Cleveland Indians Mailbag Preview: Part Two
By Joe Russo
There is so much excitement surrounding the Cleveland Indians. With that, there are many questions that still has to be answered. Part two of the Cleveland Indians mailbag preview is here.
Last week, I reached out to fans that follow us on Twitter and Facebook to send in their questions about the Cleveland Indians that they would like answered ahead of the season opener on April 4th. The first batch of questions have already been answered, but there is plenty more to talk about.
We have quite a bit on Francisco Lindor, the missing piece to the Tribe lineup, and who might be on the move by the trade deadline! Have questions of your own for part three? Send them to us via Twitter or Facebook.
1. Will Francisco Lindor Be An All-Star This Year?
If Lindor continues to hit the way he did last year and this spring, there is no way he is not an All-Star. Fellow short stops Carlos Correa, Troy Tulowitzki, and Xander Bogaerts are also contenders to play in the All-Star game, but Lindor could make waves with a second-year jump.
Lindor needs to prove that his 2015 spark was not a fluke like it was with outfielder Jody Gerut years ago. What will help Lindor more than anything is a hot start for the entire team. It is always difficult for struggling clubs to have multiple All-Stars.
If the Cleveland Indians play poorly, it would be easy to leave Lindor off the roster in favor of one of the top flight pitchers on the roster in favor of a player on a division leader. Two of the three aforementioned shortstops played in the postseason in 2015. I still believe the only reason Lindor didn’t win A.L. Rookie of the Year is because he was at home during the playoffs.
That same logic applies to the All-Star game. On numbers and merit, Lindor should make it, so long as he gets some help from his teammates to bolster the win column.
Next: Can Lindor Lead The Tribe To The Pennant In 2016?