Indianszone.com | Cleveland Indians News, indians Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div> The Indians were fairly active during the offseason, addressing needs in their rotation and bullpen and at third base. DH Travis Hafner and C Victor Martinez, two key middle-of-the-order bats who missed most of 2008 because of injuries, are, in a sense, roster additions as well. The back of the starting rotation remains inexperienced, and the two corner outfield spots are somewhat unsettled.</div>ARRIVALS: RHP Kerry Wood (free agent from Cubs), RHP Carl Pavano (free agent from Yankees), RHP Joe Smith (trade with Mets), INF/OF Mark DeRosa (trade with Cubs), INF Luis Valbuena (trade with Mariners). DEPARTURE: OF Franklin Gutierrez (trade with Mariners). SPRING FOCUS: Who will emerge from a group of five candidates to win the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation? Are DH Travis Hafner and C Victor Martinez both all the way back from the injuries that caused them to miss most of the 2008 season? PROJECTED ROTATION: 1. LHP Cliff Lee 2. RHP Fausto Carmona 3. RHP Carl Pavano 4. RHP Anthony Reyes 5. LHP Aaron Laffey Laffey is a slight favorite to win the No. 5 spot in spring training, although he will have to do so by out-pitching LHP Jeremy Sowers, LHP Scott Lewis, LHP Zach Jackson and LHP David Huff, the other candidates for that spot. Pavano and Reyes are coming off injuries in 2008 but are expected to open camp with no restrictions on their usage. Lee is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, while Carmona hopes to pitch closer to his 19-win 2007 season than his eight-win 2008 season, in which he missed about six weeks because of a hip injury. PROJECTED BULLPEN: RHP Kerry Wood (closer) RHP Rafael Betancourt LHP Rafael Perez RHP Jensen Lewis RHP Masa Kobayashi RHP Joe Smith RHP Adam Miller If healthy, Wood gives the Indians their first lockdown, power-armed closer since Jose Mesa in 1995. Betancourt, perhaps the best setup man in 2007, looks to bounce back from a disastrous 2008. Perez was the club's most consistent reliever in 2008. Lewis finished the 2008 season as the club's nominal closer, but with the arrival of Wood he goes back into a setup/backup closer role. Japanese import Kobayashi was overused early in 2008 and was virtually shut down over the last six weeks of the season. Smith, the former Met, is a sidearmer who brings a different look to the bullpen, while Miller, if he can stay healthy, figures to claim the one open spot in the 'pen. PROJECTED LINEUP: 1. CF Grady Sizemore 2. 3B Mark DeRosa 3. C Victor Martinez 4. DH Travis Hafner 5. SS Jhonny Peralta 6. RF Shin-Soo Choo 7. 1B Ryan Garko 8. LF Ben Francisco 9. 2B Asdrubal Cabrera Two areas of concern will be the corner outfield spots. Choo's sensational second half in 2008 means right field is his job to lose. Francisco cooled off after a hot start in left field, and could, if he continues to struggle with consistency, be a candidate for a left field platoon with OF David Dellucci. Against certain left-handed starters, DeRosa could get a start in right field for the left-handed hitting Choo, with either Peralta or utility IF Jamey Carroll filling in at third. PROJECTED RESERVES: C Kelly Shoppach INF Jamey Carroll OF David Dellucci INF Josh Barfield Shoppach had a breakout 2008 season, leading American League catchers with 21 home runs while filling in for the injured Martinez. That performance will earn Shoppach more at-bats in 2008 than a normal backup catcher would expect. Carroll can back up any of the infield positions. Dellucci is in the last year of a three-year, $11.5 million contract. The Indians would love to trade him, but injuries and a lack of production when he has played have reduced his value greatly. Barfield will compete with OF Trevor Crowe for the other spot on the bench. Barfield is a slight favorite to win the spot and is slated to get some trials in the outfield during spring games, as a way of increasing his versatility. TOP ROOKIES: RHP Adam Miller missed most of the 2008 season because of elbow and finger issues. But he will go to camp healthy, and when healthy he has flashed the stuff of a No. 1 starter or a closer. For now, his innings will be closely monitored in 2008, and he is a strong candidate to win a spot in the bullpen. OF Matt LaPorta was the best of the package of prospects the Indians got from Milwaukee in the CC Sabathia trade. In a combined 362 at-bats at the Class AA level with Milwaukee and Cleveland, he batted .279 with 22 home runs and 74 runs batted in. He is the best power-hitting prospect in the organization, and though he will likely start the 2009 season in the outfield at Class AAA Columbus, it's expected he will make his debut in Cleveland at some point during the season. MEDICAL WATCH: RHP Jake Westbrook (reconstructive elbow surgery) is expected to be back on the mound sometime around the All-Star break and could be taking his regular turn in the Indians' rotation in the second half of the season.<div class="spacer10"></div><div class="gray_dots"></div><div id="body_footer_link">Play FOX Fantasy Baseball today </div><div class="gray

The Indians were fairly active during the offseason, addressing needs in their rotation and bullpen and at third base. DH Travis Hafner and C Victor Martinez, two key middle-of-the-order bats who missed most of 2008 because of injuries, are, in a sense, roster additions as well. The back of the starting rotation remains inexperienced, and the two corner outfield spots are somewhat unsettled.

