Cleveland Indians: Second Base Choices Shifting Ahead

The Cleveland Indians’ hopes for the off-season darken to a flickering light in the darkness that soon dies. But even if their chances for the playoffs are hanging by the thinnest threads, the last two months of the season will definitely be particularly interesting.

Given the timely trades, and certainly the tough squad decisions that will have to be made in 2022, Cleveland is giving its young players ample time to show what they can do at the majors.

One of the most interesting position battles currently taking place is that for the second base, thanks to Cesar Hernandez’s trade with the Chicago White Sox.

Here are the current options the Indians have for the future:

Owen Miller

It was hard for Miller to even get close to the hot track he had at Triple-A Columbus that earned him a reputation this season. But then again, Miller hasn’t had any regular at-bats at all, so it’s impossible to make a real judgment of him. Miller also plays first base, which really works in his favor, because that too remains a huge question mark for the team that is moving forward. He currently carries an average of .131 in 61 AT bats.

Ernie Clement

Clement feels a lot like Miller in that he’s making solid contact and not crossing out a lot, but not necessarily going to show a lot of pop, which isn’t the most important thing in the world for a second baseman. He has what it takes to fill a potential super-utility role between second base, shortstop and the outfield, which will help his cause in the long run. He’ll find plenty of at-bats in the next two months – it’s time they counted.

Yu Chang

Unfortunately, Yu Chang just can’t stay in the majors, in part because of his minor division options that allow the Indians to move him freely up and down when needed. At some point he will be back and fight for a supply place in the infield. As Cleveland continues to drop out of the playoff race, the team could give third baseman Jose Ramirez a break here and there, which also opens up more regular at-bats for Chang. He beats .185 / .219 / .300 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in 130 at-bats with Cleveland this season.

Amed Rosario

Rosario was a pleasant surprise on the record this season, hitting 0.268 / .313 / .385 with six homers, 30 RBIs and a 90 WRC +. But his short stop defense really left a lot to be desired with -5 outs above average (OAA), placing him at the bottom of all short stops in the majors. That won’t be sustainable and luckily for the Indians they have a number of better defensive options along the way. Rosario will likely keep his place on the squad through – you guessed it – a utility role that could include the outfield.

Andrés Gimenez

Gimenez opened the season in Cleveland but was eventually sent back to Triple-A Columbus after a dismal .179 / .226 / .308 line with two home runs and five RBIs in 78 at-bats. Since his release, 22-year-old Gimenez has produced a solid .285 / .342 / .510 line with ten home runs and 31 RBIs in 200 at-bats. His return to the big league club is imminent and his presence will be a huge defensive upgrade at Shortstop, but he may see time in second. Finally, Gabriel Arias is also waiting in Columbus …

Gabriel Arias placeholder image

Speaking of Arias, the 21-year-old phenomenon is knocking on the door, although given its age, it wouldn’t be surprising if Cleveland waited until 2022 to make its big-league debut. In 272 AT bats with Columbus, Arias beats .276 / .355 / .441 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs. In a perfect world, Arias will give a straight answer on the shortstop, potentially putting Gimenez in second place, and giving Cleveland an elite defense in the middle, especially if you include the newly acquired Myles Straw in the middle.

For now, however, the second base remains a wide-open competition with many guys vying for at-bats. During the last two months of the season, the Indians will take a long look at the potential future of the position and ideally someone will face the situation. All of these players apparently occupy 40-man squad spots, so Cleveland certainly hopes to get some definitive answers by 2022.

Organic: Steve DiMatteo has covered baseball for the Associated Press, MLB.com, and a host of other publications, and is currently hosting the California Penal League Podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you can get your podcasts.