Cleveland Indians Don’t Need to Add Another Outfielder

But What About Left Field?

Now I know what you’re thinking: I’ve forgotten about left field.  As most know, Michael Brantley will be out until at least May after having shoulder surgery earlier this offseason.  Someone (or someones) will have to fill in for him for at least a month (and maybe more).  Thankfully the Cleveland Indians have a few options to fill in for a month or so. Joey Butler, acquired from the Rays this winter, has very little big league experience (only 102 games), but in his short time in the show he has hit a very respectful .274/.330/.412 with a 109 wRC+ and eight home runs in just 297 plate appearances. He’s also produced a +2 DRS in leftfield in his short career.  He’s hit both righties and lefties reasonably well (wRC+ over 100 versus both).

Another option would be utility man Jose Ramirez. Ramirez really struggled offensively at the outset of 2015, but in the second half he posted a very respectable .775 OPS and 114 wRC+.  His OBP was a solid .337 and he actually walked more than he struck out (19 BB to 15 K). He only played two games in the outfield for the big league club but has experience there in the minors and figures to take over the role left by veteran Mike Aviles, so more time in the outfield should be expected.

Rajai Davis will likely get a decent amount of time in left field as well. He did hit right-handed pitching rather well in 2015 for the Detroit Tigers and he’s a veteran that can take on the extra workload while the team waits for their star to return in Brantley.  In fact it wouldn’t be a bad idea to platoon a guy like Butler with Almonte, letting Davis play both left field and center field depending on the situation.

Another option could be prospect Tyler Naquin. Naquin, a gifted defender at all three outfield spots, has hit very well in his short time with Triple-A Columbus batting .263 with a .784 OPS and 127 wRC+.  The problem with Naquin has been health the last few years. He’s missed time in both 2014 and 2015 with injuries, so he’s only gotten 50 games at the Triple-A level and probably could stand for more time there and is probably more a long-shot option at this point. 

Next: Cleveland Indians: Tigers and Cavs Using Similar Tactics

Far From Perfect, But Not a Black Hole

While the idea of platoons and defense-first players isn’t likely to pique the interest of the common fan, it’s a concept that has the ability to be very effective for the Indians.  Don’t get me wrong, it would be nice if the Indians could add an outfielder like the Tigers just did with Justin Upton, but the Indians just aren’t in a position to be able to spend like that. They need to be smart and economical about filling holes, and using platoons and maximizing value on defense is a smart way to go about it.

So despite the perception that the Cleveland Indians’ outfield is a black hole that’s completely void of any talent with Michael Brantley on the shelf, if Terry Francona is able to maximize the usage of each player he has on the roster the Tribe has a chance to be above average at all three outfield spots without a single addition from outside the organization.  Is the outfield perfect? Far from it. Can the Tribe outfield produce at a better than league-average rate? In my opinion, it absolutely can (with the proper use of platoons).