That 10th inning designated runner role is an interesting one But will only come up about once a week or less

Well again at the very least he's the best CF defensively they own.

You bat him 9th, he hits .250 and steals 25 and it works. Best case but not unreasonable.

Maybe he's a diamond in the rough, but other teams didn't think he was that shiny. He couldn't find a Major League job. Tribe thinks cubic zirconia shine bright enough and are a lot cheaper than diamonds.

We routinely give old guys a look see and when they, usually, flop, they're dumped. Hanley Ramirez, Brady Anderson, lots of others. Perhaps Hamilton will be an exception. It's still Mercado's job if he shows he can hit again.

I'm sure the Tribe is still trying to figure out what happened to Mercado? In 2019, he looked like the answer in CF for years to come. Had a good year.

Last season, he looked like a completely different person. Looked completely lost at the plate. Fell off a cliff. Did his eyesight change? Weight gain or loss? Flexibility loss?

Was there a big hole in his swing that teams exploited? If not physical, did something happen in his personal life.

Then again, maybe those 60 games was an aberration and is nothing to worry about.

We'll see.

that whole season was weird; spring training; then disappear for three months -- some guys had more and some little opportunity to keep in shape; then a short training camp again. And Mercado opened up the delayed season not hitting at all. So he shipped out to Eastlake for awhile; came back and was a little better I think.
The "small sample" of 60 games was even smaller for him.

His "spits" for his two sessions with the Indians:

5 hits in 45 AB, no extra base hits, 3 walks 14 strikeouts 111/167/111 OPS 278
6 hits in 41 AB, double, homer 2 walks 13 strikeouts 149/186/244 OPS 430

So the sample was less than 100 plate appearances. And there was modest improvement, but hardly significant

I believe Mercado's problem is between his ears.

53 notes for 53 players in Indians camp, from Allen (to two Rosarios) to Zimmer


By Zack Meisel 5h ago 5
CLEVELAND — The hustle and bustle will commence on the backfields at the Indians’ complex in Goodyear, Ariz., this week.

Pitchers and catchers will report Wednesday, with the rest of the contingent following suit this weekend. There will be 53 players vying for the 26 spots on the Opening Day roster. Another 18 youngsters will join the group to provide depth during games.

As spring camp unfolds, reference this handy guide about the 53 players in camp – all members of the 40-man roster or guys who signed minor-league deals that included spring invites.

Logan Allen, LHP: Last spring, Allen raved about the improvement in pitching instruction following his trade to Cleveland from San Diego. He claimed he was 10 times the pitcher he was as a Padre. The former top-100 prospect is still only 23. He spent the majority of the 2020 season at the club’s alternate site, but he should earn a longer look this year.

Gabriel Arias, SS: The Athletic’s Keith Law placed Arias on his “just-missed list,” barely missing the cut for his Top 100 prospects. This could be a critical season for the soon-to-be 21-year-old, a gifted defender who needs to prove he can reduce his strikeouts and exhibit more patience at the plate. He did post a .302/.339/.470 slash line as a 19-year-old in High A in 2019, by far his best output in three minor-league seasons. He’ll be one of the more intriguing prospects to monitor in Cleveland’s system in 2021.

Jake Bauers, 1B/OF: The Indians cycled through outfielders last season. If you owned a glove and had a pulse and a 216 area code, you were considered. Nothing worked; the group posted a 53 wRC+ (100 represents league-average run creation), the second-worst mark of any outfield in MLB history. And yet, the Indians never called upon Bauers, who had reinvented his swing during a visit to Cleveland the previous winter. Now, Bauers is out of options, so he’ll either make the team or the club will trade him or try to pass him through waivers.

Shane Bieber, RHP: What’s fascinating about Bieber is that he’s only 25. Listening to him talk, you’d think he hadn’t accomplished anything. Eh, a unanimous Cy Young Award selection? That’s fine … whatever. He won’t sneak up on anyone in 2021. Hitters will approach the batter’s box anticipating that lethal breaking ball. So, how can he possibly improve upon a 12-start campaign in which he posted a 1.63 ERA and struck out 41.1 percent of the hitters he faced? He’ll have 30-some outings to answer that query.

