Tribe Talk: 2018 Cleveland Indians Offseason Plan: Opportunity Knocks

By Alex Hale, @TheCLESportsGuy


For the Cleveland Indians, 2017 ended in heartbreak that leaves the franchise at a crossroads. The window for the Indians to finally end a now 70 year World Series drought is still open, but is slowly closing. With the emergence of the Minnesota Twins and their rumored aggressive position this offseason, the Indians can either continue to go for it or prepare for the future rebuilding effort. The Indians have numerous Free Agents hitting the market this offseason including main stays Carlos Santana and Bryan Shaw, not to mention key trade acquisition Jay Bruce. The Indians have numerous options they can go in order to continue to improve their team and continue their reign in the AL Central.

When it comes to the Indians, the big question continues to be the amount of money that is available with the Indians. From estimates of expiring contracts and other big contracts off the books, it’s fair to estimate that the Indians have around the range of $25-$30 million to spend this offseason (with minority investor and revenue from 2017, it could be higher). The Dolan's have shown with the recent winning, they are willing to spend a bit more if it meant improving the team. This would mean the Indians would have the money to at least be able to afford one of Jay Bruce and Carlos Santana and still be able to fill out the rest of the roster with supporting pieces.

As I do every year, I’m going to take off my writer cap and place myself in the shoes of Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff and say what I would do if I were in their shoes. The Indians fell short in 2017 and look to return to the World Series in 2018, it’s time to look at my 2018 Offseason Plan.



2018 Indians Offseason Plan

Re-sign 1B Carlos Santana: The Indians are in unfamiliar territory unlike previous years, the Indians are in the position in attempting to keep their own Free Agents and have multiple top tier Free Agents they would like to try to keep in Jay Bruce and Carlos Santana. Unfortunately for the Indians they won’t be able to afford to keep both after the Indians picked up Michael Brantley’s $12 million option. If forced to choose between Bruce and Santana, it’s a no-brainer for me, Carlos Santana is the top priority for the Indians. Although Santana normally struggles in the first half of the season, time after time he turns it on in the 2nd Half and played a major role in the Indians success in the 2nd Half last year. On top of that Santana has improved year after year defensively at 1B and was a finalist in 2017 for the Gold Glove award for First Baseman. Santana always is a force with the bat and has a great eye at the plate that really can’t be taught. The Indians might have to slightly overpay, but in a win-now mode with a great chance to win their 3rd straight AL Central title and contend for the AL crown against the Astros, the Indians must be willing to do what it takes to re-sign him.

Contract- 3 years, $54 million with a Mutual Option for a 4th year

Re-sign RP Joe Smith- The Indians biggest strength over the past few years have been in their bullpen, but it seems that the Indians most polarizing reliever Bryan Shaw will be leaving for greener pastures in the offseason. This would leave the Indians without one of their most consistent and reliable relievers (contrary to popular belief) and looking to replace him. Fortunately for the Tribe, they don’t really have to look that far for that replacement. In a lot of ways, Joe Smith is a better reliever than Shaw, but is a totally different reliever. Aside from Smith being a side arm pitcher, Smith doesn’t throw as hard as Shaw and it would leave the Indians without a hard throwing righty they can rely on. But the key for keeping Smith is his efficiency over the years to get batters out. With all of his ties to Cleveland and knowing he’s in a winning situation, it shouldn’t be hard to convince Joe Smith to stay and maybe get a discount out of it.

Contract- 2 years, $8 million

Re-sign CF Austin Jackson- Amazing what a change of scenery can do for a player. A year ago the Austin Jackson could barely get a Minor League deal after struggling with the White Sox in 2016, he arrives in Cleveland and establishes himself as a great spot starter in the Outfield both defensively and rediscovering his batting approach, resulting into one of his best offensive seasons in the Majors. Not to mention AJax had the catch of the year against Boston. For the Indians and their struggles with the Outfield staying healthy, it’s imperative that they re-sign Austin Jackson because of his ability to contribute on the field and at the plate. It would be costly for a 4th Outfielder, but in a “win-now” approach, if it’s not breaking the bank, it’s worth it.

Contract- 2 years, $12 million with a Team Option for a 3rd year

Sign RP Matt Albers- Remember this guy? Matt Albers was once a reliable option out of the bullpen in 2013 for the Indians and outside of one bad year in 2016, he’s been lights out since he’s left. Albers would be the perfect Bryan Shaw replacement that allows Joe Smith to still have the same role. Last year in Washington in a situation where the Nationals had no real reliable option in the bullpen, Albers was the most reliable reliever. He throws in the mid-90s which is something the Indians should be looking at when it comes to finding a Bryan Shaw replacement. The Indians lack a reliever who throws with velocity outside of Andrew Miller. While Albers doesn’t throw 100, he might be the most effective reliever who throws with good velocity the Indians are going to find. Other options the Indians could consider are Fernando Rodney, Brandon Morrow, Juan Nicasio and Addison Reed.

Contract- 1 year, $4 million

Sign 3B Eduardo Nunez- This could be a longshot, but with the 3B market being run by Mike Moustakas and Todd Frazier, this might not be as far fetched as one may think. The Indians did have interest in acquiring Nunez at the trade deadline, but the Red Sox acquired him and his bat caught fire. Rumors point to the Red Sox might prefer a power bat like a Todd Frazier at 3B, which could really open the door for this possibility. Let’s address the elephant in the room first, the Indians already have Giovany Urshela and Yandy Diaz to go with Jose Ramirez already projected as the starting 3B. Nunez would provide the Indians a proven starting 3B that would give the Indians the option to move Jose Ramirez to 2B full time next to Francisco Lindor. Nunez could also give the Indians options with him as he can play 2B and the Outfield. Nunez would give the Indians a reliable offensive bat with great speed and solid defense. This move would require a secondary move and likely a controversial one with fans.

Contract- 3 years, $24 million

Trade for OF Marcell Ozuna- The Indians after losing Jay Bruce would be best served to go out and find a potential trade option to replace him with. Marlins new Owner Derek Jeter is making it very clear early on that he has plans to completely rebuild the Marlins immediately. After the Marlins trade Giancarlo Stanton, I would think their next move would be continuing to rebuild their farm system by trading Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna really evolved this past season winning a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove, developing into one of Baseball’s new rising stars. He’s under team control until 2020 and would give the Indians the perfect replacement for Jay Bruce for right now and moving forward. In a perfect world that would mean Michael Brantley, Bradley Zimmer, and Marcell Ozuna could be your everyday Outfield and for the Indians, that would actually be an improvement to when the season ended last year.

