Cleveland Indians: Five players to watch in Double-A or below

Bo Naylor

While the Cleveland Indians aren’t in need of a catcher this season, the contract of current catchers Roberto Perez and Austin Hedges present the opportunity for Bo Naylor to crack the big leagues in the relatively near future. Hedges has one year of arbitration left while Perez has a $7 million club option for 2022, meaning that a successful campaign for Naylor in 2021 could result in some changes as early as next year.

The brother of Josh Naylor, Bo was the Tribe’s first round pick during the 2018 MLB Draft and is still just 21-years old. Like others on this list, his minor league experience is slim and hasn’t been above Single-A, making this season a very telling one for Naylor. He also saw some action during Spring Training this season, going 4-for-10 at the plate with a home run over eight games.

Naylor has some work to do both offensively and defensively. His bat has been middle of the road in the minors and his glove has been average as well. However, tracking his progress should be a sign of what will come this next offseason for Cleveland. If he plays well and shows he could be ready, then a change to the roster could be in the works. If not, both Perez and Hedges have another year on the books before the team has to get creative with the position.