No Panic Yet, But Tribe Offensive Is A Concern

Normally, there wouldn’t be any concern about the Cleveland Indians’ offense after just eight games. But as we all know, there is very little about 2020 that can be considered normal.

In a 60 game season, when the Indians and Twins finish their series in Minnesota on Sunday, the Tribe will have played 1/6th of their schedule, equaling 27 games on the usual docket.

And that makes the offense a concern, and it puts Terry Francona in a tough spot.

Cleveland is second to last in the American League in runs scored per game, ahead of only the Texas Rangers, who sit at 2-4. The Indians are 5-4, because their pitching staff has been brilliant thus far.

Yes, Mike Clevinger didn’t have a great outing Friday night, the first “poor” start of the campaign for the team, but the staff did hold Minnesota, who is second in the AL in runs per game, to just four tallies, and Carlos Carrasco gave up just three runs last night, but the Tribe mustered none.

The average American League team is scoring 4.4 runs per game to date, and the Indians have passed that standard just twice in the nine games. If you remove the nine run outburst against the Royals’ bullpen game last Sunday, the Tribe hitters are producing a paltry two runs a contest.

They are also last in the league in extra base hits with just 13 in the nine contests.

Eventually, you have to think the pitching staff is going to have a hiccup. They’ve allowed four runs a game (less than the league average) twice, and lost both games. The way they have pitched, the Tribe should be undefeated, instead of 5-4.

The bottom of the order to date has been dreadful, and right now, Francona doesn’t seem to have figured out the correct combination in the outfield.

Domingo Santana has been fine, mostly because he has drawn seven walks, leading to an on base percentage of .458. But Cleveland signed him for his pop, and he has one extra base hit.

In fact, Tribe outfielders (and we will include Franmil Reyes, if you want to call what he hit last night a double) have just three extra base hits. Santana has a double, Bradley Zimmer has a home run, and the Reyes double.

Zimmer is 5 for 17 thus far, the the summer camp sensation had one game where he went 2 for 4 with the HR, so the rest of the games, he is 3 for 13.

Reyes is 6 for 30 with 2 RBI, but hasn’t hit the long ball yet. His lone extra base hit was a squibbler up the middle that eluded the shortstop and second baseman.

Jordan Luplow is hitless in 12 at bats, and Oscar Mercado is 2 for 22 with no walks and five strikeouts.

Mercado’s at bat Friday night in Minnesota is what we worry about him, a lack of strike zone discipline. Randy Dobnak was trying to walk him, but Mercado didn’t take ball four, he fouled them off until he waved at a pitch in the dirt.

Again, normally, there wouldn’t be a concern for a few weeks, but this season is different. Right now, we would use Zimmer in center, especially vs. RHP, with Santana in right, and why not take a look at Daniel Johnson in LF?

And we might give Christian Arroyo a few at bats, although it might be tough. After all, he hasn’t had one to this point in the season.

Understand this also, Cleveland isn’t going to get any offense from the catching spot with Roberto Perez out. The organization wants defense and game calling first from that position, and that’s why Sandy Leon and Beau Taylor are there.

We understand Francisco Lindor hasn’t got going either, and neither has Carlos Santana, but both of them look like Stan Musial compared to the bottom four in the order.

We would not use the word panic, but instead say concern about the Cleveland outfield. For now, Terry Francona is searching for the hot bat, to help the Indians generate some runs.

Wanting To Win Should Be Part Of Cavs’ Evaluation Process.

To us, when it is played correctly, basketball is a beautiful sport to watch. A local high school coach recently showed footage of the 1986 Boston Celtics moving the ball with the comment that the game never looked better.

Unfortunately, in these days of isolation and fans and players alike going crazy over fancy moves by players, sometimes that gets lost in today’s game.

We should alert you that this could come across as “get off my lawn” basketball guy.

One of the reasons for the popularity of the Golden State Warriors was the way they moved the basketball. Yes, the long range shooting was a factor too, but when the Warriors were playing well, the ball moved rapidly and found the open player.

This isn’t a new concept. The championship Knicks teams (yes, they were good once) of the early 70’s used the mantra “Find the open man”.

We see scouting reports on players and it talks about their shooting range, their leaping ability, how they can see the floor, and how strong they are, but if it’s mentioned at all, there isn’t much on the “team” attitude of the player.

