Lindor strong-arms first full-squad workout

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Every February, Francisco Lindor cuts the sleeves off a team-issued hoodie and wears that during workouts around the Indians' Arizona complex. This year, the spring ritual revealed what appeared to be bulkier biceps on the high-energy shortstop.
Lindor flashed his famous smile on Monday when asked about his build after Cleveland's first full-squad workout of the preseason. The shortstop said he did not alter his routine much in comparison to previous winters. He stuck with the same once-a-week lifting program that he has used in the past.
"It has to do with age," said Lindor, who turned 24 in November. "I did the exact same thing I do every offseason. I work as hard as I can to get bigger, get stronger and become the best player I can be."

Lindor noted that he showed up to camp weighing 190 pounds, which is roughly in the same range as last season. Last spring, though, the shortstop came to Arizona around 180 pounds after battling illness. The weight came back as the year progressed and Lindor enjoyed another standout season for the Tribe.
In 159 games last season, Lindor hit .273 with 33 home runs, 44 doubles, 89 RBIs and 99 runs scored for the Indians. He was an All-Star, finished fifth in balloting for the American League MVP Award and set a single-season club record for homers by a middle infielder.
What Lindor really wants to accomplish is winning a World Series.
"We're going after it, man. We want to win. I want to win," he said. "Everybody wants to win and finish the thing. We understand that winning makes everything a lot easier and smoother and keeps everybody happy. We want to do that. We want to accomplish our dreams. My dream is to win."

Worth noting
• Left-hander Ryan Merritt is on the outside looking in when it comes to the Indians' rotation and his experience as a reliever is limited. The lefty is out of Minor League options this spring, though, so Cleveland is being open-minded about how Merritt can fit into the roster puzzle. The bullpen is one possibility.
"There's a lot of Spring Training left," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "But one, he's most likely next up in line if something happened to somebody [in the rotation]. And two, we don't want to lose him. So, those are all things that are going to have to be considered when we get down toward the end of Spring Training."

• Francisco Mejía is baseball's No. 1-ranked catching prospect per MLB Pipeline, but he tried his hand at third base during the Arizona Fall League. Francona said he was not sure if Mejia would play any third this spring, but the manager added the Indians do want to find a way to get him to the Majors if it seems like he could make an impact.
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"The positional change stuff isn't because we don't think he can catch. We know he can catch," Francona said. "It's just, you look up right now and there's [Roberto] Perez and [Yan] Gomes and you've got a kid that's, by some accounts, you hear some of the things they say about him as a hitter, that you'd like to, if something happens, have a way of maybe getting him to the big leagues if need be."
• The first full-squad workout of the spring marks the day Francona holds his first major meeting with the players. It is Francona's chance to go over expectations for the spring and the season ahead, and the manager places a high level of importance on the speech.

"The message never changes," Francona said. "You're not going to talk to one manager today that's not going to be half-full, the glass. I think we have reason to be optimistic. Now, we need to prepare and the idea is to prepare better than every team out there. That's hard to do."
• Indians outfielder Brandon Guyer, who had left wrist surgery in October, is scheduled to be re-evaluated on Thursday with the hope of being cleared to resume a hitting program. Guyer said on Monday that his goal since the operation is to be ready for Opening Day.