CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians are set to open spring training this week. It comes after a winter where veterans Brad Hand and Carlos Santana left via free agency. All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and veteran pitcher Carlos Carrasco were traded to Mets. The Indians will have a payroll in the $50 million range, one of the lowest in the MLB. That has me talking to myself about the 2021 season.
QUESTION: Is Tribe President Chris Antonetti sincere when he says he believes his team will be “competitive” in 2021.
ANSWER: That’s what he has said on the record several times. It’s what I’ve been hearing from members of the organization in casual conversations.
Q: How can they say that after all the guys they lost?
A: It’s a legitimate question. The Indians had a 35-25 record in the 2020 COVID-19 season. That projected to 93 victories in a regular 162-game season.
Q: They also played a weak schedule, all Central Division teams (American and National League).
A: All of that’s true. But they finished tied for second in their division with the White Sox. The Twins won it with a 36-24 record. It was a better than anyone in National League Central.
Q: The Indians have lost their star closer (Hand). They lost a key starting pitcher (Carrasco). They lost an All-Star shortstop (Lindor) and their veteran first baseman (Santana). How can they repeat last season?
A: Let’s look the projected lineup. Santana was an All-Star in 2019. In 2020, he had a dismal season, batting .199 (.698 OPS) with 8 HR and 30 RBI. That still projects to 22 HR and 84 RBI. That is why the Royals gave him a 2-year, $17 million deal.
Q: Your point?
A: It’s possible the 34-year-old Santana is heading into a decline. His swing was long and slow, much different from the quick stroke that allowed him to have an All-Star season in 2019. The Indians believe some type of combination of Bobby Bradley, Jake Bauers and Josh Naylor at first base can deliver better numbers than Santana did in 2020. That’s not unrealistic.
Andres Gimenez (60) came to Tribe in the Francisco Lindor deal, can he become the regular shortstop? AP
Q: What about losing Lindor?
A: It’s a loss, period. The Indians will look at newly acquired Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario to take over at short. Lindor batted .258 (.750 OPS) with 8 HR and 27 RBI. That projects to 22 HR and about 80 RBI. Like Santana, Lindor had his worst season in the big leagues.
Q: Are you saying Lindor is declining?
A: Of course not. He’s 27. He’s heading into free agency and will probably have a big year with the Mets. But last season I wrote about how he seemed distracted, perhaps wondering about being traded or his next contract. I stand by that. But the Indians won’t have even a “bad Lindor” year at the bat from no matter who ends up at shortstop.
Q: So how do they compete with this lineup?
A: The front office set a priority in bringing back Cesar Hernandez, a veteran leadoff hitter who won a Gold Glove at second base. They wanted to upgrade the outfield, and they did that with Eddie Rosario. From 2017-19, Rosario was a .282 hitter (.807 OPS), averaging 27 HR and 87 RBI. His bat can replace Santana in the middle of the order.
Q: At least they have one regular outfielder.
A: Exactly. The lefty-hitting Rosario batted exactly .277 vs. lefties and righties last season. The Indians believe Josh Naylor (.301 career hitter in Class AA & AAA) is ready to be a regular, be it in the OF or at first base. The Tribe outfield batted a combined .194 (.570 OPS) with 11 HR – the worst in all those departments in the American League. With 13, Rosario hit more HR than the entire Tribe outfield in 687 plate appearances.
Q: I still don’t see this as a team that wins 90 games, do you?
A: We can talk about how Oscar Mercado and/or Brad Zimmer have to come through in center. Or how Franmil Reyes needs to become a force in the middle of the lineup. Or it’s hard to see how they will score runs this season, even with Jose Ramirez. But that’s only part of the story.
Can Zach Plesac become the No. 2 starter? Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Q: Why haven’t you said a word about the pitching? From the start of the 2020 season, they have lost Mike Clevinger and Carrasco from the rotation along with Hand in the bullpen.
A: Had they kept Clevinger, he’d be out for the season. He had Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. They have Cy Young winner Shane Bieber (8-1, 1.63 ERA) to lead the staff. Zach Plesac (4-2, 2.28 ERA) took a major step forward. They have Aaron Civale (4-6, 4.74 ERA), Triston McKenzie (2-1, 3.24 ERA) and Cal Quantrill (0-0, 1.84) in the top spots for the rotation.
Q: Lots of young guys.
A: That’s a concern. All are 25 or younger. Veteran Adam Plutko could be a spot starter. They are developing Logan Allen, Sam Hentges, Scott Moss and Eli Morgan as possible starters. Youth carries over to the bullpen, where James Karinchak, Emmanuel Clase or possibly Nick Wittgren could close.
Q: Aren’t there several question marks?
A: I agree. The Indians are confident in their ability to develop young pitchers, and recent history has shown that to be true. For all the angst about the lineup, the Indians need another big year from their arms. If the Indians are to be more than a .500 team, they will need consistent quality pitching to make that happen.
James Karinchak has a chance to be the Tribe's closer. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
RECENT TERRY PLUTO COLUMNS
Hey Terry, what about J.J. Watt? Or a new kicker for Browns?
What does the Super Bowl tells us about the Browns heading into 2021?
Terry’s Talkin’ Tribe, what I heard about the signings
Terry’s Talkin’ Browns, Odell? People-Jones? Breakout players
Matt Loede’s battle with cancer/COVID: a good wife and a wonderful dog
Les Levine: A wonderful man, a lover of puns, a friend
Who’d have thought it? Cavs defend and are watchable!
What the Nolan Arenado trade tells us about the Frankie Lindor deal
My Challenge, figuring out Tribe lineup with new additions
A variety of Cleveland Indians face masks available online today. (Fanatics.com)
New Indians face masks for sale: Here’s where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity.
"front" - Google News
February 14, 2021 at 06:01PM
https://ift.tt/3pkkanZ
Why does the front office think the rebuild has a chance to work? Terry’s Talkin’ Tribe - cleveland.com
"front" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3aZh1mr
https://ift.tt/3b2xvu5
No comments:
Post a Comment