The struggles that have come with the 2021 season and the difficulty to get to .500 is helping set the stage for the next wave. We’ve been introduced to Amed Rosario, Myles Straw and Bobby Bradley as well as the starting pitcher edition of Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie.

In no way, shape or form am I including Bradley in this group.

I love the other 4 for next season but Bradley has simply shown the exact same as what he was in the minors.

He does have another month.

Emmanuel Clase’s sterling season as Cleveland Indians ace reliever, by the numbers



CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 08: Cleveland Indians pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) delivers a pitch to the plate during the ninth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians on August 8, 2021, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

By Zack Meisel Sep 1, 2021 9

DeMarlo Hale doesn’t recall having to gear up to slug a 101 mph cutter when he played in the minors for the Red Sox and the Athletics in the 1980s. Cleveland’s acting manager said he first noticed the rise in relievers’ velocity when he served as the Blue Jays’ bench coach and they battled the Royals in the 2015 ALCS.

Kansas City trotted out its ace relief trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland, who all possessed mid-90s heat.

“That’s the new norm,” Hale said.

Emmanuel Clase is a different breed, though. Cleveland’s closer unleashes a 101 mph heater that adeptly avoids the sweet spot on a hitter’s lumber and a 92 mph slider that fools any hitter brash enough to sit back and attempt to pounce on that triple-digit offering.

“He has stuff to really dominate that last inning,” said Hale, who praised Clase’s ability to remain calm on the mound, even when the opposing team threatens to erase Cleveland’s lead.

Clase, 23, served up a walk-off home run in Cleveland’s first game after the All-Star break. Since, he has rattled off 19 consecutive scoreless appearances, providing stability in the ninth inning as his high-leverage partner-in-crime, James Karinchak, searches for answers.

During that stretch, Clase — who is still, technically, a rookie, by the way — has limited opponents to a .109/.123/.125 slash line, with one walk and 21 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.

Overall, Clase’s ERA sits at 1.44 this season. Here are some other numbers that stand out and provide context for his sterling 2021 campaign.

370: The number of pitches Clase has thrown that have registered at least 100 mph

That’s the most in the league this season, exactly twice as many as the next pitcher on the list, Jacob deGrom. Those 370 triple-digit readings account for 43.6 percent of all of Clase’s pitches this season, which also leads the majors. Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol ranks second at 32.9 percent.

Only three pitchers — Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks is the other — have thrown 100 mph heaters with at least one quarter of their pitches. Only eight pitchers have done so for at least 5 percent of their pitches.

.115: Hitters’ slugging percentage against Clase’s slider

Clase threw his slider about 20 percent of the time in April, May and June but has increased his reliance on the pitch over the past two months, a decision that seems to have paid dividends. He used his slider 38.5 percent of the time in July and 33.5 percent of the time in August.

Sure, his 101 mph cutter that gets up close and personal with left-handed hitters and tails away from righty hitters is effective on its own. But when hitters have to guard against a 92 mph slider that carries more vertical movement and plunges out of the strike zone, they might as well close their eyes and hope for the best.

Opponents are batting .098 with a .115 slugging percentage against Clase’s slider this season (and .238 with a .298 slugging percentage against the cutter). The cutter jams hitters and induces weak contact. The slider is more of a swing-and-miss pitch, and it produced a whiff rate of 44 percent the past two months. When he leans on both pitches, it can make them more imposing.

69.5 percent: Clase’s ground-ball rate

The league average is 45.1 percent. This explains how Clase has surrendered only two home runs this season. Hitters have topped his pitches 55 percent of the time they put the ball in play; the league average is 33.3 percent.

Simply put: It’s really, really difficult to square up that cutter. If it were a straight, 101 mph fastball, this might be a different conversation. But Clase ranks in the 97th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 98th percentile in opponents’ expected slugging percentage. Hitters don’t make solid contact against him. On the rare occasion they do, they’re fortunate if they record a single.

Instead, Clase racks up a ton of weak grounders and registers a little more than a strikeout per inning. He ranks in the 71st percentile in strikeout rate. He doesn’t boast the sort of eye-popping total one might expect for someone who possesses a pitch that is unrivaled throughout the league. But the ground-ball rate explains why that’s the case.

