He certainly earned it. Now just don't try too too hard and avoid running into fences and he might have a good career.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Tyler Naquin received the call to Indians manager Terry Francona's office on Friday morning. On his way out to the batting cage, the rookie outfielder was asked if he received good news. Naquin lowered his head but could not hide his smile.
"It was a solid talk," Naquin said.



Naquin was informed by Francona that, barring something unexpected, he will be a part of Cleveland's Opening Day roster. Also on Friday, the Indians told left-hander Joe Thatcher that he will not make the club, and they optioned first baseman Jesus Aguilar to Triple-A Columbus.

With Cleveland's outfield situation in a state of flux this spring, the Indians told the 24-year-old Naquin that he had a realistic shot at competing for a job. Through Thursday, all Naquin had done was hit .447 with a 1.342 OPS in 15 Cactus League games while playing a strong center field.

It made for a memorable conversation not only for Naquin, but for Francona.

"That was one of the more touching ones for us," Francona said. "We've seen this kid come from two years ago, when in our one-on-one meetings he'd barely look at us, to growing into a man and accepting the challenge this spring. We've all seen what he's done with it. So to be able to tell him, and then see his reaction, it was hard not to be emotional."

Naquin -- Cleveland's top pick in the 2012 Draft who is rated by MLBPipeline.com as the club's No. 9 prospect -- was at a loss for words in the immediate wake of the news.

"I'm speechless, man," Naquin said. "This only happens one time, so I still really don't have any words. It's a really cool situation for me and my family -- the opportunity to be able to help out, to help the Indians win a championship, to be a part of something special."

Thatcher, 34, has until Tuesday to decide whether he will accept a Minor League assignment. As a XX-B free agent, the left-hander would be eligible for a $100,000 retention bonus and a June 1 opt-out clause if he agrees to start in the Minors. Thatcher has a 1.35 ERA through seven outings this spring, but Cleveland is not sure if it will have room in the Opening Day bullpen for a lefty specialist.

"He did a really good job," Francona said. "He came in and did exactly what he's supposed to do. That is Joe Thatcher. ... We're going to probably have a seven-man bullpen, and having a situational lefty -- I don't think it's something we thought we could [carry]. Even if we broke [camp] with it, it wouldn't last very long."

Marlon Byrd sees double, right-handed power shows up and Carlos Santana dismisses patience
on March 26, 2016 at 8:00 PM, updated March 26, 2016 at 9:18 PM




CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The herd has thinned. Many openings have been filled. In a few days, the Indians will abandon Goodyear, Arizona, and confront the regular season with a 25-man unit.

On Saturday, following a series of roster cuts -- and one roster spot clinch -- the Indians fell short against the Cincinnati Reds by a 7-4 margin. Here are some takeaways from the affair and what they mean moving forward with the regular season around the corner.

• Michael Brantley's likely absence at the start of the regular season means the Indians will need all of the offensive assistance they can get from their in-house outfield candidates.

Marlon Byrd hasn't been in camp with the Tribe for long, but he has displayed some punch at the plate. Byrd notched a pair of doubles on Saturday to give him five two-baggers in five spring games. Overall, the 38-year-old outfielder has seven hits in 15 at-bats (1.300 OPS).

Tribe manager Terry Francona was pleased to watch Byrd catch up to a fastball from hard-throwing right-hander Blake Wood.

"He got to a pretty good fastball," Francona told reporters. "Blake Wood, we've seen, he throws pretty firm. And he got to it pretty well. That was good to see."

• Cody Allen surrendered four runs (three earned, because of a Francisco Lindor throwing error) in the seventh, which turned a slim Cleveland lead into a three-run deficit. Allen owns an 8.59 ERA this spring.

• Lindor made a pair of errors to boost his spring total to four. Francona said the Indians made some defensive miscues that they "shouldn't." He also downplayed their significance.

"Sometimes an error in spring training can almost be good," he said, "because it can get you back to fundamentals and moving your feet."

Lindor doubled and walked in four trips to the plate. He is batting .311 with an .871 OPS.

• Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana slugged back-to-back solo home runs in the sixth. Yan Gomes also belted a solo shot. Gomes and Napoli have each clubbed four homers this spring. Napoli is batting .450 with a 1.286 OPS.

