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Goedert's power and versatility as a righthanded hitter has value to the Indians. (Photo: Tony Lastoria) |
Goedert could be an option
The Indians are in desperate need for some offense and punch to their lineup, and one option they may soon consider is Triple-A first baseman and outfielder Jared Goedert. While they have relied mostly on the duo of Shelley Duncan and Austin Kearns as right-handed bench options this season, the time may be coming for Goedert to get his opportunity and see what he can do to help an offense that is struggling mightily in Cleveland.
Goedert, 26, is hitting .247 with six homers, 17 RBI and a .853 OPS in 25 combined games between Double-A Akron and Columbus this year. The batting average may be low in just 89 at bats, but the power is showing with 12 of his 22 hits going for extra bases.
The start of Goedert’s season was slowed by an oblique injury he suffered in spring training which resulted in him missing almost the first two months of the season. He returned to action in mid-May with a rehab assignment to Akron, and at the end of May was moved up to Columbus.
With first baseman Matt LaPorta getting injured on Friday night and hitting the disabled list on Saturday, the Indians recalled Travis Buck from Columbus. Catcher Carlos Santana is not an everyday option at first base, and it does not appear that the Indians want to move third baseman Jack Hannahan to first base for too many games a week since his value is as a plus defender at third base. This means Buck will get some time at first and likely platoon with Santana.
Buck is not a long term solution at first base, so if LaPorta is out for awhile a legit first base option will be needed. The Indians may be able to get by with a Santana and Buck platoon for a week or two, but eventually someone like Goedert or Nick Johnson may be called up to fill the void.
Johnson would obviously be the first guy to get consideration as he is a Major League veteran and an excellent defender at first base. The problem is he is still rehabbing from his wrist surgery and playing at Columbus where he is hitting .222 with no homers or RBI and a .582 OPS in seven games. It looks like he definitely still needs more game action before he is ready for activation, which looks like at least two to three weeks away.
With Johnson and even the defensive challenged Shelley Duncan potentially out of the picture, it could open the door for Goedert to get a look with the big league club. He would add a much needed right handed bat, and could be eased in with Santana playing a few games at first a week as well as even Hannahan.
Goedert provides some power from the right side of the plate and also some versatility in the field as he can play first base, third base, and the corner outfield positions. The transition to first base and the outfield is new this year as the Indians experimented with it in winter ball and liked it so much that he has continued the experiment this season. The reports have been positive at first base where he continues to show improvement with some good athleticism and solid range. Fielding has always been something he has been solid at as the throwing has always been the bigger issue at third base, so now that he is at first base it sort of eliminates that issue.
Now that Goedert is pretty much back up to game speed he could be an option almost any day, it just depends on when GM Chris Antonetti and manager Manny Acta decide to pull the trigger and also of course how he is playing.
Lots of starting pitching depth
The Cleveland Indians are the envy of almost every team in Major League Baseball. They may not have a true ace anchoring their rotation, and a guy like right-hander Fausto Carmona has certainly been maddening to watch this year, but their rotation as a whole has been rock solid.
The envy for teams is the excellent starting pitching depth they have managed to pile up. Even with right-handed pitcher Alex White potentially on the shelf for the rest of the year the Indians have four arms in Tripe-A Columbus who would be pitching right now in a lot of big league rotations with right-handers Jeanmar Gomez and Zach McAllister and left-handers David Huff and Scott Barnes.
Gomez, 23, has pitched in four games with the Indians already this season when right-hander Carlos Carrasco was on the disabled list and he did a solid job (0-1, 4.91 ERA). In nine starts for Columbus he is 6-1 with a 2.28 ERA and is really showing a good fastball that he cuts and sinks at will as well as a good slider and changeup. He recently was named the International League’s Pitcher of the Week and has been on a roll where in his last four starts he has allowed one run in each start (28.0 IP, 18 H, 4 R/ER, 11 BB, 22 K).
McAllister, 23, is also having a very good season at Columbus where in 12 starts he is 7-2 with a 2.96 ERA. He is a workhorse who can haul innings and a sinkerballer who commands the strike zone well. Aside from one outing two weeks ago where he allowed 12 hits and seven runs in five innings of work he has been very consistent all season. The Indians had him skip a start to give him some rest and pitching on a limited pitch count he responded with four shutout innings Thursday night.