Bobby Bradley, 1B: Here’s what we know about Bradley: He can deposit baseballs into the outfield stands with frequency. He also tends to strike out quite a bit — as in, more than one-third of his plate appearances at Triple-A in 2019. Oh, and his mom, Deloris, makes a killer sweet potato pie. Will his three-true-outcomes style work in the majors, and will the deadened ball hinder his chance of excelling? This will be a pivotal season for the first baseman.

[Related: Watching Bradley’s big-league debut with his mom and sister]

Yu Chang, IF: Chang haunted the dreams of Cleveland’s pitchers during the club’s tune-up last summer, as he peppered the left-field bleacher seats with home run balls. During the regular season, though, he received only 13 plate appearances. His versatility — he can play second, short or third — makes him a sensible candidate for the utility-infielder spot, especially if he showcases some pop at the plate.

Ernie Clement, IF: The Indians added the 24-year-old to the 40-man roster in the fall. He’s a contact hitter with a .279 average and .688 OPS through three minor-league seasons. He rarely strikes out — doing so on only 7.3 percent of his plate appearances. (For reference, the league average for big-league hitters in 2020 was 23.4 percent.) Clement has played second and short in the minors, and he’ll compete for the utility-infield role. And he has a fan in Terry Francona, who once said in spring training that Clement plays “like he’s got a jet up his ass,” a style for which all players can strive.

Aaron Civale, RHP: Civale arrived at Spring Training 2.0 last year with the most conditioned arm in camp, so it’s no surprise he finished third in the American League in innings pitched. However, he also led the league in hits allowed and his home-run rate more than doubled from his rookie season. That offset improvements in his walk rate and strikeout rate. In two big-league trials, he has totaled 22 starts. If healthy, he should eclipse that sum this season alone. Can he prove to be, at a minimum, a competent middle-of-the-rotation starter?

Emmanuel Clase, RHP: He’s the last hope for either side to make something out of the seemingly cursed Corey Kluber trade. Clase was suspended for the 2020 season after testing positive for a banned substance. And yet, he was about as productive as Kluber (limited to one inning) and Delino DeShields Jr. (granted far too many innings). With his 100 mph cutters and 91 mph sliders, Clase will have a chance to earn his way into some high-leverage opportunities and join James Karinchak, Nick Wittgren and Phil Maton as Francona’s most trusted late-inning options.

[Related: The Kluber trade, one year later]

Gavin Collins, C: Collins was in big-league camp with the Indians last spring, too. He spent much of 2017-19 at High A. In parts of four minor-league seasons with Cleveland, the Mississippi State product has compiled a .727 OPS.

Kyle Dowdy, RHP: Dowdy has spent much of the past three years in Cleveland’s system, though he hasn’t appeared in a major-league game for the club. The 28-year-old briefly pitched in the Constellation Energy League, an independent circuit that operated in Texas last summer and employed minor-leaguers who desired a place to play.

Mike Freeman, IF: The 33-year-old has spent the past two seasons as the club’s utility infielder, and now he’s back, involved in a competition with several others for that same role. The Indians appreciate versatility, and Freeman has played first, second, short, third and left for the club. He even pitched two innings in 2019. (His “fastball” clocked in at an average of 64.1 mph.)

Tyler Freeman, SS: The No. 78 prospect in baseball, according to Law, Freeman is a career .319/.379/.441 hitter in the minors, with a sterling strikeout rate of 8.8 percent and a knack for swiping bases. He has a few more established middle infielders ahead of him in the pecking order — César Hernández, Amed Rosario and Andrés Giménez — but Freeman should crash the party at some point in the next 18 months.