• Santana went 1-for-4 with the long ball. He is hitting .283 with an .862 OPS. Francona has appreciated Santana demonstrating some extra aggression at the plate.

"He's not been passive [on] 0-0 [counts] like sometimes he can be," Francona said. "I don't know if passive is the right word, but just take mode, where, if he sees a fastball he likes, he's been kind of letting it fly, which I think is really going to help him. If that's the best pitch you're going to see, if he's ready to hit, I think he'll do some damage. I think he's in a good spot.

"I just like when guys [take the approach of], 'Be ready to hit.' And, if you get a good pitch, go ahead. You're going to get deep in the count by swinging at strikes and taking good swings. He's really good at that, so he can afford to be aggressive at times, because people try to get ahead of him."

• Ross Detwiler, one of two left-handers remaining (Kyle Crockett is the other) in the battle for two bullpen openings, tossed a scoreless inning. Right-hander Dan Otero is also in the mix. Joba Chamberlain received word on Saturday that he had earned a spot on the team.

The Indians' consideration for hauling five outfielders back to Cleveland stems from Michael Brantley's uncertain status.

• Carlos Carrasco allowed three runs on six hits over five innings. He threw a pair of wild pitches and served up a solo home run to Reds infielder Eugenio Suarez.

"You're starting to get where you're getting deeper into a game and you're using all your pitches," Francona said. "I thought he threw a much better breaking ball. He got out far enough and we'll have him go farther his last one. Like [Corey] Kluber, we'll rein back in, but we want to get Carlos out a little bit farther. He made a couple mistakes, but I thought he looks like he's [getting close to being ready]. He's just trying to refine his location, and with repetition, he'll be just fine."

Francona's approach clear, focused

Baseball lifer understands importance of communicating with every player on roster

Goodyear, Ariz. — Terry Francona and I were talking about managers. ¶ It was a relaxed Arizona spring training morning, and the Tribe manager was in a relaxed, reflective mood. ¶ ''I was not a very good player,'' said Francona. ''I moved around so much [playing for five different teams in 11 years]. I saw a lot that I admired, and I few I didn't like.''

¶ In 1981, Francona was a rookie with Montreal when Dick Williams was the manager. It was a different era when rookies often were hazed by veterans, ignored by managers. ¶ ''Dick Williams wouldn't talk to you,'' said Francona. ''But he was a very good manager.''

''I know what it's like to be released, too. I think it makes me more sensitive to what some of the guys are going through.''

Terry Francona, on his time as a player

In fact, Williams is in the Hall of Fame as a manager. Francona has tremendous respect for Williams and the other old-school managers.

But the manager who had the first big impact on him was Buck Rodgers, who became Montreal's manager in 1985. Injuries were already squeezing the life out of Francona's playing career.

''I was probably the 26th man on a 25-man team,'' said Francona.

It's a way of saying he was on the end of the bench.

''Buck would talk to me,'' said Francona. ''He had a way of making me feel important. He treated me well even though I wasn't doing much good for him. I always remember that.''

Francona talks about how he ''wasn't a good player.''

Not true.

He was a very talented player whose career was ravaged by injuries. He was the 1980 College Player of the Year at Arizona, and a firstround pick by the Montreal Expos. He was an outfielder/ first baseman with little power. But like his father, former Indian Tito Francona, Terry Francona had a sweet swing.

In his first two minor league seasons, he batted .333 and .350. His first full season in the majors was 1982. He was batting .321 when he suffered a major knee injury.

He never could stay healthy for long. He still batted .346 for the Expos in 1984, but played only 58 games.

Francona was with the Indians in 1988 and batted .311, but injuries kept breaking him down.

By 1990, he was 31 years old with two horrible knees. He was playing for Class AAA Louisville in the Cardinals farm system.

''I realized there were at least six guys on that team who were better than me, and they never even got a sniff of the big leagues,'' said Francona. ''I played for Galen Pitts, a grizzled manager ... and a good guy. He'd throw batting practice to me every day. I wasn't playing well for him, but he kept working with me.''

Then Francona saw that Pitts had to pinch-hit for him.

''I could tell that he didn't want to do it,'' said Francona. ''It was eating away at him.''

