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2006 record
78-84, fourth in the AL Central
1. CF Grady Sizemore:
.290 BA, 28 HR, 78 RBI in 2006
2. RF Trot Nixon:
.268 BA, 8 HR, 52 RBI in 2006
3. DH Travis Hafner:
.308 BA, 42 HR, 117 RBI in 2006
4. C Victor Martinez:
.316 BA, 16 HR, 93 RBI in 2006
5. 1B Casey Blake:
.282, 19 HR, 68 RBI in 2006
6. LF David Dellucci:
.292 BA, 13 HR, 39 RBI in 2006
7. SS Jhonny Peralta:
.257 BA, 13 HR, 68 RBI in 2006
8. 3B Andy Marte:
.226 BA, 5 HR, 23 RBI in 2006
9. 2B Josh Barfield:
.280 BA, 13 HR, 58 RBI in 2006 Projected rotation
1. C.C. Sabathia, 12-11, 3.22 ERA in 2006
2. Jake Westbrook, 15-10, 4.17 ERA in 2006
3. Cliff Lee, 14-11, 4.40 ERA in 2006
4. Jeremy Sowers, 7-4, 3.57 ERA in 2006
5. Paul Byrd, 10-9, 4.88 ERA in 2006
Projected bullpen
Closer: Joe Borowski, 36 saves, 3.75 ERA in 2006
RH setup man: Keith Foulke, 4.35 ERA in 2006
LH setup man: Aaron Fultz, 4.54 ERA in 2006 The new guys
Borowski: Coming off an '06 season in which he saved a career-high 36 games for the Marlins, Borowski should add some stability to the back end of the 'pen. Foulke: Foulke will compete with Borowski for the closer's job, though it's altogether possible that both men will see time in the ninth inning this season. Foulke has battled knee, back and elbow troubles the last two seasons. Fultz: The addition of Fultz gives the Indians something they lacked for most of last season -- a veteran left-hander in the bullpen. He'll be used both as a situational lefty and as a one-inning arm. RHP Roberto Hernandez: Hernandez has 326 career saves to his credit, but his role with the Tribe will be to set up either Borowski or Foulke and to provide veteran leadership to the club's young arms. Barfield: Coming off a stellar rookie year with the Padres, Barfield provides some speed on the basepaths, which could open up more RBI opportunities for Sizemore in the leadoff spot. Dellucci: A veteran known for his chemistry in the clubhouse, Dellucci will get the starts in left field against right-handed pitching (with Jason Michaels getting the starts against left-handers). More opportunities could arise for Dellucci if he can improve his performance against lefties. Nixon: The last big addition in the Tribe's busy winter, Nixon will start in right field against right-handers. He is a hustle player with a keen eye at the plate, and he'll be slotted into the No. 2 spot of the batting order. Prospects to watch
RHP Fausto Carmona: Not a prospect, per se, because he's already had extended exposure to the bigs, but Carmona makes this list because he'll begin the year at Triple-A Buffalo, stretching out as a starter and hoping to contribute to the Major League rotation if and when a need arises. RHP Adam Miller: The Eastern League Pitcher of the Year in 2006, Miller went 15-6 with a 2.74 ERA. He'll open the season at Triple-A but could force his way into the big-league rotation by the end of the season. LHP Tony Sipp -- After striking out 80 batters in 60 1/3 Double-A innings last season, Sipp could be on the fast track to his big-league debut.
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RHP Matt Miller: Miller missed the better part of '06 with an elbow injury that led to surgery. He made it back to the big-league club in time to make eight impressive September appearances, but his spot on the big-league club is insecure. He must prove that he's fully recovered. On the rebound
Peralta: His struggles at the plate in '06 led to increased anxiety over his range at short. The Indians had Peralta working hard this winter in the Dominican Republic and in Cleveland, and they are taking measures to ensure that they have a defensive-minded backup for him. Foulke: The injuries he suffered in '05 and '06 cost him his closing job in Boston. But Foulke put up 11 straight scoreless appearances in September and is looking to reclaim his role as one of the league's better late-inning arms. Nixon: His body besieged by injury, Nixon hit just .171 in the second half with the Red Sox last season. The Indians aren't expecting his power numbers to shoot up, but they need him to get on base from the two-hole.
3B Aaron Boone: Boone's value to the clubhouse was unmatched, but his performance in the field paled in comparison to what it was before his 2004 knee injury. He lost his third-base job to Marte by the end of last July. 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff: He hit a grand slam in his first big-league at-bat in September, but the Indians didn't have much room for him on their big-league depth chart. The Tribe sent him to San Diego in the Barfield trade. RHP Jeremy Guthrie: With Guthrie out of options, the Indians ran out of time for their former No. 1 pick to make much impact in the Majors. His big-league star didn't pan out with the Tribe, but the Orioles plucked him off waivers to give him another chance. RHP Andrew Brown: Brown was also out of options, and the Indians didn't have room for him in their crowded bullpen mix. He was thrown into the Barfield trade.
2006 hitting leaders (min. 200 at-bats) Avg.: Martinez, .316 OBP: Hafner, .439 SLG: Hafner, .659 Runs: Sizemore, 134 RBIs: Hafner, 117 Hits: Sizemore, 190 2B: Sizemore, 53 3B: Sizemore, 11 HR: Hafner, 42 SB: Sizemore, 22 |
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2006 pitching leaders (min. 30 IP) IP: Westbrook, 211 1/3 W: Westbrook, 15 L: Lee and Sabathia, 11 Win %: Sowers, 7-4, .636 S: Bob Wickman, 15 ERA: Sabathia, 3.22 K: Sabathia, 172 K/9: RHP Fernando Cabrera, 10.53 WHIP: RHP Rafael Betancourt, 1.11 |
1. How will the bullpen shake out?
Borowski and Foulke will be asked to put their egos aside as they vie for the ninth-inning duties. The Indians, though, aren't calling it a direct competition, because both men should have save opportunities this season. The final two bullpen spots will be decided among Jason Davis, Cabrera and Miller. Davis and Cabrera are out of Minor League options.
The Indians want this job to go to someone with a solid glove at shortstop, to back up Peralta. They're hoping that Hector Luna proves to be that guy, as his speed and versatility make him an asset at other positions. If Luna doesn't pan out, Joe Inglett, Mike Rouse or non-roster invitees Keith Ginter, Luis Rivas and Asdrubal Cabrera could get a look, or the Tribe might have to look outside the organization for assistance. 3. Will Ryan Garko make the club?
First baseman Garko made an immediate impact in the middle of the Indians' order the last two months of '06, driving in 45 runs in 50 games. But with the Tribe focused on improving its infield defense, Garko's undeveloped glove keeps him from having a guaranteed spot on the Opening Day roster. His chances improve drastically if the Indians need just one player to handle the utility infield duties. The bottom line
Platoons in the corner-outfield spots and first base will make life interesting for Eric Wedge, but the manager can feel relatively comfortable knowing that he has quality depth in the lineup, rotation and bullpen. If the bullpen comes together and the team improves its defense, the rotation and lineup are solid enough to carry the Tribe a long way.
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
