Piece by Piece is an offseason long series that covers the Cleveland Indians organization and their outlook in a position-by-position process. Today's position is shortstop.

When you talk about shortstop, it used to be a black hole. Ever since Omar Vizquel left, it was Jhonny Peralta and then, everything else. There was no one ever waiting in the wings as it was assumed Peralta was the present and future.

That quickly soured as Peralta's defense left much to be desired and when upstart second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera burst onto the scene in late 2007. The acquisition of Cabrera from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Eduardo Perez was one that beefed up the Indians shortstop depth and gave them a potential future at the position beyond Peralta.

Eventually, the clamoring to move Peralta to short was so loud the Indians did just that and eventually, Peralta was traded. Since then it has been Asdrubal Cabrera, but with him having suffered injuries, there was always the question of who could take over. The Indians have used the likes of veterans such as Jamey Carroll when need be or young options like Jason Donald, but never has the shortstop position been so deep as it is right now.

With its depth currently, it puts the position in a little bit of limbo. With options coming down the pipeline, do the Indians strike while Cabrera's value is at a very high level and infuse their organization with young players at other positions, or do they hold onto their stud All-Star shortstop for another year.

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This past week, the Indians bid adieu to a familiar face. A face that has seen a lot of agony and one that has brought the same expression to Tribe fans. One of the game’s most productive hitters from 2004-2006, Travis Hafner achieved cult status inCleveland. The mezzanine was renamed “Pronkville”, paying homage to his affinity for tape measure home runs to the second deck in right field at Jacobs Field. Pronk, of course, the nickname given to Hafner by former Indians one-hit wonder Bill Selby, a combination of project and donkey, alluding to Hafner’s hitting prowess and running ability.

Adding to the accolades, Hafner, a diehard wrestling fan, had a bobblehead with a WWE Championship belt, a Malley’s chocolate bar named after him, and a loyal base of fans. Coming out of the fields and plains ofJamestown,North Dakota, graduating high school with a class of 12, and playing college baseball at a small school known asCowleyCountyCommunity College, Hafner was baseball’s version of the American dream story.

Did this past week signify the end of an era for the Indians or the end of an error? Nobody will deny that, in his prime, Hafner was a feared hitter. Unfortunately for Hafner, his prime was an incredibly small window, lasting three magical years before injuries derailed his career. From 2004-2006, Hafner’s numbers were eye-popping. He batted .308/.419/.611/1.030, bashed 103 home runs, drove in 334 runs, and played 406 games. In 2006, Hafner had 42 home runs before September even began. He had six grand slams that season. On September 1, CJ Wilson broke Hafner’s hand with an errant fastball, ironically, with the bases loaded, and Hafner was never the same hitter again.

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Wednesday will go down as perhaps one of the five or six busiest days of the Indians offseason. You may have a few more days throughout the winter months that get interesting, but if you wanna see the height of it all, it may have been Wednesday.

Between the coaching staff being named officially and the decisions that came down in regards to the options that were picked up and not picked up, there is a lot to dive into.

So why not just dive into it, right?

[WONDERING PRONK]

All I can think is that little Pronk roaming around, all lost and no where to go. Will anyone save him?

Okay, not really. Travis Hafner is getting $2.75 million dollars to essentially "go away" so it is hard to feel sorry for him. But it is the end of an era, so it is rather sad. I know many have soured on Hafner since his injuries have severely impacted his performance, but I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the Pronk. 

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I know the Giants win on Sunday effectively ended the baseball season, but that is a blow that I can deal with.

As is a blow you should be able to withstand for two reasons. A)Baseball will eventually be back and B)The Tigers winning a World Series would really be as gross as the weather outside in Northeast Ohio right now.

Why such venom towards the Detroit Tigers? Eh, they're the Tigers, why are we supposed to like them? AL Central pride? That's hog-wash. I don't have any pride in how well a rival does. Plus there is nothing more enjoyable than seeing a myriad of PANDA! tweets fill up my timeline on Twitter.

So with the Giants as champions and the Detroit Tigers stalled once again in their pursuit to give fading owner Mike Illitch a baseball winner, we now can look forward to what is next.

Within the very few days that are remaining post-World Series, the Indians must execute their decisions on a few options for their players. It really will begin this offseason as we know it and the formal postulating of what the Indians are expected to do in the winter months.

What I would like to throw into your mind is the result. The result of the World Series can be a good thing in that I really do not want the Tigers to represent as champions. I know, what is the big deal? It's just a thing. Who wants to see that team win it all? It goes beyond the fact that they are a bitter rival and also plays into The Yankee Effect.

Simply, The Yankee Effect is something that surrounds a team when someone does not want them to win. Usually this team buys players in an attempt to buy wins and in this case, a championship.

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