Opening Day Roster Taking Shape

The Indians had a burst of roster activity yesterday when Terry Francona informed reporters that Rajai Davis and Erik Gonzalez will both be on the Opening Day roster. Davis will be the veteran outfield presence off the bench, with the ability to run and steal on the basepaths, and Gonzalez will be the Tribe's utility infielder, after he impressed this spring.

Gonzalez is the beneficiary of Giovanny Urshela's recent hamstring injury, meaning he will begin the season on the disabled list. Recovery is expected to take a couple of weeks. Both men have enjoyed successful pre-seasons but offensively, Urshela (.500/.512/.857 in 42 at-bats, 1.369 OPS) had the edge on Gonzalez (.300/.364/.350 in 40 at-bats, .714 OPS). Urshela's injury is bad luck indeed but the window is now open for Gonzalez to make the most of this opportunity.

There were some other moves and updates:

• Mike Napoli has been released but plans are in place to resign him. Discussions have taken place about Napoli starting the season at Triple-A Columbus but credit to him, Napoli doesn't want to block a prospect's path to the majors by eating into their playing time. A decision will be reached within the next few days if he decides to try his luck elsewhere. 
• Greg Allen was reassigned to Triple-A Columbus to start the year, as expected. The club want him playing everyday at this stage in his career, not just getting one at-bat a week off the bench. I like this decision and it will benefit Allen's development long-term. He shouldn't be rushed and the Indians don't necessarily need him right now.

• Right-handed reliever Alexi Ogando was re-assigned to minor league camp and will start the year in Columbus as well. The 34 year-old pitched 10 innings this spring with 13 strikeouts and 5 walks, with a 1.80 ERA, and by all accounts made a good impression with the management. Apparently the organisation plans to use him as a starter for the Clippers. Francona said, "We want to get him stretched out at Triple-A. The reason being he can always pitch out of the bullpen, but if he starts to get stretched he has a better chance and he can use all his pitches, including his change up." If Ogando can be utilised as a starter, he could be a very valuable depth asset in the rotation.
• No decision has been made on outfielders Tyler Naquin and Rob Refsnyder yet, but Naquin is considered by most to be the leading candidate. I only wrote recently about the 26 year-old and his chances of breaking camp with the team. The choice on who to choose will likely depend as much on their performances as it does on the health of  Michael Brantley and Brandon Guyer, and if they are ready to open the season. The decision on how many relievers to start the year with will also probably have an impact on Naquin and Refsnyder's immediate future.
• Finally, left-handed pitcher Ryan Merritt, who is out of options, is still wondering where his place will be. He'll likely hear what Francona's decision will be today. Merritt has not enjoyed the best spring training, throwing 9.2 innings and surrendering 17 hits and 10 earned runs, for a bloated 9.31 ERA, to go along with 10 strikeouts and just 1 walk. Alarmingly he gave up 4 home runs in this short period of time. I've always liked Merritt a lot but I think his future will be somewhere else.

That's a lot of excitement for one day, and I expect we'll start to see the final decisions come through over the course of this weekend. 

Thursday's trip to Seattle to start the season can't come soon enough.

Baseball Cards: All Tribe Additions

Every year around spring training the baseball card bug bites me. It must have something to do with all that pre-season anticipation and Topps releasing all of their new designs. And each year when this feeling hits me, I head over to Check Out My Collectibles and see if I can score a bargain or two. Recently a small batch of Indians cards I'd ordered in the spring arrived and I thought I'd share them. Like my previous baseball card posts in the past, none of these are very special to serious collectors, nor are they worth a lot of money. I just buy them because I like the player and/or I like the design.

Let's begin with this Mike Clevinger 2016 Bowman Chrome - Prospects Autograph. It's a really clean auto in blue ink. It's not a particularly noteworthy card but I've been an admirer of Clev for a while now and am hoping he features for the big club in 2017. The card was just $2.74, which I think is a decent price for an autograph.

