Friday 5: Biggest Questions Facing the Cleveland Indians During Spring Training

May 21, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; A general view of Progressive Field at sunset during a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers. Detroit won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Spring Training games are officially underway in Goodyear and there is a lot of Cleveland Indians baseball to be played before Opening Day on April 6. While the Tribe lineup is pretty well set, there is still a lot to be sorted out between now and the start of the season.

To put it simply, there are meaningful questions facing the Indians this spring.

Below are the five biggest questions facing the Tribe heading into 2015.

Next: Who's No. 5?

Who will win the competition for the fifth spot in the rotation?

Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Indians rotation has been one of the most celebrated staffs in baseball this offseason, but the No. 5 spot in the rotation is still a significant question mark.

Reigning Cy Young winner Corey Kluber will top the rotation. Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer are locks to break camp in the majors. And Danny Salazar seems to be the favorite for the No. 4 spot after an impressive finish to 2014.

Fighting for the final spot in the rotation are T.J. House, Zach McCallister, Josh Tomlin and Gavin Floyd.

–T.J. House threw well for the Tribe in a pinch last season. He started 18 games and threw 102 innings, posting an impressive 3.35 ERA. While he is not a Cy Young candidate in the making, House is the perfect No. 5 starter in a rotation. Francona knows what he is going to get from the lefty every time he takes the bump. 

-Zach McCallister seems destined for the bullpen in 2014. He started 15 games in the majors last season and came out of the bullpen seven times, posting a combined ERA of 5.23. He might be available to make spot starts as the season progresses, but the Indians likely will not count on him for any significant starts in the early going.

–Josh Tomlin battled through a lack of command right from the jump, but he did not get much better as the season rolled on. In his first season back from Tommy John surgery, Tomlin labored his way to a 6.33 ERA after the All-Star break – this after posting a 4.21 ERA beforehand.

–Gavin Floyd was signed to a one-year, $4 million contract this offseason and would give the Indians a veteran presence at the back end of the rotation. He is coming off two straight injury-shortened seasons but, when healthy, Floyd can be an effective back-of-the-rotation arm. He was 2-2 with a 2.65 ERA in nine starts for the Braves last season before injuring his elbow. Unfortunately for him, his first appearance of the spring was pushed back a couple of days due to some minor discomfort.

Next: Hopefully Not Mr. Glass

Can Jason Kipnis return to pre-injury form?

Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps the most important name heading into the 2015 campaign, however, is former All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis.

After an impressive 2014 season that saw him finish the season hitting .284 and leading the team in seemingly every meaningful offensive statistic, Kipnis regressed dramatically last season. A nagging oblique injury is at least partly to blame, but the Tribe watched as their 27-year-old middle infielder tallied steep declines in homeruns (17 in 2014, 6 in 2015) and RBI (84 in 2014, 41 in 2015). They kept waiting for Kipnis to find his stroke, similar to the way he did the season prior, but it never happened.

And, as a result, the Tribe totaled seven fewer wins and missed the playoffs despite a late surge.

If the Tribe is going to excel this season, they need their most prolific offensive player to progress the way he had prior to the team signing him to a long-term deal last April. When healthy, Kipnis brings a unique combination of average, power and speed to the top of Terry Francona’s lineup. Before last season, he was a career .270 hitter who posted double-digit homeruns and over 30 stolen bases per year since he took over at second base in 2012.

Almost 28 years old, Kipnis has just entered the prime of his career and should be a viable contender to return to the All-Star Game in Cincinnati. If he can shake the oblique injury – and this offseason’s finger injury – he is a legitimate candidate to produce over 100 RBI, 20+ homeruns and 30+ stolen bases out of the No. 2 spot in the Tribe’s lineup.

While Kluber, Brantley, Swisher and Moss are certainly important to the Tribe’s success in 2015, there is no player more important than Kipnis.

Next: Who's on First, What's on Second, Urshela at Third?

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What could Giovanny Urshela bring to the Indians?

Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

It is safe to say we still do not know who is the real Lonnie Chisenhall. And because we don’t, the Indians should be keeping an eye on their top third base prospect Giovanny Urshela.

Given an opportunity to handle the most extensive playing time that he’s received since arriving in Cleveland, Chisenhall batted a respectable .280 and clubbed 13 homeruns in 2014. But he did most of that damage before the All-Star break and posted a dismal .218 / .277 / .315 slash line after it.

With that being said, Cleveland should be taking a long look at Urshela this spring.

The 23-year-old third baseman hit .398 with three homeruns and 22 RBIs in winter ball before getting shelved with a sprained ligament in his knee. He will likely begin the season in Columbus (AAA), but he is by far the most skilled defensive third baseman in the system.

Should Chisenhall continue his post-All-Star break skid, Urshela will likely get his first look in the big leagues in 2015.

Next: The Guys On The Bench

What will this year’s Goon Squad look like?

Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Since Terry Francona joined the team, the Cleveland bench has played a significant role in the Tribe’s success.

Utility man Mike Aviles is back to provide some stability at seemingly every position, and Ryan Raburn looks to bounce back from what was a disappointing 2014 campaign. Roberto Perez will rejoin the fray as the backup for Yan Gomes.

Since Francona likes to keep additional arms out in the bullpen, there may only be room for one more on the bench. That spot will probably go to David Murphy, at least until the Tribe figures out what his role is after the addition of Moss this offseason.

No matter who fills out this year’s Goon Squad, the Tribe will need similar production to compete in 2015.

Use the comment section below to highlight more questions the Tribe must answer heading into the regular season.