Cavs Add Talent, But Is The Fit Better?

Cavaliers’ GM Koby Altman made another move on Friday executing a sign and trade deal with free agent forward Lauri Markkanen, with fan favorite Larry Nance Jr. and a second round pick going to Portland in the deal.

The Cavs get younger in the transaction as Markkanen, who agreed to a four year deal with Cleveland, is just 24 years old and Nance will turn 29 on New Years Day.

First, let’s talk about the hometown player in Nance. We love his game. He has an old school game in that he does everything well. He averaged 9.5 points per game in his time with the Cavaliers, with 7.5 rebounds and almost three assists.

He was third on the team in assists last year, and might have been the second best passer on the team.

However, he also misses a lot of action. His high in games played since entering the league is 67, and last season, played in just 35 games due to illness and a broken hand.

He also has a game that fits better with a winning team, because he’s a complementary player. He passes, defends, block shots, and can finish at the rim. He will be a very good fit with the Trailblazers, a team trying to win.

Markkanen’s numbers have fallen off since his first two years with the Bulls, when he averaged 15.2 and then 18.7 points per game, and grabbed a career high 9.0 rebounds in his second season in Chicago.

In that second season, he averaged 15 shots per night, second to Zach LaVine. The next season, Chicago drafted Coby White in the first round and they became more of a guard oriented offense with LaVine getting two more shots per game and White taking more shots than the former 7th overall pick who played one season at Arizona.

Last year, he did raise his overall shooting percentage to 48% (his career mark is 44%) and his three point shooting to 40.2% (36.6% lifetime). If that’s a trend, that’s something the wine and gold could really use, as they had the league’s worst shooting from beyond the arc.

Where does he play? Our thought is maybe he starts at power forward giving J.B. Bickerstaff the option of bring rookie Evan Mobley off the bench in his rookie season, backing up at both center and power forward.

We understand there is pressure to start the third overall pick, but as we have discussed, Mobley needs to put on some weight and get stronger, so maybe this is good for his development.

Again, we love what Nance gives you, but really Markkanen is the better player.

We do have a problem with Altman giving up a draft pick, albeit a second rounder. When you are building, you need draft capital, and second round picks can be valuable.

Getting Markkanen really emphasizes the point that there is no role or spot for Kevin Love on the roster and the team would be better off at this point to buyout the veteran. Thank him for his contributions and his part on the championship team, but let him part on decent terms.

This can’t be the last move by Altman either. The Cavs still have an odd fit of players, with small guards and three seven footers who need playing time. The also still need a legitimate small forward, one who can score. Our feeling continues to be that Isaac Okoro’s size makes him a #2 guard.

In terms of talent, the Cavs are better than they were yesterday. In terms of fit? It’s still an weird mix.

We also understand the sadness seeing Nance go, someone who grew up here, was great in the community, and was a link to when the Cavaliers were very good.

Should Starters Play In Atlanta? Whatever Is Decided, Folks Will Be Upset

It seems like there is a new angst for Cleveland Browns fans even when the team is good, which the 2021 edition of the brown and orange should be.

The latest is should the starters play in the final preseason game against Atlanta this weekend. Our response is simple. We trust Kevin Stefanski right now, and if he doesn’t think the starters need to play in this game, we trust him. He has earned that.

That isn’t to say he won’t ever lose it, but remember, no NFL teams played any exhibition contests a year ago, and for the Browns, it was a successful season.

Of course, Stefanski will be second guessed if his team doesn’t play well on September 12th when they visit Kansas City, and conversely, he will be hailed as a genius if the Browns beat the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last January.

We have heard people already saying Andy Reid is playing his quarterback and other starters in the preseason, but Reid has been around for a long time in the NFL and probably is a bit “old school” in that regard. He believes guys need to play.

Other coaches, like the Rams’ Sean McVay, believe starters get their reps in the training camp and there is no reason to expose them to injury in games that do not count. He’s a younger coach and perhaps Stefanski, also a young coach, feels the same way.

