Three Spring Training Headlines That Will Impact 2015 Cleveland Indians

Spring Training is quickly approaching as there are only six days left till pitchers and catchers arrive in Arizona on the 18th.  It is an exciting time for Cleveland Indians fans as a new season is soon about to begin. Here are three Spring Training headlines that fans should keep an eye on that will impact the 2015 ball club this season.

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What does the future hold for Jason Giambi?  As Wahoo’s on First own Nicholas Blazek wrote here, Giambi could be a part of the organization in a non-playing role if he decides to retire.  This scenario would benefit both parties allowing Giambi to still be on the team as a coach and mentor while giving the opportunity to younger players a chance to make the team.

Can Jason Kipnis get back to his old form, staying healthy and have his production back to what it was in 2013? His progression has increased since he arrived in the major leagues but last year definitely took a hit due to injury.  In 2013, Kipnis was an All Star with 17 home runs and 84 RBIs.

Due to the amount of power hitters that are on the team like Carlos Santana and Brandon Moss, Kipnis may be better suited staying in one spot in the lineup rather than being moving around.  That should allow him to get a better chance at obtaining his production similar to 2013 and I expect that he will be able to accomplish those statistics.

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How will Terry Francona handle the abundance of outfielders/first basemen/designated hitters on the team?  Sure, there will be extra playing time for some as Nick Swisher and Moss heal from injury, but that will not be long-term hopefully. Swisher only played in 97 games last year and is recovering from surgery on both knees, while Moss has a hip injury.

It is always good to have extra depth, especially at an injury-riddled position. But that can cause a problem when everyone does get healthy as it would affect the other positions on the field. If the team can keep itself healthy and players are able to make the necessary adjustments, the  success could be through the roof and we could be looking at a playoff team this season!