What got us thinking about this was the Cavaliers’ interest in LaMelo Ball, if he is on the board whenever Cleveland makes their first selection.

First, we understand that Ball is still just 18 years old and his father has made the decisions about where he is playing basketball.

But his amateur career has been filled with going from team to team, looking for a way to best showcase his talents.

Quite frankly, it isn’t much different from what people call the “AAU culture”, where players hop from team to team to either play with their friends, which is fine, or to get away from an environment they dislike, such as having to play defense or not get as many shots.

The scouting report on Ball is he has good range on his shot, and can also get to the basket and finish. He has tremendous court vision and can find teammates in stride or in rhythm, and can play defense when he is committed.

His weaknesses are that he’s not an explosive athlete and needs to improve his shot selection. Both of those areas can be improved with a workout program and experience if he is willing to be coached.

So, he has talent. Let’s face it, if you are being projected to be a top five pick in the NBA Draft, you can play the game.

But you have to wonder what it would look like if the Cavs took him.

Yes, we know he played at SPIRE Institute in 2018, so he’s familiar with the area, but we would wonder if he would be just biding his time until he can get out of Cleveland, which might also be said about several other players in the draft.

What we don’t know is what kind of teammate he is. Is he someone who would be happy with 5 points and 7 assists in a win, or would he rather score 35 points in a loss?

We also understand the way players are viewed in the NBA has changed. For many younger fans, winning has become secondary, visually pleasing play is better. We’ve addressed this issue before.

How many of the younger players have adjusted their game to a style that leads to more winning? We saw Collin Sexton make some strides late last season.

This isn’t an indictment of Ball, he just has the highest profile. But the willingness to do things to win should be part of the equation. It truly isn’t all about talent.

Winning A Series Is Always A Good Thing For Tribe

While we are all happy that baseball has returned, even in a shortened 60 game season, three games is still the definition of a small sample size.

That said, it is always better to win than lose, and winning a series is a good thing, and the Cleveland Indians did just that, taking two out of three against the Kansas City Royals.

The Tribe’s starting rotation got superlative grades in the opening series, but you have to remember no one has the Royals even making the expanded playoffs, let alone the regular post-season, so it will be interesting to see how Cleveland does against the high potent offenses of the White Sox and Twins this week.

The Indians’ pitching recorded 40 strikeouts in the series, the most in the AL, and walked just five KC batters, the least in the AL. Of the teams coming up on the schedule, Chicago ranks 4th in the junior circuit in fanning, 29 times, while the Twins are in the lower half, with just 21 punchouts.

A majority of the strikeouts by Sox hitters came against the Minnesota bullpen, so we wonder how Aaron Civale, Adam Plutko, and Zach Plesac will fare against a group of mostly young, aggressive hitters for the Pale Hose.

So, we will use restraint on the pitching side of things for the Tribe. The Royals have some good hitters, but there was a lot of swing and miss on breaking stuff in the series, and will that continue against better hitters, or will they make the Indians’ pitchers get into the strike zone more often.

We have heard consternation about Francisco Lindor’s start to the season, but again, it’s just three games. The star shortstop looks a tad anxious at the plate, especially on breaking balls, but we are confident he will make the adjustment and be fine.

Lindor struggled with runners in scoring position last season, and we feel he wants to succeed so bad that he doesn’t put the pressure on the pitching staff.

On the other hand, the only Tribe starter who is still hitless has been patient at the dish, although that’s hardly a shock. Carlos Santana is off to an 0 for 8 start, but has drawn four walks with just one strikeout.

The new leadoff hitter, Cesar Hernandez, looks impressive in person. The switch-hitter has drawn just one walk, but has made opposing pitchers work, and looks to hit the ball where it is pitched. His double down the left field line in the Opener was a beautiful display of hitting.

And catcher Roberto Perez has shown way he received the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2019. He threw out two would be base stealers in the series, and blocked umpteen pitches in the dirt. He even went from first to third on a single to centerfield.

Terry Francona has got all of his position players in a game so far, and the only four on the roster who haven’t been in are starters Civale and Plesac, and relievers Phil Maton and Adam Plutko. The skipper likes to get everyone in as soon as possible, and he will likely get the bullpen guys an inning against Chicago.

By the way, the bullpen performed well in the first series, although in each game, no one was brought in during an inning. Everyone was used after the starters went at least six innings, and each started with a clean inning.

We know that will not always be the case.

