A Look at the Cleveland Indians in 2010 and Beyond

Many fans are upset with the Cleveland Indians as of now. They had two leaders going into this season and both have been traded away.

Not only that, but a longtime member of the 'pen, their No. 1 RBI guy, and a consistent contributor are all gone as well.

This leaves many holes in the roster, both in leadership and performance. The Indians cleared a lot of cap space with their trades so the offseason is the time to spend some of that cash.

The most important hole to fix is in the pitching rotation. Cliff Lee is gone and Carl Pavano will be a free agent. A strong consideration here should be Chris Capuano.

He is a low-risk high-reward player with a lot of upside. He hasn't pitched is the majors since 2007 due to Tommy John surgery, but if they can give Pavano a shot, why not Capuano.

A veteran at the age of 30, Capuano is a left-handed pitcher that the Tribe is now missing. If he can return to form, or anything close to to what he was before his surgery, he will make an instant impact on the big league club.

It may only be a one-year contract, but he will fill a void and help the younger players develop.

Another strong position to fill is second base. Luis Valbuena and newly acquired Jason Donald aren't the answer, at least not as of now. A very good option here is Adam Kennedy.

A veteran of 11 years and three teams, Kennedy would be a great pickup. He is currently playing with the Oakland Athletics, batting .292 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs.

He fills the profile as a player Cleveland needs. A cheaper veteran who can make an impact and is a leader. He would be the starting second baseman and could bat just about anywhere in the lineup.

They also need some bullpen help, of course and there are many options here—Danys Baez, Luis Ayala, Jason Isringhausen, John Grabow, Joe Beimel, etc. There are many to choose from.

Signing to many players could jeopardize the growth of the Tribe's youngsters, so the Indians must be very careful during this offseason.

Projected lineups with possible signings mentioned above:

1. L Grady Sizemore CF (.260, 20-25 HR's)
2. S Asdrubal Cabrera SS (.300, 5-10 HR's)
3. L Shin Soo Choo RF (.290, 15-20 HR's)
4. L Travis Hafner DH (.280, 20-25 HR's)
5. R Kelley Shoppach C (.250, 15-20 HR's)
6. L Adam kennedy 2B (.290, 10-15 HR's)
7. R Andy Marte 3B (.250, 10-15 HR's)
8. R Matt LaPorta 1B (.250, 10-15 HR's)
9. R Trevor Crowe/L Michael Brantley LF (.250, 5-10 HR's)

Backups:

Trevor Crowe/Michael Brantley OF
Lou Marson C
Luis Valbuana/Jason Donald INF

Projected pitching rotation with possible signings mentioned above:

1. RHP Fausto Carmona
2. RHP Jake Westbrooke
3. LHP Carl Capuano
4. RHP Justin Masterson
5. LHP David Price

The idea isn't to win, but to groom the prospects. This roster won't win you a lot of games, but winning isn't necessary.

The prospects are very important and they are the future. Within a few years, the lineup could look like this:

1. L Michael Brantley LF (.280, 5-10 HR's)
2. S Asdrubal Cabrera SS (.300, 5-10 HR's)
3. L Grady Sizemore CF (.260+, 20-25 HR's)
4. R Matt LaPorta 1B (.270, 25-30 HR's)
5. L Beau Mills DH (.280, 20-25 HR's)
6. R Andy Marte 3B (.260, 15-20 HR's)
7. R Trevor Crowe RF (.260, 10-15 HR's)
8. L Luis Valbuena 2B (.260, 5-10 HR's)
9. R Lou Marson C (.280, 5-10 HR's)

Five of these players are currently top prospects for the Tribe, and will see the big leagues within a few years. This lineup doesn't look so bad does it?

Pitching Rotation within a few years:

1. RHP Fausto Carmona
2. RHP Justin Masterson
3. LHP David Price
4. RHP Jake Westbrooke
5. LHP Aaron Laffey

The pitching rotation isn't great, but if the prospects are managed right, it could be a very young and promising rotation. Veterans Carmona and Westbrooke will have to lead the way.

Nonetheless, this offseason is very important. The tribe must sign veterans who can help the growth and develop of their prospects. I hope they get it right like they did in the early 90's.