Clase still induces plenty of swings-and-misses, though. He ranks in the 91st percentile in whiff rate.

2: The number of walks Clase has issued over the past seven weeks

Clase has granted opponents two walks in his past 30 2/3 innings. We’ve established how difficult it is to make solid contact against Clase, so imagine how daunting it is to string together hits to produce a run against him. If Clase were consistently walking batters, he’d make that assignment much easier, but that hasn’t been the case.

99th percentile: Clase’s chase rate

Clase’s chase rate is 37.6 percent; the league average is 28.3 percent. Hitters don’t have much time to contemplate whether to offer at his pitches because they zip toward the plate at the speed of light. He throws the ball in the strike zone only 46.3 percent of the time, the result of only having pitches that don’t travel in a straight line.

If we dig even deeper, we find that his chase contact rate is 42.7 percent. In other words, when hitters fish for a cutter or slider out of the zone, they make contact with that pitch less than half of the time. The league-average chase contact rate is 58.5 percent. Clase has expertly convinced hitters to expand their zone, and they don’t typically do so to their benefit.

(Photo: Frank Jansky / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Zimmer is ahead of Bradley; he can defend and he can run, both very well. He is back to hitting homers, not quite at Bradley pace, and hits for a better average. It's nice to have a big homerun bat or two in the middle of the order but I agree: Bradley has not established himself, yet. I did like a couple recent opposite field singles; and his defense is no worse than "not bad"

civ - we've had Carlos Santana at 1B for what seems forever and he is a major level above Bradley at this point.

I could see Naylor/Chang platoon there though for next season.

Indians: Despite a lack of postseason on the horizon, team is still worth watching
by Chad Porto12 hours ago Follow @ChadNerdCorp



The Indians are still providing value for your viewing experience.

The Indians are not going to October, no matter how many times I held out hope or wished it to be true otherwise, the team just could not overcome the nagging issues it suffered from early in the season. The turmoil with the pitching staff’s injuries and the collapse of the bullpen being another.

There’s hope for the future too. The Indians are 17th in RBIs, 11th in home runs, and 14th in slugging percentage. Not great numbers by any means but considering how much turnover the team has had since April, it’s really encouraging.

If the Indians didn’t lose Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale for as long as they did, who knows what the team could’ve looked like this year. The offense isn’t as good as we hoped but it’s not as bad as we expected. The team is still making things interesting to boot.

The Indians are still worth your attention
The Indians are actually 8-3 in their last 11 and surging. There’s a good possibility the team can end the year in the high 80s for wins. They manhandled Shohei Ohtani while taking the series with the Angles, Rangers, and Royals (the last game is Thursday night), and they had a massive comeback against the Red Sox to avoid getting swept.

In two of the last three games, the Indians rallied past the Red Sox after being down 4-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning and came back to win with a score of 7-5. Against the Royals, on Wednesday, the Indians had given Kansas City loaded bases in the bottom of the 10th and still were able to get the win thanks to a bloop single in the 11th.

This team may not be streaking towards a playoff birth, one that mathematically they aren’t eliminated from just yet (0.3%), but they’ve shown that they are still a good team worth watching. Watch I will.

The future for the Indians is quite bright. Sure, a decision will have to be made about Jose Ramirez, but if the Tribe can get in on that salary floor idea, that will be partly funded by other ballclubs, it’s very likely the Tribe offers Ramirez a new deal.

That, or they could just continue to prove that trading away players nearing the end of their deals is never the wrong move, as they’ve proven time and time again. Just as Texas and New York how Corey Kluber and Francisco Lindor have worked out.

"team is still worth watching"

I would like better defense. But I like the team speed. Some hitting from unexpected sources. Very good starting pitching. With better relief pitching ovr the past month they could have won 3-5 more games and could be 10 over .500 but still pretty far out of postseason qualification.

What the Cleveland Indians must learn in the last month of the season




CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 26: Cleveland Indians right fielder Bradley Zimmer (4) rounds the bases after hitting a 2-run home run during the first inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians on August 26, 2021, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

By Zack Meisel

One month from now, Cleveland will play its last game with its century-old nickname, the series finale of its first trip to Globe Life Field and the season finale of a year marked by transition from one era to the next.

