"Will it be Carlos Pena? What about Casey Kotchman? How about neither. Matt LaPorta is still in the picture, and there's always Carlos Santana, at least part time.

So who will open the season at first base for the Indians? Nobody knows, and that includes General Manager Chris Antonetti, the man in charge of stocking the roster.

Antonetti talked about the dilemma Friday, after it was mentioned that rumors have connected the Tribe with free agent Pena. Antonetti doesn't name names when discussing player personnel moves, so that leaves only hints.

"I stay away from specifics," he said. "But we continue to look for ways to improve the team."

What a shock.

But Antonetti did specifically cite his cast of position players as a target for an upgrade, especially at first base. It follows that Pena has been part of Antonetti's discussions.

The catch? There are two: It costs money to buy a free agent, and the Indians are not the only franchise with an interest in signing Pena.

Responding to a general question about the team's budget, Antonetti said: "We have some flexibility, but obviously it is not unending. Whether that flexibility and a player's desires can align, we don't know yet."

Asked if the budget for player salaries is set in stone, he said, "We don't have a hard-and-fast number.""