What did Francona learn from that?

''He always showed he cared for me and others,'' Francona said. ''But it didn't influence how he managed the game.''

How it began

''If it weren't for Buddy Bell, I'd never be a big-league manager,'' said Francona.

Bell and Francona were teammates with the Reds in 1987.

''Buddy was playing third, I was on the bench,'' said Francona.

The two men are the sons of big-leaguers. Gus Bell played for the Reds, then Buddy was with the Tribe and other teams.

''We'd sit around late at night talking baseball,'' said Francona. ''We had two different views of the game. He saw it as a guy on the field every day. I was in the dugout.''

After Francona was cut in 1990, he was 31 years old and needed a job. Bell was working in the minor-league department for the White Sox. He hired Francona to manage Sarasota, a rookie- league team at the bottom rung of the minor-league ladder.

In 1996, Bell became the manager of the Detroit Tigers. He made Francona his third base coach. That put Francona in position to become a big-league manager.

''We used to fit like big brother and little brother,'' said Francona. ''But I owe so much to him.''

Feeling the spring heat

When Francona announces players are sent to the minors, he often spends a lot of time discussing the decision. Many times, it's obvious. The guy didn't play well, or there were more talented players in front of him.

When pitcher TJ House was assigned to Class AAA, Francona said: ''We told TJ that we didn't forget what he has done ... or what he can do.''

House is coming off a shoulder injury that sidelined him for most of 2015. He had no chance to make the Cleveland roster in spring training. Francona wants the media to hear encouraging words about the players who are sent to the minors.

''You get to know guys and really like them,'' said Francona. ''I know what spring training is like for guys who are sweating it out.''

There was a span of five consecutive years where Francona went to spring training with a different team.

''My season started on day one of camp,'' he said. ''I had to win a job.''

Francona said that makes him sensitive to players and their fears. It's why he stresses that he and his coaches communicate their plans as much as possible. He rarely waits until the last few days of camp to let players know they made the team. He prefers to make the decision as soon as possible to alleviate some of the stress.

When the Indians brought in veteran outfielder Marlon Byrd in the middle of training camp, bench coach Brad Mills talked to the other outfielders in camp trying to make the roster.

''I know they saw him [Byrd] come through the door and said, 'Whoa,''' said Francona.

The 38-year-old Byrd has hit 72 homers in the last three years. That catches everyone's attention.

Francona and Mills realized those on the edge were feeling even more pressure with Byrd possibly taking a roster spot.

''I know the feeling,'' said Francona. ''You give a guy a day off from a game. ... No reason, just to give him a rest. But the guy calls his wife and says, 'I think they're gonna send me down [to the minors].''' Francona recalls how every March at-bat could feel like the World Series. He remembers that spring training was all about work and trying to keep the worry under control.

''I learned a lot because of all my injuries,'' he said. ''And I know what it's like to be released, too. I think it makes me more sensitive to what some of the guys are going through.''

Staying connected

Nearly every day during the season, Francona plays cribbage with reliever Bryan Shaw.

''Some days, he's really mad at me because I took him out of the game,'' said Francona. ''But we're gonna play cribbage again the next day.''

That's something he learned from Pitts, treating players like people, but also being realistic enough to take them out of the game when necessary.

Francona said he's open to talking to players.

''Players can ask me why I do something, and if I don't have a good reason — shame on me!'' he said. ''I owe it to the organization, the players, to everyone not to guess, to have good reasons for my moves.''

Francona is very open to stats and analytics. He wants the data, the scouting reports. He often uses it. ''But you have to mesh the analytics and the human side,'' he said.

In his first two seasons with the Tribe (2013-14), Francona kept veteran Jason Giambi on the roster because he believed Giambi was a major influence in creating a winning atmosphere in the clubhouse.

Nearly every day, Francona mentions how someone is ''a good teammate,'' and why that is so valuable. He knows conflicts will flair up during a six-month, 162game schedule.

Francona said he had a period as manager of the Red Sox when ''[David] Oritz and I had a real rough patch. I had to pinch-hit for him some. We had to fight through it to get back to where we needed to be.''

Communication was key.

Why he's patient

This spring, Francona has said there will be some ''rough patches'' for Mike Napoli during the season and ''you just have to ride them out.''