Ben Gamel, OF: A late addition to the spring roster, Gamel owns a .720 OPS in parts of five seasons with the Yankees, Mariners and Brewers. The left-handed hitter has actually fared better against left-handed pitching (.284/.353/.410 slash line). Three years ago, he was traded for Domingo Santana, who totaled 84 uninspiring plate appearances with Cleveland last season. Oh, and his pregame routine apparently includes shotgunning an energy drink in the dugout.


Andrés Giménez, SS: He could wind up earning the bulk of the playing time at shortstop this season after making his debut last year with the Mets. He has earned high praise for his glove work and he was slightly better than league average at the plate last season. That helps to explain why he checks in at No. 66 on Baseball America’s list of the top 100 prospects for 2021. (And he would have made Law’s list had he not exhausted his rookie status last year.) The only question with Giménez is whether he starts the season in Cleveland or in Columbus, where he can h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶e̶r̶v̶i̶c̶e̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶m̶a̶n̶i̶p̶u̶l̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ practice his secondary leads.

Anthony Gose, LHP: His fastball has touched 100 mph. His slider seemingly winds from the Pacific to the Atlantic as it hums toward home plate. But can he throw enough strikes? That’s the key for the converted outfielder, who walked a batter per inning in 2019 and was still learning to consistently replicate his delivery when the pandemic arrived last spring. The Indians have a shortage of lefty relievers, so a strike-throwing Gose would be a welcome addition.

Billy Hamilton, CF: As of Monday morning, the Indians had not officially confirmed this signing, but Hamilton is expected to receive a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training, sources confirmed to The Athletic. Hamilton, 30, can still steal bases and cover plenty of ground in center field, but his flawed bat (career wRC+ of 67) has plagued him throughout his career. At the least, he’ll apply some pressure to Oscar Mercado and Bradley Zimmer this spring.

Austin Hedges, C: The Indians really value catcher defense, which explains why Hedges, the backup to Roberto Pérez, will earn the club’s fifth-highest salary in 2021. Pérez has had injury issues (and, really, what catcher hasn’t?), and the Indians feel comfortable with these two leading a young, skilled pitching staff. There’s some pop in his bat — 49 home runs in a little more than two full seasons worth of plate appearances — but he has struggled to make contact (.198 average, .612 OPS), and sources confirmed that’s an essential part of hitting.

Heath Hembree, RHP: The club signed Hembree to a minor-league deal last week. He had a rough 2020, with a 9.00 ERA in 19 innings, in large part because he surrendered nine home runs. In his career, spanning parts of eight seasons, he owns a 3.90 ERA. He primarily throws a fastball (93.9 mph last year) and a slider and mixes in an occasional curveball. In 2019, hitters posted a .172 average and .394 slugging percentage against his fastball. In 2020, those numbers ballooned to .325 and .900. Hembree’s best seasons came with Boston from 2015-17, when Carl Willis was his pitching coach.

Sam Hentges, LHP: It wasn’t long ago that Francona could deploy a towering, left-handed reliever who could overwhelm hitters with a potent fastball and a wipeout breaking ball. All right, all right. Pump the brakes. Hentges is not Andrew Miller. Even hinting at that comparison is irresponsible and unfair to the 24-year-old. How dare you. Like Miller, though, Hentges possesses a mid-90s fastball that could play up if he ever shifts to a relief role. Like Miller did, he needs to sharpen his command to improve his secondary stuff. Hentges is not Miller. But with a few fixes, he could be quite an intriguing option, especially out of the bullpen.


Cleveland’s likely leadoff hitter: César Hernández. (David Richard / USA Today)
César Hernández, 2B: He was a steady presence atop Francona’s lineup last year, as he posted a .283/.355/.408 slash line, led the league with 20 doubles and won his first Gold Glove. As the season drew to a close, he and the club expressed a mutual interest in reuniting for another year. That’s precisely what happened, though Hernández will actually earn $1.25 million less in 2021 than he did in 2020.

Cam Hill, RHP: Hill made his major-league debut last season — every little kid dreams of pitching in front of cardboard cutouts one day — and had mixed results. He’ll compete this spring for one of a few vacant middle-relief spots.

Jordan Humphreys, RHP: In A-ball in 2017, Humphreys posted a 1.79 ERA while limiting hitters to a .197/.239/.299 slash line. Then, he needed Tommy John surgery, and when he was finally ready for a normal season in 2020, the pandemic arrived. So, it’s been more than three years since Humphreys has pitched with any regularity, and now the 24-year-old plans to do so with the Indians, who claimed him off waivers from the Giants in November.

Daniel Johnson, OF: They certainly aren’t going to make it easy for Johnson to seize regular playing time at the major-league level. He tallied only 13 plate appearances last year. Now he’s 25, with little left to prove at Triple-A — he logged a .306/.371/.496 slash line with Columbus in 2019 — but he’ll have to fend off Bauers, Bradley and Gamel to earn opportunities.

DJ Johnson, RHP: He has bounced around the globe like a pinball for the last decade, pitching for the Rays, Diamondbacks, Twins, Angels and Rockies, to go along with two tours of independent ball, plus stints in the Mexican Pacific Winter League and last season in Japan. In 35 career major-league appearances, all with Colorado, he has registered a 4.88 ERA.

Nolan Jones, 3B: This could be the year Jones debuts, but he might not play the position anyone anticipated. With José Ramírez planted at third base, Jones has worked in the corner outfield since the fall. The team still considers him an eventual third baseman, especially after he partnered with defensive guru John McDonald for several years. No matter the position, the athletic 22-year-old, widely considered a top-100 prospect, projects as a high-walk power hitter who needs to shore up his swing against southpaws.

James Karinchak, RHP: He’s the team’s top reliever, with an electric fastball and a heaven-to-Hell curveball that he tosses with a funky, deceptive throwing motion. He struck out nearly half of the hitters brave enough to stand in against him last season, which placed his strikeout rate in the top 1 percent of the league. That’s where many of his metrics fell — he didn’t allow much contact at all and very infrequent hard contact. If he can trim his walk rate, he could be as effective as any reliever in the sport. The question the Indians will ponder this spring: Is it more advantageous to deploy him in the ninth inning or in the highest-leverage spot in the game?

Jordan Luplow, OF: He didn’t torch lefties last season the way he did in 2019 (1.181 OPS), but he still posted a .781 OPS against them. The issue: He went just 5-for-41 against righties, and he now owns a .193 average and .589 OPS against righties in his career. He’ll earn playing time against southpaws, but it could prove difficult for him to land the everyday role he has coveted.

Phil Maton, RHP: The metrics are off the charts; his Baseball Savant page is a sea of dark red, reflecting how he rates near the top of the league in opponent exit velocity, hard-hit rate, strikeout rate and fastball and curveball spin. What does that all mean? He has the tools to be a reliable late-inning reliever. In his first 12 outings last season, he allowed only one run and one walk, while tallying 17 strikeouts. Then, the wheels fell off. He’ll be in the mix for middle- and late-inning duty.

Triston McKenzie, RHP: Following a two-year layoff from pitching in a competitive environment, McKenzie dazzled in eight appearances for Cleveland last summer. As a result, he soared to No. 12 on Law’s top-100 prospects list. The question now becomes what the lanky righty can offer in a 162-game schedule. He contends he’s ready to make 30 starts. If he can, that would surely elevate the rotation’s potential.

Oscar Mercado, CF: He’d prefer to forget about last season, and the Indians have their fingers crossed that he returns to his 2019 form, when he logged a .269/.318/.443 slash line with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 115 games as a rookie. There’s not a ton of competition for his spot, but he’ll need to prove he’s worthy of playing ahead of Hamilton and Zimmer.

Jean Carlos Mejía, RHP: A native of the Dominican Republic, Mejía pitched in its winter league over the offseason. He owns a 2.79 ERA in six minor-league seasons and, incredibly, has allowed only four home runs in 274 innings. He grew up idolizing former Cleveland hurler Bartolo Colon.

