2018 Spring Training Wishlist: Part 1

Baseball, glorious baseball, is nearly upon us.

Cleveland pitchers and catchers report for their first workouts this Thursday. Jerseys will be buttoned, caps will be pulled on, and balls will be thrown in anger. Finally.

The Indians have very real ambitions of making it back to the World Series, as they did in 2016. Last year was ultimately a disappointment, a collapse at the hands of the New York Yankees in the ALDS.

Perhaps the team can use that defeat to fuel them this season. It could be just the chip on their shoulder that is needed to spur them forward.

If I have any criticism of that 102-win team from 2017, I could say they strolled their way to the postseason in a perfunctory manner. They encountered no challenge in their division and the stakes never felt very high. The streak was amazing but the rest of the year felt like purgatory until we got back to October. Once there, they were rudely woken up by the Yankees. Hopefully the team will be keen to right this wrong in 2018.

On that note, and with Spring Training so tantalisingly close, I'm going to look at some Indians related topics that I want to see answered over the course of the next couple of months.

Falling For Francisco

This time last year I spoke about the catcher position, and my wish to see some stability there between Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez. Stability is largely what we got in 2017, as Gomes had his best season since the 2014 Silver Slugger-worthy campaign that made him a household name (in Cleveland anyway). Perez also improved in 2017, recording admirable stats for a back-up catcher.

However, neither catcher really took total ownership of the position, thus leaving the door ajar for Francisco Mejia, recently voted the number one catching prospect in all of baseball. Mejia will almost certainly be given an opportunity to make an impression on Francona and the big league staff this spring, and I would like to see him make the most of his opportunity. I would even go so far to say that he should be setting his sights on that starter's spot for Opening Day, despite his relative inexperience.

The 22 year-old Mejia had a brief glimpse what life is like on the Indians roster last year when he was rewarded with a September call-up. The switch-hitter posted a .154/.214/.154 slashline, with 2 hits in 14 plate appearances. It wasn't exactly the first impression he would have maybe liked but it would be harsh to judge him on so small a sample.

On the whole his 2017 season was largely successful. Mejia spent his entire time in the minor leagues at Double-A Akron where he slashed .297/.346/.490 with 14 home runs and 52 RBI over 383 plate appearances. A very solid season by all accounts, despite being hindered by the odd leg injury on occasion. He undoubtedly has one of the best bats among all prospects and his power numbers are on the rise each year too.

However, it was noted that Mejia did appear slightly worn down towards the end of the minor league season, with reports claiming he "looked tired and disengaged behind the plate."

With thoughts of his long term future and progress in mind, the Indians have toyed with the idea of Mejia playing at third base, and he even featured there during the Arizona Fall League towards the end of last year. The Indians, in my opinion, look set at third base for the immediate future, with Giovanny Urshela, Yandy Diaz and Jose Ramirez all comfortably able to play the hot corner. However I can see the benefit of testing Mejia there, as a bit of versatility in a player his age cannot be a bad thing. If it extends his playing career, I'm in support of this idea.

Wherever he ends up playing, the Tribe certainly don't need to rush Mejia along. He hasn't even seen time at the Triple-A level yet and could probably benefit from more maturation in Columbus. Gomes and Perez are both committed for a couple more years yet, and the signs from both men in 2017 were positive.

Having said that, I'd love to see Mejia enjoy a breakout spring and have realistic ambitions on making the Opening Day roster. If he can stick as a catcher, that would be even better.

My mind says, 'stay on the farm.' My heart says, 'this is your time Francisco.'

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That'll wrap up part one. I'll be back again, looking at a different aspect of the 2018 Indians team before the season begins.

Free Agents - Offensive Options

Lorenzo Cain signed a five-year deal with Milwaukee yesterday, dashing my recent post about his possible (albeit expensive) arrival in Cleveland. In an off-season that's seen player movement slow to a crawl, it was somewhat welcome to see Cain finally off the board, however disappointing it is that he's landed with the Brewers.

As a result of Cain's deal being completed, I thought I would take a look at some of the remaining free agents and potential targets still on the market. I'm looking at this from a purely offensive viewpoint, to address some of the holes in the lineup. I appreciate the bullpen requires some help too but I think I might look at that another day.

Eduardo Nunez

Nunez is a tremendously versatile player who would suit this Indians team perfectly, in my opinion. Manager Terry Francona is always keen to play guys in multiple positions, spreading players across the field, either in a full-time spot or as part of a platoon. Nunez could be a very useful asset for our skipper.

I've always considered Nunez as an infielder first and foremost but he can play the corner outfield positions too, which I feel would help this Indians team enormously. Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis have both experienced their fair share of injury issues in recent years and having a player of Nunez’s caliber who can adequately cover them would be a real bonus for this contending Cleveland team. With the amount of injuries that often afflict MLB teams, it is more than likely Nunez would find playing time almost every day, even if it isn’t always in the same position.

