Cleveland Indians: 3 goals to aim for with postseason hopes dwindling

3 goals for the Cleveland Indians to aim for with postseason hopes dwindling

Following back-to-back losses to the Wild Card-leading Oakland Athletics, the Cleveland Indians now find themselves 10.5 games back in the American League Central standings and nine back in the Wild Card. With 50 games left to play, it’s a steep uphill climb for the Tribe’s postseason hopes. Luckily, there are other things to focus on down the stretch even if the postseason isn’t within reach.

The month of July was the beginning of the end for Cleveland. The club posted their first losing month of the season that pushed them down in the standings. Those woes have now carried into August, despite the easier schedule, and the Tribe are staring down what could be their first losing season since 2012.

Being 4-7 in the month of August, Cleveland is all but out of playoff contention at this point. The team is struggling to play a complete game with one aspect falling by the way side each time out. Whether it be the offense finding duds at the plate, the starting pitching getting blasted or the bullpen blowing a lead, the team just can’t all click at once.

Given the state of the season, the front office and coaching staff could have some tough decisions ahead. Do they shutdown Shane Bieber? Should they cut ties with aging veterans who are set to become free agents to open opportunities for more prospects? As we near the end of the season, these are big questions to weigh.

There’s also a bright side. Just because the team isn’t winning doesn’t mean there aren’t things to work towards. The future is still bright in 2022 and beyond, so finding some answers now will provide clarity moving into next season and how the club might adjust in the offseason. So over the last 50 games of 2021, the Cleveland Indians need to focus on these three things.

Cleveland Indians Goal #2: Get prospects at-bats

Like the starting pitchers, the rest of the season with be an opportunity for more chances amongst the the young prospects on the team. After trading Cesar Hernandez and Eddie Rosario, there are positions, and at-bats, up for grabs in both the outfield and the infield. The rest of the 2021 season should really just be an audition for 2022.

Cleveland knows what they have in players like Jose Ramirez and Amed Rosario in the infield and even Harold Ramirez in the outfield. As for the rest of the lineup, with the exception of Franmil Reyes as the designated hitter, it’s basically question marks.

The rest of the 2021 season should be used as a trying out period, especially once the rosters expand. Right now the club should focus on getting as many at-bats for players that they have yet to get a full sample from. That includes Bobby Bradley, Owen Miller, Ernie Clement and even Gabriel Arias in the infield. As for the outfield, more opportunities should be given to Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, Myles Straw and Daniel Johnson.

The production might not be great, but this is the time to see what those players can do with little consequences with the postseason already out of reach. Throw matchups out the window and try to get as broad of a sample as you can from all of these players so going into Spring Training there’s at least a base for all of them.

Cleveland Indians Goal #3: Go young in the bullpen

If you’re noticing a trend in this article, maybe something of a youth movement, it’s about to continue. Like the rotation and the lineup, it’s time to explore next season in the bullpen. That might mean releasing Bryan Shaw and Blake Parker to open up more innings and roster spots, but it needs to happen.

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We, for the most part, know what we’re getting with Emmanuel Clase and James Karinchak, but that’s really about it for the future. You could throw Nick Wittgren in there as well, but the rest of the bullpen for next year hasn’t been fully explored.

Through the rest of the season, the younger players should be given more opportunities. See what Nick Sandlin can do in a Bryan Shaw-type role. Try out Trevor Stephan in different situations since he was a Rule 5 selection and has been on the roster all season with only 28 appearances. Take a look at the newest additions to the roster, Francisco Perez and Justin Garza, and see if there’s something there for next season in the bullpen.

These pitchers are already on the roster, why not use them as much as possible? Bryan Shaw and Blake Parker most likely aren’t part of the club’s future, but these prospects could be. It’s time to pull out all the stops and use the rest of 2021 as an open competition to get a head start on Spring Training 2022.