That led to a discussion of his style of managing, of being extremely patient with Carlos Santana.

I said, ''There are times when I've said to just get him out of the middle of the lineup ... bat him eighth.''

Santana is one of the Tribe's streakiest hitters and a notorious slow starter most seasons.

''It's too easy to just react,'' said Francona. ''You can say, 'OK, hit Carlos eighth.' But if you don't have someone to hit fourth ... if you know that guy will have the same problems Carlos is having when he's in a slump ... why do it?' '' Francona talked about how that can turn one problem into two problems. ''You can win the battle and lose the war,'' he said.

Still loves the job

This is Francona's 36th year in pro baseball, his 16th as a big-league manager. The Tribe is his third team. He was with the Red Sox from 2004 to 2011, winning the World Series in 2004 and 2007.

At 56, Francona deals with more physical problems than most fans and media realize. He's had multiple surgeries on both knees. He has circulation problems, and that's part of the reason he usually wears a jacket and long sleeves. He's dealt with blood clots and other issues.

Francona doesn't like to discuss those problems, simply saying, ''My body is pretty beat up.''

Instead, he talks about his team. He gets excited discussing his new leadership group headed by Corey Kluber, Yan Gomes, Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley. All of them are in their late 20s, something that intrigues Francona.

''I don't want to overmanage,'' said Francona. ''I believe good teams police themselves, but these guys are a little younger. I need to realize that. I may have to keep my thumb on it a little more.''

Francona sounds grateful to work for the Indians. He often mentions how much he respects the front office and ownership. He is in a pure baseball setting, minimal politics compared to what he endured in his last few years in Boston.

He loves the Tribe's pitching staff. He has had winning records in all three of his seasons (2013-15) and has a passion to see the team make the playoffs and then see how far they can advance with the strong rotation.

''I'm a baseball lifer,'' he said. ''I know it's a cliche, but I've been put in situations with a lot of good players. I've gotten to know so many good people. I'm a lucky guy, I really mean that.''

On Jose Ramirez's growing value and 6 things we learned about Cleveland Indians on Monday


CLEVELAND, Ohio – Jose Ramirez started Monday's game against Oakland at shortstop and moved to left field in the sixth inning. It is a way of life for a utility man and it sounds like Ramirez could be doing it a lot for the Indians in the last week of spring training and during early part of the regular season.

Ramirez, with Michael Brantley (right shoulder) and Lonnie Chisenhall (right forearm, left wrist) opening the season on the disabled list, is going to be the Tribe's fifth outfielder. It is a roll that usually gathers more dust than at-bats, but manager Terry Francona doesn't see it that way.

"Part of our thinking was that Jose looks like he's earned (more at-bats) by his play (to) where we'd like to try and get him in there more," Francona told reporters Monday morning in Goodyear, Ariz. "We want to get him in there and not let him sit and lose what he has. We want to see if we can get that to carry over (into the regular season)."

Ramirez went 1-for-5 Monday as the Indians beat the Athletics, 6-4, in Mesa, Ariz. The switch-hitter has had an excellent spring, hitting .345 (19-for-55) with four homers and 12 RBI.

"I know he had a slow start last year, but he's a year older," said Francona. "It's impossible to have a crystal ball, but he has done a really good job. He'll play some left field this week. He needs to play shortstop because if something happens to (Francisco) Lindor, he's the guy.''

Francona loves versatility and that's Ramirez's middle name.

"If we want to pinch run for (Juan) Uribe late, we can put him at third base," he said. "If he starts a game, we need to make sure he stays in the game. There is no reason to pinch run for him."



Tribe's opening day roster almost set

Lonnie Chisenhall will open on the DL. Dan Otero, Marlon Byrd and Collin Cowgill have made the team.

Ramirez can play all over the infield, but he's still learning the outfield. He's played left and center field this spring. On Sunday, he lost a ball in the sun in left field against the Brewers.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say I don't think the sun is going to be a problem in Cleveland in the first week of the season," said Francona. "We've seen just about every outfielder who has come in here (Goodyear Ballpark) lose a ball in the sun.

"With his speed and athleticism, he'll be serviceable and I think he'll improve. When we put Mike Aviles out there for the first time, it was the same thing. Mike turned himself in a good outfielder."