Owen Miller, IF: The 24-year-old joined the organization in the Mike Clevinger trade. He has played second, short and third in the minors and has recorded a .307/.367/.441 slash line. The Illinois State product will compete for the utility-infield spot in big-league camp, and seems poised to debut at some point in 2021.

Eli Morgan, RHP: In big-league camp for the first time, Morgan joined the 40-man roster this offseason. The change-up specialist owns a 3.08 ERA in three minor-league seasons, with healthy walk and strikeout rates (10.2 per nine innings).

Scott Moss, LHP: Moss is 26, but thanks in part to the pandemic, he has totaled only four starts at Triple-A. Still, he’ll compete for an Opening Day roster spot, and even if he falls short, he figures to debut at some point in 2021. Part of the Trevor Bauer trade in 2019, the lefty has logged a 3.28 ERA in the minors. In 2019, he limited the opposition to a .211/.314/.313 slash line at Double A and Triple A.

Bo Naylor, C: The organization’s top draft pick in 2018, Naylor will join his older brother in big-league camp for the first time. This Naylor, who will turn 21 next week, is the club’s catcher of the future, and working for six weeks with a couple of defensive wizards in Pérez and Hedges, along with Sandy Alomar Jr., should be healthy for his development.

Josh Naylor, 1B/OF: Naylor owns a career 2.286 OPS in postseason play. … OK, so that’s covering a mere seven trips to the plate, but he garnered plenty of attention with his Reggie Jackson impersonation. Naylor has hit at every level of the minors and against both lefties and righties. Now, it’s time for the 23-year-old to prove that can translate to the majors. He’ll likely wind up at either first base or in a corner outfield spot on Opening Day.


The more Josh Naylor’s helmet flies off this season, the better for the Indians. (Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
Kyle Nelson, LHP: If you blinked, you might have missed Nelson’s tenure with the big-league club last summer. He made one appearance, retired his first two batters and then … served up a grand slam. So, he has two-thirds of an inning to his credit, and that also makes him the Indians’ most experienced lefty reliever at camp. The 24-year-old slider-slinger has dazzled in the minors to the tune of a 2.07 ERA, with 13.0 K/9 and an elite hit and home run rate. He was Bieber’s teammate at UC Santa Barbara and the two roomed and trained together during quarantine last year.

Roberto Pérez, C: A pesky shoulder limited him to 32 games last season, and he posted an unsightly .480 OPS, but Pérez did claim his second consecutive Gold Glove. Not bad for a guy who admires Yadier Molina, a nine-time winner of the award. The Indians would greatly benefit if Pérez could locate the bat he used in 2019, when he belted 24 homers and logged a .774 OPS.

Zach Plesac, RHP: One number explains how Plesac posted a 2.28 ERA in his eight starts last season: He held hitters to a .218 on-base percentage. He walked only six batters in 55 innings, a rate that ranked in the 99th percentile in the league. Opponents couldn’t touch his slider and they barely nicked his change-up. Now, can he maintain that sort of execution across 30 starts? He’s the leading candidate to play Robin to Bieber’s Batman.

Adam Plutko, RHP: Over the next few weeks, teams will attempt to identify the most sensible way to structure their pitching staffs. Starters didn’t throw their customary 180 innings last year. Plutko is out of options, but as someone who has started and relieved (often without much notice), he could help Cleveland protect guys like McKenzie and Cal Quantrill in the early going.

Cal Quantrill, RHP: Two traits the Indians covet in starting pitchers: strike-throwing ability and limiting hard contact. Quantrill excels at both and he prefers a starting role — he spent much of 2020 in the bullpen. The Indians are intrigued by what the 2016 first-round pick might be able to accomplish in the rotation, and they tend to have a good feel for this sort of thing.

José Ramírez, 3B: No Cleveland player has captured the AL MVP award since Al Rosen in 1953, a drought that nearly matches the franchise’s title spell. That year, the third baseman hit for power, hit for average, drew a ton of walks and rarely struck out. Sound familiar? Those are all qualities Ramírez has exhibited at the plate. In the past four years, he has two third-place MVP finishes and last year’s runner-up finish. Can he become the team’s first MVP winner in 68 years?

