Cleveland Indians: Analyzing the Indians newest outfield prospect Alex Call
By Trevor Hooth
A trade has been agreed upon for the Cleveland Indians to send Yonder Alonso to the Chicago White Sox in return for Alex Call.
The White Sox do have a pretty deep farm system, but when Alex Call was revealed as the Cleveland Indians new prospect it didn’t seem like a good sign that he was outside the top 30. That may not be such a bad thing.
Meet The Player
Call is a former third round pick of the 2016 draft. During his three year career, he has made it as high as Double A while slashing .256/.347.400. In 2018, he swatted a career high 12 homeruns. With the glove, Call has played all three positions.
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Top Prospect History
Though Call is left off of the 2018 list, that does not mean he was never there. He ended the 2016 and 2017 seasons at number 26 in the White Sox organization. Don’t count him out to drop into the Cleveland Indians top 30 list when that updates.
His 2017 profile valued him with a plus arm in the outfield with above average speed. Call uses that speed well defensively, and can steal a few bases here and there. His hit and glove tool were both average with below average power to round out his profile.
It is likely that Call only has the ceiling of a fourth outfielder. Out of the draft, it was thought he could develop into a 15 homer guy with good contact. However, it seems his ceiling is dropping a bit. At only 24, there is nothing to count out yet. He could still exceed expectations.
In The Indians System
It would be fair to think that Call will start at the Double A level. Last season he managed 236 at bats there with a .242 batting average. If he comes out of the gates scorching hot he might earn his call up to Columbus.
The Cleveland Indians are certainly on the hunt for MLB level outfielders, but Call is not the answer (no pun intended at first, but I like it…so now it is). If he were to contribute at the top level it would likely be towards the end of the season.
Call does have good bat to ball skills, but in his first try with Double A he posted a K rate of 27.9 percent and a BB rate of 9.7 percent. There is a lot of growing to do with his eye. His numbers in years prior suggest when he adjusts those percentages will move to around 19 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
Good Trade?
Yes. If the Cleveland Indians can find the potential he was once thought to have, they will get a decent everyday starter. At worst, they shed some immediate salary and free up a 40-man spot. The key will be if Call and continue to tap into that power.
Next. Rule 5 results. dark
Overall, this seems like a fair trade for both sides. Call is not the most high profiled prospect in the world, but he is no slouch of a return by any means.