Cleveland Indians: Three players with something to prove in 2021

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.