Cleveland Indians: Players with outside shots at an Opening Day roster spot

There are less than 60 days until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training in Goodyear, Arizona. The Cleveland Indians will have a lot of spots already locked up but who has an outside shot to make it?

The Cleveland Indians will begin Spring Training in under two months. Most of the initial 25-man roster will be set but there are a few spots that could be taken.

The Indians have a fairly good farm system to help offset any holes in the roster at the start of the season. Of course, right now, the Indians have a large hole at first base that needs to be addressed.

While Bobby Bradley is a talented player with potential, I do not see him fit to take over yet or even this season. The Indians will likely sign a stop-gap free agent or do some shifting with current players. With that said, a potential move to first for Michael Brantley could open up a spot for one young outfielder.

Greg Allen burst onto the scene last season appearing in 25 games. He showed off his blazing speed first and foremost, as well as his glove work.

With Bradley Zimmer in center, it will be a lot harder for Allen to crack the roster as he is also a center-fielder. He does not profile as a full-time corner outfielder, thus he could make the roster as a utility outfielder.

Francisco Mejia could have an easier road to the 25-man roster. With Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez performing less than ideally at the plate, Mejia’s offensive intrigue could get him in the door.

There is no doubt Gomes and Perez are excellent defenders behind the dish but the offense has not been there. Gomes has been down ever since his Silver Slugger year in 2014 due to injuries and just plain falling off.

Perez has not fared better at all and has actually been a tick worse at the plate. He was a hero in October of 2016 homering twice in Game 1 of the World Series, but that was an outlier to his normal production.

Mejia has offensive potential that is through the roof with a career .293/.349/.447 slash line in the minors. He is most known for his amazing 50-game hit streak in 2016.

Regardless of level, that type of streak is very impressive. His offensive potential could leak into Spring Training and tempt the Tribe to put him on the Opening Day roster.

The Indians also have guys who have zero options remaining that will look to make a mark in the spring. Guys like Giovanny Urshela, Erik Gonzalez and Ryan Merritt all have no options and will give a last push to make their mark.

The Indians also recently signed outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. The 33-year-old outfielder signed a minor league deal with a spring invitation.

His career has been up and down since he signed a massive deal with Atlanta in 2012. He will need to have a very good spring to beat out current Indians for a spot in the outfield. The injury to Brandon Guyer could make the path a little easier for the new signing.

Next: Ranking Terry Francona among the team’s best managers

Spring Training baseball is not always the most fun to watch for the average fan but it could provide some intrigue in 2018. There are many guys who will be looking to prove they belong on the roster to help compete for a third straight division title.