GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jake Bauers made the transition from first base to full-time outfielder last year in his first season with the Indians. So before Bauers left for the offseason, the staff made sure to communicate to him exactly what changes the team wanted to see over the winter, especially in his routines. Fangraphs.com gave him a 0 (average) in defensive runs saved at first. “We’ll check in with guys daily and try to put our best foot forward to win games like we always do.”, Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber pitches in the second inning of the intra-squad game. “We could have carried another outfielder, but that would have given us four extra outfielders. The Indians are likely to deal shortstop Francisco Lindor this offseason, and when they do the backlash will be hash. We’ll see how things go.”. With Chang on the roster, Francona chose to go with three backup infielders and four backup outfielders. Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, Carlos Carrasco, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac. LF Jake Bauers assigned to Durham Bulls from Montgomery Biscuits. This could open the door for Bauers to compete for that spot with prospect Bobby Bradley, or Naylor if a return to first is something the Indians would consider with him. He hit for the cycle against the Tigers last June but failed to ever find a consistent groove. I could never hit that thing and I’m squaring balls up. “I didn’t really know when I fit in. That he didn’t gain any consideration this summer indicates there’s still room for improvement there. Will Kenny Lofton get another call from Cooperstown? 45 overall prospect in the minors following the season, up from No. Mandy Bell covers the Indians for MLB.com. And the more his offensive numbers began to plummet, the more. Baseball gods.....HELP US PLEASE!!!! 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. End of the year meetingBauers batted .226 with a .683 OPS, 12 homers, 43 RBIs and 115 strikeouts in 117 games. Just because he had a couple tough months, this kid’s still really young and he might be a really good player.”. 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. Of course, the Indians' willingness to give him a shot will depend on how highly they view his potential. Named Most Valuable Player for Double-A Montgomery by the Rays Baseball Operations department…earned Southern League midseason and postseason All-Star honors…ranked among SL leaders in games (135, 1st), runs (79, 3rd), RBI (78, 4th), doubles (28, 4th), OBP (.370, 5th), walks (73, 2nd) and total bases (207, 4th)…ranked 2nd among Rays farmhands in RBI and tied for 4th with a career-high 14 HR…started 62 games in RF, 57 at 1B and 4 in LF…ranked by Baseball America as the No. Cleveland Indians recalled Jake Bauers from Columbus Clippers. Wednesday night it was the glove of a former Indian that saved the day for the Yankees, stopping a couple late potential Indians runs and allowing New York to come up down one instead of three. To be able to take that criticism and not kind of fold under it and kind of look at it as almost a challenge was really where my head was at.”. That this is the case, especially considering how the Indians have handled their outfield throughout the season, appears to say something about Bauers. Unfortunately, with underwhelming showings in both spring training and summer camp, Bauers found himself optioned to Lake County. By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This spring, Jake Bauers felt he was headed for good things. Not coming up with my hips ... having adjustability in my swing instead of having one swing, hoping to hit the ball, pulling off inside pitches, reaching for outside pitches, not being ready to hit anyway," Bauers told reporters in spring training. “I’ve never felt as good hitting as I do now,” Bauers said. The team will carry 14 pitchers and 16 position players. Obviously that’s further on up the road. You have to know that what you’re doing is going to work, otherwise the confidence just isn’t there. Updated Jul 22, 2020; Posted Jul 22, 2020 . Indians manager Terry Francona spoke to the media on Wednesday, talking about his blood clot issues that forced him to miss all but 14 games of the season as manager. The instruction concentrated on Bauers’ hips and legs. … I think I was more focused on everything external last year as opposed to what’s going on in this clubhouse and within myself. Plutko, Cameron Hill, Dominic Leone, Phil Maton, James Karinchak, Adam Cimber, Oliver Perez, Nick Wittgren, Brad Hand. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/20). Paul Hoynes. 1B Jake Bauers assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from AZL Padres. 1B Jake Bauers assigned to Charlotte Stone Crabs. Podcast, Indians sign 2020 draft pick Tanner Burns of Auburn to $1.6M deal, Carlos Carrasco goes five innings and Bradley Zimmer homers -- again, Oliver Perez, Carlos Santana keep rolling and 4 other things about Indians, Francona’s message to Class of 2020: ‘Find what your passion is, grab it with both hands’, Bradley Zimmer making it hard to be overlooked, MLB Network to air Indians vs. Pirates exhibition game on July 18, Yu Chang, Bradley Zimmer continue to mash at summer camp: Podcast, Mike Clevinger struggles in Wednesday intrasquad; Bradley Zimmer, Yu Chang homer, Tyler Naquin keeps making strides and 4 more things about the Indians. Tampa Bay Rays optioned 1B Jake Bauers to Durham Bulls. I’m just excited to get into games, because obviously that’s where it matters.