Three players are vying for the utility role on the Indians’ bench, according to manager Terry Francona.
That role is often valued by Francona, as it allows him additional flexibility and insurance to make moves and play matchups late in games.
Erik Gonzalez, Michael Martinez and Ronny Rodriguez currently fit the description as a utility player, although that roster decision could come down to what the club needs at the end of spring training. In this case, like many, need can play as much of a factor as individual performance.
“Some of it will maybe be determined by what we need,” Francona told reporters in Goodyear, Ariz. “If somebody’s nicked up and you need an outfielder, those things. That’s why you try to get a handle on guys the best you can. Need really does matter. You want guys to fit. You want the guys’ game to complement everybody else’s.”
Gonzalez, 25, could have the inside track, as he’s already on the 40-man roster. He made his major league debut last season, appearing in 21 games and playing shortstop, second base, and right field. He went 5-for-16 (.313 BA) but also struck out in nearly half his plate appearances (8-of-17). Gonzalez primarily played shortstop at the Triple-A level, where he hit .296 with a .329 on-base percentage, 11 home runs and 31 doubles in 460 plate appearances in 2016.
Martinez, 34, is the veteran of the group and more of a known commodity for Francona. Now in camp as a non-roster invitee, Martinez appeared in 59 games for the Indians and four games for the Boston Red Sox in 2016 as a super-utility player capable of playing just about every position except pitcher, catcher and first base.
Indians fans will likely remember him just as much for one play in November as anything — he made the final out in the 2016 World Series.
Rodriguez, 24, is in major league camp as an internal invitee, a prospect not on the 40-man roster. He primarily played second base in the minor leagues (81 starts in 2016) but last season also received time at third base, first base, center field and right field. He hit .258 at Triple-A with 24 doubles, 10 home runs and 59 RBI. He also hit .306 in the Dominican Winter League in 44 games, playing each infield position, left field and right field.
In the outfield, Francona indicated one of the two veterans — Abraham Almonte or Austin Jackson — will likely nab the remaining available spot, or potentially two spots, depending on Michael Brantley’s status at the end of March.
The Indians have three young outfielders in camp — Bradley Zimmer, Greg Allen and Yandy Diaz — who aren’t likely potential candidates to vie for a spot on the big-league club. This spring, barring something unforeseen, will be more about experience gained than anything else.
Last year, Tyler Naquin was given the message he had an opportunity to break camp in Cleveland instead of Columbus because of a need on the major league roster and the timing of his development.
Zimmer, Allen and Diaz did not receive that same message.
“I think they kind of fall into the group of younger guys trying to make a good first impression,” Francona said. “Crazy things happen in this game, I get that, but I think we all feel like it’d be in their best interest to play in Triple-A. Again, crazy things [happen]. If you’re in camp and you’ve got a number, you’re in camp and you’ve got a number. That’s the way it is.”
In both cases, individual statistics will likely play only a small role in determining who breaks camp with the major league club on Opening Day. Rather, it’s how a player is performing that plays a larger role, as well as numerous other factors that go into a manager’s decision.
A hitter can have a terrific spring numbers-wise, but if a major swing flaw that will be exposed at the major league level still is present, those gaudy spring numbers can be fool’s gold.
Francona used the example of a pitcher only working on his fastball. He might be able to get a hitter out with a changeup in a certain situation on that day, but he’ll continue to just work on that one pitch. Statistically, that one bad outing could make his spring as a whole look much worse than it was, though in terms of getting ready for the games that count, it was a positive appearance.
“You have to be careful because, one, say they hit .500 — everybody wants to anoint them the next whatever,” Francona said. “Their season is going to define who they are, when they’re ready.
“You can make some mistakes evaluating in spring training. We try to learn as much as we can about them, but I think you can make really some bad mistakes by thinking you have the end-all, be-all evaluation. But it just isn’t the way it is.”
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ.