2021 Indians Active Roster Discussion

[BimboColesHair]

Been like 5 years since I've started a thread on this site, but I think this one is needed.

Instead of clouding up minors threads for read-only members to dig through let's keep all discussion about the current 26 and 40 man roster and potential moves in here.

26 Man Active Roster

Pitchers:

Shane Bieber
Zach Plesac
Aaron Civale
Triston McKenzie
Sam Hentges
James Karinchak
Emmanuel Clase
Nick Wittgren
Bryan Shaw
Cal Quantrill
Nick Sandlin
Phil Maton
Trevor Stephan

Catchers:

Austin Hedges
Rene Rivera

Infielders:

Jose Ramirez
Cesar Hernandez
Andres Gimenez
Jake Bauers
Yu Chang

Outfielders:

Eddie Rosario
Franmil Reyes
Amed Rosario
Josh Naylor
Harold Ramirez
Jordan Luplow

40 Man Roster

Pitchers:

Shane Bieber
Zach Plesac
Aaron Civale
Triston McKenzie
Sam Hentges
James Karinchak
Emmanuel Clase
Nick Wittgren
Bryan Shaw
Cal Quantrill
Nick Sandlin
Phil Maton
Trevor Stephan
Logan Allen - minors
Cam Hill - 60-day IL
Jean Carlos Mejia - minors
Eli Morgan - minors
Scott Moss - minors
Kyle Nelson - minors
Carlos Vargas - minors

Catchers:

Austin Hedges
Rene Rivera
Roberto Perez - 10-day IL

Infielders:

Jose Ramirez
Cesar Hernandez
Andres Gimenez
Jake Bauers
Yu Chang
Gabriel Arias - minors
Bobby Bradley - minors
Ernie Clement - minors
Nolan Jones - minors

Outfielders:

Eddie Rosario
Franmil Reyes
Amed Rosario
Josh Naylor
Harold Ramirez
Jordan Luplow
Daniel Johnson - minors
Oscar Mercado - minors
Bradley Zimmer - minors

 

[BimboColesHair]

Right off the bat, and something I completely missed.

Indians don't need to DFA anyone to open a 40 man spot. They can place Carlos Vargas on the 60-day IL after his Tommy John surgery.

Big time wrinkle right there.

 

[MadThinker88]

Right off the bat, and something I completely missed.

Indians don't need to DFA anyone to open a 40 man spot. They can place Carlos Vargas on the 60-day IL after his Tommy John surgery.

Big time wrinkle right there.

That is always possible but it would result in service time/ pay for Vargas.
Roberto Perez is another 60 day IL possibility & a route I believe CLE would go before moving Vargas to that same list..

 

[BimboColesHair]

That is always possible but it would result in service time/ pay for Vargas.
Roberto Perez is another 60 day IL possibility & a route I believe CLE would go before moving Vargas to that same list..

Berto is a possibility.

He's had this injury before, 8 weeks off and then a 2 week rehab assignment. I was told late June/early July for a rehab assignment, which fits that timeline. Could go that route. I don't think they want to, pending a setback.

I don't think service time/pay would stop them if they needed the 40 man spot and didn't want to give up on anyone. Though they did this with Dylan Baker a few years back and kept him off the 60 day and ran with a 39 man roster all season. Payroll was a bit different then though.

They have multiple options where they don't have to get rid of anyone, which is good flexibility to have.

 

[Criznit]

Creating the 40 man spot(s).

Without losing anybody - 60day IL moves for Berto and Vargas. The pros are obvious, no one gets DFA'd. Cons are Berto will be coming back this year in all likelihood thus creating a roster crunch. Likely solved by booting Rivera but who knows. Vargas accrues service time and the tribe spends a half mil. Also moving Vargas wouldn't help the ML teams 26 man.

DFA candidates to create a 40 man spot and one for the ML Roster (Owen Miller)
1. Bauers
2. Chang
3. Stephan

 

[sportscoach]

Creating the 40 man spot(s).

Without losing anybody - 60day IL moves for Berto and Vargas. The pros are obvious, no one gets DFA'd. Cons are Berto will be coming back this year in all likelihood thus creating a roster crunch. Likely solved by booting Rivera but who knows. Vargas accrues service time and the tribe spends a half mil. Also moving Vargas wouldn't help the ML teams 26 man.

DFA candidates to create a 40 man spot and one for the ML Roster (Owen Miller)
1. Bauers
2. Chang
3. Stephan

With the fact they kept Stephan over Nelson, tells me they are gonna try and keep him on the 26 roster all season. Francona likes having his matchup guys, so I have a hunch they will do all they can to keep him.

Bauers and Chang have until the end of the month, so let's see how they look. Chang will be kept this season regardless of how he hits, but Bauers could be moved to add Miller now since he has been playing 1B and the service time period has past.

 

[Lee]

Creating the 40 man spot(s).

