Cleveland Indians: Redrafting First Round Picks from 2010-2016

The Pick

With the fifth overall pick in the 2013 Draft, Cleveland selected high school outfielder Clint Frazier from the state of Georgia.

Despite the excitement he generated as a top-five draft pick, the Indians let him go in 2016 as he was traded to the New York Yankees in a deal that landed Cleveland left-handed reliever Andrew Miller.

The trade was beneficial for Cleveland in the short-term as Miller was named 2016 ALCS MVP as he helped guide them to the World Series in 2016 and back to October in both 2017 and 2018, but long-term has hurt as the Indians currently are in need of outfield help.

With the Yankees, Fraizer has struggled to find major league reps given New York’s outfield surplus but did crack the starting lineup in 2020 and put together a breakout season both at the plate and in the field, where he was a Gold Glove finalist in left field.

Redraft

The Indians had the right idea by taking an outfielder, but they simply took the wrong one. Aaron Judge went off the board to the Yankees with the 32nd overall pick which would’ve been an upgrade for Cleveland but looking even further, Cody Bellinger fell to the fourth round and the Dodgers.

Bellinger, who wound up being the steal of the 2013 Draft, is just 25-years old but has already played in three World Series with one win, has twice been named an All-Star, won 2017 NL Rookie of the Year honors, 2018 NLCS MVP honors, a Gold Glove Award, Sliver Slugger Award and in 2019 was named NL MVP.

If the Indians had taken him at fifth overall, they’d have their franchise player to build around as he’s not set to hit the open market until 2024.