Signed and sealed

With the official signing of Eduardo Perez today, Indians GM Mark Shapiro said the Indians are likely done making moves until spring training, effectively ending their offseason.
So now that we can more or less put a stamp on this winter and mail it, allow me to give you some of my preliminary acquisition grades for Shapiro and his boys.
(Note: Since we are talking a very early reaction here, I'll be using the check-plus, check, check-minus system, like that non-credit gym class you took in college.)

Paul Byrd, starting pitcher
Signed to a two-year, $14.5 million contract in December
Grade: check-plus
Byrd's acquisition pales only because of who he replaces in ERA champ Kevin Millwood. In reality, he is a solid starter who finished last year 12-11 with a 3.90 ERA. He has playoff experience with the Braves and Angels, and is the only offseason acqusition signed to a deal longer than one year.
The only question (and it is the same question we had of Millwood a year ago) is will he stay healthy?

Bob Wickman, closer
Signed to a one-year, $6 million contract in December
Grade: check
Wickman is taking his career in the same manner the Indians are taking their relationship with him: one year at a time.
Wickman proved the old dog still has new tricks when he ducked and dodged his way to 45 saves last year. That alone is worth another look this year. But there is no question his body and pitching arm aren't what they used to be. Wicky is nearing the end of his career. How much more can he squeeze out of the flattened toothpaste tube?

Danny Graves, relief pitcher
Signed to a minor-league contract in December
Grade: check-plus
Graves has had recurring back problems, but he is still only 32 and has never had major surgery on his arm. His freefall last year can be chalked up to a bad season unless future events prove otherwise. For the low risk of a minor league deal, Graves is most definitely worth a look. This was the route through which the Indians nabbed Bob Howry two years ago, and look at him now.... playing somewhere else .... for lots of money.... OK, nevermind.

Steve Karsay, relief pitcher
Signed to a minor-league contract in December
Grade: check-minus
This ship has sailed. Karsay sold off his career when he accepted $28 million to be a setup man for the Yankees four years ago. The ensuing years have brought a battery of back and arm problems for the one-time Tribe bullpen anchor. He is certifyably injury-prone, and isn't so much trying to reclaim his career as simply trying to latch on somewhere and stay in baseball.
There is a coaching job waiting for you somewhere, Steve. Hang 'em up before you ruin your arm.

Scott Sauerbeck, relief pitcher
Re-signed to a one-year contract in November
Grade: check
This signing surprised me. Manager Eric Wedge all but abandoned Sauerbeck down the stretch, even with the unscheduled hiatus of Arthur Rhodes to attend to family issues. I figured Wedge was in the class of managers that believed lefty-righty matchup scenarios were overrated.
But Sauerbeck is back, returning a valuable veteran lefty to the bullpen, hopefully with the blessing of Wedge, who might need Sauerbeck more than he realizes if the efforts to find a Howry replacement fall flat.

Jason Johnson, starting pitcher
Signed to a one-year, $1.25 million contract in January
Grade: check
This grade teeters on the brink of a check-minus because I am not convinced an in-house fifth-starter option like Jason Davis would be that much worse than Johnson.
When the pitching-poor Tigers decide they've seen enough of a pitcher, that is a red flag. The two saving graces for Johnson are his durability and the fact that he is a veteran, but he is likely a downgrade from Scott Elarton as a fifth starter.

Lou Merloni, infielder
Signed to a minor-league contract in December
Grade: check
A definite upgrade from Alex Cora and Ramon Vazquez as a utility infielder. But if the Indians lose Ronnie Belliard, Jhonny Peralta or Aaron Boone to injury, it is a stretch to the think the aging Merloni can be an everyday fill-in. He gets bonus points for making games more interesting simply by letting the fans call out his name, as they did in 2004 : "Louuuuuuu!"

Todd Hollandsworth, outfielder
Signed to a minor-league contract in January
Grade: check
My fearless prediction, as I have written previously: no matter how much Wedge wants Hollandsworth to fill in as the fourth outfielder, he will supplant Casey Blake as the right fielder. Hollandsworth is far from an ideal right fielder, but at least he's an outfielder by trade. Blake is a transplanted third baseman.

Eduardo Perez, first baseman
Signed to a one-year contract in January
Grade: check
Hopefully, he'll be Jose Hernandez with more plate discipline. He won't take over the first baseman's job from the terminally-mediocre Ben Broussard, but his ability to hit left-handed pitching will get him at-bats -- maybe even at-bats against righties, depending on how long and deep Broussard's trademark slumps are.