In the American League Central, Chicago and Detroit are fighting for first place, but don’t forget about Cleveland. Entering Friday night, the Indians were 50-49 and 3.5 games behind the White Sox in the division hunt.
Will Cleveland be aggressive and acquire difference makers, remain neutral and see if the current roster can win the division or secure a wild card berth, or transform into seller’s mode to build a stronger club for 2013 and beyond? According to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick, the Indians would like to upgrade their starting rotation, but they will not pursue a rental player.
Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and outfileder Shin Soo-Choo are players who can yield of haul of top prospects if the Indians become sellers.
Most of Cleveland’s top prospects reside in the lower levels of the minors, like Lindor, so if an opposing team wants major league ready players in return, the Indians will have to tap into their active roster.
The Indians’ lineup features productive bats like Cabrera, Choo, second baseman Jason Kipnis and DH Travis Hafner, but the club desperately needs an upgrade at the corner infield spots (currently manned by Jack Hannahan and Casey Kotchman) and in left field (where Johnny Damon is hitting .232).
The rotation has Justin Masterson in the No. 1 spot with a 7-8 record and a 4.12 ERA. Ubaldo Jimenez is 8-9 with a 4.98 ERA and veteran sinkerballer Derek Lowe has an 8-9 record and a 5.09 ERA. When your top three starters have sub-.500 records and ERAs north of 4, the need for a top of the rotation enhancement is obvious.
The Indians are in situation where they are not one or even two players away from contending for a World Series ring. Their best prospects are at least a few years away from the majors, and if they deal Cabrera or Choo for a starting pitcher, then an already suspect lineup will be depleted.
This is why the Indians will likely make a small move – perhaps grabbing a reliever to improve the pen, which includes closer Chris Perez (another young trade chip) – but they will stick with their current roster for the remainder of 2012.
