So after a night of watching a great UFC PPV, I decided to get all caught up on all things Tribe. Unfortunately it is looking like the Indians are going to have to persevere to start the season. Not only was it revealed that Grady Sizemore will for sure not be ready for opening day after suffering a strained back, but now All-Star Closer Chris Perez is likely to miss 4-6 weeks after throwing a bullpen session today.
It isn't all darkness however, because the Indians while not making any big signings this off-season did address depth all over the diamond. Basically, management has accepted the fact that the Indians are cursed with a whole slew of injuries to key players. If Sizemore misses opening day, there are short-term replacements ready and intriguing to fill in. Obviously Michael Brantley will slide from Left to Center, and then you got a large list of short-term LF options, Shelley Duncan, Jason Donald, Matt LaPorta, Aaron Cunningham, Ryan Spilborghs, Fred Lewis, and Russ Canzler. I think the smart money if you had to pick a favorite from this group would be Shelley Duncan. He is a veteran, he was going to make the opening day roster anyways, and he closed out last season strong. The wild-card is Matt LaPorta. He has an opportunity to not go straight to Columbus should he perform well in the spring. And IF he gets the early outfield starts, can he take advantage of the opportunity? This was a top tier prospect, he has major league experience, and he has one more opportunity to seize his spot on this team for the next few seasons.
The loss of Chris Perez will also hurt, since like Sizemore there isn't a sure replacement based on talent and track record. However, if he misses some time (shouldn't be more than a week or two into the season), then we will get to see if Vinnie Pestano can be a future closer in this league. Pestano has the make-up to do it, and has been successful in 8th inning, so I think we would like to see what can happen. Plus, the Indians bullpen is full of flexibility, you got Tony Sipp, Joe Smith, and Rafael Perez who can all split up the 7th and 8th innings with Pestano rejoining them once Perez comes back. Like the outfield, the Indians have a ton of new players with experience as closers should they not want to shake up the bullpen rotation. The two likely candidates would be Chris Ray or Jeremy Accardo. Chris Ray was once an All-Star closer for the Baltimore Orioles, so he has experience in that role with success.
Overall its a tough start to a season where the potential was based on health. However at least now we can say that baseball season is finally here.
Go Tribe
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