The Cleveland Indians can’t possibly be much worse than they have been each of the last two two seasons. After going 65-97 in 2009, Cleveland improved slightly last season winning 69 games. They once again finished in fourth place in the AL Central, but could be looking at a last place finish in 2011. Grady Sizemore and Carlos Santana are coming off knee operations, and like Sizemore, Asdrubal Cabrera hasn’t been able to stay healthy for two years. Pitching actually turned out to be a strength for Cleveland last year, but the rotation is far from dominant.
My MLB predictions below will give you a little more insight into how Cleveland will fare in 2011.
Projected Lineup
The Indians were pleased with what left fielder Michael Brantley gave them after a call-up in 2010, and he could end up being the guy who gets this offense going at the top of the order. The 23-year-old has the speed you want at the top, but will have to improve on his .246 average and .296 OBP from last season. The days figure to be numbered for center fielder Grady Sizemore, as all signs point to him getting traded at some point this year. Sizemore has battled injury problems in each of the last two seasons, but if he can stay on the field he has the potential to hit 25+ home runs and drive in close to 80 runs wherever he ends up.
Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera hit .284 with a nice .347 OBP last season, but missed 65 games with a broken left forearm. Cabrera has the talent to really be a nice player, and could score a bunch of runs if the guys behind him produce. Right Fielder Shin-Soo Choo was one of the teams few bright spots from last year. He finished with 20 home runs and stole 20 bases for a second straight year, and also ended with a .300 average. DH Travis Hafner had a great .932 OPS in the second half of 2010, but has also struggled to avoid injuries. The potential for monster numbers are there, but its hard to imagine him not getting hurt.
The expectations are high for catcher Carlos Santana, he was hitting .260 with a .401 OBP before his rookie season was cut short. First baseman Matt LaPorta was expected to put up big numbers after coming over to the Indians in the trade that sent C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers, but will have to rebound from a poor 2010 campaign where he hit just .221 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs. The Indians went out and added veteran shortstop Orlando Cabrera in the offseason, and while he doesn't figure to put up great numbers, he brings great leadership to the clubhouse. Third baseman Jason Nix has some nice pop in his bat, but has to improve on his fielding if he plans on staying in the starting lineup.
Projected Rotation
There is no doubt the ace of this pitching staff is Fausto Carmona, but his numbers weren't great thanks to a poor offense behind him, as he went just 13-14 with a 3.77 ERA. If the offense can just stay healthy, he could return to his 2007 form when he went 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA. Justin Masterson got off to a bad start in his first full season as a starter, but really came on strong down the stretch, and could be ready to breakout with a big season in 2011.
Carlos Carrasco showed some great signs in 2010 as a 23-year-old starter going 2-2 with a 3.83 ERA, if he can continue on that path, he will be a force in this rotation for some time to come. Mitch Talbot and Josh Tomlin also looked good in their rookie seasons, and how they translate that into this season could determine how the Indians finish up in the AL Central. Tomlin went 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 12 starts, while Talbot went 10-13 with a 4.41 ERA in 28 starts, but won just two games after the All-Star break.
2011 Projection: 5th Place AL Central
It seems like ages ago when the Indians were just one victory away from a World Series in 2007. It use to never be a question if the Indians would sell out their stadium, but with the teams recent struggles they finished last in attendance in 2010. CEO Paul Dolan is not willing to spend big money on free agents at this time, and as a result the cupboard is very bare. If you didn’t think it could get worse in Cleveland, it certainly can and 2011 will prove it.
The Indians MLB odds to win the division are currently listed at +3000.
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