Since they faded away into oblivion last summer, the Indians have been a relatively quiet bunch.
They fired Eric Wedge and hired Manny Acta, who brought with him an entirely new philosophy and coaching staff. But that was not news. Everyone and their mailman were aware of imminent changes on Ontario Street.
Baseball has been a big-dollar business for quite a while, and some organizations have made a decent living being middle-class citizens.
The Indians, however, have taken a step backward since their heyday of the mid-1990s.
They need to shore up a young, inexperienced and sometimes clumsy infield. Also, a veteran pitcher must be signed as an insurance policy in the event that Jake Westbrook doesn't deliver and/or Fausto Carmona is still a work in progress, or lack thereof.
But Orlando Hudson is still a free agent, and the Indians should pounce.
Yes, the O-Dog is getting older - still just 32 - and his numbers aren't what they used to be, but Hudson would solidify the second base position and allow young Luis Valbuena to develop at his own pace. The Indians see Valbuena as a budding Robbie Alomar and can ill afford to let another promising infielder head south (hello, Jhonny Peralta).
He had a productive stint with the Dodgers last season, hitting a respectable .283 while making just eight errors and collecting 156 hits in 149 games. The Indians sure could use a reliable guy like Hudson, who scouts see as a sure-handed defender and a good leader.
Acta will need veteran players to help sell his product to a young group, so why not Hudson?
At this stage in free agency, older players may be open to one-year deals with incentives or options and could see places like Cleveland as attractive.
Other rumored destinations for Hudson are the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies, the latter of which indicates they prefer not to sign Hudson to a multi-year deal.
If the Indians can't one-up the Nationals and sign a player that can significantly upgrade their infield and help out at the plate, we have ourselves a sad state of affairs.
Plus, I don't know about the rest of the Tribe faithful in this town, but I would prefer not to hear general manager Mark Shapiro and his crew tell me how great Mike Redmond will be to the clubhouse culture or how Shelley Duncan will compete for a spot on the opening day roster.
Should Hudson pick Cleveland, Peralta can begin a planned shift to third base in winter ball and into spring training, and Asdrubal Cabrera can settle in at shortstop. Matchups depending, Valbuena and Hudson can share starts at second and maybe ... just maybe, old friend Russell Branyan can take first base.
Please, Indians management: Do not ruin Matt LaPorta and put him at first base. The kid belongs in the outfield, and you are wasting his athleticism at first.
Now go sign Hudson and make me happy, because, if you can't tell, you're making me cranky.
2 Sports
Rob Mixer
