Cleveland Indians wrap Summer Camp vs Pirates, roster set for 2020
The Cleveland Indians closed Summer Camp with a win over the Pirates and the 2020 roster is set.
Time to print those “Undefeated Summer Camp Champs” shirts for the Tribe, who went 3-0 in three exhibitions after finishing off the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-3, at PNC Park July 22.
It worked so well for the Browns…oh wait….
1. The Tribe heads into Opening Day with a top four made up entirely of switch hitters who happen to be scorching hot.
Terry Fracona’s first four hitters, Cesar Hernandez, Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana are a combined 12-of-24 over the last two exhibition games. That includes two doubles three home runs and 11 RBIs.
2. Brad Hand pitched the seventh inning. It was a strange inning for the veteran, as he threw 25 pitches, 13 of which went for strikes. That said, he recorded every out via strikeout. He also surrendered two hits and an earned run.
3. While we’re on the bullpen, it was comforting to see Cam Hill make the final roster. The bullpen promises to be a roller coaster and having Hill there might make it a little less bumpy.
4. Bradley Zimmer made the final roster. How could Francona keep him off after what we saw in the intrasquad and exhibition games? No, it’s not a huge sample size, but you’ve got to go off something.
5. Yu Chang also made the roster, which means there’s a power bat sitting on the bench. That’s a good thing, because if the game is on the line in the later innings and a home run would be the desired remedy, Chang gives the Indians a shot.
6. Jake Bauers did not make the final roster. He actually played decently, but got squeezed by the numbers. A lot of fans see Bauers’ demotion and recall he was the centerpiece of the Yandy Diaz deal.
What I haven’t seen rehashed was that the trade involved three teams, with the Mariners jumping into take Edwin Encarnacion, while the Indians received Carlos Santana.
Does the deal get done if Diaz doesn’t go to the Rays? I have no way of knowing. What I do now is that he never truly got a shot in an Indians uniform, while Tampa is expecting big things out of him.
7. It was surprising to see Hunter Wood left off the roster. I could see another team with bad depth wanting to add his arm. If I’m the Indians, I wouldn’t let him go, though, because who knows what this bullpen has in store.
8. Dominic Leone got a bullpen spot and I’ve got to be honest. I hadn’t heard of him. His best year was his rookie season back in 2014, when he posted a 2.17 ERA in 57 games. He was very good for the Jays in 2017, posting a 2.56 ERA in 65 contests.
The last couple of years have been rough, as he’s posted a 5.15 ERA spanning 64.2 innings with the Cardinals. Perhaps he finds whatever worked in ’14 and ’17. For his career, he’s averaged 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.7 walks. That’s the thing about bullpens, you just can’t tell from year to year unless you’ve got Mariano Rivera.
9. Franmil Reyes was 1-for-7 in the three games against the Pirates with two walks. The big man needs to get hot, fast when the games start to count.
10. The Ringer’s power rankings had the Indians 16th and the Twins fourth.Power rankings are meaningless, but to have the Twins that high and Indians that low is ridiculous.
Scribe Michael Baumann wrote the following:
"“The club currently has two superstar position players, three really good staring pitchers and not a lot else, even in the upper levels of the minors. Seems like a recipe for a .500 team.”"
He explained his rankings on 92.3 The Fan’s Baskin and Phelps show, stating the Indians would improve their lot if they found another Shanie Bieber.
That’s when I wonderned if he was informed about the Indians’ development of young pitchers. Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac were supposed to take big steps in 2020. It’s THE reason the Tribe’s contention window is supposed to stay open, even Francisco Lindor leaves town.
Next. Cavs draft chatter: Windhorst thinks the pick is Wiseman. dark
While the Twins have Jose Berrios, we in Cleveland view the rest of their staff as just being OK. Baumann, on the other hand, wrote that Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda and Michael Pineda (once suspension is over) can be electric in short stints. Basically, he trusts them a lot more in 12 starts, than in 35 starts, meaning the shortened season plays in the Twins favor.