Trade Details- Indians trade 3B Yandy Diaz, SS Yu Chieng-Chang, OF Will Benson and SP Brady Aiken to Miami Marlins in exchange for OF Marcell Ozuna

Trade away 2B Jason Kipnis to Milwaukee Brewers for RP Jared Hughes and SP Kodi Medeiros- In the midst of the Indians trying to add pieces to improving their team in the hopes of winning a Championship, their greatest decision might be in the business of losing a key part of their team. Jason Kipnis is one of the key leaders of the Indians and in ways is the lifeblood of the locker room. In 2017 though, Kipnis couldn’t stay on the field and when he was on the field, hardly produced. It would be an extremely difficult decision to move him and it would have to be for the right offer. The Brewers are led by GM David Sterns, who has some ties to the Indians have been in the market for a veteran 2B and currently have Neil Walker going into Free Agency. Fortunately for the Indians, the Brewers could provide the Indians a solid reliever to offset the loss of Bryan Shaw. Preferably the Indians should target Jared Hughes who has been a very effective reliever over the past few years dating back to his days with the Pirates. Hughes could easily settle into Shaw’s role and fill it nicely, but Hughes alone doesn’t get the deal done. Kodi Medeiros was a top prospect for the Brewers a few years ago, but has struggled through the farm system. This could be an opportunity for the Indians to add a lower ranked prospect who has struggled and potentially fix him. If so the Indians would get the value needed to make it worth trading Kipnis away.



A Hypothetical Scenario

Kipnis for Donaldson?- This would be a dream scenario if the Indians can’t re-sign Jay Bruce and the Marcell Ozuna trade doesn’t work out. The Blue Jays have been slowly trying to rebuild the team, but the opportunity hasn’t presented itself yet. For Mark Shapiro, he’s going to want at least a veteran presence that he can depend on for leadership. Kipnis would be the type of leader that Shapiro already is familiar with and would have under team control over the next couple of years with Donaldson approaching Free Agency in 2018. For the Indians they don’t really go after guys who are approaching Free Agency so this would be something bold by the Front Office. But if there’s a player who fits what the Indians might be looking for to be the missing piece, Donaldson fits perfectly. A good defender over at 3B, who back in 2015 was the AL MVP. Even missing 49 games this year, Donaldson still hit 33 HRs and drove in 78 runs. Adding Donaldson to a lineup with potentially Edwin Encarnacion, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Carlos Santana, and maybe a healthy Michael Brantley gives the Indians a legitimate lineup to challenge the Astros. I would go as far as saying the Indians should explore Josh Donaldson even if it meant giving up a couple of prospects instead.

Trade Details- Indians trade 2B Jason Kipnis and SP Shane Bieber to Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for 3B Josh Donaldson

This plan would be a bold strategy that would definitely improve the Indians on paper, but would test the Indians team chemistry early on. This is where the benefits of having Terry Francona as Manager come into play. With mostly any other manager, the team chemistry concern would be a major factor for most fans, but this is Tito’s specialty. As much as I might criticize Tito, this is where I know I can make these moves and feel good about the team going forward. With these moves the Indians lineup would look like this.



Potential 2018 Indians Lineup

3B- Eduardo Nunez
SS- Francisco Lindor
RF- Marcell Ozuna
DH- Edwin Encarnacion
2B- Jose Ramirez
1B- Carlos Santana
LF- Michael Brantley
CF- Bradley Zimmer
C- Yan Gomes



That’s a lineup that’s even more balanced than what it was a year ago, and as long as things fall into place, this lineup could be good enough to truly challenge the defending World Champion Houston Astros. The Indians strength again would be in their pitching and with the moves made would fortify their bullpen and easily offset the loss of Bryan Shaw. The Indians head into 2018 with major competition and the path back to the World Series won’t be easy, but with these moves, the Indians might just stand a fighting chance to return back to the World Series and this time win it. Bottom line for the Indians is the window is still open, in order to reclaim the AL crown, they must be able to take some chances and do what is necessary to get back to where they want to be. This offseason offers what they need and the opportunities just might fall into place for them. It’s up to the Tribe to execute on them.

Tribe Talk: Optimism In Goodyear #Indians

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

The cold of Winter is starting to go away and Pitchers and Catchers have arrived in Goodyear, Arizona for the beginning of Spring Training.  After an unbelievable run by the Tribe in 2016, the Indians set their eyes for continued success in 2017.  What Indians fans will quickly notice is the vast improvements the Indians have made to the team for the 2017.  This is because of a very successful offseason that Mike Chernoff and Chris Antonetti put together for the Tribe to prepare for this upcoming season.  While they only had a handful of moves, they made sure each one of them counted and Cleveland fans should get to know who are some of the new faces that could be making a big impact for the Indians in 2017.  Before we jump into this, Indians fans should be thanking Paul and Larry Dolan for finally keeping their word of, “When we win, we will spend”.  The moves that were made this offseason aren’t possible without their faith in this team to finally ending the Indians franchise’s long World Series championship drought.  So with that said here are your newest members of your Cleveland Indians.

Edwin Encarnacion (3 years, $60 million, team option for 4th year)- I’ve already made my comments before on this, so instead of writing it again I’ll refer you to my Encarnacion article I wrote shortly after the signing.

Austin Jackson to Minor League contract- While the Indians couldn’t bring back World Series legend Rajai Davis, getting Austin Jackson to a minor league deal isn’t a bad consolation.  The big thing with Jackson is the depth he would provide, especially if Michael Brantley returns and stays healthy.  Jackson offers a solid glove in the outfield and ability to play the entire OF.  Jackson’s bat is a bit of a concern, but if I’m an Indians fan I look at Austin Jackson’s success with the Tigers, where he had a lot of success in a loaded lineup where almost everyone was a threat at the plate (.277 average with Detroit, compared to .250 average in SEA/CHC/CWS).  When Jackson has a specific role in the lineup and is not forced to do too much as a hitter, he can contribute.  His one weakness is he strikes out a lot.  For only a Minor League contract, that to me is a steal for what Jackson could provide as a potential platoon Outfielder.

Wily Mo Pena to Minor League contract- This could be a very underrated move potentially.  Pena is 35 years old and hasn’t played in the Major Leagues since 2011 with the Mariners.  Once a prized prospect for the Reds who had some success from 2004-2007, Pena hasn’t figured out the consistency needed to thrive in the majors.  One thing you will get from Pena is power, where in that 2004-2007 stretch hit 69 HRs and 198 RBIs.  What intrigues me is his success in Japan where he 71 HRs in 4 years.  The Indians really are looking for lightning in a bottle and who knows, maybe Wily Mo can finally showcase what so many thought of him years ago.

Boone Logan (1 year, $6 million, team option for 2nd year)- So back in July instead of trading for Andrew Miller, I suggested added a different lefty in the Rockies Boone Logan.  Fast Forward 8 months later and the Indians now have not just Andrew Miller, but have now added Boone Logan to go with Miller.  When I first learned of the signing, I had to look again to make sure I read that right.  We all know how dominant Andrew Miller was, but the Indians desperately needed another lefty to take the burden off of Miller against lefties.  Logan is one of the more effective lefty specialist relievers in baseball, lefties have hit .233 against him in his career with .308 OBP, .361 SLG, and .670 OPS.  Logan won’t have the same expanded role like he had in Colorado, which will make him more fresh and probably more effective in the long run.  With Logan added to the bullpen, the Indians starting rotation probably only has to go 6 innings before handing it over to what looks to be a dominant bullpen.


Offseason Grade- B+

It would be simple to give the Indians an A+ simply because of the Boone Logan/Edwin Encarnacion signings alone.  But here’s my gripe…I really wanted them to add another starter (Doug Fister is still available), plus I would’ve loved to get insurance for Michael Brantley.  While Rajai Davis was probably out of the Indians price range after the Encarnacion signing, I’m still a bit bummed out the Indians didn’t pursue a Jerrod Dyson from the Royals, who would’ve provided the speed they lost in Rajai.  I do expect the Indians to look for improvements throughout the season as they’re clearly in “win now” mode.  So in terms of trying to fill all the holes on this team, they really didn’t do that, but without question the Indians have vastly improved the team on offense and in the bullpen.  The rest will rely on the continued development of the young starters and the health of Michael Brantley.


