Cleveland Indians: 8 players who could lose their 40-man roster spot
by Steve DiMatteo1 hour ago Follow @steve_dimatteo


The Cleveland Indians will have some big roster decisions coming up this offseason and these players could lose their 40-man roster spot.

By now, you’ve probably heard about the Cleveland Indians’ impending 40-man roster crunch. With a number of notable minor leaguers soon becoming eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, Cleveland will need to protect them from being poached by other teams by adding them to the 40-man.

The one major caveat of the Rule 5 Draft is that, once selected, the team acquiring a player must keep him on the major-league team for the entire season. If this doesn’t happen, the player can be offered back to his original team for half of the original investment ($50,000). So while the Indians have decisions to make, it’s not like all of their prospects are suddenly up for grabs.

There are arguably six to seven players who will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft in 2021 that the Indians will want to potentially protect – names like George Valera, Brayan Rocchio, Tyler Freeman, Joey Cantillo, Cody Morris, and Richie Palacios. No matter how much a guy like Jhonkensy Noel mashes at Low-A Lynchburg, it’s highly unlikely a team would be placing the 20-year-old on its active roster for an entire season.

But assuming the number of protected players is somewhere in that range above, who is potentially on the 40-man chopping block? Let’s look at a few options:


Daniel Johnson


As of now, Daniel Johnson just doesn’t appear to be in Cleveland’s long-term plans. With the acquisition of Myles Straw, who is going to be locked in as the center fielder of the future, there are only two regular outfield spots left. That leaves Johnson, Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, Harold Ramirez, and Josh Naylor (when he one day returns) all fighting for time while eventually fending off the outfield prospects moving up the ranks.

It’s a minuscule sample size, but the Indians don’t seem to have much confidence yet in Johnson, who has hit just .205/.222/.341 this season with 15 strikeouts in 44 at-bats. He still has minor-league options, and may still get an extended shot based on how far away outfield help is in the lower levels.

Bradley Zimmer

It’s clear the Indians right now are giving as much playing time as possible to Bradley Zimmer and Oscar Mercado in an effort to see who sticks. With Straw as the center fielder, Zimmer has been playing some right field, hitting .247/.353/.358 with four home runs, 20 RBIs and a 101 wRC+ – right about average, despite the excessive strikeouts that still hang over him. Zimmer has finally stayed healthy and is getting on base, giving him a solid-enough case to stick around on the big-league roster.

Oscar Mercado

Oscar Mercado has also been playing all over the outfield to the tune of a .222/.300/.354 line with two home runs and eight RBIs. The issue is that neither Zimmer nor Mercado have much power, and neither of them are really tearing the cover off the ball, aside from Zimmer’s recent prodigious 471-foot blast against the Cincinnati Reds. Since his solid rookie season in 2019, Mercado has struggled in the Majors and Cleveland could soon be moving on.

Yu Chang

Yu Chang just cannot seem to find his way into Cleveland’s lineup, not that he’s doing much with the bat once he’s actually in there. In a perfect world, Chang is in a super utility role, but a .185 batting average isn’t going to cut it, and Ernie Clement might be filling that role soon enough anyway.

J.C. Mejia

This poor guy was mercifully sent back to Triple-A Columbus on August 7 after being torched across eleven starts. J.C. Mejia was in the rotation as long as he was simply because the Indians had no other options, and it led to a bloated 8.75 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 47 1/3 innings. Mejia’s future with the team is likely going to be in the bullpen, but there will be plenty of arms battling for those roles by next spring.

Blake Parker

Blake Parker, 36, has been effective in his 23 innings of work this season, though he often appears in mop-up duty. He has a 2.35 ERA, but if push came to shove, Cleveland would move on from Parker in order to free up a spot on the 40-man roster.
Alex Young

The Indians claimed Alex Young off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 26, optioning the left-hander to Columbus. Young has a 4.73 career ERA in the Majors, though he did have a 3.56 ERA in 83 1/3 innings in his 2019 rookie season.

Scott Moss

This one is not impossible, but it’s certainly not all that probable. Scott Moss, who was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in the Trevor Bauer trade of 2019, has battled injuries for much of 2021, pitching only 20 1/3 innings at Triple-A Columbus to the tune of a 7.08 ERA. This year has essentially been a lost season for Moss, who many figured would have been a sure bet to make the Majors by now. He remains a highly touted pitching prospect for the Indians, and he’s one of the more unlikely bets to lose his spot based on how close he is to the Majors and the fact that he’s a starting lefty, which remains an ongoing quest for this team.

Ahead of most of those guys (with the exception of Moss and Johnson)
Wilson Ramos
Kyle Nelson
Alex Young
Cam Hill

They will not drop Mejia
Could drop Carlos Vargas
Justin Garza and and most any middle relievers

And don’t forget anyone under a one year free agent deal goes off the roster and can be resigned after the rule 5 draft
That includes Hedges i think Maybe Wittgren?