Franmil Reyes, DH/OF: The mammoth-sized man who oozes opposite-field power could be a critical cog in the lineup this season, with so many unproven commodities around him. It would certainly benefit the Indians if Reyes taps into that power potential. He logged a .795 OPS last season — 13 percent better than league average — but hit only nine home runs.

Amed Rosario, SS: Once a top-five prospect in the sport, Rosario’s luster has faded a bit, but he’s still only 25. Shortstop might not be his long-term position, especially in Cleveland, where shortstops will begin to wash ashore by the hour once Lake Erie thaws. Rosario will have a chance to carve out a role for himself, prove his 2020 season wasn’t an accurate representation of his ability and/or boost his trade value.

Eddie Rosario, OF: For their signature free-agent addition this winter, Cleveland landed the guy who lives by the rule, “If I can reach it, I can hit it.” Rosario owns a .281/.317/.493 slash line the past four years, and he’s a safe bet for 25 homers and 25 doubles. He won’t walk much, but he also doesn’t strike out often, an impressive feat given his free-swinging tendencies. Rosario instantly becomes the club’s most accomplished outfielder and a likely candidate to bat in the upper half of the lineup.

Nick Sandlin, RHP: Some pegged Sandlin for a rapid rise through the system once Cleveland selected him in the second round in 2018. Injuries and a pandemic interfered, but the righty with a funky, side-arm release is on track to debut in 2021. His minor-league numbers to date: a 2.68 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 50 innings.

Bryan Shaw, RHP: Cleveland’s favorite reliever has returned home. OK, so Shaw wasn’t the most beloved figure during his five-year tenure in town, though even the harshest critic must respect his 3.11 ERA in a league-leading number of appearances in that span. Granted, this is not that same Shaw. He’s older, his arm is no longer made of rubber and he has endured three brutal seasons since leaving Cleveland. But if he has anything left in the tank, one of Francona’s favorites stands a chance to break camp with the club.

[Related: Bryan Shaw, ‘The Pariah of Cleveland’]

Trevor Stephan, RHP: The Indians grabbed Stephan in the Rule 5 draft in December, so he’ll either stick with the club all season or be offered back to the Yankees. He was a starter with New York, and he logged a 3.70 ERA with 275 strikeouts and only 15 homers allowed in 238 innings. He split time between High A and Double A in 2018 and ’19. If he makes the team, he’ll likely pitch in relief.

Beau Taylor, C: Beau Taylor is not the same human as Bo Naylor, though both play catcher. Taylor is the team’s safety net, the only backstop on the 40-man roster who isn’t expected to make the Opening Day roster. He notched one hit in 21 at-bats last season and, as he did last year, he could be a fixture in the club’s taxi squad on road trips.

Carlos Vargas, RHP: He might be the most mysterious member of the 40-man roster. Vargas is 21 and has logged only 112 professional innings, in rookie ball in 2018 and at short-season Mahoning Valley in 2019. His fastball can reach the upper 90s. The Indians didn’t want to risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft, so they added him to the roster in the offseason.

Nick Wittgren, RHP: Perhaps Cleveland’s steadiest reliever the past two years, Wittgren owns a 2.99 ERA in 80 appearances since joining the club in a nondescript trade with the Marlins. He’s the highest-paid pitcher on the roster at $2 million.

Bradley Zimmer, CF: The last time Zimmer played on a regular basis? Early May 2018. The 2014 first-round pick is now 28, and while he’s finally healthy, he’s running low on chances. He went 6-for-37 in 20 games last season. Strangely enough, he also reached base five times via hit-by-pitch. He has one minor-league option remaining.

The 18 minor-leaguers on call: pitchers Joey Cantillo, Robert Broom, Kirk McCarty, Nick Mickolajchak, Cody Morris and Adam Scott; catchers Bryan Lavastida, Andrés Melendez and Yanier Diaz; infielders José Fermín, Tyler Krieger, Richie Palacios and Brayan Rocchio; and outfielders Will Benson, Alex Call, Steven Kwan, Connor Marabell and George Valera.