Tribe's future looks bright at hot corner

The Indians haven't had a consistent All-Star-type third baseman since the days of Travis Fryman. But if you take a big picture look at their current hot corner situation, it has seldom been better.

With the roster trimmed yet again Monday, and split squad games against Seattle and the Angels scheduled for Tuesday, here are six more things we've learned about the Indians.

No. 1. Timing is everything

Danny Salazar, with the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation suddenly in flux, needed a good start just to make sure nothing happened to his hold on his third spot. Salazar, one start away from closing the books on yet another shaky spring, delivered against Oakland.

He allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings. Salazar struck out three and walked two. Still, Salazar's time in the desert has been difficult.

He's 2-1 with a 6.33 ERA. Yes, he has 21 strikeouts, but has allowed 24 hits, including five homers, and 10 walks. That's way too many baserunners.

No. 2. Otero over Crockett

Francona said the Indians went with veteran righty Dan Otero over lefty Kyle Crockett for a spot in the bullpen because Crockett can go to Class AAA Columbus and pitch on a regular schedule even though he's a reliever. In the minors, the Indians make sure their top relievers pitch regularly.



Lefty Ross Detwiler is spring surprise for Tribe

Every spring training usually brings at least one surprise in the make up of every team's 25-man roster. This year the Indians surprise is lefty Ross Detwiler making the club.

"We want our younger guys to pitch so when they get here they're on a roll," said Francona.

No.3. Cowgill over Grossman

Francona said the Indians went with outfielder Collin Cowgill over Robbie Grossman because of Cowghill's defense and baserunning ability. He said it was nice to see Cowgill finally start to hit over the last several games, but it wasn't the deciding factor.

If Grossman doesn't sign with another team, Francona said they'd welcome him back to play in Columbus. Cowgill, who had two hits against the A's, is hitting .178 (8-for-45) with two homers and 10 RBI. Grossman hit .231 (9-for-39) with one homer and three RBI.

No. 4. Chisenhall update

Francona said that Chisenhall will break camp with the Indians on Thursday, go to Arlington, Texas for the two-game series against the Rangers this weekend and attend the season opener at Progressive Field on April 2.

"Then we'll figure out where to get him some at-bats," said Francona.

Francona said Chisenhall should be able to come off the disabled list on April 12 when the Indians open a four-game series against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.

No. 5. He's still hitting

Rookie Tyler Naquin started in center field Monday and hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Jesse Hahn for a 6-1 lead. It was Naquin's fourth homer of the spring.

No. 6. Your questions will be answered

Francona indicated the final questions about the pitching staff should be determined following Tuesday's split-squad games.

In play right now are the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation and a possible spot in the pen. Right now there are three candidates for two rotation spots – Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin and Cody Anderson. If Anderson is the odd man out, he'll go to Columbus because he has to start. If it's Bauer or Tomlin, they'll be in the pen.

Stay tuned.

I know it's a dead horse, but I believe that when a Uribe or Marlon Byrd enter into a clubhouse it gets people's attention.

Been there, done that - over and over and over and over. They are where most of those guys WANT to get to.

They are Giambis who can actually still play.

Let's hope the magic of Callaway works..

Reliever Ross Detwiler secures spot on Indians’ Opening Day roster

By Ryan Lewis
Beacon Journal sports writer
GOODYEAR, Ariz.: The Indians on Sunday told left-handed relief pitcher Ross Detwiler that he will be making the Opening Day roster. And in doing so, the club hopes an altered delivery allows him to put a poor 2015 away for good.

Detwiler, 30, had an ERA hovering around 4.00 for two seasons with Washington before last year, when it ballooned to 7.25 in 41 appearances between Texas and Atlanta.

The Indians and pitching coach Mickey Callaway reached out to Detwiler this offseason about straightening and lengthening the stride in his windup. He stands 6-foot-5 but was striding like a 5-10 or 5-11 pitcher.

This spring, he’s struck out eight batters and allowed three runs in seven innings pitched.

And now, he’s the sixth pitcher with a secured spot in the bullpen and the first left-hander.

