Christmas came a little early for Tribe fans as they pulled off what most are viewing as an excellent trade for Brandon Moss on the first day of the Winter Meetings. As Joe broke down here, Moss provides the type of power the Indians have so dearly been missing these past few years. The signing of Gavin Floyd also gives the starting rotation a quality veteran arm, adding to the rotation’s depth. But what other surprises are the Indians and their fans hoping await them under the tree on Christmas day?
1. Healthy Legs for Michael Bourn
Michael Bourn has never really been a great hitter, but what he did possess was great speed. That is of course until he came to Cleveland. Hamstring injuries have really slowed Bourn down during the two years he’s been in Cleveland, before signing with the Tribe, Bourn averaged nearly 46 swipes per season. These past two years he’s had just 23 and ten.
His ailing legs may also be the cause of the decline in his defensive performance as well. In 2012, his final year in Atlanta, Bourn had a UZR of 23.3, and in 2009 and 2010 he won Gold Glove awards. Since coming to Cleveland he’s posted UZRs of -0.5 and -9.4.
It’s completely unrealistic to think he will be able to return to that 40 steal, Gold Glove winning form he had before joining the Indians. Soon-to-be 32 year old speed players with a history of hamstring injuries don’t tend revert back to their younger days. However, a full season with healthy legs could help Bourn become a plus defender again, while allowing him to be close to the dangerous base runner we thought he was going to be.
2. A New Glove for Lonnie Chisenhall
The Indians’ poor defensive performance in 2014 was perhaps the most talked about issue of the year and Lonnie did not help matters. Despite a breakout performance at the plate that saw him rack up a 121 wRC+, Lonnie was virtually useless in the field. Lonnie’s -10.7 UZR was the worst on a team that was bad on defense, not exactly an honor to be proud of.
I doubt at this point in his career extra infield practice is going to turn Lonnie into Brooks Robinson, I’d settle for Travis Fryman. Maybe a set of Tom Emanski’s Baseball Videos can start Lonnie on the right path.
3. A Bounce-Back Season for Jason Kipnis
Jason Kipnis’ struggles last year may have frustrated Tribe fans more than anything else last season. Jason’s All-Star 2013 campaign saw him slash .284/.366/.452, good for a 129 wRC+, he also lead the team with a 4.4 WAR. His 2014 season stood in stark contrast with a paltry .240/.310/.330 and a 86 wRC+.
The oblique injury that sidelined Kipnis for most of May could be the reason for his tremendous struggles at the plate. He’s been a shaky defender for the past two seasons and most of his value lies in his bat and his baserunning. He still managed 22 steals last year despite only appearing in 129 games. Where his biggest drop off came was in his power numbers. His SLG dropped .122 and he hit just 6 home runs last year, none of them coming after July 31st. It’s very conceivable that the oblique injury is what prevented him from driving the ball like he did in 2013.
4. Trade Nick Swisher
This is the biggest stretch of all the things on this list, but likely the most needed. We all know how bad Swisher was last year so there’s no need to re-hash those painful memories. The bottom line here is that Nick Swisher had a down season in 2013 and followed it up with a dumpster fire of a 2014. Since coming to Cleveland he’s battled shoulder issues and he just had surgery on both of his knees. He is 34 years old, and while some may say the injuries are what prevented him from being productive, the most likely explanation is that he is now a player in decline.
He is owed $30 million the next two seasons, a hefty price for a replacement level player. Trading him for a player with a similarly bad contract is probably the only way Swisher will be traded, unless someone is crazy enough to believe in him bouncing back during his age 34 and 35 seasons. Getting rid of Swisher will allow for the Indians to give at-bats to younger players like Zach Walters and Jesus Aguilar. They may not be any better than Swisher, but we will likely never find out if Swisher is on the roster taking at-bats at the DH/1B/RF positions.
5. A Contract Extension Corey Kluber
John Hutchison made a similar argument in this post. The 2014 Cy Young award Winner is set to make something around $500,000 this year since he is not yet arbitration eligible until 2016. If Kluber performs at a Cy Young Caliber again this upcoming year he will get very expensive in his first season of arbitration. The Indians would do well to lock up Kluber to a deal similar to that of Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes.
6. Trade for Another Hitter
This may not be a move on every fan’s wish list, but it is on mine. With the signing of Gavin Floyd, the Tribe has added to what was already considered a strength, giving the team 8 legitimate MLB caliber pitchers they can insert into the starting rotation. Trevor Bauer and Danny Salazar are two young arms that with a lot of potential and could bring a big return in the trade market. T.J. House put up solid numbers last season and many teams may be interested in a cost-controlled lefty, he too could be a valuable trade asset particularly if packaged with other players.
7. Someone in the Bullpen to Step Up
Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen have been two of the Tribe’s best relievers since 2013. They have also been used a ton over the past two seasons. Since coming over from Arizona after the 2012 season, Bryan Shaw has appeared in 150 games, including a league leading 80 games in 2014. Cody Allen has similarly pitched in 153 games. Despite the fact that Terry Francona loves to have a deep bullpen, he has put the brunt of the workload on these two arms. It will be important in 2015 for someone to step up and ease the burden placed on Shaw and Allen. Being in the closer role for a full season should help Allen, but unless another equally reliable arm presents itself, Shaw may be forced into another 70 game season.
While Scott Atchison had a very solid season in 2014, there’s no saying just how much longer he can hold up, his parents did come over on the Mayflower after all. I’m hoping for big things from Kyle Crockett and Zach McAllister. Crockett is just 22 years old, and after burning his way through the minor league circuit, he pitched in 43 games last season with a 1.80 ERA (3.23 FIP) and a 1.133 WHIP. Zach McAllister made 6 relief appearances last season, all coming in September. Over that stretch he had just a 2.76 ERA. Granted this isn’t much of a sample size, but McAllister could very well be a strong option out of the pen and perhaps the Tribe’s version of Wade Davis.
8. AL Central Crown
This one is somewhat self-explanatory. The Indians haven’t won the AL Central since 2007 despite being competitive the past two seasons. 2015 looks like it could be the most competitive the division has been for quite awhile. The White Sox have upgraded their roster and could be a contender in 2015. As long as the Tigers have Miguel Cabrera they are the team to beat. They’ve made a few upgrades to their lineup as well, and they still have a very solid pitching staff. Compared to the White Sox and Tigers, the returning 2014 AL champion Kansas City Royals have been pretty quiet this off-season, but are still a team to be reckoned with. 2015 will be an exciting year and the Indians figure to be in the thick of the playoff hunt all season.
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