Cleveland Indians Add Francisco Mejia to Roster and Claim Two Pitchers

The Cleveland Indians added Francisco Mejia to the 40-man roster and claimed two pitchers off waivers Friday, giving their pitching staff some added depth.

Friday was the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster ahead of this year’s Rule 5 Draft and the Cleveland Indians made a few moves, both internal and external. As expected, the Tribe added one of their top prospects, catcher Francisco Mejia, to the roster, protecting him from selection in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.

They also made a couple surprise additions claiming a pair of left-handed pitchers off waivers. Finishing off the week’s moves, the Tribe outrighted catcher Chris Gimenez off the roster.

The Indians had one of the best pitching staffs in the American League in 2016 but one thing was clear throughout the season: they were light on left-handed pitching. The only lefty to make a start for the Indians in 2016 was Ryan Merritt who made his first start the last week of the season.

In the bullpen, the Indians went through several lefties before entering the Divisional Series with only Andrew Miller on the roster. Eventually, Merritt joined him for the World Series but it was apparent throughout the season and the playoffs that some depth in the pen, especially from the left-side, was something the Indians needed to address.

Tim Cooney was claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals where he was a former third-round pick back in 2012. He was a starter in the Cardinals system and one of their better pitching prospects at one point. He made his big league debut in 2015, making six starts and going 1-0 with a 3.16 ERA. However, a shoulder injury cost him all of the 2016 season and led to the Cardinals putting him on waivers.The soon-to-be 26-year-old hopes to be healthy this February in time for Spring Training but shoulders are never a sure thing.

The Cardinals likely wouldn’t have waived Cooney if they were completely sold on his health. For the Indians though, it’s a risk worth taking. Cooney will make the league minimum for a few more years and still has a minor league option. He likely heads to either Triple-A Columbus or Extended Spring Training to begin the year but could provide some big league help if the arm proves healthy enough.

The 24-year-old Edwin Escobar was claimed off waivers as well from the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has bounced around the league a bit, beginning his career with the Texas Rangers before eventually making his big league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2014. He’s worked mostly as a starter in the minor leagues but will probably be looked at as more a reliever in Cleveland, possibly filling the Ross Detwiler role from the beginning of last year. The left-handed Escobar still has youth on his side but out of options.

With the four moves made Friday the Indians roster now full at 40 players. The Indians began Friday at just 38 so only backup catcher Chris Gimenez had to be removed. He was eligible for arbitration and will be free to sign with any team. The Indians could look to bring him back on a minor league deal to provide extra depth at Columbus.

The Indians are also still free to make more moves despite Friday’s deadline. They simply can’t add any players from their system to the 40-man until after the Rule 5 Draft later this offseason. None of the three additions made are likely to play any huge role on the 2017 team but one can never have too much depth.

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So what do you think of the moves? Love them, hate them, indifferent? Let us know in the comments below.