CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Baseball is back at Progressive Field as the Indians gear up for the 60-game season, with spring training 2.0 set to officially start on Friday.
Cleveland will have three weeks – barring any setbacks from players testing positive for coronavirus – to reshape its roster for the 60-game sprint to the finish line.
All 30 Major League Baseball teams can have 60 players during spring training but must cut down their roster to 30 players by Opening Day on July 24.
LOOK: Cleveland Indians player roster for 2020 spring training
With the current roster at 55 players, the Indians have five rosters spots available to sign free agents during camp.
Here's a projection of who will make the 30-man Opening Day roster for the club.
FIRST BASE (1): Carlos Santana
One of the most consistent players on the Indians’ roster last year, Santana's strong season was highlighted by a start in the 2019 All-Star Game in Cleveland. Grab your pen and insert Santana into the starting lineup for the Indians.
SECOND BASE (1): César Hernández
Hernandez was signed on Dec. 29 to replace long-time second baseman Jason Kipnis, when his $16.5 million option was declined. Hernandez, 29, was non-tendered by the Phillies during the off-season and batted .279 for Philadelphia in 161 games.
SHORTSTOP (1): Francisco Lindor
Do we really need to spend much time on this position? Lindor is one of the top shortstops in baseball and, yes, the trade rumors will be flying around once the season gets underway.
THIRD BASE (1): Jose Ramirez
For me, Ramirez is the second most important in the lineup (Lindor is No. 1). If Ramirez can hit as he did in the second half of last season (.327 BA, 16 home runs and 48 RBIs), Cleveland’s offense could be a force in the American League Central.
UTILITY (2): Christian Arroyo, Jake Bauers
Cleveland acquired Arroyo at last year’s trade deadline, but he missed the entire second half of the year due to forearm tendinitis. Arroyo can play second and third base, and shortstop on days when a starter on the left side of the infield needs a day off.
Bauers will likely come off the bench to play in the outfield or fill-in for Carlos Santana at first base.
CATCHERS (2)*: Robert Perez, Sandy Leon
The Indians have one of the best catching tandems in baseball, and Perez took a big step in his career last season with 24 home runs and a .239 batting average in 119 games. Leon was brought in on Dec. 2 from a trade with Boston and will take over for Kevin Plawecki, who was non-tendered in December.
*Full rosters will be required to carry three catchers this season. The Indians may opt to carry 30-year-old Beau Taylor, who signed a minor league deal with Cleveland in December.
OUTFIELDERS (7): Oscar Mercado, Delino DeShields, Franmil Reyes, Domingo Santana, Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen, Bobby Bradley
One of the biggest question marks for Cleveland is its outfield. Mercado and Naquin – 100 percent healthy from his ACL tear – are the only two spots that are guaranteed. Reyes will most likely be the team’s DH and will bat right in the middle of the Indians' lineup. But who will earn the third spot in the outfield? I believe it will come down to DeShields and Santana, and with DeShields being a better defensive outfielder, he may get the final spot over Santana.
Allen and Bradley will make the 30-man roster in case of emergency, or if a player shows signs of COVID-19 symptoms.
STARTING PITCHERS (5): Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, Carlos Carrasco, Adam Plutko, Zach Plesac
The Indians have one of the best starting rotations in the American League, but health will be the question mark for this group. Clevinger, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in March, is 100 percent healthy for spring training 2.0, according to team president Chris Antonetti.
BULLPEN (10): Brad Hand, Nick Wittgren, James Karinchak, Oliver Perez, Adam Cimber, Phil Maton, James Hoyt, Aaron Civale, Logan Allen
According to FanGraphs, Cleveland had the seventh-best ERA in the American League last season (3.76 ERA). With one of the better closers in baseball in Hand, the Indians should produce another quality bullpen.
Lefty Logan Allen makes one of the final spots to add another left-hander out of the bullpen, to go along with veteran Perez.
With no minor league baseball this summer, Civale could be used in long relief situations or put into the rotation if an injury happens to one of the starters.
Hard-throwing right-hander Emmanuel Clase, who was in the Corey Kluber trade with the Texas Rangers, is suspended for 80-games for testing positive for PEDs.
