Cleveland Indians: Potential replacements at first base for Carlos Santana

Jake Bauers

After struggling to settle in with the Indians during the 2019 season, a door might have just opened for Jake Bauers to have a role during the 2021 season. Bauers played 117 games with the Tribe during the 2019 season, spending time at first base and in left field, but didn’t see any playing time during the shortened 2020 campaign.

With Santana now gone, Bauers will be given the chance to step up to become the team’s first baseman. During the 2019 season he played 31 games at first, totaling 213 innings at the position. Over that span he committed just two errors for a .990 fielding percentage. Those numbers are rather consistent over his major league career as well.

In total, Bauers has 839 2/3 innings played at first between his time in Tampa and Cleveland. He only has seven errors at the position for a .991 career fielding percentage at first base.

His offense could use some improvement, but has shown flashes while his defense has been impressive. If anything, Bauers could make his way onto the roster as a defensive first baseman to use in later innings and maybe spot starts here and there if he can’t prove to be an everyday player.