"The Indians have entered the incremental stage of the winter. General Manager Chris Antonetti is still looking to make a deal that will jolt the offense into one giant step forward, but in the meantime, he's trying to improve inch by inch.

Antonetti on Friday signed infielder Jose Lopez and outfielder Felix Pie to minor-league deals with spring-training invitations. Then he traded Class AA closer Cory Burns to San Diego for outfielder Aaron Cunningham.

The cupboard is bare in the Indians' outfield, which explains the additions of Cunningham and Pie. Cunningham, who is out of options, was added to the 40-man roster when right-hander Josh Judy was designated for assignment. If Cunningham doesn't make the club out of spring training, he could be lost on waivers.

Pie, signed for $700,000 with a chance to make another $300,000 in performance bonuses, is a left-handed hitter. The Indians don't need another lefty bat, but they do need an outfielder who can run, play defense and stay healthy, given the injury histories of starters Grady Sizemore, Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo.

The Indians feel once highly regarded Pie, 26, is probably best suited for left field, but can play all three positions. He appeared in 67 of his 85 games last season with Baltimore in left field and hit .220 (36-for-164) with eight doubles and seven RBI. "