Up next is a card from the same set but from the year before, a 2015 Bowman Chrome - Prospects Autographs featuring third baseman Giovanny Urseha and his signature. The auto isn't the greatest but I still like the card a lot, and at $1.73 I added it to my basket without a second's thought. I've long been a fan of Gio's defensive prowess at the hot corner and despite Yandy Diaz beating him out for the Opening Day roster spot, I still want to see Urshela get some time in Cleveland in 2017.

This was the most deluxe card I bought from my mini haul. This Andrew Miller 2016 Topps Tier One - Prime Performers Autographs set me back $8.25. It's numbered 240 out of 249, and I don't tend to fuss over numbered cards too much but it's an added bonus. Despite Miller being in his old Yankees uniform, I still think it's a lovely card, especially with the extra large auto and gold trim. I'm like a magpie, I love shiny things.

Next up is a bit of a strange one, which I bought for a couple of reasons. When I fully got into my Indians fandom in 2008, Fausto Carmona was one of my favorite players. Coming off the back of a superb 2007 season, in which the Dominican posted a 3.06 ERA and a 19-8 record, I thought this guy was going to be a star. Unfortunately his 2008 season was a train-wreck but it did help teach me a lesson about pitchers. The second reason is because in 2012 it was revealed that Fausto Carmona was actually Roberto Hernandez, and Carmona was his alias (he was also three years older than he claimed to be as Carmona.) This got me thinking: how many people own an autographed card by a fake player, signed with a fake name? I thought it made this quite a unique pick-up and it also helped that it's a quality card, with very heavy stock and numbered out of 300 too. For the record it's a 2011 Topps Marquee - Monumental Markings that cost me $3.70 and I love it. I am still a big fan of those Indians home jerseys with the navy piping too.

And finally we have something a little simpler but still a great card. How can any Francisco Lindor card not be great? This is a 2016 Topps Update Series - [Base] card that cost $0.70 and features Lindor in his All Star garb from last year's midsummer classic in San Diego. It's the photography I love most about this card, the shot of his name across his jersey and the way his head is tilted away from the sun. Frankie is such a dude, and I pray to the baseball gods he can remain in Cleveland for the next 20 years.

Yandy Diaz Makes Opening Day Roster

Yandy Diaz, the Indians' 25 year-old Cuban infielder, has been on an absolute tear this spring and he has been rewarded for his hard work with a position on the Opening Day roster, which was made official yesterday. With a roster spot looking unlikely when players reported for spring training, Diaz appeared just happy to be part of it all. When the news broke that second baseman Jason Kipnis would miss the first few weeks of the 2017 season, current third baseman Jose Ramirez was almost instantly lined up to fill in. This opened the gates for the rest of the Tribe's infielders to compete for the suddenly vacant slot at third and it was Mr Diaz who was announced the winner, and deservedly so.

Most outsiders would have thought with the Indians possessing such a strong pitching staff, the safe choice would have been to opt for the best defensive third baseman, which would be Giovanny Urshela. The 25 year-old Colombian is the unanimous pick when you consider his glove, but it's been his hitting in the past that has held him back. In his defense Urshela hasn't been bad with the bat this spring but he hasn't had quite the same impact as Diaz either.

Diaz doesn't have the experience Urshela has at third base but he's been putting in a lot of work at the hot corner over the last year or so, with some time spent in the outfield as well. Manager Terry Francona has acknowledged that Diaz's defense isn't the finished article but his bat is likely to compensate for any deficiencies he may have in the field.

Despite battling a groin injury, Diaz has slashed .444/.537/.667 (BA/OBP/SLG) for a staggering 1.204 OPS over 19 Cactus League games. He has clubbed 2 homers and 14 RBI, with 8 walks and a solo stolen base for good measure. Offensively, he's been the best Indians hitter this spring and has impressed everyone in the organisation. They say you should never get too worked up over spring training numbers but in Diaz's case, what more could he have done to force his case?

Francona said it himself yesterday; "We've all seen guys who have hit in spring training. But if you look at Yandy last year ... at the end of the season we were trying to figure out a place for his bat. That's why he was going to the outfield... So this isn't a kid who has 45 at-bats and has never hit. He's been a good hitter and he's becoming a better hitter. There are no guarantees that somebody gets hits the first week of the season. We know that, but he sure looks like a good hitter."

