With Terry Francona signing on as the Indians' manager, any plans to bide time and wait for younger players to develop likely changed. Cleveland saw an opportunity to challenge the Tigers in the AL Central and contend for a wild-card spot and suddenly became big offseason spenders. Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn filled two major needs in the lineup. General manager Chris Antonetti also added depth with Mike Aviles, Ryan Raburn and Drew Stubbs. The moves paid off as the Indians won an AL wild-card spot and finished only one game behind the Tigers in their division. But to return to the postseason or overtake Detroit in the AL Central, Cleveland has some major offseason work to do.
Needs
The priority for Antonetti will be to try and keep his playoff team together. The starting rotation could lose two key pieces if Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir sign elsewhere as free agents. Cleveland may also have to replace relievers Joe Smith and Matt Albers in its bullpen. The Indians probably won't lose all four players. Smith has said he wants to return. But if they find larger contract offers on the open market, it's a distinct possibility.
The Tribe may also be interested in finding a full-time first baseman, right fielder or designated hitter. Cleveland already has players on the roster to man each of those positions, and if they don't mind rotating among two or three spots, perhaps Antonetti doesn't have to address anything. But maybe manager Terry Francona prefers more stability in his everyday lineup next season.
If Stubbs can hit well enough to be the full-time right fielder, Swisher could conceivably play regularly at first base. If Yan Gomes is the starting catcher, that would allow Carlos Santana to mostly play first base and Swisher could be the right fielder, putting Stubbs in more of a reserve role. Both Swisher and Santana could see time at DH as well. Moving guys around might keep them fresh throughout the season too. But Antonetti may consider adding another bat to the lineup.
Possible Options
The Indians would surely love to pursue Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Beltran or Nelson Cruz to play right field. Mike Napoli or Kendrys Morales could fit nicely at first base too. But it's unlikely Cleveland will be in the running for any of those players after the commitments the team made in free agency last year. Additionally, what money is available will likely have to be devoted to re-signing their own free agents. However, the Tribe could take a shot on someone like Michael Morse or James Loney, both of whom should be available for short-term, less expensive contracts. Marlon Byrd might fit that category as well.
If Jimenez signs elsewhere, Cleveland might be able to take whatever money was meant to re-sign him and use it toward another top-tier free agent starter such as Matt Garza or Ervin Santana. Of course, if the Indians can't afford to sign Jimenez, it's entirely possible that Garza and Santana could be priced beyond their means too.
In that case, Antonetti and Francona may have to hope Danny Salazar is ready to be a No. 2 starter behind Justin Masterson with Corey Kluber and Zack McAllister slotting in after him. Could Trevor Bauer or Carlos Carrasco be ready to join the rotation next season. If not, Cleveland could then look at a free agent to fill in the fifth spot in the rotation. Would Phil Hughes be someone to take that role? Dan Haren? Jason Hammel?
One other position the Indians might want to address through free agency is backup catcher. If Gomes wins the starting job, Santana could fill in occasionally behind the plate. But if Cleveland prefers to keep Santana at first base and DH, that creates a need. In that case, Brayan Pena could be worth a shot. Recently let go by the Tigers, Pena isn't very good defensively but had a surprisingly good year as a hitter, batting .297. He also knows AL Central lineups well, having played with the Royals and Detroit.
Trade Options
Chris Perez looked like a possible trade chip (or non-tender candidate) during the offseason, but the Indians surprisingly gave him his unconditional release. That seems like a short-sighted move, given the demand for closers throughout MLB. But after an inconsistent season during which he compiled a 4.33 ERA, increased his rate of hits and walks allowed per nine innings, blew five of 30 save opportunities, criticized fans for poor attendance and was charged for misdemanor drug abuse, the Indians obviously had enough of Perez.
But Antonetti still has an opportunity to go big on the trade market if top prospect Francisco Lindor is ready to play shortstop in the majors. That could make Asdrubal Cabrera expendable and he'd likely yield a far better return than Perez ever would have.
How badly might the Cardinals want a shortstop who can hit like Cabrera? The Mets could also be very interested. Perhaps the Yankees would get in the mix too, though the Indians would likely prefer not to deal Cabrera to a potential playoff rival. The Dodgers could be intrigued too, if Hanley Ramirez is willing to move over to third base. However, with only one year left on his contract for $10 million, any team interested in Cabrera might want to work out a contract extension first.
Trade Targets
If Perez is traded and either Smith or Albers (or both) leave free agency, Cleveland may have to make a deal for some bullpen help. The team has depth with Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw and Vinnie Pestano, along with left-handers Marc Rzepczynski and Nick Hagadone. But if Antonetti wants more strikeout stuff, maybe he could see if the Blue Jays are interested in trading Sergio Santos. He might also want to call up the Nationals and ask about Drew Storen.