Spring Training is about to begin and it’s clear that the Indians have come to Goodyear, Arizona prepared and ready to finish the mission they started last year.  Even position players have come to Arizona early to get ready for the season.  You could tell even at Tribe Fest that while the players are excited for the year to get started, they know there’s unfinished business.  I myself watched “Wahoo: What A Finish” the other day and a quote Rick Manning said really stuck out to me.  In 2016, the Indians had the the mindset that like the 1994 Indians, they thought they could win.  I believe the 2017 Indians will shadow the 1995 Indians where they don’t think they can win, they KNOW they can win.  The Indians core players have fully assumed control and know that their goals are within their reach.  They know it will be a long 8 month journey that starts now, but with their attitude and the improvements the Front Office has made, we could be in line for another 8 month journey that might end in redemption for the Tribe.

Tribe Talk: Starting Off 2017 With A Bang #Indians

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

In quite possibly one of the more important off-season in Cleveland Indians history, the Indians had the task of finding a way to improve a team that was one swing away from a World Series Championship.  The Indians for over a month decided to lay low and not get involved in the Hot Stove of the Winter Meetings, hoping it would pay off.  I don’t think any of us were ready for the early Christmas present on December 22nd.  The Indians in a masterful show of strategy and playing the market perfectly signed 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion to a 3 year $60 million contract with an option for a 4th year that would make it 4 years, $80 million.  To Indians fans this was a dream come true, the Dolan's finally after years of not living up to their word of, “When we win, we will spend” and not only did they spend, but they acquired one of the premier power hitters in all of Baseball.  In a matter of only about a week and a half, the Indians season ticket sales are now up to 10,000 season ticket holders.  It was a game changing move that shows the fans the Indians run to the World Series isn’t going to be a fluke and the Indians Ownership is serious to win a World Series for the city of Cleveland for the first time since 1948.  And while there’s a lot to be excited about, there are still 2 major questions that remain from all of this.

The 2 questions that remain from this signing are:
1. Are the Indians done making moves?
2. What is the real impact of having Edwin Encarnacion to this lineup?

Now to the question of are the Indians done making moves, I’m not quite sure they’re done just yet.  The Indians still have a major hole at CF as Rajai Davis is still a Free Agent.  The Indians could easily go with a Tyler Naquin and Abraham Almonte in a platoon OF.  They could also easily go with Top Prospect OF Bradley Zimmer to start the year in Cleveland (highly unlikely).  The Indians currently have Naquin, Almonte, Guyer and Chisenhall as their OF as it stands today (not counting on Brantley yet).  Whether or not the Indians will be able to sign someone or even trade for an upgrade remains to be seen. 

The Indians at this point I’ve estimated to probably have $5 million left to spend in FA, which takes them out on Rajai Davis most likely.  That leaves the trade market.  First off, the Indians aren’t getting Andrew McCutchen with Encarnacion.  That means you got to look elsewhere for the trade.  Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies, Billy Hamilton of the Reds, and Jarrod Dyson of the Royals seem to make the most sense for what Cleveland could be looking for in a CF.  Adding a true leadoff hitter to the lineup would make the Indians lineup almost lethal.

With that said, the Indians already got their cleanup guy in Encarnacion, but what is the impact of having him in their lineup.  It’s fairly similar to the Mike Napoli presence in the cleanup role, but to a much bigger extent.  Encarnacion unlike Napoli, does a great job in cutting down his strikes out and drawing walks, which makes you think what the possibilities are for having Encarnacion and Carlos Santana batting back to back every day.  It could potentially cause nightmares to opposing pitching staffs.  If the Indians can get Michael Brantley back healthy and continue to develop their young stars in Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez, the Indians could have one of the more lethal and yet balanced offenses in Major League Baseball.

I think the Indians best route is to find a trade partner for Trevor Bauer to acquire a CF and the Indians to immediately sign FA SP Tyson Ross to take his spot in the rotation.  Ross would give the Indians potentially another dominant starter that can easily go 6 innings and turn it over to the bullpen.  While Ross has had his injuries and inconsistency over the past couple of years, I’m fully confident that Mickey Callaway would get Tyson Ross back to his All-Star form from San Diego.  If that were the case, the Indians wouldn’t just be the clear odds on favorite in the AL, I would favor them to win the World Series.

Since the deal of Swisher and Bourn to the Braves in August of 2015, Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff have been methodically plotting to make their move.  The Indians talent finally came together as planned in 2016, and the Indians knowing the Swisher and Bourn contracts were fully off the books this offseason, knew they had the money and were prepared to strike like sharks in the water.  They played the market perfectly and didn’t waver when they could’ve.  Remember they were very much in the Mitch Moreland “sweepstakes”, a guy who fit what they wanted defensively (AL 2016 1B Gold Glove winner) and had a good bat, but the Indians laid low and let Boston take him.  They could’ve easily gone after Kendrys Morales, but let Toronto pay up for him.  They let all their possible competition for Encarnacion almost panic and make a move for the sake of it and they knew this possibility was real.  I mean let’s be real, while it would’ve been a bummer, nobody would’ve blamed the Indians for just bringing back Mike Napoli, but instead they swung for the fences and they hit it out of the ballpark.  This game of chess the Indians Front Office played to get Encarnacion to Cleveland proves why the Indians have one of, if not the best Front Office in all of Baseball.

While some reporters in Cleveland shook this off as nothing more than just a dream, remember who told you here at TripleThreatCLE that the Indians had money to spend and that a big signing could be in the cards if the Indians played it right.


2017 will bring some new Indians articles this year, including Series Matchups during the Season.  I look forward to 2017 being just as magical of a year if not more than last year.  Something just tells me, we’re in for another wild roller coaster ride this year and the Indians aren’t even done making moves yet.  By the way we’re around 40 days until Pitchers and Catchers report to Arizona!

Tribe Talk 11.22.16: My Cleveland Indians Offseason Plan

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

The Indians enter the 2016 Offseason at a crossroads in the organization.  After falling 1 win short of the franchise’s first World Championship since 1948, the Indians are now dealt with the task to improve their team and hopefully find the missing pieces to finish the mission in 2017.  Now as we all know the Dolans have been cheap in the past on free agency and Chris Antonetti has been unwilling to trade away prospects in order to fill those missing pieces.  This offseason the Dolans and Chris Antonetti have the opportunity to break that trend and go for it in 2017.  What makes this possible is the arrival of the Indians new Minority Owner, John Sherman.  For years the Dolans have been trying to find someone who could bring in the extra capital they need in order to spend.  On top of this, this offseason finally takes the contracts of Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher off the books.  If there was ever a time for the Dolans to spend, it is now.

Now as I normally do each offseason, I show my own Offseason plan if I was the Indians General Manager.  Now as we go into this, we’ll explore 3 areas, Free Agent Options, Trade Options, and Roster Options.  At the end I’ll explain what I would do if I was Indians General Manager.


