Cleveland Indians may have found Francisco Lindor’s successor

The Cleveland Indians may have drafted Francisco Lindor’s eventual successor.

The Cleveland Indians took Carson Tucker in the first round of the 202O MLB Draft. A 6’2 righty, Tucker now serves as the Indians’ top choice to hopefully replace franchise star, Francisco Lindor. Lindor, taken 8th overall in the 2011 MLB Draft, has long been rumored to be on his way out of town due to the enormity of his contract demands. Lindor is rumored to be seeking a deal in the $300-400 range. A price that the Indians (and most MLB teams) can’t afford.

As for when fans can expect Tucker to be ready, well it took Lindor four years to be called up to the majors. That’s usually how it goes. The likes of Mike Trout and Stephen Strasburg are rare. Most talent aren’t ready to come up the year they’re drafted or even the next one. Granted, Tucker may be ready that fast. Who’s to say? Crazier things have happened before.

But that’s not all…

Joining Tucker on the first day of the draft is starting pitcher Tanner Burns from Auburn. Burns is a 6’0 tall, right-hander who posted a 2.42 ERA and held opposing hitters to .188 in his four starts in 2020. During that, albeit brief, stretch, Burns struck out 32 hitters in just 22 1/3 innings. That gave him a strikeout rate of 12.9 per nine innings, and a WHIP of .985.

His four-seem fastball has been clocked at 97 MPH, giving him an electric arm for hitters to worry about. He’s also known for his two-seam fastball as well, giving him options on the mound.

Tucker is 18, and Tanner is currently 21, so it’s not really fair to expect either young man to contribute to the club right away. Both will need time in the minors to season up and get used to longer schedules and more games. With the minor leagues being canceled for the year, however, it seems like their development may be hamstrung a bit. Here’s hoping the Indians can keep their corp prospects in shape and properly trained until they can take the field again.