12055
by civ ollilavad
MLB's non-tender deadline for 2020 is Wednesday, Dec. 2. By that time, every team has to decide whether to offer the players on its 40-man roster with fewer than six years of service time a contract for 2021.
"Top nontender candidates for each team"
Indians: Delino DeShields, OF
The Indians have two outfielders who could fall into this category: DeShields and Tyler Naquin. The Tribe has had an abundance of outfielders but has struggled to find a successful trio over the last few seasons. With prospects like Daniel Johnson (No. 16) and Nolan Jones (No. 1) expected to see time in the grass in 2021, the Indians might opt to non-tender DeShields and/or Naquin, since they have controllable, more inexpensive options to turn to. Even though Oscar Mercado’s struggles in '20 led to more playing time for DeShields, the team is still optimistic that Mercado’s rookie success in '19 was not a fluke. It wouldn’t be surprising if Mercado took back his starting center-field role, which could leave too many cooks in the kitchen if both DeShields and Naquin were on the active roster next season.
Our full list:
Austin Hedges, Indians ($3.0MM) Lot of money for a backup but a think a pair of excellent defensive catchers is vital for our emphasis on pitching.
Delino DeShields, Indians ($2.1MM) I question Mercado's rebound. I would keep DeShields since our entire OF corps is thin and others play corners.
Tyler Naquin, Indians ($1.8MM) I've made my opinion clear on this 29 year old.