The Indians announced that they’ve signed free-agent outfielder Cameron Maybin to a minor league contract. He’ll head to the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Columbus for the time being. Maybin, a client of Excel Sports, was in Spring Training with the Giants but was released at the end of camp.
Maybin, who’ll turn 32 in early April, struggled to a .163/.250/.233 performance with the Giants during Cactus League play. A DUI arrest midway through Spring Training assuredly didn’t help his chances of making the roster in San Francisco. The Giants ultimately broke camp with Steven Duggar, Gerardo Parra, Connor Joe and Michael Reed comprising a shaky collection of outfielders.
The Indians’ outfield mix is hardly well-defined, though it’s less shaky than the Giants’ piecemeal compilation. Cleveland opened the season with Jake Bauers, Leonys Martin and Tyler Naquin in left field, center field and right field, respectively. Fleet-footed Greg Allen as a reserve option, and Jordan Luplow broke camp as a likely platoon partner for Naquin.
Maybin will join fellow veterans Carlos Gonzalez and Brandon Barnes as well as prospect Oscar Mercado in the mix for playing time with Triple-A Columbus early in the year. That collection of names could change quickly, as Gonzalez is reported to have an opt-out provision in early April if he’s not added to the big league roster by that point.
Maybin still has well above-average speed but isn’t quite the burner that he once was. Back in 2015, Statcast pegged Maybin’s 29.1 ft/sec average sprint speed 26th in the Majors, but he’s lost a tenth of a second or two each year since that time and checked in at 28.5 ft/sec last season (tied for 101st of 549 players). He’s spent time with the Angels, Astros, Marlins and Mariners across the past two seasons and posted a collective .237/.322/.351 batting line with 14 homers, 34 doubles, four triples and 43 stolen bases in 834 plate appearances along the way.
they could always deal for ryan lamarre
There’s the OF bat they’ve been looking for all offseason. All their non moves make sense now.
There’s non moves and then there are Giants moves 🙁
At least the Columbus team will have someone to drive called-up players to the airport……oh, wailt……….
hahahaha
Lmao this is a good one
That’s terrible, Bob…..but funny.
Carlos’ opt out date is April 20.
Why?
So glad that the Braves did not pick up this loser.
He’s not a loser. He has made millions off of average talent & will retire with a pocket full of cash and has played in the major leagues. So if this is a loser, what the hell do you call the ones who never make the majors or millions of dollars? Really Really big losers?
Loser? Says the guy who never played in MLB.
Neither have you
He’s a loser for driving drunk
Feet per second stats, haven’t seen that before.
It’s a pretty cool stat, actually.
baseballsavant.mlb.com/sprint_speed_leaderboard
go get Corey dickerson from the bucs. he will be gone eventually. CD for a low level prospects and tickets to the rock n roll HOF.
The worst OF in the big leagues trash is the second worst OF in the big leagues treasure!
Indians owner must be hoping the team falls apart so the FO will be to be sellers so he has an excuse to lower payroll more.
The twins have a decent front 3 in the rotation but Cleveland has the best rotation in the game. I really want to say Minnesota could steal the division because I really like the moves they made and their offense. Particularly if they get production out of Sano and Buxton. But the twins rotation on the back end isn’t very good and their bullpen is probably more suspect than cleveland’s. Cleveland should take it despite the horrendous OF and also lack of a BP. Aside from hand and maybe Salazar or if Ollie can find this magic again. They can’t dig themselves too much of a hole when lindor is out though. I don’t think that lineup is very deep at all. Aside from lindor, Ramirez, and Santana everyone is a huge question mark.
I know it’s a very small sample size, but what I saw out of Cleveland’s offense yesterday and for most of ST was exactly what most people thought: Their offense is utter hot garbage outside of Lindor and JoRam. If teams just pitch around those two, the Indians are in for a really bad season, AL Central irregardless.
Didn’t the Tribe average over 6 runs a game during spring training?
