Category Archives: Guardians

Indians outright A.J. Cole to AAA

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After acquiring A.J. Cole off waviers, the Cleveland Indians also designated him for assignment, this time passing though waivers and being assigned to AAA.

After being designated for assignment by the New York Yankees, A.J. Cole was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians. Almost a month after claiming him, Cleveland also DFA’d Cole after the acquisition of Nick Wittgren from Miami. This time Cole passed through waivers and will be assigned to AAA Columbus.

Like many other players, Cole is being given a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training. This will give Cole the chance to make Cleveland’s big league roster if he performs well in Arizona.

Cole has previously been a member of the Washington Nationals and the aforementioned New York Yankees. Consistent success has not come easy for Cole, his career 5.05 ERA in 148 innings shows just that. A converted starter, Cole was utilized out of the bullpen by the Yankees last season. In 28 games, Cole pitched 38 innings, struck out 49 batters, finished 13 games and had an ERA of 4.26 for New York. Cole’s strikeout numbers and ability to finish games are impressive. The nine home runs given up, not so much.

How will the Indians use A.J. Cole?

Ideally if all goes well the Indians could use A.J. Cole out of the bullpen. Of course that is if he performs well enough in Spring Training to earn a roster spot. If not, Cole will spend time in AAA working on his pitches and potentially making the jump back up to the Major Leagues.

Cleveland has made some moves to try and address the bullpen, claiming Cole is certainly one of them. Almost anything that the Indians can do to improve their bullpen is a good move. A.J. Cole could become a valuable arm in the Tribe bullpen or could spend the entire season in AAA. Either way having Cole in the system is a step in the right direction. It at least shows an effort to improve the team, even if some do not believe the front office is willing to do so.

Indians: Why not Marwin Gonzalez?

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While the Indians did not enter this offseaon with the intention to spend in free agency, the fact Marwin Gonzalez is still available should change that.

Marwin Gonzalez signing with the Cleveland Indians is not all that likely. Considering the fact that ESPN’s Buster Olney reported earlier that Gonzalez was seeking quite a bit of money in free agency. Apparently it was in the ballpark of $60 million. While that number is obviously out of the Indians comfort zone, apparently it is out of every other teams too. Marwin Gonzalez is still a free agent and Spring Training is fast approaching.

Yes, Marwin Gonzalez is about to be 30 and this is not exactly the type of player Cleveland is after. Cleveland is looking for younger players to add to their current core. Considering that Gonzalez is still unsigned, it is possible that the Tribe could convince him to sign a one-year deal. While it is not extremely likely, given the options of a one-year deal now or taking even less later, a one-year deal with Cleveland would be hard to pass up.

Francisco Lindor’s injury opens up a possibility

Add in the fact that the Indians just lost their starting shortstop Francisco Lindor to injury and the versatility of Marwin Gonzalez, this seems to be a better match than some might think. Gonzalez could fill in for Lindor until he returns and upon his return serve as the super utility man many teams covet. In fact Gonzalez could even see regular time in the outfield if necessary. In the infield Gonzalez can give regular starters day off when needed. Gonzalez has bailed out the Astros previously in similar situations and could do the same for the Indians.

Granted there have been exactly zero rumors connecting to the two parties. Cleveland has even stated that they have on intention in spending large amounts money on free agents. Although sometimes a player sort of just hangs around long enough that he ends up taking almost any deal presented to him. That is exactly where Marwin Gonzalez is right now. A super versatile player waiting for a job. If Cleveland has not reached out to Gonzalez yet, they would be wise to do so. Marwin Gonzalez probably will not be available for much longer with Spring Training right about to start.

Indians have top shortstop and third baseman

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MLB Network released their top position players and the Cleveland Indians have the best third baseman and shortstop in all of baseball.

When evaluating the top players in baseball, the names Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez may not be the first names in the discussion. This trend appears to have changed as MLB Network named the left side of the Cleveland Indians infield the best in baseball. With Lindor taking top honors at shortstop and Ramirez doing the same at third base.

