What is wrong with Cleveland right now?

The Indians have lost their last 10 games, and have drastically fell behind in the American League wildcard race. Coming into the season, I thought the Indians would battle the Tigers out for the AL Central divisional title and most likely make the postseason. Cleveland has a lot of young, unproven talent, and I thought everything would come together this season. The other day, closer Chris Perez came into a Tigers-Indians came and gave up a 4 or 5 run lead. He would eventually lose the game and the Indians just looked helpless out there. Basically, in this article, I'll go through each position and let you know what I think Cleveland's front office should about it in order to prepare for the future, because making the postseason this year is pretty much impossible for them.

Beginning with the starting rotation, Ubaldo Jimenez has been a train wreck this year, as expected. Cleveland should just get him outta town and try and get a decent prospect or two in return. They should just forget about that disastrous trade, but its not like Colorado got much for Ubaldo. Alex White and Drew Pomeranz are iffy this year, and they can still develop. As for Justin Masterson, whom I really like, his inconsistency has been killing the Indians this year. I really thought that after last year he would turn into a solid #2 starter or so, but that hasn't been the case. I would try and shop Masterson, but if a team doesn't offer any good prospects, I'd hold onto him and use him as a #4 starter or so. Next we have Zack McAllister, who isn't great by any means but has actually been decent this season. He is still young, and could be part of Cleveland's future plans, so I would keep him in the rotation. Next is Corey Kluber, who had a rocky MLB debut a few days ago. I don't really know much about Kluber, but like McAllister, he is young and I'd give him a shot in the rotation. Next is Josh Tomlin, who is probably a number 5 starter at best. I don't expect him to be in Cleveland for that much longer.

Next I'll go through the infield positions. At catcher, Carlos Santana has been awful this year, and has missed most of the season due to several injuries. I still have faith in Santana, and I expect him to turn it around next season. Casey Kotchman is currently manning first base, and he too has been atrocious. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets traded sometime this month. Watch for Cleveland to designate him for assignment within the next few days. At second base Jason Kipnis has struggled. I had high hopes for Kipnis coming into the season, but he has really disappointed me. However, I still expect him to turn it around, possibly next season. At shortstop we have Asdrubal Cabrera, who had an awesome year in 2011. Cabrera has had a decent season, but has failed to produce the same way he did last season. I would still keep him their at shortstop, however, because he is a fan favorite and is probably one of the best hitters on this team. At 3rd base, Jack Hannahan hasn't really done much. Hannahan is known for his defense, and that has been solid. I really think that Cleveland should have Lonnie Chisenhall up and playing third base everyday, because he showed that he had some pop to his bat last season. Also, at designated hitter, we have Travis Hafner, who is never healthy. Even when he is on the field, he doesn't really play well. He is way past his prime and should be exiting Cleveland soon.

Now I'll talk about the outfield situation. In left field Shelly Duncan isn't anything special. He is a bench player at best. In center field Michael Brantley has always intrigued me. He looks like a good player, but hasn't really put it all together yet. He is having a decent season, and I think that it is safe to say that he is Cleveland's starting center fielder for the foreseeable future. In right field we have the consistent 20-20 man Shin-Soo Choo. I've always liked Choo and I honestly thought that Cleveland was going to trade him last month. I don't think that he has a future in Cleveland, but he is sure a fan favorite.  Cleveland would be heartbroken to see him go and I think that the Indians' front office knows that.

The bullpen has actually been one of the bright spots for the Indians this season. I know many fans are currently upset about Chris Perez's recent struggles, but he actually hasn't been horrific this year. We also have Joe Smith and Vinnie Pestano, who are very underrated setup men. The bullpen has been and will be the strong point for Cleveland for the next few years, and I don't think that they need to make any changes to it.

Overall, as you can clearly see, Cleveland's offense has been putrid this year, and their starting rotation is a mess. They have too many question marks all around their club and there is virtually no way that they jump back in this year's wildcard race. I think they should just prepare for the next season. A rebuilding effort isn't necessary. Perhaps just a retooling effort.