In the past few weeks, outfielder Tyler Naquin has gone from an intriguing invitee to major league camp to a serious contender to be the Indians’ center fielder.
He’s off to a positive start, hitting .467, but his chances of making the team have as much to do with how Naquin fits into the Indians’ long-term plans as it does his own performance this spring.
Naquin, the No. 6 prospect in the Indians’ system according to Baseball America, is in a competition for a spot on the Opening Day roster with Collin Cowgill, Joey Butler, Will Venable, Robbie Grossman, Michael Choice and Shane Robinson.
Naquin’s prospects of winning the job were improved when Abraham Almonte, the leading candidate in center field, was suspended 80 games for failing a drug test that reveled performance-enhancing drugs.
Naquin has been among the Indians’ top prospects for several seasons but had his progression slowed by injuries. He was also passed in the rankings by Bradley Zimmer (No. 1) and Clint Frazier (No. 2) as outfield prospects. Now with a clear opportunity, it’s possible Naquin fills perhaps the team’s biggest need in center field.
Still, there’s a long way to go until April 4.
“You can’t just sit here and say, ‘He needs to hit .300, he needs to do this,’ ” Indians manager Terry Francona told reporters in Goodyear, Ariz. “Some of it is that guys in that situation, obviously they need to have a good showing in camp. I think that’s stating the obvious. But then it needs to fit, too.”
Francona won’t be grading Naquin too much on his batting average. It’s more a long-term read on how he handles certain aspects, like base running, nuances of the outfield and swinging at strikes. The Indians are looking to certain indicators that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.
“Spring training doesn’t define how guys are going to do,” Francona said. “So often, you see the guy that gets off to the hot start, he’s the guy that everybody talks about. And I don’t think you make a club the first week of camp. But I don’t want to take away what he’s done, either. The fist week, he’s been very impressive, and that’s good because you’re looking for that. But I don’t think you just make your team out the first week of camp, either.”
Naquin certainly has company. But as a No. 6 prospect, he’s an intriguing option and it’s possible the Indians aren’t as concerned with delaying his service clock into the season as they have been with other top prospects because of Zimmer’s impending emergence to the major league level.
Cowgill stands a good chance of making the roster because he can platoon with Lonnie Chisenhall in right field and play all three positions. Rajai Davis also has a spot. Michael Brantley is still slated to return roughly a month into the season, though his progress has been positive. That leaves four outfielders, with maybe one available opening.
Naquin has found himself squarely in the middle of the battle for that final spot.
Four more restaurants
The Indians announced that four additional local restaurants will be available at Progressive Field for the 2016 season, bringing the total count to 12 establishments.
Momocho, Fat Head’s Brewery, Dante’s Inferno and The Brew Kettle are the four newest additions. They’ll join the three establishments announced earlier this offseason (Happy Dog, Cleveland Pickle and Ohio City Burrito) and the five that were inserted into Progressive Field last winter (Melt, Sweet Moses, Barrio, Dynomite Burger and Great Lakes Brewing Co.).
The addition of these restaurants is one piece of the second phase of renovations to Progressive Field. A new scoreboard, new video banner boards, a new club behind home plate and a new sound system are also being inserted prior to Opening Day on April 4.
It was also announced on Tuesday that Great Lakes Brewing Co. has expanded its relationship with the Indians and will offer a beer garden inside the park (near section 164).
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 and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ.