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Francisco Mejia will likely begin 2018 at catcher for Cleveland Indians

The 22-year-old Mejia is one of the top-rated prospects in all of baseball.

CLEVELAND -- After playing in 11 games as a late-season call-up last fall, Francisco Mejia nearly got the jersey number he wanted. After getting his first taste of Major League action, the 22-year-old finally mustered up the courage to ask manager Terry Francona for his No. 17.

Francona obliged, but Mejia's stint with the new digits didn't last long. When the Cleveland Indians signed Yoder Alonso later in the offseason, the All-Star first baseman also requested to wear No. 17, with his seniority ultimately winning out.

Walking through the Indians' clubhouse, Mejia's locker now has a new number next to his name -- 45 -- but that's merely a footnote. What's most important is Mejia has a locker at Progressive Field at this point in the year, a sign that he could play a prominent role in Cleveland sooner rather than later.

Despite the depth of the Indians' roster, it's clear Cleveland management is already factoring its top-rated prospect into its plans. Right now, that plan is for Mejia to remain at catcher, although third base also appears to remain with Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez still present in the Cleveland clubhouse.

Mejia, however, could provide more pop in the Indians' lineup than either of his veteran counterparts. In 92 games with AA-Akron last year, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Dominican Republic native batted .297 and hit 14 home runs.

With a big spring training, Francona could have no choice but to find a spot for Mejia -- regardless of what position it's at. And if all goes well, there's a good chance that this time next year, he'll finally have his first choice of jersey numbers.

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