For all the praise Mark Shapiro gets as one of the games best GMs, the position players he's acquired to help the offense have not only flamed out, but have done so in dramatic fashion. Look at how the guys Shapiro has brought in the last couple years have done as Indians.
Asdrubal Cabrera: .233/.318/.334
David Delluci: .228/.302/.390
Jason Michaels: .264/.320/.385
Andy Marte: .205/.260/.354
Josh Barfield: .243/.270/.324
The only remotely successful guys the Indians have acquired in recent memory are Shin Soo Choo who has less than 200 plate appearances as an Indian, and maybe Kenny Lofton who at least had a .344 on base percentage.
Combine this with sudden drop offs from Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, and Ryan Garko, and you have a completely punchless offense and a team that went from a potential World Series winner to probable sellers at the trade deadline. It's a good way to keep the momentum going.