Imagine the starters play a quarter this Sunday night, and a key player goes down with an injury? That’s one reason why coaches don’t want to play the starters. On the other hand, guys go down in practice as well, and they don’t call off practice the ten days prior to the season opener.

We are sure everyone can recall LeCharles Bentley going down on the first day of training camp several years ago. Injuries can happen at any time.

But some coaches feel no need to expose starters to any extra game action. It’s the same reason coaches sit players at the end of the season if a post-season berth is clinched. There is no need to get hit for no reason.

So basically, it’s a no win situation for any coach, and the criticism only comes after the fact, like a loss in the opener against the Chiefs means starters should’ve played, they obviously weren’t sharp or if a key player has to miss time because of an injury, what was he doing out there in a meaningless game?

As for Stefanski’s decision, which hasn’t been announced yet, remember the starters did get to play in two days of scrimmaging against the Giants last week, so they did get action against another team, but in a more controlled setting. We expect that will become the norm as years go by, because quite frankly, the NFL could easily go to just two of these practice games.

It would not be surprising to us if the Browns’ starters have the same view of the game as we do Sunday night, that of spectators. However, if the coach thinks they need to get in there for a quarter or so, that’s fine too. In fact, we would probably do the latter.

And one other thing, if the Browns do lose to the Chiefs week one, it won’t be a shock.

Where Is Cavs’ Improvement Coming From?

After the NBA season, Cavaliers’ GM Koby Altman said the plan was for the team to “take the next step” and at the very least get in to the play in tournament for the league’s playoffs, meaning we was hoping to finish in the top ten in the Eastern Conference.

In 2020-21, that spot belonged to Charlotte and they won 33 games last season. The wine and gold finished with just 22. How would the organization make up the ground and also pass up Chicago and Toronto, who finished 11th and 12th in the East?

We are confused because right now, we see no path which leads to the Cavs making that leap and training camp will be starting in about a month.

We said before the draft that picking Evan Mobley with the third overall pick is not the move of a team that wants to start winning next year and we stand by that. While very talented, especially for someone his size, because of his current build, we would be surprised if the rookie made a huge impact in 2021-22. Perhaps the talent was too much to pass up, but Altman’s words and actions seem to be at odd with each other.

The Cavaliers also ranked last in the NBA in three point field goal percentage and 25th in overall shooting percentage. Mobley is certainly not going to help with the former, and we doubt newcomer Ricky Rubio, a career 32.5% shooter from beyond the arc, will help much either.

In fact, of guys who played ten or more games for the Cavs last year, the best three point shooter was Taurean Prince (41.5%) and of course, he was the player Altman moved for Rubio. So, on paper, Cleveland’s long distance shooting got worse.

We understand some of the young veterans like Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, and Isaac Okoro will improve naturally and that should translate into more wins, but will it mean winning 36-40 games that will likely be needed to at least get the 10th seed, if not higher?

Garland averaged 18.8 points and 6.3 assists per game after the All Star Game, how much better can he do this year? Remember, that despite those numbers, Cleveland went 8-28 in the second half of the season.

Perhaps the team will be healthier this year, which would help. Maybe Kevin Love will play more 25 games and Larry Nance Jr. will be available for more than 35 contests. Both of those guys would help in the win/loss department, although you can debate whether or not the former will be on the roster at all this season.

Counting on the growth of the young players in order to make a quantum leap forward would seem to be dangerous if your job was depending on it, and recent reports say ownership is going to reevaluate Altman and coach J.B. Bickerstaff after the first half of the season.

So if Altman thinks his job is on the line (and quite frankly it should be), he is taking an odd approach or he is putting his trust in his evaluation of talent and hoping everything gels for this group of Cavaliers.

If we were making a wager on what will happen, we wouldn’t make any long term financial plans if we were Altman. His plan has a lot of blind faith in it.

