The most recent update on the Indians 25 man roster includes two big losses due to injuries and ten lesser deletions due to the first round of cuts. From the original massive group, things are slightly more simple now with just 52 players left in camp. New additions and promotions are marked in green while players dropped from a starting spot or removed entirely will be listed in red.
Starting Lineup
C(1) Yan Gomes
Options: Perez and Santana
Gomes will be the starting catcher barring injury.
1B(2) Carlos Santana
Options: Swisher and Moss
Santana will be the starting first baseman barring injury.
2B(3) Jason Kipnis
Options: Aviles, Ramirez and Francisco Lindor
Kipnis will be the starting second baseman barring injury.
SS(4) Jose Ramirez
Options: Aviles and Lindor
Ramirez will likely be the short stop to start the season although Lindor has done a very good job impressing everyone during the first few weeks of camp. The fact that he survived the first round of cuts (something he didn’t do last season) shows that the Indians are taking him more seriously than last year.
3B(5) Lonnie Chisenhall
Options: Santana, Aviles and Ramirez
Chisenhall will be the starting third baseman barring injury.
LF(6) Michael Brantley
Options: Moss, Murphy, Bourn and Tyler Holt
Brantley will be the starting left fielder barring injury or change of heart.
CF(7) Michael Bourn
Options: Brantley, Moss and Holt
Bourn will be the starting center fielder barring injury or a return of good sense.
RF(8) Brandon Moss
Options: Murphy, Swisher, Kipnis, Bourn and Holt
Moss has returned from his injury with a vengeance, crushing Spring pitching in the desert to the joy of Indians fans. He will obviously be in the starting nine, but there is still some question where as Swisher has yet to rejoin the team after his knee surgery. If he doesn’t return in time, there is a good chance that Moss will be used as the regular DH with either Murphy or Holt as the starting right fielder.
DH(9) Nick Swisher
Options: Moss, Chisenhall, Santana, Murphy, Kipnis, Gomes, Aviles and Jesus Aguilar
Swisher is still yet to play in a baseball game this Spring with only two things left, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he wasn’t ready for the regular season. At the moment, he is still expected to be the starting DH. If he doesn’t get into a game soon, this could change however. Next in line would likely be Murphy, who will get some starts at DH and right field either way with a roster spot possibly opening up for Aguilar, Holt or Lindor.
Bench
C2(10) Roberto Perez
Options: Santana, Adam Moore and Brett Hayes
Removed: Tony Wolters, Jake Lowery
Perez will be the Indians back-up catcher barring injury. Neither player cut was a real factor while Moore and Hayes are being kept around to keep the early wear off Gomes and Perez.
CIF(11) Mike Aviles
Options: Moss, Chisenhall, Swisher, Aguilar, Gonzalez, Ciriaco, Lindor, Ryan Rohlinger and Michael Martinez
Removed: Giovanny Urshela
While some may be disappointed at the early cut of Urshela, he never really had a shot at breaking out with the team and this will allow him to work on developing more instead of trying to prove himself to the point of further injury. Aviles will be on the final 25 man roster either way, most likely in this spot.
OF(12) David Murphy
Options: Moss, Bourn, Swisher, Aviles, Raburn, Holt, Moncrief, Destin Hood, Jerry Sands and James Ramsey
Removed: Jordan Smith, Tyler Naquin
Barring trade or injury, Murphy will make the team out of Spring. Assuming Swisher, Moss and Bourn are all healthy, he will be a reserve outfielder, but if necessary, he could move to starting DH or right field. In that case Holt and Ramsey are the only legitimate challengers for this outfield spot.
MIF/OF2/RP8(13) Ryan Raburn
Options: Erik Gonzalez, Audy Ciriaco, Holt, Ramsey, Moncrief, Hood, Sands, Lindor, Rohlinger, Martinez or any player listed below as a Mid RP option.
