3 Cleveland Indians playing their way into 2022 lineup

The Cleveland Indians are in an unfamiliar position heading into September, that of a team waiting until next year as the postseason is too far out of reach for the injury-plagued Tribe.

It was surprising to see Cleveland stay in it this long, though, and there is hope for 2022 when the Indians become the Guardians because the front office has done a nice job of stockpiling prospects through trades the past couple of seasons.

Pundits consistently refer to the Indians in a “Find out about mode” as the team is looking at some serious roster clutter. Chris Anotonetti and Mike Chernoff are going to have to make some decisions about familiar names because some big-time prospects could be expose in Rule-5 Draft if not protected on the team’s 40-man roster.

Most of the prospects come in middle-infield, with Gabriel Arias, acquired in the Mike Clevinger trade, biding his time at Triple-A. Former 2017 second-round pick, Tyler Freeman also looks promising, but his season ended due to injury.

There’s still lots to figure out before the Guardians begin play, but moving forward, these three players have earned spots on the 2022 roster.