Jake Bauers needs to have a great spring.
This is hardly breaking news. The Cleveland Indians’ outfielder is coming off a season during which he fell woefully below the team’s expectations for him. Despite being given plenty of opportunities to prove himself, Bauers instead spent 2019 putting up subpar numbers at the plate while reportedly carrying himself like an elite hitter.
So, if there’s anyone within the Indians’ clubhouse in dire need of an immediate bounce-back, it’s Bauers.
It’s a point Cleveland has been hammering home over the past few weeks, albeit indirectly.
Casey Drottar is an Cleveland Indians writer for Sports Illustrated. Subscribe to his podcast, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook