A.j. Olmscheid / AP

Torii Hunter was a surprise snag by the Angels last week.

Q: Do you think it would be wise for the Indians to bring in more veteran pitching, like say Livan Hernandez, to round out the rotation? — MJ, Cleveland

A: I don’t think that’s the way the Indians are going to go, and I can’t say that I disagree with them. They already have four quality starters in C.C. Sabathia, Fausto Carmona, Jake Westbrook and Paul Byrd, plus a couple of solid options for the final rotation spot.

You mention the idea of a veteran at the back of the rotation — why not Cliff Lee? It’s way too early to give up on him, even though he struggled last season, which he began on the disabled list due to an abdominal strain. Here’s a guy who averaged 15.3 victories over the previous three seasons, and is only 29. If the Indians are ready to give up on him, I’m sure there are several teams who will be glad to take a shot at a comeback season from him in 2008, when he’ll be in the final year of a reasonably inexpensive three-year, $14.4-million deal.

The Indians also have a top-flight prospect in Adam Miller, who figures to surface next season, and got some nice starts down the 2007 stretch in rookie Aaron Laffey. So I’d say they’re in pretty good shape rotation-wise, and agree with their decision to attempt to deepen their bullpen by signing Japanese League veteran right-handed closer Masahide Kobayashi. Besides, if rotation problems arise next season, they can always turn to the trade market if necessary.

Q: I was just curious as to what has become of the two players the Yankees signed from China. I haven’t heard much on them. Do you think they are in the Yankees’ plans, or are they just going to be trade bait? — Matt M., Chattanooga, Tenn.

A: The two 19-year-old players — a left-handed pitcher and a catcher — are very raw, and likely several seasons away from the major leagues, if they even get that far. Baseball in China is in the infancy stage — far below the level that is played in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

But what the Yankees wisely have done in a country with more than 1 billion people is get in on the ground floor by entering into a working agreement with the Chinese Baseball Association. This could very well lead to them grabbing the best talent from China, and eventually a couple of big-leaguers down the road.

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