Cleveland Indians: Three last chance prospects this spring

Jake Bauers

For starters, we have to take a moment to recognize the sunglasses that Jake Bauers brought to Spring Training, or maybe they are ski goggles? Like his eyewear, Bauers is going to need to stand out this spring to have a shot at the roster.

The good news for Bauers is that of the players on this list he’s the most versatile and his versatility comes at two positions that are likely to have question marks around them heading into the season. First base and the corner outfield positions are the biggest “concerns” for the Cleveland Indians and Bauers could play both.

At first base, he’ll mainly be competing with Bobby Bradley and possibly Nolan Jones. As for the outfield, the list is much longer. Since arriving in Cleveland, Bauers has played 117 games for the Tribe, all being in 2019 after not appearing in 2020. Normally, the sign of not making it to the big leagues last year would be a red flag, but neither did Bradley or Jones.

For Bauers to make the roster this season it might take an all-around improvement. Bradley has looked better in the field and already flexed his power. While Bauers might be a more balanced player, the improvements that Bradley is showing doesn’t bode well for Bauers.