MLB Baseball Betting - Cleveland Indians

Manager: Eric Wedge (fifth season).

2006: 78-84, fourth place AL Central

Training: Winter Haven, Chain of Lakes, Fla.

Home Park: Jacobs Field, Cleveland, Ohio, Cap. 43,405, Grass, Opened April 4, 1994

World Series Titles: (2) 1920, 1948

Acquisitions: 2B Josh Barfield, RHP Keith Foulke, RHP Joe Borowski, RHP Roberto Hernandez, LHP Aaron Fultz, OF David Dellucci, OF Trot Nixon, INF Keith Ginter, INF Luis Rivas, INF Mike Rouse.

Departures: 3B Aaron Boone, RHP Bob Wickman, 2B Ronnie Belliard, INF Kevin Kouzmanoff, 1B Ben Broussard, 1B Eduardo Perez, OF Todd Hollandsworth, RHP Jeremy Guthrie.

Outlook: The Indians were one of baseball's biggest disappointments last season, after beginning the season with a legitimate reason to believe they could reach the postseason. Cleveland’s starting pitching and lineup are much better than average, but the Indians’ 23 saves were a major league low and all but undermined Cleveland's high-powered offense.

Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro spent the winter rebuilding the bullpen and improving the club's poor infield defense.

Starting pitchers C.C. Sabathia, Jake Westbrook, Cliff Lee, Paul Byrd and Jeremy Sowers are all durable inning-eating pitchers with good stuff. Sowers will have to prove that he can pitch an entire big league season after joining the Indians in late June and making 14 starts. If the defense doesn't improve, groundball pitchers Byrd, Westbrook and Sowers will suffer.

Shapiro signed veterans Keith Foulke (although he unexpectedly retired), Joe Borowski, Aaron Fultz and Roberto Hernandez to help fix the Indians’ atrocious bullpen. Borowski, who saved 36 games for Florida last year, and Foulke will compete for the closer's job in spring training. Rafael Betancourt, Matt Miller, Fernando Cabrera and Jason Davis - holdovers from last year - could also claim spots in the bullpen this season.

SS Johnny Peralta needs a big year, and 2B Josh Barfield is going to be a star soon. If Peralta doesn't show he's at least an average shortstop defensively, the Indians won't win and Peralta won't be a shortstop for long, even though he signed a five-year, $13 million deal in 2006.

Centerfielder Grady Sizemore is developing into one of the best all-around players in the game. In his last two years as Cleveland’s leadoff hitter, Sizemore has scored 245 runs.

Dellucci signed a three-year, $11.5 million deal to platoon with Jason Michaels in left field after Michaels was given a chance to play every day last season. Blake and Trot Nixon, signed as a free agent in late January, are expected to platoon in right.

Travis Hafner is the Indians’ big bat but needs to stay healthy in 2007. Hafner missed September with a broken bone in his right hand and in four years with the Indians, Hafner has never played more than 140 games in a season.

Utility men Hector Luna and Joe Inglett can play several positions.

The Indians start the seaosn listed at +1320 to win the AL Pennant in the BetUS Sportsbook. Check out all the latest MLB odds in the BetUS Sportsbook and BetUS futures section.

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Official Website: www.clevelandindians.com