"Should the Indians add a significant right-handed hitter between now and Opening Day -- Derrek Lee, Mark Trumbo, etc. -- they could still have as many as six left-handed hitters in the lineup on most days during the 2012 season. Add switch-hitters Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana if the opposition is starting a right-hander and the Tribe will be leaning so heavily to the left that Rush Limbaugh may picket Progressive Field.

Manager Manny Acta accepts it. It's not like he didn't go through it a lot last year.

"That's why we didn't sign Prince Fielder," Acta said with a laugh Thursday night at the start of the Indians' mall tour. "You guys said we have too many left-handed hitters."

Fielder, who is indeed a left-hander, signed a nine-year, $214 million contract with the Tigers. The Tigers just so happened to win the AL Central last year by 15 games over the second-place Indians.

"We're fine with our left-handed hitters," Acta said. "Who was the team that won the division last year? They don't have one left-hander in their rotation. We all know that on the majority of teams, the majority of starting pitchers are right-handed.

"You can't build a team thinking about someone else's bullpen. Your job is to score as many runs as possible against the starters."

The rotation that kick-started the Tigers' stretch run to the division title -- Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and Brad Penny -- was all right-handed. Lefty Phil Coke did make 14 starts during the season. "