2017 saw him split time between San Francisco and Boston, and he excelled on both coasts. He almost never strikes out, just 11% of the time in his 491 plate appearances. However he doesn’t work the count very often and isn’t very successful at drawing walks either (his BB% was just 3.7% last year).

His bat is decent though, and he posted a slash line of .313/.341/.460 with 12 home runs and 58 RBI. He also stole an impressive 24 bases too, which surprised me as a guy who mostly played third base.

Nunez is a right-handed bat, something the Indians’ lineup could use, and at 30 years-old he still figures to have a few good years left in him. If the Tribe could tie him down to a deal that worked out at approximately $5 million a year, I think it would be terrific business.

Jarrod Dyson

If we want to consider a player who is strictly an outfielder (unlike the versatile Nunez) then Jarrod Dyson might be a suitable option. Dyson slashed .251/.324/.350 with 5 home runs, 30 RBI, 56 runs scored and 28 stolen bases over 111 games with Seattle in 2017. Clearly his strengths do not lie within his offensive contribution but he’s not completely useless either.

If defensive stats are your thing then Dyson is considered a very solid fielder, finishing 2017 with an ultimate zone rating (UZR) of 5.4 and 10 defensive runs saved (DRS). He has been remarkably consistent (and defensive stats rarely are), having logged UZR ratings in the double digits three out of the last five years.

Dyson is now 33 years-old and, similar to my concerns over Cain, is a player whose game relies heavily on speed. In his career thus far Dyson has been a defense-first type of player and the Indians could make good use of that in their outfield, especially if injury strikes. He is a left-handed hitter, which the Tribe already have an abundance of, but he could be a very useful acquisition. A short-term deal would be beneficial for Cleveland and somewhere in the range of $3-4 million a year would be just right.

Carlos Gomez

Getting back to the matter of adding a right-handed bat, we now look at the 32 year-old Dominican outfielder Gomez. He spent last year with the Rangers and had a decent season, but he hasn’t really rediscovered the form that made him such a desirable target when he was in Milwaukee (7.4 and 5.7 fWAR in 2013 and 2014, respectively).

After an underwhelming 2016 he bounced back in 2017, with a slash line of .255/.340/.462 to go along with 17 home runs, 57 RBI and 13 stolen bases, good enough for a 110 wRC+. From a defensive standpoint, his days of winning gold gloves are likely over but most metrics are kind to him, grading him as at least average in center field last year.

He’ll be 33 soon after Opening Day and it appears that his health issues are unlikely to improve. Gomez hasn’t been close to an everyday player since 2014, when he appeared 148 times for the Brewers. The good news for Cleveland fans is they wouldn’t need him to be. Franconca could easily platoon him in a corner outfield spot to get the last ounces of production from Gomez before age finally catches up with him.

If he’s still unsigned as we get closer to Spring Training, I think the Indians would be wise to offer the veteran something in the range of $9 million a year, but no more than a two-year deal.

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Ultimately, the Indians will probably stay put with what they have as we head into the new season, but if they want to take one more dip in the ocean of free agents, I wouldn’t be unhappy if it was one of the above guys. Each of them could bring something positive to the Indians and their bid for a championship.

Adiós Austin, Come In Cain?

2018 hasn't been the particularly kind start to the new year many Indians fans might have hoped for. More players, key players at that, have departed the club than new players have joined. Carlos Santana joined the Phillies, Bryan Shaw is now a Rockie, Joe Smith is an Astro, Jay Bruce is back in New York with the Mets, and Boone Logan has moved to Milwaukee.

With the news that Austin Jackson signed for the Giants yesterday, another one bites the dust. The Tribe have not had the greatest off-season when it comes to retaining their free agents. Jackson moves to the west coast on a 2-year deal worth $6 million initially and with eyes on a starting gig in center field.

I was optimistic about Jackson's chances in Cleveland and he proved me right. I felt he was fantastic value for money as a depth option in the outfield and he brought solid and consistent defense to a position that required some of that. He was offensively decent too; over 85 games Jackson batted .318 with a .869 OPS, to go along with 7 home runs and 35 RBI. Not too shabby for a minor league invite. Unfortunately two trips to the disabled list somewhat derailed his output over the whole season but he was undoubtedly effective when he was in the lineup.

Oh, and he did this too.

Jackson's departure leaves the Indians with Bradley Zimmer, Michael Brantley, and Lonnie Chisenhall as their primary outfielders. Minor league invitee Melvin Upton will be hoping to replicate Jackson's 2017 success and make a case for himself to be on the roster as well. Prospects like Greg Allen will also be hoping to catch the eye of manager Terry Francona.

Apart from Upton, the Indians' outfield is looking very one dimensional at the moment, with Zimmer, Brantley and Chisenhall all left-handed batters. Upton is a righty but he's not even a sure thing to make it through spring training.

