Cleveland Indians: A postseason roster roundtable discussion

The Cleveland Indians have a lot of tough decisions in the coming days, so the writers of Believeland Ball decided to debate who is in and who is out when it comes to this year’s postseason roster.

Before we get started, it’s important to note that the majority of the Cleveland Indians playoff roster is set.

Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin are the four starters. Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Andrew Miller, Dan Otero, Mike Clevinger, Joe Smith and Tyler Olson are in the bullpen.

Jay Bruce, Jason Kipnis, Austin Jackson and Lonnie Chisenhall are in the outfield. Carlos Santana, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez are all in the infield.

That leaves four spots open. And Michael Brantley is a wild card. Between two and four pitchers and between two and three fielders are left to choose from.

Matt, Steven, Duane, Brandon, Jake and Dan all offer their opinions on some of the remaining questions before it’s time to finalize the roster.

How many pitchers will the team carry?

Dan: I expect the Cleveland Indians to carry a total of 13 arms. The rotation (Kluber, Carrasco, Bauer, and Tomlin) has already been set, and I would predict the bullpen to carry Allen, Miller, Shaw, Otero, Clevinger, McAllister, Olson, Goody and Smith.

Brandon: I believe the team will opt to keep 11 pitchers on the 25-man for the ALDS. The locks listed above plus Joe Smith. I do not know that the team can trust Danny Salazar, even for a couple of relief innings.

He was headed toward a dominant starting arm option before his second DL stint. After he came back that second time it was like he reverted to earlier in the year. He was all over the place and had no command. It is hard to give a pitcher who has struggled more often than not the nod over a proven bullpen arm like Smith.

Jake: My hunch is that they will carry 12, especially in the ALDS where the best-of-five format is a more friendly set-up.

Duane: I expect the Tribe to keep between 13 and 14 pitchers during each series of the postseason, starting with 14 during the ALDS. With so many fielders who can play so many different positions, it makes sense to have matchup guys like Olson, Goody and McAllister as well as keeping Tomlin, Salazar and Clevinger all available. It gives them so much flexibility.

Matt: I would only keep 11 pitchers. There are too many off days in the playoffs to keep more than that, especially in the first round. By leaving off Salazar, my bullpen would then be Cody Allen, Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw, Joe Smith, Tyler Olson, Nick Goody and Mike Clevinger.

Steven: I agree with Dan when he says the team will carry 13 pitchers. My only differing viewpoint is that the team will carry Salazar instead of Otero. Salazar has been unreliable at times, but he is too talented to leave off the roster in October.

Who starts at third base?

Dan: Third base is an interesting topic, and the Tribe is fortunate to have a lot of different routes they can take. They could opt for the defense of Giovanny Urshela, or Yandy Diaz. Diaz has not only handled the bat much better than he did early in the year, but his glove has been better than expected. It would be my guess that they will opt for Yandy, although Urshela may actually be the better choice.

Brandon: The Indians are in a bind as they have moved Kipnis to the outfield. This moves Ramirez over to second in his absence. I believe they will keep this arrangement for at least the ALDS.

Tito is known to place defense above offense in a lot of his decisions but when you have defense that is so close between Gonzalez and Urshela you take the better hitter. Urshela has had a decent September but his overall performance since being called up in July is poor. Urshela’s glove is sensational but his offense lags behind Gonzalez.

Gonzalez has great defense in his own right and has 2B/3B versatility to allow Ramirez to play either or as well. Diaz has been hot on offense and is no slouch with the glove so I believe Diaz and Gonzalez will be on the ALDS roster.

Jake: I prefer Gio Urshella to Yandy Diaz, but that’s just me. Gio is obviously the better defender, but Yandy carries the better batting profile. My lean to Gio is due to his improved plate numbers in September. Either choice won’t carry any experience and be a liability in the lineup overall. I still prefer Gio for the upside and safety at third.

Duane: I’ll go out on a limb here and say that Ramirez starts at third base. Kipnis has spent enough time in the outfield, and it’s not great. I get easing him back into it, but our best possible lineup does not have Gio or Yandy in it. Put Jackson in center (or Lonnie), and push Kip back to second with Jose at third.

Matt: I’d love to see Gonzalez get some starts at third base, but with how the Indians have handled him that’s a long-shot at best. Urshela can’t hit anyone but does play very good defense. Versus righties I’d be willing to punt offense for defense (again, assuming the Indians won’t put Kipnis at second and Ramirez at third).

On offense, a lot depends on health, especially in the outfield. I already touched on what I’d do on the infield, keeping Jason Kipnis there instead of the outfield but assuming Kipnis is starting in center field and not second base, I’d use a platoon at third base. Yandy Diaz has been great versus left-handed pitching but struggled against righties.

Steven: Given Diaz is healthy, I think he will start and Urshela will relieve him late in games. If he isn’t healthy, I’d agree with Duane and say Ramirez could slide back over to third and that Kipnis could go back to second base. If Francona is set on Kipnis playing, having him in center field for an entire game may not be the smartest move. Kipnis can even start at second, but have Ramirez slide over and Urshela come in at third late in games.

