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Indians seek bounce-back season [The Lima News, Ohio](Lima News (OH) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Apr. 5--CLEVELAND -- The C.C. Sabathia era is over. The big left-hander is now wearing the Yankee pinstripes. But even without Sabathia, there are plenty of reasons for optimism on Lake Erie. The key to the Indians' fortunes will be the bounce-back ability of right-hander Fausto Carmona, designated hitter Travis Hafner and catcher Victor Martinez. All were limited because of injuries last year. With their return, the Indians should be much improved over the 81-81 season of a year ago. Catching It almost seemed automatic to pencil in switch-hitting Victor Martinez for his .300 average and 20 home runs. But Martinez suffered a hamstring injury on Opening Day. Then came a right elbow injury, which needed surgery in June and robbed him of his power. He hit only .278 with two home runs and 35 RBIs. He was limited to 266 at-bats. While he'll see time at first base, he did throw out 31 percent of the runners who attempted to steal. Expected to see plenty of time behind the plate is Kelly Shoppach, who hit .261 with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs. CATCHING GRADE: A- First base Ryan Garko batted .273 with 90 RBIs. His home runs dropped from 21 in 2007 to 14 last year. He did hit .319 after the All-Star break. Garko also hit .315 with runners in scoring position. Martinez will see plenty of time here when Shoppach is behind the plate. FIRST BASE GRADE: B Second base Asdrubal Cabrera became the everyday second baseman last year and hit .259. That was a dip from the .283 he hit in 2007 when he was promoted for 159 at-bats. The switch-hitter doesn't have a lot of power and had only six home runs and 47 RBIs. Cabrera started slow, but hit .320 after the All-Star break. He has good range and a strong arm and made eight total errors last year. SECOND BASE GRADE: B Shortstop Jhonny Peralta hit better than .270 (.276) and had at least 20 home runs (23) for the second straight year. He also drove in 89 runs. Peralta loves to jump on fastballs and has power both to rightcenter and left-center field. He hit .285 with 16 home runs against right-handers. Peralta has a strong arm, but lacks range. He had 14 errors and a fielding percentage of .979. SHORTSTOP GRADE: B Third base Mark DeRosa was acquired in a trade for the Cubs and takes over at third. Last year with the Cubs, DeRosa hit .285 with 21 home runs and 87 RBIs. He was the model of consistency, hitting .283 with 11 homers in the first half and .288 with 10 homers in the second half. A clutch performer, DeRosa hit .322 with runners in scoring position and .368 with the bases loaded. An above-average fielder, he had a .977 fielding percentage playing five positions. THIRD BASE GRADE: B+ Designated hitter Travis Hafner was a physical wreck last year. He was shut down on the disabled list for three months with a right shoulder injury before returning in September. He underwent surgery on the shoulder on Oct. 14. He hit only .197 with five home runs in 198 at-bats. In 2007, he dipped to .266 with 24 home runs. Hafner needs to prove he can still be a strong presence in the middle of the order. DH GRADE: C Outfield Center fielder Grady Sizemore has become of the game's elite stars. He became only the 10th American League player (14th alltime) to hit 30 home runs (33) and steal 30 bases (38) last year. He hit .268 with 101 runs and 170 hits. Sizemore can track down nearly every fly in the gaps and won his second straight Gold Glove Award. Left fielder Ben Francisco likes to pull fastballs and hit .266 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs. He hit .292 at home, but only .215 with runners in scoring position. He has a strong arm and had 12 outfield assists last year. In right field will be Shin-Soo Choo, a pesky line-drive hitter who hit .309 with 14 home runs and 66 RBIs. He hit .343 after the All-Star break and .386 with runners in scoring position. OUTFIELD GRADE: B+ Starters Left-hander Cliff Lee went from the No. 5 spot to Cy Young Award winner last year. He led the league in wins (22-3) and ERA (2.54). He was the Indians' first 20-game winner since Gaylord Perry in 1974. Lee owns four quality pitches, including a 92 mph fastball and tight breaking ball. He was 12-2 with a 2.31 ERA before the break and 10-1 with a 2.83 after it. Right-hander Fausto Carmona went from his 19-win, 3.06 ERA in 2007 to going 8-7 with a 5.44 last year. He was sidelined for two months with a strained left hip last year. He's expected to be completely healthy and should be able to feature his 94 mph fastball and powerful sinker. In the No. 3 slot is right-hander Carl Pavano, who went 4-2 with a 5.77 ERA in only seven starts with the Yankees last year. Pavano missed the bulk of the season after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. He returned on Aug. 23. Right-hander Anthony Reyes, who has a 92 mph fastball, won the No. 4 job this spring. He came to the Indians from St. Louis in July and went 2-1 with a 1.83 in six starts with Cleveland. Overall, he went 4-2 with a 2.76 in 49 innings. Ohio State product left-hander Scott Lewis doesn't light up the radar gun at 86 mph, but was 4-0 with a 2.63 in four starts last year. He took the No. 5 job this spring from left-hander Aaron Laffey and lefty Jeremy Sowers. Right-hander Jake Westbrook (1-2, 3.12 ERA) had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and is expected to return in July. STARTERS GRADE: B- Bullpen The Indians have gone from last year's Opening Day closer, the always shaky Joe Borowski, to Kerry Wood. In 66 innings with the Cubs last year, Wood had a 3.26 ERA and 34 saves. Wood's appearances need to be monitored, but he was healthy and throwing 95 mph last year. Another key pickup for the bullpen was getting Joe Smith in a trade with the Mets. The former Wright State right-hander from outside Cincinnati had a 3.55 ERA last year. The set-up crew includes Jensen Lewis (3.82 ERA, 13 saves), Rafael Betancourt (5.07), Rafael Perez (3.54) and Masa Kobayashi (4.53) BULLPEN GRADE: A- TEAM OVERALL GRADE: B |