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10/21/08 - Sonny Fulks/1570wptw.com

Nobody’s asked me…and nobody will…which makes it all the more easy to speculate on the off-season retooling of the Cleveland Indians.

After a horrendous start and a crippling array of injuries to key players, the Indians rebounded to finish at .500…81 and 81.

Starting pitcher Jake Westbrook missed four months. Catcher Victor Martinez was out much of the season. Designated hitter Travis Hafner had but 200 at bats and just five home runs, and the lineup was shuffled continuously to compensate.

But even if they all come back next season, and healthy, the Indians have to face the fact of competing in 2009 with an improved Central Division, top to bottom. Chicago and Minnesota will enter the season as favorites, but count on Detroit to rebound and Kansas City made the division’s most dramatic improvement in 2008.

For the Indians, essential points of emphasis must be addressed.

One, general manager Mark Shapiro must solidify the starting rotation…which means he has to find at least one, and probably two additional starters in the off-season.

Cliff Lee had a phenomenal 23-3 record, but historically he’s a .600 pitcher, and a year ago he spent much of his time in Buffalo. He deserves the American League Cy Young award, but don’t count him being 23-3 again in 2009.

It’s not certain if or how Jake Westbrook will bounce back. And Fausto Carmona was anything but the consistent performer he proved to be when he won 19 games in 2007. Jeremy Sowers was 4-9 as a fourth starter this year, and Aaron Laffey is still young and unproven.

Defensively, the Indians have to improve and find solid day-to-day performers at third, short, and second base. The Josh Barfield/Asdrubal Cabrera experiment at second base has been on again, off again, and Jhonny Peralta lacks the range and athleticism found by competing shortstops in the division. The trade of Casey Blake to the Dodgers left a gaping uncertainty at third base.

Finally, don’t be surprised if the Indians are in the market for closer for the bullpen. It was done largely by committee, and not dependably, after Joe Borowski was shut down with arm problems.

Ironically, for a team that won the division and came within one win of going to the 2007 World Series, the Indians have a lot of tooling to do before the spring training come March.

If Hafner and Martinez are healthy and bounce back at the plate, they’ll score runs. But the Indians must find a leadoff hitter. Grady Sizemore was great, but he’s not a leadoff hitter. His 33 home runs and 90 runs batted in represent production in the middle of the order.

Pitching is a huge question. And defensively, it’s questionable if they’re competitive right now with the likes of Minnesota, Chicago, and yes…even Kansas City.

There is work to do, and the way the Browns are playing expect the remaking of the Indians to be the center of attention in Cleveland…and soon!