We will have a better view of the 2020 edition of the Indians following these next two series, against the teams who figured to battle Cleveland for the AL Central lead.

Baseball Is Back And The Strategy Of The Three Batter Rule…

Baseball is back, and how great is it to say that and hear that? The 60 game sprint is on, even if it has been made less urgent by the expansion of the playoffs to eight teams in each league.

We are all aware of the new rules this year too. There’s a DH in the National League (hooray!), and there are two rules we aren’t very fond of because it messes with the purity of the sport.

(Yes, we are, and we hate this expression–“a baseball purist”.

The rules putting a runner on second base to start the tenth inning is understandable for this year (a little bit), but games that last more than 12 innings are rare, and we can tell you the last long game the Indians were involved in, the 19 inning affair in Toronto in 2016, was beyond exciting.

We were in a public place, and as the game went on, more and more fans drew close to the televisions in the establishment, and when the Indians won the game, a cheer went up throughout the building like the Tribe has clinched a playoff spot.

We bring this up, because the other new rule, the three batter minimum came into play during Friday night’s opener against the Royals.

With two outs in the top of the 7th and Adam Cimber on the mound, he walked Nicky Lopez, and Kansas City manager Mike Matheny countered by pinch-hitting left handed hitter Franchy Cordero.

We wondered if Terry Francona would counter with Oliver Perez to get the lefty, because we forgot about the rule, but remembered that Whit Merrifield was on deck, followed by switch hitting Adeberto Mondesi.

Now, if Perez got Cordero, all is good. With the inning ended, Perez did not have to face the three batter minimum, and Tito could bring in a right-hander to start the 8th.

But if Perez failed to get Cordero, he then would have had to face Merrifield with two men on and the game very much in the balance.

In the past, we think that’s what Francona would have done, bring in Perez to get the pinch-hitter, and then bring in Nick Wittgren to face the all star, Merrifield.

Cimber, who still makes us a tad nervous when he faces a left-handed hitter, got Cordero to ground out to Cesar Hernandez, and the inning was over.

We feel the new rule really affects a specialist, like Cimber, because he has been very good in his career vs. right-handed hitters (.240 batting average against, 624 OPS), but left handed hitters turn into Ted Williams (.313, 1.008 OPS).

If those numbers continue, the skipper will have to be very judicious in how to use him, and perhaps it is so difficult to use him in the correct spots, that it is not worth having a roster spot.

And for those wondering if Shane Bieber earned the Opening Day gig over Mike Clevinger, how was six scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts? It would be tough to beat that, no?

Yes, it was against Kansas City, but the Royals have some good hitters. Merrifield is a machine at the plate, and Jorge Soler did lead the AL in homers a year ago. Salvy Perez is a solid bat and Mondesi is a player to keep an eye on.

The best thing about baseball is they play again today, then tomorrow, etc. It’s the best reality show around in our opinion.

We wonder what the television ratings, usually high for the Indians, will be this season.

Tribe Depending On Some Young Players Continuing To Progress

Many people, including us, feel the Cleveland Indians will be a contender for a playoff spot this season, and to us, it wouldn’t have mattered if the season were 162 games or just 60.

However, much of those good vibes are based on some players with very little major league experience coming through in 2020.

For us, until a player establishes a track record, they have to be viewed with a jaundiced eye. And no doubt, the Tribe has their fair share of these players.

First is centerfielder Oscar Mercado. Remember, the Cardinals gave up on the former second round pick in 2013, trading him to the Indians for a couple of lower tiered prospects in 2018.

Mercado had a solid rookie season, hitting .269 with 15 HR and a 761 OPS, but walked just 28 times vs. 84 strikeouts. However, he thrived at Progressive Field, hitting .289 with 11 dingers (844 OPS) vs. .250 (679 OPS) on the road.

He struggled mightily in August, before having a good September.

If he regresses, Terry Francona does have some alternatives. Delino DeShields can fill the bill defensively for sure, but he’s never really hit well in the big leagues, and if Bradley Zimmer continues on the torrid pace he has set since summer camp started, he could wind up there.

It is worth keeping an eye on though.

The other area where much is counted on from young players is in the starting rotation, where Cleveland needs Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac to be solid starters right away.

The recently turned 25-years-old Civale pitches like a veteran, but has only thrown 58 innings at the big league level, and have less than 400 innings in the minor leagues.