ARRIVALS: RHP Kerry Wood (free agent from Cubs), RHP Carl Pavano (free agent from Yankees), RHP Joe Smith (trade with Mets), INF/OF Mark DeRosa (trade with Cubs), INF Luis Valbuena (trade with Mariners).

DEPARTURE: OF Franklin Gutierrez (trade with Mariners).

SPRING FOCUS: Who will emerge from a group of five candidates to win the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation? Are DH Travis Hafner and C Victor Martinez both all the way back from the injuries that caused them to miss most of the 2008 season?

PROJECTED ROTATION:

1. LHP Cliff Lee

2. RHP Fausto Carmona

3. RHP Carl Pavano

4. RHP Anthony Reyes

5. LHP Aaron Laffey

Laffey is a slight favorite to win the No. 5 spot in spring training, although he will have to do so by out-pitching LHP Jeremy Sowers, LHP Scott Lewis, LHP Zach Jackson and LHP David Huff, the other candidates for that spot. Pavano and Reyes are coming off injuries in 2008 but are expected to open camp with no restrictions on their usage. Lee is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, while Carmona hopes to pitch closer to his 19-win 2007 season than his eight-win 2008 season, in which he missed about six weeks because of a hip injury.

PROJECTED BULLPEN:

RHP Kerry Wood (closer)

RHP Rafael Betancourt

LHP Rafael Perez

RHP Jensen Lewis

RHP Masa Kobayashi

RHP Joe Smith

RHP Adam Miller

If healthy, Wood gives the Indians their first lockdown, power-armed closer since Jose Mesa in 1995. Betancourt, perhaps the best setup man in 2007, looks to bounce back from a disastrous 2008. Perez was the club's most consistent reliever in 2008. Lewis finished the 2008 season as the club's nominal closer, but with the arrival of Wood he goes back into a setup/backup closer role. Japanese import Kobayashi was overused early in 2008 and was virtually shut down over the last six weeks of the season. Smith, the former Met, is a sidearmer who brings a different look to the bullpen, while Miller, if he can stay healthy, figures to claim the one open spot in the 'pen.

PROJECTED LINEUP:

1. CF Grady Sizemore

2. 3B Mark DeRosa

3. C Victor Martinez

4. DH Travis Hafner

5. SS Jhonny Peralta

6. RF Shin-Soo Choo

7. 1B Ryan Garko

8. LF Ben Francisco

9. 2B Asdrubal Cabrera

Two areas of concern will be the corner outfield spots. Choo's sensational second half in 2008 means right field is his job to lose. Francisco cooled off after a hot start in left field, and could, if he continues to struggle with consistency, be a candidate for a left field platoon with OF David Dellucci. Against certain left-handed starters, DeRosa could get a start in right field for the left-handed hitting Choo, with either Peralta or utility IF Jamey Carroll filling in at third.

PROJECTED RESERVES:

C Kelly Shoppach

INF Jamey Carroll

OF David Dellucci

INF Josh Barfield

Shoppach had a breakout 2008 season, leading American League catchers with 21 home runs while filling in for the injured Martinez. That performance will earn Shoppach more at-bats in 2008 than a normal backup catcher would expect. Carroll can back up any of the infield positions. Dellucci is in the last year of a three-year, $11.5 million contract. The Indians would love to trade him, but injuries and a lack of production when he has played have reduced his value greatly. Barfield will compete with OF Trevor Crowe for the other spot on the bench. Barfield is a slight favorite to win the spot and is slated to get some trials in the outfield during spring games, as a way of increasing his versatility.

TOP ROOKIES: RHP Adam Miller missed most of the 2008 season because of elbow and finger issues. But he will go to camp healthy, and when healthy he has flashed the stuff of a No. 1 starter or a closer. For now, his innings will be closely monitored in 2008, and he is a strong candidate to win a spot in the bullpen. OF Matt LaPorta was the best of the package of prospects the Indians got from Milwaukee in the CC Sabathia trade. In a combined 362 at-bats at the Class AA level with Milwaukee and Cleveland, he batted .279 with 22 home runs and 74 runs batted in. He is the best power-hitting prospect in the organization, and though he will likely start the 2009 season in the outfield at Class AAA Columbus, it's expected he will make his debut in Cleveland at some point during the season.

MEDICAL WATCH:

RHP Jake Westbrook (reconstructive elbow surgery) is expected to be back on the mound sometime around the All-Star break and could be taking his regular turn in the Indians' rotation in the second half of the season.

Play FOX Fantasy Baseball today