Half-Empty: The Balance of Power is Shifting

Detroit acquires Dontrelle Willis AND Miguel Cabrera

Immediate Reactions:

Amazing. Depressing. Terrifying. Surreal.

Detroit's offensive impact:

Mags - Cabrera - Sheffield in the heart of their order. With Granderson and Polanco setting the table for them, expect this to be the best offense in baseball. Boston and NYY a close second.

And don't forget they traded for Renteria. Heck, the bottom of their lineup is Guillen--Renteria--Pudge--Thames/J.Jones.............My GOODNESS!

Detroit's pitching impact:

Verlander - Rodgers - Bonderman - Willis

Perhaps the best starting four in all of baseball. I'm still in awe putting this in writing.

And don't forget that a healthy Rodney and Zumaya give Detroit one of the best bullpens in baseball.

The Half-Full outlook:

Detroit stripped its farm of many of its top prospects. But, with 2008 as perhaps the most anticipated season in recent memory for the Tribe, I have a hard time taking the optimistic viewpoint.

What it means for the Tribe in 2008?

Big trouble. All of a sudden, the Westbrook, Byrd, and Laffey/Sowers/Lee back end of the rotation looks rather ordinary.

The American League looks tougher than it has in recent memory. The Angles, Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and Indians are all better than most, if not every team in the National League. Any of the above could win a World Series. And because of the pro-active approach and ability to spend big dollars by all of the above (except Cleveland), we are all of a sudden the 5th best team in the AL...on paper at least.

Does this change the Tribe's off season approach?

Mark Shapiro will most surely say, "No". Just as he did last year when Detroit went out and snagged Sheffield. You will of course get the standard lines about how Cleveland cannot afford and lacks the ability to take "risks" that the aforementioned teams can. Amid all of these moves, keep in mind that our GM is talking about how a utility player with speed is our only need. Yuck.

I do agree to a certain degree. We cannot simply make moves because our competitors did. That said...I also don't think we can just sit here on our hands and act like we have no needs on this team. We STILL:

1) Have to re-sign C.C.
2) Have only ONE legitimate starting outfielder (yes, Gut showed promise...but is he a proven ML outfielder yet? absolutely not.)
3) Have the worst defensive SS in baseball, a mediocre 3B, an unproven 2B, several guys out of options, a Pronk that no one knows if he is 06 or 07, a bunch of station to station slow guys that bog down the bases, grrrrrrrrrrrrrr...........

All of a sudden our concerns seem a lot larger then they did 24 hours ago.

My Advice:

Sign C.C. and go get us a proven outfielder and then, maybe then, I will begin to feel like we have a chance at a World Series again. Right now...I hate to say it, but things don't look good.

Goooooooooooooooooo Tribe!

Cheers!