Countdown to Opening Day: #13 Cleveland Indians

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Lansdale Reporter

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

#13 Cleveland Indians: Cleveland, where beer and chicken is welcomed

PROJECTED LINEUP
CF Michael Bourn
2B Jason Kipnis
SS Asdrubal Cabrera
C Carlos Santana
1B Nick Swisher
DH Mark Reynolds
LF Michael Brantley
3B Lonnie Chisenhall
RF Drew Stubbs

PROJECTED ROTATION
Justin Masterson
Ubaldo Jimenez
Brett Myers
Zach McAllister
Trevor Bauer

PROJECTED BULLPEN

Closer: Chris Perez

Set-up: Vinnie Pestano

Top Prospect: Trevor Bauer (SP)

Terry Francona

KFC and Miller High Life have been trending upward in Ohio. Terry Francona left Boston after the 2011 season behind a ton of clubhouse drama revolving around what what was on the locker room menu. While Boston not only failed to realize it is the norm in professional baseball and when they let him go they let go a good baseball mind.
The Indians are the winners in the Boston debacle. And I feel the only way Francona would leave his cushy job at ESPN was if the front office showed their want to win. Welcome in a ton a new faces. Welcome Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, Mark Reynolds and Brett Myers. Will they do enough to help the win a division title? The Indians certainly have more talent than they did a season ago.
In order for the Indians to contend they need more consistency out of their starting rotation. The trade of top prospect Trevor Bauer and the recovery of Carlos Carrasco give the Tribe depth, but the locks to make the team (Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez) need to avoid the blowup games, something they could not do last season.

Michael Bourn

THEY CALL ME MR. SUNSHINE - The addition of some pop in the bats and a true lead off hitter helps the offense take off. All the strikeouts in the middle of the order by Reynolds and Asdrubal Cabrera are balanced by Carlos Santana and Nick Swisher's on base percentage. Bourn scores 125 runs and steals 60 bases with the green light always on go. Masterson gets the nod on Opening Day, but he is a strong three by season's end behind the true aces Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco.






REAL TALK - While I do believe the young pitching will come around, I think it may come around too late and a strong second half will not be able to make up for slow start while this new look group gets to know each other. The Indians make a strong push for the Wild Card spot, miss the playoffs, but are everyone's pick in 2014.

Breakout: Carlos Carrasco (SP)

Bust: Brett Myers (SP)

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper: Vinnie Pestano (RP)

LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 68-94 (4th in AL Central)

PROJECTED 2013 FINISH: 86-76 (2nd in AL Central)

**Check back tomorrow for the St. Louis Cardinals**