Guess you weren’t watching close enough.
The vast majority of that offense was put up by AA and AAA guys against AA and AAA competition that aren’t on 25 Man rosters now. Outside of Lindor, Ramirez and to an extent Santana, the Indians are rolling with a AAA-level offense. That’s just a fact.
Justifying the cherry picking of comments about ST…SMH…
Yep. Sadly, it’s a fact.
Yeah I mean I wouldn’t put any stock into what they did in the spring anyway. Santana tore the cover off the ball but half the guys aren’t even coming north who helped them put up those stats. There’s just a lot of question marks up and down that team. Bauers was a good prospect but he’s done nothing to prove he’s a quality hitter at the big league level. Naquin is a flawed player who needed a .400+ BABIP to post his only good year. Kipnis hasn’t been very good in recent years and probably is what he is at this point. who knows what Hanram might give you anymore. Martin is typically a below average hitter and Perez swings a wet noodle. They definitely lack any certainty outside of lindor, Santana, and Ramirez. I could see very middling production out of everyone else and not be surprised at all. I think it’s inevitable that they acquire a bat at some point.
I said what I did in response to the previous commenter’s comment, about their spring performance.
Santana will be fine. He always starts slow, but ends up with similar stats every season. Bauers, now I’m still mad they traded Yandy in that deal. Naquin I like, and am hoping the hip surgery helps him get over the hump. Kip is a good clubhouse guy, but his best years passed awhile ago. Martin has always been a defense first player. Perez has never had full time at bats, so let’s give him a chance.
I realize that was kind of a comment at both you about the spring thing.
Planning to move team to Florida. Was a documentary on it
They also have Zimmer whenever he comes off the injured list. They have a lot of different guys that you could squint and see something in, but none of them offer any degree of certainty whatsoever.
Zimmer and Martin both generate most of their value defensively though. I don’t think it really adds much to the team if they’re playing in the OF together. I mean defensively I suppose but neither one of them is a big threat with the stick
Oh I agree, but I think Zimmer could potentially have a little untapped value on offense. He strikes out a ton, but he walks and has decent power, and he hit well in the minors too. He was terrible last year before he got injured though.
The defense and baserunning give him a high floor, but I agree that he and Martin could be somewhat redundant. Same with Greg Allen though, I suppose.
I’m with you on Zimmer. That K rate is a really big problem though. North of 36% last year. That’s just not going to cut it. Unfortunately he reminds me a lot of Keon Broxton from the left hand side. He had a higher prospect billing but both players have the same skill set thus far. That doesn’t really cut it as a ML starter and definitely not in a corner. Hopefully something clicks though cause you always have to like a guy who can impact a game with power, speed, and defense. But you know you have to make contact to use those other skills.
I don’t mind an outfield of Bauers (did fine in the field for game 1 and hope he can’t be productive at the plate) Martin (will the put him 2 behind Lindor) in center and simmer in right. Zimmer has a cannon and people forget the Indians were trying to change his swing which may account t for some (not all) of his offensive woes. Naquin is not the answer!
I’ll bet the price was right for the Dolans. Garbage in garbage out.
You need to either stop bagging on your team, or pick another team to “root” for.
You’re constant ripping of the organization is getting nauseating.
Yeah, what he said…
Indians following Zaidi’s constant moves and still not willing to get anything other than role players.
Zaidi’s not trying to win games this year though. That’s all he should be doing.
Why? Shouldn’t they want Ellsbury?? I’m sure the Yankees will make an offer no team can refuse
He kind of runs like willie mays Hayes
More platoon options for Tito.
I thought the Indians had reached the bottom of the barrel, but I guess not quite.
Indians ownership is pathetic, just spare us this garbage. Trade everyone and start the rebuild now, that would be better than what they are doing.
Drinking and driving is serious. Remember Angels pitcher Adenhart who was killed by a drunk driver, as well as many others..UNACCEPTABLE.