Cleveland Indians outfield plan after Eddie Rosario, Jordan Luplow trades

Myles Straw, OF, Cleveland Indians

Being acquired at the trade deadline from the Houston Astros for a major league reliever in Phil Maton and a catching prospect, it seems like the front office in Cleveland is high on Myles Straw. He’s a speedy baserunner with a strong glove, so there’s definitely draw to his game, but he’ll have to earn a spot in a heavily crowded outfield.

In Houston, Straw was posting a similar slash line to what Harold Ramirez was doing in Cleveland. Over 98 games, Straw slashed .262/.339/.326 for the Astros. While his slugging percentage was lower than Ramirez’s, his on-base percentage was 34 points higher and his batting average only four lower. Straw was also able to tally 13 doubles, a triple, two home runs and 34 RBI while snagging 17 stolen bases.

Debuting for the Tribe on Saturday (July 31), Straw had a decent game. During the club’s shootout with Chicago, Straw went 1-for-5 with a run scored while batting leadoff. When leading off a game he’s batting just .143, going 1-for-7 with a double on the season. That’s a very small sample size, but the leadoff spot might not be for him.

Given what the team invested in the trade to get Straw, the organization thinks highly of him. There’s clear potential with his speed and glove and his bat is similar to Ramirez, who has been a bright spot in the lineup at times. If he can settle around being a .265 hitter, that might be enough to earn a starting spot in Cleveland’s outfield.