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View from the Porch: A Report on Pitchers and Catchers
Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Goodyear, AZ on Sunday and these two groups will be the keys for the Indians this season. The starting rotation has to be the chief concern, for both the Indians and for the fans, and the catchers will be called upon to help navigate troubled waters. The rest of the team must report by February 16 and Spring Training games begin February 22.
The Indians will go as far as their pitching staff takes them. The offense should be at or above league average, so the pitching staff will have to be good. I won’t go so far as to say that new pitching coach Mickey Callaway has to be a miracle worker, but there’s no question that some guys absolutely need to be better than they were in 2012. The good news about the rotation this season is that the Indians have some better depth for the fourth and fifth spots, even with Josh Tomlin’s Tommy John surgery and Carlos Carrasco’s return from missing a season due to Tommy John surgery.
The locks for the rotation, much to the chagrin of some people, are Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Brett Myers. If Trevor Bauer makes the ballclub, which I would generously set 50/50 odds on, he’s obviously in the rotation. The battle for the fourth and fifth spots includes Bauer, Zach McAllister, Corey Kluber, Scott Kazmir, and on the far reaches of that group is David Huff.
2013-02-09 08:47:48
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