Indians Outfield In Transition

CLEVELAND—This is clearly a year of transition for the Indians’ outfield. Only two of the eight outfielders on the team’s 40-man roster have been everyday outfielders for a full big league season.

Those two are Michael Brantley and Rajai Davis. The other six are Abraham Almonte, Joey Butler, Lonnie Chisenhall, Collin Cowgill, Tyler Naquin and James Ramsey.

Barring any late additions, the stable of outfielders the Indians will bring to spring training, with the exception of Brantley, is not a high-profile group.

A case could be made that the two most interesting Indians outfielders won’t be in the major league camp at all. At least not officially.

Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier, the club’s top two prospects, are not among the minor leaguers who have been invited to the big league camp as non-roster players.

That’s not necessarily a surprise since Zimmer has yet to see a pitch at the Triple-A level and Frazier hasn’t had an at bat at the Double-A level. However, Indians officials seem intent on clearing a path to the big leagues for both young outfielders when they are ready.

It started with last year’s trades of Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, David Murphy and Brandon Moss and continued over the winter with the signing of Davis, a free agent, to a modest one-year contract.

General manager Mike Chernoff downplayed the significance of Zimmer and/or Frazier not being among those invited to the big league camp.

“It’s not an issue with the seasons they had, who they are, or the progress they made,” Chernoff said. “The decision not to bring them to camp is instead just about the depth we have in our major league clubhouse and on our roster in the outfield. You kind of always strike this balance of, when you have guys in camp, making sure there is enough opportunity for them.”

SMOKE SIGNALS

• Koby Perez has been promoted from international crosschecker to director of Latin American scouting. He replaces Ramon Pena, who left the organization.

• Minor league pitchers Adam Plutko and Will Roberts and infielders Todd Hankins and Eric Stamets have been invited to the major league camp as non-roster players.