2020 Indians season preview: Can Lindor get Cleveland back to the playoffs?
The Cleveland Indians' run of three straight American League Central titles came to an end last season, and the club failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015 despite winning 93 contests. With the Minnesota Twins looking like the team to beat and the much-improved Chicago White Sox lurking in the weeds, getting back to the top of the division will be tough. The Indians are a talented squad, though - even after losing some key pieces during the offseason.
2020 Breakdown
2019 record: 93-69 (2nd in AL Central)
Payroll: $106,444,033
Projected record: 32-28 (2nd)
World Series odds: +2200
3-year trend: 2017 (1st); 2018 (1st); 2019 (2nd)
Key addition: Cesar Hernandez
Key subtraction: Corey Kluber
Highest projected WAR: Francisco Lindor (2.5)
X-factor: Carlos Carrasco
Prospect to watch: Nolan Jones
Winter report card: D
Projected Lineup
| Order | Player | Pos. | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cesar Hernandez (S) | 2B | 0.7 |
| 2 | Jose Ramirez (S) | 3B | 2.0 |
| 3 | Francisco Lindor (S) | SS | 2.5 |
| 4 | Carlos Santana (S) | 1B | 0.7 |
| 5 | Franmil Reyes | DH | 0.2 |
| 6 | Tyler Naquin (L) | RF | 0.3 |
| 7 | Oscar Mercado | CF | 0.4 |
| 8 | Roberto Perez | C | 1.5 |
| 9 | Bradley Zimmer (L) | LF | 0.0 |
Bench
| Player | Position | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy Leon (S) | C | 0.4 |
| Mike Freeman (L) | IF/OF | 0.0 |
| Christian Arroyo | IF | 0.1 |
| Yu Chang | IF | 0.0 |
| Greg Allen (S) | OF | -0.1 |
| Jordan Luplow | OF | 0.7 |
| Domingo Santana | OF | 0.2 |
*Bold indicates player acquired during offseason
Lindor remains with the Indians for now, but his future is uncertain. The four-time All-Star is scheduled to hit free agency following the 2021 campaign, and his name surfaced in trade rumors throughout the offseason. Manager Terry Francona said Lindor will hit third this year after leading off over the last few seasons. Reyes will replace Yasiel Puig's bat after the Cuban slugger departed as a free agent, while Naquin makes his return to the lineup after recovering from an ACL tear he suffered last August.
Rotation
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Shane Bieber | R | 3.59 |
| Mike Clevinger | R | 3.63 |
| Carlos Carrasco | R | 3.78 |
| Aaron Civale | R | 4.64 |
| Zach Plesac | R | 4.93 |
Cleveland's rotation looks very different heading into 2020. The club moved Trevor Bauer at the 2019 trade deadline and then shipped two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to the Texas Rangers in December. The biggest development for the pitching staff during the work stoppage was Clevinger's ability to recover from a February knee surgery that would have sidelined him for six-to-eight weeks under normal circumstances. Carrasco, healthy after a leukemia diagnosis last year, gives the team a third top-flight starter behind Clevinger and Bieber.
Bullpen
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Brad Hand | L | 3.66 |
| Nick Wittgren | R | 4.47 |
| James Karinchak | R | 3.54 |
| Adam Cimber | R | 4.52 |
| Oliver Perez | L | 4.04 |
| Phil Maton | R | 4.45 |
| Dominic Leone | R | 4.54 |
| Adam Plutko | R | 5.30 |
| Cameron Hill | R | 4.73 |
The Indians' relief corps isn't as deep as it's been in previous seasons, but it still has some serious firepower. Hand made his third All-Star team last season after accruing 34 saves with a 13.2 K/9, and Karinchak has the potential to be a total nightmare for opposing hitters. The righty struck out 74 batters in just 30 1/3 innings in the minors in 2019 - good for a jaw-dropping 22 K/9. He added another eight strikeouts in three hitless appearances with Cleveland in September. The bullpen would be even better if Emmanuel Clase wasn't facing a season-long suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Key Injuries/Absences
| Player | Position | Absence |
|---|---|---|
| Emmanuel Clase | RP | PED suspension |
| Delino DeShields Jr. | OF | COVID-19 |
(Projected WAR/ERA source: FanGraphs)