Do you think the Cleveland Indians have what it takes to have a winning season next year?

Question

I'm a huge Tribe fan. I know they sucked this season, but I have high hopes for next season, but all us Tribe fans say that and they always end up suckin.

Answer 1

Cleveland who???????? Just funnin' with ya!! Give their pitching a couple of years and the division will be just like our eastern division. You know how us Yankees and 'dem Red Sox carry on year after year!! The Indians will be fine.

Answer 2

We all know their lineup is good enough (with the exception of jason michaels- get that guy out of there!) and I think that next year the middle relief will be fairly good actually- they were just young and inexperienced but nonetheless very talented. The question marks are the starting pitching and back end of the bullpen. If they can pull in at least one, preferably two quality starting pitchers to go along with sabathia, lee, sowers and westbrook (he is so shaky though) the starting rotation could compete depth-wise with anyone in the league. That leaves the closer. They probably won't acquire any big-time proven closers but will most likely rely on one of the middle relievers to step up and prove themselves. Hopefully thats an area where they wont lose too many games next year. GO TRIBE!

Answer 3

The Indians are a better team than they played like this year. Amazing years from the Twins and Tigers was part of the problem. The biggest problem was that the starting pitching let them down.

With the starting 9 Hafner, Sizemore and Victor Martinez are among the best at thier posisition in baseball and both are just going to keep getting better. Garko did well with a limited try out and Blake is at worst not going to hurt you if Garko doesn't pan out next year. Luna also did well with a more extended try out. From previous partial seasons it appears he can hit. Question is can he play defense? Peralta was a disapointment with the bat this year. If he can come up to 05 or better with the bat and play good or better defense the Tribe is set at short. Marte still has yet to show he belongs and Boone has never been much of a hitter. At best he's a good backup infielder. Kouzmanoff is probably the answer at Third. Kouzmanoff has been tearing up minor league pitching. Eating it alive actually. Barker down at AA is another guy that should get a look. Choo shows potential. Blake and Micheals are good solid outfielders if Choo flops so the OF is covered. The bench is deep.

Sabathia had a decent year. His win loss totals were skewed by poor support and middle relief woes. Westbrook had a minor setback this year despite a better win/loss total. He was expected to step up a bit and didn't. Still at worst he appears to be a good #3 or #4 starter. If he can live up to potential then he'll challenge for staff ace. Cliff Lee was a huge disapointment. After losing a full point in ERA and becoming basically the staff ace by the end of 05 his ERA soared back up a point this year and he put in a pretty mediocre year this year. Which Cliff Lee shows up in 07 will be a huge factor in how well the Tribe does in 07. Byrd is at the end of his career. With luck he still has a decent year left in his 36 year old arm. Next year it'll be 37. More likely Byrd will eat up innings and be a solid #5 starter. Jeremy Sowers and Fausto Carmona are 2 guys the Tribe would rather see filling out the #4 and #5 spots. Sowers did pretty good in his 14 starts. Most SPs need a few years to really learn the art though. So Byrd like stats will be quite acceptable while he learns his trade and the hope is that he is an ace to be who skips the whole mediocraty thing. One thing most people forget is the horrible years guys like Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, The rocket and so many other great pitchers went thru. Maddux was 6-14 with a 5.61 ERA his first full season. Clemens 9-4 with a 4.32 ERA, The big unit 7-9 4.40 ERA, Curt Schilling spent the first 4 and a half years of his career as a middle reliever. His 2nd year as a full time starter was an injury shortened disaster.

So expecting guys to just come up and pitch isn't going to happen. Most who did like Radke had mostly medicre careers since. There are exceptions. Guidry was awesome from day one until the day he threw his arm out. Doc Gooden was another that came up red hot and stayed that way much of his career. Even Pedro took 5 years, 3 of them as a member of the rotation before he went from a solid #3 kind of starter to a priemiere pitcher.

