To pace or not to pace: While We’re Waiting…
June 8, 2015
C-Cap Recap: Indians Drop Series, Shake Up Roster
June 8, 2015Along with optioning starting shortstop Jose Ramirez to Triple-A Columbus Sunday afternoon, the Cleveland Indians also reportedly decided to option starting third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall to the Clippers as well. The announcement which was first reported by Chronicle reporter Chris Assenheimer.
After a promising 2014 season that earned him the nickname Lonnie Baseball, Chisenhall has struggled so far in 2015. Still only 26 years old, he has had the worst season of his career so far, batting just a .208 with four home runs, 19 RBIs, and 30 strikeouts through 51 games. In his five seasons in the majors (all with Cleveland), Chisenhall has .253 average with 40 home runs, 152 RBIs, and 261 strikeouts, in 396 games.
According to Al Pawlowski of SportsTime Ohio, the Indians will promote third baseman Giovanny Urshela from Triple-A Columbus. Urshela will be making his first trip to the big leagues, but it is one that has been anticipated for some time.
Whether optioning Ramirez and Chisenhall to Columbus is slowly paving the way for top prospect Francisco Lindor to make his way to Cleveland soon or not, hopefully for Chisenhall and Ramirez, the third baseman and shortstop will regain their confidence and be able to return to the Indians and help out the major league ball club later in the season. A stint in Triple-A can tend to do wonders. Just ask Danny Salazar.
8 Comments
Chiz can’t complain he didn’t get a fair chance. The organization just ached for him to take that job, given the time and resources they’ve invested in him. But another guy falls to one of baseball’s brutal and basic lessons: doesn’t matter how pretty your swing, if you can’t adjust to major league pitching once they spot the holes in your swing you’ll have to be replaced by someone who can.
I’m a little sad about Chiz, but I’ve been looking forward to seeing Urshela in an Indians uniform for a while. He and Lindor could really transform the Indians infield defense by the end of the season. If the offense improves too, then all the better. Lonnie has been bad and the defense is still hurting us in close games. I’m not sure what’s next for Lonnie. I guess he could still turn the bat around and make an impact at some point, and the Indians’ lack of 3B depth will keep him around for a little longer, but I think the writing is on the wall long-term. If Urshela does well this could stick.
It was time (arguably past time) for both to make the trip down I-71…nothing personal, but they just weren’t getting the job done.
I, for one, have been looking forward to Urshela since his debut in Akron a few years back. Had he not gotten injured this spring, I’d have wanted him in Cleveland when they broke camp. A slick defending, right-handed hitting 3B with a modicum of plate dicipline (exceedingly rare in this age, especially from a Latin player) sounds like just what the doctor ordered for this poor defensive, lefty heavy, swing and miss team.
I’m not expecting Urshela to be the savior of the season, but he is a clear upgrade in every category conceivable.
Unless he “figures it out”, I don’t see what kind of career Lonnie will have in MLB. No bat, no glove, no job. His splits aren’t good enough to platoon either. I predict a quad-A future playing for teams like the Phillies, Brewers, and Marlins.
The hole in his swing has been that he can’t stop swinging. His BB% has cratered top 3.7% on the season and just one walk in the last month, and pitchers don’t have to throw the ball over the plate to him. I’m not that confident in Urshela, even though his defense should make the pitchers happy, and do find it pretty rich that the Indians said they didn’t call up Lindor because of niggling injuries, yet Urshela has been the one who has been truly banged up all year, but Lonnie needed a complete reset on his approach at the plate.
“swing and miss team”
While I agree in my above comment that Chisenhall fits this description, the Indians lead the majors in BB%, and have the third best K%. This is about a disciplined a lineup as you’ll find.
Plate discipline isn’t Urshella’s strength at all. It’s my main concern with him coming to the majors, actually. The absolute highest walk rate he’s ever posted in the minors over a season is 7% last year in Columbus. This year so far he’s at 3.6%, with a mere 3 walks in 20 some games. That’s why his OBP is .301 despite a .275 batting average.
Granted, that’s exactly Lonnie’s walk rate through this year.
What is Francona’s fascination with Zack Walters? He too is 25 and has NEVER proven anything. This “screams” the need for more, much more emphasis placed on building our minor league system. One person that has the ability to develop our players in the minor league system, and has proven it, is currently standing in the third base coachig box tugging on his ear . Sweeten the “pot”, and give HIM the liberty to rebuild the system. Isn’t it time to proact instead of continuing to react?