Francisco Lindor
MLB’s best shortstop is Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians

While Francisco Lindor will miss some to start the season, the Indians will at least have Jose Ramirez in their lineup. Missing Lindor will hurt, but when Lindor is in the lineup he is a dynamic hitter who can make opposing pitchers pay from either side of the plate. While his batting average is better against left handed pitching, Lindor has more power against right handers. Granted Lindor has over twice as many at-bats against right handed pitchers. Even when cutting Lindor’s production against right handers in half, nearly every stat that was better is still better. The lone exception being doubles, which just falls short of the total against left handers.

Jose Ramirez

Jose Ramirez may not be the first name many think of when thinking of the best third baseman in baseball, but that appears to be changing. Ramirez being named the best third baseman should make more people look at him more seriously when evaluating his talent.

The splits for Jose Ramirez are rather similar to that of Francisco Lindor. Better average against left handers, but more power production against right handers. Again this is also in over twice as many at-bats against right handers. Cutting these numbers in half Ramirez still has more power production in most categories against right handed pitchers. Just like Lindor, the only category that is not better when cut in half is doubles.

Indians star power should lead to success

Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez are both star players. What they are able to provide when on the field should lead to success for the Cleveland Indians. While it is a team game and more production is required from other players, having two of the best in the game at cornerstone positions can lead to Cleveland winning more games. That is at least the hope as the Cleveland Indians are looking to win their first World Series since 1948.

Indians: Who Bats First?

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With the unfortunate news of injury to SS Francisco Lindor, many questions now arise for the Indians. How long will he be out? Will he be ready by opening day? Who will replace him at SS and who will bat leadoff now?

Let’s focus on the last question, because if the Indians had to start the season today, who could and would bat leadoff? Who even are the candidates for the job? What qualifies them for consideration? Those questions might not be as hard to answer as you think.

Carlos Santana

Carlos can be an opposing pitchers, managers, and fielders nightmare. He’s a switch hitter with power from both sides of the plate. He has patience, an excellent eye and extreme discipline when at bat. He is not afraid to take a walk if his pitch isn’t offered. When batting lefty, opposing teams put the shift on him more than 80% of the time, leaving the left side of the infield open. Carlos is a smart hitter as well. When the opportunity presents itself, he will bunt or slash hit one down the 3rd base side for a free base hit. He has plenty of experience leading off. He owns 132 games in that spot along with 26 HR, 95 BB, and a .845 OPS. For a big man, Carlos has decent speed and can be sneaky about stealing a base or two.

Jason Kipnis

The Indians need a lot out of Kipnis this season. They need his leadership and playing abilities now more than ever. As the most tenured player on the Tribe’s roster, Kipnis has done whatever the team has asked of him. Now, it might be back to the number one spot in the lineup. He has the most experience there of anyone on the current roster. Past performance also shows he does well there. He has batted first 220 times in his career. His stats show he has a .274 AVG, .779 OPS, 90 RBI and 139 runs scored as leadoff man. Kipnis has some pop in his bat and can certainly clear the fence. If he can find his swing that places balls in the left center gap, Kipnis might be the best man for the job.

Greg Allen

Allen has the tools to be considered an excellent leadoff man. He has speed, can steal bases, and is a switch hitter. He has five starts in the leadoff spot with impressive stats. In those five games he has 25 AB, a .304 AVG, one double, and four runs scored. A small sample size but certainly worth looking at. Allen became a more confident batter as he saw more pitches and regular playing time last season. As he started more games, his strikeout ratio went down, walks increased, and naturally, his batting average went up. In the past, he has been asked to bunt with limited results. The Indians have built a special bunting batting field at their spring training facility in Goodyear Arizona. Expect Greg Allen to spend some quality time there honing this skill.

Jordan Luplow

Luplow has 37 games total of MLB experience. 37 games with the National League Pirates, zero with the Indians. Of those 37 games, 6 were in the leadoff spot. As stated, Luplow has minimal MLB experience but his MiLB resume shows that he is the type of player who can hit and knows how to get on base. In 5 minor league seasons he had a .277 AVG, 118 doubles, 11 triples, 59 HR, 230 BB, and a .368 OBP. Lack of experience both in the American League and MLB might not top tip the scales in his favor but he is an intriguing option.