The team will fly back to Cleveland and the next time they unite at Progressive Field, everything will look different: the uniforms, the signage around the ballpark, the display above the scoreboard and, of course, the roster.

A slew of difficult decisions await the front office, choices related to the 40-man roster, retaining the right prospects, upgrading the outfield and swinging a seismic trade or two. Chris Antonetti and company have one month to learn as much as possible to arm themselves with as much information as possible as they navigate a critical offseason.

So what can they learn?

The 2022 starting rotation seems all but set, with Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie. But just how daunting can that quintet be? Civale is on the verge of returning from the injured list. Bieber is inching closer to a rehab assignment. Both want to get back on a major-league mound, if only to set up a normal offseason and build some momentum entering 2022.

The key for this group has been the emergence of Quantrill and McKenzie, who have blossomed since the All-Star break. If they maintain their upward trajectory over the final month, it should offer some reassurance that this is a playoff-caliber rotation. Quantrill credits his rise to the fact that he can lean on a basic routine, after shifting from a bullpen role and pitching on short rest for the first few months of the season.

McKenzie, on the other hand, has overhauled his approach and pitch-sequencing patterns. Over his past three starts, he has allowed two runs on five hits across 21 innings. McKenzie said he’s able to recognize when he’s starting to lose his edge or when his mechanics are getting out of whack and step off the mound to reset before it’s too late.

“The struggles I had early on allowed me to be the pitcher I’ve been for the last couple of starts,” McKenzie said. “Hopefully, I just keep improving.”

Cleveland should have plenty of depth stocked at Triple A next year, with Eli Morgan, Cody Morris, Konnor Pilkington, Peyton Battenfield and Adam Scott all pitching well at the moment. Logan T. Allen, Joey Cantillo and Juan Hillman could pitch at that level in 2022 as well.

• Pilkington, since being traded to Cleveland: 1.44 ERA in 25 innings, 1.000 WHIP, 30 strikeouts
• Battenfield, since being traded to Cleveland: 1.69 ERA in 26 2/3 innings, 0.638 WHIP, 27 strikeouts
• Morris, at three levels of the minors: 1.41 ERA in 44 2/3 innings, 0.918 WHIP, 66 strikeouts

That’s a lot of big-league-ready or near-big-league-ready starting pitching, and it doesn’t include Logan S. Allen, Sam Hentges or J.C. Mejia, who will all be out of minor-league options in 2022. Allen has fared well in two starts since rejoining the rotation. Hentges seems better equipped for the bullpen, but the Indians haven’t really experimented with him in that role yet.

Are there any reliable relievers outside of Emmanuel Clase? The American League Reliever of the Month for August, Clase had his scoreless streak snapped at 20 1/3 innings on Thursday. Trevor Stephan shut the door in the 11th inning of a win on Wednesday, a productive deviation from his customary multi-inning, 35-pitches-in-a-lopsided-game cameo.

The bullpen, once the bedrock of the 2021 team, has swiftly become a source of uncertainty. Are any of 30-somethings Bryan Shaw, Blake Parker or Nick Wittgren worth keeping for another year? Can James Karinchak rediscover his old form during his stay in Triple A? Will Cam Hill and Kyle Nelson keep their 40-man roster spots? Will the Indians take more than that one, brief look at Francisco Perez? Will they ever call upon Anthony Gose, the 100 mph-throwing southpaw who has allowed only one run in 8 1/3 innings since returning from Tokyo, where he made the All-Olympics team? This is where the lack of the traditional, super-expanded September rosters hurts the club.

Will any outfielder seize an opportunity? Bradley Zimmer has captured everyone’s attention, but that might just mean he’s in line for a backup role in 2022. Acting manager DeMarlo Hale must decide how to divvy up playing time between Zimmer, Harold Ramirez, Daniel Johnson and Oscar Mercado in left and right field for the next 30 days. Somehow, the front office will make pivotal determinations based on their performances. There probably isn’t room on the 40-man roster for all of them.

