Talkin' Tribe

It's still cold and wet and horrible, but baseball season is underway.  I may not talk baseball on this blog the rest of the year, so bare with me as I chronicle my expectations for the Indians this year.

First, there are very few components on this team that have a consistent track record.  It is reasonable to expect solid seasons from the following players... RF Sin Shoo Choo, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, and CL Chris Perez.

There are also a few players on this team with consistent track records, which don't offer much promise... 3B Jack Hanahan and OF Travis Buck have been around baseball a long time but have never hit worth a lick.  OF Austin Kearns is a proven mediocre commodity. 

This leaves us with a whole bunch of question marks going into this season, and I'll address each of them and how I think they'll pan out...

• Travis Hafner.  Once one of the best hitters in baseball, Hafner has been a shell of his former self over the past three seasons.  He claims he is now fully healthy.  I look for a partial rebound for Hafner... 20 HR, 85 RBI, .280 BA.  
• Carlos Santana.  He appears to be fully healthy and I would bet he rakes this season... 24 HR, 90 RBI, .300 BA.
• Grady Sizemore.  Should be back before the end of April, but I doubt he'll ever be the same player ever again (and I thought he was a bit overrated to begin with)... 9 HR, 40 RBI, .220 BA, lots of strikeouts, and dumped by his girlfriend who proceeds to release naked pics he sent her.
• Matt Laporta.  Hasn't shown much in his limited opportunities, but I believe he has potential but will need some time to show it.  I'd compare him to Ryan Ludwick.  Give him a chance... 18 HR, 70 RBI, .280 BA.
• Michael Brantley.  Still only 23, and I think he'll take a step forward this season... 10 HR, 40 RBI, .280 BA, 28 SB.  
• Fausto Carmona.  A lot of people think he's an ace.  I don't.  I think he's a younger, harder throwing version of Jake Westbrook and will always be inconsistent and never strike hitters out... 13-11. 4.50 ERA.  
• Justin Masterson.  His stuff is terrific, just needs to get more consistent with it.  I think he ends up our best starter this season... 15-9, 4.25 ERA, 160 K's.
• Carlos Carrasco.  I'm hoping he stays healthy because he needs all the experience we can give him this season... 10-12, 4.75 ERA, 120 K's, and shows enough potential to secure a spot in the rotation next year.
• Josh Tomlin.  Throws strikes and challenges hitters, will get rocked occasionally...  12-12, 4.50 ERA.
• Mitch Talbot.  I expect the same season from a year ago... 10-13, 4.50 ERA
• The Bullpen.  Bullpens are always hard to figure, but this pen should be decent and usually get the job done.
• The Defense.  Jhonny Peralta is playing in Detroit, so the defense in Cleveland has improved. 

Lots of question marks... I'm more optimistic about the starting lineup than the starting pitching.  The AL Central looks to be competitive this year with three solid teams in the White Sox, Twins, and Tigers.  The Indians will be mediocre, but there will be some improvement... enough that there will be renewed hope for next year, just like the Tribe of my youth.  Prediction:  74-88, 4th in the AL Central.