Leonys Martin

Martin started off his 2018 season as the Tigers leadoff man. He has 8 years of MLB experience. He has played the majority of his career in the AL. Martin is also familiar with the AL Central, being a member of both the Tigers and Indians last year. He started his 2018 campaign as the leadoff batter for Detroit. In his leadoff time with the Tigers, Martin batted .271 with a .333 OBP. Add in four HR, 6 doubles, one triple, and 11 runs scored and you find decent leadoff numbers. Unfortunately that was the month of April only. Martin’s stats declined and he eventually found his place in the bottom third of the lineup. A 100% full bill of health has Martin excited to start the season. He is eager to play baseball again and prove what he can bring to the Indians.

An injury to a key player really changes things

The last thing the Indians needed was for one of their best players to go down before the season even started. If the magical 2016 season taught the Indians anything it was resilience. Plenty of injuries occurred that year. However anytime a player got hurt the next man up did his job and performed. Someone will leadoff this team. If not the aforementioned then someone else. Tyler Naquin, Bradley Zimmer, or Jose Ramirez, could they be a sneak attack at leadoff?

If Francisco Lindor is to miss the reported 7-9 weeks, the Indians will need a plan for opening day. Manager Terry Francona, Bench Coach Brad Mills, and hitting Coach Ty Van Burkleo are a smart and wiley bunch. They’ll figure it out, they have to. There are options, good ones too. Position players report to spring training February 16th. Will the Indians bat leadoff by committee, like they have in the past?  Who will step up to the plate and claim leadoff this season? Time and at bats will tell.

 

Indians sign Alex Wilson to minor league deal

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The Cleveland Indians continued their run of signing veteran players to minor league contracts Friday as the team came to terms with Alex Wilson.

Reliever Alex Wilson has signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians. The contract includes an invite to Spring Training with a chance to make the big league club. ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the news Friday evening.

Alex Wilson took to his Twitter account Saturday morning to announce the move.

Perhaps Wilson was taking a page out of Matt Joyce’s book who had a similar Tweet Friday. Joyce also signed with the Indians and announced the transaction on Twitter.

Alex Wilson is the latest of a series of bullpen acquisitions

This is not the first move that the Indians made to supplement their bullpen. Cleveland brought back Oliver Perez earlier this offseason. Earlier this week the Tribe acquired Nick Wittgren from Miami. Rather than rely on in-house options, Cleveland is wisely signing players to team friendly deals.

Alex Wilson has been a fairly productive relief pitcher in his career. Wilson has a career 3.23 ERA in 320.2 innings pitched. The majority of Wilson’s 290 appearances came while wearing a Tigers uniform. In his first two seasons with Detroit Wilson’s ERA was 2.19 and 2.96 respectively. However a bit of regression occurred as his ERA spiked to 4.50 in 2017 before settling down to a more respectable 3.36 in 2019.

Wilson certainly has a good chance to make the Indians roster out of Spring Training. The bullpen has some openings and Wilson is more than capable of taking on a middle reliever role for Cleveland.

If Alex Wilson can make that the team and become a reliable bullpen arm it will go a long way. Coming into the offseason Cleveland’s weakness was the bullpen. While it may not be a strength, it does not appear it will be as big of a liability as it was once thought to be.

Analyzing the Indians outfield

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A lot has been said (or not said, depending on your side of the debate) about the Indians off-season acquisitions and addressing their outfield needs. True, it hasn’t been the sexiest or even most pleasant winter months for the Tribe. Veterans and fan favorites Michael Brantley, Lonnie Chisenhall and Rajai Davis have all left via Free Agency and signed elsewhere. Brandon Guyer signed a minor league deal with the White Sox and Melky Cabrera, while still available, has not really popped up on the Indians radar. That’s 5 solid members of the Indians past not patrolling the OF grass of Progressive Field this season. So where does that leave the Indians outfield heading into spring training next week?

