Cleveland Sports Forum

Here's a really useless interview with Andy Tracy, Columbus manager about how great everyone is doing in alternative camp. I guess reading between the lines is necessary to figure out if any of these guys are accomplishing anything.

CLEVELAND -- The players at the Indians’ alternate training site are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

After spending the entire 2020 season playing intrasquad games, the group at the alternate training site has been able to get some exhibition games under its belt before the Triple-A season gets underway on May 4.

How have things been going at the alternate training site? Clippers manager Andy Tracy addressed a plethora of topics on Sunday morning:

Oscar Mercado
The skinny: Entering Spring Training, the center-field job was Mercado’s to lose. He had a rocky 2020 season but was confident those struggles were behind him. But when the offensive production still wasn’t there throughout Spring Training, the Indians decided to option Mercado to the alternate training site, where he’d be able to begin a hitting program to hopefully get him back to his '19 ways.

Tracy: “He’s been good. Him and [Jason] Esposito, our hitting coach down here, Espo’s been in conversations with [Indians hitting coaches], continuing to work on Oscar’s swing and his preparation and approach at the plate. So, it’s a holistic approach right now, and I think Oscar is in a really good place mentally and physically it’s coming along. So, I’m really excited for where Oscar is at currently, and I think he’s going to be in a good place going forward.”

Bradley Zimmer
The skinny: When Mercado didn’t get the starting job in center, all eyes turned to Zimmer, who would’ve been next in line. He missed most of 2018 and ’19 due to injuries and saw limited playing time last season. Throughout Spring Training, the Indians said Zimmer wasn’t showing the consistency at the plate they were hoping for to add him to the big league roster, so he also began the year at the alternate training site.

Tracy: “He's been good. Getting his at-bats. Lot of playing time. He's been healthy. He's continuing to work on everything he needs to do to get back to the big leagues. So he's in a good spot mentally and physically.”

Bobby Bradley
The skinny: First base came down to either Jake Bauers or Bradley this spring, and the Indians decided to give Bauers the first shot at becoming the everyday guy. But through 15 games, Bauers has hit .121 with a .323 OPS, which leaves many fans wondering how Bradley is doing at the alternate training site and if he’d be ready for his call to the big leagues.

Tracy: “He’ll be ready whenever they call ... if they need him. He’s doing really good defensively. We’re getting our work in on the dirt and in the cages, and they’re having really good at-bats in the game. I’m excited for Bobby. Hopefully, things turn out for him, but he’s in a good spot.”

Outfielders
The skinny: After Cleveland optioned Ben Gamel on April 17, the alternate training site became even more flooded with outfielders. Tracy has five regular outfielders – Daniel Johnson, Zimmer, Mercado, Gamel and Harold Ramirez -- to rotate through on a daily basis, along with Nolan Jones, who’s expected to get some time in the grass, as well.

Tracy: “Honestly we run four guys out there, one guy has a day off and we just rotate like that, and I'm completely transparent with those guys. ... Right now it's challenging to get Nolan in the outfield. With five outfielders, he would be the sixth. But we'll split a game up sometimes where I can push him out there for a couple innings.”

Topic: Nolan Jones
The skinny: The Indians talked to Jones about the possibility of getting him some reps in the outfield at the end of last season. He was excited about the opportunity and started practicing there during the fall league. And now, he’s been rotating from third base to first base to the corner spots of the outfield.

Tracy: “I think he loves it. It keeps him engaged. … It just keeps him active and engaged in the process of everything. He's really excited about the possibility of playing all over the field and preparing for whatever role that Cleveland sees him in the future.”

Topic: Daniel Johnson
The skinny: Johnson was never thrown into the center-field mix during Spring Training, but he’s been getting time there at the alternate training site. And as the club’s outfield struggles continue, fans have started wondering if Johnson’s time in the Majors will be soon.

Tracy: “We're moving him around. Center field, right field. I'm actually moving him around the lineup a little bit so everybody can get an opportunity to hit leadoff, three-hole so we can prepare them for whatever role that they have if they go to the big leagues and make him be comfortable in each role. DJ's been great, he can hit. We all know that. Really good ballplayer.”

I read that and totally agree it was fluff at best

Certainly was but what did you expect a manager to say about his players. Bad mouth them?

Well he could have said something distinguished one from the next
The fact that he didn't suggests to me that there's really special any of them are doing

As we trace the journey of Rule V

Pirates activated OF Ka'ai Tom from the 10-day injured list.

Tom was claimed off waivers from the Athletics last week before being placed on the injured list for undisclosed reasons. However, he's ready to go now and will join the active roster on Tuesday. There's opportunity in the Pirates' outfield.

Perhaps there was a bit of an investigation that determined he was not injured. Good luck, Ka'ai, there will be plenty of opportunity on a bad team; A's were too good to keep him around.

civ - these days in MLB "undisclosed reasons" almost always means covid related. But not necessarily testing positive.

As in, contact tracing, side effects of vaccine, etc. The Pirates, since he got traded, might have had him do extra testing or he took the vaccine and had to wait for side effects

Etc etc

he was in action yesterday, pinch hitting and drawing a walk. His career NL OPS is now 1000.

From my new Twitter favorite Indians Prospective

Indians Prospective
@indiansPro
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13m
Injury update #Indians 24yr old RHP Kyle Marman is currently working through progression of a throwing program. Marman tweeked his elbow a couple weeks before minor league spring training. He is hoping to only miss the 1st month or so of the MiLB season.

A pair of painful minor-league starting pitching updates: Carlos Vargas, added to the 40-man roster over the winter, underwent Tommy John surgery and will not pitch this season. Ethan Hankins, a 2018 first-round pick, also suffered an elbow injury and will visit with doctors in Cleveland this week to determine the severity.

Saw that about Hankins. That's a particular disaster since he's such a stud.

At last After a year: minor league rosters announced I'll copy them from Cleveland.com some very interesting placements e.g Joe Naranjo 1B who was in Arizona in 2019 moves all the way up to High A Various others are moving to the level they would probably reach in 2021 assuming they had played last year

Bo Naylor skips high A and proceeds to Akron

Lake County is stuffed with interesting kids

Valera who played 6 games in Low A
Rocchio who played solely at Mahoning Valley in 2019
Bracho who played only 8 games at MV and the rest in Arizona
Tena who played only in Arizona

AKRON FEATURES: Naylor and Freeman shined in big-league camp this spring. Naylor hit .400 (4-for-10), while Freeman hit .423 (11-for-26). Naylor also showed the ability to handle the Indians’ big league pitchers. “He is beyond his years,” said Harris.

The Lake County roster will feature two of the organization’s stockpiled middle infielders in Aaron Bracho and Bryan Rocchio. [and Tena] Also among the position players are outfielders George Valera and Quentin Holmes, their second-round pick in 2017 [who can steal but can't home first base]. Valera is regarded as the Indians’ top outfield prospect.

Pitching for the Captains: right-handers Tanner Burns, Mason Hickman and Logan Allen -- not the left-handed Allen who was optioned to Columbus today -- will be on the staff. They were selected in last year’s draft.