Cleveland Indians: Four prospects who could be the next player called up

Four prospects who could be the next player the Cleveland Indians call up

The Cleveland Indians made their first roster move of the season this past weekend when they sent down Ben Gamel and called up Sam Hentges, a 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher. While sending down Gamel should come as no surprise following his early season struggles that included being hitless for the first 10-games, the decision to bring up Hentges was one that left more than a few people scratching their heads.

Given the bullpen’s heavy usage in the days prior to the move, covering for the poor and short-lived starts, adding another arm to the pen made sense. Primarily a starting pitcher, Hentges offered the opportunity to eat up a lot of innings should another early exit occur. However, sending down Gamel and not bringing up a position player left a gap in terms of depth.

The Cleveland Indians will be able to manage just fine, especially when you have players like Amed Rosario who play both infield and outfield. But depth and production are two different things and the next call up could be for the latter.

Both the center field position as well as first base have lacked production so far in this young season. Normally there would be some patience to see if anything comes of the players in the roles, but the Tribe are in a situation where patience might not be the priority. Both positions have players in the minor leagues, or alternate site as of now, that could contribute right now. Whether it be impressive Triple-A stints of the past or strong Spring Training showings, in some cases both, these players deserve a chance to show what they can do.

The original hope coming out of Spring Training was that these players would settle in and everything would go smoothly. However, rough starts will force the hand of the team to change their course of action and these five players are the ones that should get the next shot at being the answer.