The Cleveland Indians’ young talent: Discussing who and what we’re watching the rest of 2021



CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 11: Second baseman Andres Gimenez #0 of the Cleveland Indians throws out Starling Marte #2 at first as Mark Canha #20 of the Oakland Athletics is out at second for a double play during the sixth inning at Progressive Field on August 11, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)


By Zack Meisel and Jason Lloyd Aug 13, 2021 38
CLEVELAND — A former Progressive Field press box denizen and I have had a running bit over the years in which we marvel at teams’ late-season lineups. Especially when a club isn’t contending, those batting orders can be full of unfamiliar names, a nine-player concoction you never would have predicted back in April.

The golden standard in recent Cleveland lore is September 2012, as Manny Acta — and, for the final week, Sandy Alomar Jr. — shuffled Cord Phelps, Vinny Rottino, Russ Canzler, Thomas Neal, Brent Lillibridge and others in and out of the lineup as the Indians sputtered to the finish line.

That team entered the season with postseason aspirations. In late July, it sat only a few games out of first place in the division. And by September, its cleanup hitter was as anonymous as the online commenters venting about the club’s downfall.

The 2021 season is nowhere near the dumpster fire the 2012 campaign was, but I surely wasn’t expecting to see Bradley Zimmer batting leadoff or Oscar Mercado hitting fifth at any point.

These last two months for the Indians are about development and learning who deserves to stick around. And with that, Jason, I pose this question to you: Which young player are you most intrigued to watch over the final stretch of this season?

Lloyd: I could go a couple of different directions here. I’ve been driving the Cal Quantrill train all season, and he’s been a different pitcher since the start of July. I’m curious to see his development continue. Triston McKenzie’s command issues have dissipated since returning from Columbus. I’m anxious to see him re-establish himself as a rotational piece entering 2022.

But if I have to pick one, I’ll take Andrés Giménez because we probably know less about him than all the others. He couldn’t keep the starting shortstop job after a lousy six weeks to start the season, but I think we all know Amed Rosario probably isn’t the long-term solution there.

Meisel: He’s more Ozzie Newsome than Ozzie Smith. More Ozzy Osbourne, even.

Lloyd: The Indians have a long line of shortstop prospects getting closer and closer to Cleveland, and Giménez just happens to be first up.

He missed two weeks in July with a hamstring injury, otherwise he might have been up sooner. Giménez can’t win the shortstop job for the next 10 years over the next seven weeks, but he can certainly position himself to stay at the head of the line entering 2022.

Meisel: Giménez has such an advantage being first in line. Rosario, Ernie Clement and Owen Miller are here, too, but none poses much of a long-term threat at shortstop. Gabriel Arias should be ready to debut next year, but it’s difficult to see where he fits without a transaction or two. Tyler Freeman could break through in 2022 as well, but his season-ending shoulder surgery didn’t help his timeline. Brayan Rocchio recently received a promotion to Double-A Akron, but he’s only 20. So, Giménez certainly has a chance to carve out a spot for at least the next year or so, if he can produce at the plate.

I can’t stop being intrigued by Miller. I know, I know. Fool me once — his first stint — shame on you. Fool me twice — his current stint — shame on me.

At every level of the minors, Miller has hit well (career .305 average, .818 OPS), registered an impressive strikeout rate and racked up a bunch of doubles. And through his first sample of major-league activity, he has done none of that. His slash line sits at .135/.198/.225.

It’s early in Miller’s tenure and maybe he just needs more time to move past the initial gut punch that a rough transition to the majors can deliver. But he has nothing left to prove in the minors, and he’ll have plenty of opportunity to man first and second base the next two months.

Lloyd: It took José Ramírez 550 at-bats and three years of bouncing back and forth before establishing himself as an everyday player. I’m not predicting Miller will turn into a perennial MVP candidate, but there is precedent for guys with that kind of hit tool just needing time to figure things out. Miller has fewer than 100 big-league at-bats. He was also on my list of guys I want to watch play. I’m certainly willing to give him more time.

Freeman’s injury hurts. I don’t think he would’ve been up this year – no need to start that contract clock ticking – but he may have been in line for a late-April promotion next year. Now he’s a prospect with no Triple-A experience and just 164 at-bats in Double A. It feels like his path to Cleveland just hit a significant delay.

While we’re talking about who we’re excited to watch, I’ll also tell you who I’m not excited to watch: the outfielders. Like, all of them. We’ve said for two years now (at least) that we need to find out if Zimmer and Mercado can play every day. The fact we’re still asking means we probably know the answer. Neither one of them excites me anymore. Myles Straw just doesn’t do it for me, either. He feels like a fourth outfielder on a contending team (although, admittedly, he has hit much better this year than I thought he would as an everyday player).

Harold Ramirez has probably done more with his opportunity than any of the rest of them. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment to him or an indictment on everyone else. Although, Rosario is more fascinating to me as a second baseman or center fielder than he is as a shortstop.

Meisel: There’s surely a spot on the major-league roster for Rosario, especially given the way he handles left-handed pitching (.313/.361/.485 slash line this season). But you’re right, a contending team shouldn’t stick him at shortstop, Straw is now blocking him in center field, and he’s never appeared in a game at second base (though you could always change that next spring).

