Cleveland Indians' Young Guns Ready for Tribe in '09!

2009 Cleveland Indians starting rotation seems to be a mixture of young, experienced veterans and a few youngsters with one Yankee retread who’s future is hanging on a thin thread.

Cliff Lee, the AL Cy Young winner, and Fausto Carmona should be a solid one-two punch for the Tribe this year. Carmona’s early season wildness was one of many reasons the Tribe stumbled out of the gate last year.

But he got back on track later in the year. Lee? Hope he can have half the year he did last year. Another Cy Young type year? Not sure, but he is the No. 1.

Anthony Reyes should be the No. 3 man on the staff. A 2006 World Series winner for the Cardinals, Reyes’ August and September of last year was a solid 2-1 with only seven runs given up in six starts.

He had two no decisions in that stretch but pitched extremely well. The Indians shut him down with a sore elbow in late September. His 2007 debacle season seems to be behind him. Maybe much was expected of him? Pitching in pain? 

More likely he fell out of favor with Cardinals’ pitching coach Dave Duncan. Whatever the reason, this was a steal for the Tribe. He has a history of arm troubles, though. He also was one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball in 2004/05.

Fourth starter is Carl Pavano, the same guy Joe Torre just ripped in his new book.  Talk about a guy who needs a good year.  This could be his last chance to save a major league career!

A career .500 pitcher, Pavano missed all of 2006 with arm surgery. With Pavano, you get a pitcher who averages almost two base runners per inning and almost 5.5 runs per game. This seems to be a Mark Shapiro pick up.

A veteran with something to prove who needs a good year or his career is finished. Because if he can’t perform, the Tribe has a bunch of youngsters that can start in his place. Pavano needs this job!

The fifth starter will be determined from the Tribe’s young guns like Aaron Laffey, who struggled last year and was sent to AAA in July, Jeremy Sowers, who has been given two chances to take a rotation spot but lost out last year to Lee, and David Huff, who is a stud lefty with great stuff and a strong future. 

Zach Jackson is also in the mix, but the money is on Huff.  Laffey was sent to AAA in July and was shut down by the Tribe in September with a sore elbow. Every Tribe fan wanted Sowers to succeed, but he has never been able to step up his game.  Huff is a potential All-Star type pitcher with great control and good stuff. 

Peter Gammons of ESPN thinks he can get the Tribe 12-15 wins this year!  Love ya, Pete, but you’re not always on target.  I think, though, this guy is a keeper!

All told, the Tribe appears solid in the rotation, with the only concern to be careful of arm problems for some of the young guys. With Jake Westbrook due in July as he rehabs from his missed season last year, he could replace a starter who is struggling. 

And since the ONLY team that really made any splash in the Central was the White Sox with the signing of 35 year old Bartolo Colon, the rotation should carry the Tribe to the Central title.

Now, if the bullpen, the real reason for last year’s mess, can just hold up! Can Kerry Wood help? If he can, there’ll be October baseball at Progressive Field.