--1B Mark Teixeira's signing by the Yankees, along with the team's other big free agent signings, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, moves the tab for New York's free agent shopping spree over $400 million. However, that is not causing Indians general manager Mark Shapiro to lose any sleep.
"I don't pay attention to what New York does," Shapiro said. "I look only at what the teams in our division do." So far this winter, Shapiro says he likes what his team has done in relation to the other AL Central teams.
"I think we've helped ourselves as much as anyone in our division," he said.
--RHP Masa Kobayashi, signed to a two-year $6.5 million deal last winter, is being counted on to provide more muscle to the bullpen in 2009 than he did in 2008. The 34-year-old Kobayashi appeared in 57 games and was 4-5 with a 4.53 ERA.
Indians officials claim they knowingly overused Kobayashi in the first half of the season as the bullpen was crumbling. Kobayashi appeared in 42 games in the first half of the season and just 15 games after the All-Star break, including just three September appearances.
General manager Mark Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge both feel with the addition of RHPs Kerry Wood and Joe Smith to the bullpen for 2009, it will allow Wedge to lighten Kobayashi's workload, and, presumably, improve his performance.
--C Carlos Santana, acquired by the Indians from the Dodgers in the midseason trade of Casey Blake, is a prized hitting prospect. Playing at high Class A in the Los Angeles and Cleveland organizations last season, Santana hit a combined .326 with 21 home runs, 124 runs and 117 RBIs.
Santana is expected to open the 2009 season at Class AA Akron, where his marching orders will be to get his defense to a level closer to that of his offense.
"With a catcher (Eric Wedge) as his major league manager, the importance of having a catcher who can call a game and lead a staff is very important on this team," general manager Mark Shapiro said.
--OF Matt LaPorta, acquired from Milwaukee in the CC Sabathia trade, will start the 2009 season at Class AAA Columbus, and general manager Mark Shapiro said the young outfielder is right on schedule for his arrival in Cleveland.
"At the time we acquired him," Shapiro said, "we felt the best-case scenario was he'd be ready for the big leagues at the start of the 2009 season and that the worst-case scenario was he'd be ready for the big leagues by the end of the 2009 season."
--INF Jesus Merchan and INF Wilson Valdez signed minor league contracts and received invitations to the Indians' major league training camp.
Merchan, 27, hit .339 with four home runs and 72 RBIs with Arizona's Class AAA Tucson affiliate in 2008.
Valdez, 30, split the '08 season playing in Korea and Japan. With the Kia Tigers in Korea, he hit .218 with one home run and 16 RBIs in 156 at-bats. In 78 at-bats with Japan's Tokyo Yakult Swallows, he hit .256 with one home run and eight RBIs.
BY THE NUMBERS: 3.16 -- New Cleveland closer Kerry Wood's ERA in 98 career appearances as a reliever. He has a 3.69 ERA in 178 career starts.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Throwing 120 pitches per game and 200 innings per season is no longer realistic for me. I really like the closer's role." -- RHP Kerry Wood, signed by the Indians to a two-year, $20.5 million contract to be their closer.
