Cleveland Indians: Three players with something to prove in 2021

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Bobby Bradley #40 of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Three players with something to prove to the Cleveland Indians in 2021

With the Cleveland Indians shedding payroll this offseason there will be a handful of new faces in the lineup at the start of the 2021 season. While some of the gaps are still in flux, depending on what happens the rest of the offseason, we can already get a grasp for what players will see expanded roles in the upcoming year.

The team will be without Carlos Santana and Cesar Hernandez as of now, two players that entered free agency with Santana signing with Kansas City. In addition to those two there is also the expected trade of Francisco Lindor, whether it be to the Blue Jays, the Mets or some other team. On top of all that is the fact that the Cleveland Indians’ outfield has been a mess for the last couple of seasons.

Normally, there would be outside players brought in to fill the gaps or bridge to the future, but that doesn’t seem to be the case this year. You can call it cutting payroll from financial restrictions brought on by COVID or maybe it’s just the team entering a planned rebuild. Whatever the reason, majority of the answers will have to come from within the organization.

The players that will be given those opportunities could have a wide range of expectations. Some will be top tier prospects that will have a lot to live up to while others will be playing for not only their role, but maybe even their careers.

Of the players given the chance, these three will have the most to prove given their expectations and previous performances with the opportunity to become everyday starters for the Cleveland Indians. While all three have open spots ahead of them, they’ll need to impress with every chance they get to capture the role of being the main guy at their respective positions for the Tribe.

Yu Chang

One of the more difficult holes to fill for the Cleveland Indians will be second base where Cesar Hernandez was outstanding this past season. However, the player that will get the chance has been with organization for a while and has been waiting for the opportunity to start.

Having played just 38 games at the major league level, Yu Chang is expected to be given the role of second base in the upcoming 2021 season. Of the 38 played, Chang has started 24 games with majority being at third. Over his time in Cleveland he’s played in 28 games at third base, 12 at shortstop and two at second.

Should Lindor be traded, Chang could also be the one to play short. Regardless, it can assumed that he will have a big opportunity in 2021 that could come at multiple positions and see him starting almost every day.

For Chang this will be his best opportunity yet. He came up as a third basemen and was blocked by Jose Ramirez. Now, he will finally get his chance in the starting lineup.

Over his career, Chang has committed just one error on 63 chances in the field, coming at second base. As for at the plate he’s slashed just .179/.289/.262 which will need some improvement. In a larger sample size it will be interesting to see if those numbers improve and if the defense can stay at such a high level.

Bobby Bradley

It feels like it was just a few years ago that we were talking about who would replace Carlos Santana at first base. It feels like that because it’s true. The last time around it seemed like Bobby Bradley was the future of the position, but just wasn’t ready. Fast forward to now and Bradley has barely been given a chance and is being pushed aside by some.

During the 2019 season fans were clamoring for Bradley to be given a chance after blasting 33 home runs for Triple-A Columbus over the course of 107 games. The Indians gave Bradley a shot, but it was only for 15 games in which he struggled to find a rhythm.

In those 15 games, Bradley played first in just five and was the designated hitter in another eight, totaling 13 games started. In the field he committed two errors for a .951 fielding percentage while hitting just one home run at the plate.

With the rumor of the Indians trying top prospect Nolan Jones at first base, there is reason to speculate that the team doesn’t want Bradley in the field. Additionally, Franmil Reyes seems to be the designated hitter which could leave Bradley as the odd man out.

If given the opportunity again after not playing in 2020, Bradley will need to show that he can not only transfer his bat to the majors, but that there has also been improvement in the field.

Daniel Johnson

The Cleveland Indians have been searching for answers in the outfield for a couple seasons now and there just haven’t been many. Despite that, they haven’t really given Daniel Johnson an opportunity, having played just five games at the major league level.

Part of that can be attributed to the shortened 2020 season and there not being any minor leagues, but Johnson is another player that impressed at Columbus and seemed like a promising prospect.

In his five games, Johnson played four games in right and one in left. With right field being one of the larger question marks of the team, Johnson could be turned to again. He registered just one hit in 12 at-bats, but if he has the opportunity to clean up his game at the Triple-A level at the start of the season, then his numbers could improve.

His performance in Columbus during the 2019 season was a much better indication of what could be. Not only did he slash .306/.371/.496, but he was able to able to total 44 RBI and five triples.

With so few answers in the outfield, Johnson should be given a chance at some point. He might start behind the eight ball after last year’s struggles, but that could quickly be erased if he shows new life in 2021.

Next. 3 possible Lindor trades to New York Mets. dark

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Three players with something to prove to the Cleveland Indians in 2021

Yu Chang

Bobby Bradley

Daniel Johnson

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