Does Straw Solve The Leadoff Puzzle?

At the trade deadline, Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff made on trade that didn’t involve getting a prospect when they moved reliever Phil Maton and a minor league catcher to Houston for centerfielder Myles Straw.

So far, so good for Straw, who has played 21 games for Cleveland, batting .318 with a .389 on base percentage. For the entire season, the right-handed hitter has a .273 average and gets on base at a .349 clip.

That figure is slightly better than his career mark of .342, over 217 games.

If Straw can continue to get on base at this clip, could he solve the leadoff problem the Indians have had since Grady Sizemore was injured?

Since Terry Francona arrived in 2013, it seems like the Tribe has been searching for a leadoff hitter. That season, Michael Bourn was the primary lead off man, doing the job in 124 games. Bourn had the look of a guy who should fit in the top spot, and in the previous seasons to ’13, he did have close to a .350 OBP.

Bourn got on base just 31.6% of the time, a figure that ranked 5th among the everyday players. He led off 104 times the next season (2014) with a .314 OBP, which was 4th best on the team.

Remember, those squads included on base machine Carlos Santana, but Francona favored having the switch-hitter with more pop in his bat (47 HR in these two seasons) lower in the lineup.

In 2015, Jason Kipnis was the primary guy at the top of the order, taking over the role in late April and was the leadoff man for 121 games. It was the smart move as he was second on the team in OBP, behind only Michael Brantley, who was the primary #3 hole batter. He also contributed 59 extra base hits, including 43 doubles.

When Cleveland won the American League pennant in 2016, Francona used kind of a platoon situation at the top of the order. Against lefties, Rajai Davis played center and when he played, he hit first. When a right-hander started, Tyler Naquin played CF, and Santana was the leadoff man in 85 games.

Santana had his usual excellent on base percentage, ranking second on the team at .366. Davis didn’t really get on base that much, even against southpaws, but it was old school thinking putting a speed guy at the top of the order.

Francisco Lindor moved into the leadoff spot in August of 2017 (in total, he led off 63 games), but he ranked 5th in OBP, behind Santana, Brantley, Jose Ramirez, and Edwin Encarnacion. Francona liked the pop, but really the Indians took off after Lindor started hitting first, going 42-9 after the move, including the 22 game winning streak.

Lindor stayed at the spot until early last year until even though his on base percentage didn’t really fit the spot, his best year was .352 in ’18, and dropping into the .330 range from then on. We always felt Lindor should hit lower in the order, and advocated for Santana to be there.

Francona tried to use Cesar Hernandez there to start last season, but switched back to Lindor late in the season in an effort to get him going offensively.

He used Ben Gamel and Jordan Luplow early this season before going back to Hernandez, but the second baseman’s ability to get on base waned, dropping to .307 before they got Straw from Houston.

Mike Hargrove used to say if you have a leadoff man and a clean up hitter, you have the basis for a solid lineup. With Franmil Reyes in the #4 hole, perhaps Straw gives the Indians a traditional leadoff hitter. Someone who is perfect for the role, and not a better fit somewhere else.

It’s early to be sure, but the early returns are promising for Myles Straw. He could fill the leadoff role perfectly in 2022.

Who Among The Young Tribe Is Stepping Up?

With the Cleveland Indians basically treading water right now, hovering right around the .500 mark for the season, the balance of the schedule has become important for other reasons. Mostly, it is a chance for a bunch of unproven players to make their mark and get a leg up on a roster spot in 2022.

Who is taking advantage of the opportunity? We wouldn’t completely rule out anyone is has struggled, but certainly there are players seizing the moment.

Bradley Zimmer is one of them. The 28-year-old former first round draft pick has certainly done his part to say don’t forget about me. He’s hit .284 with 5 HR and an 847 OPS since the All Star break. He’s still striking out a lot (30 times in his last 87 at bats), but is making an impact at the plate and the glove, mostly playing RF since Myles Straw was acquired.

