Spring training and prospects

It seems at this point in spring training every year I am writing this kind of post.

Francona likes veterans at backup/complementary roles.   And how can you argue with the success he has had?

The problem is that we have not done a great job of managing our roster to manage our prospects.  The result is that this spring training Ryan Merritt, Eric Gonzalez and Gio Urshela have to make the 25 man roster or exposed to waivers.

If your eye is on the prize of winning the World Series you probably say 'So what?'

The problem is that we can not keep bleeding prospects.   Jesus Aguilar last year was lost in such a way and, with reasonable playing time in Milwaukee (yes, the Milwaukee that had a really good season last year) he did pretty well, especially against lefthanded pitching.

I just don't think you can keep plugging in veterans in backup/complementary roles.   If you do you will continue the lose viable prospects.  

The truth is that we will get essentially nothing for Urshela, Gonzalez and Merritt, even if we trade them near the end of spring training.  Unproven rookies are not worth much in trade but are very valuable to a team that WILL find a place for them, just like the Brewers with Jesus Aguilar.   Small market teams can't do that.   They need those players for July/August trades and, even more, they need the payroll flexibility keeping some of those guys on your 25 man roster gives you.   AND, you protect yourself for the future when you lose veterans to free agency.

I don't know how we will do it but we have to start doing a better job planning for rookies to be on our team every year.   I just don't think we can suffer the frustration of losing these guys for nothing and then having to backfill complementary player roles on our team with more expensive veterans (think Boone Logan, among others).

So, find great trades for Merritt, Gonzalez and/or Urshela or keep them on your roster and do a better job of incorporating your 40-man roster into your 25 man roster and don't bring in expensive veterans for roles these young players can take.   It is just not good business for the Cleveland Indians to keep throwing these players away for nothing.

Today Merritt, Urshela and Gonzalez.   Tomorrow Yandy Diaz, Bobby Bradley, Tyler Naquin and others?  I vote no and I say the Indians need to do a better job of planning so as not to lose those guys for nothing like we did with Aguilar, Hector Rondon and others.