The outfield figures to be the front office’s primary target to upgrade this winter. They have an abundance of candidates to fill the middle-infield spots; that’s more a matter of which prospects will emerge, and when? Will anyone claim second base? Amed Rosario has whacked every pitch tossed his direction for the past six weeks, and even though his defense at shortstop leaves much to be desired (minus-8 defensive runs saved), it’s not as though any of his teammates has presented a convincing case to push him off that position in 2022.

Owen Miller did slug a three-run homer Thursday, but he and Andrés Giménez haven’t offered much at the plate. Yu Chang has boosted his OPS to .700 from .560 over the last two weeks with a surge highlighted by opposite-field power. Keep in mind, Gabriel Arias’ next step is the majors, and Tyler Freeman isn’t too far behind.

There’s one other infield spot in need of an assessment. Is Bobby Bradley the long-term first baseman? He has been as advertised: a lot of power potential and a ton of strikeout potential. At this point, his tools add up to a .210/.307/.467 slash line. Since the All-Star break, Bradley has batted .159/.260/.286 with two home runs and 31 strikeouts in 73 trips to the plate. Nolan Jones could fit into the picture early next season. The Indians are also hopeful Josh Naylor will be ready to compete for a spot in the spring, but he has some recovery hurdles to clear in his rehab from an ankle injury before they can make that determination.

This is a team in need of answers. Only one month remains in Cleveland’s quest to obtain them.

Ok since we debated Amed the other day I'll tackle this statement.

Amed Rosario has whacked every pitch tossed his direction for the past six weeks, and even though his defense at shortstop leaves much to be desired (minus-8 defensive runs saved), it’s not as though any of his teammates has presented a convincing case to push him off that position in 2022.

1. For one I damn agree that none of his teammates has presented a convincing case to push him off SS. It's easy to say you aren't satisfied but until you have a better option that that's meaningless.

2. (-8 defensive runs saved) - this is a lazy sentence by Meisel. I am sure he knows there are more than one defensive metric. One of those is Baseball Savant OAA - Outs Above Average. Baseball Savant is MLB's own Stat Tracker.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderbo ... rtDir=desc

So this metric, OAA has Amed Rosario smack in the middle of the SS pack defensively. Observe the shortstops below him! Oh, and Amed hits the freaking ball at the major league level.

So yes, in a perfect world, one of our better fielding shortstops takes the job but they better damn well show they can hit - we do not need another lineup hole.

I can live with an average MLB shortstop who hits like Amed does. Again in a perfect world we find excellent middle infield options and Amed becomes a super utility player who can play a solid SS when required.

Unless or until Tyler Freeman comes on the scene, it seems that Amed should have the inside track on 2ns with one of the better defenders [Giminez or Arias] at SS. Miller and Chang and Clement each has a case to make for utility role including some share of 1st base. I don't foresee Nolan Jones "early n 2022". He has lots of hills to climb: like hitting lefties; reducing his strikeouts; hitting 250 in AAA

civ - the really interesting thing this offseason we have to constantly keep in mind is that the new Basic Agreement expires.

Remember the initial proposal by MLB was a surprising one including a minimum payroll requirement. It was $100 million which would be a large increase for Cleveland!

Perfect opportunity to extend Jose Ramirez and Bieber. And still have all kinds of room for other additions.

Back to Amed - the team totally handed SS over to Giminez early this season and we saw how that went. I guess I still have that on my mind.

Rosario played the good soldier playing in CF then going to SS when there were no other options. Then he tears it up. So I'm biased on this.

I know what you are saying about Amed and Andres for SS. but defense does not count there so I would give Arias a good shot at SS next March with Amed working both at 2nd and SS. He has been a terrific contributor and his CF venture really shows what kind of a team attitude he has.
Remember Carlos Santana offering himself to play LF to play 3B? Same kind of thing.

[of btw I looked at Carlos' splits when we played KC and unlike most years he peaked early and has plummeted since then. Like most of the players the Indians have let good recently he's done less away from CLE than he did while he was here. That includes good guys like Kluber and Lindor and Santana; and The Jerk Whose Name is Never Spoken with the record contract for a pitcher.

