The Killer B's - When can we expect to see them in Cleveland?

 Looking at the Columbus Clippers lineup today it took me back a few years.   In my youth, at this point in the season we would be about where Kansas City is now'

As a fan at the time I would have been looking to the future.   Excited about the draft that had just happened and looking to our AAA team for any hope in the last 70 or so games in the season.

Which is why it got me to reminisce about what mighta/shoulda/coulda been to the guys whose last names begin with B in the lineup in today's 7-0 win against Indianapolis (Pirates' AAA team).

So, in remembrance of my youthful years, let's look to the Columbus roster and think who would have been a candidate in the 70s to be called up at or around the all-star break.  

Will Benson - In those olden years, a relatively young first-round pick tearing it up at AAA would have elicited all sorts of calls from fans to be called up.  I mean, the guy is showing signs of being a 4-tool guy with the hit tool being the only one in question and, if we use 2022 statistical logic, his walk rate plus BA makes his hit tool look pretty good.  His current line of 16 HRs, 16 doubles and 16 stolen bases PLUS his mnor league-leading 68 walks for a still relatively young guy would have had the fan in me salivating to get him to the majors...NOW.  The only issues with calling Benson up right now are (a) he hits left-handed and (b) he is not on the 40-man roster.   Who would you send down, who would he replace in the lineup and who would you DFA to add Benson to the 40 man when you are looking at having to add Carlos Vargas and Cody Morris back to the 40-man roster very soon when their 30 day rehab periods expire?

Will Brennan - You gotta feel for guys like Brennan.   I have long said that Antonnetti and Chernoff are not very adept at turning our minor league depth into minor league or major league controllable quality.  The one and only time I can recall them doing that was with Oscar Mercado and look how that turned out eventually.   Brennan deserves a chance and at maybe a third of the franchises in baseball he would have had that chance already.   Unfortunately the Indians are backed up with left-handed hitting outfielders currently or in the recent past raking at AAA (and continuing to rake in the majors).  Brennan should be getting his chance but, like Benson, needs some of the ML logjam to clear off the 40-man to get his chance.

Peyton Battenfield - Potentially the most likely on this list to get a callup if Civale's injury is serious or lingers, Battenfield is probably as or more ML ready than Konnor Pilkington.  I don't want to make too much of his start against Indianapolis today as it was a day game after a night game (generally favoring pitchers) but the thing I am focused on here is look how good he did with his stuff plus a major league quality catcher (Sandy Leon) to maximize his effectiveness.  Don't discount the possibility that Leon was targeted to catch Battenfield today to get a first-hand, spikes-on-the-ground scouting report on Battenfield today just in case Civale has to go on the DL.   Like everyone else listed in this post, Battenfield would have to be added to the roster with someone else DFA'd or put on the 60 day DL. 

 Trenton Brooks - Like Alex Call, a callup of Brooks would be a feel-good story for a career minor leaguer but as a left-handed hitter and mainly a first baseman, he doesn't have an obvious path to being called up.  I would like to see him get his cup of coffee but unless Josh Naylor goes on the 60-day DL (let's hope not!) I don't see that happening.

So there you have it.  This is not your father's Cleveland baseball team.   Guys like the ones mentioned abov just don't get called up because we are competitive in the season, competitive at the positions they play and we have such a young, stacked 40-man roster that DFAing someone is not like DFAing Kirk McCarty, Tanner Tully or Justin Garza.   Aside from a couple of career minor league relievers whose roster spots are already spoken for with guys coming off the 60-man, without a trade we literally don't have room for anyone but Battenfield and only in the case where Civale would be out for a long time.

When you have to call up Alex Call just because he hits right-handed you know that left-handed hitting outfielder and first baseman will have trouble getting called up.   Effective starting pitchers?  Well, regardless of their handedness, you can never have enough pitching!