Speaking of Straw, he’s made a good impression since his arrival in town, batting .289 with a .365 on base percentage in a Tribe uniform. Frankly, we would like to see him (and his teammates who have speed) start running more often. And his defense has been excellent in CF.

We kind of think of Ernie Clement as a utility man type, able to play all the infield spots, and play them well. He’s made a number of outstanding plays at third already this season. At the plate, he’s been okay perhaps some people have expected, hitting .250, including a couple of home runs. He’s earning the trust of the coaching staff and getting more playing time.

When Daniel Johnson was sent back to AAA a couple of weeks ago, we felt it was strange because he was actually starting the swing the bat much better. Since the break, he’s gone 10 for 32 with three dingers, meaning before the 2 for 4 Tuesday, he was 8 for 28 before he was sent down. He needs to be more selective, walking only once, but it appears he’s starting to get comfortable in The Show.

As for the players who have not yet taken the bull by the horns, Oscar Mercado continues to struggle, batting just .191 (550 OPS). The outfielder is walking more (11 times vs. 13 K’s in 89 at bats), but he’s not getting hits. His defense has been very good, but he needs to start raising his on base percentage, which sits at .280.

Owen Miller’s minor league numbers are impressive (.300 lifetime batting average and over 800 OPS), and we still believe he will hit at the major league level, but he continues to struggle, hitting .190 (578 OPS) in the second half. He is being more patient at the plate, and perhaps that is a portend he is feeling more at ease in the majors.

Bobby Bradley burst into the big leagues this season with a bang, but the slumps associated with someone who strikes out as much as he has have cropped up. Currently out with the knee injury, the slugger has gone 7 for 46 since the break, striking out 26 times vs. five walks. Power or no, you can’t earn regular playing time with that kind of production.

Andres Gimenez joined the team just a couple of weeks ago, but hasn’t shown much of a difference in his production, going just 4 for 24 since his recall. He has walked six times vs. one strikeout, so that is a good sign for him.

The opportunity to stake a claim to be a Guardian is right there for these players. Can they close the season doing enough that the front office wants to see more?

Impressions Of Mobley And Other Cavs Stuff

The Cleveland Cavaliers are wrapping up the Summer League schedule, but the reason to watch the games ended last Friday when the organization made the decision to sit first round pick Evan Mobley after he played three games.

The third overall pick averaged 11.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3 assists per contest in his brief appearance, but frankly, why he didn’t play more is a mystery. We have heard the arguments from folks saying it wasn’t needed, but we don’t think players get better from watching, so we would have had him on the court.

Of course, the organization didn’t do him any favors by not having a legitimate point guard on the roster. The playmaking duties fell to last year’s first round pick, Isaac Okoro, who played small forward last year, but in reality is probably a #2 guard.

Our impression of Mobley hasn’t changed after watching him in these games, and we understand these aren’t anything like regular season NBA games, especially in terms of the talent on the floor. What does stand out though is who plays hard, that’s where players can make a name for themselves.

The rookie is frighteningly thin, several times opponents bumped him from behind going for rebounds, and Mobley didn’t grab the ball because the contact. It wasn’t called a foul, nor will it be in the regular season. He also shot just 35% from the floor, again, when he got the ball near the basket, and some contact took place, he couldn’t power through it.

That’s not to say he will never be able to, he will get stronger, and be able to handle this, but for the upcoming season, let’s say we have our doubts.

In fact, we thought for the upcoming season, Mobley might be best equipped to play the small forward spot. He’s a very good passer, as he showed in summer league, finding some easy baskets on backdoor cuts, and he did show a good ability to be able to defend on the perimeter.

No doubt, it would be tough for the man he was guarding to be able to get a clean look at the basket.

At playing him at the three would give him a chance to contribute while getting stronger for an inevitable move closer to the defensive rim. We aren’t saying use him at the spot exclusively, but it would be something to try.

