Questions Still Remain for 2014 Indians

Sep 25, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Fans hold up signs during a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to a lack of inactivity on their part, there are still many questions left unanswered for the Indians heading into the 2014 season. As the offseason continues to play out and winter gradually shifts to spring… well, that’s if the temperature ever gets back over 32 degrees… the Indians will undoubtedly make more moves. It’s just a matter of will it be via trade or free agency and which players will be involved. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 10 questions surrounding the Indians heading into 2014.

Sep 2, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Justin Masterson (63) in the dugout after being removed from the game during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

1. What will happen with Justin Masterson’s contract?

This is a big one and well deserving of the top spot. With Justin Masterson set to hit free agency at the end of the 2014 season, the Indians must decide on whether or not he is their ace. More importantly, they need to decide if they feel he is worth ace level money. If he is, then they need to act fast and sign him to an extension. If they don’t think they can afford him, then we may be looking at another C.C. Sabathia/Cliff Lee scenario where Masterson is traded prior to the July 31st trade deadline. There is also the chance that the Indians play out the 2014 season and let Masterson explore free agency. Based on current trends, if that happens he will almost certainly be out of the Indians price range. Stay tuned folks.

2. Will Asdrubal Cabrera be the Opening Day shortstop?

Everyone expects the Indians to trade Asdrubal Cabrera, but will it happen prior to the start of the season or will they wait until sometime during the season? Trading him now means getting less in return. All of the teams desperate for a starting shortstop have made moves to improve their situations. Holding onto Cabrera for the time being allows him to possibly improve some of his trade value with a solid start to the season. However, his value could also further decrease. The best move at this point is to wait out the market and see which contenders get desperate sometime during the season. So, for those of you desperate to see the Indians rid themselves of Asdrubal Cabrera, you’ll probably be waiting a bit long on this one.

Sep 25, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar (31) delivers in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

3. Can Danny Salazar make the leap?

Danny Salazar showed flashes of brilliance last season and has many excited to see what he has in store for his encore performance. The question is can he build on last season’s success and become a full-time member of the rotation? More importantly, can he make the leap from spot starter/back-end of the rotation fill-in to top of the rotation stud? All signs seem to point to yes, but how he responds to the advanced scouting reports teams will have on him and big league hitters seeing him multiple times will play a huge part in his potential success. The Indians seem to have all the confidence in the world in Salazar, so that is certainly a positive sign.

4. Who will be the everyday third baseman?

Isn’t this the $20-million dollar question? Lonnie Chisenhall just seems to keep getting the short end of the stick when it comes to his playing time. Admittedly, some of that falls squarely on his shoulders. He has been given the opportunities, but just hasn’t been able to do enough to keep the job. However, one can argue the Indians haven’t done much to build up his confidence. With trips back to Columbus coming at the slightest sign of trouble, it’s no wonder why he presses. Now he has to worry about Carlos Santana taking his spot at third. It’s been the most polarizing question of the winter, thus far. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this plays out during the spring and whether or not the Indians try to bring in an external candidate to take away playing time.

Sep 7, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (right) and catcher Yan Gomes (10) celebrate a 9-4 win over the New York Mets at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

5. Who will be the fifth starter?

As of right now, the fifth spot in the rotation looks to be some combination of Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin, and Shaun Marcum. It’s unclear if the Indians will try to sign someone else to compete for the role, or if they will roll into spring training with just those four. Chances are, however, that we will see all of them pitching in Cleveland at some point this season. Simply put, whoever wins this competition certainly won’t have their name written in cement.

6. Can Yan Gomes be the everyday catcher?

Yan Gomes was a surprise in 2013. As a throw-in to the Mike Aviles for Esmil Rogers trade, no one really expected much of anything out of Gomes. Thanks to that performance, the Indians and Terry Francona have come out and said that Gomes will be the everyday starting catcher in 2014. The end result of such a move is that they now have to find a place for Carlos Santana. That said, Gomes’ career sample size is so small that there is no telling how he will respond in 2014. Will he continue to produce at a high level or will over-exposure result in a dramatic regression? The Indians are banking on the former, but don’t be surprised if it is the latter.

Aug 21, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher John Axford pitches in the 6th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

7. Can John Axford regain his dominant closer form?

The Indians are banking on John Axford being the bargain bin deal of the 2014 season. After faltering as the closer in Milwaukee and ultimately losing his job, Axford was moved into the setup role before ultimately being traded to the Cardinals. He seemed to find himself with the Cardinals and now the Indians are hoping he can transition that success back into the role of closer. Axford appears to be a classic example of a guy just needing a change of scenery. Once the fans in Milwaukee turned on him, he was never the same. He has dominant stuff and the mentality to be closer. Plus, Axford is determined to prove that the Brewers made a mistake when they demoted him to set-up man.

8. Can the bullpen persevere despite a number of changes?

The bullpen mafia is no more. With the loss of Joe Smith and Chris Perez, the Indians bullpen will look very different in 2014. Not to mention, they have also lost lefty Rich Hill. Stepping in to replace them are the aforementioned Axford, Colt Hynes, and Josh Outman, Hopefully Vinnie Pestano, Nick Hagadone, and Frank Herrmann will be able to contribute in 2014 and the potential additions of minor leaguers such as C.C. Lee and Preston Guilmet will help ease the losses. Just remember, bullpens are fickle. Be patient.