He’s made 10 starts with the Indians, and in only two of them did he see the 7th inning.

His numbers last year were excellent, 44 hits allowed, striking out 46 while walking just 16, and he reminded many people of Corey Kluber in his manner and the way he attacked hitters, but he’s slated as the fourth starter, and the front office is counting on him to be the guy he was a year ago.

Plesac, who is also 25, is barely more experienced at the major league level than Civale, making 21 starts, firing 115 innings.

He actually threw less in the minors though, pitching just 259 innings because he had Tommy John surgery in college and the Tribe brought him back slowly.

After six starts at Akron, compiling an 0.96 ERA, he was on the fast track to Cleveland, and injuries had him with the big club for his debut in Fenway Park on May 28th.

The short season actually helps both Civale and Plesac because they won’t have deal with an innings increase threshold this season.

As for alternatives? Adam Plutko would be the first option should either falter, and the organization has Logan Allen, Scott Moss, and if he is healthy, Jefry Rodriguez as options. However, the latter group doesn’t have a real track record of success in the bigs either.

And then there is James Karinchak, counted on to be a set up man for Brad Hand.

We all know about Karinchak’s gaudy strikeout feats, his high octane fastball, and his knee buckling curve.

However, he has walked a lot of people in his minor league career, which only spans three seasons and a little over 100 innings (82 games). His walk ratio per nine innings is 5.5, and that’s probably why Francona hasn’t fallen in love with the soon to be 24-year-old.

Relievers who don’t throw strikes aren’t any manager’s friend, and Tito is no different.

The biggest problem is Francona doesn’t have a lot of alternatives if Karinchak isn’t effective. He would have to turn to prospects Kyle Nelson or Cam Hill or maybe veterans Phil Maton or Hunter Wood, but none have the filthy stuff Karinchak has.

It’s a bit of a high wire act for the organization, but the safety net is how these players performed last season. But, no doubt the Tribe needs progress from this quartet of young players.

The Little Known Veteran Trio In Tribe ‘Pen

With the Major League Baseball season starting Friday night, the bullpen of the Cleveland Indians appears to have a lot of uncertainty.

We know Brad Hand will be the closer, but the suspension of Emmanuel Clase for the season has the dreams of the young duo of Clase and James Karinchak setting up Hand on hold.

We still think Karinchak will play a big role for the ’20 Tribe, if he can throw strikes. If he does, he will strikeout a lot of hitters. In the minor leagues a year ago, he fanned 74 batters in 30-1/3 innings, and followed up that by whiffing eight big leaguers in 5-1/3 frames.

At this point, people know about this pitcher with a plus fastball and an electric curve.

They also know about the ageless southpaw, Oliver Perez, who will turn 39 next month, and posted a 3.98 ERA in 40-2/3 innings last year, striking out 48 and walking 12.

Perez held left-handed hitters to a .207 batting average last season, but right handers hit .286 against him.

The mirror image, so to speak, of Perez, is sidearming righty Adam Cimber. Cimber had a 4.45 ERA a year ago, but right-handed hitters did hit .244 against him. Lefties batted .296 with a 943 OPS, so Terry Francona will have to be very careful in spotting him vs. players who swing from the left side.

No doubt, it will be interesting to see how the new three batter rule will affect how Francona uses each of this pair of relievers. They may become guys brought in to get the last out of an inning.

Nick Wittgren might have been the guy Tito trust most besides Hand last season. He had 4 saves with a 2.81 ERA in 55 games, but became more prone to giving up the long ball as the season went on, allowing seven (of 10) after the all star break.

They guys no one really talks about are Phil Maton, James Hoyt, and Hunter Wood.

We remember seeing Maton in his rookie season pitching against the Indians for San Diego and was intrigued. He pitched 1-2/3 innings, allowed one hit and struck out three (Jason Kipnis, Erik Gonzalez, and Francisco Lindor).

In his first two years with the Padres, he fanned 101 in 90-1/3 innings, walking 37. He was prone to giving up the long ball, allowing 13 homers.

Last season, the bottom fell out for the 27-year-old right-hander. He pitched in 21 games, and allowed 34 hits, including six dingers. He was traded to the Indians for international slot money in July.

At Columbus, he must have figured something out, striking out 17 in 10-2/3 innings before being called up. He pitched in nine games with Cleveland, a total of 12-1/3 innings, striking out 13, and allowed just one homer with a 2.92 ERA.