As we said earlier, the Cavs’ front office didn’t do Mobley (or really anyone) any favors by not having a legitimate point guard on the roster. More and more, we have no clue what Koby Altman and his staff are trying to accomplish this season.

It was reported that the team was talking to Collin Sexton about a contract extension because attempts to trade him came up empty. So, you couldn’t get back in trade something commensurate to the value you think he has, and the solution is to give him a big contract?

It would seem that someone has the wrong value on the player. Either way, there doesn’t seem to be a huge market for Sexton, so why would the Cavs get involved in a big contract with him? We have said it before, we would wait until have this season to have any talks with him.

Since the season ended, the Cavaliers have drafted Mobley, and traded Taurean Prince for Ricky Rubio. If that’s all Altman does, we would anticipate another season where fans are hoping to be lucky in the draft lottery.

It looks right now like even a spot in the play in tournament is a long shot.

Seeing Bieber, Civale On Mound In Games Is Important

We see the weekly reports. Aaron Civale threw off the mound, Shane Bieber threw pitches with a weighted ball. The top two pitchers in the Cleveland rotation continue to make slow, but steady progress overcoming their injuries.

The question to be asked though, is should the Indians’ front office just shutdown the two hurlers and let them start getting ready for spring training?

We think it is important that both get out on a big league mound and make at least a couple of starts before the regular season ends.

Obviously, it doesn’t make a difference in terms of the team’s record. The Tribe is currently under the .500 mark and is over 10 games out in the AL Central Division standings and currently sit nine games out in the wild card race.

And really, if you are under the break even mark, sentences involving the words “playoffs” and “chances” should not be allowed.

That said, why shouldn’t the front office simply let their two aces recover and start getting ready and being healthy for the 2022 season?

First, look in the dugout of most Indians’ games these days. There are Bieber and Civale watching, sitting with the other starters, as is kind of a tradition among the Cleveland starters. They watch bullpen sessions as a group, and share a comradery. And Bieber is most definitely the leader of the group, in his position as reigning Cy Young Award winner and staff ace.

Perhaps the two young veterans want to show the younger guys, like Triston McKenzie and Eli Morgan, that the season lasts 162 games, there are no shortcuts. You start in February and you play it out until September, and if you are lucky enough, throughout October.

That’s the responsibility of leadership.

Then there is the confidence that the two hurlers have recovered from their problems and can go into the off-season feeling good that in Civale’s case, his finger is good, and in Bieber’s case, his shoulder is strong enough to do their normal off-season workouts.

And to us, it isn’t just enough to make just one start before the campaign ends. Let both rebuild their arm strength enough so they can each make three or four turns through the rotation.

Now, we aren’t saying to be stupid, and allow either to throw 120 pitches during a contest that doesn’t have an impact as far as post-season possibilities go. We would be very careful with the pair’s workload. But getting both Bieber and Civale out on the mound would be good for both the organization and the two players.

And just one start isn’t enough either. Both need to know going into the winter that they can make their regular turn without concern. Again, we understand it is not like going through the meat of the schedule, but it would show both the finger and shoulder issues are no longer a hinderance.

Besides, what’s the upside of shutting both down for the season? It’s not like football or basketball where is it is extremely helpful to get a higher draft pick? Baseball’s amateur draft doesn’t carry the same weight in that regard.

And although the organization is taking a good look at a lot of young players, it isn’t like Cleveland is “tanking”.

It doesn’t mean much in terms of the standings and quite frankly, whether or not the Indians finish second or third in the AL Central is kind of inconsequential. But knowing Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale have healed and can be counted on for 2022 is important.

That’s why it would be good to see them out on the mound in September, at least for a couple of starts.

Tribe Agrees To Lease, On To Other Worries

Last week, the Cleveland Indians (Guardians) announced they have extended their lease for 15 additional years, through the 2038 season, with options to extend in five year increments beyond that time.

