First Cut 2015

One of the fun (for the fans) and valuable (for the players) aspects of Spring Training is that all members of the 40 man roster and many other minor leaguers are invited to Major League camp where they get to work with Major League trainers and coaches and play along side Major League players in Major League games and practices. This is an excellent tool for the development of these young players, but it doesn’t really help the team get ready for the regular season and the fun must come to an end at some point. That point was yesterday.

The Indians cut ten minor leaguers from camp on Tuesday, none of which were expected to make the team (see how this affected the 25 man roster here). Included were pitchers Cody Anderson, Shawn Armstrong, Charles Brewer, Ryan Merritt and Will Roberts, catchers Tony Wolters and Jake Lowery, outfielders Jordan Smith, Tyler Naquin and infielder Giovanny Urshela. Generally, this first set of cuts includes only players who had zero chance of making the Major League roster this year and will get more benefit and playing time by participating in the minor league Spring games that start on March 20th.

With the Indians starting rotation and bullpen generally filled, there was obviously no room for the pitchers cut and the outfield is even deeper. The only slight surprises in the group were Urshela, Armstrong and Brewer. Urshela got into a slow start after hurting his knee in Winter ball and, being behind Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Mike Aviles and Lonnie Chisenhall in one way or another in the depth chart, he was not going to make the team out of camp anyway. Of those demoted with this group, he is the most likely to make his Major League debut in 2015.

Armstrong is generally considered the Indians top relief prospect, but struggled in 2.1 innings this Spring (although he did earn a save) and due to the great bullpen depth, was unlikely to make the team out of camp. Like Urshela, he has a strong chance of making his MLB debut in 2015. What makes Brewer a surprise is that he already has made his Major League debut. Generally, older players like Brewer stay in camp longer even though they have little chance of making the team, simply to eat useless Spring innings.

Still Around

Bigger news than the players who are departing are those who are staying. Simply surviving the first cuts is no guarantee, there are still more than 50 players in camp, but for young players especially, it is a big deal. One of the most surprising to do so is young Erik Gonzalez, who has never played above the AA level. After a really impressive 2014 in every manner, he has continued to impress with his glove so far this Spring. Playing second with Lindor at short, the Indians have one of the best potential defensive middle infields in baseball. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Gonzalez’s bat is not Major League ready as of yet and his .095/.174/.095 line will likely end up with the Clippers when the next cuts are made.

Lindor himself is another player of interest who remains in camp and, unlike Gonzalez, his bat is Major League ready. To this point, he is hitting .286/.310/.571 with five extra base hits including an inside the park home run. Even if this is not enough to earn him a spot out of camp (which it probably isn’t), he has still made a mark on the coaching staff by showing what he can do to Major League pitching. There was never any question about Lindor’s glove, so this should remove any doubts about whether or not he is Major League ready.

Although the pitching staff is generally set, there was one more interesting fielder left on the roster in James Ramsey. The outfielder was the lone prize in exchange for a few months of Justin Masterson from the St. Louis Cardinals and has been used liberally in Spring games by the Tribe, playing any outfield position. A solid defender, Ramsey has a home run and a double among his three hits in 20 at bats. He remains behind Tyler Holt, Ryan Raburn and David Murphy in the line for the 25 man roster, but with all the injury risks on the team, he could be a good option at some point this season.