There is talent there, and last year was the outlier for Maton. That’s what should get him the opportunity at the start of the season.

At 33, Hoyt is the oldest of the trio, and kicked around the minors and independent leagues for six years before getting a shot with Houston in 2016.

In 65 games with the Astros in ’16 and ’17, he whiffed 94 hitters in 71-1/3 innings, but was prone to the long ball, giving up 12 dingers, although seven of those were at Minute Maid Park.

He suffered through knee and elbow problems in 2018, pitching in just 30 innings, facing just three hitters at the big league level.

He spent most of last season at Columbus, but came up in September, throwing 8-1/3 innings, striking out 10 with a 2.16 ERA.

Francona used him in a huge spot against the Twins on September 15th, and he got five big outs in the 8th and 9th in a 7-5 Tribe win.

The long locked, soon to be 27-year-old Wood, came over from Tampa Bay last season with Christian Arroyo, and was kind of considered a throw in.

He has the least swing and miss stuff so far, accumulating only 81 strikeouts in 86-2/3 innings, and has allowed 88 hits. And he’s another who is prone to giving up the long ball, allowing 11 in those innings, including 7 in 45-2/3 innings last year.

It would seem here that if this trio can keep the ball in the park, they should be good options for Francona this season. Our thought is there are two things relievers have to do: Throw strikes and keep the ball in the park.

We feel better about Hoyt and Maton than we do about Wood. Hopefully, all three can help the Tribe bullpen in 2020.

Garrett Signing Is A No Brainer

When the Cleveland Browns signed DE Myles Garrett to a five year, $125 million deal this week, it really was a no-brainer for GM Andrew Berry and the Browns’ front office.

Yes, we have heard the criticism that Garrett isn’t the best defensive player in the league, so he shouldn’t be the highest paid, but that’s semantics.

Our guess is Garrett won’t be the highest paid for long, although the state of professional sports in the wake of COVID-19 may keep afford him that status longer than normal. However, in a couple of years, the former first overall pick in the 2017 draft likely won’t be in the top five.

As we have pointed out before, Garrett ranks 7th all time in sacks for the franchise, despite playing just three seasons in Cleveland. And with another 10 sack season in 2020, which would be a “meh” season for Garrett, he would jump into a tie for third with Rob Burnett.

According to our research, Garrett is the first Cleveland Browns to have recorded two seasons of 10 sacks or more with the franchise. And yes, we are dating back to 1946.

We understand sacks weren’t an official statistic in the NFL until the 1982, so the greats of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s aren’t eligible, but still even in the last 45 years, no other Browns’ player has had two seasons with 10 sacks or more.

The criticism of the deal comes from two sets of people. First, there are Browns fans who we think believe Garrett should get a sack on every play. It doesn’t work like that.

Last year, Shaq Barrett of Tampa Bay led the league in sacks with 19.5, just ahead of Chandler Jones with 19. In 2018, it was Aaron Donald of the Rams with 20.5, with J.J. Watt of Houston second with 16. Garrett was sixth that season with 13.5, his only full season in the NFL.

The second group of people are those who treasure salary cap space above everything else, seemingly including winning. Cleveland has the most cap space in the NFL, owing that to stripping down the roster and Garrett is the first player coming off their rookie contract.

These people exist in other sports too. The baseball people who think every minor league prospect is the next Mike Trout, and the basketball fans who want their team to be in the lottery every year so they have a shot at the first overall pick.

Winning for those folks is secondary.

We can tell you that Garrett is the first pass rusher the Browns have had since we can remember (mid sixties) that opposing offenses have to plan for, except maybe for when they had Lyle Alzado If you don’t double team him, he’s going to reek havoc on your passing game.

He’s also solid against the running game too. He’s not someone who is a subject to being trapped and therefore woefully out of position on running plays.

The Browns have a foundation for winning, now they just have to do it. If they succeed, they are going to have to pay big cash to the players who are the reason for that success.

Garrett is the first of those guys, and the Browns got it done. That should be celebrated, not questioned.

How Is Tribe Roster Shaking Out?

There have been some standouts during the Cleveland Indians’ “summer camp” since the intrasquad games began a week ago.

Rookie Daniel Johnson was “Tito’s star” in the first game and Yu Chang has put on quite the power display since arriving in town on July 3rd.

