4) Kansas City
Sunday, April 4, 2010
American League Preview: Cleveland Indians
As we head towards Spring Training (I mean the regular season), it's time to check out where all 14 teams in the American League are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this tenth installment we will analyze the Cleveland Indians.
- Cleveland Indians (2009 W/L: 65-97, 773 RS, 865 RA)
Key Additions: 1B/DH Russell Branyan, OF Austin Kearns, SP Mitch Talbot, Manager Manny Acta
Key Losses: C Kelly Shoppach, RP Jose Veras, RP Luis Vizcaino
Overview: It’s been an ugly last two seasons for the Tribe. After entering 2008 as World Series sleepers thanks to a pushing the Boston Red Sox to a Game 7 in the 2007 ALCS, the Indians failed to live up to expectations the past two seasons. The result? Former aces C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee and slugger Victor Martinez are long gone. Now the Indians will enter a prolonged rebuilding process and if last season is any indication, it could be an ugly one for new manager Manny Acta.
Infield: The only returning faces from last season will be shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and third baseman Jhonny Peralta. The 24 year old Cabrera is a star in the making; he hit .308/.361/.438 with 42 doubles and 68 RBI. He can also steal the occasion base, swiping 17 bags last season. Peralta is far from the prototypical corner infielder, with below average power and on-base ability. He saw his home runs more than drop in half last season (23 in 2008, 11 in 2009) and his OBP declined for the second straight year to a paltry .316. First base will kept warm by Matt LaPorta until Russell Branyan is ready to return from a bulging disc in his spine. LaPorta showed some power potential last season, hitting seven home runs and driving in 21 runs in just 181 at-bats. Despite hitting 31 home runs in under 500 at-bats in the pitcher friendly confines of Safeco Field last season, Branyan had to settle for a one year deal worth $2 million with the team that drafted him in 1994. Luis Valbuena mans second base; the 24 year old he hit just .250 with a .298 OBP last season. Finally, rookie Lou Marson who was part of the Cliff Lee deal, starts behind the plate.
Outfield: The shining lights for the Indians’ lineup lie in the outfield grass where rightfielder Shin-Soo Choo and centerfielder Grady Sizemore roam. In his first full season, Choo was impressive, hitting .300/.394/.489 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI. Sizemore battled injuries last year and put the worst numbers of his career while playing in just 106 games. When he was on the field, he was clearly limited. If he can stay healthy, expect Sizemore to return to form. Leftfield will be occupied by youngster Michael Brantley. The 22 year old was impressive in a small sample size of 112 at-bats last season.
Designated Hitter: Travis Hafner hasn’t been the same since 2006 when he hit 42 home runs and drove in 117 runs. The man known as “Pronk” has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness over the past two seasons and it’s tough to say that 2010 will be any different.
Starting Pitching: Jake Westbrook returns to the Indians rotation after recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 32 year old last pitched in May of 2008. The fact that Westbrook is the default “ace” of the rotation highlights the woes of pitching staff. Fausto Carmona heads north as the team’s second starter. Carmona looked like an ace in the making in 2007 but has never been the same since. Former Red Sox prospect Justin Masterson draws the next straw. Masterson came over in the Victor Martinez trade and was unimpressive in 11 games with the Tribe. Masterson went just 1-7 with an ERA of 4.55 while walking 35 batters in just 57.1 innings. David Huff falls into the fourth slot in the rotation. Huff went 11-8 in his rookie season with a 5.61 ERA and allowing a horrid 201 batters on base in just 128.1 innings pitched. The fact that he managed an 11-8 record with numbers like that highlights how outdated the idea of judging a pitcher by their win/loss record is. Finally, 26 year old Mitch Talbot rounds out the rotation. Talbot, who was once a highly touted member of the Tampa Bay Ray’s farm system, will look to finally make his name in the majors after injuries slowed his progress.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
American League Preview: Kansas City Royals
As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 14 teams in the American League are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this ninth installment we will analyze the Kansas City Royals
- Kansas City Royals (2009 W/L: 65-97, 686 RS, 842 RA)
Key Additions: 2B Chris Getz, C Jason Kendell, OF Scott Podsednik, OF Rick Ankiel,
Key Losses: OF Coco Crisp, 3B Mark Teahan, C John Buck
Overview: After slowly building their way back up from a disastrous 56 season in 2005 to 75 wins in 2008, the Royals took a step backwards in 2009. Despite a Cy Young winning performance from Zack Greinke, the Royals still managed to lose 10 more games last season than they did in 2008. The Royals were active this offseason, at least by their standards but don’t expect this to be the year that the Royals finally compete.
Infield: Billy Butler finally emerged as legitimate power threat for the Royals last season. The young first baseman hit .301 with 21 home runs and 93 RBI last season while also getting on-base at a solid rate (.362 OBP). Second base will be occupied by newly acquired Chris Getz. Getz hit .261 with 2 home runs and 31 RBI last season with the White Sox. Yuniesky Betancourt remains at shortstop having replaced the then injured Mike Aviles last season after being acquired from the Mariners. Should Betancourt or Getz falter, Aviles, who is having a strong spring training, may snag a starting a job away from them. Third base at this point, is up in the air. Alex Gordon is not expected to be ready for the season due to a fractured thumb and his expected replacement, Alberto Callaspo pulled a muscle in his right side on March 26 and as of March 30, has yet to play in a game. Veteran backstop Jason Kendell rounds out the infield. The 35 year old catcher has been in decline offensively since 2006 when he batted .295 with a .367 OBP. Kendell mustered a .246/.331 line last year, but his defense and experience will be a plus for the Royals’s pitching staff.
Outfield: Rick Ankiel will roam centerfield in Kansas City after having spent his entire career in St. Louis. Ankiel had a disappointing 2009 offensively, seeing his numbers drop across the board although his collision with the wall in Philadelphia in may have had something to do with it. He’ll be joined by David DeJesus who hit to the tune of .281/.347/.781 last season. DeJesus is a nice, if unspectacular player at the plate and excellent in the field. Scott Podsednik will man leftfield, where he should regress back to the .250 to .270 hitter he’s been his entire career as opposed to the .304 hitter he was last season (BABIP of .341 last season). The 34 year old can still steal his bases, but his lack of power makes him a poor choice for an everyday corner outfielder.
Designated Hitter: Oft-injured Jose Guillen mercifully enters the final season of his three year, $36 million with the Royals. The controversial Guillen hasn’t caused much of a stir since 2008, but that may only be because he barely got the field in 2009. Guillen played in just 81 games, hitting seven home runs and driving in 40 RBI. If Guillen can manage to stay healthy and out of trouble in 2010, the Royals could have a respectable three and four with Butler and Guillen.
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