Cleveland Indians: 5 players whose futures are doomed with Cleveland

5 Cleveland Indians players whose futures are doomed with the club

The Cleveland Indians organization is in a transition phase. Not only is the club going from the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians once the season ends, but the roster is in a transformation period as well. The roster began that process last offseason with the exit of multiple big contracts and should carry over to this offseason.

This year has witnessed some of the next wave emerge, setting the stage for the next core in Cleveland. While there’s still plenty of pieces that will need to fall into place, optimism is starting to become a bit easier.

With that being said, there are players on the roster that may not last long into the transition. Whether they haven’t played well, are too old for the future plans, have been outplayed at their position, or a combination of all the above, they won’t be in Cleveland much longer.

Bryan Shaw, RP, Cleveland Indians

This really shouldn’t come as a surprise as the first name on the list. We’ve been in favor of cutting Bryan Shaw for over a month and he hasn’t done anything in that time to change our opinion. While Shaw once had value in Cleveland, that has run out and he shouldn’t be on the roster at the start of the 2022 season.

Turning 34-years old in November, Shaw is much older than majority of the current roster in Cleveland. That paired with being on a one-year deal and you can see why his future in Cleveland is doomed. He just doesn’t fit the trajectory of the club and with his contract set to expire, the stars are aligning.

Even if he does return, Shaw would be spinning his tires. He’s lost his role in the bullpen and younger arms are taking more and more innings, something that shouldn’t change any time soon. While he does lead all of baseball in appearances, appearing in 68 thus far, there’s just not enough talent left to keep his roster spot. Maybe he can catch on somewhere else, but there just isn’t a spot for him in Cleveland’s future.

Roberto Perez, C, Cleveland Indians

This one gets a bit more difficult to say for certain what will happen moving forward with Roberto Perez. When healthy, he’s a tremendous defensive asset for the Cleveland Indians with an unmatched baseball IQ for navigating a lineup. However, those moments have been few and far between over the last two seasons.

Perez had a big 2019 campaign, but missed just about half of the 2020 season, playing just 32 games. This year has been a similar story, playing only 34 games due to an injury riddled year. Considering that he has a club option, that could allow the organization to make some changes if they so desire.

A $7 million mark for a catcher that has been often injured doesn’t seem like a great business plan. Perez could come back healthy, but even when healthy he isn’t putting up numbers that warrant that price. And that goes for any team, not just the frugal Cleveland front office.

At this moment, Perez is doomed in Cleveland purely based off his price tag. Now, he could opt to return on a cheaper deal as a free agent, but even that is up in the air. If the club thinks that there are better options for offensive production available, either internally or externally, exploring those possibilities might be the preferred option.

Daniel Johnson, OF, Cleveland Indians

Cleveland’s outfield is becoming overcrowded and while Daniel Johnson might not have been provided a fair look, he might end up as the odd man out. He’s only 26-years old and has multiple years of team control remaining, but the production just hasn’t been enough for him to make a case to stick around.

The outfield in Cleveland is starting to come a bit into focus. Myles Straw is looking impressive in center field while Harold Ramirez seems like a strong option for a corner outfield spot. Josh Naylor had started coming into his own before his injury and Bradley Zimmer has shown flashes that could keep him around for another season or two if he can sustain it. There’s plenty of other options to consider as well that are either already in Cleveland or rising in the ranks.

Normally a team won’t carry more than four, maybe five, outfielders. With the thought that, if healthy, those four are the top contenders for playing time then Johnson might be out of options with this club. It doesn’t help that Mercado has seemed like the preferred depth play.

Johnson has been improving a bit, so his trade value might be up this offseason. There’s a chance that Cleveland listens to offers on him based purely on the mass amount of outfielders the team has to sort through.