Free Agent Options

Re-sign CF Rajai Davis- The almost Indians immortal legend has to be a top option for the Indians to bring back.  It couldn’t be understated how welcome of an addition Rajai’s ability to run the bases was for the team.  In a way his ability to steal bases carried over into the rest of the team.  While I wouldn’t expect Rajai to lead the AL in steals again next year, but the energy and leadership he brings to the Indians has to be brought back to the Indians in 2017.

Potential Contract- 1 year $8 million

Sign Matt Holliday- The Indians might need to look for a replacement for Mike Napoli and Matt Holliday is probably the best veteran bat on the market outside of Napoli.  Outside of his injury-plagued 2015 season, Holliday has hit 20 HRs every year since 2006.  Holliday is one of the more respected players in the game and would instantly replace the leadership that Mike Napoli brought to the Indians in 2016.  While Holliday won’t be able to play 1B every day, at his age this is where the benefit of playing in the American League will come into play.  The Indians could go forward with Carlos Santana at 1B full time and making Holliday the everyday DH.  The bottom line is there’s a lot of competition for Mike Napoli’s services and probably will be out of the Indians price range.  Holliday will be a cheaper alternative that can provide the same impact in the lineup.

Potential Contract- 1 years $10 million

Sign Trevor Plouffe- The former Minnesota Twin (and Indians killer) became a Free Agent recently after the Twins out-righted him.  The Indians will need to find a backup 3B/Utility player to provide a spark off the bench and Plouffe is a perfect fit for that role.  Plouffe has played just about everywhere on the field and throughout his career for the most part has had a reliable bat.   His power and run production dropped off from 2016, but he’s only a year removed from a 22 HR/86 RBI season in 2015.  The Indians will need a guy who can give Jose Ramirez some days off in 2017 and Plouffe (primarily a 3B) is a perfect fit.  One thing to note here, outside of Target Field, Plouffe has hit the most home runs at Progressive Field over any other road ballpark he’s played in.  It might not mean much, but for what the Indians will need from him, he’ll provide what they need.

Potential Contract- 1-2 years $5 Million a year

Sign SP Henderson Alvarez- If there was a pitcher that Mickey Callaway could revive that would solidify his place as the top Pitching Coach in baseball, this is the guy.  Only 26 years old, Alvarez is one of the most intriguing SP options out there.  He was outstanding in Miami creating a 1-2 punch next to the now late Jose Fernandez.  He even threw a No-Hitter against the Tigers in 2013.  Unfortunately in 2015 underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a tear in his shoulder.  He pitched 33 innings in the minors for Oakland before having shoulder surgery again.  Now the Indians probably won’t have to offer much, they might even be able to offer a Minor League invite to Spring Training.  The upside on him is still there and if I was GM, I would definitely explore the possibility of giving him another chance.

Potential Contract- Minor League Invite

Sign RP Javier Lopez- Honestly in a perfect world, I’d make a strong case to add Greg Holland to the bullpen, but because of the uncertainty of his return from Tommy John Surgery, I’d opt to get Lopez in the mix.  As Indians fans learned in the postseason, the Indians could use an extra lefty reliever to go with Andrew Miller.  While it’s possible Miller could be made the Closer in 2017, this move is to prevent overusing Miller in lefty/lefty matchups.  Lopez has consistently been one of the Giants more reliable relievers, especially against lefty hitters.  Lopez in his 13 year career has held lefty batters to a .208 average with an OPS of .626.  Add a lefty specialist like Lopez to the Tribe in 2017, the Indians bullpen could be at a completely different level compared to everyone else.

Potential Contract- 1 year, $3 million


Other Options- UTIL Steve Pearce (BAL), 1B James Loney (NYM), IF Luis Valbuena (HOU), OF Jon Jay (SD), OF Austin Jackson (CWS), OF Carlos Gomez (TEX), OF Dexter Fowler (CHC, longshot)


Trade Options

Trade for Joey Votto- Let’s get the most unrealistic trade possibility out of the way.  First off Votto would be an outstanding fit for the Indians as it would give the Indians the ability to permanently move Carlos Santana to the DH role and more importantly gives the Indians the proven big bat they’ve been searching for in the lineup.  It would take some cash coming from the Reds to even make this trade possible as he’s got another 7 years and well over $100 million left on his contract.  This trade probably would tap out any flexibility they Indians have this offseason, but it makes them a legit contender right out of the gate to repeat as AL Champions and potentially be an even more dangerous threat to the Cubs in a potential World Series rematch.  Again this is almost completely unrealistic, but I’m throwing this in here because unlike Jose Abreu/Miguel Cabrera who are in the division, Votto is on a rebuilding Reds team in the NL.  The cost on prospects would be extremely high as you won’t get Votto for cheap.

Potential Trade- Indians acquire 1B Joey Votto from Cincinnati in exchange for SP Trevor Bauer, 1B Bobby Bradley, SP Triston McKenzie, OF Greg Allen

Trade for Kevin Pillar- Now let’s come back down to earth with the more realistic names the Indians could look at.  Pillar was a guy the Indians were interested in last year as a potential everyday CF.  While Pillar won’t blow you away with his bat, what makes him valuable is his speed and fielding ability.  Pillar has Gold Glove ability in CF and I believe the ability to be a leadoff hitter for the Tribe.  What’s best about Pillar is he would be under team control through 2020.  I don’t think we’ve seen the best out of Pillar yet and I think the connections between Chris Antonetti and Mark Shapiro could make for real dialogue to make a trade happen.  On top of that, I don’t think you would have to sacrifice the entire farm to get him, which for the Indians is even better.

Potential Trade- Indians acquire CF Kevin Pillar from Toronto in exchange for OF Greg Allen and SS Yu Cheng-Chang

Trade for Charlie Blackmon- A lot of Indians fans might look at the Rockies Outfield and would prefer Carlos Gonzalez, but I would look to his counterpart in Charlie Blackmon.  Now for his career Blackmon for the most part had his numbers inflated by the Coors Field effect (.334/.261 Home/Away average split), but in 2016, it seemed like he really was figuring things out as his numbers went significantly up hitting a career highs .324 with 29 HRs and 82 RBIs.  His steals in 2016 went down from 43 in 2015 to 17 in 2016.  The one number that gives me hope is Blackmon hit .313 away from Coors Field, which was a significant jump from 2015 (.238).  Could it just be a career year for Blackmon or is it a sign of things to come?  He’s under team control until 2018, so the Indians would have to blow away the Rockies as some believe they might be competitive in 2017.

Potential Trade- Indians acquire CF Charlie Blackmon and RP Adam Ottavino from Colorado in exchange for CF Bradley Zimmer, SP Brady Aiken, and SS Yu Cheng-Chang

Trade for SP Chris Archer- I know what you’re thinking on this…”We got enough starting pitching, why get Archer?”  Here’s my response, why not get Archer?  The Indians have enough depth at the position to potentially create a 3 headed monster of Kluber/Carrasco/Archer at the top of their rotation.  While it would take either Salazar or Bauer along with multiple prospects, this trade only solidifies the stranglehold the Indians will have in terms of pitching in the American League.  While the former Indians prospect led the league with 19 losses last year, he was playing for a mediocre Tampa Bay team that pretty much relied on him to throw a shutout every start.  His stuff is off the charts striking out 485 batters the past 2 years and pairing him with Kluber alone is a nightmare for everyone who opposes the Indians.  The Indians would be crazy to not explore this.