To me, Straw is a solid addition because he at least solidifies one outfield spot for next season. He plays elite defense, which he has already made evident in the two weeks since the trade. He’s an elite runner. And he’s elite at making contact, even if that contact is typically pretty weak. That’s a good baseline of traits for a big leaguer, and it’s more than any of the other outfield candidates has offered.


Myles Straw has already made a handful of impressive catches for Cleveland. (Ken Blaze / USA Today)
The rest of the group does seem like a collection of fourth and fifth outfield options. I’m much more intrigued by Richie Palacios, who has posted sparkling minor-league hitting numbers and recently received a promotion to Triple A. But anyone we haven’t seen in the major-league outfield will automatically seem more alluring as a byproduct of being compared to the current, lackluster bunch.

Let’s revisit something you mentioned earlier, though, as we banter about players to monitor over the next eight weeks. Quantrill has solidified himself as part of the fabric of the future rotation, alongside Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac. That’s a strong foundation, and McKenzie has demonstrated an ability to attack hitters that was absent during the first half of the season.

If this team doesn’t have to address its starting pitching this winter, that eliminates a significant entry from the offseason to-do list. And the way Quantrill and McKenzie have pitched, that’s a massive development.

Lloyd: It goes back to one of the recent times you and I did this when we discussed what the Indians should do at the trade deadline, way back when they were still hanging around the division race despite all the injuries. We made the point that the most glaring short-term need on this team, starting pitching, wasn’t much of a long-term concern at all.

A month later, that still feels true. Barring injury (of course), a rotation of Bieber-Civale-Plesac-Quantrill-McKenzie is the deepest in the division and one of the best in the league. It leaves Logan Allen, Eli Morgan and others as depth starters and it means the Indians don’t have to waste any free-agent dollars (the payroll is going up, remember) on overpriced pitching.

Meisel: Keep an eye on Cody Morris in Columbus, too.

Lloyd: To bring this all the way back around, that’s why I’m most curious to watch Giménez over the final six weeks. I’ll concede Straw to you in center, for now, because he’s the best of what they have. If Giménez can hit big-league pitching, it allows Rosario (or Miller) to play second base every day next year. Second base should be far easier for Rosario to learn than the outfield, particularly if he has all of spring training to get comfortable there, then suddenly you have a guy who is pretty decent with the bat who can play all over the field, like a Ben Zobrist or Joey Wendle or Jurickson Profar.

Am I projecting a bit and taking a few liberties there? Perhaps. But like Rosario, Zobrist and Profar were shortstops coming up who increased their value by learning to play other positions. The Indians have never really had one of those super-utility guys who can find their way into the lineup at a multitude of positions. Rosario feels to me like he could be that guy, if Giménez proves he can handle shortstop every day.

While we’re talking about all of these players we’re excited to watch and players we’re not-so-excited to see, this feels like the right time to point out what a disappointment this season has been for guys like Daniel Johnson and Nolan Jones.

Entering the season, I thought Jones would be up by May or June at the latest. Here it is mid-August and he still has yet to debut. Was I just overzealous, or did you expect him to be up by now, too?

Meisel: What’s strange is lefties have always been Jones’ kryptonite, but he has fared better against them this season than he has against righties. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Jones since he didn’t play in 2020, had such a rough time against southpaws in the past and would also be bouncing around to different positions. But I did think he would have debuted by now in some capacity, especially if I had been armed with the knowledge that no other players would seize either of the corner outfield spots. He’ll have to play somewhere next year.

Regardless, addressing the outfield should be the top priority for this team this winter, likely via trade. (I could have copied-and-pasted that sentence from any offseason preview article from the past decade.) They should be able to solve the infield internally; they just need to sort through all of these options first.

Indians: 3 young players fans should expect big things from in the future
by Chad Porto14 hours ago Follow @ChadNerdCorp

The Indians have struggled this year but some young talent has stepped up.

The Cleveland Indians are likely not making the postseason after injuries to the lineup, rotation and even their manager sidelined what was once looked at to be a promising year. Yet, as the Tribe tries to finish out the last month and then some, all eyes are going to be on the youngsters currently on the roster.

These players are going to be needed to not only help finish out this season but also help the squad next season as well. So it’ll be important to watch them see if they’re up to the task.

That’s why we’re taking a break to look at several position players who have done the work this year and are raising expectations for themselves in the 2022 season.


Harold Ramirez
The former Miami Marlin has found a place in the Indians lineup during the 2021 season. Ravaged by injuries, the outfield needed players who could fill in and Ramirez has done just that. While not an overly impressive hitter, the 26-year-old is hitting .263 on the year, with six home runs, 31 RBIs, 12 walks, and three stolen bases.



He’s become a reliable player in the wake of injuries to Josh Naylor and the departure of Eddie Rosario at the trade deadline.

With him, Bradley Zimmer, and the other name on this list, the outfield may finally be secure with stable talent, even if they aren’t 40 home run-a-year guys.

Amed Rosario
The trade of Francisco Lindor has not been a hindrance on the Tribe in 2021 at all, thanks in part to the acquisition of Amed Rosario. Rosario, who started the season as a center fielder from shortstop, had a rough start to the year, but seemingly found his swing once he was moved back to shortstop near the start of the summer.