So before the sunny skies of Arizona shortly greet this 2018 ballclub, they could really do with an extra dimension in the outfield. Specifically, a right-handed one.

One option still available is Lorenzo Cain and, coincidentally, he bats right-handed.

Cain is arguably the top free agent left on the market. Though likely to be more expensive than what Jackson cost San Francisco, his output was superior in 2017. Cain slashed .300/.363/.440 with an .803 OPS, good enough for a 112 OPS+ over 155 games for the Royals. He hit 15 home runs, 49 RBI and stole 26 bases, combining for a 4.1 WAR overall. Cain is clearly an asset that will benefit the majority of major league teams

One possible red flag to consider is the similarities he shares with a certain Michael Bourn - a speedy player who uses those legs to cover the outfield, but hits for a high average too. Bourn's legs and overall production declined soon after his big money move to Cleveland. The concern is that Bourn's time with the Indians provides a cautionary tale ahead of any potential deal for Cain.

However Cain might not be the kind of player we presume him to be. Maybe there's more to him than just speed and good defense. In fact, the outfielder might be getting better in some aspects, especially when it concerns his offensive abilities. In 2017, he posted the best walk rate of his career at 8.4% and his strikeout rate was a career-low, just 15.5%. Perhaps he can avoid the same path as Bourn, even as he approaches 32 years of age.

Another factor to consider is Cain's qualifying offer from the Royals, which will unfortunately cost any team that signs him up to two Draft picks. And last but not least, the biggest obstacle in the Indians’ way could be Cain’s contract demands, as he isn’t likely to be cheap. A player of his quality and at his age will be looking for the most he can get (understandably) so the Tribe could miss out to one of their wealthier rivals if they can’t negotiate a deal.

With doubts still lingering over how healthy Michael Brantley can be in 2018, signing Cain to man left field could be a wise decision. I would certainly welcome him on a short-term deal, and if the Indians could pick him up for 2 years I think it could be a great acquisition. I'm a big Brantley fan and would love to see him return to the sort of form we saw in 2014-15, but I think the smartest move would be to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Signing Cain, one of the top outfielders in this market, would be significantly wise preparation.

Sartorial Tribe: 2005 Indians Alternate

Welcome to the second installment of Sartorial Tribe, where I take a look at some of history's baseball uniforms I like, that I love, and some that I hate. I'll try and feature a good variety too, from every era of Tribe baseball (you can find part one here). Without further ado, let's look at the latest entry:

A sleeveless baseball jersey is a novel thing. At least I thought it was when I first saw them. When I initially discovered these gems of polyester wonder I could scarcely believe my eyes. How the hell does a vest top work as athletic apparel outside of a basketball court? But work they do, at least in this instance.

I'd even go so far to argue that the 2005 alternate Indians edition is a work of uniform art.

This uniform was actually worn between 2003 and 2007, with a modified edition worn in 2002, lacking the player number on the front of the jersey. I've selected examples from 2005 in this case, as it was a decent year for the Tribe. They finished with a 93-69 record and a second place finish in the AL Central, after falling short of the division-winning White Sox (who went on to win the whole thing).

Let's get back to the jersey though. It's sleeveless. Why the hell did they decide to do that? Luckily it works and the contrasting combination of navy and white really make it sing.

One very strange thing I considered about these sleeveless jerseys: did anyone buy them? It's a strange purchase I can imagine, a vest for a baseball jersey, because if you aren't wearing a navy t-shirt underneath then the look is ruined. Also, it probably helps if you're athletic enough to pull it all together (although you could say that about anyone who chooses to wear replica sportswear).

Above we have a pretty good photo of a young Cliff Lee (from 2004 actually) showing off the uniform in all it's glory. I particularly like the blue piping down the center of the jersey, an aspect the current home jerseys could really benefit from I feel. The choice of red for the numbers is also a nice touch, perfectly complementing the rest of the design.

Here's second baseman Ronnie Belliard throwing from deep in the infield. Another element of these uniforms I liked so much was the cursive logo on the alternate hat, however it only lasted as long as these uniforms did, ultimately fading away after 2007.

The issue of Chief Wahoo rears its ugly head again, featuring on the chest of this jersey. Of some comfort however is the fact the logo is at least smaller than it could be, and doesn't feel as prominent here as it once did in the seventies. It's still not really an excuse but thankfully I don't believe it spoils the overall design of the uniform too much. I made my feelings about the Chief pretty clear in 2016.

In conclusion, I'd love to see the Indians bring back this uniform in the future, perhaps swapping out the Chief for the block C logo. Better yet would be a return of that cursive "I" logo that featured on the hats. A larger version of that could really work as a replacement for the Chief on the chest. Sleeveless jerseys still work in today's MLB, with the Rockies sporting them regularly, so it's a look that could hopefully return one day in Cleveland.