Cleveland Indians chatter: Bobby Bradley struggling at alternate site

There’s plenty to complain about watching Cleveland Indians in 2021. The offense needs a jolt, but it doesn’t sound like it will becoming from first base prospect Bobby Bradley.

Despite putting together a stellar spring, Bradley did not make the roster. He was sent to the alternate site in Columbus, where the players have begun playing exhibition games.

Bradley has reverted to his old ways, which means a lot of strikeouts, according to Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto.

The long-time columnist has “heard” Bradley has been struggling “to make contact” and is not “hitting well.” The big concern for Bradley has always been strikeouts, as he whiffed 153 times in 453 plate appearances during this last full season, which came with Triple-A Columbus in 2019.

This is a huge letdown for Tribe fans, because Bradley seemed to find a fix for his strikeout problem in Goodyear, as he fanned just seven times in 35 plate appearances.

The terrible news comes as Jake Bauers has basically amounted to an automatic out in Terry Fracona’s lineup. Despite not earning a spot on the team, Bauers made the club because he was out of options. He didn’t hit in Goodyear and he’s not hitting now, collecting a whopping four hits in 31 at-bats with just one, I repeat, one, extra base hit.

Hey, that’s just four few extra-base knocks than Eddie Rosario, but this is your 2021 Tribe.

As Bauers shows nothing, Pluto added that a change is likely coming at first base “soon.”

With Bradley struggling, Pluto wrote there could be more time for Yu Chang, who’s not hitting either (.214, 6-for-28).

Josh Naylor is another option at first base. The left-hander isn’t exactly beating the cover off the ball, but his .255 average makes him look like Ted Williams on a club who’s team batting average currently sits at  .207.

Naylor  has used the past two weeks to self-produce a video on how not to play baseball. There was the grounder his legs in Cincinnati. Then he blew past a stop sign at third base on Tuesday again the Sox. He then committed a huge gaffe in the outfield in the opener against the Yankees.

The suggestion of Naylor to first creates an opening for outfielder Daniel Johnson in the outfield. He’s “been pretty good,” according to Pluto’s sources. Jordan Luplow’s certainly deserving of every-day at bats, but the lineup needs a spark Johnson may be able to provide.

This isn’t to make Johnson the second-coming of Manny Ramirez in right field, but geesh, the Tribe has become unwatchable in every game that Shane Bieber doesn’t pitch.