Inbox: Can Yandy handle defense at third?

Yandy Díaz's scouting reports all pretty much say that he's a plus defender at third base. Baseball America had him as their best defensive third baseman in 2014. How did he go from someone considered so highly at third to a guy that, every time Indians manager Terry Francona mentions him, he has to knock his defense?
-- Chip D.
I wouldn't call Francona's assessment of Diaz's defense "knocking" the prospect. What I think the Tribe manager has tried to do is make it clear that Diaz, who is ranked as the Indians' 10th-best prospect by MLBPipeline.com, is not a finished product, and point out that he simply does not have the same number of reps at third (or the same level of Major League experience) as some of the other candidates.
For most of last season, and throughout his stint in winter ball this past offseason, Diaz worked hard in the outfield. That continued early on this spring. The amount of time he spent in the outfield cost him time he could have spent honing his defense at third base. This spring, Diaz also missed a chunk of time with a groin issue, costing him time on the field.
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When Francona calls Diaz a "work in progress," those are the reasons.
"He wasn't the finished product as a third baseman," Francona said on Monday. "Then last year, we moved him to right field, because there was a need and he was still 'rough around the edges,' is the best way to put it. Now, because there's a potential opening at third, now he would kind of go back to that. It's not perfect. It's trying to weigh having his bat, but also the development of his defense. I'm not even sure if it's a possibility, but we'd like to give him a chance, because he's such a good hitter."
Francona has repeatedly referred to Diaz as an "advanced hitter," and that has been on display this spring. Through 12 Cactus League games, Diaz has hit .417 (10-for-24) with three extra-base hits, seven RBIs and more walks (six) than strikeouts (three). His offensive ability makes Diaz an exciting prospect and an intriguing candidate for third, if José Ramirez (reliever) slides over to second base while Jason Kipnis (right shoulder) is sidelined, as anticipated.

The Indians have other factors to weigh, though. Two players on the 40-man roster -- Gio Urshela and Erik González -- have big league experience and are strong defenders. For a short-term solution, putting the best defender possible at third is a serious consideration. Cleveland also must weight the fact that Diaz has no Major League experience and is not on the 40-man roster. Non-roster invitee Richie Shaffer, who can play the corners in the infield and outfield, is also in that mix for third.

Yes, Cody Allen will enter the season as Cleveland's closer. In discussing his bullpen earlier this spring, Francona emphasized the importance of "having an end point." By using Allen as his closer, the manager can continue to utilize Andrew Miller as his high-leverage weapon.
That setup also allows Francona to mix and match with righties Bryan Shaw, Dan Otero and Zach McAllister, along with lefty Boone Logan. The presence of Logan can help minimize the exposure of some of those righties against tough lefty batters. There will be no set innings for specific pitchers, but expect to see Allen as the main arm in save situations.

When camp opened, Kipnis was throwing and taking part in regular workouts. He said that he felt pain in his shoulder during one of his early-spring throwing sessions.
"It happened when I got out here," Kipnis said. "One of the first times throwing, kind of jerked at something."
The Indians announced on Sunday that Kipnis was unlikely to be ready to return to Major League games for four or five weeks, meaning he could miss the first couple weeks of April. If everything goes according to plan, the second baseman might be able to return to hitting and throwing by this coming weekend.

Yes, Abraham Almonte has one option year remaining, meaning he can be sent back and forth between the Majors and Minors this season without being exposed to waivers. Cleveland will certainly keep that in mind as it weights its outfield options for Opening Day.
Right now, Lonnie Chisenhall, Brandon Guyer and Tyler Naquin are the only virtual locks for outfield roster spots. Left fielder Michael Brantley (right biceps surgery in August) made his Cactus League debut on Monday, but it's unclear if he will be ready in time for Opening Day. If Brantley is ready, that will alter how the Tribe aligns its outfield.

Without Brantley, carrying Almonte -- a switch-hitter capable of playing all three outfield spots -- makes a lot of sense. In that scenario, a non-roster option like Austin Jackson would have his chances of making the team increase, too. It is also worth noting that Jackson has an opt-out clause in his contract for Sunday. If Brantley is ready, it could come down to Almonte or Jackson for a spot.

I'm not sure Kipnis will be a 30-steal guy again, but I could see him being more aggressive in that area now that Rajai Davis (46 steals last year) is gone. Ramirez and Francisco Lindor could also push for 20-plus stolen bases after having 22 and 19, respectively, last year. With Davis out of the equation, I'd set the over/under at 85 steals, following the Tribe's American League-leading 134 swipes last season.
Just because Davis is gone, though, doesn't mean the Indians can't maintain their reputation as one of the league's best baserunning groups. Not only did Cleveland lead the AL in steals, but it ranked first in bases taken (186) and extra-base taken rate (45 percent) in 2016. So while the steals might not be as high, the Indians still have players capable of being smart on the basepaths -- and taking an extra base when possible.

The Indians are fortunate to have a catching tandem that is as talented defensively as Yan Gomes and Roberto Pérez. There are offensive questions about both players heading into the year, but Cleveland knows it has two plus options when it comes to calling games, controlling baserunners and framing pitches.
The Tribe saw last year, however, how a catching situation can change quickly. Both Gomes and Perez dealt with injuries and served as the No. 1 catcher for stretches. That forced the Indians to go out and acquire catcher Chris Gimenez, and it nearly led to the team trading for Jonathan Lucroy. I think the Indians will be fine with holding on to Gomes and Perez for a while.