The Cleveland Indians are about halfway through spring training and the regular season is just over two weeks away.
Not having many of the games televised leaves us all searching for updates from reporters in Goodyear and by searching through box scores.
Roster moves also shed light on the direction of the team in 2021.
There are still a few weeks to go and up to this point there are several key takeaways from camp that are tough to ignore.
Terry Francona wouldn't specifically say Andrés Giménez is the Opening Day shortstop, but he all but confirmed as much.
"Part of the reason we felt comfortable enough to move Amed [Rosario] is because of what we see in Giménez. … This kid is a really bright spot for us."
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) March 13, 2021
3. Shortstop Position Coming Into Focus
Shortstop instantly became a position in question when Francisco Lindor was traded to the New York Mets.
However, two shortstops in Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez came to Cleveland in the deal.
The two were immediately in a competition and recently, Rosario was moved to the outfield to get reps in center field.
That seems to mean Gimenez has won the job.
The young shortstop was the centerpiece of the deal for the Indians and leads a talent group at the position within the organization.
Any concerns about keeping him in the minors because of service time are wiped away when considering players like Tyler Freeman and Gabriel Arias are behind him on the organizational depth chart.
If Gimenez doesn’t pan out, more top prospects are behind him at the position.
But having the job figured out so soon is a bit of a surprise.
2. Outfield Still Facing Questions
Rosario being moved to center field seems like something to be concerned about.
He rarely has any outfield experience and would be playing in center field.
So what happened to Bradley Zimmer and Oscar Mercado?
It appears the front office is not high on either player and maybe one, or both, get let go this season.
Eddie Rosario already has the job in left field.
Center field now has a competition with Amed Rosario added to the mix.
Josh Naylor should be the favorite in right field, while Daniel Johnson has his name in the mix as well.
Oh, and don’t forget about Jordan Luplow.
The Indians have a habit of going into a season with outfield competitions instead of signing sure-thing starters.
At least having Rosario in left is a nice start.
1. Not Planning a Rebuild Just Yet
The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, Shane Bieber, will be our Opening Day starter. 😍 pic.twitter.com/OnsJW3JtNa
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) March 12, 2021
The Indians are not bottoming out and that is great news for fans.
Jose Ramirez and Roberto Perez were not traded this offseason and Shane Bieber is back as the ace.
2021 will be all about proving the team can win with a paltry payroll.
However, there is also the possibility of the first losing season since 2012.
That could signal major changes heading into next offseason.
That is a later-this-year problem fans don’t have to worry about now.
The team will take on an underdog role right away and it would bring back 2016 feelings if the Indians make a run when least expected.
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