SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 17: Carlos Santana #41 of the Cleveland Indians runs the bases after hitting a three-run homer against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on April 17, 2012 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) Carlos Santana #41 needs to step up for the remainder of 2012 / (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

CLEVELAND (92.3 The Fan) – With the second half of 2012 getting set to kickoff, there’s a lot of baseball still left to play, and the Indians still have a great shot to win the AL Central.

From trades to players looking to start making more of an impact, there’s plenty of questions surrounding the Indians for the final two plus months of the season, and today we will take a look at the “Top Five Questions For The Tribe” as they get set to make an AL Central title run.

1. How Aggressive Will The Indians Be in the Trade Market? – Scouts are checking out a number of players right now that could be added to the Indians roster for the rest of the season and beyond. While one would assume that the team is going to focus on a right-handed hitter that can play the outfield, the club is committed to doing whatever it takes to become better over the remainder of the year.

The names associated with the Indians are many – Matt Garza, Chase Headley, Carlos Quentin, and Shane Victorino are a couple names that have been bantered about for the Indians. Chris Antonetti has already said the club will do whatever they can to be a better team and make a serious run at the Sox and Tigers, and getting any of the mentioned players will do that. Expect them to be active, and if a deal is close, the Indians will pull the trigger.

2. Will Grady Sizemore Play in 2012? – The season for Sizemore right now has been a complete bust, as he hasn’t been able to get back on the field after having back surgery in early March. The team took a five million dollar shot on Sizemore, and so far it’s been a waste. Sizemore himself has said he feels he will be back and contribute in 2012, but it’s the All-Star break, and he’s yet to even get out for a rehab assignment as of yet.

Between the knees and now the back, it’s amazing to think that Sizemore is going to able to ever play nearly as well as he did when he was hitting 30+ homers and hitting above or near .300. I think Sizemore will play at some point in the second half, but don’t look for much of an impact from him.

3. Who Steps Up as the Indians Ace in the Second Half? – Justin Masterson was tapped to be the ace of the staff from opening day, and while he’s had spurts of being solid, he’s also 5-8 with a 4.40 ERA. Ubaldo Jimenez has been solid over his last seven starts, and has taken his ERA down a full run, and seems to be much more in control of his pitches than early in the season.

Derek Lowe looked like a Cy Young candidate over the first two months, but then the bottom dropped out in June, as he went 1-3 in the month and his ERA went from 3.06 to 4.42. While the Indians will need all three of these guys to be good, Jimenez seems to be the closest to being an ace. If he can have a second half like he did over his last seven starts, he will have a shot to lead the team in wins as well as strikeouts.

4. Is Patience Wearing Thin with Carlos Santana? – It’s not been easy for the supporters of Santana to watch him struggle over the first half hitting just .221 with 5 homers and 30 RBI. Last season he hit just .239, but at least his fans could point to the fact he hit a team high 27 homers. This year, he’s on pace for just 10 homers, and he still can’t seem to get right at the plate.

Manny Acta has preached all season that they are working with Santana to get him more in control at the plate, and also to stop using the very leg kick that has been killing him in his timing when it comes to hitting. If his lack of hitting continues, the Indians will have a major issue on their hands as they already gave Santana a two-year deal at the start of the season.

5. Can the Indians win the Central if They Don’t Make a Major Move? – If you ask the players on the roster, to a man they seem to say ‘yes’, but I don’t buy it. The club has very obvious holes, which is why Tribe scouts are out there more than ever looking at players that can be added to the roster that could have an impact.

The only way that this team can make a major run without making a move is if a couple players catch some serious fire in the second half. Included in that list are Santana, Travis Hafner, and whatever player winds up playing most of the time in left field. They also can’t afford another second half letdown like a season ago from Asdrubal Cabrera, which is got to be a concern as he needs to stay healthy.

The window to win the division is now, and Antonetti and the team knows that, which is why they won’t just sit back and wait. They will make a deal, and here’s hoping it’s one that can put them over the top.

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