Cleveland Indians: Three free agents who could jolt offense

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Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Three free agents who could jolt the offense of the Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians offense has been hit and miss so far this season and while they have the occasional outburst for seven runs, they will have two or three games surrounding the outburst of one or two runs at best. What the Tribe could opt to do in the meantime is add a free agent bat to create a bridge that would allow the players in the minors to come into their own a bit more.

Now, if you’re here looking for young names that Cleveland could sign, unfortunately you’ll have to wait until November. At this point in the season, all the young names with production or potential have been signed elsewhere and what remains are players who had their prime in the range of five years ago at least. They aren’t flashy anymore, but they still might be able to get the job done.

The Tribe have played with this idea in the past, most notably signing Carlos Gonzalez in 2019 for what was only a few months to provide some burst to the lineup while the younger players in the organization knocked off the rust in the first few months. Gonzalez only played 30 games for the Tribe and didn’t play well, but he filled the role he was brought in to do.

The Cleveland Indians will soon have players ready in the minors, but they might need a little more time to be ready. In the meantime, the front office needs to find solutions to provide runs to keep the team competitive until those players are ready to make the jump to the big leagues. While these three players might not grab headlines anymore, they might be able to come in for a few months and provide some run production. Just remember, they probably aren’t the names you were hoping to see, but they are all that’s left on the market.

Ryan Braun #8 of the Milwaukee Brewers (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

Ryan Braun, 1B/OF

It seems as though Ryan Braun might be retired, but perhaps the idea of playing again might be catching on now that the season is underway and he would have skipped over Spring Training. If convincing him to come back is a possibility, then the Cleveland Indians might be inclined to pick up the phone and give it a try.

Braun’s last All-Star appearance was 2015 and he received a handful of MVP votes in 2016, but his 2020 campaign was a fry car from those days, slashing .233/.281/.488 with only eight home runs. While there has been a steady decline in his game, Braun still showed flashes during the 2019 season that might be enough to interest teams in a brief stint if Braun would be interested.

During 2019, Braun slashed a much better .285/.343/.505 with 31 doubles and 22 home runs. Being that he plays first base and outfield, he could very easily fill the same exact role as the struggling Jake Bauers with the potential for far more offensive production.

If Braun wants to stay retired, there’s respect for that. He played 14 seasons and they were all in Milwaukee. If it’s being done with the game, not wanting to play for a different team or something else entirely, that makes sense. However, if there’s any inkling or itch to play again, then the Tribe might be a good fit. It wouldn’t hurt to give him a call and ask.

Matt Kemp #25 of the Colorado Rockies (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

Matt Kemp, OF

If you thought Ryan Braun was old, I raise you Matt Kemp. At 36-years old, Kemp has 15 years of major league experience under his belt and while, like Braun, he fell off of late he’s still only a few years removed from an All-Star appearance in 2018.

Kemp has played just 63 games over the last two seasons and they weren’t his best stats, but there still might be some pop left in his bat that the Cleveland Indians could use in their lineup. In limited action last season, he still clubbed six home runs for the Rockies.

Despite being a two-time Gold Glove winner, the biggest downside for Kemp at this point in his career is that he doesn’t seem like he can play the field anymore, which is part of the reason he couldn’t find a team this year. Last year he benefited from the National League adding a DH, but with pitchers hitting again this year he was left without a role. The story would be similar in Cleveland as it would force either Kemp or Franmil Reyes into the outfield.

If the Tribe feel like they can trust Reyes in the outfield for a month or two, Kemp could fill a spot in the lineup that would allow Cleveland to play with some different ideas in terms of positions. That could mean Reyes in the outfield and Josh Naylor at first, like they did against Cincinnati, or something completely different. Again, it doesn’t seem likely but there isn’t much to work with at the moment in free agency.

Edwin Encarnacion #10 of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

Edwin Encarnacion, 1B

Despite being the oldest player of this trio at 38-years old, Edwin Encarnacion might be the most likely to actually strike a deal with the Cleveland Indians. Two years and three teams removed from his two-year stay in Cleveland, Encarnacion might be in the mix to return to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

Batting average has never been a forte for Encarnacion, but slashing .157/.250/.377 in 2020 paired with the removed of the NL DH really damaged his prospects for this year. Even so, he was still able to knock 10 home runs over 44 games. The bigger question, though, would be if Encarnacion can play first base.

A .157 average would still be an improvement over Bauers at the moment, so if Encarnacion can play first that might be a possibility. He didn’t play the position in 2020, but in 2019 he totaled 57 games at the position with a .996 fielding percentage, committing just two errors over 489 innings.

Encarnacion is a familiar face in Cleveland and while most of the players he played with have moved on he still has a history with the front office and Terry Francona. If a temporary first basemen is needed in the lineup, he’s the best option the Tribe will find in free agency.

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Three free agents who could jolt the offense of the Cleveland Indians

Ryan Braun, 1B/OF

Matt Kemp, OF

Edwin Encarnacion, 1B

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