Indians Miss A Chance

When the Indians had to place Travis Hafner back on the Disabled List, many fans in Cleveland saw it as an opportunity to promote Matt LaPorta. The International League isn’t proving much of a challenge, as he’s hitting .352/.427/.676 in 82 plate appearances so far, and the team could use an injection of hope after another disappointing start to the season.

Instead, they decided to recall David Dellucci, who had been rehabbing in Triple-A. Dellucci is a decent left-handed bench bat, but let’s be honest, he’s no LaPorta. Usually, I’m fairly supportive of teams not rushing prospects to the majors after a good month, especially if it might just be a short term promotion. However, in this case, I’m not sure I get it.

LaPorta is 24. He played four years of college ball, and now has played nearly two years in the minors. His bat just doesn’t need any more development. He’s a major league quality hitter right now, and there’s little to be gained by having him continue to feast on inferior pitchers.

The Indians are good enough to contend for the AL Central title this year, but they’re off to a rough start. Their window to win with this roster is probably through 2010, at which point they might have to take a step back while they reload. They aren’t building for the future with this bunch, and they could use all the help they can get to dig themselves out of a bit of a hole.

The Indians might have missed an opportunity here. If they lose the division by a game or two, this is the kind of decision that could lead to a lot of regret in October.