Last season Diaz was a revelation and quickly rose up through the prospect rankings. The 2016 International League Rookie of the Year spent time at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus, slashing a combined .318/.408/.446 between the two levels. Diaz drew 71 walks compared to 86 strikeouts in 2016, and has 198 walks to 191 strikeouts for his entire career thus far, an impressive ratio. He continued his remarkable form over the winter, batting .371 in 40 games for Caracas in Venezuela.

I'm not expecting Diaz to light up the league right away but with Urshela starting the season in Columbus, Yandy should get the chance to start games more often than not. Until Kipnis returns from injury to resume his second base duties, Diaz's only threat for playing time will be Michael Martinez (who I don't envision getting many starts, especially not at third base) and Jose Ramirez (only on days where someone else is spelling him at second.)

Hopefully Yandy can remember to pack his hot bat with him when the Indians depart Arizona. His hitting statistics in his short professional career thus far have been sensational so theoretically his skill-set should translate well to the majors. I'm excited to see him on the roster nonetheless and I think he could catch casual fans by surprise.

Thanks for reading.

Taking Care Of Kipnis: 2B Options

When it was announced recently that Jason Kipnis was going to miss some time with a shoulder injury, fans started to worry. Not outright panic but cautious concern. Given Michael Brantley's shoulder struggles over the past couple of years, it's definitely understandable to be concerned. Kipnis will likely miss out on making the Opening Day lineup, and the Indians are doing the right thing protecting their All Star second baseman. Kipnis himself has said if this injury had occurred mid-season he could have probably played through the pain but it's better to make sure he's 100% before any long term damage can be done.

With that being said, Terry Francona and crew are already looking at their options to fill Kipnis' boots on Opening Day, and I am going to do the same thing. Let's take a look at some of the guys the Tribe can send out there:

Jose Ramirez

Considered by most to be the clear favourite to take Kipnis' place, Ramirez could slide over from his home at third base with relative ease. The versatile 24 year-old has spent time in many different positions and shown he can fill in adequately all over the infield, so second base is no stranger to him.

There is some hesitation on Francona's part however: "I think our first choice is not to (move him to second), but we'll see," the skipper said. After a few years as the Indians' utility man, Ramirez seemed to have found a nice home for himself at third base so I understand why the club are unwilling to shift him around again, especially off the back of a superb 2016 performance. In a perfect world Ramirez could use 2017 to really make third base his own but he's also the best option where this particular problem is concerned.

If Ramirez is chosen to replace Kipnis then it leaves a hole at third base. Thankfully this is a position where the Indians have some depth. Giovanny Urshela is my choice to fill Ramirez's spot and it could be a great opportunity for the 25 year-old Colombian to showcase his skills. We've seen in the past what a defensive wizard he is at the hot corner but his bat has always held him back from sticking in the bigs full time. Urshela has only appeared in 9 games for the Indians so far this spring but has hit well (he's spent the rest of the spring with the Colombian team at the WBC). He spent all of 2016 at Triple-A Columbus and had a decent year, slashing .274/.294/.380 (BA/OBP/SLG) with 8 home runs and 57 RBI over 117 games for the Clippers. I'm a huge Urshela fan and would love to see him have an impact with the club this season, so seeing him feature early on would be a plus.

The other candidate to fill in at third would be Yandy Diaz, who I wrote about recently. Diaz has been limited this spring with a right groin issue (just 8 appearances), which has likely hindered his chances to crack the Opening Day roster. I'm excited about Diaz's future in Cleveland but he's almost certain to start 2017 with Columbus, given he has no major league experience. It would be a big test for the rookie to chuck him in the deep end on Opening Day, whereas Urshela has been tried and tested.

Erik Gonzalez, Michael Martinez, Ronny Rodriguez

This trio from the Dominican Republic are Ramirez's closest competition for the second base spot. If Francona is truly against moving Ramirez from third base then one of these guys will likely be partnering Francisco Lindor on Opening Day.

