| Christopher Reina. 5th November, 2007 - 9:38 pm
 2007 Record: 96-66
2007 Pythagorean Record: 91-71
1st in AL Central
The Indians were one win away from the World Series, but lost three in a row to Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsuzaka to continue their 50-year drought.
But the Indians are very young, talented and cheap, which means they will remain an elite franchise for many seasons to come.
General Manager
Mark Shapiro has done a superb job running the Indians since taking over for John Hart in 2001. The Indians are the model of a young and affordable team built through a mixture of trades and excellent scouting.
Manager
Eric Wedge continues the long tradition of the no-name catcher-turned manager. He has a 415-395 record as Cleveland’s manager and he is all but certain to win the AL Manager of the Year. He is young and steady and treats his players fairly, making him an ideal manager for this group of young talent.
Catcher
Victor Martinez has unquestionably been one of the game’s most productive offensive catchers over the past four seasons. In 2007, he set career highs for slugging, homeruns and RBIs.
But he played 30 games at first base in 2007, partly to give his legs a rest and also to allow Kelly Shoppach to see more at bats. Regardless of whether Paul Byrd is back in Cleveland, Shoppach will see more action in 2008.
First Base
Ryan Garko improved on a limited 2006 by hitting .289 with 21 homeruns in 484 at bats in 2007. He will remain the everyday first baseman and only sit when Shoppach catches and Martinez slides to first base. He gives the Indians very good production at very affordable price.
Second Base
Like Garko, Asdrubal Cabrera is young, cheap and talented. He replaced Josh Barfield, who was an offensive disaster after coming over from the Padres. Cabrera hit .283 with 3 homeruns in 45 games and will be a fixture of the Indians’ infield for years to come, whether it’s at second or short.
Barfield will be in the mix should he have a good Spring Training, but he could start the season in Triple-A.
Third Base
Casey Blake is entering his walk year after his fifth season in Cleveland, where his production has been fairly consistent but fell from 2006. He hit one less homerun in 2007 despite 187 more at bats and is already 34, so they will begin looking at alternatives. It is possible they will move Jhonny Peralta to third base, Cabrera to short and fill the second base slot with Barfield or maybe even Orlando Hudson, who will be a free agent next winter.
Andy Martewill also see playing time here and also at first as he is far too talented to play another season in Triple-A, though he has struggled in his time up at Jacob’s Field.
Shortstop
Jhonny Peralta bounced back in 2007 from a disappointing 2006 which followed his extension. His OPS rose from .708 to .771, though he still is over one-hundred points shy of his 2005 .886. He was very good in the playoffs against both the Yankees and Red Sox, re-winning the favor of much of Cleveland.
Left Field
Barry Bonds is worth considering for their left field vacancy, but the immovable presence of Travis Hafner at DH makes it problematic.
Kenny Lofton was an excellent midseason acquisition who was invaluable in the postseason, but he is all but certain to not re-sign with the Indians. He will be a Type B free agent and should they offer him arbitration, the Indians will get a sandwich pick for him.
David Dellucci is still around, albeit rarely in 2007. He is signed through 2009, so they will likely give him a chance to get healthy, but they could get into the Jason Bay and Carl Crawford discussions if they want to really go for it in 2008.
Jason Michaels will be the option in left field for Wedge against left-handed pitchers.
Centerfield
Grady Sizemore had another excellent season and continues to be one of the finest young all-around players in the game. He OPS dropped from .908 to .852, but he was a bit more patient at the plate, walking an additional 23 times and his OBP rose from .375 to .390. Sizemore still strikes out more than what you would like to see from a leadoff hitter and he had 19 fewer doubles, six fewer triples and four fewer homeruns from his 2006 season.
But he clearly will only get better as he ages and he will likely replicate (if not better) his 2006 season in 2008 and will be an MVP candidate.
Right Field
Trot Nixon’s one season in Cleveland is likely over, as Franklin Gutierrez is the right fielder of both the present and future. He had a .790 OPS in 271 at bats and appears to be only getting better.
Designated Hitter
Travis Hafner saw a big dip in his numbers in 2007. He had an OPS over 1.000 in each of the previous two seasons and a .992 in 2004, but he weighed in at just .836 this season. He finished the season strong, but if the Indians are going to score more than 811 runs (6th best in the AL), they will need to see the old Hafner.
Starting Pitching
Can the Indians extend C.C. Sabathia during this offseason or will he enter his walk year with a deal to pitch for? With so many affordable players on their roster, Shapiro will do all he can to secure a deal. Sabathia had a 3.21 ERA with 209 strikeouts in 241 innings. He had a 3.22 ERA in 192.7 innings the season before and is the best left-handed starter in the MLB not named Johan Santana.
In 2007, Fausto Carmona went from an average spot starter/long reliever with a 5.42 ERA, to one of the best sinker ball pitchers in the game, with an ERA of 3.06 and a 19-8 record in 215 innings. Carmona won the gnat game against the Yankees, establishing himself as a big game pitcher before struggling in the ALCS against Boston. He and Sabathia are both young and should be at the top of Cleveland’s rotation for many years to come.
Paul Byrd was an innings-eater and an excellent playoff performer and the Indians’ should pick up his option for 2008, HGH or not.
Jake Westbrook had a 4.32 ERA in 2007, as he is yet another year removed from his 2004 where he posted a 3.38 ERA and was an All-Star. He is usually more durable and should pitch over 200 innings in 2008.
Like Westbrook but worse, Cliff Lee had injury problems as he made just 16 starts for the Indians in 2007. Will the lefty rebound, stay healthy and find his 2005 form?
Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey are both young candidates to fill out their rotation.
They are very unlikely to make a move (free agency or trade) for a starting pitcher, playing the numbers game with seven viable arms already in their stable.
Relief Pitching
The Indians’ option on Joe Borowski’s for 2008 is worth $4 million and Shapiro will likely make his decision early this week. Even though he had an ERA above 5.00 in 2007, he was a stabilizing force to the bullpen.
Rafael Betancourt was terrific, posting a 1.47 ERA in 79.3 innings and could be given the closer job should they let Borowski walk.
Rafael Perez was a nearly unhittable lefty, with his 1.78 ERA.
Aaron Fultz is another reliever the Indians hold an option on and at $1.5 million, it is a no-brainer.
Tom Mastny and Jensen Lewis will also factor prominently in 2008.
Farm System
Adam Miller, Chuck Lofgren, Trevor Crowe, Jared Goedert, Nicholas Weglarz and Brian Barton are some of the Indians’ most highly touted prospects.
Miller, a 6-4 right-handed starter, had a 4.82 ERA in 65.1 innings in Buffalo in 2007, which came on the heels of a breakthrough 2006.
Lofgren, a left-handed starter, had a 4.37 ERA in 26 starts in Double-A.
Crowe, an almost 24-year-old outfielder was drafted by Cleveland 14th overall in 2005, but has had only mild success in AA ball.
Goedert had a 1.021 OPS in A ball in 2007 and could be the Indians’ third baseman to replace Blake.
Weglarz has shown great pop despite being just 19-years-old.
Barton is already 25, so his window is closing, but he had a productive season in Double-A, hitting .314.
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