Since then, he’s hit .276, with six home runs, and 34 RBIs, with 23 walks, and 54 runs scored.

Myles Straw
Myles Straw was a target the Indians had been trying to get for some time and were finally able to land him at the deadline. While not a power hitter by any means, the move to acquire Straw was a good one. Sitting atop the Tribe’s lineup, Straw has hit .294 since coming over from the Astros, with nine runs, and two stolen bases. He’s also chipped in a bit in other ways offensively, with Straw hitting one home run and driving in three runs on his own.

His lead-off ability, plus his defense in the outfield, makes him a quality player the team should want to hang on to for as long as possible.

Cleveland Indians: 3 reasons why the future is bright for Cleveland baseball
by Kyle Edmond16 hours ago Follow @kyleedmond7


Cleveland Indians, Franmil Reyes
The future is bright for the Cleveland Indians / Cleveland Guardians despite the struggles of the 2021 season.
The 2021 season has been rough for Cleveland baseball. What will end up being the final season for the Cleveland Indians was expected to be a bit tougher than previous seasons due to the makeup of the roster after the club cut payroll. However, even then a season below .500 this far into the season was fully predicted.

As it currently stands, the Tribe are in danger of suffering a losing season for the first time since 2012. On top of that, the front office has traded away most of the top players for the organization and Terry Francona has stepped away for the rest of the season, putting his position in question, potentially, next year as well.

While the negatives are taking the headlines right now, like a 17-0 loss, there’s still a lot to be excited for when looking ahead to the future of Cleveland baseball. This team is young and developing, which should in turn create a bright future as the group grows together and finds their stride in the coming seasons.

So, to help us get through the remainder of a difficult 2021 season we’ll need to focus on those positives. In fact, these three positives should be just enough to paint a bright future for Cleveland baseball moving beyond the 2021 campaign.

Lots of Team Control Remains for the Cleveland Indians

Perhaps the best takeaway from this season for the Tribe is the amount of team control the club has with the current roster. On the team’s roster currently there are 11 players that will be under team control through the 2025 season, including nearly all the outfielders, most of the starting rotation and the backend of the bullpen. If you back it up a year, you also add Shane Bieber and Franmil Reyes through 2024.


That means that the core of this club should remain for at least the next three seasons, barring any trades. Unlike the situation with Francisco Lindor, most of these contracts should remain rather affordable through the arbitration process.

If the team can stick with this group of players they would retain the following players through the 2024 season: Shane Bieber, Franmil Reyes, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, Cal Quantrill, James Karinchak, Emmanuel Clase, Harold Ramirez, Myles Straw, Josh Naylor, Bobby Bradley and more.

That means that the club should be able to proceed with at least a full outfield, four starting pitchers, two bullpen arms and a first baseman on bargain deals, and that doesn’t even include any prospects who could get called up.

Cleveland Indians Young Pitching Core

With the inevitable addition of Cal Quantrill to the starting rotation in 2022 as the fourth starter, the Cleveland Indians will have a starting rotation with four of the five starters being members of the 2016 MLB Draft class. It’s already been well documented that Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac were members of the same class, but Quantrill was selected before all of them, going with the eighth pick.

The good news in this is the youth of the Tribe’s rotation. Not only are all four of them under team control through the 2024 season, but they are all 26-years old or younger. That means if the team would be willing to spend money (a big if), they could easily sign all four to extensions that would carry through the prime of their careers.

The bullpen is in a similar boat. While the pen doesn’t have as much upside as the rotation, it’s not too far off. Both James Karinchak, 25, and Emmanuel Clase, 23, have shown tremendous potential this season and the club just added Alex Young off waivers, all of whom are under team contract through 2025.

That doesn’t include Nick Sandlin (24) or Trevor Stephan (25) who have undefined roles this season, but could blossom into solid relievers. Oh, and the club just added 21 pitchers to the future roster through the draft and trade deadline. Needless to say, the youth movement is in full force for pitching in Cleveland.

NEXT: Promising Prospects


Cleveland Indians, Gabriel Arias
Rising prospects to fill gaps in Cleveland Indians roster
While the current roster already has a strong foundation at most positions, the minor leagues are overflowing with talent ready to fill the remainder of the gaps. If you go back to the first slide the positions missing from the “young players under team control through 2024” list included second, third, short and catcher. Everything else was covered. Luckily, those four positions are covered by the team’s top five prospects.

Second Base/Shortstop

The Tribe have plenty of middle infield options in the minor league system right now. While the rankings haven’t been updated as recently as you would like to see, the MLB.com Top 30 prospect list for Cleveland has four middle infielders in the Top 10 and two in the Top 5.

Gabriel Arias (No. 5 prospect) has been impressing in Columbus this season and could potentially be a September call-up to see time in the middle infield. Tyler Freeman (No. 2 prospect) had to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, so his timetable is up in the air but the upside is still clearly there.

There’s also Richard Palacios who has been surging this season. While he’s only the No. 27 prospect, he’s making a push to see time before even Freeman does, especially with the injury.



While Jose Ramirez is locking down third base for now, the club’s ambition to cut payroll paired with Ramirez’s increasing salary on club options the next two seasons could make the waters a bit murky. If anything, his contract ends after the 2023 season regardless. Luckily, Nolan Jones is a natural third baseman and just happens to be the club’s No. 1 prospect.

