Who's going to play first base?
Right now, the in-house options for the Indians include Matt LaPorta, Carlos Santana, Shelley Duncan, and Michael Brantley. LaPorta and Duncan provide right handed options, which is needed to balance the Indians' lineup. LaPorta has been a disappointment though, and doesn't provide any defensive value. He also still has one option left, and could be sent to the minor leagues. Duncan could be a good platoon option, but doesn't hit right handed pitching enough to man the spot full time. There have been rumblings that Carlos Santana could be the Tribe's full time first baseman, but his defense behind the plate hasn't been as bad as some worried, and moving him out from behind the plate would negate much of his value. It would also force Lou Marson into a full time role, which would create another hole in the lineup. Michael Brantley played some first base in the minors, but his bat doesn't profile for a corner position.
Our best course of action would be to sign Carlos Pena or Casey Kotchman, and platoon them with Shelley Duncan or Matt LaPorta. Either left-handed free agent would ideally get about 75% of the at bats, while LaPorta or Duncan getting about 25% (with Duncan playing a little in left field also). The Indians also plan to use Carlos Santana at first some some to keep him fresh, so they really don't need a full time player. Pena is probably our best option, because even though his overall numbers don't look great, he still hit .255/.388/.504 against right-handed pitching last season. That, complimented with a decent right handed bat could turn first base into position of strength for the Indians.
How will Lonnie Chisenhall fair against lefties?
While Lonnie Chisenhall's overall numbers from the minor leagues looked great, a closer look show that he did a lot of damage against righties, and struggled against lefties. Major League left-handed pitchers should be able to expose him once the league gets a book on him. He'll have to not only make strides against them overall offensively, but also make adjustments to keep southpaws from disposing of him without much effort.
The team can't simply bench Chisenhall against lefties, because that will impede his development, and turn his career into nothing more than that of a platoon hitter. He needs at bats and experience to get better, but he might have a short leash if he struggles, since the Indians are pushing for playoff run. With Jack Hannahan on the roster, the Indians have the option of allowing Hannahan face lefties, because while his bat shouldn't fare any better, his defense in the field should still bring value.
How will the infield defense perform?
With their hyper-groundball rotation (sans Josh Tomlin), the Indians infielders will need to stay on their toes. The problem, is that none of them have a strong defensive reputation. Lonnie Chisenhall's calling card is his bat, Jason Kipnis is still learning the position, and for all his web gems, Asdrubal Cabrera rates as a below average shortstop by most defensive metrics. No one who's currently on the roster is plus defender at first base, although free agent options could help at that position.
At third, I think Lonnie Chisenhall is athletic enough and has the tools to be an average defender. But he's still a young player, and needs more repetitions and experience to get there. Asdrubal Cabrera is going into his age 26 season, and I think he is what he is. I don't see him improving unless he has committed his offseason and spring to his defense, which I haven't heard about. Jason Kipnis was an outfielder in college, and was converted to second base in the minor leagues. He only played 254 games in his minor league career, and it's safe to say he's not fully adept defensively yet. Like Chisenhall, Kipnis needs repetitions to harvest improvement. Like I said, no one on the roster provides much defensive value at first base, but both Carlos Pena and Casey Kotchman have reputations as strong defensive players. I'd like to see the team go after Pena more than Kotchman, because Pena has a longer, more consistent track record offensively, where as Kotchman had only his third good year of his eight years career in 211.
Will Jason Kipnis avoid injury all season?
This kind of comes out of nowhere, as Kipnis has no injury history to my knowledge. It does stem somewhat from the last question though, as he is still learning the keystone position defensively. His work around the base while turning the double play is nowhere near polished, and having someone taking you out with their slide every time you turn a double play, I worry about him suffering an ankle, foot, knee, or any other part of the leg injury.
Will the outfield bounce back?
With Grady Sizemore recovering from his perpetual knee injuries, and Shin-Soo Choo dealing with off of the field issues, the Indians outfield didn't bring the offense it was expected to last season. Choo has given the indication that he is past the problems that troubled him last season, and says he's no longer concerned with how the media perceives him (especially the Korean media). He's one of the most talented players not he roster, and I think he has a good chance of bouncing back to around .300/.400/.500, like his put up in 2008-10.
Sizemore is still rehabbing from his most recent knee surgery, which is on schedule by all accounts. If things keep going well, he should be ready for spring training when it starts. I don't think Sizemore will ever play 150+ games again, and think it'd be great if he played in 120 this season. His knee injuries have limited his range since in recent years. If the team plans on making Sizemore, Choo, and Brantley as their starting outfield, I would hope that they at least put a little thought to putting Brantley in center and Sizemore in left. Being responsible for less ground in a less demanding position could help keep Sizemore healthy, which is really what he needs.
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