The Indians went right down their Christmas list this holiday season.
Center fielder? Check. First baseman? Check. A couple of low-risk relief pitchers to add to the mix? Check.
Indians fans, perhaps, didn’t get the new gaming system, or the new set of golf clubs, or the new car in the driveway that they really wanted. There wasn’t a marquee, eight-figure signing or a blockbuster trade that would have made bigger waves.
The Indians got their fans the gifts they needed to fill the roster, like getting a couple of nice shirts that come in handy in the spring but ones that as a present, of course, aren’t as shiny as a new iPad.
Did they get the new Segway? No. Did they get the nice pair of tennis shoes to replace the ones with holes in them (like the roster)? Yes, they did.
It was a practical Christmas for the Indians and Indians fans.
The club’s two key signees were outfielder Rajai Davis and first baseman Mike Napoli (not official yet). Davis will help to fill a need in center field and replace Michael Brantley in left field for the first month of the season, and Napoli adds a bat to the middle of the Indians’ lineup who also provides an upgrade defensively at first base.
The Indians also acquired, all for cash considerations, relief pitchers Kirby Yates and Dan Otero and outfielder Collin Cowgill. And to date, 13 players have been invited to spring training on minor-league deals, led by Joba Chamberlain, Tom Gorzelanny and Joe Thatcher, who will all compete for jobs in the bullpen.
Many fans were excited about the idea of acquiring Cincinnati Reds All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier, though that would have cost, in all likelihood, a starting pitcher and one or two top prospects. The Indians listened to several teams’ offers for Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar, to this point deciding to hold onto their young, controllable starting pitchers. An already high price for such pitchers rose this offseason after David Price and Zack Greinke received $200 million-plus deals as free agents and the Atlanta Braves received a king’s ransom from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Shelby Miller.
So, the Indians went about this offseason the methodical way. Find a one-year stopgap in center field, find a bat to add to the mix at first base and bring in some low-risk pitching options. The Indians spent roughly $12.25 million, plus incentives for Davis and Napoli, in addition to cash considerations involved in those three smaller deals. The $7.5 million owed to Chris Johnson, who was designated for assignment and released, will be added to that.
It wasn’t the spending spree many fans call for each winter. It was a straight-forward approach to fill the roster’s bigger holes. A couple of needs were addressed via the free-agent market, and a couple of pieces were added to the 25-man roster without losing much. Some are pleased, some wanted the new car in the driveway. The Indians are just hoping it’s enough to build off an 81-win season and compete in the American League Central.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