When it comes to Cleveland Indians worries, what are we missing? – Terry Pluto
https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2021/03/...erry-pluto.htmlCLEVELAND, Ohio – Well, we know the pitching will hold up.
At least, that’s what most experts are saying about the Tribe.
But do we know that, at least early in the 2021 season?
I like the bullpen. Emmanuel Clase was throwing 100 mph in spring training. James Karinchak is not ready to close, but he can be dominating.
Manager Terry Francona hasn’t designated a closer, but it could be Nick Wittgren, at least some of the time. Phil Maton and Trevor Stephan have terrific young arms. I saw Stephan twice in Goodyear. He was a starter in the Yankee farm system, and perhaps could eventually do that if needed.
Cal Quantrill had a 2.25 ERA in relief last season, 32 innings between the Tribe and San Diego. He’s now in the bullpen after a rocky spring as a starter.
Oliver Perez looks like he will pitch forever.
The bullpen...good news.
The lineup...lots of reasons to worry. But that’s not new news.
THE OLD SPRING SONG
Let’s start with the old, “I know it’s spring training, so don’t be fooled...”
I’ll add another verse: “I know it’s spring training in Arizona, where the dry air flattens out breaking balls and the whipping wind can make life miserable.”
There’s a third verse about Arizona often is heaven for hitters. That’s why I’m concerned about Jake Bauers (.200) and to a lesser extent, Josh Naylor (.195).
I don’t know what to say about Austin Hedges (2-for-35 with 20 strikeouts) besides...YIKES!
Veteran hitters and pitchers are exempt from any spring performance discussion.
A LITTLE BASEBALL LOVE
That said, I have fallen into baseball love with Owen Miller, much like I did Yandy Diaz the first time I saw him in spring training with the Tribe. Acquired in the Mike Clevinger deal, Miller has hammered the ball all spring.
He’s hitting .400 (16-for-40, .955 OPS) with a homer and two doubles. He has one walk in 40 at-bats. But only eight strikeouts. He’s headed to the minors, but the infielder won’t be there long.
Miller is not a desert mirage. He batted .290 (.785 OPS) in Class AA in 2019. He was 22 years old, and that was his first full pro season after being a third-round pick by San Diego in the 2018 draft.
After the Tribe made the Clevinger deal with the Padres last season, an executive raved to me about Miller. He thought it was a superb move by the Tribe because the guy “can flat-out hit.”
SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
I’m not going to dwell on this, because I could be wrong.
But the starting pitching is so young in terms of MLB experience.
After Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber (and he’s only 25), no member of the Tribe’s projected rotation has more than 29 big league starts.
I mentioned my concern about the youth of the rotation to Francona in a Zoom call Monday.
“That’s real,” said the manager. “There’s no reason to not talk about it. If we don’t anticipate there will be a hiccup on the way, we’re probably not being realistic.”
Francona then mentioned what he told the pitchers in a recent meeting:
“We said ‘We know we’re young. But when (Zach) Plesac takes the mound, when (Aaron) Civale takes the mound...and Logan Allen, we feel like we’ve got a chance to win.’ And that’s how we feel. Yeah, we are kind of young. But I don’t think that means we back off of competing.”
It is spring training...
“You’d like to see better results (from some starters),” admitted Tribe president Chris Antonetti. “But in spring training, it can be tough to assess results.”
Antonetti talked about pitchers working on a certain pitch or pitch sequences, or how to command the strike zone in different situations. There are a lot of variables.
THINKING ABOUT THE STARTERS
Here’s a breakdown:
I love watching him pitch...Mr. Cy Young Shane Bieber is the next Corey Kluber.
I’m not too worried about...Zach Plesac, even though he had been shelled for 9 home runs in 23 1/3 innings. I saw his one good spring game. When it counts, Plesac is 12-8 with a 3.32 ERA. Opposing batters have hit only .223 off him in 29 MLB starts.
I wonder a bit about...Aaron Civale. Like every Tribe starter except Logan Allen and Bieber, Civale had a lousy spring with a 6.14 ERA and four homers in 14 2/3 innings. He had a 2.34 ERA in 10 starts as a rookie in 2019. In 2020, that ERA soared to 4.74, allowing 11 homers in 74 innings. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff. He has 22 MLB starts.
I have doubts about...Triston McKenzie. Not long term, if he can stay healthy. But for right now. A control pitcher with a mid-90s fastball last season, McKenzie walked 12 in 19 1/3 spring inning. He was crushed for 7 HR. He gave up 6 HR in 33 1/3 innings last season. He’s only 23 and has dealt with injuries in the recent past. Patience probably is required. He has six MLB starts.
I had high hopes for...Cal Quantrill. But he had a miserable spring with a 8.78 ERA and nine walks and 19 hits in 13 1/3 innings. He’s 26 with 21 big league starts. He has had some success in the bullpen, where he will open for the Tribe. That could be his best role. He has 21 MLB starts.
I’m excited about...Logan Allen. Antonetti said the lefty “has been one of the high points of camp for all of us.” I saw him throw four sharp innings, giving up his only run of the spring. In 2018, he was 14-6 with a 2.54 ERA between Class AA and AAA at the age of 21. He has four MLB starts.
Allen developed some mechanical problems with his motion. The Tribe’s pitching group simplified his delivery. He throws from the stretch, much like the motion that turned around Carlos Carrasco’s career. He’s only 23 and could be something special.
The Tribe does have depth in the minors.
Scott Moss had a neck problem and pitched little this spring. The 26-year-old lefty has a career 41-17 record with a 3.28 ERA in the minors. Along with Allen, he came to the Tribe in the Trevor Bauer deal.
The Tribe believes Eli Morgan and Sam Hentges can develop into MLB starters.
“If we have a problem that we need to fix, we’ll do our best to fix it,” said Francona. “But I think our pitching guys have really done a good job and I think that will continue.”
