Tag Archives: Delino DeShields

Indians fall to Rangers 3-2 in Arizona

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The Cleveland Indians fall to 3-8 in Cactus League play in Arizona as they were beaten by the Texas Rangers by a score of 3-2.

Good thing these games don’t count. Monday’s 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers has the Cleveland Indians at 3-8 and at the bottom of the Cactus League standings.

Hitters of note

Delino DeShields was the only Indians hitter to have multiple hits on the day, finishing 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored. DeShields is certainly making that push for the Opening Day roster as he is currently slashing .333/.429/.417 this spring.

Jake Bauers went 1-3 and drove in a run. Bauers is another outfielder vying for an outfield spot and if he can put together strong finish in Arizona that could become a reality.

Jordan Luplow continues to struggle, going 0-3 on the day. Luplow is slashing .111/.111/.222 this spring.

Another day and another extra-base hit for Franmil Reyes. Reyes now has 4 doubles this spring and is certainly ready for the regular season to start.

Pitchers of note

Jean Carlos Mejia got the start for the Tribe. Mejia lasted 2 innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out another.

Texas scored their first run off of Eli Morgan. Morgan pitched 1.1 innings, allowing one run on 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3.

Recently signed Ty Boyles pitched just two-thirds of an inning and walked one batter.

Kirkland McCarty received the loss on the day. McCarty pitched 2 innings and allowed the Rangers to take the lead. Allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and striking out 1 batter.

The Indians face the Angels Tuesday at 3:05 P.M.

Indians: Greg Allen or Delino DeShields?

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The Cleveland Indians will have a decision in regards to two similar outfielders and who will make the team. Will it be Greg Allen or Delino DeShields?

There are only so many outfield spots on the roster and the Cleveland Indians need to address them carefully. There are corner outfield spots up for grabs and the reserve outfielder role also seems to be available. Cleveland has two very similar players to choose from in Greg Allen and Delino DeShields. Neither player is inspiring at the plate, although DeShields is a better defender.

The advantage Greg Allen has here is that he is a switch-hitter. With the current outfield having plenty of right handed outfielders, this could be a deciding factor. This group includes Franmil Reyes, Domingo Santana, Oscar Mercado, and Jordan Luplow. There are a few left handed options on the roster, but their roster status is also questionable. Jake Bauers and Bradley Zimmer highlight the left handers who could make the team out of spring training. Having a switch-hitter in the mix would give Cleveland the flexibility to adapt their lineup as needed.

The team has plenty of right handed options to begin with. If Allen does not make the roster and Delino DeShields does, that puts Cleveland in a tough spot. With some combination of Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, and Carlos Santana all hitting in the top four spots in the lineup, that leaves a lot of righties afterward. In addition to all of their outfielders, Roberto Perez is also a righty, as are Yu Chang and Christian Arroyo. With the lack of lefties it would make some bit of sense to have another switch-hitter in the mix. The last thing the team needs is to be in a situation with multiple righties in a row and their opponent going to their best right handed reliever.

So which one will it be, Greg Allen or Delino DeShields?

The determining factor here could very well be whether or not their pure left handed outfield options are able to produce. If the Indians determine that Jake Bauers, Bradley Zimmer, and Daniel Johnson are not necessarily in the best position to help the team right now, going with Greg Allen seems like a likely move only because he is a switch-hitter. It is also worth noting that Allen is better when facing right handed pitching than left handed pitching. If Terry Francona is looking to play the matchup game then Allen is a superior option against right handers when compared to DeShields.

It really seems like the decision between these two will ultimately be determined by other decisions made beforehand. This is more of a secondary group that needs to be addressed. Once Cleveland sets their starters, the team will make a decision of who they prefer. Greg Allen or Delino DeShields.

Indians avoid arbitration with Delino DeShields

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The Cleveland Indians have come to terms on a one-year deal with Delino DeShields worth $1.875 million and have avoided arbitration.

The Cleveland Indians have had a busy day. Already agreeing to one-year deals with Tyler Naquin and Nick Wittgren. Now Delino DeShields can be added to that group. Cleveland will avoid arbitration with the recently acquired outfielder with a $1.875 million deal. DeShields is arbitration eligible for one more season after 2020.

Delino DeShields came over in the trade for Corey Kluber. DeShields will figure to be in the battle for a spot in the outfield. It seems that a direct competitor for playing time is Greg Allen. They are both light hitters and can be used as a pinch runner on the base paths.

DeShields spent the previous five seasons with the Texas Rangers. During that time he slashed .246/.326/.342 with an OPS of .668. Not really that much of a threat at the plate. There are other outfielders in MLB that possess a better profile as a hitter. There are even other outfielders on the Indians who have a better profile as a hitter, but that isn’t really saying all that much.

Cleveland has to figure out which outfielders will make the roster to start the season. Oscar Mercado is a lock and so is Franmil Reyes, although he is more of a designated hitter than regular outfielder. After that, it is all up in the air. That includes Delino DeShields.