Hill, 26, posted a 4.74 ERA and 1.42 WHIP at Triple-A last season, with 36 strikeouts in 24.2 innings. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. You don’t want to penalize them for that.”. But Diaz is gone and the Indians are invested in Bauers. The Indians open with a long stretch of games before their first off day Aug. 13, a fact that probably influenced Francona’s decision to carry an extra bat. That was after striking out 104 times in only 323 at-bats a year prior with the Rays. Jake Bauers' first year in Cleveland after a trade from Tampa Bay didn't go as planned. Connect with friends faster than ever with the new Facebook app. Yes, the power did decrease, but he did finish with more hits resulting in a higher average. Here’s what the Indians can expect from Bauers in 2020: * He likes the heat: Being down in the count didn’t bother him last year. He doesn’t profile as a great bat in the outfield but if he discovers his hit tool in the minors he can get to his average power and be a solid contributor offensively. Suspended 1 Game for Making Contact with Ref, Indians set in the middle of ESPN's early 2020 power rankings, Indians: What to do with Francisco Lindor if he turns down an extension, Top 25 Super Bowl Performances of All Time, Each NHL Team's Most Likely Future Hall of Famer, 30 Greatest Teams in Premier League History, 28 most memorable buzzer beaters in March Madness history. Jake Bauers was a highly coveted prospect when Cleveland acquired him from Tampa. Right now the Indians have seven outfielders on the 40-man roster. Francona admitted he was worried about the number of at-bats Zimmer would be able to get this season after missing nearly two years with a variety of injuries. He walked a little less often against left handers but wound up with a better ISO (SLG%-BA) of .162 compared to .137. Chang and Zimmer hit their way onto the club based in part on their performance over the last three weeks in summer training camp. Positions: First Baseman and Outfielder Bats: Left • Throws: Left 6-1, 195lb (185cm, 88kg) . None of that was very good but he didn’t struggle with left handers any more than right handers. There’s no reason to roster Bauers in any league no matter how deep, certainly not draft worthy even in AL only league’s. Francona said he did not want to shortchange players who clearly worked hard during the four-month coronavirus layoff after spring training was shut down in March. Meanwhile, Diaz became a key player for the Rays when he was healthy. Right-hander Hunter Wood, who like Bauers was acquired last season in a trade with Tampa Bay, albeit later in the year, was also informed he will not make the roster. Beyond the stats: While many think Bauers has the athleticism to play the outfield, but defensive metrics across the board disagreed with his adaption to left field in year one. ”The rule is you carry 30,” he said. He had a .683 OPS against right handers and .682 against left handers. Jake Bauers 2020 Projections | Preseason. The only way that isn’t true is if the Indians re-sign someone like Yasiel Puig and another free-agent outfielder. By Mandy Bell @MandyBell02. It’s crazy what a little bit of proper coaching can do. Statcast’s Outfield Outs Above Average had him at -7, with an even zero going back and coming in, but struggling to the tune of -5 going to his right, and -2 to his left. February 18, 2020. He came to town as a top prospect and him playing extended time in Columbus next year could be considered a failure. But the 27-year-old showed a refined approach and new stance that helped him hit the ball with power to all parts of the ballpark during intrasquad action. Though no one should be mad at Yandy himself. What does his role in 2020 and beyond look like? Read his player profile to find out.. Getting hits and building confidence should lead to Bauers being more comfortable in the box. Improvement that is not necessarily out of the question and could result in a season that resembles more of what he did in the minors rather than his time in MLB. Defensive impact: As noted, things didn’t go well defensively for Bauers in his foray in left field. All MLB proceeds donated to charity. It seems likely Bauers makes the roster unless Zimmer has a terrific spring or the Indians are hellbent on giving DeShields regular at bats. Offensive impact: Bauers’ offensive struggles weren’t particularly platoon heavy in 2019. He doesn’t profile as a great bat in the outfield but if he discovers his hit tool in the minors he can get to his average power and be a solid contributor offensively. Bauers came to Cleveland last December in the big three-team trade that saw Diaz go to Tampa Bay, Carlos Santana come back home, and Edwin Encarnacion go to Seattle. Chang had struggled to a .250 batting average and looked tentative in the field during spring training in Arizona, but after devoting himself to “mental exercises” in his native Taiwan during the four-month layoff, he lit up summer training camp with an explosive bat that produced home run after home run in intrasquad games against Cleveland’s top starting pitchers. You can bank on DeShields being on the 26 man roster (that’s going to take some getting used to writing/saying). Cleveland Indians set 2020 opening day roster; Jake Bauers, Hunter Wood sent to alternate site. Good news came for relievers Cam Hill, Dominic Leone, James Karinchak and Phil Maton as they have earned a spot in the bullpen. He also struck out 115 times in 372 at-bats. “All of a sudden we’re going to have to play 17 in a row,” he said. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. “It’s really difficult to get a good read under these circumstances, but at the same time you don’t want to penalize guys for going home and being ready for when they came to camp,” Francona said “Both of them (Chang and Zimmer) hit the heck out of the ball and played good defense. He split time between first base and left field and also played 24 games in Triple-A Columbus after the trading deadline where he managed a .776 OPS. If Bauers’ skills played out in the bigs, he could provide 20 homer, 10 steal potential with an average that should hold strong, and he’d be a little better in an OBP league. 2020 role: It’s possible Bauers will have to battle Bradley Zimmer and maybe Daniel Johnson along with Greg Allen for a role to open the season in 2020. Oscar Mercado is locked into centerfield and Jordan Luplow holding down a spot against left handers, and maybe more, Allen, Zimmer, Delino DeShields are all options for the outfield as well. Team Date Transaction; October 1, 2020: Cleveland Indians activated LF Jake Bauers. 2020 could be the last year the team has Francisco Lindor and the goal has to be a World Series title. Bauers inconsistent routines may possibly play a factor, but he’s at least on equal footing as Zimmer’s decision not to play winter ball seemed to bother the Indians. Cleveland Indians – No. He is a gem. “The harder he works at handling adversity ... the better off he’ll be.”. From 2014-2018 Bauers hit anywhere from .263 to .296 in the minors with 19 to 44 extra-base hits. Yet, somehow, despite very little development taking place with the 2020 season, Jake Bauers’ situation has become more complicated than it initially appeared in March. There is a reason for that. He only appeared in 79 games, which was actually a career-high after he was not used in Cleveland for some reason I still don’t understand. Him being needed and just not being good enough is bad news for the team. Although his power numbers took a dive in 2019. Twitter Share. He was supposed to step in and end up being an everyday outfielder. Fans will only get more frustrated if Diaz continues to succeed at a time when the Indians could have used him.