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Around the Horn: Outfield
Outfield might be biggest asset of retooling Tribe
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
02/12/10 2:00 PM EST
While you might not know it from the gloom and doom of the local weather report, Spring Training is right around the corner. With that in mind, we're gearing up for the 2010 season by taking a position-by-position look at the Tribe's roster. Each week between now and when pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 21, we're examining one area of the ballclub, continuing this week with the outfield. CLEVELAND -- If you're looking for a reason to feel particularly good about the Indians' lineup, look to the outfield. With a proven (and now healthy) commodity in center in the form of Grady Sizemore, an emerging talent in right in the form of Shin-Soo Choo, and an intriguing prospect likely to land in left in the form of Michael Brantley, it's a unit with great potential. Of course, sometimes unforeseen developments get in the way of potential, as was the case with Sizemore last season. In Spring Training in '09, Sizemore suffered a sore groin that prevented him from taking part in the World Baseball Classic. He also injured his left elbow in camp. And though no one knew it at the time, both injuries would drastically affect the three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner and would require surgical intervention. "Grady's such a businesslike guy," general manager Mark Shapiro said, "that I don't think any of us even know how much it was impacting him." Sizemore played through pain throughout the season, and his numbers took a tumble. He batted .248 with 20 doubles, six triples, 18 homers, 13 stolen bases and 65 RBIs. It was a far cry from 2008, when he joined the 30-homer, 30-stolen base club and became the first Indians player to hit at least 30 doubles and 30 homers with 30 stolen bases in a single season. The Indians are hoping a healthy Sizemore will produce a season closer to the one he put together in 2008, when he earned his first AL Silver Slugger Award. In the second half of the '09 season, he gave reason to believe he'll be fine. With his ailing elbow tempered by a June disabled list stint and a training program, Sizemore was able to produce at a rate more comparable to his career norms. From July 3 through his Sept. 3 shutdown, Sizemore hit .281 with a .386 on-base percentage and .482 slugging percentage. And in the wake of the two September surgical procedures, Sizemore is progressing well in his winter rehab. "We'll see how it goes in Spring Training," Shapiro said. "But we don't expect him to be behind. We feel good about where he is." Sizemore will be back in the leadoff spot in 2010, though the possibility of him moving down in the order will continue to be a topic of discussion among fans and the media. The discussion really heated up late last year, when Brantley, a key acquisition in the 2008 CC Sabathia trade, came up from Triple-A Columbus, assumed the No. 1 spot in the batting order and made a meaningful contribution in his first exposure to the Majors. In spring camp, the Indians will have to decide if Brantley is ready for more. They will, of course, keep in mind that while he was solid in September (.313 average, four doubles, 11 RBIs and four stolen bases), he did not have a dominant year in his first season at the Triple-A level. Brantley batted .267 with six homers, 21 doubles, two triples, 37 RBIs and 46 stolen bases in 116 games with Columbus. Even if Brantley makes the Major League club, he's likely to bat near the bottom of the lineup, as his first full season in the bigs is bound to be an adjustment period. Now, if Brantley doesn't make the club, it's anybody's guess as to what will happen in left. Matt LaPorta, the other key acquisition in the CC deal, could land in that spot, if he's fully recovered from hip and turf toe surgeries. But it appears the Indians are more likely to have LaPorta spend the bulk of his time at first base. Two non-roster invitees, Austin Kearns and Shelley Duncan, might have a shot at either the starting left-field job or the fourth outfielder's spot. Duncan's ability to play first makes him more of a candidate for a utility-type spot. But Kearns, a former regular with the Reds and Nationals, could become more of an everyday option in left or a fourth outfielder. The 29-year-old Kearns is coming off two disastrous, injury-plagued seasons with the Nats. But new manager Manny Acta is familiar with him from his days in Washington, and the Indians think Kearns might be able to resuscitate his career here. "He's still playing great defense and running pretty well," Shapiro said of Kearns. "He has to make adjustments with the bat. He's a guy we've historically liked. He's a young player with upside. That said, there's nothing guaranteed to him here." Nor is anything guaranteed to Trevor Crowe, who could compete to be a regular in left but is more likely to contend for the fourth outfielder's job. Crowe, the Tribe's No. 1 pick in the 2005 Draft, got his first big league break-in last year and hit .235 with a .611 OPS in 68 games. "[Crowe] has a pretty good complementary skill set," Shapiro said. "He's a switch-hitter with above-average speed and some surprising pop in his bat. If Trevor can play under control, he'll allow his tools to translate." Jordan Brown is another left-field candidate, and he's coming off an '09 at Columbus in which he led the International League with a .336 average. But the Indians still want to see more power and better defensive play out of Brown, who should be a full-time outfielder this season after bouncing between the outfield and first base last year. Clearly, it's difficult to decipher what, exactly, left field will look like at the outset of 2010, but Brantley projects to be there by season's end. Right field is much more certain, as Choo locked himself into the spot with a solid first full season in the Majors in '09. Choo hit .300 with 38 doubles, six triples, 20 homers, 86 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. The South Korean native became the first Asian-born player in MLB history to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bags. He also showed off his arm strength by contributing 11 outfield assists. "He's that rare guy that has the ability to be an above-average player in every facet," Shapiro said of Choo. "We don't have any other guy like that. He hits for average and power, he runs above-average and steals bases, he has above-average defense and an above-average arm. The one component that's not consistent is his defensive play. But he's already a high-percentage basestealer, he's hitting and he's hitting for power. You combine that with the makeup of a guy who wants to be better, and you've got a guy with high upside." If the Indians' outfield reaches its potential, there's a lot of upside there, too.Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