Potential Trade- Indians acquire SP Chris Archer from Tampa Bay in exchange for SP Danny Salazar, SP Brady Aiken, CF Will Benson, and 2B Tyler Kreiger

Other Trade Options- CF Andrew McCutchen (PIT), CF Jacoby Ellsbury (NYY), 1B Jose Abreu (CWS)



Roster Options

Move 3B Yandy Diaz to 40 man roster- Most years, I’d have a few options for this area, but this year this is the only roster move I’d make.  Yandy Diaz has transformed himself into a solid prospect for the Indians at 3B who someone will grab in the Rule 5 Draft in the December Winter Meetings.  While he doesn’t have the best defensive game, his ability to hit has really improved year to year and I was stunned he wasn’t part of the September Call-ups.  The Indians have numerous 40 Man spots they can open up (Michael Martinez specifically) to give Diaz a roster spot.  Again with the emergence of Jose Ramirez as the everyday 3B for the Indians going forward, the Indians must be able to have some depth behind him now going forward and Diaz is an excellent fit in that role with the ability to even play some OF if asked.  Indians can’t let him get away.


Now that we’ve seen all the options, it’s time to put everything together and see what I would do if I was Indians General Manager.

Re-Sign Rajai Davis
Sign Matt Holliday
Sign Javier Lopez
Trade for Kevin Pillar
Trade for Chris Archer
Move Yandy Diaz to 40 Man Roster

Obviously we can’t go overboard in terms of salary, so this could be the most viable option for the Indians.  I think the speed and energy of Rajai Davis needs to be brought back in 2017 and would be affordable.  To protect the Indians from a potential Michael Brantley setback, I would go for the Kevin Pillar trade option for multiple reasons.  He’s a good defender, has good speed, and I don’t think we’ve seen the best of his hitting ability yet, plus he won’t probably cost a lot in terms of trade value.  By saving prospects to get Pillar, I go big on the trade market and bring Chris Archer back to Cleveland.  While I would lose Salazar, Archer has proven to be a Cy Young contender and putting him next to Kluber only makes the Indians a tougher out in a potential playoff series.  To improve the bullpen, adding Javier Lopez would give the Indians another lefty for matchup purposes, saving Andrew Miller for later in games.  In order to save money from all the moves I’d be making, I’d put Yandy Diaz on the 40 Man Roster and hope he can be a Trevor Plouffe like addition for the bench.  Lastly I’d replace the loss of Napoli with Matt Holliday, I mean why Party At Napoli’s when, “It’s Holliday Season” all year long?  This would be what I would do if I was Indians GM.  I think these moves put the Indians in excellent position to get back to the playoffs and make another run at a World Series Championship.


While some may believe the Indians have no money to spend, I have to believe being so close to a World Championship and the fact that a lot of potential Season Ticket sales might happen in 2017 (Thanks Browns!), this might be the time for Dolans to put their money where their mouth is.  Remember fans, in 2009, Paul Dolan said, “When We Win, We Will Spend”.  Well Mr. Dolan, you were one win away from a World Championship.  I’m not asking you to break the bank and spend a lot of money, but be flexible and know by showing the fans you’re willing to spend the money and go for it, the fans will come.  As much as the Browns sucking has brought down this city, the Indians resurgence has the fans reminiscing of the summers of the Mid-Late 1990s.  They’re starving for an Indians World Series Championship and all it will take is investing a little more.  We’re close Tribe fans, it’s time to fill in the final pieces.

Tribe Talk: It's Only The Beginning

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

They weren’t supposed to be that close to a World Series Championship.  The injuries that depleted their roster would make us just lucky to be in the playoffs, let alone winning the first American League pennant since 1997.  The players that emerged were supposed to be fringe prospects that could be serviceable, but you couldn’t count on them.  The coaching was suspect and with a down year could potentially put a future Hall of Fame Manager on the hot seat.  Yet…after all of that, the Cleveland Indians were 1 WIN AWAY from winning the Franchise’s first World Series since 1948.  And while the loss in the World Series to the Cubs stung, the Indians and their fans shouldn’t hang their heads down over this.  What they did was nothing short of miraculous and shouldn’t be forgotten, given everything that happened.  In 2016 we learned more about the character of the Cleveland Indians franchise than we did by the pure potential of the team in terms of talent.  In this Season Wrap-up we will see how the Indians got to the doorstep of winning the Fall Classic.

We go back to March when Spring Training started, the Indians were looked at by many as a team with a great Starting Rotation, a solid bullpen, but an offense that was extremely suspect, especially with Michael Brantley not scheduled to return until May.  The Indians had added Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis to add some veteran presence along with the power and speed they provided.  The Indians would add Juan Uribe to provide someone to start at 3B, along with his winning attitude that he’s brought everywhere he’s been.  What the Indians didn’t expect was the Spring Training emergence of Tyler Naquin who would torch pitching throughout March, earning his spot on the Opening Day roster.  Going into the regular season, expectations were low, I had the Indians finishing fourth in the division.  Little did we know the craziness that awaited us in the Regular Season…

The Indians started the year at home against the Boston Red Sox, a team a lot of analysts had picked to win the AL East.  That series would have 2 postponed games and the Indians would struggle out of the gate.  The Indians were primarily led by Josh Tomlin who went 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA.  Corey Kluber would start out the year in April going 1-3, leaving a lot of people to wonder if the Indians were going to get the 2015 Kluber, who pitched well, but just had no luck in terms of run support.  Michael Brantley would return late in the month of April, but would only be on the roster for 11 games before suffering a setback that would keep him out the rest of the season.  The Indians would go 10-11 in April, leaving many fans to wonder if 2016 was going to be just another mediocre year.

The Indians would show signs of life in May going 16-13, but it wasn’t until June that the Indians started to really come together.  The Indians would go on a 14 game winning streak that lead to a 22-6 month of June clearly putting the Indians atop of the AL Central.  The Indians were finally getting the 2014 AL Cy Young Corey Kluber back and Josh Tomlin was quietly off to one of his best seasons ever and would be one of the biggest AL All-Star snubs.  The Indians rotation was coming together, the Indians bullpen was hitting their stride and finding some new impact relievers like Dan Otero to bolster the depth.  The biggest story though in the month of June was the emergence of Jose Ramirez, who had burst onto the scene as a clutch hitter who was capable of filling the role left by the loss of Michael Brantley.  By June, the Indians had been platooning Ramirez with Juan Uribe at 3B and by July would become the full-time 3B as the Indians would release Juan Uribe.

In the month of July the Indians were at a crossroads, they had a solid offense that would probably propel them to an AL Central Championship as Mike Napoli became the Indians cleanup hitter and allowed the rest of the lineup to find their own roles to create a consistent balanced lineup.  But the Indians were missing something, a lefty reliever that they could rely on.  As the Trade Deadline approached, the Indians searched many options, but decided to go bold and push their chips in acquiring from the Yankees RP Andrew Miller AND Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy…or so we thought.  As the Andrew Miller trade was finalized that sent prized OF prospect Clint Frazier to the Yankees, Jonathan Lucroy would use this opportunity to exercise his No Trade clause, rejecting playing for the Indians.  This would force the returning Roberto Perez to platoon with veteran journeyman Chris Jimenez at Catcher.  But through this process, the Indians Front Office made a statement, “We’re ready to win NOW”.  That message hit home with the locker room who would use Jonathan Lucroy’s rejection as fuel that would propel them to the AL Central Crown, finishing the regular season at 94-67.

