The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Time for Indians to find answers
Francona to address first base, catcher, outfield, bullpen during spring training
The first full-squad workout for the Indians is Feb. 18. Five days later they open their exhibition season in a game with the Reds, and on March 28 they open their 2019 regular season in a road game with the Twins.
Manager Terry Francona has a little more than five weeks to solve a multitude of riddles — an unusual circumstance for a team that has won a division championship three straight years and is favored to win a fourth straight A.L. Central Division title this season.
Here is a look at what Francona is trying to resolve during spring training in Goodyear, Ariz.:
• Who plays first base? Yonder Alonso, traded to the White Sox in the offseason for minor league outfielder Alex Call, started 131 games at first base in 2018. Edwin Encarnacion, traded to Seattle for Carlos Santana, played first when Alonso got a day off.
Santana and Jake Bauers are the leading candidates to play first. Both can also play the outfield. Santana says he is more comfortable at first base.
“That’s where we need to look at our team and break it down and say where are we the strongest?” Francona told reporters in Goodyear.
“Are we the strongest playing Bauers at first base? Are we the strongest playing Santana at first base? Are we the strongest asking guys to do both? We don’t know that yet.”
Santana played eight years with the Indians before signing with the Phillies in free agency last year. Francona knows first-hand what Santana can do at first base.
Bauers, acquired from Tampa Bay for Yandy Diaz, played 76 games at first and 20 in the outfield for the Rays last year.
• How soon will Francisco Lindor be ready? The three-time All-Star shortstop suffered a strained right calf working out in Florida preparing for spring training. The Indians on Feb. 8 reported Lindor would not be ready for baseball activities for seven to nine weeks, which puts him in jeopardy of missing the start of the season.
“I know they put a timetable on Frankie,” Francona said. “I’m betting on the under, just knowing Frankie. He’s in such good shape. He’s young. He works hard. He’ll be fine.”
Trainers are always cautious. Francona said. Meanwhile, prospects Yu Chang, Mike Freeman, Eric Stamets and Max Moroff will work at shortstop.
Francona also has to determine who bats leadoff until Francona is ready. Santana and second baseman Jason Kipnis are candidates. Kipnis has a .279 batting average as the leadoff hitter in 220 career games. Santana has a .224 batting average hitting leadoff in 131 games.
• Is Roberto Perez a No. 1 catcher? Yan Gomes, traded to the Nationals in November, started 111 games for the Indians last season. He hit .266, homered 16 times and drove in 48 runs. More importantly, he was the primary catcher in games not started by Carlos Carrasco or Trevor Bauer.
Perez played in 62 games in 2018. He hit .168, homered twice and drove in 19 runs. Perez believes more opportunities will allow him to relax and not try to do too much every time he steps to the plate.
“I think Roberto Perez is going to do great,” Sandy Alomar Jr., the Indians first base coach and a former catcher, said earlier this month at the Cleveland Sports Awards ceremony. “He’s an exceptional defensive catcher. He proved that in 2016 when he helped us go to the World Series. I’m not afraid to have Roberto Perez be the catcher. I feel he’s going to be great.’
Eric Haase and former Met Kevin Plawecki are the Tribe’s backup catchers in spring training.
• Who will play the outfield? This is the biggie. As one source said, the Indians have a bunch of fourth outfielders, meaning Leonys Martin, Greg Allen, Tyler Naquin, Bauers and Jordan Luplow are all capable, but only Martin has any sustained success.
One player to keep an
“I know they put a timetable on Frankie. I’m betting on the under, just knowing Frankie. He’s in such good shape. He’s young. He works hard. He’ll be fine.” — Indians manager Terry Francona, on Francisco Lindor
eye on is Matthew Joyce, the former Oakland A’s outfielder in spring training as a non-roster invitee.
Joyce is 34. He played 141 games in 2017, hitting 33 doubles and 25 home runs while driving in 68 runs and hitting .243. Last season he played 83 games, hit .208, doubled nine times, hit seven home runs and drove in 15 runs.
The outfield will improves when center fielder Bradley Zimmer is all the way back from right shoulder surgery performed last July 20. He is making steady progress, but Francona won’t project when Zimmer will be ready to play for the Indians.
It would not be a surprise if the Indians trade for an outfielder before the season starts or, if not then, at the July 31 trade deadline
• How solid is the bullpen? The answer to that question depends on the health of Cody Anderson (Tommy John elbow surgery in 2017) and Nick Goody (arthroscopic elbow surgery). The medical updates on both are good.
Bounce-back years from Dan Otero and Tyler Olson would be a bonus. Olson was unhittable in 2017. The lefty reliever pitched 20 innings over 30 games without allowing a run. Last year was a different story. He appeared in 43 games and gave up 26 hits, four of them home runs, in 27 1/3 innings. He posted a 4.94 ERA.
Otero gave up six home runs in 2017 and 12 last season while pitching slightly fewer innings (60 innings in 2017, 58 2/3 innings last year). He ERA jumped from 2.85 to 5.22.
Oliver Perez is expected to have a bigger role late in games after Cody Allen (Angels) and Andrew Miller (Cardinals) left the Indians in free agency. So is Adam Cimber, who was acquired from the Padres along with Brad Hand for catcher Francisco Mejia.
Jefry Rodriquez, acquired from the Nationals in the Yan Gomes trade, could earn a spot in middle relief.
Danny Salazar’s name can be added to the list of pitchers recovering from surgery. A sore shoulder prevented Salazar from pitching at all in 2018. He underwent surgery on July 2 and still hasn’t thrown off a mound as he continues to rehab.
Salazar would be a perfect set-up man for closer Brad Hand, but at this point the Indians do not expect Salazar to be ready for opening day.
The Indians are shaping up to be better when the weather warms than they will be in April and May.