Cleveland Indians: 3 players the Tribe should call up in September

The Cleveland Indians have one more year to call up essentially any player on their 40-man starting September 1 before the rule change takes effect. There are a few players that should get that call to potentially impact the team down the stretch.

Major League Baseball announced some rule changes this spring before the season for 2019 and 2020. One of the changes that will begin affecting the Cleveland Indians, as well as the rest of the league, in 2020 is the 40-man September call-ups where the number will be cut down to just 28 on the roster.

The team has some holes that I don’t think any minor league player is going to fill but the call-ups never hurt. They can help give the key guys days off down the stretch for possible postseason play while simultaneously getting a young kid valuable action at the big league level.

September call-ups in a pennant race are tricky. In the position the Indians are in, the regular guys need to be playing every single day but if someone can make a big impact, calling them up could be wise.

The Indians have a lot of young talent in the farm system but only a few of them would be able to possibly make a big impact in 2019, and if they could they would likely be up already. There are three players that I would love to see called up that could actually help the team in the stretch run to catch the Twins or secure a wild card spot.

The Indians will likely call up more than three, but in spirit of the new rule that will go into effect, I am looking at three players that could get the call-up. Three is all they will be able to call up starting in September 2020 and beyond.

Cam Hill – reliever, Columbus Clippers

Hill is a Rule 5 draft eligible player this year. They could take the September call-up time to put him on the 40-man roster to protect him and then call him up to see what he has in the majors.

In 20 appearances in Columbus, Hill has a 3-2 record, 3,.77 ERA, 47 K, 11 BB, 27 hits and 13 ER. His ERA has taken a major hit in his last two appearances where he has given up seven runs on six hits in just 0.2 innings pitched.

In his previous 18 appearances, he gave up just 20 hits and six earned runs over 30.1 innings pitched. If the Indians want to see what he has, now would be the time.

The team would have to feel comfortable that his last couple outings are not indicative of a decline from his entire body of work. The bullpen is strong this season but with some guys struggling as of late, it never hurts to see another arm.

Hill won’t come in and be Andrew Miller in 2016, but he could help give some guys more rest than they would without the extra arms. It also gives the Indians a look at a young arm they could use in 2020 and beyond.

Daniel Johnson – outfielder, Columbus Clippers

Daniel Johnson was a piece involved in the trade with Washington that sent Yan Gomes to D.C. Johnson has torn up the minor leagues since coming over and is pushing for a 2020 outfield position.

Many fans have wanted to see him with the big league club and rightfully so. He played well in Akron early to earn the call up to Columbus and has taken every opportunity there to elevate even further.

He is slashing .313/.378/.502 in Triple-A with eight home runs and 43 runs batted in at the time of this writing. He has also stolen six bases and has a very good 123 wRC+.

Johnson is the Indians 16th rated prospect in their farm system but has performed like a top 10 guy. The Indians outfield got a boost with Oscar Mercado‘s call up mid-season and he has played well overall but he hasn’t been elite.

The team also went out and got Yasiel Puig at the deadline who is holding down the everyday right field duties. Where Johnson could see time in September would be either platooning with Mercado or in left field in place of Greg Allen‘s days in the field when Tyler Naquin does not play.

Guys like Eric Haase, Jake Bauers, Logan Allen and Bobby Bradley also get an honorable mention as they all have big league experience in the big leagues and could offer some depth in the last month of the season.

Unlike in recent years, the Cleveland Indians are in the midst of a pennant race and every day matters the rest of the season. This will keep them from getting younger guys much of a look but the guys mentioned throughout this piece could actually help the team as they try to catch Minnesota and pursue October baseball.