But the end of the year caused some roadblocks for the Indians going into the playoffs.  Danny Salazar had gone through shoulder problems in the 2nd Half that would put the Indians down one in their rotation.  Then Carlos Carrasco got in the way of a line drive that would break his hand, ending his season.  The Indians would go on to rely on Kluber, Josh Tomlin (after a horrible month of August), Trevor Bauer and Terry Francona’s “bullpen days” that would utilize the entire bullpen to get them through the game.  Going into the postseason, very few had the Indians really making it past the first round against the Red Sox.  Even Indians beat writers doubted their chances.

In the playoffs the Indians as they had come to show all year long showed the resilience that became their identity.  Against almost impossible odds to even stop Boston and the David Ortiz farewell tour, the Indians made quick work sweeping the Red Sox.  The Indians would then go on to face former team President Mark Shapiro and his Toronto Blue Jays.  With Corey Kluber and a revitalized Josh Tomlin, the Indians took two wins in Cleveland.  But a certain drone incident would set the team back again as Trevor Bauer’s pinky would be severely cut and in Game 3 wouldn’t make it out of the 1st inning because of his cut being reopened.  The Indians would somehow with their bullpen win Game 3 and would lose Game 4 with Corey Kluber starting.  That left Game 5 in the hands of rookie SP Ryan Merritt, who had one other career start late in the year at Kansas City.  Merritt would shock everyone, dominating an extremely talented Toronto lineup before turning it over to ALCS MVP Andrew Miller and the bullpen to close out the series and send the Indians to the World Series.

Now we all know how the World Series went down, the Indians against overwhelming odds and almost every analyst saying the Cubs would easily win this series, would somehow have a 3-1 lead against Chicago.  While the Indians would blow that lead, Game 7 of the World Series was the definition of the Cleveland Indians.  Down 6-1, the Indians wouldn’t quit and claw their way back before Rajai Davis, who had struggled all postseason would hit a game tying Home Run off Aroldis Chapman, who before Davis hadn’t given up a Home Run since he arrived in Chicago.  The Indians would one swing away from their first World Series Championship since 1948.  Even down 2 in the 10th, the Indians would continue to fight, scoring one and have the winning run at the plate before the Cubs finished the series once and for all.

Rajai. Davis.

Cleveland. Legend. #Game7 pic.twitter.com/PptzTVwcu5

— MLB (@MLB) November 3, 2016

So what did we learn in 2016 about the Cleveland Indians?  The Indians may not have the superstars like most teams, but the Indians have a will to win that can’t be measured.  Every time you count this team out, they fight until the bitter end.  While the ending wasn’t what we all had hoped for, the Indians seem like they’re in the same position as the Royals were after coming up short in 2014.  Like those Royals, the Indians not just have the bullpen, but the resilience that makes you never count them out of a game.  I fully expect the Indians to come into the 2017 season hungry to finish what they started in 2016 and to be honest, no matter what they do in the offseason, I wouldn’t put anything past these guys.  In 2015, I said their struggles throughout the 2015 season was exactly what they needed.  The Indians had guys like Jason Kipnis and Corey Kluber step up as a leaders and hold the team accountable.  It started to rub off on the new blood of the core like Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor who have finally seemingly have the left side of the infield plugged in for years to come.  Most of the team is under contract and will be back together for 2017 and will be ready to finish their mission.

While the Indians have decisions to make on bringing back Rajai Davis and Mike Napoli, I’m going to save my offseason predictions.  I mean nothing really happens until the Winter Meetings, but rest assured, you’ll see what I’d do and more importantly how the Indians have plenty of money to spend this offseason.

Guys…the Indians weren’t supposed to get here.  All the series of events throughout the season screamed that the Indians were lucky to even get to the playoffs.  Yet somehow, someway the Indians were 1 swing away from a World Series Championship.  This is only the beginning Tribe fans, the future is indeed bright for the Cleveland Indians.  WE WILL BE BACK…I guarantee it.

Tribe Talk: The Improbable Fall Classic #Indians #Cubs #WorldSeries

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

Six months ago, 30 teams started on their quest towards the World Series and now we’ve reached the final two.  What makes this year unlike previous years, this year’s World Series features a matchup that no one could’ve predicted…Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago Cubs.  What some refer to as the, “Apocalypse World Series” really looks like one of the most intriguing matchups in recent years for the World Series.  These are two teams who have gotten to this point in completely different ways with completely different managers running them.  Look beyond the obvious, “big market vs. little market” and you’ll see that these two teams create quite the World Series where both teams seem to cause problems for each team’s weaknesses.  With that said we’re going to dive into the differences between both teams and finally who I believe is going to win the World Series.


Manager

This is a matchup between two of the best managers in the game today.  Joe Maddon might be the best strategic manager around who has shown he can win with almost any team put in front of him.  Terry Francona is the best clubhouse manager in the game today, who masterfully gets the most out of each of his players.  What separates the two this year in this matchup is the way Francona has worked with the hand he’s been dealt and how he’s helped lead his team through all the adversity.  Joe Maddon and the Cubs have had little to no adversity as they’ve cruised throughout the whole season to this point.  Francona in a way deserves an edge over Maddon because it seems he’s evolved as a manager to more than just a clubhouse manager, but adding more strategy into his game, which had been lacking in previous years with the Indians.  I think even if the Indians faced adversity, Francona would lead them through it, while for the Cubs I don’t know against a battle tested team like the Indians that Joe Maddon might get them through it.  With that said I’m giving the slightest of edges to the Indians because of the amazing job Francona has done to this point.

Edge- Indians


Lineup

I’m not even going to hide the edge here, the Cubs have the obvious edge here, especially with the return of Kyle Schwarber after his Torn ACL he suffered the first week of the season.  The Cubs have said he’ll be used as a DH, but that gives the Cubs a great hitter for the DH role as before his announced return this might’ve been a question mark for the Cubs.  The Cubs are led by Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant who can get hot at any time and torment pitching staffs.  Not to mention the emergence of Javy Baez and Addison Russell offensively throughout the National League playoffs.  The Indians in contrast have a scrappy lineup that when they’re hot, it’s hard to stop them as they feed off of each other.  It’s going to take one Indians bat to get hot for the rest to follow suit.  So far Carlos Santana, Mike Napoli, and Jason Kipnis haven’t really done a whole lot, but just enough to get by.  The Indians can’t afford to let that happen in the World Series.  While I believe their ALCS offense was a fluke, it showed the Indians offense knows how to score when they need to score.  In a lot of way that’s all that matters, but purely by overall pure talent and potential, you have to give the Cubs the edge.

