Cleveland Indians players were unhappy with Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac after the starting pitchers violated health and safety protocols, and one member of the team reportedly threatened to opt out of the season if Clevinger and Plesac were not removed from the active roster.
Indians players scolded Clevinger and Plesac during a tense meeting on Friday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. While some players accepted the two pitchers’ apologies, at least one — 39-year-old reliever Oliver Perez — said he would opt out of the season if Clevinger and Plesac returned to the active roster for Cleveland’s weekend series against the Detroit Tigers. That was apparently a factor in the decision to send the starters to an alternate site.
Players were more upset over Clevinger and Plesac violating their trust. Both pitchers tested negative for COVID-19, but there was a great deal of frustration that they would risk exposing the team to the coronavirus. Some felt Clevinger and Plesac should have been more cautious since pitcher Carlos Carrasco was treated for leukemia last year.
As Passan notes, the demotions could have serious financial consequences for both Clevinger and Plesac. Players lose a year of service time if they spend more than 19 days in the minor leagues, and Clevinger and Plesac are expected to be away from the Indians for at least 10. If Clevinger spent 20 days in the minors, he would be left one day short of reaching four years of service and potentially have his free agency delayed by a year.
Plesac began the season on an option for two days, so his service would be impacted if he spends 18 more days in the minors. Should that happen, he will not reach arbitration until after the 2022 season rather than after next season.
Clevinger angered the Indians by not admitting he went out with Plesac in Chicago until after he boarded the team plane home. Plesac took to Instagram last week in an attempt to defend himself, and that reportedly led to further frustration among his teammates.
The Indians swept the Tigers over the weekend to improve to 13-9 on the season. Their starting rotation has an MLB-best 2.43 ERA, and Clevinger is 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA in three starts. He has been one of the best pitchers in the American League for three seasons. Plesac was off to an even better start this year, posting a 1.29 ERA in three outings.