Could it actually be said that it leaves the Indians OF crowded, revitalized, ready for competition to see who’s hungry and who earns the starting spots and platoon roles? Let’s break that down in simple terms of who we have currently and what they’ve offered in the past.

Currently the Indians have Leonys Martin, Tyler Naquin, Bradley Zimmer, Greg Allen, Jordan Luplow, Jake Bauers, and Oscar Mercado listed on their 40 man roster as OF. Brandon Barnes is assigned to their minor league camp and got a look at the major league level last September. In a decent signing on Friday, February 8th, 9 year veteran Matt Joyce was inked to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

Leonys Martin

Leonys Martin offers 8 years of MLB service, a career .248 AVG, 49 HR, a little speed with 122 stolen bases. Perhaps most importantly, stability in CF. Suffering a terrifying illness shortly after joining the Indians via trade with the Tigers, Martin is healthy, refreshed, and eager to hit the reset button with Cleveland and play again.

Tyler Naquin

Tyler Naquin was the darling of the team and fans in his rookie season in 2016. He exploded on the scene and seemed destined to roam CF for many years to come. Unfortunately injuries in both 2017 and 2018 limited his playing time. According to all sources, Tyler is 100% healthy and ready to play once spring training arrives. When in action, Naquin owns a .280 AVG and features a little pop in his bat with 17 HR and 27 doubles. On defense, he has a canon of an arm with excellent instincts. With Martin most likely to get the bulk of the starts in CF, look for Tyler to get plenty of action in RF.

Bradley Zimmer

Bradley Zimmer is a wiz on defense. He features excellent speed and range. Making more than his fair share of highlight reel, run saving, diving catches. He also has a strong and accurate arm from the CF spot. Zimmer has had some trouble at the plate. Especially in the strikeout department, but still shows plenty of promise. He knows this an area in need of improvement and has been working closely with Indians hitting coaches on balancing his long swing. Currently on the DL heading into spring training, the team has not announced an expected return date. All reports indicate a quicker than expected return, barring any injury setbacks. A natural CF, when ready to return to action, it will be interesting to see where he fits into the OF puzzle.

Greg Allen

Greg Allen’s Major League service began earlier than expected in 2017, arriving fresh from AA Akron. He yo-yo’d between AAA Columbus and Cleveland last season. Allen ended up making the trip back and forth on I-71 five times. Splitting time between CF and RF, Allen is athletic, quick, and has fast reactions to the ball off the bat. A switch hitter who, as he saw more major league pitches, gained more confidence at the plate. This led to Allen becoming a tough out for opposing hurlers. 2018 saw him bat .257 with 13 doubles, 19 BB, and 12 stolen bases. Allen has the look and feel of what some like to call Rajai 2.0. Allen can play all three OF spots, has speed, can start or come off the bench ready to play and help the cause.

Jordan Luplow

Jordan Luplow was acquired via Trade with the Pirates this off-season. Luplow came to Cleveland in exchange for Utility Man Erik Gonzalez. He was the Pirates 3rd round draft pick in 2014 and has impressive minor league stats and honors. Through four MiLB seasons he shows a .277 AVG, with 59 HR, 256 RBI, 118 doubles along with 230 BB. This all adds up to, Jordan Luplow knows how to get on base, with a .368 OBP (.091 above average) to prove it.

He appeared in 37 games for the Pirates last season and slashed .185/.272/.359. While a small sample in brief MLB time, look between the numbers and you’ll see that when he did hit. He hit the ball hard with 42% of his 33 hits going for extra bases (4 doubles, 4 triples, 6 HR). Luplow is best suited for a corner OF spot and will be given every opportunity to compete for one this spring.

Jake Bauers

Jake Bauers came to Cleveland in a three team trade that involved Edwin Encarnacion departing to Seattle and Carlos Santana returning to Cleveland. A natural first baseman but to get his bat in the lineup, he played 20 games in the OF for Tampa Bay last season. Bauers admits he has a lot to learn about playing the OF and heads into spring training with a good attitude and approach. Bauers knows that if he wants to keep his bat in the Cleveland lineup he’ll learn and play wherever the Indians ask him to. That could end up being first, OF, or DH.

