Indians officials believe they have upgraded their roster with signing of versatile Mark DeRosa as a free agent. That potentially gives manager Eric Wedge the true No. 2 hitter the Indians lacked for much of the 2008 season.
The Indians used eight players in the No. 2 spot in the batting order last year. The player who hit second the most, utilityman Jamey Carroll, wasn't even expected to be an everyday player at the start of the season; he started 75 games in the second spot in the order. Wedge said his inclination is to begin the 2009 season with DeRosa, who will be the club's everyday third baseman, hitting in the No. 2 spot.
Last season with the Cubs, DeRosa had only 14 at-bats in the No. 2 spot in the order, but he did hit .357 in those limited opportunities. In 366 career at-bats in the No. 2 spot in the order, DeRosa has batted .281 with nine home runs and 43 runs batted in.
Other Indians players who hit second in the order in 2008 included David Dellucci (31 starts) Franklin Gutierrez (17), Ben Francisco (15), Asdrubal Cabrera (11), Casey Blake (5), Jhonny Peralta (5), and Jason Michaels (3).
Indians officials hope the addition of DeRosa will put an end to the revolving door in the No. 2 spot in the order and bring some stability to the Indians' lineup.
