A lot of conclusion being jumped to here.
- It's a little early to say Brantley "has come back to earth" in my opinion. He has played in THREE GAMES. He hit .364 in Spring Training. Michael Brantley is a star - the only question with him is if his back issues with hamper him all season.
- The Indians are rolling with their best hitter dealing with injuries and their 2nd or 3rd best hitter out with an injury. The lineup isn't bad in general, it's just bad right now. If Brantley can get back to full health, we'll be in good shape.
- The bullpen has worried me since day one. Shaw has looked terrible. Allen has struggled. McAllister is a question mark. And it doesn't have the depth it has had in years past. I know they won't do this, but Rafeal Soriano is still sitting out there as a free agent.
- Jason Kipnis worries me as well. I think he's a decent player, but is he going to be worth $9 M in 2017, $13.5 M in 2018, and $14.5 M in 2019? I'd consider trading him for a RHH corner outfielder of the same ability, moving Ramirez to 2B and promoting Lindor to SS.
- Speaking of Lindor, he needs to come up soon. He may not hit a ton at first, but he's always hit LHP well in the minors and he plays excellent defense. Ramirez could still get plenty of time at 2B, SS, 3B, or even DH.
It's way too early to say it's over. I know that's cliche, but it's true. The Royals started last season 4-7. But they do need to start playing better baseball soon - with Detroit and KC playing well, you don't want to give them a huge lead that is too difficult to overcome.
