The Cleveland Indians, floundering in last place in the American League Central, have decided it's time to see what one of the organizations best prospects can do. C Carlos Santana, acquired in 2008 as part of the Casey Blake deal with the Dodgers, has dominated every level in the minor leagues, including his 56-game stint in AAA-Columbus this season(.307, .440 OBP, .568 SLG). While he won't be the difference in a dramatic Tribe turnaround this season, it does give fans a reason to watch the Indians the rest of the summer, says ESPN's Rob Neyer -
It's manifestly unfair to expect Santana, all by himself, to turn the Indians around. Eventually he's going to need some help from Matt LaPorta, Luis Valbuena, and Michael Brantley. But Santana's the real thing, and at the least he'll give Indians fans something to take their minds off last place as we head into the summer.
With Stephen Strasburg coming to town this weekend, and the arrival of Santana, fans have plenty of reasons to keep tabs on the Indians - in the short term at least.