Oscar Mercado

Oscar Mercado is a young exciting player that also came to the Indians via trade with the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline last year. An athletic SS early in his MiLB career, Mercado was switched to the OF by the Cardinals in 2017. This was in hopes of getting him to the big leagues quicker. 2018 was a tale of two seasons for Mercado. The first half he spent under the Cardinals wing at AAA Memphis in the hitter friendly Pacific Coast League. There he batted .285 with 8 HR, 21 doubles, 42 RBI, and 31 stolen bases in 100 games.

The trade brought him to AAA Columbus in the International League where the same stats found him at .252, 0 HR, 5 doubles, 5 RBI, and 6 stolen bases in 32 games. With no MLB experience Mercado will get a look during spring training, but most likely is considered a long shot to make the club. Perhaps he’ll be called up should the need arise during the season.

Matt Joyce

Matt Joyce was signed to a minor league deal on Friday February 8th. The contract includes an invite to the Indians camp and spring training. Joyce brings the most experience of all players mentioned thus far (11 years). A solid OF who can easily play LF or RF equally well. Joyce sits on a career .240 AVG with 134 HR and 459 RBI. Impressively, Joyce owns a .339 OBP (.099 above average), which again means, Joyce knows how to get on base. If Joyce earns a major league spot out of spring training the Indians would have to make a roster move to add him to the 40 man. His experience and veteran presence might be what the Indians are looking for to solidify an OF spot.

Brandon Barnes

Brandon Barnes has past MLB experience with the Astros, Rockies, and Indians. Barnes appeared in 19 games for the Tribe last season. He owns a career .242 AVG with little power and average speed on the bases. What Barnes does offer is excellent defense. There he features a career .983 FP% and can play all three OF spots, although his arm and range place him best in the corners. Barnes is already assigned to Columbus but will see some action and at bats with the big league club during spring training. He is also not on the 40 man roster. Should the need arise for the Indians to call on an experienced major league player, he is one short call and ride away.

Who knows for sure who else might spend some time in the outfield this spring or season for the Indians. Jason Kipnis has spent time in CF and performed admirably. For now Kipnis is penciled in as the everyday second baseman. Carlos Santana has said he doesn’t like being on the bench or the DH, he wants to be on the field. First base is where he excels and belongs but Jake Bauers is expected to get some time there as well. Could Carlos see some time in LF this season?

Indians can still make additions in the outfield

Manager Terry Francona is known for telling his team every spring that “the team we start with is not necessarily the team we finish with”. Currently the teams features a solid infield that can play excellent defense and one that can hit and score runs when at bat. A starting rotation that is one of the tops in MLB. The bullpen is an article for another day, but is one that is stable, experienced, and will figure itself out this spring.

There’s plenty to like in the Indians OF. Youth, speed, homegrown talent, and now a mix of a few veteran players as well. Time and games played will tell how well this group of players perform. The Indians project to win the AL Central this season. Mid-season upgrades to the OF need to happen. Trades can always be made to upgrade talent in order to compete for the playoffs and beyond.

A few weeks ago most fans thought the Indians haven’t done enough to address the OF. Now the OF appears crowded. Decisions will have to be made, players will have to compete for their spot in spring training and positions sorted out for the opening day roster.

Francisco Lindor to miss time with calf strain

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The Cleveland Indians announced Friday afternoon that All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor will miss some time with a calf strain.

Just as Spring Training is about to start, the Cleveland Indians got hit with some bad news. Shortstop Franciso Lindor is going to miss some time with a calf strain.

Missing nearly two months will certainly have an impact not only for Lindor, but the Indians as a team. Roster decisions are going to have to be made.

Francisco Lindor may miss most, if not all of Spring Training. This means that Lindor may end up going to extended Spring Training just to get up to speed and miss the start of the regular season. Extended Spring Training only being an option if Lindor suffers a setback or is not progressing like the team would like him to.

Cleveland is going to have evaluate some replacement options in the interim.

