Cleveland Indians

Losses: C Kelly Shoppach, (from midseason trades: P Cliff Lee, P Rafael Betancourt, P Carl Pavano, 1B Ryan Garko, C Victor Martinez, OF David Dellucci, UT Mark DeRosa, OF Ben Francisco; The Indians lost so much during the season last year that I had to make light of it.)

Gains: P Jamey Wright, C Mark Redmond, IF Mark Grudzielanek, OF Austin Kearns, UT Shelley Duncan, P Anthony Reyes, P Jason Grilli, IF Luis Gonzales (midseason: P Chris Perez, P Justin Masterson)

Analysis: It's really tough to analyze what has gone on in Cleveland, because so much of it is still to be seen. You won't see it this year, you might not see it next year, but eventually it'll rear it's head. We get to see Matt LaPorta as a feature this year, the main piece of the CC Sabathia trade. The Indians kept payroll down and signed some "ideas" (i'll call them) for this year. Grudge has lost most steps but can still put the ball in play. Jamey Wright has been a project for a while, but you never know. Austin Kearns or Shelley Duncan could potentially hit. Luis Gonzales has had productive spirts, as has Jason Grilli. These are certainly not huge moves, but at least they are bringing in some fresh blood, trying to mix things up. The two biggest contributors will be Chris Perez, from the Mark DeRosa/Cardinals trade and Justin Masteron, of Victor Martinez/Red Sox fame. We'll see what Masterson can do with a full year starting. I know his 2 seamer is nasty, so he's got a shot. Perez can possibly be a set up guy in the image of Rafael Betancourt.

More moves: The way that they have played the game this off-season, you won't see anything real. Maybe a couple more Jason Grillis.

2010 Thoughts: There are a couple of X-factors in this line-up. One is Matt LaPorta. We are going to see if he is ready to play at this level and produce. In 1/3 of a season last year he hit .250 with 7 homeruns. The Indians hope they can get .265 25 hr out of him, maybe bat him 5th, behind the OTHER X FACTOR, Travis Hafner. When Haf has been healthy, he has been dangerous. But when was the last time that was the case. He is really going to swing this order. .308 42/117. That was 2006 Hafner. If he's back, this line-up is completely different. The line-up has other weapons. Grady Sizemore will be back, Asdrubal Cabrera can hit, and so can Jhonny Peralta. Shin Soo Choo has blossomed into a good ball player as well. Michael Brantley hit over .300 in limited at bats, so he'll get left field. The line-up certainly has the potential to be average, which is a lot considering everything that it has lost. A strong performance from Hafner, and who knows. The pitching staff is a project. Jake Westbrook came back to pitch well in 5 starts last season. If he is back to good, he is a useful pitcher. Fausto Carmona is a mystery. He was a dominant pitcher in 2007, but has been a headcase since then. Justin Masterson is yet to be seen, David Huff is an idea and Aaron Laffey at least has some innings under his belt. I honestly don't know what you'll get out of this staff, but i probably depends on which Fausto Carmona shows up in April. The bullpen is okay if Kerry Wood can shut the door. Chris Perez and Joe Smith have both been effective in the past.

Prediction: Congratulation to Kansas City fans because I'm putting Cleveland at #5 in this division. Hopefully they hold onto their major players and let kids develop. Midseason-wise, Hafner is probably the trade bait if he's hitting.

APT