However, how much of an impact do these performances have on the 30 man roster the team will finalize before the season begins a week from Friday at Progressive Field against the Royals (Danny Duffy will start for KC).

Here is how we see the players who will for sure be on the roster as of today:

Catchers (2): Roberto Perez, Sandy Leon
Infielders (4): Carlos Santana, Cesar Hernandez, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez
Oufielders (5): Franmil Reyes, Oscar Mercado, Jordan Luplow, Tyler Naquin, Domingo Santana
Starting rotation (5): Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, Carlos Carrasco, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac
Relievers (5): Brad Hand, Nick Wittgren, James Karinchak, Oliver Perez, Adam Cimber

That means 21 of the 30 spots are pretty much locked up barring injury or illness. We would include OF Delino DeShields, but it appears he will open the season on the 10 day injured list.

That leaves nine spots open.

We know at least one spot will go to a utility infielder, perhaps two to start. The three most likely candidates are Chang, Mike Freeman, and Christian Arroyo. Freeman isn’t currently on the 40 man roster, so he would have to be added if he makes the team.

Of the trio, Freeman is the most accomplished at the plate, hitting .272 last season with the Tribe. Chang is the best option at SS defensively. To this point, those two have performed the best in the scrimmages.

That makes 23.

At least one other outfielder will be added in DeShields’ absence, and right now, we suspect Greg Allen is the front runner. Another spot could open up if Luplow’s back becomes a problem, but if he’s healthy, he’ll be in the lineup Opening Night with the southpaw Duffy on the hill.

We know Francona loves relief pitchers, and he would normally carry 13 hurlers, so with the 30 man roster to start, you have to figure he will carry 14, and perhaps 15.

Relievers like James Hoyt, Phil Maton, Hunter Wood should be the leading candidates, and Adam Plutko figures to be on the roster as a long reliever. The possible 10th bullpen spot could be lefties Scott Moss or Kyle Nelson or righty Dominic Leone.

And that brings us to 29 players.

Does Francona keep all three extra infielders, or does he go with Jake Bauers, another left-handed bat, who can also spell Carlos Santana at first base?

Or he could go with Bradley Zimmer, who would provide speed and defense at the every least in the outfield. Or perhaps even a third catcher, like minor league veteran Beau Taylor.

Even though Johnson has done well, it’s doubtful he starts the season on the active roster, and the same goes for slugging 1B/DH Bobby Bradley.

We do wonder how much weight will be put on the three games against the Pirates, which begin Saturday night at PNC Park? We know the starters will begin the game, but will likely be pulled early. The players on the bubble will get a shot against pitchers or hitters who aren’t their teammates.

Although some will criticize Francona for not going with young guys, we don’t blame him. With the 60 game schedule, you have to come out of the gate running, and you have more of an idea what you will get out of veterans.

We will find out soon how much of an impression the “summer camp stars” have had on the front office.

Zimmer’s First Impression Still Resonates For Some.

Sometimes, a person makes such a strong first impression that is resonates for a long time, even after there is a whole bunch of evidence to the contrary.

There are actors who make a great screen debut, and then never make a movie as good again. Yet, they are still famous, and still keep getting cast in films. You can insert a name here.

For a lot of Cleveland baseball fans, that’s how they view Indians’ outfielder Bradley Zimmer. But at 27 years old, he’s at a career crossroad, and this shortened season isn’t likely to provide a lot of help for him.

Zimmer came up in May 2017 when with the defending AL champs struggling a bit at 20-17. Terry Francona was starting to use Lonnie Chisenhall is centerfield, while rightfield was a combination of Abraham Almonte and David Robertson.

And playing Chisenhall in CF was definitely a compromise to the defense.

Zimmer started off very well after being called up on May 16th. Heading into the all star break, the rookie left-handed hitter was batting .285 with 5 HR, 25 RBI and had a 790 OPS.

He did strikeout 43 times in 165 plate appearances, a not great, but manageable 26% rate.

Since that time, Zimmer has batted .199 with 5 HR and 23 RBI in 267 at bats, including stints in 2018 (34 games) and 2019 (9 games), mostly due to injuries.

And in those 295 plate appearances, he fanned 107 times, a 36% rate. For a comparison, last year’s major league leader in striking out, Eugenio Suarez of Cincinnati, struck out 189 times in 662 plate appearances, a rate of 28.5%.

