Cleveland Indians: 3 players to extend before it’s too late
3. Franmil Reyes
Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez weren’t supposed to be sluggers, so it’s been more than a pleasant surprise to see them morph into the sluggers they are at the big-league level.
Outside of that duo, the Indians have a lot of swing and misses on developing power hitters.
Think about it…after Jim Thome, Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez, whom did the Tribe produce as a legit power hitting prospect? I’m having a hard time coming up with a name, but if you do, please @ me.
With a dearth of power hitters, the trade for Franmil Reyes was applauded by many in the media, and rightfully so. Bobby Bradley hits a ton in the minors, but we don’t if he can get it done in the big leagues.
After Bradley, there was no one else ready to help for this season. Nolan Jones‘ stock keeps going up, but he looks best suited to start the season at Triple A. Even then, Jones and Bradley need to prove themselves in the majors.
Reyes, 24, is coming off his first full season in the big leagues, and he blasted 37 homers between San Diego and Cleveland. Like Bieber, the sense of urgency to sign him may not be high right now, but again, the Indians may have to consider the technique Chicago used to extend Luis Robert.
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Reyes is making $569,000 this season and isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2021 season.