Cleveland Indians: 6 Possible Free Agent Targets to Get Even Better in 2012

The Cleveland Indians have been one of the surprise teams in baseball as they remain in the thick of the American League Central Division race.

But their pleasant run in 2011 means there will be serious pressure on them to reach the playoffs in 2012.

For the Indians to reach the playoffs next season they will need to add veteran pieces to their young, developing lineup through free agency. Here is a list of six free agents that would help the Indians in 2012.

Dontrelle Willis

Since joining the Cincinnati Reds, pitcher Dontrelle Willis has been reviving his once dying career. Although he is 0-1 he has maintained a 3.41 ERA during his five starts in 2011.

Willis is only 30 years old and could be an inexpensive option for the Indians when he becomes a free agent. He has had plenty of ups and downs in his career, and most teams will be reluctant to sign him because of his problems with consistency.

If the Indians can sign him cheap, Willis could find a place at the back end of the Cleveland starting pitching rotation. Willis will never be the pitcher he was when he broke into the league, but he can still be productive and could still be an upgrade over what the Indians have at the end of their rotation.

Coco Crisp

With Grady Sizemore’s future in question, the Indians should think about bringing Oakland Athletics center fielder Coco Crisp back to the outfield he once patrolled in Cleveland.

Crisp leads the Athletics with a .274 batting average and although he only has four home runs this year, it’s safe to assume his power numbers would increase if he was playing at Progressive Field.

If Sizemore leaves the Indians Crisp could also take his place near the top of the Cleveland batting order. It would be back to the future with this acquisition, and that's a good thing for the Tribe.

Jose Molina

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Jose Molina would be a significant upgrade at catcher during the games Carlos Santana plays at first base.

During his 11-year career the veteran Molina has carved out his niche as a backup catcher who can hit for average.

This season Molina is hitting .302 in 35 games with the Blue Jays, while current Indians backup catcher Lou Marson has hit .226 in 46 games.

Signing Molina would not only bring a stronger bat to the lineup but it would also give the team more flexibility with Santana.

Aaron Miles

Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Aaron Miles is a solid veteran the Indians could sign at a bargain rate. He is hitting .296 this season and is making only $500,000 in the last year of his contract with the Dodgers.

Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis is in the early stages of his major league career, but bringing a veteran like Miles to Cleveland would give the team a stable hitter and allow them to be more careful with how they develop Kipnis.

Miles will be 35 in 2011 and could split time with Kipnis the way he currently does with Jamey Carroll. That would be good for both the Indians and Kipnis.

Bartolo Colon

New York Yankees pitcher Bartolo Colon is in the twilight of his career, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he has pitched in 2011. Colon has a 3.30 ERA to go along with 98 strikeouts and an 8-6 record.

A former Indian, Colon would be an excellent short term option for the Indians and could find himself third in the Cleveland rotation behind Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson.

He will be 39 next season but he would not cost the Indians very much money.  

Jim Thome

Like Colon, Minnesota Twins designated hitter Jim Thome is near the end of his career. Also like Colon, Thome is a former Indian who is still playing well late in his career.

Thome has had his share of injury problems this season, but he is still an effective DH who can hit for power when healthy. If he were to return to Cleveland he would share time with Travis Hafner at DH, but since Hafner often has injury problems himself Thome would likely see a fair amount of playing time.

The Indians are not much of a power hitting team, but Thome would be able to help them in that category; even at 41 years of age.