So far all three of these gentlemen have seen about the same amount of action thus far this spring but let's take a look at them individually.

Erik Gonzalez is probably the best option to spell Kipnis until the All Star is ready to return, plus he's already on the 40-man roster, unlike Martinez and Rodriguez. Cleveland's number 8 prospect saw some time in the majors last year, although he only had two starts over a 21 game span where he was almost always used to pinch hit/run in the late innings. In his limited time at the plate he didn't hit well but then I wouldn't have expected him to given how rarely he got the opportunity. Down in Columbus however he was much more productive, slashing .296/.329/.450 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI, good enough for a 122 WRC+. Gonzalez is a natural shortstop but his path to the majors will be blocked for many years to come by Francisco Lindor. Second base is going to be Gonzalez's best opportunity to show off his abilities because if the Indians don't have a future place for him, somebody else will and they'll be willing to trade. If the young infielder is given the chance to play well and put himself in the shop window, then that will only serve to benefit both himself and the club. Gonzalez is certainly a safe choice if Kipnis isn't expected to miss significant time, and he can easily be optioned back to Columbus.

Michael Martinez is the veteran option and you pretty much know what you're going to get where he's concerned. The 34 year-old has spent 6 years in the majors and is now on his second stint with the Tribe. Francona has always supported Martinez, despite the player having his many detractors, and trusts him in late inning situations. He's a career .197 switch-hitter and most often suited to a bench role, but his versatility in the field makes him useful in a crisis. I would argue that the Indians have better options than Martinez and despite his usefulness, the club should be looking to move forward without him.

Ronny Rodriguez is the wildcard in this pack. He, like Martinez, is also of the utility infielder category but I just can't envision Francona opting for Rodriguez as his starting second baseman over the other options he has at his disposal. As Rodriguez is the least experienced of this trio, his chances of filling in for Kipnis are slim at best.

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Ultimately the Indians and their fans will be hoping Kipnis' absence is brief and his replacement just a temporary visitor at second base. If he has to miss some time, even if just for a few weeks, I'd be much more comfortable with Ramirez covering for him, and Urshela being given a chance at third base. If Francona doesn't want to unsettle Ramirez on the corner, then I'd like to see Gonzalez be given a chance as an everyday player. He certainly looks the best option, at least defensively, and will likely emerge victorious from his battle with his compatriots.

Thanks for reading.

Spring Training 2016 Part 1: Position Players

Spring Training is finally underway and MLB teams are playing baseball again. It is glorious. The wins and losses don't count but there's still a lot of important baseball to watch and discuss.

Your 2016 Cleveland Indians have a few questions to be answered before the season gets started in just under a month's time. Let's take a look at some talking points:

Who The Hell Is Playing The Outfield?

With the news last November that Michael Brantley underwent shoulder surgery, the already uncertain Indians outfield suddenly found itself without it's most important player. He's in camp seemingly ahead of schedule but the club are being cautious with his return. Although he could potentially be healthy for Opening Day, it's probably better in the long run if he makes a slow return during April before stepping up activities into May.

Then came the revelation that Abraham Almonte, likely the Tribe's starting center fielder, will miss the first 80 games of the season after testing positive for performing-enhancing drugs. And just like that, Cleveland's outfield situation went from bad to worse.

Which leads us to the biggest and most concerning question entering the 2016 season: who have Cleveland got to man the outfield?

With the center field job open, there's one candidate who can take this opportunity and run with it. Mr Tyler Wesley Naquin, come on down and collect your prize.

Naquin, the 15th pick in the 2012 draft out of Texas A&M, is now 24 years-old and will be 25 by the end of April. He bats left-handed, throws right-handed, and is currently ranked by Baseball America as the Indians' 6th best prospect. Naquin spent 2015 between AA Akron and AAA Columbus, playing 84 games with a .300/.381/.446 (BA/OBP/SLG) batting line, clubbing 7 home runs, 27 RBI, to go along with 13 stolen bases and 40 walks. He missed a lot of time due to injuries, first missing a chunk of time after colliding with the outfield wall in late July and then missing the rest of the season after mid-August with a hip injury.

