Here’s some quick opinions on Tribe in ’10

Akron Beacon Journal

BALTIMORE — Something has been lost on Indians fans in the wake of the unpopular trades of Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez: Indians partisans might not like it, but there will be a next year, a next season.

There probably won’t be a pot of gold or an invitation to the playoffs at the end of the rainbow in 2010, but some of the hopes as set forth by General Manager Mark Shapiro might be realized.

Let’s take a look at a few of the players who could be part of the picture:

They aren’t here yet, but it’s a good bet that either Carlos Carrasco or Hector Rondon (maybe both) will make their major-league debuts in September.

There are a few built-in starts during the final month of the season, owing to the desire of Indians deep thinkers to limit David Huff’s innings to about 160. If Huff averages six innings in his next three outings, he will leave three or four starts for Rondon or Carrasco.

So what? Can we expect either of these pitchers to win jobs in the rotation next spring? At the moment, the Tribe’s starters probably will be Aaron Laffey, Fausto Carmona, Jake Westbrook and possibly Huff and/or Jeremy Sowers.

But neither Huff nor Sowers is a sure thing. If Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge — assuming that Wedge returns, which also isn’t a sure thing — think one of the newcomers should get a shot at the rotation, there will be a competition in exhibition season. And what Rondon and/or Carrasco do in September will influence the thinking of the brass when they plot their course.

Matt LaPorta barely resembles the wide-eyed rookie who spent a few weeks of May with the Indians in his first exposure to the big leagues.

After hitting a home run in his coming-out game, LaPorta faded into the background for the remainder of his 25-day (13 games played) stay.

His second call-up from Triple-A Columbus has been vastly different. LaPorta began his latest tour of duty on Aug. 20 and hit safely in his first nine games. More than that, he contributed impact hits, refused to be an easy out and racked up five doubles and two home runs among his 12 hits.

Marte, meanwhile, seemed to have a breakthrough season at Columbus, so it was necessary to give him a cursory look at the big-league level, then leave him off the 40-man roster over the winter, effectively ending his career in Cleveland.

But lately, Marte hasn’t been cooperating with the plan. In an nine-game stretch through Friday, Marte batted .406 (13-for-32) with two home runs, one double, a triple and nine RBI.