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2019 Cleveland Indians Opening Day Roster

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BMAN said:
That lineup. Woof. Though I will say I think Joyce will make the roster and platoon in right field.
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No matter how I rearrange the lineup, on paper we have a pretty bad lineup in general before Lindor got hurt and now it really shows.

Pretty much we will be stuck with 3 guys who haven't played a full season, playing everyday (maybe 2 then Joyce/Naquin being the platoon partner for the 3rd guy). 2 guys who career numbers are at the Mendoza line (Moroff/Flaherty and Perez) and a former All-Starish player in Kipnis who hasn't hit in 2 years, then a platoon guy in Martin. Then we have Ramirez and Santana. I hope to God that I am right about Allen and Luplow, cause if I am not, this is going to be a very long year when it comes to the offense.

Honestly if this team is top 5 in baseball in offense, then the coach of the year needs to go to, Van Burkleo!
 
Opening Day lineup/batting order projection...

RF: Greg Allen
2B: Jason Kipnis
3B: Jose Ramirez
1B: Carlos Santana
LF: Jake Bauers
DH: Matt Joyce
CF: Leonys Martin
SS: Max Moroff
C: Roberto Perez

Bench
C: Kevin Plawecki
IF: Eric Stamets
OF: Jordan Luplow
OF: Tyler Naquin

Gotta assume Lindor starts on the disabled list until we hear more positive news. If he can go, slide Stamets off the roster and Moroff into the UTIF spot.

Kluber on the mound.

An 8-man bullpen behind him until the Indians need to bring Bieber up, which probably won’t be for close to two weeks with several early off days.

Brad Hand
Tyler Clippard
Oliver Perez
Tyler Olson
Alex Wilson
Dan Otero
Adam Cimber
Neil Ramirez
 
Looking at roster it feels like they are wasting one of Lindirs last years . Can’t win it all with that lineup plain and simple .
 
ajz20 said:
Looking at roster it feels like they are wasting one of Lindirs last years . Can’t win it all with that lineup plain and simple .
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I’m not going crazy over the current lineup and here’s why...

The Indians opening day lineup in 2016, the year they went to the World Series, featured Marlon Byrd, Juan Uribe and Collin Cowgill all starting. None of those guys were even on the team come June, much less October.

The Opening Day bullpen had Ross Detwiler, Joba Chamberlain in it and they both pitched in game 1. They were both outta here in short order.

Cody Anderson was starting and Trevor Bauer was coming out of the pen.

The point is a lot can and will change over the course of the season. What they’re going to trot out there in April isn’t what they’re going to have in September and October.

I and many other people would love it if more holes were addressed, but baseball is a long season. There’s a long way to go.

It’s almost a guarantee that SOMEONE is going to emerge from out of nowhere and put up a spectacular season out of the pen. It happens almost every year.

2014 it was Scott Atchison. 2015 it was Jeff Manship. 2016 it was Dan Otero. 2017 it was Tyler Olson and Nick Goody, last year it was Ollie Perez.

I’m totally confident someone is going to put up a sub 2.50 ERA out of the Indians pen that the projection models absolutely didn’t see coming.
 
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My new guess:

C-Roberto Perez
C-Kevin Plawecki
1B-Carlos Santana
2B-Jason Kipnis
SS-Francisco Lindor
3B-Jose Ramirez
IF-Max Moroff
DH-Hanley Ramirez
OF-Jake Bauers
OF-Leonys Martin
OF-Tyler Naquin
OF-Carlos Gonzalez
OF-Greg Allen
SP-Corey Kluber
SP-Carlos Carrasco
SP-Trevor Bauer
SP-Mike Clevinger
SP-Shane Bieber
RP-Adam Cimber
RP-Nick Goody
RP-Oliver Perez
RP-Dan Otero
RP-Tyler Olson
RP-Neil Ramirez
RP-Alex Wilson
CL-Brad Hand

Injured List - Zimmer, Salazar, Clippard
 
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Luplow or Thompson will most certainly make it as well.
 
I’d be very surprised if Hanley Ramirez isn’t on the Opening Day roster.
 
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Andre Knott just said on the broadcast that Francona really wants Thompson to make the team but that was before we signed CarGo.
 
I can see Trayce Thompson platooning with CarGo. I can see Luplow platooning in LF with Bauers.

Naquin gets dealt or sent down. Allen and Mercado go to Columbus for every day at bats.

Problem is you don’t really have a replacement for Martin in CF.

So maybe you switch Mercado/Allen and Luplow? But at that point you’re really not doing those guys the service of getting they every day at bats they probably need.
 
AZ_ said:
I can see Trayce Thompson platooning with CarGo. I can see Luplow platooning in LF with Bauers.

Naquin gets dealt or sent down. Allen and Mercado go to Columbus for every day at bats.

Problem is you don’t really have a replacement for Martin in CF.

So maybe you switch Mercado/Allen and Luplow? But at that point you’re really not doing those guys the service of getting they every day at bats they probably need.
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Agreed, think Naquin is the odd man out with the CarGo news

It seems like it is probably pick 2 of the following 3: Luplow, Thompson, Allen. The latter 2 are capable of playing CF.

I guess right now I would choose Luplow and Thompson to ensure Allen is getting steady ABs.
 
AZ_ said:
I can see Trayce Thompson platooning with CarGo. I can see Luplow platooning in LF with Bauers.

Naquin gets dealt or sent down. Allen and Mercado go to Columbus for every day at bats.

Problem is you don’t really have a replacement for Martin in CF.

So maybe you switch Mercado/Allen and Luplow? But at that point you’re really not doing those guys the service of getting they every day at bats they probably need.
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I would imagine that the priority is to make Bauers an everyday player with how highly the organization views him. The outfield will look like this come Opening Day if I had to guess:

LF- Bauers
CF-Martin
RF- Gonzalez against RHP and Luplow against LHP
Extra OF- Allen
 
Kevalier said:
I would imagine that the priority is to make Bauers an everyday player with how highly the organization views him. The outfield will look like this come Opening Day if I had to guess:

LF- Bauers
CF-Martin
RF- Gonzalez against RHP and Luplow against LHP
Extra OF- Allen
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I am not sure how Allen is the 4th guy when he has been hitting better than anyone else this spring. It’s not even a contest at this moment who is playing the best out there. Also I don’t think CarGo is on the team right away as well.
 
sportscoach said:
I am not sure how Allen is the 4th guy when he has been hitting better than anyone else this spring. It’s not even a contest at this moment who is playing the best out there. Also I don’t think CarGo is on the team right away as well.
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Because Spring Training sample sizes don’t always dictate regular season plans.
 
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