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2016-2017 Indians Off-Season Thread

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sportscoach said:
Cleveland lost Heller and Feyereisen in the Miller trade, so if you look at depth at Reliever right now in the organization, it really isn't there like the rotation depth is. We have 12 starters on the 40 man roster, and 12 relievers on it and a total of 4 available pitchers currently on our offseason AAA roster (aka guys under contract). Guys like Martin and Johnson are the most major league ready we have in the organization so they are going to get a fair amount of innings because of this.

I am guessing we will bring in a fair amount of manly relief pitchers for spring training. We are also going to bring in veteran OFs as well since we don't have depth in the upper minors in this category as well. Which is why I see Diaz and Ronny Rodriguez getting time in the outfield. Also Urshela could be back at AAA since Ramirez has almost cemented a spot there as well and he is a better fielder than Diaz.

I know we need a quality LHP, but if we spend money on a bat we do not have the cash to go get a veteran LHP to fill up the bullpen spot. We still may end up bringing in a guy like Travis wood, but if we get the big bat it is unlikely we go for a good reliever so we will have to deal with who we have or make a trade for one. We used Rule 5 on Milner, but the Indians have never really had much success in the Rule 5 so we have to see if they can actually get it right rather than losing players like Hector Rondon *sighs*

Do any of you know about Enosil Tejeda or Tyler Olsen? I know it is irrelevant, but I am not familiar with either and Tejeda has good numbers in the minors since we had him.
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You are looking at this as if we are completely done making moves.

Indians always bring in veteran relievers on MiLB deals with invites to camps. That's been an MO of the new front office. And cheap moves like those are how they found Manship (MiLB deal) and Otero (waivers) in the past few seasons alone. Sure we will see a few of those added in the next few months, which pushes guys like Johnson and Martin even further down the pole.

I also feel the odds of them signing a free agent reliever are still fairly high as well...

I'm telling you man, they aren't going to get the work you seem to think they will. Not in Spring games, when you have multiple starters getting work in in a single game and vets fighting for actual MLB roster jobs getting preferential treatment on the available innings not going to established guys looking to get their work in.

As for Tejeda, he's coming off surgery and didn't play all last season, so who knows what he looks like coming off that. And Olson is straight organizational depth...he's just not very good.
 
BimboColesHair said:
You are looking at this as if we are completely done making moves.

Indians always bring in veteran relievers on MiLB deals with invites to camps. That's been an MO of the new front office. And cheap moves like those are how they found Manship (MiLB deal) and Otero (waivers) in the past few seasons alone. Sure we will see a few of those added in the next few months, which pushes guys like Johnson and Martin even further down the pole.

I also feel the odds of them signing a free agent reliever are still fairly high as well...

I'm telling you man, they aren't going to get the work you seem to think they will. Not in Spring games, when you have multiple starters getting work in in a single game and vets fighting for actual MLB roster jobs getting preferential treatment on the available innings not going to established guys looking to get their work in.

As for Tejeda, he's coming off surgery and didn't play all last season, so who knows what he looks like coming off that. And Olson is straight organizational depth...he's just not very good.
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Oh I know we are not even close to being done making moves, thats why I stated what I did since I know that stuff is going to happen, but outside of relievers and OF guys we actually may not bring in a whole lot of veterans since we do not have very many spots open on this roster. Most of the guys we sign will be organizational/minor league depth

Last two bullpen spots (one going to a righty and one going to a lefty) 1st base/DH and an extra OF and the utility man are the only spots really open on the roster. It is likely we sign at least two of the spots, so starting the season we will have three spots open, so we may not be the target of a whole lot of players like we have been in the past. I am thinking guys in the minors will start changing positions as well since I know a whole bunch of our infielders are moving to the OF to find them some spots.

We have an abnormal amount of starting pitchers on this roster and we have a ton of depth there as well when it comes down to it. I am actually surprised we haven't made a trade yet from that starting pitcher depth, but I am guessing our offseason targets like McCutchen, Blackmon type of player were to costly in the FOs mind. We will have another solid/playoff bound AAA team this next season.