The Tribe has some young pitchers who show real promise. Lee and Westbrook will be telling thier futures with their 07 performances. CC barring injury should be at least rock solid. If all 3 come together for good years that will make the Tribe hard to beat in 07. If Sowers can step up and have at least a decent year and some of the other youngsters can give important starts then the Tribe is in good shape. The relief corps is young and unproven but shows good potential. Sorting out a closer would help. Mastny is listed and was unimpressive in his 16 innings. 8 walks and 17 hits aint closer material. He has to cut both by 2/3rds if he wants to be a real closer. Cabrera might be the answer at set up man. He had a really good 05 but soon as his workload increased he fell apart. Without a closer you lose alot of games late. Makes it hard to truely contend. Especially if the starting pitchers are not awesome. Guthrie with his AAA performance will be competing for a spot on the rotation as well. Nam Choi might be 35 but he's had a pretty good year and will see some action in the majors this year I think. Adam Miller and Sean Smith had impressive enough AA seasons they will get a good look in Spring training and may well be in the rotation by the end of 07.

If everything goes right as did for the Mets, Twins and Tigers this year the Indians will see post season play. Most likely they will be greatly improved in 07 and will have a much better idea which of these youngsters are going to be in thier long term plans. It takes time and patience to develop young talent. The Tribe can panic and trade away great players or they can hold on to them and give them room to develop. If the Tribe takes a couple years, lets these guys prove/disprove what they can do. Then they can fill a hole or two with free agents or trade and be real contenders for the WS. The alternate is to do what the Royals did not long ago and panic. Filling the roster with worthless free agents, allowing key talent to leave or trading it away. Then leaving prospects rotting in the minors. I see the Indians being a real contender for the series in 2 to 3 years if they stay the course and develop all this talent they have.

Answer 4

I hate the Tribe, I'll say that right off the bat. But God damn, I would like to have Grady Sizemore on my team any day. That guy is a stud. Their offense isn't their problem. They need some good pitchers. Cliff Lee isn't going to cut it, Sabathia needs some help around him. Westbrook had promise, but really hasn't developed into anything. I think that they are going to need to beef up the bullpen, go get a reliever. The crappy thing is that it seems like there are a lot of teams that need to beef up the pen.

The key to winning next year for the Tribe, keep Hafner healthy. Build around sizemore, and don't get Ronnie Belliard back.

Answer 5

Maybe, look what happened with the Tigers.

However, they play in such a tough division (AL Central). The only really bad team are the Royals. The Tigers, White Sox, Twins will all be good next season so the indians will have to play some tough ball.

Answer 6

I'm sure they'll even make the playoffs next year. All they need are some high-OBP guys batting before Travis Hafner (besides Grady Sizemore), some other starting pitchers to take the pressure off C C Sabathia and Jake Westbrook, someone who can generate more than 15 saves, some middle relievers, some more quality outfielders besides Sizemore, and some guys who can play defense. Other than that, they're ready for the playoffs!

Answer 7

As i don't have scouting comments on the possibilities they have been given in those trades, i'm unable to truly say in the event that they have a bypass forward plan or not. yet they have been terrible with all those adult men - so why not sell off the lifeless weight and flow on. i will forgive detrimental effects - some terrific communities on paper flounder interior the common season for a sort of motives. next year - assuming they have Sizemore healthful lower back (and a minimum of resembling the 30/30 guy he became - even 20/20 could be welcome), they positioned that including the extra youthful catcher (Santana?) and a pair of possibilities that pan out. . . who is familiar with. everybody thought the Indians of the Early ninety's could be a shaggy dog tale, with a selection of youthful adult men you in no way heard of : Belle, Ramirez, Baega, Vizquel, etc. . . toddlers can grow to be a rigidity exceptionally at as quickly as.

Answer 8

The Indians do have a good young core, and could possibly put together a great season.

I look forward to the day when Cleveland & Detroit are fussing and fighting for the division title year in and year out.

I also look forward to the day when the whinny sux finish in last place 200 games under .500!!!

Answer 9

Funny you should ask that, I was just thinking about that!!!. I think the Indians will surprise a lot of people next season. I think they have a great chance of winning their division. It should be the most competitive division of all, except for the Royals of course.

Answer 10

Actually, I do. Barring injuries they have the talent they just have to pull it all together! Look at the Detroit Tigers! If they can do it after losing 119 games just a few short years ago anyone can!

Answer 11

unless they get some star pitching i don't think its about to happen.

I like the Indians, but don't see it happening. The Tigers had some pitching, young pitching.

They have a good lineup, set for years hopefully, but it probably won't matter.