What happens if (when) Michael Brantley returns?

Dan: While I have very high doubts that Michael Brantley will be on the ALDS roster, it could entirely change the outlook of the roster. In my mind, should Brantley return, we could see Kipnis back at second, Jose at third, Brantley in left and Chisenhall/Jackson in center. The Indians did show gratitude to Yan Gomes last year by including him on the roster after a tough fight back from injury, perhaps we will see the same with Brantley this year.

Brandon: If Brantley returns the coaches will need to determine how effective he can be. I do not believe he has enough time to return and get into a game before the ALDS and I don’t think the team will risk pushing him out as soon as he is back and make his first games back the Division Series games.

Brantley’s swing is a simple one so for him it would be more about tracking pitches and timing. I believe he could come back no problem and hit but the main concern would be he has not played since August 8. I believe he has missed too much time to make the ALDS roster even if he comes back in time.

Jake: I would like to see just how he returns first. For a guy who just started jogging again, expecting him to run in left would be a stretch. All signs point to him being a great pinch-hitting option vs. RHP if needed.

Duane: Michael Brantley will not play in the ALDS; it won’t be necessary. So for the ALCS, when the breaks between games are longer, I believe that the Tribe drops a pitcher and puts Brantley in the lineup. I have a feeling that he will be eased back in, maybe 5-6 innings at a time, similar to what Kipnis is doing.

Matt: Sure, he’s a wild card and maybe won’t be even at 80 percent, but he could be a nice piece off the bench. If he’s not healthy though, I’d still consider Abraham Almonte as well or even Gonzalez due to his flexibility.

Steven: If Brantley is deemed ready to return I think Francona will carry him on the active roster. He would likely only be used as a pinch hitter, but Tito respects his veterans and a move like this would make sense from him.

Who’s a wild card?

Dan: The guy who has the highest chance of making the postseason roster as a wild card to me is Greg Allen. Allen’s speed and glove have been showcased since his September call-up, and while his bat is somewhat behind he may be a last-minute addition due to the outfield injuries.

Brandon: The wild card for this roster will be Greg Allen. Allen’s speed is a dynamic piece that could provide a spark late in a game either stealing bases or making great catches in the outfield. His legs could mean the difference in saving or getting a big run. He has been great defensively but his offense has not been good. He is an intriguing and possible surprise addition to the ALDS roster in my eyes.

Nick Goody is also a wild card. He has had very good year this season with a 2.70 ERA, .193 avg against, and a 1.07 WHIP. It seems as though all of his appearances have been very good whether they were high-leverage or just to get work.

Jake: Greg Allen is the wild card for me. His inexperience is scary, sure, but he can really provide that center field defense needed in the clutch defensive innings. Switch hitting also helps.

Duane: Just like everyone else, I believe that Greg Allen could make the roster with least amount of experience. He’s fast, a switch hitter, and ace fielder who can play all three positions, and he has a little pop in his bat. He’s the type of guy who could play three innings for the whole playoffs and make a massive impact by scoring three runs.

Matt: My one big roster decision I already talked about is I’d use a three-man rotation for the ALDS and keep an extra position player. A ton depends on how Kipnis is used. He is a waste in the outfield to me but alas, that seems to be the route the Indians are going.

Steven: To shift from Allen, mine would be Salazar. He reminded us a few days ago why he is considered such a special pitcher, but this bullpen is so stacked it may be difficult to fit him in when he doesn’t have as much experience in that role.

Who would you be most surprised if left off the roster?

Dan: The guy most deserving of a spot who likely will not get one is Erik Gonzalez. Gonzalez has been an extremely solid utility infielder for most of the year, but with 13 pitchers on the roster he may be the odd man out.

Brandon: I would be very surprised to see Brandon Guyer left off this roster. He has had a down year compared to his 2016 campaign but has still been better against lefty pitchers. He had a hotter month of August but has overall been cold with the bat in his hands. He has valuable experience from last year’s run, however, and can provide veteran leadership and focus for the rest of the team.

Jake: I lean toward Yandy or Tomlin. Most have expected Yandy to be a sure thing, but his recent minor injury and Gio’s improved contact rate have changed things. Personally, I don’t think Tomlin should be on the roster, but Tito points to it happening in a Game 4. I’d like to be surprised in this matter.

Duane: I just don’t think Guyer has done enough to warrant a roster spot. If it comes down to him, Almonte and Allen, the latter two have more to offer. Even then, now that Kipnis can play outfield, Santana plays a little outfield, and we’ve seen Yandy Diaz play outfield, there just doesn’t seem to be enough room for Guyer on this roster.

Matt: I love what Salazar can bring, and he showed once again this week how great he can be when he’s on, but he can still be very unpredictable. If Salazar is not the “number four starter” I keep him off the ALDS roster. He is probably the guy I’d be most surprised to see left off the roster.

Next: Will Bruce be on the team in 2018?

Steven: I’d be shocked if Allen is left off the roster because of his abilities on the bases and in the field. He may be considered a liability at the plate because of his inexperience, but having him come in to run late in a game could be the ultimate difference in a key situation.