After winning three consecutive AL Central titles for the second time in franchise history, for the second offseason in a row, the Indians will only commit to competing to the point that Paul Dolan can sustain his profit margins. In 2019, Cleveland spent $2.5M total in free agency (on Oliver Perez), while slashing over $15M in payroll. While payroll is likely to increase due to arbitration cases (specifically Francisco Lindor being due at least a $6M raise), the Indians aren't likely to add salary much beyond what they've already cleared.
The offseason started with the team picking up Corey Kluber's $17.5M team option only to use it as rock bottom trade value when they shipped him and his entire salary off to the Rangers for a relief prospect (Emmanuel Clase, #30 in the Texas system) and another useless backup outfielder (Delino DeShields Jr). It was, without a doubt, the Tribe's least popular trade since acquiring John Rocker in 2001. They have used $6.25M of the savings to sign second baseman Cesar Hernandez, filling the most obvious hole in their lineup. If Clase and DeShields both make Cleveland's roster, along with the bump from Kevin Plawecki to Sandy Leon as the backup catcher, the Indians would have between $6.5M-$7M left over from the Kluber savings. The biggest need for that money is to address an outfield corner.
Because of Dolan's track record of cheapness, Indians fans will have to continue enduring trade rumors about Lindor and every other player with value (the Clevinger rumors are particularly nonsensical since he's so cheap and as a bit of late bloomer he may never price himself out of Cleveland). However, the present lineup looks something like this:
C: Roberto Perez
1B: Carlos Santana
2B: Cesar Hernandez
SS: Francisco Lindor
3B: Jose Ramirez
LF: Jordan Luplow/Jake Bauers/Greg Allen
CF: Oscar Mercado
RF: Bradley Zimmer/Delino DeShields
DH: Franmil Reyes
Bench:
C: Sandy Leon
UT: Yu Chang
UT: Christian Arroyo
SP: Mike Clevinger
SP: Shane Bieber
SP: Carlos Carrasco
SP: Aaron Civale
SP: Zach Plesac
SP/RP: Adam Plutko
RP: James Hoyt
RP: James Karinchak
RP: Hunter Wood
RP: Adam Cimber
RP: Oliver Perez
RP: Nick Wittgren
RP: Brad Hand
The team is deep in replacement level outfielders, but obviously they won't fill the roster with six of them during the season and need to part ways with a couple of them in favor of one everyday player. I'm sure Bauers will be playing in AAA if he doesn't lock up the left-side of an outfield platoon in March. Tyler Naquin (ACL) will likely return midseason and seems a natural platoon partner with Luplow for one corner. Luplow-Mercado-DeShields isn't the worst of lineups against LHP, but they have no good options against RHP unless Zimmer blossoms after 1½ seasons lost to injury. That the Indians didn't top Miami's $17.5M/2-yr. contract to Corey Dickerson, who seems the perfect fit for this roster/payroll is probably a bad sign for Cleveland fans. While bringing Yasiel Puig and his reverse splits back to Cleveland is still a possibility, the better path to a low salary solution and roster trimming might be through trade. Reyes is also working to improve his outfield play, but realistically that's just an option for keeping him in the lineup while giving others the occasional break at DH. They could also use an experienced utilityman, but if the infield is healthy that's a roleplayer who's going to collect a lot of dust.
Injuries forced the Indians to use 12 different pitchers to start games in 2019, with 7 of those starting at least 10 games. This gives them well-prepared depth heading into 2020. Aaron Civale's combination of control and spin-rate looks like a legitimate long-term addition to the rotation. Zach Plesac was more smoke and mirrors, in the same style as Adam Plutko, but either one might have success eating innings if teamed with an opener. I like Jefry Rodriguez (acquired in last winter's Yan Gomes trade) and his heavy sinker in the bullpen, where a more focused repertoire might play up as it did for Jose Mesa. With the addition of Logan Allen and Scott Moss through last summer's Trevor Bauer trade, the Indians have two more candidates to press for jobs in the back of the rotation by mid-summer. Triston McKenzie could also reach Cleveland in a matter of months if he could just stay on the field.
Obviously 2-3 of these bullpen spots are up in the air. The recent head-scratching move to DFA 3rd-string catcher Eric Haase makes me think they believe the 33-year-old Hoyt can be a serious contributor to the 2020 pen. Rodriguez, Clase and Phil Maton are also in the mix. Clase shouldn't have been the centerpiece of the Kluber trade, but I do think he's underrated. He now regularly hits triple-digits on the radar, and he's been throwing strikes since moving to the pen (and if there's one thing the Indians do as well as anyone it's developing strike-throwers). Still, I think right now he'd have to rank behind James Karinchak for the title of "heir apparent to the closer". Karinchak just exploded onto the prospect scene in 2019 with a 20.7/9ip K-rate across four levels including Cleveland, despite losing two months to a pulled hamstring.