Removed: Zach Walters
The biggest news in the fight for this final, and only truly open offensive position was the injury to Zach Walters removing him from contention. He was the team’s best power option as a utility man and his ability to play first, second, third, short stop, left or right field and DH (at varying levels) made him a great candidate for this and a few other spots on the roster. With him out, this spot is still expected to go to Raburn, but outside shots go to Lindor or Martinez.
Starting Rotation
Ace(14) Corey Kluber
The Indians have announced that Kluber will start Opening Day in Houston as the team ace.
SP2(15) Carlos Carrasco
Options: Bauer, Salazar, House
Carrasco has pitched just three Spring innings so far, but is expected to be the Indians number to starter at this point. He could be flipped with Bauer, the fourth or fifth starter.
SP3(16) Trevor Bauer
Options: Carrasco, Salazar, House
Same as Carrasco
SP4(17) Danny Salazar
Options: Carrasco, Bauer, Salazar
Removed: Gavin Floyd (pictured above)
The competition for the starting rotation just got a lot less interesting as Floyd is now out indefinitely after the micro-fractures in his right elbow reappeared. While initially Floyd was guaranteed this spot with Salazar and House fighting over the five spot, it now appears that Salazar will take this place and House the next.
SP5(18) T.J House
Options: Carrasco, Bauer, McAllister, Josh Tomlin, Shaun Marcum, and Chen
Removed: Cody Anderson, Charles Brewer, Ryan Merritt, Will Roberts
House originally looked to be a victim of having options since McAllister and Tomlin are both out and he still has some, but with the Floyd injury, he again seems the best bet. Of the options above, only McAllister, Tomlin, Marcum and Chen have any real chance of winning this spot, but it would take an excellent Spring to surpass the 2014 number five starter. As it stands, this rotation would be exactly the same as the one that was one of the best in baseball in 2014.
Bullpen
CP(19) Cody Allen
Options: Shaw, Crockett
Allen will be the closer barring injury.
SU(20) Bryan Shaw
Options: Allen, Rzepczynski, Atchison
Shaw will be the set-up man barring injury.
LHP(21) Marc Rzepczynski
Options: Crockett, Nick Hagadone, House, Roth, Maronde or Chen
Rzepczynski will be the primary left handed match-up man barring injury.
RHP(22) Scott Atchison
Options: C.C. Lee, Shaw, Tomlin, Austin Adams, McAllister, Manship, Marcum, Molleken, Price or Anthony Swarzak
Removed: Shawn Armstrong
Atchison will be the primary late inning right hander barring injury.
Mid RP(23) Kyle Crockett
Options: Rzepczynski, Lee, Atchison, Tomlin, Adams, Hagadone, McAllister, Michael Roth, Jeff Manship, Marcum, Nick Maronde, Dustin Molleken, Bryan Price, Swarzak or Chen
Crockett will likely break camp with the team, although he could miss out due to a plethora of other left handed relievers (Rzepczynski, Chen and Hagadone) and a few other starters who are out of options (McAllister and Tomlin).
Mid RP(24) Bruce Chen
Options: Same as above
Chen has already started to distinguish himself among Indians pitchers, providing a veteran presence along with some decent numbers (7 K’s, 2 BB’s in 9 IP). Knowing Francona’s preference for a big, versatile bullpen and veteran players, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see Chen break camp with the team, either as a specialist or a long man.
Long RP (25) Zach McAllister
Options: Tomlin, Lee, Atchison, Crockett, Adams, Brewer, Merritt, House, Roberts or Chen
The Indians will likely have to decide between Tomlin and McAllister for this spot as both are out of options and could be lost if not protected. At the moment, McAllister appears to have the lead as Tomlin was delayed due to some shoulder pain early on.
All Removed: Gavin Floyd (broken right elbow), Zach Walters (strained oblique), Giovanny Urshela (AAA), Cody Anderson (AAA), Shawn Armstrong (AAA), Charles Brewer (AAA), Ryan Merritt (AAA), Tony Wolters (AAA), Jake Lowery (MiLB), Will Roberts (MiLB), Jordan Smith (MiLB), Tyler Naquin (MiLB)
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