Odds & Ends: Indians, Takahashi, Hernandez

Some Sunday night links:

• In his latest mailbag, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the Indians are in the hunt for a first baseman that hits right-handed, in the event that Matt LaPorta isn't healthy by Opening Day.  
• Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along the news that the San Francisco Giants are "showing mild interest" in Hisanori Takahashi, via Twitter.  Earlier this week, the 34-year-old reliever made it known that he wants to make the jump to MLB.
• Padres closer Heath Bell says that former GM Kevin Towers was never able to spend the way he wanted to and was "kind of a puppet", according to Kevin Tomase of the Boston Herald.  Bell also said that he hopes new GM Jed Hoyer has full rein over the club's baseball decisions.
• According to a report from MLB.com's Bill Ladson, the odds of Livan Hernandez returning to the club are "less than 50-50."  Over the last three years, the 34-year-old pitcher has recorded an ERA of 5.45 whilst eating 568 innings for five different clubs.