Edge- Cubs


Starting Rotation

Game 1 will feature a stellar matchup of Jon Lester vs. Corey Kluber that already shows a lot of promise for this series.  If we simply go by names, the edge will go to the Cubs, but the Indians rotation actually poses a real challenge for the Cubs.  What the Indians rotation features is 4 starters all of which are completely different.  With the return of Danny Salazar, the Indians get a much needed boost in the rotation and a flame-throwing starter with an excellent changeup.  The Cubs rotation relies on veteran pitchers who either are entering the last of their prime years or are rejuvenated careers.  While the Cubs rotation can be deadly, I’ve gotten the sense that they’re potentially vulnerable against the right opponent.  The Indians ability to work the count when they’re on can cause major problems that the Indians can thrive on.  But in terms of who has the edge overall, you could make a case either way to who has the edge, so in terms of fairness let’s call this even here.

Edge- Even


Bullpen

We all know about the Indians bullpen, but the question is in comparison how good is the Cubs bullpen?  The Cubs obviously have Aroldis Chapman as their main guy in the bullpen, but the question is who is after him?  The Cubs do have former Indians prospect Hector Rendon as their flame-throwing righty, but Rendon has been average in the postseason.  Travis Wood and Rob Zastryzny have been their top two relievers, but honestly there’s not much proven depth after Rendon for the Cubs.  This is where the Indians ability to work the count and get starters out of the game will be their biggest key to winning the World Series.  The Indians, much like the Royals of last year have their, “Big 3” relievers in Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen and Andrew Miller.  That doesn’t even count Dan Otero, Jeff Manship, and ALCS hero Ryan Merritt to back them up.  The Indians bullpen is extremely deep and more importantly battle tested.  This isn’t even a contest in terms of who has the edge, that goes to the Indians.

Edge- Indians


Prediction

A drought will come to an end when this is all said and done.  The question is who?  To give a historical aspect to this, I look to the 1990 World Series between the Oakland A’s and the Cincinnati Reds.  The A’s were the defending World Champions and looked destined to repeat as World Champions with an outstanding lineup, strong rotation and a solid bullpen.  It took some magic from the Reds lineup along with the outstanding performance of Jose Rijo and the Reds dominant bullpen to shut down the, “Bash Brothers” offense which would end up being a Reds 4-0 sweep of the A’s.  On paper without looking too much into it, it’s easy to pick the Cubs, but the Indians are that team that is so resilient that they’ll overcome any challenge.  On top of that, the Indians are the underdog…exactly where they want to be. 

The youth and exuberance of the Indians, especially through times when they’ve been down will cause major problems for the Cubs.  While the Cubs seem to be that, “Team of Destiny” remember they didn’t get to this point last year.  Their NLCS victory celebration is one of a team that still doesn’t understand what it means to get to this point.  While the Indians celebration was fun, what sticks out is the Indians never celebrated on their home field.  That leaves that feeling of something is missing in the celebration.  From the beginning in my MLB Playoffs Preview, I had the Indians defeating the Cubs in the World Series.  I’m sticking by that and will go further, the Home Field Advantage that the Indians of 1995 and 1997 never had will be a major player as Cleveland will win the World Series at Progressive Field after Game 6 bringing home the Indians first World Series Championship since the 1948 Indians led by Lou Boudreau.  I believe that Francisco Lindor will be your World Series MVP emerging as one of the best young Shortstops in the league.

Pick- Indians in 6

All the ups and downs, triumphs and tragedy throughout this season has led us to the improbably World Series.  A 7-game series to decide who will be crowned as World Series Champions.  I can guarantee that this World Series will be like one you’ve never seen before and this is can’t miss television.  They don’t call this the Fall Classic for nothing, and I have a feeling we’re going to have some memorable moments in store for this one.

Tribe Talk 9.27.16: Dear Tito, I'm Sorry

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

Dear Tito,

I’ve been a die hard Indians fan since I was 4 years old and attended my first Indians game on July 18th, 1995 when Albert Belle hit a grand slam off Lee Smith.  I grew up only knowing the Indians because the Browns left and the Cavs were in the Pre-LeBron era.  I grew up only knowing the Indians and having a Championship contending team.  I would consider myself one of the rare Cleveland fans who would prefer an Indians World Series over a Browns Super Bowl.

The moment you took the job in 2013, I was excited to get someone with a Championship pedigree.  I guess I would consider that year the “honeymoon” phase of my connection with you as my team’s manager.  It was a magical year that got us into the Wild Card Playoff game that we would eventually lose to the Tampa Bay Rays.  I was upset because I had tickets to go to Game 3 of the 2007 Division Series and I would finally attend my first Indians playoff game with my Dad, who has adopted my love for the game.  I mean before me, my Dad wasn’t a baseball fan, but now he loves his Indians.  I was upset that we weren’t going to have that moment and after a disappointing 2014 season, part of me doubted I would get another chance for some time.

I guess that’s what has made me so critical of the way you manage this team.  Understand, I want nothing more than to see my Indians in the playoffs fighting for a World Series Championship every year.  Last year, I saw a team that had what seemed to be a lost identity with a few good players like Brantley, Kluber, Salazar, Carrasco and Kipnis and a potential young star like Fransisco Lindor, but the direction of the team seemed foggy.

I started the year slating the Indians to finish in 4th Place in the AL Central.  I had no faith in you as a manager, but I guess that’s where you thrive the best, when everyone counts you out.  While I must give credit to Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff for bringing in guys like Andrew Miller, Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis, and even Dan Otero throughout the past year to play crucial roles for this team, it was you Tito who made all the pieces come together.  Even though we struggled out of the gate, you made sure these players didn’t lose sight of the goal you had for them.  We’ve had numerous injuries all year, players who struggled on the mound and while at times I’ve called your faith in players, “arrogance” there has always been a method to your madness.

From the moment this team really started to emerge as the AL Central frontrunner during their 14 game winning streak, you got them prepared for this moment to finally take back the AL Central crown for the first time since 2007 and last night, we finally got there.  It took magical moments and comebacks along with strength and overcoming adversity to get this team to where they are today and for that Terry Francona, I’m man enough to admit I was wrong and…I’M SORRY.

Congratulations to the team and hopefully this is only the first step on one October Cleveland will not forget for a long, long time.

All the Champagne

Members of the @Indians won't let Tito finish his interview giving him the "bath of his life." pic.twitter.com/ID2XvqMyjB

— SportsTime Ohio (@SportsTimeOhio) September 27, 2016

Your Biggest Critic
Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

PS- Don’t think this doesn’t change me being critical of you in the future, Tito.  But I gotta think you wouldn’t want to have it any other way…congrats Coach.

Tribe Talk 7.28.16: In Defense Of...The Indians Not Trading Top Prospects

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

As the end of the month approaches for the Cleveland Indians, the Indians have returned home after getting swept by the Orioles in Baltimore.  While a lot of fans hoped for an immediate turnaround, the Indians have continued to look a bit sluggish only splitting the series against Washington, having their only win come in a miraculous comeback in their last at bat.  A lot of Tribe fans, who all came alive during the Indians franchise record 14 game winning streak are now getting restless with a team that looks to be a potential World Series contender.  What this situation has created is these fans that have crawled out of the woodwork making very closed minded takes where the logic is the Indians need to trade off the farm system to win this year.  I proudly stand in the minority on this topic and think of the bigger picture.  That is why I decided to bring back this article called, “In Defense Of…” and today I’m defending Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff for not trading Indians top prospects.