Eric Stamets

Eric Stamets is yet to make an appearance at the Major League level. Out of the 687 games Stamets has appeared in, 611 of them have been at the shortstop position. Stamets has more than enough experience defensively to handle duties at the shortstop position.

Stamets can occasionally drive the ball in the gap or even over the fence, but is not a power hitter by any means, with 42 home runs and 122 doubles over seven minor league seasons. The concern with Stamets is that he struggled overall at the plate at AAA Columbus. Stamets’ slash line was an unimpressive .202/.272/.324/.596 in 78 games. If Cleveland were to go with Stamets it would not be due to his prowess at the plate.

Yu Chang

Another option to replace Francisco Lindor is Yu Chang. Chang spent 94 of his 127 games in AAA last season at shortstop. Chang had more success at the plate last season than the aforementioned Eric Stamets. Putting together a .256/.330/.411/.741 slash line, Chang hit 13 home runs, 22 doubles and drove in 62 runs.

Between Eric Stamets and Yu Chang, Chang may be the better option in the interim. The Indians do not need to establish their future shortstop, they just need someone to hold down the fort until Francisco Lindor comes back. Yu Chang may be the better option to replace Francisco Lindor on a short-term basis. Whether that is just during Spring Training or the start of the season remains to be seen.

Max Moroff

The final option currently on the roster is Max Moroff. Moroff was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this offseason. Unlike Eric Stamets or Yu Chang, Moroff has experience at the Major League level. Moroff has appeared in 84 games with the Pirates and 22 of them came at the shortstop position. 13 of the appearances at shortstop were actual starts and not as a replacement later in the game.

Offensively Moroff struggles at the plate. Moroff’s career slash line in the Major League is relatively unimpressive .193/.293/.331/.625. While he has not been all that impressive, Moroff just needs to play good defense at shortstop and get the occasional hit. That is if the Indians decide to use Moroff as Lindor’s short-term fill-in.

Francisco Lindor’s injury places emphasis on evaluating depth at the shortstop position and establishing utility players

Spring Training just got a bit more interesting due to the fact the Indians need to find their shortstop to be Francisco Lindor’s injury replacement. Either one of Eric Stamets, Yu Chang or Max Moroff could be the Opening Day shortstop for the Cleveland Indians in 2019, (again this is if Francisco Lindor does miss all of Spring Training and Opening Day).

This also means that recently signed Ryan Flaherty may make the team in a utility role. In fact the team may use both Flaherty and Moroff as utility players this season. In the end the team will get some more definitive answers in regards to some of their minor league shortstops and recently acquired utility players.

Indians sign outfielder Matt Joyce

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The Cleveland Indians have signed outfielder Matt Joyce. This is just the latest in late offseason signings for the Tribe.

Veteran outfielder Matt Joyce has signed with the Cleveland Indians. It is a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training. Joyce made the announcement via his own Twitter account Friday morning.

https://twitter.com/sweetswingin20/status/1093847339662495745

The signing of Joyce is just the latest veteran signing from the Indians. Cleveland signed veterans Ryan Flaherty and Dioner Navarro Thursday. In true Indians fashion the team waited until later in the offseason before signing players. Rather than throw money around, the team is using their more risk averse approach by signing Joyce.

Matt Joyce figures to be in the discussion for an outfield spot. Joyce played in the outfield 57 of the 83 games he appeared in last season. The previous year it was 133 of 141 games. Cleveland signing an outfielder who can consistently play in the outfield was an absolute need for the club. At worst Joyce is considered an average defensive outfielder, but has received above average grades in both right and left field. The current outfield group was relatively unsettled and offensively left a bit to be desired.

Matt Joyce at the plate

As mentioned above, Matt Joyce is a bit more productive when it comes to his offense. Joyce’s career slash line is .240/.339/.431 with an OPS of .770. Joyce is one year removed from putting numbers similar to that. Unfortunately Joyce struggled a bit in 2018 and was not necessarily a threat at the plate. Baseball Reference does project Joyce to have a bit of a bounce-back season in 2019. Granted this projection was before Joyce signed with Cleveland.

