The Cleveland Indians front office had quite the busy weekend.
While the team was extremely up-and-down on the field, the front office decided to make some moves in order to shed some struggling talent.
Jake Bauers was designated for assignment over the weekend and Bobby Bradley was promoted.
This is a move fans have been waiting for since Opening Day and Bradley showed up Saturday with a double in his lone at-bat.
He followed that up Saturday with three total hits, including a double and a home run.
Bauers had three doubles and two home runs all year before he was cut.
So what took so long to make this move?
The Indians are promoting Bobby Bradley to the major-league roster and designating Jake Bauers for assignment.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) June 5, 2021
A Long Leash For A Former Top Prospect
The Indians front office is known for stealing top talent from other organizations.
Bauers was supposed to be another piece in that puzzle.
The Bauers story in Cleveland began in the winter of 2018 when he was acquired in the deal that sent Yandy Diaz to Tampa Bay.
However, Carlos Santana was later sent back to Cleveland as well.
That presented a roadblock for Bauers before ever suiting up for his new team.
He still got plenty of time in the lineup in 2019, but he struggled.
That was honestly to be expected given the fact he just made his MLB debut with the Rays a year prior.
The Indians were still legitimate contenders and did not have the time to develop a young player at the same time in the MLB lineup.
Then COVID hit in 2020 and Bauers did not make a single appearance for the team.
This was not a fate unique to him, but the focus shifted to 2021 when he was officially out of minor league options.
A Rough 2021
It was clear from the start the Indians knew Bauers would not cut it as an everyday guy at first base.
He was splitting time there with Yu Chang and Josh Naylor even slid in for a brief moment.
Bradley coming up and taking the job seemed like an inevitability, which is why it was weird to see it take so long.
The fact the minor league season did not start until May surely played a factor in the decision.
Bauers is 25 years old and it is no secret Bradley has been seen as the future at first base for quite some time.
Bradley is also 25, so there was no point in waiting if Bauers couldn’t even hold down the job on an everyday basis.
Big fly for Bobby Bradley!@b_bradley_44 | #OurCLE pic.twitter.com/7zUsqMAVHT
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) June 6, 2021
It is fair to note the 2020 season being wiped out was a huge disadvantage.
But once again. he was not the only player facing that issue.
Bauers showed up in 2021 and once again posted a negative WAR.
That is just not going to cut it once a large enough sample size can be used for analysis.
He is a former top prospect who had plenty of potential.
Things just didn’t work out in Cleveland and we wish him all the best.
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