“Talking to [Callaway], I had a connection with him. Everything he was saying made a lot of sense to me,” Detwiler said. “He broke my mechanics down and pointed out what he wanted to work on. So we worked hard this offseason on that, came into the spring, worked a little more and I think those changes helped me a lot.”

The longer stride straightened Detwiler’s delivery, allowing his body to be more direct toward the plate, whereas he used to start out leaning toward the first-base side.

“So we really [worked] on attacking the plate,” Detwiler said. “I feel like I’m throwing a little harder, throwing more strikes, getting on top of the ball and driving it down in the zone a lot more.”

The Indians have had success bringing in pitchers they think they can help, like Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir and others. Those pitchers can be had at cheaper price tags and if the Indians can find the right adjustment, can also provide a quality return on investment. Much of it has been the work of the Indians’ front office to identify possible candidates and the work of Callaway with them. Detwiler could be next.

“I think our front office does an unbelievable job at knowing who’s out there and who’s available,” Callaway said. “We look at who the person is, we go back and look at what they’ve done in the past. If they’ve struggled at all and we feel like they’re a bounce-back candidate, we look at everything.”

Detwiler joins Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Jeff Manship, Zach McAllister and fellow nonroster invitee Joba Chamberlain in the Opening Day bullpen. Tommy Hunter, once recovered from offseason core muscle surgery, will join that mix. His expected return is in mid-May.

I'm surprised


Cleveland's 2016 Opening Day roster is seemingly set, after the Indians announced their starting rotation and the last piece of their bullpen. Trevor Bauer starts out in the bullpen


CLEVELAND, OHIO-- The Indians' starting rotation will look very similar to the one that the team used at the end of the 2015 season.

With three hurlers-- Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin and Cody Anderson-- vying for two spots in the starting rotation this spring, Anderson will man the fourth spot and Tomlin will round out the rotation in the fifth spot, while Bauer starts the season in the bullpen.

Bauer, 25, finished the 2015 season in the bullpen, but Indians manager Terry Francona said earlier in Spring Training that the team would like for him to be a starter.

Though Bauer posted a 2.25 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and 19 strikeouts in 20 innings this March, it appears as though the Indians front office changed their tune and felt that Anderson and Tomlin were better suited for the starting spots.

Anderson, 25, and Tomlin, 31, each had their struggles in Spring Training, but seemingly did enough to have a chance to start in Cleveland come April.

Anderson pitched in 18 innings over five games, compiling a 5.50 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP, while Tomlin appeared in six games, garnering a 4.67 ERA with a 1.56 WHIP over 17.1 innings pitched.

After finalizing the roster in regards to position players on Monday by adding OF Marlon Byrd and OF Collin Cowgill to the group while placing OF Lonnie Chisenhall on the DL, the Indians had only the rotation decision to make in regards to the Opening Day roster.

Now, barring any injuries or any unforeseen circumstances, that Opening Day roster will look as it does below.

2016 Indians 25-Man Opening Day Roster

C: Yan Gomes, Roberto Perez

1B: Mike Napoli
2B: Jason Kipnis
3B: Juan Uribe
SS: Francisco Lindor

OF: Rajai Davis, Jose Ramirez
CF: Tyler Naquin
OF: Marlon Byrd, Collin Cowgill

DH: Carlos Santana

DL: Michael Brantley, Lonnie Chisenhall

Starting Pitchers:

RHP Corey Kluber
RHP Carlos Carrasco
RHP Danny Salazar
RHP Cody Anderson
RHP Josh Tomlin

Bullpen:

RHP Cody Allen
RHP Bryan Shaw
RHP Zach McAllister
RHP Dan Otero
RHP Joba Chamberlain
LHP Ross Detwiler
RHP Jeff Manship
RHP Trevor Bauer

That seems strange, Thought Tomlin would go to the pen. Bauer seemed to do better than the other two.

Seems to me the trade value for Anderson, Bauer and Tomlin are at their maximum right now.

Shop them all to see if anybody will part with some young power hitters.

Pick the best deal.

I'm also surprised at the news Bauer to the pen. And I bet he is none too pleased.

That said, he has silly/crazy stuff and might make a stud reliever if he does buy in.

