Weekly Wroundtable: What to Do With Cleveland Indians’ Jose Ramirez

It’s Time For Lindor… or Even Aviles

May 12, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians shortstop Jose Ramirez (11) rounds third en route to scoring during the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Cody Norman: I’m not sure if “give up” is the right way to put it. I think the Indians should certainly cut their losses at this point this season and send Ramirez back to Triple-A where he can get regular at-bats and work through this funk. But it’s far too premature to give up on him. He was productive last season and, at 22 years old, there’s little reason to believe Ramirez can’t become a productive major league player. He’s just not there right now. If the Tribe is serious about competing, they have to figure out a way to get more production out of their shortstop position. Ramirez is hitting just .185/.237/.250 (as of Wednesday) this season, and he appears to be an automatic out every time he comes to the plate. That just can’t continue to happen. Whether it’s Francisco Lindor or a combination of Mike Aviles and Zach Walters at the position, manager Terry Francona has to find a way to get more. What’s the harm in giving Lindor a shot? At worst, he’s a significant increase defensively — and this team needs defense bad.

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Nick Blazek: The answer lies somewhere in between. Ramirez isn’t helping the Indians right now, and they have an option in Mike Aviles. Lindor should get his opportunity sooner than later. I’m for now, but many naysayers don’t agree. So send Ramirez down to Columbus, let him work things out, let Aviles fill in, and be ready to pull the trigger on Lindor soon. Ramirez isn’t “done”, but he may need some time to get back on track.

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Not everyone wants Lindor, but there is a strong argument for sending Ramirez to Triple-A…

Next: Ramirez Needs Some Time in Columbus