Pressing Questions: The Cleveland Indians

When the Cleveland Indians acquired Ubaldo Jimenez at the deadline last season, they trailed Detroit by just a game and a half in the American League Central. It was an aggressive move, no doubt, as the Tribe sent four prospects to the Rockies, including highly regarded pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Alex White. But the team was within range of the Tigers, so they played to win the flag. You can't help but admire the attempt. The problem with the deal, of course, is that Jimenez was lousy when he reached Cleveland — even lousier than he'd been in Colorado. He allowed 43 runs over 65.1 innings for the Indians, posting a brutal 1.45 WHIP. Jimenez gave up at least five runs in three of his first four appearances. By the time he self-corrected in late-August, the Tribe had faded. If this team has any hope at all of competing in 2012, they'll likely need an ace-like effort from Ubaldo. He's just one season removed from a third-place finish in the N.L. Cy Young race, so we kn...