Cleveland Indians Tickets

For the young and talented Cleveland Indians, last year's struggles were a major disappointment after such a strong 2007 season.

The team played so poorly out of the gate that the Indians decided it was better to unload ace C.C. Sabathia while they could and receive prospects in return. Sabathia was a free agent after the season and the team was unlikely to re-sign him, making him expendable.

The loss of Sabathia is pretty damaging for the starting rotation, but the re-emergence of Cliff Lee has certainly helped ease some of that pain. Lee went from minor league demotion to Cy Young Award winner last season, an incredible turnaround for the left-hander.

While Lee was outstanding last season, the challenge will be to repeat his performance this year when all of the pressure is on him. He won't be able to sneak up on anyone now that such performances are an expectation and not a surprise.

Lee will have some help in the rotation behind him, as both Fausto Carmona and Al Reyes have a lot of talent and have shown glimpses of becoming very solid pitchers. There is then a group of guys vying for the last couple of spots in the starting rotation.

The Indians have had issues at the back end of their bullpen for several seasons, but they finally decided to find a permanent solution. Cleveland broke the bank this winter to lure Chicago Cubs closer Kerry Wood a couple of states eastward.

Cleveland had issues putting runs on the scoreboard at times last year, which wasn't expected to be a weakness for the young team.

The Indians are led by center fielder Grady Sizemore, who can do a little bit of everything. Outside of playing flawless defense, Sizemore hits for a decent amount of power but can also swipe bags with ease.

The healthy return of two players who were injured much of last season could have a huge impact on the offense. Both Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez were both injured and terrible in 2008.

Both players have the ability to hit for a ton of power and a decent average, especially Martinez. His presence behind the plate should also help bring some consistency to the pitching staff.