The Cleveland Indians offense is still struggling and could use a jolt. Calling up Bobby Bradley could be just what the Tribe need.
Hitting for power has not come easy for the Cleveland Indians this season. The absences of some key power bats from last season have reared their ugly head. This leaves Cleveland scrambling to try and find some answers rather quickly. Initially the team went with fliers on Hanley Ramirez and Carlos Gonzalez but both options did not work. This leaves the team looking into the minor league ranks to find a solution. That solution could be Bobby Bradley.
Bobby Bradley is hitting for quite a bit of power down in Columbus this season. In 41 games Bradley has 12 doubles and 10 home runs while driving in 26 runs. While not an even comparison due to level of competition, Bradley has more doubles and homers than any Indians player and is second in RBI’s, (Carlos Santana edges out Bradley in the RBI category).
The only problem with Bobby Bradley is strikeouts. Bradley strikes out a ton and as has been seen with the big league club, this is a major problem. Bradley has struck out 57 times in 170 plate appearances. This is not exactly optimal. Considering the fact that strikeouts are not as looked down upon as they used to be, it may not be as large as an issue now as it would have been in the past. While Bradley has struck out a ton and most likely will in the majors, the tradeoff with power may be worth it. Cleveland desperately needs help and a trade for a bat does not appear to be all that likely in the short term.
As of now there is not necessarily a spot for Bradley. Eric Haase was called up as the backup catcher while Roberto Perez is dealing with a concussion. Once Perez returns a spot will be open and the Indians should consider calling up Bobby Bradley to help their struggling offense before it’s too late.
