Cleveland Indians: 5 internal options to be Cleveland’s shortstop of the future

Andres Gimenez, 2B/SS, Cleveland Indians

Andres Gimenez has already spent time in Cleveland this season, and was arguably the centerpiece of the Francisco Lindor trade with the New York Mets. Having seized the starting job during the pandemic-shortened season from Amed Rosario in the Big Apple, many Cleveland fans believed he would be the obvious choice to take up the reins at short following Lindor’s departure.

As such, he quickly asserted himself in Spring Training, only to falter during his first stint with the Indians. He would be subsequently sent back to Columbus, where he would perform well enough to get another call-up to Cleveland later in 2021.

At this juncture, he has not performed as hoped leading into the 2021 campaign. He has slashed .179/.258/.274 in his time with the Indians, down from his .263/.333/.398 line with the Mets last season. He has also struggled defensively in the Majors this year, with six errors in 31 games at short. While some of these numbers are disconcerting, there are a couple of points to remember.

This would have been Gimenez’s first full season at baseball’s highest level, and he is only 22-years of age. Although his performance to this point has been lackluster for the Tribe, there is still considerable room for improvement with his bat, as well as a fundamental rebound in his defense (for which he is highly touted). If he can put together a strong Spring Training showcase in 2022, he could easily be one of the top front runners to pick up at short if Amed Rosario is moved somewhere else on the diamond.