Terry Pluto:

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ss ... _qu.html#0

Some of the key questions in Pluto's list are:

Can both Santana and Napoli avoid terribly slow starts at the plate as in 2015: we need to get off to a decent start for a change and they are key.
Can Naquin with only 40 AAA games behind him and the first rookie to make the team out of spring training since 2001 [!] hold the fort in CF?
Can "chunky" Byrd and Uribe hold up: I think Francona's ability to mix and match and the developing talent of Jose Ramirez should give us positive answer to this one.
Will Cody Allen excel, knowing that closers can run hot and cold? His spring wasn't the best.

Other keys:
How badly will Bauer take his demotion to the pen? Will he be able to move back and forth from the rotation and the pen?
Can Tomlin actually limit all the homers he surrenders to solo shots?
Will Gomes like the Yan of 2014?
Will Kipnis get his power stroke back?

Hoynes on the Bauer move:

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to the bullpen Trevor Bauer. They don't have a nickname or T-shirts like The Bullpen Mafia of the past. What they do have is the look of a New York subway train at rush hour.

It's packed in there. Eight relievers, bullpen coach Jason Bere and a couple of catchers. Who gets squatter's rights for the warmest seat in the pen come opening day Monday at Progressive Field?

Ross Detwiler and Joba Chamberlain made the pen as spring-training invitees. Jeff Manship did the same thing last year, although he didn't break camp with the team. Those qualify as pleasant surprises.

Bauer being thrown into the pen isn't a surprise; it's a shock. He had a good camp. He cut down his walks and on Throw Down Tuesday he struck out seven, didn't walk a batter and pitched six scoreless innings against the Angels. But Josh Tomlin, who has never walked away from a fight in his life, held up his end of the bargain in the duel in the desert.

Tomlin struck out 10 and threw six scoreless innings against Seattle on Tuesday night. In a brutal spring, Tomlin saved his best for last. Would it have made a difference if Tomlin flopped against the Mariners? Probably not, but by pitching the way he did it made it a lot of easier for his bosses to explain how Cody Anderson and Tomlin won the fourth and fifth rotation spots, respectively, and Bauer was demoted.

This arrangement is not going to last. The Indians are carrying 13 pitchers and six of them are starters. You could stretch that to seven by including Detwiler, the lone lefty on the staff, because the Indians think he'll return to his starting roots sometime in the future. Something is going to give.

Manager Terry Francona, after watching Josh Tomlin strikeout 10 batters in six innings Tuesday night against Seattle, told reporters that he'd make a decision on what roles Tomlin, Trevor Bauer and Cody Anderson would be pitching in come opening day.

GM Chris Antonetti, in explaining the move, told reporters in Goodyear, Ariz. that the Indians used 11 different starters last year. He said there will be plenty of starts for Bauer during the course of the year. Maybe there will be, maybe there won't.

Here's how the majority of the starts went last season – Corey Kluber 32, Bauer 30, Carlos Carrasco 30 and Danny Salazar 30. Anderson was next in line with 15 starts. Limiting Bauer to 15 starts seems like the waste of a talented arm.

Anderson, who pitched his way past Bauer and Tomlin into the fourth spot, has two options left. If he falters, the Indians can send him down and throw Bauer lifeline. Bauer is out of options.

The Indians haven't pushed the subject, but it's clear they want to have a better start to the season than the last three years under manager Terry Francona. That might have played a role in the decision as well.

Last year Anderson went 6-0 against the teams the Indians will be playing in April. Included in that record was a 5-0 record against AL Central foes Detroit, Minnesota and the White Sox. Tomlin went 4-1 against the same teams, including a 3-1 record against Chicago, Detroit and Minnesota.

Bauer was 4-7 last season against the teams the Indians play in April. He was 3-1 against Chicago, but 0-2 against Detroit and Seattle.

Over the offseason Bauer tried to distance himself from the game. He was still training six to seven hours a day, but he was trying to find other pursuits so he wasn't stuck in the baseball mode 24/7. In spring training, he told reporters, "I don't know what kind of pitcher I want to be anymore. I just want to throw hard."

That question has been temporarily answered – he's a resident of the bullpen, a good place to throw hard. It just doesn't feel like he's going to stay there long. Whether it's with the Indians or another team, Bauer is bound to return to the rotation.

The Indians have a big need for outfield help. Could Bauer bring that to them in a trade?