The Cleveland Indians were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention on Friday. Let us eulogize the season that was ...
What went right
Corey Kluber went very right. After Friday night's gem against the Rays (CLE 1, TB 0), Kluber has now pitched to a 2.44 ERA and 5.27 K/BB ratio in 235 2/3 innings of work, and he's done it all despite pitching in front of a poor team defense (more on said team defense in a moment). It says here that Kluber deserves the AL Cy Young award for 2014. Elsewhere, Michael Brantley batted .329/.387/.510 (156 OPS+), added much value on the bases and has a case for being the AL's best player not named Mike Trout.
Lonnie Chisenhall took a step toward realizing his potential. Yan Gomes put up strong numbers, particularly by the standards of the catcher position. Carlos Santana tallied 27 homers and 112 walks. Trevor Bauer at times showed his substantial promise, and Danny Salazar looked much better after returning from a mid-season stint in the minors. Cody Allen stabilized the closer's role, and the bullpen boasted depth from the right side. GM Chris Antonetti was able to make some plays for the future at the deadline without compromising the current roster.
In the end, the Indians secured back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2000-01.
What went wrong
As mentioned, the team defense was perhaps the worst in all of baseball. Jason Kipnis, an MVP candidate a year ago, battled injuries and saw his productivity decline steeply. Nick Swisher was terrible at the plate and played in just 97 games. Michael Bourn showed signs of being in his deep decline phase. Justin Masterson pitched his way out of Cleveland, and Josh Tomlin struggled badly. Salazar was woefully disappointing to start the season.
A 10-17 mark in April put the Indians too far behind, too early in the season.
MVP: Kluber. He showed strong peripherals last season, but in 2014 it all came together. He's a legitimate ace.
LVP: Swisher. A line of .208/.278/.331 for a primary DH making $15 million? Not acceptable. To be fair, Swisher's knee problems had much to do with those struggles.
Free agents to be: None, although they have a $3.5-million option/$250K buyout on INF Mike Aviles.
Gameplan heading into the offseason
Add some rotation depth and prepare for possibility that Swisher and Bourn can no longer be useful regulars. Decide whether Francisco Lindor or Jose Ramirez is the shortstop of the future. Consider giving Tyler Naquin a shot. The budget is what it is, but the holes aren't necessarily glaring.
Ridiculously premature prediction for 2015
First place, AL Central, with a win total in the high 80s. The Royals' success may not be entirely sustainable (plus, James Shields is likely gone), and the aging Tigers figure to lose Max Scherzer to free agency.
