Cleveland Indians: Five players to target in the Rule 5 Draft

OF Moises Gomez, Tampa Bay Rays

With a strong enough outfield in the majors that allowed the Tampa Bay Rays to designate Hunter Renfrow for assignment, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see them leave an outfielder off their 40-man roster. The No. 15 prospect in the Rays’ organization, Moises Gomez is another player that could slide into the Indians’ outfield rotation.

Like Baddoo, Gomez has a skill set that the Cleveland Indians can find a role for during the 2021 season. At just 22-years old, Gomez has a lot of potential and was originally projected to debut in 2021.

While Baddoo’s strengths came on the base paths, Gomez’s strengths are in the field. Having played all three outfield positions through the minor leagues, Gomez has a career fielding percentage of .970. Center field proved to be the most difficult for him at .958, but the corner outfield spots came naturally, registering a fielding percentage of .972 in both left and right.

There’s also been flashes of power from Gomez. During the 2019 season he hit 16 home runs with High-A Charlotte after belting 19 during the 2018 season with Single-A Bowling Green.

Baddoo and Gomez are both intriguing prospects for the Cleveland Indians. It could come down to what the Tribe are looking for as both have very different skill sets. Regardless, either one could be a valuable selection in the Rule 5 Draft.