--LHP Frank Viola, who won the American League Cy Young Award while with Minnesota in 1988, has been hired by the Indians as a spring training instructor. Viola will work with the left-handed starting pitchers on the major league roster, and he will help out on the player-development side at the minor league level.
--LHP Aaron Laffey appears to have a slight lead on the other candidates for the No. 5 spot in the rotation as training camp begins, but GM Mark Shapiro said all five candidates will get an ample opportunity to win the job. The other candidates are LHP Jeremy Sowers, LHP Scott Lewis, LHP Zach Jackson, LHP David Huff. "It won't be based just on spring training," said Shapiro on the selection of a No. 5 starter. "Spring training will play some role in it, as will history, prior performance, prior experience and track record. All those things will factor into it. We'll take the guy, based upon all those evaluations, who we feel gives us the best chance to win. (Those) will be the only criteria we use."
--OF Ben Francisco opens training camp as the starting left fielder, but he will have to continue to improve to hold onto that job. In his first full season in the big leagues last year, Francisco hit .266 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs. However, after hitting .294 in the first half of the season, he hit just .236 after the All-Star break.
"Benny had a solid first year in the big leagues," GM Mark Shapiro said. "He showed some power. Some athleticism. He needs to continue to make adjustments. He has the upside to be a solid every day corner outfielder."
--RHP Vinnie Chulk was signed to a minor league contract and received an invitation to the major league camp just prior to the opening of spring training. In 27 relief appearances with the Giants last year, Chulk was 0-3 with a 4.83 ERA.
--2B Josh Barfield, who lost his starting job to INF Asdrubal Cabrera two years ago, will come to training camp trying to make the roster as a utility man.
"We need to see how he fits in a bench role here by looking at him at other positions in spring training," GM Mark Shapiro said. "It's hard to see him in a bench role being a one-position guy. We're going to need to look at him in some other ways in spring training, and if he does those things well, he may do that."
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- Uniform number worn by INF Luis Valbuena. For the previous six years, that number had been worn by Casey Blake, until his trade last year to the Dodgers.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The backdrop of the financial climate will impact all our decisions." -- GM Mark Shapiro, when asked if the Indians might be less inclined to talk contract extension with some of their players, given the current state of the economy.
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