Indians star shortstop Francisco Lindor sustained a right calf strain late last week and the Cleveland fanbase experienced a temporary meltdown when the news broke. The injury does not appear to be too serious but will result in Lindor spending most of Spring Training rehabbing the injury, instead of getting his reps in ahead of the 2019 season opener against the Twins on March 28.
The likely outcome is Lindor missing a week or two of the new season as he completes the rehabilitation process and fine-tunes his body so he can be inserted into the lineup upon his return, good as new. Even if Lindor participates in some late exhibition games, the club will probably want to ease him back rather than rush things in an effort to avoid long-term damage being done to their star player.
The Indians will now be considering their options at shortstop, and weighing up the potential candidates they could send out there in Lindor's stead. Thankfully they have all of Spring Training to assess who the replacement will be but I thought I might save them some time and analyse the contenders myself.
Without further ado, let's take a look:
Yu Chang
The Indians are excited about Chang, their number 6 prospect
according to MLB.com. Chang spent 2018 with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers and registered a slashline of .256/.330/.411 with 13 home runs and 62 RBI over 457 at-bats. A very solid season by all accounts and reports indicate the Taiwanese native is primed for promotion to Cleveland in the not-too-distant future.
Unfortunately for Chang, a natural shortstop, his position will always be blocked by Lindor. Aware of this clash, the Indians are exploring the idea of Chang shifting over to third base to continue his development. The experiment began this winter with the 23 year-old manning the hot corner in the Arizona Fall League, and he hit an impressive .337 with 4 home runs and 17 RBI, for a .919 OPS. Chang was voted to the AFL’s Top Prospect team, alongside third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the top prospect in baseball.
With his future at third base on the horizon, Chang's immediate contribution to the team could be better suited as a fill-in for Lindor until the Puerto Rican returns. It would give the youngster his first taste of the big leagues, at the position he feels most comfortable, and once Lindor is back he could continue his third base education at Columbus if the club still wish to pursue that option.
Ultimately, there is no rush for the Tribe to promote Chang early, but he does seem to be ready for the opportunity.
Ryan Flaherty
Flaherty, a non-roster invitee recently signed to a minor league deal, was picked up by the Indians thanks to his versatile skillset, having spent time at all four infield positions over the course of his 7 year career. Flaherty has only ever featured as a part-time player and is now on his third ballclub (having spent most of his career in Baltimore).
The 32-year-old spent last season in Atlanta and slashed. .217/.298/.292 over 81 games for the Braves but didn't feature at shortstop. Not known for his proficiency at the plate, the veteran's career slashline is a somewhat underwhelming but serviceable .216/.286/.347.
If Flaherty is able to impress management during the spring then his utility abilities could persuade them to begin the year with him on the roster, possibly even filling in for Lindor. Should Lindor only be expected to miss days and not weeks, it's a decision I could live with in the short-term, provided Flaherty can perform admirably.
Eric Stamets
The 27 year-old Ohio native joined the club in 2015, as part of
the trade that sent David Murphy to the Angels, but has yet to take the field in a Cleveland uniform.
Stamets spent 2018 sharing shortstop duties with Chang in Columbus and reports indicate he displays above-average skills with the glove (
Fangraphs in particular have always rated him). He split his time equally between short and second base so he has plenty of experience in the middle of the infield, having spent the majority of the past three years at the Triple-A level.
Offensively, he didn't make quite the same impact as Chang. Over 78 games Stamets hit .202 with 5 home runs and 16 RBI. Of more concern might be his disappointing 6.7 BB% and strikeout rate of 23.4%, resulting in a 0.29 BB/K ratio.
He is clearly on the management's radar for immediate playing time in Cleveland, as he owns a 40-man roster at the very least. Offensively, there isn't a great deal to suggest he is prepared for major league pitching, however he has probably learned all he can at the Triple-A level now. Similar to Flaherty, if Lindor is only expected to miss a couple of series then I wouldn't mind seeing Stamets given an opportunity - he's at the right stage of his career for a call-up. It would definitely be a feel-good story to see the local lad play for his favorite team.
Max Moroff
Moroff was added to the Indians roster in a November trade with the Pirates and will have his eye on winning the utility spot this spring, despite direct competition from the likes of Flaherty and Stamets. The idea of replacing Lindor probably didn't cross Moroff's mind but he is one of the contenders.
Moroff didn't feature much for the Pirates in 2018, splitting time between PNC Park and Triple-A Indianapolis. When he was in Pittsburgh the switch-hitter batted .186 with 3 home runs over 67 plate appearances, and logged innings at shortstop, second base and third base.
When the Indians traded for him I assumed he would primarily be the backup for Jason Kipnis at second base, alongside a regular utility role (should he make the team). With the news of Lindor's injury though, Moroff could see himself receiving significant Spring Training time at shortstop, especially considering he no longer carries any remaining Minor League options.
The 25 year-old's versatility in the infield will stand him in good stead with management, but ultimately I think he will need to beat out his rivals Flaherty and Stamets to secure his place in the dugout on Opening Day. Should be he successful, Moroff could be ideally suited to replace Lindor in the short-term, and then stay with the team as a useful bench player.
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At the major league level all four of these potential Lindor replacements are very lightweight with the bat, excluding Chang and Stamets who haven't made it that far yet (although Stamets has been pretty lightweight in the minors too). Therefore, it's highly unlikely the Indians can replace Lindor's offensive output with these internal solutions. Not many teams can find 38 home runs, 25 stolen bases, a 131 OPS+ and 7.6 WAR out of thin air.
What they can do is choose someone who will be reliable in the field and pose at least some threat at the plate, even if that is at a replacement player level. The Indians are predicted to go unchallenged again in the AL Central, thanks to the majority of their rivals still rebuilding, so losing Lindor in the short-term shouldn't be a serious setback. Losing some games in April can be overcome further down the road.
With the Indians' supremacy in the division seemingly under control, it presents an opportunity for a player who might not normally get one at this time of year.
With that being said, I would be keen to see Chang get the nod to play shortstop until Lindor returns.
In the long run it could be far more beneficial to present a prospect like Chang with his first taste of the majors in a relatively pressure-free environment, as opposed to trotting out a part-time veteran who isn't likely to feature in the club's long term plans.
My preference to be the Indians' Opening Day shortstop would be, in order:
- Chang
- Stamets
- Moroff
- Flaherty