Oh, by the way, Suarez also hit 49 HR and knocked in 103 runs with a .271 batting average. The point is a player can strikeout a lot if he is productive when he makes contact.

Zimmer’s walk rate, while never good, has also dropped to 6.1% in ’18.

Again, a big part of Zimmer’s issue has been injuries. He suffered rib and chest injuries crashing into the wall at Yankee Stadium in 2018, and then hurt his shoulder swinging a bat just a week after being sent to AAA during that season.

The latter injury involved surgery and a lengthy rehab process, so much that the former first round pick played in only 15 minor league games in 2019, getting just 50 at bats.

He was called up in September, and went 1 for 13, striking out seven times.

This shortened season isn’t doing to help someone who needs to get in the batter’s box and face live pitching. It is difficult to see him getting a big opportunity with the major league club, as in the reserve OF category, he is clearly behind Delino DeShields, Greg Allen, and probably Daniel Johnson, although his defensive ability and speed could be a help.

Especially his speed. Zimmer can fly, which makes his lack of contact at the plate more frustrating. We understand this is an era of launch angle and hitting the ball through defensive shifts, but Zimmer would appear to us to be a guy who should be hitting the ball on the ground and running fast.

To us, that would make him a more productive player. Swinging from the left side, any ball he would hit to the left side of the infield and the defender had to move has a good chance of being a base hit.

We understand that’s old school, but it’s also better than batting .199.

It has been reported that Zimmer made some changes to his approach last year, and if he did, it’s another reason he is hurt by the lack of a minor league season in 2020. He needs reps.

There is no question the injuries have hurt his career, but you have to wonder how long the Indians’ front office will hang with the potential of Bradley Zimmer before moving in another direction.

At the very least, Zimmer shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to play winter ball if there is a season later in the year.

Cavs’ Forgotten Man: Dylan Windler

Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers would up with three first round picks.

Everyone was hoping they would get the first overall pick with their chances in the lottery, but they would up getting the fifth pick and selected Darius Garland, who played sparingly at Vanderbilt and had an up and down rookie season.

GM Koby Altman moved a bunch of second round picks to get the last pick in the first round, and selected Kevin Porter Jr., who turned out to be one of the surprises of the season.

Porter Jr. played 23 minutes per game, and scored 10 points on 44% shooting and his free throw shooting, a weakness in college (52%), wound up at 72% during his first season in the NBA.

He will only be 20 when the 2020-21 season starts, but he is viewed as one of the building blocks of the future for the wine and gold.

The third first round pick is largely forgotten because he was injured in training camp, and didn’t play a minute last season.

Dylan Windler was the 26th overall pick, a four year college player out of Belmont. A 6’7″ wing player, he shot 54% during his senior season, including 42.9% from beyond the three point arc.

Because he’s a four year player, he will turn 24 years old before the next regular season gets underway, but there is no question he can shoot the rock.

While some long range shooters can be mechanical and slow, the report on Windler (and watching highlights too) is he has a very quick release and he’s also a lefty, which fools defenders used to righties, which is the norm.

And he’s not a guy who just stands around the perimeter, waiting for someone to see him open. He is active without the ball, and will cut to the basket to get opportunities around the basket. He’s also a solid rebounder, averaging 9.3 and 10.8 boards per game in his last two collegiate seasons.

The biggest question, as is for most players coming into the pro game, is how well he can defend. We say it all the time, pretty much every player who gets to the NBA can put the ball in the basket, what determines their playing time is what they can do on the other end of the floor.

It’s not just a quickness thing either. You have to be strong, be able to hold your ground to play defense at the pro level. You have to wonder if Windler has been able to improve his strength while he is recovering from his stress reaction to his leg.

The other issue is it’s a young man’s league in the NBA and Windler will get his first action at 24. How much room does he have to grow as a player? It’s not impossible, some players get better in their late 20’s because they discover their niche in the league.

It’s tough because he lost a year of development because of the injury. There is no replacing experience. Garland and Porter Jr. know what to expect in their second season, Windler doesn’t.

However, he can be a huge asset to the Cavaliers because the team needs both shooting and wing players. They also need players with length, and J.B. Bickerstaff knows that.

Dylan Windler could make the 2019 draft a huge bonanza for Altman and the Cavs if he can translate his the abilities that made him a player in college to the NBA.

Maybe we can see that if the non-playoff teams get their own “bubble” coming up.