Without losing anybody - 60day IL moves for Berto and Vargas. The pros are obvious, no one gets DFA'd. Cons are Berto will be coming back this year in all likelihood thus creating a roster crunch. Likely solved by booting Rivera but who knows. Vargas accrues service time and the tribe spends a half mil. Also moving Vargas wouldn't help the ML teams 26 man.

DFA candidates to create a 40 man spot and one for the ML Roster (Owen Miller)
1. Bauers
2. Chang
3. Stephan

OK I got this.

Fuck Stephan, Marry Chang and Kill Bauers.

 

[BimboColesHair]

Educated guess.

Roster moves coming post road trip.

 

[33Y0]

Educated guess.

Roster moves coming post road trip.

You’d have to think.. Chang is a wasted roster spot right now, with how little Giminez has been used recently, that also makes you wonder, Bauers… well, he has nine lives..

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

You’d have to think.. Chang is a wasted roster spot right now, with how little Giminez has been used recently, that also makes you wonder, Bauers… well, he has nine lives..

I think a move with regards to Chang/Gimenez is even more likely than Bauers. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gimenez go down to play SS every day in Columbus.

I think Miller being brought up is an absolute given.

I'll probably get slaughtered for saying anything non-negative about him, but I think Bauers has looked much improved at the plate for a little while now. I haven't looked at the data to back it up, but to my eyes he's hitting the ball harder even if sometimes it's right at a defender. I won't shed a tear when we pull the plug on him, but I don't think he's a complete lost cause. I think we can write Chang off.

 

[mopete12]

I think a move with regards to Chang/Gimenez is even more likely than Bauers. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gimenez go down to play SS every day in Columbus.

I think Miller being brought up is an absolute given.

I'll probably get slaughtered for saying anything non-negative about him, but I think Bauers has looked much improved at the plate for a little while now. I haven't looked at the data to back it up, but to my eyes he's hitting the ball harder even if sometimes it's right at a defender. I won't shed a tear when we pull the plug on him, but I don't think he's a complete lost cause. I think we can write Chang off.

Unfortunately, I agree about Bauers. His xwOBA is .328 which is decent, unlike his actual results. However I do think that this year actual wOBA is significantly lower than xwOBA league wide (probably somewhat related to the ball change), so xwOBA may end up being tweaked.

The Indians have a shitty defense and poor OBP, so there is some value to Bauers since he is a solid defender and walks. I really really really wish we had another option but I don’t see it right now.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

Unfortunately, I agree about Bauers. His xwOBA is .328 which is decent, unlike his actual results. However I do think that this year actual wOBA is significantly lower than xwOBA league wide (probably somewhat related to the ball change), so xwOBA may end up being tweaked.

The Indians have a shitty defense and poor OBP, so there is some value to Bauers since he is a solid defender and walks. I really really really wish we had another option but I don’t see it right now.

Yep, I may be a complete dummy here, but I think upgrading from Jake Bauers is going to have to be done externally, via trade, rather than internally via promotion (unless we just put Owen Miller at first). I've never been a Bobby Bradley believer, so there might be some bias in that stance.

I think we might actually see Owen Miller come up and play shortstop, with Amed and Daniel Johnson platooning in center (Amed against lefties, DJ against righties). Chang and Gimenez go down to Columbus to make this happen.

Then, if we ever want to rest/sit Bauers, Miller slides over to first, and Amed comes in to play short.

 

[TxBuckeye]

I think a move with regards to Chang/Gimenez is even more likely than Bauers. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gimenez go down to play SS every day in Columbus.

I think Miller being brought up is an absolute given.

I'll probably get slaughtered for saying anything non-negative about him, but I think Bauers has looked much improved at the plate for a little while now. I haven't looked at the data to back it up, but to my eyes he's hitting the ball harder even if sometimes it's right at a defender. I won't shed a tear when we pull the plug on him, but I don't think he's a complete lost cause. I think we can write Chang off.

You think that because he has been swinging the bat better. He's been hitting a lot of balls right at people. But the only thing the Bauers haters will see is his raw #'s. And no, I'm not some Bauers stan but at least be honest with the criticisms.

 

[MadThinker88]

@Out of the Rafters at the Q
You laid out a solid plan for calling up & playing people but haven't indicated how Owen Miller is added to the 40 man roster.
If you had been discussing Gabriel Arias coming up that hurdle would not be there.

There are some possibilities for moves to the 60 day IL but I have heard from Bimbo that Perez could be back from his injury sooner than originally expected & there are other considerations in play if moving Vargas.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

You think that because he has been swinging the bat better. He's been hitting a lot of balls right at people. But the only thing the Bauers haters will see is his raw #'s. And no, I'm not some Bauers stan but at least be honest with the criticisms.

To put a negative spin on this, if this is "peak" Jake Bauers, and he regresses from this point, I'd cut bait immediately. Someone who has this as his high, and then also struggles/slumps, isn't someone I'm willing to continue to trot out there. But if this is his average, and he has peaks or gets hot, and plays better than this, with the defense he provides at first? That's not the weakest spot on the team at this moment.