2008 Cleveland Indians preview

Players Gone: OF Kenny Lofton, OF Trot Nixon
Players Added: P Masahide Kobayashi, INF Jamey Carroll

A year after finishing a victory shy of a trip to the World Series, the Cleveland Indians are eager to get back to work in 2008. General Manager Mark Shapiro didn't have to make a lot of moves in the off season and has most of last year's lineup in place for another run at the Fall Classic. But even though familiar faces are returning to Eric Wedge's wigwam, there are still a few questions for the Tribe in '08.

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2008 Indians Pitching

CC Sabathia lead a staff that issued the fewest walks in the American League. The reigning Cy Young Award winner may be pitching his last season in an Indians uniform with free agency on the horizon at the end of the season. That could bode well for the Tribe as the 27 year-old looks to cash in next winter. And who knows, if Cleveland wins it all, maybe CC will stay in C-town.

Behind Sabathia there may be some questions about this staff. Fausto Carmona, Paul Byrd, Jake Westbrook, and either Aaron Laffey, Cliff Lee, or Jeremy Sowers will round out the rotation. Will Carmona be able to duplicate his breakout season of 2007? (19-8, 3.06 ERA) He's just 24 years-old, but coming off his first full season in the bigs. Can 37 year-old Paul Byrd have another big year after throwing 192 innings in ‘07? Jake Westbrook should be his solid self, but it will be interesting to see who claims that 5th spot in the rotation. Lee was banished to the minors after struggling a year ago, but remember, he did win 46 games in a three-year span from 2004-06. If he can regain form, he should nail down a spot. Laffey showed signs of being able to do the job in nine starts last season and he'll be just 23 in April. Jeremy Sowers struggled early last year and ended up spending the bulk of the season at AAA Buffalo. One of those three should emerge, and if Byrd struggles, the remaining two become options.

On paper, it looks like the bullpen is an area of strength. The pen returns mostly in tact from last season with Joe Borowski ready to show last season's 45 saves was no fluke. He's slimmed down a bit for spring training knowing that he'll be a key to this team's success. Setup man Rafael Betancourt has a new contract after posting a miniscule 1.47 ERA in '07. Along with fellow returners Aaron Fultz, Jenson Lewis, Rafael Perez and Tom Mastny, the Indians added Japanese pitcher Masahide Kobayashi. Kobayashi could step into the closer's role if needed as he saved at least 20 games in each of the last seven seasons playing in Japan.

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Indians Position Players

There aren't many changes around the diamond, but Eric Wedge will be doing some shuffling. Ryan Garko gets the nod af first, Asdrubal Cabrera at second, Jhonny Peralta at shortstop, Casey Blake at third, David Delucci and Jason Michaels will share left field, with Grady Sizemore in centerfield and Franklin Gutierrez in right. Travis Hafner, of course, will DH.

Wedge will move Victor Martinez to first when Kelly Shoppach catches Paul Byrd, and the sixth-year manager will shuffle Michaels and Delucci in left. Ben Francisco may hit his way into some playing time, too. Add Shin-Shoo Choo into the mix (recovering from Tommy John surgery), and the Indians have a surplus of outfielders. That could be a good problem if there are injuries or a lack of production.

Another question the Indians will have to answer is what to do with Andy Marte. The 24 year-old is out of minor league options, and was displaced by Casey Blake last season. The Indians would love to see Marte live up to expectations, but if not, they may have to trade him and hope it's not another give-away deal like Brandon Phillips. Marte will be competing with infielders Josh Barfield and Jamey Carroll for the backup infielder spot. Barfield began 2007 as the Indians' starting 2B before Asdrubal Cabrera replaced Barfield late in the season. Barfield still has options and could start the year in the minors. Meanwhile, Carroll is a versatile player who came over from the Rockies in the offseason. That versatility could help him make the team.

In all, the offense should look much like last year, but the Indians hope it will have more consistency. Travis Hafner can help make that happen. Hafner had 100 RBIs and 24 HR, but those were his lowest totals in four years. Victor Martinez is one of the top hitters in the league, Ryan Garko is proving to be a clutch hitter, and there's no one more exciting out of the batter's box than Grady Sizemore. The bottom line: If Hafner can find his old form, the offense should put up more runs.

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Most of the questions the Indians are not about whether they have the talent; it's about living up to the hype after winning a division title. The key to the year will be pitching. If the starting five can stay healthy and come close to what they did last year, the offense will be good enough make another run at a title.

By Scott Wludyga
ProBaseball-fans.com Guest Writer

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