Nice summary by Meisel.

and will the deadened ball hinder his chance of excelling

Are they really deadening the ball this season? Just what baseball needs to capture more fans. (sarcasm) Jerks!

Fantasy article:

Indians Notes

Who will replace Santana at IB?

While Indians fans have mostly been mourning the trade of Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the Mets in January, less attention has been paid to the departure of 1B Carlos Santana, who signed with the Royals this winter. The Indians didn't do anything to replace Santana in the offseason, as their focus has apparently been more about saving money than bringing in players. So who might be the Indians starting 1B when the season begins in about a month and a half?

Currently, utility man Mike Freeman is listed as the only 1B on the Indians' depth chart. But even the Indians wouldn't go as low as making Freeman their everyday 1B. He's 33, and owns a career .232/.315/.330 slash line with 5 HR's across parts of 5 seasons. He is likely set for a utility role again in 2021, and is just listed on the depth charts as a placeholder.

The favorite for the 1B job may be Bobby Bradley, whose only big league experience thus far came in a 15 game sample in 2019. During that stint, Bradley struggled with a .178 BA and 40.8% K%, but also showed some power with 6 XBH's in 45 AB's. His minor league results have been similar - in 2019, he struck out 33.8% of the time in AAA, but also hit 33 HR's and produced a .567 SLG. He certainly has power potential and 2021 may be Bradley's first opportunity to show that he can deliver that type of power consistently at the MLB level.

Bradley's primary competition may be Jake Bauers, who played for the Tribe in 2019, but was left off the roster last season. In 213 big league games, Bauers has slashed .214/.314/.377 with 23 HR's and 9 SB's. He has struck out at a 27.0% clip, but his 10.1 SwStr% suggests that he could improve on that number if he were a bit more aggressive at the plate. Still, Bradley's power upside would seem to give him the upper hand for the 1B job over Bauers' track record of mediocrity.

Another option at 1B for the Indians could be OF Josh Naylor, who made 5 appearances at first in 2020; but it is more likely that the team will continue to use him in the outfield. Naylor has had a rather unimpressive start to his big league career, slashing .249/.309/.383 over his first two seasons with 9 HR's in 383 PA's. His 11.5% K% last season was promising, but his power has been very limited due to a career 5.5 launch angle and 53.1% GB%. He still figures to get regular AB's against RHP's in 2021, although he's unlikely to play much again southpaws; the Indians afforded him only 6 PA's against LHP's in 2020 (and pinch hit for him against a lefty in the postseason, even though he was 5-7 in the series). If Naylor does end up playing at 1B, it would give him a bit more position flexibility, but wouldn't do much to increase his overall fantasy value.

Can Mercado Bounce Back?

Oscar Mercado had a dreadful 2020, slashing .128/.174/.174 with 1 HR across 93 PA's, and at one point was sent to the Indians' alternate training site due to his poor performance. He had an impressive 15 HR, 15 SB campaign in 2019 and hit .269 with a .761 OPS that season, but last year his K% jumped from 17.4% to 29.0% and his IFFB% doubled from 9.6% to 19.2%. I would expect to see Mercado bounce back at least somewhat in 2021 as his 13.1% SwStr% last season wasn't out of control and his 88.2 EV remained solid. Considering his success in 2019, Mercado should get the first crack at being the Indians starting CF this year. While I wouldn't anticipate a high average or tons of power, he can provide plenty of fantasy value with his speed, as long as he's playing regularly. Mercado had 4 straight 30+ SB seasons in the minors, and even 20-25 SB's can be extremely valuable in baseball's current climate.