I'm sure before the season starts I'll get into how they shape up against Minnesota and Chicago, and the possible overhauling of the roster if the first half doesn't go as planned.
The offseason started with the team picking up Corey Kluber's $17.5M team option only to use it as rock bottom trade value when they shipped him and his entire salary off to the Rangers for a relief prospect (Emmanuel Clase, #30 in the Texas system) and another useless backup outfielder (Delino DeShields Jr). It was, without a doubt, the Tribe's least popular trade since acquiring John Rocker in 2001. They have used $6.25M of the savings to sign second baseman Cesar Hernandez, filling the most obvious hole in their lineup. If Clase and DeShields both make Cleveland's roster, along with the bump from Kevin Plawecki to Sandy Leon as the backup catcher, the Indians would have between $6.5M-$7M left over from the Kluber savings. The biggest need for that money is to address an outfield corner.
Because of Dolan's track record of cheapness, Indians fans will have to continue enduring trade rumors about Lindor and every other player with value (the Clevinger rumors are particularly nonsensical since he's so cheap and as a bit of late bloomer he may never price himself out of Cleveland). However, the present lineup looks something like this:
C: Roberto Perez
1B: Carlos Santana
2B: Cesar Hernandez
SS: Francisco Lindor
3B: Jose Ramirez
LF: Jordan Luplow/Jake Bauers/Greg Allen
CF: Oscar Mercado
RF: Bradley Zimmer/Delino DeShields
DH: Franmil Reyes
Bench:
C: Sandy Leon
UT: Yu Chang
UT: Christian Arroyo
SP: Mike Clevinger
SP: Shane Bieber
SP: Carlos Carrasco
SP: Aaron Civale
SP: Zach Plesac
SP/RP: Adam Plutko
RP: James Hoyt
RP: James Karinchak
RP: Hunter Wood
RP: Adam Cimber
RP: Oliver Perez
RP: Nick Wittgren
RP: Brad Hand
The team is deep in replacement level outfielders, but obviously they won't fill the roster with six of them during the season and need to part ways with a couple of them in favor of one everyday player. I'm sure Bauers will be playing in AAA if he doesn't lock up the left-side of an outfield platoon in March. Tyler Naquin (ACL) will likely return midseason and seems a natural platoon partner with Luplow for one corner. Luplow-Mercado-DeShields isn't the worst of lineups against LHP, but they have no good options against RHP unless Zimmer blossoms after 1½ seasons lost to injury. That the Indians didn't top Miami's $17.5M/2-yr. contract to Corey Dickerson, who seems the perfect fit for this roster/payroll is probably a bad sign for Cleveland fans. While bringing Yasiel Puig and his reverse splits back to Cleveland is still a possibility, the better path to a low salary solution and roster trimming might be through trade. Reyes is also working to improve his outfield play, but realistically that's just an option for keeping him in the lineup while giving others the occasional break at DH. They could also use an experienced utilityman, but if the infield is healthy that's a roleplayer who's going to collect a lot of dust.
Injuries forced the Indians to use 12 different pitchers to start games in 2019, with 7 of those starting at least 10 games. This gives them well-prepared depth heading into 2020. Aaron Civale's combination of control and spin-rate looks like a legitimate long-term addition to the rotation. Zach Plesac was more smoke and mirrors, in the same style as Adam Plutko, but either one might have success eating innings if teamed with an opener. I like Jefry Rodriguez (acquired in last winter's Yan Gomes trade) and his heavy sinker in the bullpen, where a more focused repertoire might play up as it did for Jose Mesa. With the addition of Logan Allen and Scott Moss through last summer's Trevor Bauer trade, the Indians have two more candidates to press for jobs in the back of the rotation by mid-summer. Triston McKenzie could also reach Cleveland in a matter of months if he could just stay on the field.
Obviously 2-3 of these bullpen spots are up in the air. The recent head-scratching move to DFA 3rd-string catcher Eric Haase makes me think they believe the 33-year-old Hoyt can be a serious contributor to the 2020 pen. Rodriguez, Clase and Phil Maton are also in the mix. Clase shouldn't have been the centerpiece of the Kluber trade, but I do think he's underrated. He now regularly hits triple-digits on the radar, and he's been throwing strikes since moving to the pen (and if there's one thing the Indians do as well as anyone it's developing strike-throwers). Still, I think right now he'd have to rank behind James Karinchak for the title of "heir apparent to the closer". Karinchak just exploded onto the prospect scene in 2019 with a 20.7/9ip K-rate across four levels including Cleveland, despite losing two months to a pulled hamstring.
I'm sure before the season starts I'll get into how they shape up against Minnesota and Chicago, and the possible overhauling of the roster if the first half doesn't go as planned.