Cleveland Indians Could Be Forced To Rush Prospect Tyler Naquin

One of the biggest developments for the Cleveland Indians this Spring Training is what’s happened to their outfield. Unfortunately, none of the news is good regarding this area, as it’s essentially gone from questionable to problematic.

Though reportedly blazing through his post-shoulder surgery rehab, it still isn’t clear if Michael Brantley will be ready for Opening Day. In the meantime, center fielder Abraham Almonte got dealt an 80-game suspension for PED use, adding more issues for Cleveland to deal with.

Provided Brantley still isn’t 100 percent to start the season, the Indians are looking at Lonnie Chisenhall, Rajai Davis and Will Venable as a potential starting outfield, with Collin Cowgill as a backup. Naturally, this isn’t a lineup that sends fans running to buy season tickets. Making things worse is the fact Venable and Cowgill are each having a rough spring at the plate.

So, if you’re looking for holes in the 2016 Indians’ lineup, there’s a quite glaring one in the outfield.

There is, it appears, a potential silver lining, though. One of the team’s top prospects, Tyler Naquin, is having a great Spring Training, prompting some within the organization to quietly hope he’ll be ready for the big leagues when camp breaks. However, such a strategy comes with risk. With only 50 Class Triple-A games to his name, Naquin might not have enough seasoning.

That said, with the Indians’ outfield looking shoddy, they might have no choice but to rush Naquin to the majors this April.

It’s been tough to get a good read on the projection for Naquin. Some came into this year flat-out expecting not to see him at all in 2016. Others felt, with a solid spring and a few good months in Class AAA, he might make an appearance in June or July.

However, very few thought he’d make the Opening Day roster. Again, the consensus belief is that Naquin still needs time in the minors.

As we know, though, desperate times call for desperate measures.

The lack of available talent in the outfield is a big enough concern for Cleveland, but the timing of it all makes this more significant. The Indians have received sizable hype leading into each of the past two seasons, and it’s always been followed by a dud of an opening month. Cleveland simply can’t afford another April slump, as the team typically has to spend the rest of the season making up for it.

So, when you know how desperately you need a hot start, and are looking at an outfield with minimal talent, you have to explore all options. This is why Naquin might be getting fast-tracked this spring.

For what it’s worth, he’s making the decision a little easier for the Indians so far. Coming into last weekend, he was batting .400 in Spring Training, including two triples. Granted, there’s a difference between Spring Training pitching and the kind he’d see in the regular season. Still, if the Indians are seriously considering giving Naquin a roster spot, having him perform the way he has certainly helps the cause.

Whether or not a hot spring will determine if he’s ready for the big leagues will be up to Cleveland. As mentioned, he’s certainly out-performing the team’s other outfield options. However, you can’t ignore the fact many didn’t really have him pegged as making the April roster.

The hope is the Indians’ decision is one they put a ton of thought in, as promoting Naquin too early could hurt his progression. At the same time, when you look at the other options, you can see this won’t be the easiest call for Cleveland to make.