Huff, 26, is the veteran of the Columbus staff and has lots of Major League experience. He has battled some minor elbow soreness earlier in the year, but even still in 11 starts for Columbus he is 5-2 with a 4.04 ERA. After being shutdown in mid-May for about two and a half weeks he has since come back stronger than ever where he is back up to 94 MPH and his slider has been much improved. The difference maker for him has been the life of his fastball, his more aggressive approach, and the addition of a cutter. In his last two starts he has been great combining for 14.0 innings and allowing nine hits, two runs, two walks, and has 13 strikeouts.
Barnes, 23, is the least experienced member of the Columbus staff and not an option this year for the big league team, but may be the most talented where in 11 appearances for Columbus he is 5-1 with a 3.97 ERA. He has been on a roll in his last five starts where he has pitched 28.0 innings and allowed 23 hits, 6 runs, 12 walks, and amassed 40 strikeouts. His ability to pound the ball past hitters from the left side (84 K, 67.2 IP) makes him special. Once he learns to be more efficient with his pitches and more consistent with his fastball command and offspeed stuff he could be a nice option for the Indians in the near future.
Johnson update
Speaking of first baseman Nick Johnson, his play continues to be monitored as he returns from his wrist surgery. He has yet to play more than three games in a row, and has not played first base yet on back to back nights. All of this is part of a rehabilitation program to get him back on the field on a regular basis and be a big league option possibly sometime at the end of the month or in July.
Johnson, 32, has had no setbacks with the wrist and continues to get treatment on it after games and is working to get it stronger. He is still bothered a little when he swings and misses at pitches, so until that goes away he will probably remain on a restricted playing program in Columbus.
Johnson’s contract calls for him to be added to the 40-man roster by July 1st or he can request to be released, and it appears he is right on target where the Indians will need to make a decision on whether to add him or not. If he is relatively healthy and back up to full game speed it does not appear likely that Johnson would pass on the option to become a free agent if the Indians do not add him to the roster.
Hafner returns
Indians’ designated hitter Travis Hafner returned as expected to the lineup on Friday night from his oblique injury, and he immediately provided a spark in a 5-1 win. Manager Manny Acta wasted no time in getting him acclimated to big league pitching after a five week layoff as he inserted him right into the cleanup spot. He responded by going 1-for-3 with an RBI and walk, and just missed a three-run homer in the eighth inning that went for a double high off the wall.
There is absolutely no question that Hafner’s absence from the lineup the past several weeks has hurt the Indians offense and is one of the main reasons why they have struggled. With his return and with a leader in the middle of the order perhaps the other players can now relax and not try to do too much. A lot of players have clearly been pressing the past few weeks, and a lot of that may have to do with them trying to make up for the loss of Hafner.
Hafner did not play on Saturday as a pre-scheduled off day for precautionary reasons, but will be back in the lineup today and should be good to go from here on out to play everyday. Unfortunately, with interleague play shifting to the National League for nine games starting this Friday he will be reduced to one plate appearance a night. But that’s better than not having him at all, and it is great to have him back and available.
Remember me?
If you go back in time to the beginning of spring training you will remember that infielder Jason Donald was all set to be the Indians opening day third baseman. Unless something crazy happened, that was the plan. Well, something crazy did happen as in the first week of Cactus League games he was hit with a pitch on his hand and ended up missing the rest of spring training and opening the season on the disabled list. Jack Hannahan took the reigns at third in Cleveland.
Since then Donald has battled several injuries and is still trying to get back. After he returned from the hand injury and went on a rehab assignment he suffered two different setbacks because of leg injuries, the most recent one being an MCL sprain to his right knee in mid-May that sidelined him for about four weeks. He started up a rehab assignment at Double-A Akron on Tuesday and in three games is 3-for-7 at the plate.
A lot of people have been calling for Lonnie Chisenhall or even Cord Phelps to replace Jack Hannahan at third base. But the real option may be Donald, and might be the player the Indians are waiting for to get healthy. If he has no further injury setbacks and proves he is ready to go, do not be surprised to see Donald called up as the player to replace Hannahan at third base and take back the position which was his at the outset of spring training.
The General
While the Indians have struggled in just about every facet of the game through this June swoon, the one constant has been the leadership of manager Manny Acta. Through the poor performance and injuries he has maintained a positive attitude and shown that he is the true backbone of the team.
Acta’s ability to lead the team through these rough times and all the adversity that comes with it is a big step in helping the maturation of this young, inexperienced team and they will be better off for it in the long run. If the Indians right the ship and are still in the playoff race in late September or win the division, one of the crucial turning points of the season will be how Acta kept this team together through this tough time.
Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).
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