With pitchers and catchers reporting in just a couple weeks, things are about to get pretty crazy. There are your regular starters, others competing for a more important role or simply a job, Spring Training invites and cotton fields full of minor leaguers. In an effort to keep all that straight in one place, we will keep a running total of players still involved in the 25 man roster discussion. The list below will be updated as official news comes out, but until then, it is open season.
Starting Lineup
C(1) Yan Gomes
Options: Perez and Santana
There is essentially no chance outside of injury that Gomes will not be the starting catcher and despite being listed as an option, there is a decent chance Santana won’t play more than two or three games behind the plate all year. Gomes is the second best offensive option behind Santana and unquestionably the best defensive option as well.
1B(2) Carlos Santana
Options: Swisher and Moss
One of the biggest differences between the 2014 and 2015 infields should be that roles are more known going into the season. Instead of experimenting with players at positions they have never played before, Santana will most likely start at first, his best defensive position, and Chisenhall at third. Of course, the versatility remains and chances are, Terry Francona will have a new line-up almost every day like he has in the past.
2B(3) Jason Kipnis
Options: Aviles, Ramirez, Zach Walters and Francisco Lindor
After his 2013 season, Kipnis appeared to have a lock on second base for the rest of his career, but now, with competition coming quickly from below in the form of Lindor, Gonzalez and Walters, he will have to perform at a much higher level to keep his job. For now, however, it appears he will continue playing right where he is.
SS(4) Jose Ramirez
Options: Aviles, Walters and Lindor
This may be the most up in the air starting role as there is no obvious incumbent. The best defensive option is Ramirez (or Lindor), but Aviles or Walters would provide greater offensive support. If the Indians have learned anything from their failures in the field in 2014, they will keep their best defensive player at baseball’s most important defensive position.
3B(5) Lonnie Chisenhall
Options: Santana, Aviles, Ramirez and Giovanny Urshela
Like Kipnis after 2013, Chisenhall appeared to have locked up this job after the first half of 2014, but a poor second half combined with terrible defense leaves some questions. While some antsy fans may look to Urshela already, the Indians best option at the moment remains Chisenhall over Aviles or Santana as well. At least until Lindor takes over the starting short stop roll and frees up Ramirez.
LF(6) Michael Brantley
Options: Moss, Murphy, Bourn, Walters and Tyler Holt
A top three MVP finisher, Brantley will be in the starting line-up and likely batting third in 2015. The only question here is whether it will be in left or center. He is better defensively in center and Bourn is getting worse as time goes on, so he would be best there, but chances are the veteran respect Francona has for Bourn will keep this switch from happening, at least early on.
CF(7) Michael Bourn
Options: Brantley, Moss, Holt and Walters
As mentioned above, Bourn would be better in left, but will probably stay in center. If Brantley is to stay in left and Bourn injures his hamstring, the best defensive option would be to use Holt in center while the best offensive choice would be to move Moss to center and start Murphy in right.
RF(8) Brandon Moss
Options: Murphy, Swisher, Kipnis, Bourn, Walters and Holt
The only truly new player in the Indians starting nine in 2015 will be Moss and he will most likely start in right field due to the make up of the rest of the team. Moss is experienced in both corner outfield positions and first base, but right is his best defensive place. This is also the position with the most depth for the Indians as almost every member of the team claims they can play there.
DH(9) Nick Swisher
Options: Moss, Chisenhall, Santana, Murphy, Kipnis, Gomes, Aviles, Jesus Aguilar and Walters
Based on 2014 performance, Swisher is the least worthy of any player to break the starting lineup after a -1.1 WAR with a not off the charts .273 BABIP (.208 actual average). With little reason to believe things will turn around, the only thing keeping Swisher in the lineup is his salary. If Francona decides he wants to win more than Chris Antonetti wants to save face, Chisenhall, Murphy or Walters would be much better options.
Bench
C2(10) Roberto Perez
Options: Santana, Tony Wolters, Adam Moore and Brett Hayes
Perez stormed into the reserve catcher role last season after Santana and Kottaras both failed out. Perez brings great defense and a .271/.311/.365 line to a bench role. While he isn’t great enough to be a starter, this is fine as Gomes is among the three best starting catchers in the league.
CIF(12) Mike Aviles
Options: Moss, Chisenhall, Swisher, Aguilar, Gonzalez, Urshela, Ciriaco and Lindor
Aviles is the bench player most guaranteed a roster spot due to the Indians using his option for the 2015 season. He is decent defensively at three infield positions, is a slightly below average hitter and a very below average outfielder, making him a versatile player who should remain out of the daily line-up.
OF(13) David Murphy
Options: Moss, Bourn, Swisher, Aviles, Raburn, Walters, Holt, Moncrief, Destin Hood and Jerry Sands
With a $6M paycheck coming, Murphy can’t be kept off the roster without a trade or injury, but with the addition of Moss and reputation keeping Bourn and Swisher in the line-up, there is no obvious place for Murphy, so he will likely be called the fourth outfielder and keep Walters and Holt off the roster.
