PHOENIX, Ariz. –
Francisco Lindor is a goal setter.
When the Indians made him their No.1 draft pick in 2011 out of high school, his goal was to make it to the big leagues by 20. Lindor, who turns 21 Friday, didn't get there so he's had to adjust.
"Now my goal is make it when I'm 21," said Lindor. "If it doesn't happen, it will be to make it at 22. I'm going to make it, God willing."
Lindor is playing for the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League. This is the last week of a long year of baseball that started in February.
The switch-hitting shortstop reached Class AAA Columbus this year, the last stop before the big leagues. He went home to Florida after the season waiting to see where he was going to play winter ball – Puerto Rico or the AFL.
The Indians decided to send him to the AFL. Not only would they have better control of his workload, but the AFL is MLB's finishing school. It's where big league prospects are buffed and burnished.
"Francisco is knocking on the door," said
Carter Hawkins, the Indians new director of player development.
To knock is one thing. To force the door open is another.
When the Indians traded Asdrubal Cabrera, their two-time All-Star shortstop, to Washington on July 31
st, it seemed like the path was cleared for Lindor. OK, so maybe it wouldn't be immediate, but a September call up had to be just around the corner, right?
Not so.
Jose Ramirez arrived from Columbus to replace Cabrera and played the heck out of shortstop as the Indians entered the last weekend of the regular season still in wild-card contention. Ramirez, like Lindor, is a switch hitter and he's only 21. So he's not going anywhere.
"
Jose is a gamer," said Lindor. "He's a good player. He was in the big leagues the year before so I'm not surprised at what he did."
As for the September call-up, Lindor said, "I never expected it. I hoped for it and I prayed for it. It didn't happen.
"Whatever, it only made me a better player. I knew I had to go out this offseason and work my tail off and hopefully put myself in a better position to have Chris Antonetti (general manager), Mark Shapiro (president) and Terry Francona (manager) feel I can help the Indians win.
"That is the ultimate goal – to win."
The Indians, like most teams would, were looking at Lindor's arbitration clock. There was no need to give him a head start toward super-two status when there was no place to play him in September. But his time will come.
"He's going to be a big-time player," said
Vance Wilson, Peoria's manager and a former big league catcher. "Sometimes we get caught up looking at the stats. But you can look at players' actions and the way they carry themselves. The instincts, the intangibles, he has all that.
"He has the type of overall game that you lay an organization on. He can have a huge impact."
Lindor is hitting .256 (23-for-90) with one homer and six RBI for Peoria. He ranks second in the AFL with 90 at-bats, third in games with 22 and fourth in hits with 23. He's struck out 12 times and drawn seven walks.
In the minors this year, Lindor hit a combined .276 (140-for-567) with 11 homers, 62 RBI and 75 runs at Class AA Akron and Columbus. He hit .273 (45-for-165) with five homers and 14 RBI in 38 games at Columbus.
Lindor, according to baseball-reference.com, was almost seven years younger than the weighted average of all position players at Class AAA this year.
"Not a chance," said Lindor when asked if he felt overmatched. "I felt great. I liked it. I didn't feel like I was the youngest player. I can't use that as an excuse."
Dave Wallace, the Indians manager at Akron, is coaching for Peoria. Wallace has managed Lindor at Class A Mahoning Valley, Class A Lake County, Class A Carolina and Akron.
"Offensively, Frankie has been pitched tough out here," said Wallace. "He's seen a lot of off-speed pitches. He gets into a hitter's count and sees a lot of off-speed stuff, which is great.
"I know he saw a lot of that in Triple-A and he will in the big leagues, too. He's going to face guys who can do more than just lay a fastball in there when they're behind in the count."
The Indians want Lindor to become a more consistent hitter. On defense they want him to concentrate on every pitch.
In Peoria's 5-4 victory over the Salt River Rafters on Friday, Lindor made a great catch in the second inning against Max Kepler, sprinting far into left field to catch the ball with his back to the plate.
"Those are the special plays you're going to see from him," said Wallace. "What we want is for his focus to be is locked in on every pitch. Take into account the game situation and not take a single pitch off."
The routine play is the bane of all shortstops, especially ones just shy of their 21
st birthday and in a hurry to do big things. Patience is required and Lindor is learning it while still pounding on the door to the big leagues.
"When they think I'm ready, I'll be there," he said.
