The Indians went into this season expecting to win, but fell into a hole after a couple poor months that even the annual Terry Francona bounce couldn’t get them out of. For the third straight season, the Tribe fell short of the real playoffs despite having one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and a few MVP caliber hitters.
Preseason Prediction: The Indians have a set roster filled with young, but experienced players including some of the best at their position like Yan Gomes (2014 Silver Slugger winner), Michael Brantley (3rd place AL MVP & Silver Slugger winner), Corey Kluber (2014 AL Cy Young) and Cody Allen (11.8 K/9, 24 saves out of 28 chances in 2014). This team would be a complete disappointment finishing any lower than second in the division with anything worse than the top Wild Card. Expect 87-92 wins, a total that could land them in any of the three scenarios listed here. (Joseph Coblitz, March 18th)
What Went Right: The Indians pitching staff continues to be among the best in all of baseball, including three of the top ten pitchers in the American League in FIP (Carlos Carrasco, Corey Kluber and Danny Salazar). Even the other pitchers used (particularly Trevor Bauer and Cody Anderson) have been excellent at times. The bullpen was also solid this season with the one-two punch of Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen being as good as any team could ask for. They even got the unexpected bonus of former starter Zach McAllister becoming one of the most dependable middle relievers in the game.
Defensively, the team improved more than any facet of the team, moving from 29th in baseball at 64.8 runs allowed below average to ninth-best with 16.3 runs saved above average. A huge part of this change was made by promoting Francisco Lindor who was incredible both offensively and defensively. Outside of Lindor, only Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis had seasons of any real value at the plate, but both were fantastic.
SEATTLE, WA – MAY 29: Michael Bourn #24 of the Cleveland Indians strikes out against the Seattle Mariners in the ninth inning at Safeco Field on May 29, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners defeated Cleveland 2-0. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
What Went Wrong: It is hard to blame the manager or front office too much for the failures on the field, but their persistence in playing below (or near) replacement level players who were being paid far too much, specifically Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher, destroyed any chances the Indians had to win this year. While Swisher only played in 30 games, Bourn was worth 0.4 WAR during his 95 games and once the pair were traded, the team saw a massive turn around. They won their first game without the duo 17-4 against the Twins, then went 29-20 to this point after going just 49-59 prior. This team has had all the pieces to be a contender the whole season, but they have been underused and mismanaged in a way that cost the team a lot of wins, particularly early on.
CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 14: Shortstop Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians fields a ground ball hit by Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning at Progressive Field on September 14, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Most Surprising Player: Francisco Lindor has been the Indians’ top prospect since the day he was drafted in 2011 and he was always a known Gold Glove quality defender, so his 12.5 defensive runs saved aren’t a huge surprise, but his offense has been. In just 95 games he’s hit 12 home runs, knocked in 51, and stole 11 bases. Add to that the fact that he leads the team in average (.323) and is second among position players in total WAR (4.3), despite playing just over half the season. Considering how bad Jose Ramirez was early in the season and how good Lindor has been, there is an argument to be made that had Lindor been on the team the entire season, it could have made enough of a difference in itself to push the Indians into the playoffs. It is hard to compliment the 21-year old enough as he is third in all of baseball in WAR as a shortstop despite playing 45 games less than the number one player, Brandon Crawford.
CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 7: Nick Swisher #33 of the Cleveland Indians reacts after being hit by a pitch during the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on June 7, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nick Swisher
Most Disappointing Player: He has already been mentioned, but the biggest disappointment was easily the $48M man, Nick “Bro-hio” Swisher. He was heralded as the free agent that the Indians never could sign back in 2013, but between his injuries and poor play on the field, he quickly soured with the Indians fan base. Not wanting to look bad for the investment, the Indians constantly tried to play him or rehab him back into playing shape, but nothing ever worked. In addition, he became a clubhouse cancer of sorts as he rubbed some players, including team leader Michael Brantley, the wrong way by acting like he was THE veteran leader of the team. Once he was traded, there was a visible mood shift in the locker room and many players who had been quiet previously, came out in leadership roles including Brantley, Corey Kluber, Yan Gomes and Jason Kipnis.
CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 20: Francisco Lindor #12 and Michael Brantley #23 of the Cleveland Indians warm up in the outfield before the start of the game against the Chicago White Sox on September 20, 2015 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the White Sox 6-3. (Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images)
The Future: The good news for the Indians is that contractually, things couldn’t be any better. The big three starters are all under control through 2020 on reasonable contracts. The same is true of the primary hitters, Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis and Yan Gomes, through 2018 as well as, of course, Lindor. The removal of Swisher and Bourn from the roster as well as the other pieces traded mid-season like Brandon Moss, David Murphy and Marc Rzepczynski saved a ton of money for the Indians that they could possibly use this off-season to bolster the offense. Those trades also helped shore up an already deep minor league system that could be used in potential trades. Either way, the Indians pitching staff and defense are already playoff ready. They just need a few more offensive pieces to truly contend.
