Indians option Bauer, Kluber and Barnes to Columbus

The Cleveland Indians announced today that right-handed starters Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber, as well as left-handed reliever Scott Barnes are being optioned to Triple-A Columbus. The Indians have also re-assigned lefty Giovanni Soto to minor league camp. Soto was a non-roster invitee with the Tribe.

The announcement all but guarantees the fifth spot in the rotation goes to Scott Kazmir, who is the last man standing, depending on what the Indians plan on doing with Carlos Carrasco.

The announcement also seems to lock up a spot for Nick Hagadone, who is competing with Rich Hill and Barnes for what’s presumed to be one of two spots in the bullpen for a lefty. Rich Hill was recently added to the 40-man roster, all but guaranteeing his spot. Hagadone, like Kazmir, appears to be the last man standing.

Trevor Bauer made his last start with the Indians on Wednesday, and while it’s clear that his stuff is major league ready, it’s equally clear that he has a ways to go until he learns how to pitch to major league hitters. He’s not far, but he still needs a bit of seasoning. He’ll be back, and sooner, rather than later, and while I think Carrasco will ultimately be the first man to be called up, Bauer could make that scenario extremely interesting if he can continue to grow.

There was a prevalent thought at the beginning of the hot stove season that Corey Kluber had a serious chance to make the team as a starter, or at worst, a long reliever. The Indians, however, made several moves since that made Kluber’s reality a lot more minor league oriented. Kluber could never find the consistency as a starter to make him overtly valuable, and the bullpen is extremely loaded right now. Kluber will make good fill at Columbus as a starter, but will find himself behind a lot of bodies in his path back to Cleveland. I’d be surprised if we ever see him in a Tribe uniform again. If we do, bad things have happened.

Barnes, as I mentioned before, was competing for a lefty bullpen slot, and he seemed a near lock at the beginning of the offseason as well. Rich Hill wasn’t yet signed and Hagadone was on the DL and in the midst of a squabble with the Tribe brass. While Barnes has great stuff, he’s really struggled to make that final step. It will be interesting to see what the Indians do with him going forward. He’s clearly the next guy on call should Hill or Hagadone go down, but his long-term future is still unknown.

Soto is even a greater mystery right now. It’s believed that his long-term future might be in the bullpen as a lefty specialist, but I still think there’s a chance that he could turn into a wily starter that is incredibly effective. Let’s not forget, Soto threw a no-hitter last July, and while he’s not a prototypical starter with regards to velocity, his angles and delivery create havoc for hitters. When he finally slows down, he could be something special.

Here’s the Indians active roster heading into the final weeks of spring:

Here are the non-rosters. Obviously, some of these guys aren't going to be here:

Jim is currently the co-site editor, the ATF/Carolina Mudcats/Indians/General Site Columnist, and the co-host of IPI's weekly online radio show, Smoke Signals. You can follow Jim on Twitter @Jim_IPI, or contact him via e-mail at jpete@indiansprospectinsider.com.