.231/.333/.421/.754, 14 home runs, 17 doubles, one triple, 41 RBI, 50 runs

Matt Joyce’s projection falls in line more with his career averages rather than his disappointing 2018 campaign. It is also worth noting this projection is based off of 377 plate appearances, Joyce had 544 appearances at the plate just two seasons ago with Oakland. While he may not reach that amount in Cleveland, somewhere in between 377 and 544 is more than reasonable to expect.

Now there is the possibility that Matt Joyce does not work out with the club during Spring Training. If that were the case the team would obviously move on and find help elsewhere. Considering their current outfield situation the Indians may decide to keep Joyce on the roster beyond Spring Training.

Indians sign Flaherty, Navarro to minor league deals

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The Cleveland Indians have signed Ryan Flaherty and Dioner Navarro to minor league deals with invites to Spring Training.

It is that time of year, when the Cleveland Indians sign players to minor league contracts with invites to Spring Training. Cleveland did just that with the signings of Ryan Flaherty and Dioner Navarro Thursday.

Ryan Flaherty

Ryan Flaherty spent six season in Baltimore before signing with Atlanta last season. Flaherty possesses the ability to play first, second and third base. While his bat is nothing special, he possesses the ability to play multiple positions in the infield. This versatility is obviously what the Indians were interested in.

Flaherty has a career slash line of .216/.286/.347 with a .633 OPS. These numbers are hardly eye-popping. Flaherty’s career-high in home runs is 10, which was achieved in 2013. The bat of Flaherty is not what attracts teams in his services.

Dioner Navarro

Catcher Dioner Navarro has not appeared in a Major League game since 2016. Navarro’s signing may be a bit of a precautionary measure in case an injury occurs to either Roberto Perez or Kevin Plawecki. Even then, Navarro’s presence on the roster is most likely as a replacement catcher during Spring Training games.

Navarro will be 35 years old by the time Spring Training starts and is actually a more productive hitter over the course of his career than Perez and Plawecki. Although Cleveland has a better offensive option in AAA with Eric Haase. If the Indians are looking for offense from the catcher position Haase would make more sense than Navarro at this point in time.

Indians could just be looking for a veteran presence

There is something to be said about having a veteran presence on the bench. They provide a voice that younger players can rally around and can be leaders in the clubhouse. Ryan Flaherty probably has a better chance of making the team out of Spring Training over Dioner Navarro. Granted stranger things have happened, but looking at overall roster construction and the versatility of Flaherty, the Indians could be looking towards him as a veteran option on the bench.

Jason Kipnis needs to bounce back

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Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis needs to have a rebound season. Showing signs of his former self could go a long way for Cleveland in 2019.

Jason Kipnis’ success at the plate has declined in recent years. His struggles have led to quite the vocal opposition to Kipnis just being on the roster. While it is true that Kipnis has not been the same player from a few years ago, there is still some hope for a rebound performance from Cleveland’s second baseman.

Jason Kipnis slashed .215/.315/.389 with an OPS of .704. 2018’s numbers are less than Kipnis’ career slash line of .263/.337/.417 and a .754 OPS. This is somewhat of a concern. Considering Kipnis is over 30 and declining production wise there is not a lot of hope for a drastic turnaround. Although there is hope for a turnaround of some sort.

There was a well publicized swing change late last season. Kipnis studied his swing from the 2016 campaign and compared it to his swing at the time. After some adjustments Kipnis improved at the plate. The slash line over that time was .246/.329/.492 with an OPS of .821. This is much improved over his overall slash line for the season and there is no doubt his final numbers were boosted by this 19 game surge.

The good news for the Indians is that Kipnis identified a flaw in his swing and made a change to become more productive at the plate. With the roster changes Cleveland made during the offseason the team will need Kipnis to resemble more of his former self rather than the version that showed up for the majority of 2018. Kipnis does not need to be the player who garnered fringe MVP votes in 2013 and 2015. All Cleveland needs is production similar to the last 19 games in 2018 and that should be enough to warrant regular playing time.