Jones has struggled a bit this season at the plate, but with Ramirez’s contract he has plenty of time to sit back and figure it out. He’s the No. 1 prospect for a reason, so if he can find his swing in Columbus he should have a big impact in Cleveland in the near future.

Catcher

The No. 3 prospect in the organization, Bo Naylor has a lot of upside to his game and he’s not alone on the Top 30 list. Bryan Lavastida, who’s had a strong 2021 campaign, is on the list as well at No. 24. Both of these catchers would provide a much needed offensive boost to the catcher position that Cleveland has lacked for a few seasons.

Both Roberto Perez and Austin Hedges could be gone after the 2022 season at the latest, so watching the prospect talent behind the plate will be key. Both Naylor and Lavastida have the ability to upgrade the position offensively, but will need some defensive lessons from Perez and Hedges to keep the position at its quality.

The Cleveland Indians’ 2022 starting rotation is coming into focus: Meisel’s Musings



Aug 16, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Cal Quantrill (47) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel 35m ago 2
MINNEAPOLIS — When summer arrived, Cleveland’s starting pitchers flocked to the injured list. Triston McKenzie struggled to survive the opening frames of his outings. J.C. Mejia and Cal Quantrill rushed back to the mound on short rest, regardless of the results from three days earlier.

The outlook for the Indians rotation was bleak. One player even asked management if Bartolo Colon, pitching in the Mexican League and waiting for his AARP card to reach his mailbox, was an option for the beleaguered bunch.

But now, with the team relegated to the role of American League bystander and its priorities shifted toward development and evaluation, that once-reeling rotation has resurfaced as a source of encouragement.

Shane Bieber will throw off a mound Tuesday at Target Field. Aaron Civale will throw a two-inning simulated game with Double-A Akron. It’s a reminder that this group is absent its primary workhorses.

It’s the growth of McKenzie and Quantrill, however, that has the rotation, bruised and humbled for weeks, appearing more than formidable when sketching out a 2022 blueprint. That’s not to say there won’t be more growing pains ahead. But a quintet of Bieber, Civale, Zach Plesac, Quantrill and McKenzie seems like a strong foundation for a club that constructed the league’s top starting staff in recent years and then dismantled it in an instant.

There were cracks in the foundation this season, with a lack of depth — amplified by a stagnant 2020 season for anyone not on the big-league roster — being exposed when the group fell victim to a rash of injuries.

“It was frustrating for all of us,” Quantrill said, “when we weren’t able to maybe take that big step forward and pick up some of our guys who got hurt the way we wanted to, but I think lately we have done that. … There’s a lot to be proud of. Obviously, we’ll continue to try to make strides forward.”

McKenzie authored the best start of his career Sunday, when he silenced the Tigers for eight innings, flirting with a perfect game in the process. Quantrill labored a bit Monday in Minneapolis, but he has logged a 2.11 ERA in eight starts since the All-Star break (and since he was no longer asked to work on short rest or attempt to build up his pitch count on the fly).

Eli Morgan has flashed big-league ability, as well. And Cody Morris is lurking — more on him in a minute.

That could leave guys such as Mejia, Sam Hentges, Logan Allen and Scott Moss as “break-glass-in-case-of-emergency” options, bullpen options or trade candidates. Mejia, Allen and Hentges will be out of minor-league options in 2022. None of them have capitalized on major-league chances when thrust into the mix in 2021.

OK, back to Morris: He was a bit of an unknown entering the season. He’s 24 and Cleveland drafted him in the seventh round in 2018 out of the University of South Carolina. He made 21 appearances in A-ball in 2019. Then, the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season.

Morris suffered a lat strain in the spring, so he got a late start this year, but here’s what he’s done since:

• One start in rookie ball: 12 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings
• Five starts at Double-A Akron: 1.35 ERA in 20 innings, with seven walks and 29 strikeouts
• Two starts at Triple-A Columbus: 0.00 ERA in eight innings, with one hit allowed, three walks and 13 strikeouts

The club has limited Morris’ pitch count as he works his way back from injury and so it doesn’t overwhelm him as he soars through the system. He has averaged 95.5 mph on his fastball at Akron and Columbus, according to a source. Morris will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter, and seems like a lock to be protected.

Final Thoughts

1. Emmanuel Clase was warming up in the top of the 10th inning on Monday night, but he returned to his seat in the bullpen when the heart of Cleveland’s order failed to scratch across a run against Twins reliever Caleb Thielbar. Instead, Nick Wittgren trotted out to the mound for a second inning of work after he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth.

When I asked DeMarlo Hale why he opted not to turn to Clase, the acting manager explained:

“If we got the lead, Clase would come in to close. Being on the road, we’re going to have to close. I thought Wittgren was pretty good. He’s been making some pitches. He’s (gone) multi-innings the last couple times out, so I felt pretty good about that. I thought matchup-wise, he had some decent numbers against the guys he was facing. So, I think (Miguel) Sanó is the one who had hit him pretty well. But that was it. We have to close the game. They’re going to get last at-bat.”