Now for the record, I’m NOT saying the Indians shouldn’t make a move, in fact I endorse getting relief help and another bat for the lineup.  What I’m suggesting is the Indians fanbase needs to understand, there’s a smart, shrewd way to approach the deadline and then there’s desperation.  I understand that the Cleveland fanbase wants to strike while the iron is hot after the Cavs won the NBA Finals and win a World Series.  Understand, I want more than anyone in Cleveland to witness an Indians World Series title.  I’ve said numerous times that I can live without a Browns Super Bowl as long as I see the Indians win a World Series.  That’s how much I would love an Indians World Series title.

But even I think the Indians got to be smart about how they approach the Trade Deadline.  My philosophy when it comes to trades is to be smart and not make a desperate, emotional move that might destroy the franchise.

  We all look at the Aroldis Chapman deal as a, “lost opportunity” but what most Indians fans are oblivious to is the Cubs Top 10 prospects are dominated by the International signing market, a system that favors the “Big Market” teams as the smaller market teams are left to try to convince these International players, who grew up more aware of these bigger market teams because of the investments they’ve made in the International market, it’s hard for the small market teams to sign them.  The Cubs Top 10 is dominated by International guys they’ve signed, the Indians Top 10 prospects is dominated by players the Indians drafted.  For the Cubs, what they traded will be easily replenished in a year when they again dominate the International signing market.  The Indians simply couldn’t afford to pay that kind of a price.

The fans forget that Cleveland is owned by the Dolan family still.  While the Dolan's have made a significant jump in the team’s payroll in 2016, it doesn’t change the fact that the Indians probably won’t have the same resources other teams have when it comes to scouting.  So this requires any trade the Indians might make to be made with an eye on the future.  Fans need to think of prospects as almost the equivalent of the Browns having draft picks to trade to move up.

Now let’s ask a question, what if the Browns traded 3 straight first round picks for an Offensive Lineman?  We’d be livid over that, wouldn’t we?  Well this trade is the equivalent of what fans think the Indians should trade to get an Andrew Miller.  You guys do realize you’re trading a huge price tag for a SETUP MAN.  Whether Miller has multiple years left on his contract or not, Miller is 31 years old.  I got to ask over the next few years will he decline in his abilities?  Just because at 31 he’s pitching great, doesn’t mean he could decline next year.

Indians fans need to remember the 90s Indians as well.  Remember when we had Brian Giles, Richie Sexson, Jeremy Burnitz, and Danny Graves all behind the 90s Indians core of Ramirez, Thome, Lofton, and Vizquel?  I sure do, the Indians traded Burnitz for Kevin Seitzer.  Richie Sexson was dealt for Bob Wickman, Jason Bere, and Steve Woodward.  And we all know about Brian Giles for Ricardo Rincon.  In those 3 trades the Indians traded 908 HRs and 3,002 RBIs away for guys who barely did anything to continue the success of the 90s Indians.  A lot of fans to this day ask, “What if?” and if the Indians of the early 2000s could’ve continued the success.  We’ll never know the answers to those questions, but its important that we look back to the past to see what we can learn from it.

Now while we can look back at the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, until really his 2nd Half dominance in 2013, Indians fans thought the Jimenez deal was a bad deal for the Indians (although Rockies didn’t benefit from it either).  It shows the amazing ability of Indians fans to forget these things.  It goes to show that even when you, “Go for it” it can really backfire on you.

Now there is a time and place for the Indians to trade top prospects and that’s in the case of a bonafide superstar player that is under team control for numerous years down the road.  The Indians did at one point have a chance to build a package around Jaret Wright for Pedro Martinez in 1998 but said no.  What fans FORGET is John Hart last year admitted he had a chance to acquire Randy Johnson in a deal that would send Brian Giles to the Mariners.

  Now those are players you trade prospects for.  While Johnson was going to be a FA after 1998, that’s the definition of, “going for it” and you could only imagine if the 1998 Indians had Randy Johnson, could they have gotten by the 114 win Yankees with a rotation led by Randy Johnson, Bartolo Colon, and Charles Nagy?  Again that’s an answer we’ll never know, but those are scenarios where trading prospects makes sense.

The current market holds some very intriguing names out there, but there really aren’t any guys who drastically will change things come October.  Jonathan Lucroy might be the closest thing to an impact player out there.  But Lucroy has never had more than 82 RBIs in a season (2013) and outside of 2013, has never had more than 70 RBIs.  While he’s a great fit on a team that needs a good defensive catcher with the ability to hit, his resume doesn’t really make him that, “bonafide superstar” you really need to trade top prospects.  

A player that would classify this, “bonafide superstar” is Colorado Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado.  Now most people will say his numbers are inflated because he plays in Colorado, that doesn’t change the fact that he led the NL in HRs and RBIs last year.  On top of that, Nolan Arenado has won the NL 3B Gold Glove EVERY YEAR he’s been playing in Colorado.  It’s not just a bat you’re paying up for, but an outstanding fielder as well.  While the Rockies probably wouldn’t trade him, this is the kind of guy you pay top prospects for.

At the end of the day, prospects are assets for any trade in baseball.  What Indians fans are suggesting is the Indians should burn through all your assets to go for it this year.  But what if they don’t win it and you need to fill another problem area?  You could very well make a major trade for a bonafide superstar in the offseason that changes everything for 2017.  I know this isn’t the popular take for the fanbase, but its the right take.  The Indians can easily maneuver themselves with shrewd trades like acquiring Danny Valencia, Will Smith, and maybe Jonathan Lucroy without having to give up everything.  It’s going to take the Indians to stand firm on their offers and play hardball with teams.  To be a General Manager in Baseball you got to be able to stand your ground and not show your hand.  The Indians Front Office have consistently shown in the past to make shrewd deals that the Indians have benefited from.  I fully expect them to NOT trade Clint Frazier or Bradley Zimmer.  I think the Indians might look to make multiple cheaper moves before the deadline.

Whatever moves the Indians make, understand it won’t be an irrational move that would only hurt the team.  There simply isn’t that difference maker available to really trade for.  The Indians Front Office understands that and won’t let teams swindle them for guys that won’t totally change the game.  While it would be nice to grab an Andrew Miller, he’s not going to drastically change the game since he will be the setup guy and not the closer.  There’s a way to find the players the Indians need to improve the team without having to resort to a desperate, irresponsible trade.  Indians fans also need to learn that if you don’t trade for an impact player this year, you might be able to find someone even better that solidifies a potential dynasty for the next 5 years in the offseason.  At the end of the day, the Front Office needs to make moves that show the fans that they are going to improve the team during the season, but fans must try to understand how building a Baseball franchise works.  It’s not as simple as trading prospects for players, it’s about finding the right guy with the right contract that fits into your payroll that changes the game.


For me, I’m not going to panic over anything because I have full faith in Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff to make the responsible trades that improve the Indians for a potential playoff run.  I suggest that fans try to have the same faith in them as well.  The Indians are in a very enviable situation where the entire league is raving over their farm system.  The Indians if they really wanted to could shock the baseball world with a game changing trade.  It’s all about the bigger picture, we need to stop thinking with a very closed mind and open our eyes up to the bigger picture.  I leave you with this thought, the Tigers had a ton of top prospects and traded those for a future Hall of Famer in Miguel Cabrera, who knows, if the Indians can play it smart at the deadline, they might be able to make a similar trade in the offseason.  Now that would be something all fans can agree on.  GO TRIBE!