We were concerned about the extension because of all of the other news surrounding the baseball team over the past few seasons, namely the slashing (note, we didn’t use the word cutting) of the club’s payroll for players, and the departure of minority owner John Sherman, who purchased the Kansas City Royals.

We also found the lack of marketing by the team puzzling over the past few years. It was greeted by many fans as a sign the team would not be staying in Cleveland past the end of the current lease in 2023.

The fact ownership didn’t understand this is par for the course, as they are extremely tone deaf to what the fans want.

As part of the deal, the county and state governments are contributing to renovations and the modernization of Progressive Field, which is now 27 years old, which is hard to believe. And hopefully, one of the renovations is changing the eyesore in the right field upper deck.

Funny how the name change was announced and the government ponied up some money, right?

Seemingly each time the Cleveland payroll is mentioned, a corresponding comment is made by the team, and the supporters of the ownership, about the attendance, which has dropped since 2017’s 2.05 million figure to 1.74 million the last time fans were allowed in the ballpark at full capacity for a full season.

Keep in mind, that 2019 is a higher figure than in any year between 2012-16. So, depending on your perspective, more people are coming to games over the past ten years.

Perhaps one problem the team has is in conjunction with having the second lowest payroll in the sport this season, according to ticketiq.com they have the seventh highest average ticket price. We weren’t a business major in college, but we think it is safe to say if people aren’t buying your product, one reason could be that your price is too high.

Surely, they should realize getting 28,000 people at $40.00 per ticket is better than getting 20,000 paying $50.00 to get in, no?

We have said this many times over the past few years, but there is plenty of interest in northeast Ohio’s major league baseball team, the television ratings show that. However, fans don’t seem to want to go to Progressive Field.

If it were our team, we would be doing research to find out why.

Could be ticket prices or it could be the dynamic seating concept, or it could be things like closing the concession stands after the first game of a twi-night doubleheader, closing souvenir stands right after the game concludes, or having problems getting people inside the park?

How many times do you see a Sunday afternoon crowd trying to get in through the gates while the game in starting? Do they think these people also arrive late at movies so they can deliberately miss the first few minutes?

The good news is the Indians/Guardians will be playing on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario through 2038. Hopefully, the World Series drought hasn’t reached 90 years by then.

Right Now, No Big News Out Of Berea. Keep It That Way.

The Cleveland Browns play their first pre-season (it still makes us roll our eyes that the NFL doesn’t like them referred to as “exhibitions”) this Saturday night in Jacksonville against Urban Meyer’s Jaguars.

We haven’t written much about the Browns lately and quite frankly, no news is good news.

It really is easier to write stuff when things are going wrong, the pieces kind of just write themselves. And believe us, over the past few seasons, it was very easy to hammer the Browns for getting it wrong.

We understand the sports talk stations have to come up with topics to fulfill their “all Browns, all the time” mantra, but really, how many times can you talk about how much Baker Mayfield’s next contract will be worth yearly or can Odell Beckham Jr. regain the form of his first three years in the league?

GM Andrew Berry has put together a solid roster and Kevin Stefanski and his staff seem well equipped to get the most out of this group of players. He rebuilt the defense without subtracting from the offense. It would seem that only injuries would stop this group from being playoff contenders and the upside could be, dare we say it, the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance.

Imagine saying or reading something like that five years ago.

However, it’s a legitimate goal for the brown and orange, although Stefanski has the correct approach in taking one game at a time. Really, it’s all a team can do.

We can’t wait for the overreaction to bad things that will happen this Saturday night even though the starters will probably make just token appearances in the first exhibition game.

We are also sure there will be a lot of angst when the cuts start, because the Browns are going to have to cut some good football players. That’s the price for having talent. Remember when Cleveland would add four to six players from other teams prior to the first regular season game? The shoe is now on the other foot.

The only news that can come out about the Browns right now is an injury to someone who figures to be on the field plenty once the games start counting in the standings. New LB Anthony Walker injured a knee early in training camp, but figures to be ready for the Chiefs on September 12th.