Do you see us making a mid-season trade for a player if we need one next season since we will likely be strapped for cash?
 
sportscoach said:
Oh I know we are not even close to being done making moves, thats why I stated what I did since I know that stuff is going to happen, but outside of relievers and OF guys we actually may not bring in a whole lot of veterans since we do not have very many spots open on this roster. Most of the guys we sign will be organizational/minor league depth

Last two bullpen spots (one going to a righty and one going to a lefty) 1st base/DH and an extra OF and the utility man are the only spots really open on the roster. It is likely we sign at least two of the spots, so starting the season we will have three spots open, so we may not be the target of a whole lot of players like we have been in the past. I am thinking guys in the minors will start changing positions as well since I know a whole bunch of our infielders are moving to the OF to find them some spots.

We have an abnormal amount of starting pitchers on this roster and we have a ton of depth there as well when it comes down to it. I am actually surprised we haven't made a trade yet from that starting pitcher depth, but I am guessing our offseason targets like McCutchen, Blackmon type of player were to costly in the FOs mind. We will have another solid/playoff bound AAA team this next season.

Do you see us making a mid-season trade for a player if we need one next season since we will likely be strapped for cash?
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Think the utility spot is solved already. Barring something crazy, it's looking to be Erik Gonzalez's spot to lose. Only guy on the 40 man, with the added bonus of being able to play SS and spell Lindor.

And I don't think anyone can say for certain if we'll make another trade or 2 next deadline yet, because we haven't even filled our roster out yet or seen it play yet. Still think we have 3 to 5 moves still left to be made this winter, not including minor league flyer deals.

But we certainly are in an interesting spot with starting pitching. Top 4 guys in our MLB rotation are signed into the 2020s, and then we have about 5 AAA pitchers all around the same area (Clevinger, Anderson, Morimando, Merritt, Plutko). Don't think it's too far fetched to say, if one of those guys separates themselves from the pack and takes the 5th spot, that some of the others can be moved just because they'd be blocked for the foreseeable future...they won't go crazy and sell them off left and right, because they still value quality starting pitching depth, which we saw was needed this past season...but one of them stepping up would make that highly likely IMO.
 
Not sure if the Indians are on the list, but something to monitor.

 
Would make a good half of a 1b platoon. Interesting to note: they signed Byrd, had Almonte now Colabello. Pattern?
 
Simon said:
Not sure if the Indians are on the list, but something to monitor.

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Considering he's looking at a 2/17 deal, if he takes a 2 year deal instead of looking for the 3 year deal he initially wanted, I'd say the Indians aren't in on this...unless they are trading away a few relievers.
 
Simon said:
Not sure if the Indians are on the list, but something to monitor.

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I really doubt they would be in on a right handed reliever to a major league deal to be sincere. Now if he was a lefty then maybe.
 
sportscoach said:
I really doubt they would be in on a right handed reliever to a major league deal to be sincere. Now if he was a lefty then maybe.
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I don't think handedness matters that much.

I'm sure their preference is to add a lefty (they've made that public knowledge), but I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate on adding another quality reliever period, especially if they are good vs both LHH and RHH...all depends on the price though...they won't sign Ziegler because his price tag will be too high, not because he is a righty.
 
BimboColesHair said:
I don't think handedness matters that much.

I'm sure their preference is to add a lefty (they've made that public knowledge), but I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate on adding another quality reliever period, especially if they are good vs both LHH and RHH...all depends on the price though...they won't sign Ziegler because his price tag will be too high, not because he is a righty.
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I think though they may be willing to put a bit of money into a veteran lefty, but not a veteran Righty (aka you may see a Hunter that's a 2 mil or the Stammen signing that didn't pan out with incentives for a righty), but they may be more willing to spend a bit more for a top lefty, but a lot of the top guys are kind of signed right now though
 
The Indians let Jeff Manship go even thiugh he was/is slated to make only a small increase in salary- I doubt they go spending big on any reliever. Miller was their big spend. I see much dumpster- diving from here on out for the pen. Curious to see what they pull up.

Also Buster Olney said on Insider that there is no middle ground between Encarnacion and the Indians- he is only signing here for close to what he turned down from the BJs and the Tribe is obviously not anywhere near 4 years/80m in their offer.
 
macbdog said:
The Indians let Jeff Manship go even thiugh he was/is slated to make only a small increase in salary- I doubt they go spending big on any reliever. Miller was their big spend. I see much dumpster- diving from here on out for the pen. Curious to see what they pull up.

Also Buster Olney said on Insider that there is no middle ground between Encarnacion and the Indians- he is only signing here for close to what he turned down from the BJs and the Tribe is obviously not anywhere near 4 years/80m in their offer.
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Hopefully the Indians stay away then..."no middle ground"...ya, good luck getting that 4/80 deal buddy.
 
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