Indians Prepping for Hot Stove Season

Clevelinks, October 29

With the 2013 season just days away from being over, that means that the annual hot stove season is about to begin. Plenty of truth and rumors are about to be unleashed upon the masses in the coming weeks as teams begin vetting out solutions to the problems on their rosters for 2014. The Indians are no different from any other team. They too will begin the process of determining who will stay, who will go, and which players are worth their time and attention in 2014. That’s where the focus of today’s latest edition of Clevelinks begins.

Indians Links

Will the Indians be able to retain the services of Ubaldo Jimenez? That is something fans are beginning to wonder. Thanks to the outrageous contract the Giants recently gave to Tim Lincecum (2 years, $35-million) the market value for Jimenez’s services, not to mention other pitchers, has probably gone up. Jordan Bastian explains the situation in greater detail in the latest edition of his Inbox series.

Jun 18, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Vinnie Pestano (52) against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Cleveland won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

One addition to the Indians 2014 roster could come from within their own ranks. Vinnie Pestano, the once reliable setup man, is coming off of a terrible season. With his sights set on regaining his form and position as the team’s top setup man, Pestano could be the biggest addition of all this offseason and it won’t cost the Indians anything.

Along those lines, Joe Smith would like to return to the Indians in 2014. Smoth has been reliable as they come over the past few seasons for the Indians as their primary seventh inning stop gap. The only question is whether or not the Indians will be able to afford to keep him around. With the return of Pestano and the emergence of Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw, Smith might actually be expendable.

Talk about Asdrubal Cabrera and his possible exit out of Cleveland this winter has been a hot topic of the hot stove season so far. but there is still the question as to who will replace Cabrera in 2014 at short stop, if he is gone. Francisco Lindor, the Indians top prospect, appears to be ready on the defensive side of the ball. The only question is when will his offensive ability catch up to his defensive ability?

Wahoo’s on First Links

Wahoo’s on the Mic has begun analyzing the state of the franchise. Starting yesterday, they are taking a position by position look at the state of the Indians. They will analyze each player, their potential for 2014, and the players lurking in the minors. The series kicked off with the catchers. It’s just what the doctor ordered for hot stove season and the doldrums of winter.
Jeff Mount analyzed the closer situation in depth and gave some possible alternatives to Chris Perez for the 2014 season.
The Wahoo’s on First staff tried to debate offseason moves, but instead got into an argument about Tupac or Biggie. Who knew there was such an East Coast/West Coast divide within the ranks?
Brian Heise recapped the 2013 season for Michael Brantley.

Indians Analysis

Let’s Go Tribe debates whether or not Scott Kazmir should get a qualifying offer from the Indians.
Ryan McCrystal of It’s Promounced Lajaway argues why the Indians need a new lead-off hitter in 2014. Apparently he was not enamored by the results.
Indians Baseball Insider lays out some possible trade targets for the Indians during the 2013/2014 hot stove season. Some of these moves seem plausible while others seem like nothing more than a pipe dream.

Sep 25, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians first baseman Nick Swisher celebrates his two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

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