The Cleveland Show: Most interesting team of 2013

The Cleveland Indians are the most interesting team to watch in the 2013 baseball season. Although many may feel the Toronto Blue Jays are the team to look out for, let me shed some light on the Tribe. 

To start things off, I thought it would be best to look at the moves Cleveland made this offseason:

1) Hired Terry Francona as new manager. 

2) Multiple trades that brought in INF Mike Aviles, OF Drew Stubbs, RHP Trevor Bauer, RHP Bryan Shaw, and others.

3) Signed free agents INF Mark Reynolds, RF Nick Swisher, and RHP Brett Myers.

           

4) OF Shin-Soo Choo was traded away to the Cincinnati Reds, and OF Grady Sizemore and DH Travis Hafner elected for free agency.

With these additions, the Indians suddenly have a decent lineup from top to bottom that possesses speed and power. Let’s take a look at the projected Indians lineup for Opening Day in 2013:

                     Name                       2012 Hitting Statistics

            1) Jason Kipnis-2B (.257 BA, 14 HR, 76 RBI, 31 SB)

            2) Michael Brantley-LF (.288 BA, 6 HR, 60 RBI, 12 SB)

            3) Nick Swisher-RF (.272 BA, 24 HR, 93 RBI)

            4) Mark Reynolds-1B (.221 BA, 23 HR, 69 RBI)

            5) Carlos Santana-C (.252 BA, 18 HR, 76 RBI)

            6) Asdrubal Cabrera-SS (.270 BA, 16 HR, 68 RBI)

            7) Chris McGuinnes-DH (.268 BA, 23 HR, 77 RBI *Minor League Statistics)

            8) Lonnie Chisenhall-3B (.268, 5 HR, 16 RBI)

            9) Drew Stubbs-CF (.213 BA, 14 HR, 40 RBI, 30 SB)

Most of these players aren’t household names, but this Indians lineup is going to be a surprisingly dangerous lineup. Here is a breakdown of the players you will become used to hearing in the near future:

Carlos Santana

Jason Kipnis: Although the average wasn’t great last year, Kipnis is a sneaky-good hitter who can hit for average, hit for power and can be a threat on the base paths.

Michael Brantley: Getting on base is his game, and he will drive in runs more than people expect. He’s a player that will drive opposing teams crazy with his superb defense.

Carlos Santana: Has a violent swing that compares to Pablo Sandoval, and will soon be one of the top hitting catchers in baseball.

Pitching was the Achilles heal for the Indians a year ago, but multiple offseason moves have bolstered the rotation for the Tribe:

1) Justin Masterson (11-14, 4.93 ERA, 206.1 IP, 159 K)

2) Ubaldo Jimenez (9-17, 5.40 ERA, 176.2 IP, 143 K)

3) Trevor Bauer (1-2, 6.06 ERA, 16.1 IP, 17 K)

4) Zach McAllister (6-8, 4.24 ERA, 125.1 IP, 110 K)

5) Brett Myers (3-8, 3.81 ERA, 65.1 IP, 41 K)

The 2012 statistics don’t impress anyone by any standards, but there are interesting storylines that surround this rotation:

Ubaldo Jimenez: Jimenez has not been the pitcher the Indians hoped they were getting since they traded for him at the Trade Deadline in 2011. But if Jimenez can finally make the necessary adjustments to succeed in the American League like he did in the National League, the Indians will have a legitimate Cy Young Award candidate.

Trevor Bauer

Trevor Bauer: He has the unusual workout regimen and the Tim Lincecum-like delivery, but he also is the 5^th best prospect in Major League Baseball according to MLB.com. The Diamondbacks were quick to pull the trigger on trading Bauer away, and if he is as good as advertised, the Indians will have a 1-2 punch that is just as formidable as the defending AL Champs, the Detroit Tigers (Verlander and

Scherzer).

One of the best bullpens that people don’t know about resides in Cleveland. Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith, Frank Hermann and Cody Allen were solid relievers for the Tribe last year, and newcomers, Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw will help bridge the gap to their two-time All-Star closer, Chris Perez. If the Indians rotation can keep them in games for 5 or 6 innings, the bullpen will have no problem shutting the door on opposing teams.

Nick Swisher

How the Indians will flourish under Terry Francona and how Nick Swisher will change the atmosphere of the Indians clubhouse are other storylines that make the Indians the most interesting team to watch in 2013. Francona is a huge upgrade for the Indians and should make an immediate impact on the culture in Cleveland. Swisher is a high energy player that will make everyone around him better just by being in the lineup.

Many don’t expect the Indians to contend for another couple of seasons, but if the Indians’ playoff wishes are granted sooner than expected, I’ll be delighted to give you that, 'I told you so' look.

-Hayden Carter