Cleveland Indians' End of the Year Awards

Minor Leaguer of the Year: David Huff

Biggest Offseason Need: Third Baseman

'09 Breakout Pitcher: David Huff

'09 Breakout Hitter: Ben Francisco

Prospect you want to see in '09: David Huff

Wow, what a season that was. We had some low lows just before the All-Star break, when the team was forced to sell off parts after the 10-game losing streak, to the excellent second half of the season that made us begin to wonder if they gave up just a bit too soon (even know it was still the right move for the future).

Cliff Lee was by far the Most Valuable Player on the team, with his amazing comeback season, even though Sizemore had only the second 30-30 performance in team history, making him my offensive MVP.

We saw Shin-Soo Choo breakout beyond any of our wildest dreams and look like a productive All-Star capable outfielder during the last six to eight weeks of the season. There were lots of disappointments, with numerous injuries of top Indians players that initially caused the tailspin, which was then saved by the Tribe's never-say-die attitude and constant drive during the second half of the season, to make a success of what was left, which in my mind will be the lasting memory of the 2008 season.

We witnessed the top Web Gem of  an unassisted triple play by Asdrubal Cabrera during the midst of one of the most memorable stretches of scoreless pitching in MLB history. The bullpen was a disaster from the start, but it was calmed by the duo of Jensen Lewis and the best left-handed relief man I can think of, Rafael Perez.

There is much to look forward to as we enter 2009 as we distance ourselves from a memorable 2008. We just hope that next season will once again bring us that one missing memory, a World Series title.

What the Indians need to do in the offseason: The Indians once again, in my estimation, do not need any drastic makeovers. GM Mark Shapiro has built the foundation to a franchise that will continue to be a contending team in the A.L. Central. There are three areas of need going into 2009, one is a few extra bullpen arms for depth in front of Lewis/Perez, an extra veteran starter, and a third baseman to bridge the gap until Wes Hodges/Beau Mills is ready to take over.

The priority for me is the extra starter, as I am not confident in the rotation as currently set with the exception of Lee. The rest of the rotation has several question marks: Can Carmona rebound? Is Anthony Reyes as good as his brief appearance? Can Laffey/Sowers make it through a season? When will Westbrook be healthy? Is Zach Jackson a major-league starter?

Basically for me, add one more veteran into the mix, along the lines of a Westbrook No. 3-type starter, to give added insurance that the staff will be good enough to compete for 162 games.

The other needed move is to get a stopgap third baseman that plays good defense (Joe Crede maybe).

The Indians don't need big offense from the position, and if they get league average offense, I will be happy. There are two quality prospects on the verge of coming up in the next two years, no need to throw the plan out of whack by making a drastic move to fill the position with a big-time player that would have to be acquired via a trade.

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