Naquin is still a bit of an unknown developmentally. Will he a power hitter? His career numbers thus far don't indicate that will be the case. Can he steal bases? Yes, he can, but he's not exactly a speedster. What Naquin does do well is get on base and play a solid outfield defensively. His abilities don't get fans quite as excited as his fellow outfield prospects Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier, but Naquin could become a reliable option and more importantly, he could be that right now, whereas Zimmer and Frazier are still a year or two away in their progress.

This is where Naquin has the advantage. He has the experience Zimmer and Frazier lack, and now with Almonte and Brantley suddenly absent, this is Naquin's chance to show the club he can be an option in the future, and a good one at that. I'm rooting for him, and it'd be nice to see a homegrown draft pick become a key contributor to the team. If he has a successful Spring, then the skipper will have little choice but to keep him on the roster and make him a starter on Opening Day. It won't be the end of the world if he doesn't make the team out of camp, since he still has options to play at AAA, but it will definitely feel like a huge opportunity missed. Naquin just has to impress over these coming weeks. Easier said than done.

The alternatives to Naquin are a bit less inspiring. The likely candidates to play center field and man left field until Brantley returns are Rajai Davis and Collin Cowgill. Both players are good defensively but I'd probably lean towards Davis over Cowgill. Davis has the major league deal and his threat on the base paths gives him the edge. The Indians have invested nearly $5 million in him so you might as well see what he can offer. James Ramsey could also be an option here, after having a decent 2015 at AAA Columbus (.243/.327/.382 with 12 homers).

The dark horses for the outfield spots are Will Venable, recently signed to a minor league deal, Joey Butler, Robbie Grossman, Michael Choice, Shane Robinson and Zach Walters. Murderer's Row they most certainly are not...

Out of the bunch I'd like to see what Venable could bring, and I've rated him in the past. Whoever proves their worth, Terry Francona will have a wealth of platoon options this season. At the very least this Indians outfield has some depth to it.

On a positive note, right field has a sense of stability. After transitioning from third base midway through 2015, Lonnie Chisenhall looks to have made right field his own and despite his streaky bat, his defense is more than respectable.

There's Some New Guys In The Infield

The Indians signed Mike Napoli back in mid-December to be their everyday first baseman but recently upgraded third base with the addition of Juan Uribe, on a one-year deal worth $4.5 million.

Uribe joins the Tribe after a 2015 season in which he traveled a lot. Juan split his time between three teams last year, playing in LA for the Dodgers, before enduring a stint in Atlanta, and finally ending up in New York with the Mets, going all the way to the World Series with them. Uribe had a batting line of 253/.320/.417 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI, with a 104 wRC+ and 1.9 WAR.

Uribe will be 37 years-old by Opening Day and even if he hasn't got much left in the tank, his bat is still an improvement at third base over the young Giovanny Urshela, even if his glove isn't quite as good. Urshela flashed outstanding defense at the hot corner in 2015 but his offensive production still needs some work. With the signing of Uribe, it's almost certain that Urshela will open the season at AAA Columbus. This is probably for the best, as he can develop his bat away from the bright lights and pressure of the MLB stage. I'm a fan of Urshela and hope he can improve enough in 2016 that when Uribe likely departs after this season, Gio will be ready to step into his shoes.

I think the Indians will have no problems at all seeing Napoli and Uribe slot into this team. Both men bring a tonne of veteran experience and can be great mentors to the other young infielders on the club like Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, Jose Ramirez and Jesus Aguilar.

Part of me would have liked to have seen the Tribe add David Freese over Uribe but Freese probably would have cost more and wanted a longer deal. I'm happy with the Uribe addition and I hope he can bring some much-needed offense to this lineup. Plus, there's something loveable about Uribe's face.

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That'll do for the first part of this Spring Training preview/analysis/chit-chat. Up next I'll be taking a look at the questions surrounding the bullpen and the rotation, and who's in contention for those open spots.

Thanks for reading.

Photo credits to Jordan Bastian at MLB.com and Jonathan Quilter at Columbus Dispatch.