Monday, February 20, 2012
By Paul Hoynes
Cleveland Plain Dealer
GOODYEAR, Ariz.
It is the unknown that makes the season intriguing for teams such as the Indians. They are confined to operating on the fringe of free agency. When it comes to trades, unless forced into action by ownership’s balance sheet, they must prod and push to try and find the most value.
Yet even when payroll determines so much in the big leagues before one game is even played, it cannot mandate everything. There is always the unexpected, lurking around the next corner, that can change the course of a season. For instance:
What if Jon Garland, who takes his physical for the Indians today, shows his right shoulder is recovered from rotator cuff surgery and is able to pitch as he did in 2010 when he went 14-12 for San Diego? Not a bad arm to slide into a rotation of Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Tomlin and Derek Lowe. To say nothing of Kevin Slowey, Jeanmar Gomez, Zach McAllister, David Huff and Scott Barnes waiting behind them.
Think that couldn’t happen with Garland or another of the over 60 players the Indians have invited to camp? Don’t bet on it. It’s happens every spring.
In fact, it happened last year — a lot.
“Rewind to a year ago,” said GM Chris Antonetti. “Justin Masterson, people were wondering if he was a starter or reliever. Well, a year later he’s coming off one of the top 15 seasons for a starting pitcher in the American League.’
Masterson went 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 34 games, including 34 starts. He threw a career-high 216 innings, leading the Indians with 158 strikeouts. He allowed 11 homers, the second fewest per nine innings in the American League.
It didn’t stop there.
“Vinnie Pestano, I don’t think anyone was writing about him even having a chance to win a spot on the major-league team,” said Antonetti. “He ended up being one of the best relievers in the American League.”
Pestano, the only rookie to make the 25-man roster out of camp last year, went 1-2 with a 2.32 ERA and two saves. Among AL relievers he finished fifth in strikeouts with 84 in 62 innings. He was sixth in batting average against at .184 and 11th in appearances with 67.
When the Indians set a club record with 18 wins in April, Pestano had a 0.82 ERA.
“Carlos Santana was coming off a [left] knee injury after the 2010 season,” Antonetti continued. “We all had some uncertainty to how he’d come back. He not only was very close to leading our team in plate appearances, but for a guy we asked a tremendous amount from, not only as a catcher, but hitting in the middle of the order and playing another position. He played exceptionally well.”
Santana, following what many thought was a career-threatening knee injury in August 2010, set a club record for homers by a switch-hitter with 27. He was the first Indians catcher to hit at least 30 doubles, 25 homers and draw 90 walks in one season. He did it while bouncing between catcher and first base, a position he’d never played.
True, Santana did not hit well for average (.239) or with runners in scoring position (.223), but he did lead the team with 97 walks.