Jason Lloyd question and answer:


With the Indians/Guardians recent lease extension and the announcement that taxpayers will foot $285 million of the deal, it had me thinking about financial disclosures. How can a team keep their books closed to the public despite the taxpayer funding? No investor would give money to a team without seeing the books, so why do taxpayers have to stay in the dark? I think it’s fair to guess that owners would be exposed as being untruthful about the extent of their (likely nonexistent) losses, 2020 excluded. — Dan K.

I hear what you’re saying and for years I’ve also questioned if the losses are really as steep as some owners try to insist. The only caveat I’ll add to your question is that the public funds going to the Indians are for ballpark improvements and capital repairs since the city owns the facility (via the Gateway Economic Development Corp.). Taxpayer funds are not going to payroll, for example.

Now should owners open their books? Absolutely. But since they are privately held companies, there is no legal way to force them to do so.

What do you know about the Indians plans for Rosario next year? He has been one of their better bats, but he has shown he shouldn’t be playing SS every day. With 5 or 6 middle infielders knocking on the door next year or in 2023, what would you do and what do you think they will do? — Richard S.

With having him play 2B (despite Amed Rosario’s awful defense at SS) and hitting him at the bottom of the order, it doesn’t seem like the Tribe has a ton of optimism in Andres Gimenez being a part of the future. Do you have some insight as to how they view their middle infield pecking order? With so many highly touted guys in the upper minors, some decisions are going to need to be made in short order. — Ethan S.

I admit I’m a little surprised Gimenez hasn’t played more shortstop since returning from Columbus since he’s the superior defender. But Rosario has been scorching-hot and has earned the position, although I don’t believe he’s the long-term solution there. I would expect Gimenez to get another crack at the job next spring. Zack Meisel and I discussed this very topic a few weeks ago and we both agree, being at the front of the line gives Gimenez (and Rosario) a huge advantage. While the Indians are stacked with middle infield prospects, if Gimenez proves he can hit at this level, a number of the prospects below them could become trade chips.

Since they were willing to try Amed Rosario in the outfield already, what are the odds they could give him a shot in LF next year? — Kevin K.

I already wrote I believe Rosario could prove versatile enough to play all over next year and throughout his time in Cleveland. The problem is nobody else is better than he is right now on the infield. I think he’s more of a natural fit at second base next year now that Tyler Freeman is missing valuable development time.

Over/under is set at 1 for both of the following questions. How many free-agent outfielders with a proven major-league track record will the Guardians sign this offseason? In the next two seasons, how many of the following will sign an extension among Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Franmil Reyes and Jose Ramirez? I’m taking the under on both questions, you? — Matthew S.

I believe they’ll sign one outfielder in free agency this winter so are we calling that a push? They probably won’t sign two. I’m not sure they need to sign two. If we believe Myles Straw is the starting center fielder next year, and assuming Josh Naylor makes a full recovery from that gruesome ankle injury, one quality outfielder would be enough of an upgrade.

As for the extensions, I wonder if there will be any hesitancy to sign another designated hitter to a big contract after the Travis Hafner disaster. For that reason, I’ll take the under, although I do believe the Indians could get something done with three of the four.

Would like to see a projected 40-man roster as the team approaches the Rule 5 Draft. Who is certain, who is borderline, who should be tossed overboard, etc.? — Thomas F.

This is a good exercise and something maybe Meisel and I could do after the season as a discussion piece. It might be something Zack already has completed in his head.

Are the Indians closer to contending in 2021-22 than most think? They have the deepest rotation in baseball when healthy, a solid bullpen and probably 2-3 bats away from a good lineup (ownership said they are going to spend). Andre Knott says Tito intends to come back and he’s the best manager in baseball. It smells a lot like the team we had in 2016. — Razmig P.

I’m not ready to put the Indians in the World Series next year, but I do believe they will be significantly better if they stay healthy. I’m written and said multiple times that this season feels like rock bottom with payroll, record, productivity. If “rock bottom” is two games over .500 … I’ll take it. I agree with your optimism and have been bullish on this team even during some of the struggles this year.

It’s Opening Day 2022. The Guardians are set for their inaugural game and pregame introductions. Is the manager Tito, DeMarlo or Mr. X (someone hired from outside the organization)? — Eric F.

