The First Half for the Indians – Four Takeaways from the Good and Bad (Part Two)

On Monday we started our three-part series about the Indians first half of the season, highlighting some of the good as well as the bad for a first place team in an awful division sitting right now at 52-43 as they look to reach some of the other AL teams for a better spot come the postseason.

If you missed Monday's four takeaways, click HERE to check them out. Today we again put the focus on the franchise, and spell out what's yet to come as well as look back at the highs and lows of the season thus far.

Come back Wednesday for the final in the three-part series for four more takeaways as we get you set for what’s going to be an interesting second half for the Wahoo’s.

1. A Banged Up Outfield

At the start of the season, the Indians outfield looked like this - Michael Brantley, Bradley Zimmer, Lonnie Chisenhall. As the team entered the All-Star break, only one of those three remained - that being Brantley, who worked his way back to being an American League All-Star.

Chisenhall is out till likely early September with ongoing calf issues, and Zimmer might be the biggest letdown of the outfield, as he went from being a guy that could be penciled in everyday to a player who is now being questioned if he'll be a long term answer in CF for the franchise.

"Offensively it's been a struggle for him," said manager Terry Francona about Zimmer upon sending him to Columbus back on June 5th. "The strikeouts ... we talked to him about that."

Zimmer's struggles as the plate were a huge issues, hitting just .226 (24-for-106) with two homers and nine RBI in 34 games. He's struck out 44 times in 106 at-bats (42 percent strikeout rate), while drawing just seven walks, and it was so bad that he was thrown down in usually the 7th or 8th spot in the lineup.

The outfield injuries saw Greg Allen, Rajai Davis and Tyler Naquin get more playing time, and the team inked free agent Melky Cabrera, then released him, then signed him again.

The shakeup in the outfield is a big reason the team is looking at options in the trade market.

2. Worth the Risk

When it was announced that the Indians were bringing back Michael Brantley on a team option paying him $11.5 million for the 2018 season, a lot of fans thought of it as wasted money, and wanted the team to bring back Jay Bruce, who was brought in from the Mets after Brantley went down last August.

Fans now are counting their lucky stars that the Indians took a chance on Brantley, as he's been the best hitting on the team from day one until now, hitting .308 with 12 homers and 56 runs batted in.

He's played solid on defense in the 84 games he's suited up for, and hasn't had any of the injury issues that forced him to miss over 70 games last season, and all but 11 games the season before.

Already the question is popping up about what to do with Brantley when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season, but for now, the team is thankful he's wearing a Wahoo on his cap for the 2018 campaign.

3. Be a 'Biebler'

Indians first-year pitcher Shane Bieber has been nothing but fantastic for the Tribe, coming out of nowhere to not only pitch his way to a spot in the rotation, but in doing so go 5-1 with a 3.53 ERA in seven starts.

He started his time at the Major League level making history, becoming the first pitcher for the Tribe to record six or more strikeouts in each of his first three career appearances since Luis Tiant did it in 1964.

Bieber also got a hit in his first Major League AB, slicing a double against the Cardinals, and was sensational Friday night at home against the Yankees earning the win for the Indians against New York.

He's struck out 42 batters, walking just eight in his first seven starts at the MLB level, and he looks like a pitcher that could be a long term answer in the back of the Indians rotation.

4. Gomes Works His Way to the Mid-Summer Classic

Two seasons ago many wondered if Yan Gomes was ever going to have any impact on the Indians at the catcher spot, as in 76 games in the Indians World Series season he hit just .167 with nine homers and 34 runs batted in.

The team had a deal in place for catcher Jonathan Lucroy at the trade deadline, but he used his no-trade clause to not come to Cleveland and instead went to Texas.

Two years later, Lucroy is hitting .241 with one homer and 27 RBI for the Oakland A's, while Gomes is going to the All-Star game as the first Indians catcher to make the squad since 2009 when Victor Martinez played in the game, and the first Brazilian-born player ever named an All-Star.

He's hitting .247 with 10 homers and 32 RBI in 69 games, and also he's been a huge force on a pitching staff that has been a huge advocate for his guidance behind the plate.

No doubt that sometimes the best deals are the ones that don't happen, and for Gomes having Lucroy waive his no-trade clause two years ago has paid off in a huge way.

Quite the way to find out you are going to D.C. #MomentOfFlavor pic.twitter.com/FV5ITHv74R
— MLB (@MLB) July 15, 2018