CLEVELAND -- The Indians will not be pulling an infield shift.
Now that Jhonny Peralta has sufficiently responded to the club's concerns about his bat and his glove and Asdrubal Cabrera has given reason to believe he can more than adequately handle the everyday duties at second base, the middle infield for the outset of '08 is set.
That will likely dictate a bump to Triple-A Buffalo for Josh Barfield, who, a year ago, was a prized offseason acquisition for an Indians team with significant middle infield question marks.
One year later, general manager Mark Shapiro looks up the middle and finds relative comfort.
"I feel a little better," he said. "We have more depth. We have one more guy in the mix in Cabrera and a little more of a known in Jhonny."
To be sure, the Indians didn't know what to expect from Peralta last year.
In '06, Peralta endured the trademark sophomore slump that falls upon many a Major Leaguer. He made costly errors in the field, his plate discipline was poor and he struggled to keep his weight down.
Last winter, Peralta underwent a reclamation project, of sorts. He hit the weights, took to the fields in his native Dominican and rededicated himself to proving he should be the Tribe's everyday shortstop.
And while Peralta's overall numbers and range rating from '07 aren't jaw-dropping, those who saw him play on a daily basis couldn't help but notice an overall improvement in his game.
"His understanding of what it takes, mentally and physically, to be a first-division Major League shortstop has been a process," Shapiro said. "I think throughout that process he has learned what it takes. We expect him to recommit again this winter and come back prepared next season."
Cleveland Indians
The Indians have never asked Peralta to be anything more than an average defender at short, because they believe he can make up for any defensive shortcomings with the might of his bat. That bat compiled a .270 average with 21 homers and 72 RBIs in '07. His average jumped from a .257 mark in '06, his on-base percentage rose from .323 to .341, and his slugging percentage rose from .385 to .430.
At shortstop, those numbers -- particularly the power numbers -- are above-average. At third base -- a position some have speculated might better suit Peralta -- they would be considered much less dynamic.
"Whenever you have an above-average offensive player in a middle-of-the-diamond position and you move him to a corner," Shapiro said, "you compromise your ability to score runs and take away potential upside."
But that's only one reason why the Indians have not given much thought to an infield shift in which Peralta goes to third, Cabrera goes to his natural position at short and Barfield returns to his everyday role at second.
While such a move would undoubtedly provide a defensive improvement at short, it's arguable that it would hurt the offense.
And only Barfield can alter that argument.
In '07, it was Barfield going through the same type of sophomore adjustment that Peralta once encountered. The promise he had displayed in his rookie year with the Padres in '06 was compromised by a switch to the much more challenging pitching in the American League Central.
Barfield batted just .243 last season. He managed to drive in 50 runs in 130 games, but he walked just 14 times against 90 strikeouts, and he compiled an abysmal .270 on-base percentage.
By mid-August, Cabrera had surprisingly risen from the Minor League system (he spent the vast majority of the year at Double-A Akron) and usurped Barfield's starting duties.
To his credit, Barfield never complained.
"That tells us everything we heard about him when we acquired him was true," Shapiro said. "He's a class act, good teammate and a true professional."
Though the Indians aren't saying it publicly, Barfield's next professional stop will most likely be Buffalo, where he could get consistent at-bats and fine-tune his offensive game. The Indians didn't want to convert him to a utility role, because they still value him as a potential everyday guy.
The 22-year-old Cabrera, meanwhile, will try to avoid the sophomore struggles that hamstrung both Peralta and Barfield. His .283 average and 22 RBIs in just 45 games down the stretch of the '07 season -- to say nothing of his outstanding defensive play at both second and short -- were major sparks to an Indians team locking up a division title. Not only did Cabrera take over second base, he took over the No. 2 spot of the lineup, as well, putting together a .354 OBP.
Of course, having seen what's happened to Peralta and Barfield the past two seasons, the Indians know they must temper their expectations for Cabrera in '08.
"We certainly understand," Shapiro said, "that there's some volatility to be expected in a player that doesn't have that much experience."
To counter some of that volatility, the Indians will spell Cabrera, when necessary, with veteran utility man Jamey Carroll, who was acquired from the Rockies this winter for a Minor Leaguer to be named later.
In addition to allowing Cabrera and Peralta to get the occasional day off, Carroll will also give manager Eric Wedge some speed off the bench.
"He's brought in more to complement our existing guys," Shapiro said of Carroll. "He's familiar with that role. He's going to be a solid role player for us."
But the roles Peralta and Cabrera carried at the end of '07 remain, and the Indians' only expected infield shift is the one Barfield will make to Triple-A.