Hale has forgotten more about baseball than any backseat driver in the press box will ever know. That said …

Wittgren vs. the Twins hitters he was scheduled to face:

Nick Gordon: 1-for-1
Max Kepler: 0-for-2
Rob Refsnyder: no history
Jorge Polanco: 1-for-2

That’s not really a sample worth driving any decisions — not to mention that those few results aren’t exactly in Wittgren’s favor. And, yes, Sanó is 3-for-5 against Wittgren with a home run and a double.

The more significant point here, especially with a runner planted in scoring position to start the inning, is why not turn to your best reliever? Sure, on the road, you have to close out a win. But you have to actually give your offense a chance to take a lead to be in position to do so. If you’re going to go down swinging, do so with the guy who sports a 1.68 ERA and wields a 101 mph cutter and a 91 mph slider. It seems silly (and self-inflicted) to make your top relief option less valuable for 81 games a season. Terry Francona has long preferred to call upon pitchers who already warmed up in the bullpen, too. Clase pitched on Sunday. He warmed up on Monday. Will he be fresh on Tuesday?

There’s no better example of such thinking dooming a team than when Orioles manager Buck Showalter elected to stick with Ubaldo Jiménez during the 2016 AL wild-card game instead of summoning closer and Cy Young Award candidate Zack Britton. Jiménez served up a walk-off home run, Britton watched in disbelief from the bullpen, Showalter was justifiably criticized, and the Orioles have since amassed a 239-424 record. (OK, so maybe that last part isn’t exactly cause-and-effect, but such decision-making has consequences nonetheless.)

2. The longest home runs hit by a Cleveland batter in 2021:

471 feet: Bradley Zimmer
452 feet: Franmil Reyes (twice)
446 feet: Franmil Reyes (twice), Bradley Zimmer

Who would have predicted in February (or even June) that Zimmer’s name would be so prevalent on this list? Also, who would have predicted that Reyes and Zimmer would be batting in succession in Cleveland’s lineup?

Reyes’ last eight games: 1-for-28 with 11 strikeouts. He has not hit a home run since July 30.

Zimmer, on the other hand, boasts a .293/.359/.500 slash line over the past six weeks. It’s sort of difficult to see where he fits in 2022 with Myles Straw roaming center field, but Zimmer is stating his case for meriting consideration for a hotly contested 40-man roster spot this winter.

3. Most afternoons, Plesac mans an infield position during batting practice. He bounced around the infield and outfield while at Ball State, and when he was a minor leaguer, he once asked Ruben Niebla, then the organization’s pitching coordinator, if he could play another position when he wasn’t pitching. That request was rejected, but Plesac does attempt to corral grounders and line drives when his teammates swat the coaches’ pregame tosses.

On Monday, he snagged a Zimmer one-hopper, then spun around and faked a throw to an uncovered second base. He started at shortstop, then shifted to second, where he made an impressive leap as an Owen Miller liner sailed past his glove.

Earlier this season, Plesac said: “You look at a guy like (Shohei) Ohtani and you can see it’s possible.”

Zimmer, on the other hand, boasts a .293/.359/.500 slash line over the past six weeks. It’s sort of difficult to see where he fits in 2022 with Myles Straw roaming center field, but Zimmer is stating his case for meriting consideration for a hotly contested 40-man roster spot this winter.

I don't get this.

Assuming Straw plays CF next season there are still 2 outfield spots left there and it's not like the team is overflowing with candidates. If Zimmer continues his progress he is a slam dunk for RF.

That does seem to be a logical conclusion. Naylor can move to left or play 1st base. Zimmer can defend and can run and if he can finally hit he has a job.

Right civ?? The ground that Straw and Zimmer can cover in the outfield is crazy. And Zimmer has a very good arm.

To dream on about the speed a bit - I saw last night Giminez's speed on a couple close plays. Holy crap.

Those 3 in a lineup would be some serious speed and add Jose Ramirez to that too - on a team that thrives on pitching.

We also know Tito likes speed on the bases and is aggressive.

No brainer.

It’s time for the Cleveland Indians to cut ties with Bryan Shaw
by Kyle Edmond1 day ago Follow @kyleedmond7

It’s been a tale of two seasons for Bryan Shaw. After a string of difficult seasons since his last departure from Cleveland, it seemed like maybe Shaw was finding his stride again in the first half. However, after multiple rough appearances in a row it seems like Shaw has once again fallen into a rut that should end his time on Cleveland’s roster.

The 33-year old reliever made his return to Cleveland this past offseason, signing a deal for $1 million dollars and earning a spot on the major league roster out of Spring Training. Shaw’s first stint with the Tribe lasted five years and saw him become a key piece in the back end of the bullpen, leading the majors in games pitched twice.

At the beginning of the season it had appeared that Shaw had reprised his role. Not every outing was smooth, but there were flashes that maybe he could be back into his old form. Then, the All-Star break arrived and the wheels fell off for Shaw.

After logging an ERA of 3.05 in the first half of the season, Shaw is riding a mark of 3.60 in the second half. He’s also given up just one less hit despite pitching 23.1 fewer innings. His strikeouts per nine have dropped more than three full strikeouts and his WHIP has gone from 1.330 to 1.733, despite only four walks.

