Tag: jefry rodriguez

These Indians Are Flying Under The Radar.

Exhibition games (we love that baseball calls them that) have started in both Florida and Arizona, and that means fans can start analyzing box scores.

They don’t mean a heck of a lot because we don’t know what opposing pitchers are working on, nor do we know if hitters are trying to hit the ball the other way, or trying a different approach.

Anyway, here is a look at four players on the Indians’ spring training roster who seem to have been overlooked coming into training camp, but have real possibilities of making the final 26 man roster at the end of March.

Jake Bauers.  Bauers is a former top 100 prospect (2017 and 2018 with Tampa Bay) who came over in the deal which sent Yandy Diaz to the Rays.

At AAA, he had a 780 OPS, mostly built on a .363 on base percentage.

He was getting a lot of playing time in the outfield at the start of the season, but was hitting just .245 with a .316 OBP at the All Star break.

And he seemed too patient, which didn’t help his cause.  For example, when he was ahead in the count 3-1, he was just 3 for 14.

Terry Francona had a talk with Bauers at the end of the season about being more consistent in his work habits.  We will see if the left-handed hitter, who isn’t yet 25 years old takes it to heart.

He probably has the inside track to come north with Tyler Naquin hurt, but he is going to have to produce to insure that.

Jefry Rodriguez.  People forget that it was Rodriguez who was the first starting pitcher called up when Mike Clevinger was hurt in his second start of the year.

In his first four starts, he went at least 5-2/3 innings and allowing less than three runs in each.  In his last three outings, he didn’t get past the fifth and then was shelved with a shoulder strain.

The right-hander won’t turn 27 until July, and if he is healthy, it wouldn’t be a surprise to find him in the rotation to start the season, beating out one of this trio–Adam Plutko, Zach Plesac, or Aaron Civale.

Mike Freeman.  The veteran did a solid job as the Indians’ utility man a year ago, but as usually happens to 32-year-olds who aren’t regulars he was designated for assignment when the season ended to open up a roster spot.

Freeman hit .272 with a 752 OPS in 75 games a year ago, and provided the Tribe with professional at bats.  He’s adequate with the glove, can play a decent shortstop, and can even do a decent job in left field.

He’s fighting an uphill climb, with Christian Arroyo out of options, to head north with the team, but at the worst, he will be ready if needed at Columbus.

Phil Maton.  Outside of the first half of last season in San Diego (21 games, 7.77 ERA), the soon to be 27-year-old (on Opening Day) has been a serviceable big league pitcher.

He had a 4.19 ERA in 43 innings in 2017, and a 4.37 ERA in 47-1/3 innings in 2018, and had a 2.92 ERA in eight appearances with the Tribe last year.

He has fanned over a batter per inning in his career, but has also allowed more than a hit per inning.

Still, we think he stands a good chance of opening the year in Cleveland.

These guys could be keys for the 2020 Indians, but no one is really talking about them right now.  We will see if that changes as exhibition play continues.

MW

Meet The Tribe Bullpen Options

Last year, one of the biggest problems the Cleveland Indians had was its bullpen.  The relief corps was beset with injuries from early in the season, and never really righted itself.

While the starters had a 3.39 ERA in 2018, the bullpen ERA was 4.60, up almost two full runs per game (2.89 ERA in ’17) from the previous year.

Bryan Shaw signed with Colorado as a free agent after 2017, and Andrew Miller was felled by a series of injuries, and only pitched in 37 games last season.

And Nick Goody, who was very effective in the early relief role, also missed much of the year.

That put a major strain on Cody Allen, and he was worked hard early in the year because of the absences of the others, and by the end of the year, he was pretty much out of gas.

However, we feel pretty optimistic about the relief pitching heading into spring training because, unlike the outfield, the front office has brought in plenty of alternatives.  It’s the proverbial throwing a bunch of stuff against the wall, and hoping some of it sticks.

With the volatility of relief pitching in the sport, that’s an acceptable way of doing business.

One holdover candidate we got a glimpse of at the end of ’18 was Jon Edwards, who appeared in nine games and had a 3.12 ERA, striking out 10 in 8-2/3 innings.  Unless Edwards is shelled in camp, he would appear to have the team made.

Jefry Rodriguez came to Cleveland in the Yan Gomes deal, and made his debut in the big leagues a year ago with the Nationals, pitching as both a starter and a reliever.  He has control issues (37 walks in 52 innings), but he has a 6.75 ERA starting and a 2.70 ERA in six relief gigs.

If he can harness his control, he could be a factor late in games for the Tribe.

Chih-Wei Hu was acquired from Tampa Bay and has a 3.52 ERA in 11 major league appearances, spanning two seasons, striking out 21 hitters in 23 innings.

Hu had a 3.06 ERA in AAA in 2017 before returning as a starter, which he was most of his career, in the minors last season.

Nick Wittgren, who just came over from Miami, has made 118 trips out of the ‘pen in the bigs over the last three seasons, compiling a 3.60 ERA, and is coming off his best season a year ago, with a 2.94 ERA in 31 contests in 2018.

Last Friday, the front office brought in their most accomplished reliever, inking Alex Wilson to a minor league deal.  The 32 year old right-hander has a 3.23 ERA over 290 appearances in his six year career, with the Red Sox and Tigers.

Wilson is on a minor league deal, as is A. J. Cole, who was with the Nationals and Yankees a year ago, and had a 4.26 ERA with New York, punching out 49 in 38 innings.

Cole did allow 15 home runs in 48 innings total, but 8 of those came in dinger friendly Yankee Stadium.

And don’t forget they resigned Oliver Perez, who was a godsend a year ago when he signed on June 2nd.  The lefty had a 1.39 ERA and 43 punch outs in 32-1/3 frames for Terry Francona in ’18.

They also have Tyler Olson (13 scoreless appearances in the second half after returning from the disabled list), and Adam Cimber, who was outstanding with the Padres, and Francona never found a comfort level with him.

The whole bullpen is set up because you have a closer in Brad Hand, and he’s a good one.  As many wise baseball people have said, you start with the closer and build back from there.

Hand has saved 53 games over the past two seasons, and has whiffed over 100 hitters in relief over the past three years.

The only fear we have is the loyalty factor.  Will Tito go with Goody and Neil Ramirez instead of let’s say Hu or Rodriguez even if the latter two pitch better in Arizona?

Making that mistake could be the difference between getting off to a quick start or a slow start to the 2019 season.

MW