There has been good news. A contract extension for Nick Chubb, and apparently the team is working with Denzel Ward on one as well. Keeping very good players is smart, but we remind everyone there will be tough choices as well. For example, our guess is this will be J.C. Tretter’s last season with the Browns, because he is a free agent, and Nick Harris was drafted to be the heir apparent.

So, while it will be great to see the Browns back on the field this weekend, it should be a relaxing and fun pre-season with the only worry being injuries. And likely, that’s only a factor in the one game where the starters will get any substantial playing time.

It is also worth mentioning the Browns have some depth on the roster too. Remember the offensive line issues that cropped up throughout the regular season? Really, only the loss of Wyatt Teller caused an issue in the running game.

The Cleveland Browns should be a solid football team. That’s something we can all get used to.

Tribe Season Now Is About Getting Answers

In the middle of June, the Cleveland Indians looked like a team that could challenge the White Sox for the AL Central Division title, and be in the mix for a post-season berth.

After beating Minnesota on June 24th, the Tribe was ten games over .500 at 41-31 just two games behind Chicago. Yes, they seemed to be doing it with mirrors, but they were winning.

On the other hand, you felt it was a matter of time before the injuries to the starting pitching staff would take its toll.

Cleveland lost 11 of their next 12 games and the team fell 8 games off the pace.

Suddenly, the rest of this season becomes about not just winning baseball games, but also finding out things, getting answers of players.

We would think based on the current players in the organization, the only positions that can be etched in stone for 2022: Jose Ramirez at 3B, Franmil Reyes at DH, and probably Myles Straw in CF.

Here are questions to be asked, and our thoughts on the answers.

Can Bobby Bradley claim a regular job heading into spring training 2022? To us, the key to that is can Bradley develop enough plate discipline. He’s more patient for sure, but it hasn’t translated into drawing walks. His strikeouts are down a bit (40.8% to 35.6%) and walks are up (8.2% to 10.3%) from his brief appearance in 2019.

You can live with the strikeouts if he can draw more walks, but can he do that.

Our guess is the Tribe will be looking for someone else to play the spot, perhaps Josh Naylor?, in 2022.

Can Owen Miller figure in the mix? His minor league pedigree (.305 batting average, 818 OPS) say he should be able to, but he’s hitting .139 in 72 at bats thus far. Since getting called back up, he been slightly better (5 for 21, 3 walks), but has to start putting together consistent at bats.

We’d give him a long look because of those minor league numbers. The Indians could use a solid bat, and need to see if Miller can be one.

What’s the future of Amed Rosario? Rosario has one of the higher batting averages on the team, and he has great speed, but he doesn’t walk (just 23 in 405 plate appearances) and really doesn’t provide any pop. His 697 OPS is below league average and his defense at short has been very shaky.

With Andres Gimenez back up, it will be interesting to see how Rosario is used. The Tribe has to feel Gimenez is the better glove, so where does that leave Rosario? Especially when they have to see what Miller can do with consistent at bats.

We get that isn’t a popular opinion, but we don’t see Rosario in the long term future for the Tribe.

What about the outfield? Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff didn’t get Straw to sit, he’s going to get everyday playing time in CF. So, can someone out of Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, Harold Ramirez, and even Daniel Johnson seize a spot for next year?

Remember, Zimmer is the oldest of that quartet at 29, Johnson the youngest at 25. Like it or not, that could be a determining factor. We are sure that management would love it if one of them got hot at the plate and take a job. Right now, only Ramirez is even average with a bat in his hand.

The front office has to find out the answers to these questions because otherwise they will likely be stuck with the same logjam when they take the field in Goodyear next February.

The dynamic of the team and the coaching staff will still be to win as maybe games as they can, but with an eye on development of these players, some of whom aren’t as young as you think. As Antonetti says, it’s like threading the eye of a needle.