The end of July was a bit brutal for Shaw. From July 21 through the end of the month, he tossed 5.1 innings over six appearances. Over those he gave up 14 hits, six runs, four of which were earned, and struck out just one while giving up two home runs. He also blew two save opportunities, including a loss in extra innings.


Once the calendar flipped to August things improved a bit for Shaw. Over his first seven appearances of the month, he tossed 6.1 innings and gave up just three hits and no runs. He did walk two, but he managed to strikeout six, a strong improvement but it did include another blown save. Then Saturday night against the Tigers happened.

The Cleveland Indians had battled back from a deficit to tie it up in Detroit and Bryan Shaw exited the bullpen doors to come on in relief. He didn’t make it out of the inning. Recording just one out, Shaw gave up two runs on three hits and one walk, giving the lead back to the Tigers and recording his sixth loss of the season, and third since July 22, in the process.


Given the rough patch over the last few weeks for Shaw paired with the team’s aim the rest of the season to instill as much youth into the roster as possible, it’s time to release Shaw. At this point in the season his role is expendable and with him struggling on the mound the stars are aligning for a roster move.

There’s a reason that teams weren’t interested in Shaw at the deadline and the end of July, heading into the deadline, reinforced those opinions. Now, he’s running out of gas in Cleveland and for the team it makes more sense to just release him.

While there aren’t a ton of great options to take his place, it would open up opportunities for other pitchers to take innings. Players like Trevor Stephan, Alex Young, Justin Garza and other young pitchers can take Shaw’s innings and get a test run for the future. Best case scenario they prove themselves and find a role to defend heading into Spring Training. Worst case, they implode and post essentially the same as what Shaw would.

At one point this season, Shaw was a key piece in the bullpen in holding down the late innings. However, his recent bout of struggles should spell the end to his tenure with the Tribe. He isn’t part of the long-term plans and is just clogging opportunities that could be used to develop younger pitchers and give them a taste of the majors. For that reason, it’s time to just cut ties with the reliever now and look to the future with his roster spot. He’s been a solid player at times, but it’s time to move on.

Cleveland Indians: James Karinchak can still be the closer of the future
by Kyle Edmond10 hours ago Follow @kyleedmond7



Cleveland Indians, James Karinchak
James Karinchak can still be the closer of the future for the Cleveland Indians / Cleveland Guardians
The nickname “Wild Thing” seemed well suited for James Karinchak once he arrived to the Cleveland Indians roster. His flame-throwing ability and loud personality on the mound seemed like the real life embodiment of Ricky Vaughn. However, the character “Two-Face” from the Batman comics might fit just as well since we’ve essentially witnessed two completely different pitchers this season from Karinchak.

During the first half of the season, Karinchak was able to be a steady arm, especially for being just 25-years old. Before the All-Star break, he appeared in 41 games, logging a 2.52 ERA with 68 strikeouts, averaging 15.6 per nine innings. Then the All-Star break happened.

After the break, Karinchak saw his numbers rocket up to 8.74 in the ERA department over 13 games. He also struck out just six, seeing his strikeouts per nine plummet to 4.8. On top of that, opposing batters saw their average against Karinchak jump up 135 points.

While that’s not at all what you want to see, Karinchak is still more than capable of being the closer of the future in Cleveland, this is just a rough patch in the process.


The key to everything with Karinchak is the fact that he’s still just 25-years old and set to turn 26 this September. Sure, he might be going through some struggles, but he’s still in the early stages of his career and will be under team control through the 2025 season. There’s plenty of time to figure it out.


The biggest knock against Karinchak during these struggles is the possibility of the “sticky stuff.” Pitchers around the game have had to relearn their pitches a bit since the league has kept a closer eye on illegal substances on the mound and given his restlessness when on the bump, Karinchak was rumored to be one.

While Karinchak’s spin rate has dropped on both of his pitches this season, it hasn’t been by a large margin. However, his miles per hour has actually gone up for both. So, if it’s not the sticky stuff, what could it be?

Well, Karinchak’s biggest weakness is the fact that he has just two pitches. He throws a fastball and a curveball. That’s it. When he first came up it was a near 50/50 split for what he threw. This season, though, he’s now throwing over 68% fastballs.

Throwing high-90s is great, but when you throw it constantly, hitters will begin to time that up. Add in the fact that his only other pitch is a curveball and it becomes rather easy to see why hitters are starting to figure out how to approach the reliever.

Most people who have played baseball know that there’s a clear difference in delivery from those two pitches. A curveball requires a slightly different motion and the spin is rather easy to notice compared to a fastball for major league pitchers. Once batters learned to identify the two pitches from each other, Karinchak began to struggle.

What he needs to do is develop a third pitch. Given what he already has in his arsenal, something in the off-speed range would be ideal. A changeup or splitter could really add a new layer to his game. Even a sinker might do the trick, although it wouldn’t check-off the speed change part.


A changeup uses the same motion as a fastball, which would force batters to be on their toes a bit more and make Karinchak less predictable and noticeable to batters. Right now batters can just prepare for a fastball and easily identify if it’s a curveball. Adding a changeup creates more guessing between the pitches and makes preparation much more difficult.