If Mercado struggles early, that could present an opportunity for Bradley Zimmer to get more playing time in CF. But like Mercado, Zimmer struggled mightily in 2020, hitting .162 with just 1 XBH and a 28% K% across 50 PA's. His Statcast numbers were very weak as well, as he posted a 16.7% HardHit% and 84.1 EV in the limited sample size. Those numbers were a lot better in his first two seasons (39% HardHit%, 90 EV), but even then he failed to produce great offensive numbers. Like Mercado, Zimmer's biggest potential fantasy asset is his speed (24 SB's in 164 career games) but he's less like likely to have the opportunity to play regularly.

With Nelson and his 1/3 inning the most experienced lefty reliever in camp it suggests that the 3 man minimum rule has put an end to the importance of lefties in the pen. Also suggests that Allen and Moss could make the team in the pen; although Tito doesn't like to bounce guys from one role to another. And if means that Hentges could move up quickly if he can finally get command of his command.

With no one piling up major innings last "season", all teams including Tito may have to rethink pitchers pitching in multiple roles.

It ain't going to be easy to get to the typical 1500 total innings that teams reach in 162 games.

I don't know this guy but he'd make more $ than any other pitcher we've got



According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Cleveland Indians and free agent right-handed reliever Blake Parker have come to terms on a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training on Monday.

Parker could earn near $2.5 million with the Tribe if he makes the club and hits incentives, per Heyman’s report.

The 35-year-old right-handed reliever spent the 2020 season with the Philadelphia Phillies. He appeared in 16 innings over 14 games (one start), posting a 3-0 record and one hold with a 2.81 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. The small body of work included a discouraging nine walks (5.1 BB/9), but an eye-popping 25 strikeouts (14.1 K/9) in that span.

Parker is not the hardest thrower in the league, with an average four-seam fastball velocity that tops out in the low 90s, but he has developed an arsenal over the last few years that includes an effective splitter roughly ten MPH off of his fastball and a curveball that induces some good swings and misses. He has also relied on cutters and sinkers in the past, but their use was sparingly at best.

A 16th round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2006 draft, Parker debuted for the club in 2012 and put up some intriguing numbers during the 2013 season, but he landed back in the minors in 2014 and 2015 after struggling. He returned to the Majors in 2016 with Seattle and the New York Yankees before emerging as a steady backend relief option in the bullpen of the Los Angeles Angels. He worked in 71 games in 2017, going 3-3 with a 2.54 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP, eight saves, and 15 holds. He followed that season with a 2-1 record over 67 games with a 3.26 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, 14 saves, and six holds. A free agent after that season, he signed with the Minnesota Twins, but was released just ahead of the 2019 trade deadline and signed with Philadelphia. He wrapped up a second straight season plagued by the long ball with a 3-3 record, a 4.55 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP between the two teams.

Parker is yet another name added to the list of reliever brought in by the Indians over the last couple of weeks to serve as competition in the bullpen. Cleveland has signed right-handers Heath Hembree, DJ Johnson, and longtime Indians reliever Bryan Shaw to minor league contracts with non-roster invitations to spring training earlier this month. With the release of closer Brad Hand following the season, the club is expected to see late inning work go to Emmanuel Clase, James Karinchak, and Nick Wittgren, but other spots in the bullpen are up for grabs. Logan Allen, Cam Hill, Phil Maton, Kyle Nelson, and Cal Quantrill worked some in relief for the Indians a year ago and will report to Goodyear, while new faces Jordan Humphreys (November waiver claim from San Francisco) and Trevor Stephan (Rule 5 pick from the New York Yankees) will also get a look. Kyle Dowdy and Anthony Gose also return to Arizona with the Tribe as non-roster invitees.

If Parker officially joins the Tribe at its Goodyear spring training site, he will become the 72nd of the maximum 75 players eligible to participate among the player pool for camp.

Parker appears to have one of my least favorite skills: he's quite expert at surrendering home runs.
2020 2 in 16 innings
2019 6 in 25 innings
2018 7 in 36 innings
2017 13 in 61 innings
2016 12 in 66 innings

Not Josh Tomlin territory, but not overly impressive.

A 36 year old with a max 92 mph fastball.

Don't get your hopes up.