Cleveland Indians: 3 things to address if the Tribe want to win AL Central

Three things to address if the Cleveland Indians want to win the AL Central

Entering the series against the Chicago Cubs, the Cleveland Indians were sitting in second place and just a single game back of first place in the American League Central after just over a month of competition. With an 18-14 record, the Tribe trail just the Chicago White Sox in the division race and while the season is still young, early indications are overall positive for Cleveland.

In a season that had low expectations after dealing away star shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Tribe have managed to have a very similar start to the year. The 18-14 record is just two wins off the pace of the 2020 season through the first 32 games when Cleveland was 20-12 a year ago. While Lindor is the most notable departure, that success has come without Carlos Santana, Carlos Carrasco, Brad Hand, Tyler Naquin and others.

Fans of the Tribe have been through the gauntlet of emotions with the team already this season, from being no-hit twice to two nine-run offensive explosions. Nonetheless, Cleveland is in the thick of the division race through the first month and a little more. While the Minnesota Twins were expected to be a challenger, early struggles are showing that it might already be down to a two team race between the Southside Sox and the Tribe.

While the current squad has performed well, some adjustments should be in the works to improve the team and get them to the next level. The struggles for the Twins and recent injuries for the White Sox have opened the door of opportunity for the Cleveland Indians and making changes along these lines could be what makes the difference in the AL Central.

There are always areas to improve upon for any team, but these three things seem like reasonable fixes for the organization to address over the next few weeks to improve the roster and production of the club.

Figure Out First Base

Entering the season, first base might have been the biggest question mark for the Cleveland Indians. Carlos Santana left for Kansas City, leaving a hole at the position. While Jake Bauers, Josh Naylor and Yu Chang have appeared at the position this season with others trying to prove themselves in the minors, the spot still remains possibly the biggest weakness of the team, in terms of position at least.

Now, the strong start for Harold Ramirez could open up some options. Ramirez has come back down to Earth a bit, but he’s still one of the better options the Tribe have in the outfield. Between Eddie Rosario, Harold Ramirez and Jordan Luplow, the Tribe have the option to move Naylor to first more often, as we’ve seen.

The hesitancy to see Naylor at first is understandable. He doesn’t have the best glove and his two errors are rather memorable. That could lead to a potential platoon with Naylor and someone else with Naylor splitting time between first and the outfield.

One potential addition that could make a difference at the position is the recently released veteran Albert Pujols. We’ve already gone in depth on what Pujols in Cleveland would take, but adding him could be a missing link for the Tribe in the race for the AL Central.

Find a fifth starter

Entering the season it seemed like the Cleveland Indians had three spots in the starting rotation locked up with Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac. Triston McKenzie was also a favorite to stay in Cleveland for the duration of the season, but the fifth spot was up in the air. After Logan Allen was given the first chance and then sent down, the position is now even more in question.

Sam Hentges is the one being called the fifth starter, but he’s totaled just nine innings all year and has followed an “opener,” serving as a reliever that enters in the second or third inning. That leaves a big gap on the roster to figure out if the Tribe want to take the division.

Like first base, we’ve talked about ways Cleveland can address the fifth starter in the rotation. At this point in the season, there are few players on the trade block and even fewer on the free agent market. That means we might just have to wait for the right player in-house to emerge for this spot.

Once the postseason hits, the Tribe will really only need four starters. If they trust Bieber, Civale, Plesac and McKenzie for those roles, then a fifth won’t be a huge need. However, getting to the postseason is another story. Hentges might be the answer, but if not then other options will need to be explored if a division title is the team’s goal.