I’m going to say Tito, but it’s only a guess. Terry Francona is a lifer. He’ll turn 63 next April and he strikes me as someone who wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he didn’t have baseball. Plus, he’s so close to becoming the Indians’ all-time winningest manager. That has to matter to him given what this organization has meant to him throughout his life. However, this is consecutive seasons now that Francona has not been able to complete the year because of health concerns. The Indians obviously have to be thinking about his long-term replacement. My guess would be when that time occurs, whether it’s this winter or in another year or two, their next manager will be a young, analytically driven type like Kevin Cash, Francona’s protege.

How do the Guardindians have a middle-of-the-road farm system (according to MLB.com) after all of the trades? — Brent W.

Farm system rankings are subjective. What the Guardindians (I like that) lack in elite prospects, they make up for in depth. As Meisel puts it, they have a diversified portfolio. While they may not rate as highly with MLB.com, our Keith Law ranked them second this year behind only the Rays. Much of the Indians’ best talent is still a couple of years away, so depending on any trades still to come, those rankings should only continue to climb.

How much work will need to be done this offseason on Progressive Field to accommodate the rebrand and how will that impact the new lease agreement with the city? — Brett H.

The rebrand will certainly be time-consuming. Taking down “Indians” from every inch of the park will take some time, but the real work will begin once the new lease agreement is approved by the city and county. The organization has big plans for a complete stadium transformation, but that work is still a couple of years from beginning and will take several years to complete.

James Karinchak, any mention of the impact of his documented spin rate reduction since the umpires started checking pitchers for “sticky stuff”? When control becomes the issue for him now shouldn’t that factor garner some attention? — Mark B.

Absolutely it’s a concern. I’m hopeful by next year, the union and league will be able to agree on legal substances pitchers can use to help their grip without resorting to the Spider Tack insanity. For now, however, guys like Karinchak who suffered severe drops in spin and control have to be alarmed.

With the rebranding of the Guardians, what additional changes will occur? Is it possible that the broadcasters might be different? In particular, the television side? I have seen more commentary from fans suggest that Matt and Rick’s days are numbered. They’ve had a good run. — Neal S.

I have no reason to believe the Indians will make a change to their broadcast team.

Indians: Francisco Lindor is making it easy to move on from him
by Chad Porto16 hours ago Follow @ChadNerdCorp



The Indians clearly won the Francisco Lindor trade with the Mets.

If you’re a Mets fan, you’re probably not having a good time right now. Your franchise gave up a lot of pieces to get former Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor. Many thought Lindor was one of, if not the best shortstop in the MLB. That proved to be not the case, partly to his play. Lindor was once well known for is his “love” of fans, his big smile, and his even bigger swing. A player with consistency and power.

Over time, however, gone was that dynamic swing and his ability to hit for a high average. His batting average has fallen in just about all of his seasons in the Majors. In his attempt to hit more home runs, his consistency has fallen off the cliff. He is down nearly 100 points from his rookie season and 61 points from his career average.

If that’s not bad enough, there’s no reason to believe he’s going to turn things around, mostly because he’s had five years of steady decline and now he’s locked into a 10-year contract, which doesn’t take effect until 2022. So technically the Mets have 11 total years of this.

It’s hard to say that Lindor was worth his contract. Actually, it’s really not hard; he wasn’t. He’s just a career. 263 post-season hitter, and in two of his last three post-season appearances, Lindor hit below .200.

Now, in a new city with new fans, Lindor decided to ruin whatever fan support he had left with his antics of booing the people who pay to see him. Not only is his play declining across his career, but now he’s making it an active challenge to root for him. After all, he’s proven to be far from worth $34 million a year.

Lindor may rebound as his career continues but he has already proven that he doesn’t take the game seriously. He fell asleep during the World Series, he doesn’t work out enough to last in a 60 game season, let alone 162 and he’s now proven to be easily rattled by his new fanbase.

A new fanbase he’s not going to be getting away from anytime soon.

With his poor play, his attitude issues, and his inability to properly train for a season, Indians fans should be relieved he’s now someone else’s $34 million a year problem.

I expect a big turn around in 2022.
As do the Mets

For $34 million they can't afford for him NOT to turn it around.

That said, 2 sub-par years in a row with the bat is not encouraging whatsoever.