Clevelinks: Mike Napoli Notes; Have the Cleveland Indians Improved Enough?

Why did the Cleveland Indians target Mike Napoli over younger power bats?

With the beginning of Spring Training just weeks away, the off-season is winding to a closing. Now is the time for anxious fans to begin scouting out opposing rosters to see how their favorite team will fare in the coming year. More importantly, this last portion of the off-season allows front offices time to make some final tweaks and changes to their rosters.

Keeping this in mind, Nicholas Blazek asks if the Cleveland Indians have done enough to improve since the end of 2015. He points out that the team has a strong foundation of youth, and late-season resurgences from several players should give fans hope next season. Combining this with the few acquisitions the team has made might not make the team look like champions, but there is another factor to consider: the opposition.

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Both the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins have been quiet this off-season. The Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox have made some improvements, but these changes are still not enough to strike fear into the eyes of Indians fans. All in all, no team has set itself apart from the others in the American League Central, which should give the Indians a new hope.

Finally, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com answers several questions in his latest edition of Hey, Hoynsie. Perhaps the most interesting is a question asking why the Indians signed Mike Napoli instead of Pedro Alvarez. According to Hoynes, the Tribe probably likes Napoli’s defensive abilities more than Alvarez’s. Alvarez would almost certainly have to be the designated hitter, but Napoli can play first base while Carlos Santana takes over at DH.

More from around the AL Central:

Cleveland Indians: Have they done enough to improve? – Wahoo’s on First

Cleveland Indians Roundup: New Year’s Resolutions; Keys to Success – Wahoo’s on First

Why did the Cleveland Indians sign Mike Napoli instead of Pedro Alvarez? Hey, Hoynsie – Cleveland.com

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