MIF(11) Ryan Raburn
Options: Kipnis, Aviles, Wolters, Erik Gonzalez, Urshela, Walters, Audy Ciriaco, Lindor or any player listed below as a Mid RP option.
If Swisher is the player who doesn’t deserve a starting role the most, Raburn doesn’t deserve a job at all. By being under contract, he is almost guaranteed a spot at this point, but by keeping one of the group of Walters, Holt or Aguilar off the team, he is costing the Indians double. If the Indians opt for an eight man bullpen, this would have to be the spot sacrificed.
Starting Rotation
Ace(14) Corey Kluber
Options: Carrasco
Winning a Cy Young might not get you paid, but it will guarantee you the ace role on the team. With the greatest pitching season for the Tribe since the 1970’s, Kluber is the obvious choice to lead the rotation.
SP2(15) Carlos Carrasco
Options: Kluber, Bauer, Floyd
With no options and incredible upside after a great finish to 2014, Carrasco will be in the rotation with a position yet to be determined. While he can be unpredictable, when he is at his best, he is unhittable, making him a good number two option.
SP3(16) Trevor Bauer
Options: Kluber, Carrasco, Floyd, Salazar
Bauer is also out of options and can also be both dominant and terribly wild. With more unpredictability and less upside than Carrasco, Bauer fits better further down the rotation, but will be a member.
SP4(17) Gavin Floyd
Options: Carrasco, Bauer, Salazar
Floyd was the Indians only significant free agent signing this off-season and has already been guaranteed a starting role with his $4M incentive laden deal. Exact positioning will be determined later, but if he throws in Spring like he did with the Braves last year, Floyd could be as high as number two.
SP5(18) Danny Salazar
Options: Carrasco, Bauer, Floyd, Cody Anderson, Charles Brewer, Ryan Merritt, McAllister, Josh Tomlin, Shaun Marcum, T.J. House
This is the only starting pitcher role available to the many contenders looking for a job. This group includes young phenoms like Salazar and Anderson, established starters, like McAllister and Tomlin and aging veterans like Marcum. Every legitimate pitcher here is out of options except for Salazar, so he may have to bite the bullet and head back to Columbus, but he is likely the most deserving of the job. Of the others, there will be more room on the roster, possibly as a reliever.
Bullpen
CP(19) Cody Allen
Options: Shaw, Crockett
Like many players expected to make the 25 man roster, Allen didn’t have this role going into 2014, but earned it during the year and played his way into a guaranteed role in 2015. With 24 saves in 28 chances, a 2.08 ERA and a record 11.8 K/9, there isn’t a closer in baseball the Indians would rather enter the season with.
SU(20) Bryan Shaw
Options: Allen, Rzepczynski, Lee, Atchison
Shaw lead the league in appearances in 2014 and will likely be the Indians most used back-end reliever again in 2015. While the bullpen looks a little deeper going into the next season than in the last, there is little competition on the level of Shaw.
LHP(21) Marc Rzepczynski
Options: Crockett, Nick Hagadone, Merritt, House, Roth, Maronde
Unlike the rotation or starting line-up, the actual order of the bullpen is largely irrelevant as pitchers will be used as they deserve to be once things get going. The important part is who will make the expected seven man bullpen and at least two of those pitchers will most likely be left handed, Rzepczynski and Crockett.
RHP(22) C.C. Lee
Options: Shaw, Atchison, Tomlin, Austin Adams, Anderson, Shawn Armstrong, McAllister, Brewer, Manship, Marcum, Molleken, Price, Anthony Swarzak
Lee is the pitcher most on the cusp of those projected to make the team. While he can be unpredictable, he can also be dominating and has stuff worth getting excited over. If he doesn’t make it, McAllister may be included as a short reliever or any of the other middle relief options could be given a chance.
Mid RP(23) Kyle Crockett
Options: Rzepczynski, Lee, Atchison, Tomlin, Adams, Anderson, Armstrong, Brewer, Merritt, Hagadone, House, McAllister, Michael Roth, Jeff Manship, Marcum, Nick Maronde, Dustin Molleken, Bryan Price, Swarzak
With a 1.80 ERA overall and a .206 BAA against lefties in 44 appearances in 2014, Crockett deserves a bullpen spot as much as any pitcher. At 23, he has a good chance to be the next in strong line of dominant, young relievers.
Mid RP(24) Scott Atchison
Options: Same as above
Atchison may be 15 years older than Crockett (not 50 as some claim), but he was also an important member of the 2014 pen and with a $900K extension and an option for 2016, he is guaranteed a spot. The Indians will be best off if he has a low impact role, but if necessary, he could pitch in the clutch as he did from time to time last year.
Long RP (25) Zach McAllister
Options: Tomlin, Lee, Atchison, Crockett, Adams, Anderson, Armstrong, Brewer, Merritt, House
Both Tomlin and McAllister started to turn things around last year once they joined the bullpen and since both are out of options, one will almost certainly take this role. With a 2.77 ERA and 9.7 K/9 in relief (compared to 5.67 ERA and 7.6 K/9 as a starter), McAllister seems the best choice, although not much would be lost if both were let go and another from the list were given this spot.
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