Cleveland Indians: Life After CC

As of right now, things seem like they could not become much worse than they currently are. The Indians have dropped their last nine games, and have only won two out of their last 11. With the addition of Scott Elarton, the Tribe disabled list is beginning to appear more like a roster, as six Indians are currently out.

But, as the saying goes: it's always darkest before the dawn. So chin up Tribe fans, there is plenty to look forward to in the post-CC era.

First and foremost, LaPorta

The obvious place to start is with the key piece in the Sabathia trade. LaPorta is a 6'2'' Port Charlotte, FL native and a University of Florida alumnus. After being drafted seventh overall in the 2007 amateur draft he hit a home run in his first big league at bat.

With the Brewers Double-A affiliate in Huntsville this season he was hitting .291 with 20 homers, 23 doubles, and 66 RBIs. In 296 at bats, he had 62 strikeouts and 44 walks.

During the All-Star break, LaPorta will represent the U.S. team during the Futures game and is hoping to be a part of the team that travels to Beijing to represent the U.S. at the Olympics in August.

The most exciting part of this trade will be the chance to watch LaPorta develop the same way that CC, Carmona, Victor, and Grady have come through the farm system. A big bat with as much promise as he has shown is surely exciting, and hopefully it will not be long until we see him donning an Indians jersey.

Unfortunately, LaPorta's Akron debut was delayed by rain. The game will be made up on Wednesday as a part of a twi-night double header.

Second, disabled list shrinkage

Though it seems grim, fans must not forget that of the six players on the disabled list, five of them will make a significant impact upon their return.

Fausto Carmona threw another bullpen session on July 8 and is progressing normally. The team hopes to have him back in the rotation shortly after the All-Star break.

This comes as a relief to the rotation, which, in the absence of CC, is running short on depth options.

Victor Martinez, one of the linchpins of the team, is also expected to return after his elbow surgery shortly after the break. Besides missing his powerful bat, the team is certainly missing his leadership, especially with the loss of a presence such as CC's in the clubhouse.

The latest word on Travis Hafner's shoulder is that it is still only around 40-60 percent as strong as it needs to be. However, his absence allows for the younger players, like Ryan Garko, to focus on their offense while the team struggles. By contrast, for the Indians to contend in 2009, he will need to return to his 2005 form.

Third, more trades!

In his first post-CC press conference, Mark Shapiro said that he was not currently involved in any trade discussions, but it is certain that it will not be long before he is on the phone with other teams soon.

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