Hello Tribe fans everywhere.

The Indians rested on Wednesday -- the only scheduled day off of spring training. But don't think for a minute that the club's deep thinkers were lounging in the hammock, Cuba Libre in hand. I suspect GM Mark Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge are just like every other serious Tribe fan, and they spent the day mulling over the roster.

The Ryan Garko-Hector Luna-Ben Francisco question is still up in the air, but I suspect Shapiro looks deeper than the fight to seize the last spot on the roster. He's probably focusing on the same problem that doomed the 2006 season -- Cleveland's faulty bullpen.

Here's where it gets tricky. Shapiro spent the entire off season, piecing together and patching up a makeshift bullpen. This is not a club that looks at promising young pitchers and says, "Yes, that guy could be our closer, or our setup man." They tried it last year with Fausto Carmona and ended up so badly burned that they'll likely never go that route again, which is too bad.

What happened to Carmona after he was thrust into the closer's spot was stunning. It was spectacular, like watching one of those old Las Vegas hotels getting blown to smithereens. But it wasn't a bad idea. The club was going nowhere and I kind of liked the idea of trying something bold. Really, the season was a stupendous bore until Shapiro and Wedge sent half the veterans packing and called up all the kids from Buffalo. Watching the kids was interesting and fun.

So, what does Shapiro do in the off season? He signs up David Delluci and Trot Nixon, and a bunch of has-beens for the bullpen. Don't get me wrong; a team needs veterans, guys who've been there before. Leadership is required in the clubhouse, but it can be developed quickly. Look at Grazy Sizemore -- an established clubhouse leader at 24. Don't forget, the Indians once hired a 24-year-old shortstop named Lou Boudreau to manage the team. Eventually, the Tribe won a world championship and Boudreau ended up in the Hall of Fame.

When I look at this club, the big weakness I see is still the bullpen. Yes, the relief corps has posted impressive numbers this spring, but can the Indians really count on Joe Borowski and 42-year-old Roberto Hernandez over the course of a full season? Frankly, I doubt it. I have the same feeling now that I did a year ago when the Tribe decided to break camp with Danny Graves, hoping he would recapture the All-Star form of his days with the Reds. He didn't, and it was only the beginning of a complete meltdown.

To avoid a repeat of this, Shapiro must be thinking trade. He'll probably have to bundle up some promising young players, such as Garko, and maybe throw in a veteran like Paul Byrd. If the team stumbles badly out of the gate, don't be surprised if Cleveland tries to trade Jhonny Peralta, or even C.C. Sabathia.

The danger is that Shapiro, thanks to the small budget his bosses give him to work with, already has the reputation of constantly building for the future. He can no longer afford to follow that path if he hopes to enhance the fan base. Cleveland fans are tired of waiting 'til next year.

See? I told you nobody rests on a day off from baseball. If you're not dreaming up ways to improve, you'll be walking on the same treadmill forever.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: Brook Jacoby slugged 32 homers in 1987. It was by far the most he ever hit in one season.

Today's quiz: Name the Indians infielder who made an unassisted triple play during the 1920 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

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-- Kevin Cuneo