The Cleveland Indians face themselves with an interesting dilemma. Does the team call up top prospect Francisco Lindor, or do they hold steady with the struggling Jose Ramirez?
It’s a hot topic amongst Indians fans, and it’s one that the Indians front office needs to address in the coming weeks. The team has stated on many occasions that Lindor isn’t ready for MLB action. And for all intents and purposes, they might be right.
Lindor is only batting .265 at the AAA level, and hasn’t really dominated minor-league pitching.
Meanwhile, The Cleveland Indians have gotten very little from Opening Day shortstop, Jose Ramirez. He has only been able to garner a .184 batting average over the course of the season, and has lost a considerable amount of playing time in recent games to Indians utility-man, Mike Aviles.
So, If Lindor is called up to the roster does he help or hurt the team’s chances?
Jose Ramirez has been one of baseball’s worst shortstops. Lindor is the team’s best prospect. It makes all the sense in the world to call up Lindor now. However, the Indians don’t want to rush him to the majors just to fill a need. Cleveland is in no position to have guys on the roster that need to be groomed, they need players that can contribute.
If Lindor is called up then he is going to play a major role on the team, not sit the bench. And While Ramirez has had his struggles, Lindor isn’t an option at this point. It’s not just that easy,” said Manager Terry Francona. “You have to have somebody (to replace him). Lindor is not ready. He’s really not. You just try to do the best you can.”
The logical decision is to give Mike Aviles the majority of the starts at short until Lindor is indeed able to contribute, possibly as soon as the All-Star break.
While Lindor might not be at major league level from now on, he is almost assuredly going to see Cleveland at some point this season. Ramirez’s days as a Cleveland Indian seem to numbered, it’s just a matter of time.