The good news for Karinchak is that he’s having the hardships early in his career. There’s plenty of time for him to right the ship. Even better, there seems to be a reasonable answer to the issue. If he can take this offseason to work on a changeup, or any third pitch for that matter, it could really help his development.

What it boils down to is that while Karinchak has had his struggles this season there’s still plenty of time in his career and he’s shown potential. The first half of the season was much better than the second half, so if he can work on getting back to that form while adding another pitch, there’s a clear road for him to be the closer in Cleveland moving forward.

The strikeouts have plunged dramatically; hard to imagine that is not due to the sticky stuff rule.

We had a surprisingly outstanding bullpen for about half a season.
We then followed up with a surprisingly worse bullpen the next 1/4 season.
Hentges has often been judged a good prospect for a late inning bullpen role rather than as a starter. I can see Mejia fitting that role too.
Nick Mickolacjeck looked like a kid who was going to race to the majors like Karinchak and Sandlin but cooled off in Akron.
I assume some among those 19 drafted pitchers this year will work in relief.

There's some perhaps inflated expectations for cody Morris based on a pretty small sample of excellent work. But we know from experience of Bieber and others before him thta the Indians know when arms can come along quickly.
Don't forget about Logan Allen Jr. as a potential starter. He's a lefty who's a lot more consistent than his namesake.
As for Scott Moss, he doesn't stay on my version of the 40 man roster.

Cleveland Indians: Bradley Zimmer making strong case for 2022 outfield spot
by Kyle Edmond1 day ago Follow @kyleedmond7



Cleveland Indians, Bradley Zimmer
Bradley Zimmer making strong case for 2022 outfield spot with the Cleveland Indians / Cleveland Guardians
The 2021 season has not gone according to plan for the Cleveland Indians, but that doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been bright spots. The team has struggled this year, but that has opened the door for more opportunities for players who might not have received them otherwise. One of those players that has taken full advantage of the situation has been Bradley Zimmer.

The former first round pick by the Tribe is now 28-years old, turning 29 in November, and many thought his time might be run out with Cleveland. However, he’s proving that only does he have more left in the tank, but he deserves a spot in Cleveland’s outfield moving forward, perhaps even starting.


Zimmer had shown promise early in his career, but whether it be injuries or inconsistency there just wasn’t enough for him to stay on the big league roster. Now, he’s putting together the best year of his career yet and the second half has been impressive.

For starters, Zimmer has played in 62 games this season at the major league level, something he hasn’t done since 2017. On top of that, he is putting up his best slash line yet in Cleveland at .251/.360/.374 along with five doubles, a triple, five home runs, 22 RBI and nine stolen bases.

While we’ve yet to see if he can sustain that moving forward over a full season, the signs are promising. If you take his current stats and spread it out over a full season, saying he plays about 150 games, missing 12 games for days off, matchups, etc., the results are hopeful. With his current stats spread out over 150 games, he would have about 108 hits, 12 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 53 RBI and 21 stolen bases.


Now, that might not seem like a stat line that jumps off the page, but for Cleveland that could be enough to earn a starting spot. Those stats also include what was a slow start to the season for Zimmer. His more recent stats are the reason he’s making a case for 2022.

Over the last 14 days, Zimmer is slashing .275/.348/.550 with two doubles, three home runs, seven RBI and two stolen bases. Again, there isn’t one stat that just jumps off the page, but it’s a well-rounded line from a player that can do a lot of things well, but maybe not one thing great.

The All-Star break is what has really made the difference for Zimmer. Since then he’s been able to slot in towards the top of the lineup and that’s where he’s been putting up the better stats. When he’s in the first or second spot of the order, he’s batting about .286 with two doubles, two home runs, five RBI and two stolen bases while drawing three walks.


The promising aspects for Zimmer is that this isn’t something new exactly. When he first came up in 2017, this is what was expected from him. His average is a bit above average and he has equal potential to hit a home run as he does to steal a base. In many ways, he’s a not-as-great version of Grady Sizemore. He won’t be in the 30-30 club anytime soon, but he has similar tools that just aren’t as strong.

Timing will also play a role. Of all the positions in Cleveland, outfield might be the most up for grabs heading into 2022. The starting rotation and bullpen have struggled, but there’s still rather identifiable roles and leaders at those positions. The same can be said for the middle infield. The outfield on the other hand is wide open.

Harold Ramirez has earned a spot, but beyond that it’s really anyone’s best guess. There isn’t really a top prospect ready to emerge and the multitude of bats that have been tried haven’t exactly impressed. Trading for Myles Straw leans to the idea that he has a spot, but nothing is guaranteed.

If Zimmer can keep this up through Spring Training he could very well earn a starting spot on Opening Day. An outfield of Zimmer, Ramirez and Straw is starting to seem more likely, especially with Josh Naylor’s timetable still unknown. There’s of course the chance that the team signs someone or some diamond in the rough prospect emerges, but as of now Zimmer is making the strong case to at least make the Opening Day roster in 2022 if not hold one of the starting spots in the outfield.