians power in the middle of the lineup, and should make the departure of Shin-Soo Choo seem slightly less painful. Finally, Michael Brantley has had mixed results at the big league level, but will get another year of every-day playing time in 2013, only this time he will be the left-fielder.
The biggest thing that will hold Cleveland back is going to be their pitching. They haven't really made drastic changes to their rotation, and that certainly concerns me. In my mind, Justin Masterson will need to find some consistency to become a true ace, and Ubaldo Jimenez is going have to return to his 2010 form to become a valuable asset. I don't mind the addition of Brett Myers, as he will bring a veteran presence to the rotation, and should be able to eat up some innings. Trevor Bauer is a nice pickup given his high potential, but I get this strange feeling that Arizona knew something about him, therefore prompting him to be included in the Shin-Soo Choo deal. Bauer will need to face American League hitting, and I am not sure how he will fare in 2013. The addition of Daisuke Matsuzaka is definitely a questionable one, considering that it seems like he has completely lost the ability to have success at the big league level. However, it is a low-risk, moderate reward pickup, and Cleveland could use all of the arms that they can get. Finally, Zack McAllister, Carlos Carrasco and Corey Kluber are all number 5 pitchers at best, and I don't expect them to give serious contributions to the team.
Luckily Cleveland's bullpen is one of the best in the game. Despite several trade rumors, Chris Perez stayed put this off-season, and will most likely remain the team's closer. Perez is going to need to have a serious bounce-back season before his job gets taken away from him. I really like Vinnie Pestano, and I believe that he would be the one to take Perez's job. The rest of the bullpen is filled with several under-the-radar arms, such as Joe Smith, Matt Capps and Matt Albers.
I am trying not to be a downer on the Indians for next season, but in my mind I just see too many question marks regarding this team. The offense is slightly above-average, but the pitching rotation is a complete mess. Guys like Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, and others are going to need to have huge years in order to keep the Tribe in reaching distance for the division. I like the idea of bringing in Terry Francona to manage the ball-club, considering his past success with the Red Sox and former ties with some of Cleveland's current players. However, I am just not fully convinced that this team is ready to compete in 2013, despite all of the additions.
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