As the Cleveland Indians prepare to head west for Spring Training, they've made a last ditch attempt at bolstering their outfield.
On Friday, veteran outfielder Matt Joyce took to Twitter to announce he had agreed to terms with the Indians. Per multiple reports, Joyce's deal with Cleveland comes in the form of a minor league contract.
The 34-year-old Joyce arrives in Cleveland after having spent the past two seasons with the Oakland Athletics -- the latter of which he hit for a .208 average, 7 home runs and 15 home runs in 83 games. Although his numbers leave plenty to be desired, the left-handed hitter could fill a position of need for the Indians, who lost All-Star outfielder Michael Brantley to the Houston Astros in free agency this past offseason.
Heading into Spring Training, Cleveland's most proven outfielder is Leonys Martin, who appeared in just six games for the Indians last season. Shortly after being acquired in a trade with the Detroit Tigers, Martin suffered from a life-threatening bacterial infection, which he has since fully recovered from.
In addition to Martin, Cleveland finds itself counting on a number of relatively inexperienced outfielders, including Jake Bauers, Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen, Bradley Zimmer and Jordan Luplow.
Whether or not Joyce will earn a spot in the Indians' outfield rotation will be determined in the weeks to come, with pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to Goodyear, Ariz. on Feb. 12. Cleveland will then kickoff its 2019 Spring Training schedule on Feb. 23 when it faces the Cincinnati Reds.