Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

Cleveland Indians: Is Yandy Diaz Worth a Roster Spot?

By Joe Russo

Jul 10, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; World infielder Alex Bregman (2) slides into third base with a triple past World infielder Yandy Diaz (left) in the first inning during the All Star Game futures baseball game at PetCo Park. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 10, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; World infielder Alex Bregman (2) slides into third base with a triple past World infielder Yandy Diaz (left) in the first inning during the All Star Game futures baseball game at PetCo Park. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

When the Cleveland Indians break camp and begin the 2017 season, where will prospect Yandy Diaz be playing?

There is no love lost among Cleveland Indians fans for the end of the bench. Michael Martinez brings about strong negative reactions from most Indians fans. Currently, there are too many corner outfielders on the roster to break camp without concerns over depth and Jose Ramirez is the only third baseman at the major league level. So, that said, is Yandy Diaz worth a roster spot?

Diaz is Terry Francona‘s dream player. He’s young, talented, can hit, run, and play defense all over the field. While spending most of the 2016 season in AAA Columbus, Diaz played in games at 5 different positions:

3B: 30 Games

RF: 28 Games

LF: 24 Games

2B 4 Games

CF: 1 Game (0 starts)

At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Diaz is a bit bigger than your average middle infielder, which is why most of his games were spent in the corner outfield spots. What should catch most fans attention is the 30 games at third base, a position with limited depth at the major league level. That fact alone would be a strong reason that Francona keeps Diaz on the initial 25 man roster.

Another reason is that Diaz’s bat has traveled with him at every level. He hit .318 last year in Columbus, boosted by a blazing .341 clip after the All-Star break.

Before that, he hit .286 in Akron to start the 2016 season and hit .315 there in 2015. Even though Diaz has just 18 home run in his entire minor league career, his .307 lifetime average demonstrates that he produces just fine at the plate. Diaz did manage 22 double last year and 15 the season before that.

More from Factory of Sadness

The only reason Diaz won’t make the Opening Day roster is because of his need to play every day.

He won’t be starting anywhere with both corner outfield spots occupied and Jose Ramirez manning the hot corner. Instead, he would be a 25th man on the roster to be utilized the same way Michael Martinez was. Does it make sense from a developmental perspective to do that to Diaz?

By keeping Diaz in Columbus, Terry Francona keeps a valuable long-term piece of the ball club prepared to take on a role in Cleveland should an injury, trade, or other issue arise. If the only pitching Diaz see is in batting practice, how does that prepare him to step up when needed? How is that more valuable than getting four or five at bats a night in Columbus while continuing to sharpen his defensive skills at multiple position.

Next: Tito Lists Favorites For Utility Role

It’s perfectly fine to think Diaz is better than Michael Martinez or any of the other potential end of the bench types in Spring Training. It’s true that he is in fact better than most of them, if not all of them. The truth of the matter is that Diaz needs to be in real games as often as possible, not cheering from the end of the dugout.

Home/Cleveland Guardians