The Season 15 Clevelnad Indians

The Indians management has been very busy this off season already. So far the Indians have upgraded their offense and defense with the acquisition of Matt Pierce and solidified the pen by acquiring Mendy Hughes. We are still actively searching for another pitcher as an upgrade but we doubt that will happen at this time because money is in short supply now.
After last season Kris Sherman (owner) and I sat down and talked about how to get this team into the playoffs after several almost seasons the last few years. We think the Pierce trade solved one of the problems we have had for a long time, a solid hitting and fielding CF. We had several plans coming into the season but the trade changed things drastically.
We also discussed a couple mistakes that was made last season. The Blackwell trade for one, as he wasn't keen on the idea. It wasn't a bad idea really, but it did leave a hole in the pen that we couldn't fix until this season. Boomer Thomson did a great job filling in as the closer, but it left us without a short reliever to get that one or two outs when needed. It did clear cap space for this season as intended. The trade of Albert Tapies for Roy Little gave us a starter that we desperately needed and after that trade the team perked up. Though we were still searching for a fifth starter all season long and came up empty handed. The late season trade for Pascual Berroa was the biggest positive in a season that went downhill at the end. The WW pickup of B.C. Bennett was also a boon at the time. However, this season B.C. has been the forgotten man with no slot position, so it was off to AAA. He could be called up at any time though if an injury hits the team, not a bad insurance policy.
The biggest mistake was the handling of Albert Valenzuela, everyone thought it was a great idea at the time, the perfect backup for Black Bart. However, after the season was over and had the time to analyze, it was a very wrong move. Albert didn't do anything wrong, he played great. He was just the wrong guy for the job. He will be in Vacouver this season as a very happy starting catcher I hope.

So this is how the Season 15 Indians stack up:

C - Bart Ross - If his glove ever comes around he will be one of the best in the biz. Jose Blanco will be his backup and it is his job to lose as there are several that are chomping at the bit to replace him if things go badly.
1B - Deivi Silva gets the job with several bench players to back him up if needed. He should be a candidate for a GG here.
2B - Eswalin James was asked which position he wanted to play and finally decided here. Another GG cndidate.
SS - Sean Smalley will get to play the entire season here as his backup is at AA gaining skill. GG is another possibility.
3B - Karim Quevedo gets the nod as he is experienced with the position. Another GG possibility.
LF - Pascual Berroa was happy to be traded to the Indians last season as he finally gets to play a position he is capable of. Can we say another GG contender.
CF - Matt Pierce knows we gave up half the farm to bring him here, the pressure is on. We are not expecting a GG candidate though, just solid hitting and fielding.
RF - Giovanni Jackson finds himself surrounded by very good talent on the field and in the lineup and seems to be jubilant about the situation. Is a third straight GG ready for his shelf?

Bench
Pascual Zapata - 3B/1B/COF
Trace Wallace - 3B/1B/COF
Mickey Greer - 2B/CF

The bench is very deep and won't have problems resting players.

We have high expectations that this will be one of the best defensive teams in the NL. Hopefully the hitting shows up like we think it should this year. Yes, it looks like we have a backup SS hole, but that is easily remedied with some shuffling.

Starting Pitchers:
Tito Gao hopefully another 15+ win season.
Brant Brede has been a bit of a disappointment but is 15+ win capable.
Anthony Riley was picked up last year for a job in the pen where he failed miserably but pitched well as a starter.
Pedro Roque failed at just about everything last season, but has come to camp rejuvenated this year.
Roy Little did well as a starter early last year but fell from grace in the "Dog Days".

If the starters can win 60+ games like they should, the pen should pick up the other 25-30 and the saves needed for a playoff run.

The Pen
Ross Bland veteran that tried to hold the pen together last year, hopefully this years plans help.
Jose Crespo desperately wanted to come back after he saw the changes being made.
Johnny Zeile is the "spark plug" in the pen.
Matt Brooks is on a short leash this year.
Posiedon Marte is even on a shorter leash.
Ivan Blasco is on a work-release program.
Boomer Thomson our one to two out specialist.
Mendy Hughes is the CLOSER!