I don't know if they have the cash to spend any money but if they do I would like a guy like Kiki Hernandez or Jurickson Profar. These guys can play multiple positions so if someone young emerges they don't block anyone.
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2020-21 Offseason Discussion
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TFIR
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Indians takeaways: The payroll, Terry Francona’s future, Francisco Lindor, more
By Zack Meisel Oct 6, 2020 24
CLEVELAND — When Major League Baseball pressed the pause button in mid-March, Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff were first tasked with arranging for every player and coach in the organization to return home safely.
When an uncertain summer morphed into an unprecedented season, they juggled reports from the club’s alternate site and presided over a team that lost its manager and two other coaches, traded away a front-line starting pitcher after he and a fellow hurler breached team protocols, stumbled through an eight-game losing streak, rebounded to finish with a 35-25 record and then fell short against the Yankees in the wild-card round.
So, maybe it’s no surprise that during breakfast one recent morning, Antonetti’s daughter pointed out an increase in gray hairs atop the head of the Indians’ team president.
“You didn’t have many before this started,” she said.
“There was no playbook for what we encountered this year,” Antonetti said Tuesday in his annual postmortem interview with reporters. “So much has happened over the course of the season. I know we only played 60 games, but it felt like 260.”
And now, it’s on to an offseason that could include a trade of the club’s star shortstop, some difficult, financially motivated roster decisions and the ongoing process to replace the team nickname. Here are the five most pertinent takeaways from Tuesday’s session with Antonetti and Chernoff.
1. Terry Francona’s future
The headline: The Indians expect Tito to be ready to go for the 2021 season
The quote: “(The coaching staff) was one of the places in which we faced a lot of adversity this year. We had a group of guys that really stepped in and did very different roles and found a way to help to contribute and succeed, despite some newness to their responsibilities. We’ll have to take some time to work through that. We’ll need to work through things with Tito and then probably have the first conversation with Brad Mills and reconnect with him and see where that takes us.” — Antonetti
The takeaway: Francona returned to his Tucson home to complete his recovery from gastrointestinal and blood-clotting procedures. How the coaching staff will shape up around him next season remains to be seen. Mills and Ty Van Burkleo opted out of the 2020 season. Sandy Alomar Jr. and Mike Sarbaugh shifted from base-coaching roles to positions in the dugout. Will everything simply go back to the way it was before the pandemic?
2. Dollars and sense
The headline: Prepare to hear plenty this offseason about the team managing its roster and its finances
The quote: “The reality of the finances in baseball for 2020 was the industry lost billions of dollars. And as a team, we lost tens of millions of dollars, more than we expected. So that puts us in a really difficult financial position that will take us years to recover from. … I wouldn’t want to get into the different mechanisms on the accounting of it, but it’s substantial. It’s a real, cash loss that we have to borrow a lot of money to be able to fund.” — Antonetti
The takeaway: Antonetti said the club’s “financial reality is daunting.” And regardless of what anyone might think about the payroll or the value of the team or why ownership would continue to possess a franchise if it constantly loses money, the fact is, the Indians’ payroll is going to decrease this winter.
The team has yet to make final decisions on Carlos Santana ($17.5 million club option), Brad Hand ($10 million club option) or any of its potential free agents. Those will come toward the end of the month. Antonetti stressed the team does “not anticipate rebuilding,” and really, much of that is because that effort has already taken place on the fly, through the trades of Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger, in addition to the continued development of capable starting pitchers.
The pitching staff, young and inexpensive, is essentially in place for the foreseeable future. Only Carlos Carrasco and Nick Wittgren are expected to earn more than the league minimum in 2021. That gives the team, as Antonetti described, “a really good platform” to remain competitive next season and beyond.
The lineup on the other hand, has plenty of holes and will need to be addressed. Is there a position player outside of José Ramírez and Roberto Pérez anyone can confidently write into the 2021 lineup in Sharpie?
Terry Francona and Chris Antonetti. (Frank Jansky / Getty Images)
3. The Francisco Lindor quandary
The headline: What can they obtain for him on the trade market?
The quotes: “He’s one of the best players in the game, he’s one of the best people in the game, he’s one of the best ambassadors in the game. He understandably expects to be compensated as such. We understand that. We’ve made a lot of attempts over the course of the last few seasons with Francisco and his agent trying to find common ground on that, where we can compensate him as one of the best players in the game but still also be able to build a championship team around him, because ultimately that’s what is most important.” — Antonetti
“I think we can afford any individual player. It’s less about that. It’s about, how do we build a team that’s capable of contending? And how do we allocate resources in a way that gives us the best chance to win as many games as possible?” — Antonetti
The takeaway: It’s the peanut-inhaling, trunk-twirling elephant in the room. If the Indians receive a sufficient offer for Lindor this winter, logic dictates that they’ll deal him. Antonetti said the team doesn’t feel as though a trade is the only option. The Indians could deal him during the 2021 season, or even let him walk in free agency. If they can acquire a helpful package for him this winter, though, that would fit their framework of balancing the present and future.
Antonetti said they have not yet decided whether they can attempt one final Hail Mary and resume negotiations with his camp. He included that the pandemic “has added an entirely unexpected layer of complexity to trying to plan for what the future may look like.”
4. Strangers in the outfield
The headline: There’s no easy answer here
The quote: “The outfield was probably one of the weaker spots on our team this year. And we struggled to find the right mix of guys. It was frustrating for those guys and obviously for us. We had seen a number of those players perform well in the past, and yet we couldn’t get that group clicking at the same time and on all cylinders this year. I think we have a really strong group of prospects and players, we just couldn’t find the right mix for this year. But we’re hopeful about their future.” — Chernoff
The takeaway: Um, yes. It was certainly one of the weaker spots on the roster. Indians outfielders combined to post a .194/.270/.300 clip in 2020, a slash line that prompts the sort of screams reserved for the next few weeks at places like 7 Floors Of Hell and Blood Prison.
Expect to see more of Oscar Mercado, Jordan Luplow, Daniel Johnson and Josh Naylor. Chernoff even praised Jake Bauers and said the team considered promoting him to the big-league roster on several occasions this year. As for a slam-dunk, proven solution to one of the spots, that might have to come via trade. Delino DeShields and Tyler Naquin are arbitration-eligible.
5. The status of the top prospect
The headline: Nolan Jones is still the club’s third baseman of the future, but …
The quote: “We have talked to him a little bit about the possibility of adding some positional versatility. He’s out at our fall programming in Arizona now and will mix in potentially at some other spots. Obviously with José at third and as Nolan gets closer to the big leagues, that’s something that could make sense.” — Chernoff
The takeaway: They have initiated a conversation with Jones about taking reps in the outfield and/or at first base. Chernoff said Jones, who was a shortstop in college, “turned himself into a really good defender” at third. Jones has worked tirelessly with former sure-handed infielder John McDonald.
But would they shift Ramírez to second to create a spot for Jones in the infield?
“He’s going to be an MVP candidate, again, as a third baseman,” Antonetti said, “and I think we view it as we’re really fortunate to have him there.”
This will be a topic to monitor. The loss of a typical minor-league season further complicates matters, as the Indians (and all teams) attempt to assess and update the timeline for each prospect. Will the team deem Jones or Tyler Freeman or Gabriel Arias or Owen Miller ready to contribute in 2021, even without a normal year of development in 2020?
“What we’ll challenge ourselves to do,” Antonetti said, “is try not to make generalizations or throw up our hands on it, but really dig in at a player level and think about where they are in their development (and) what we could expect for them next year.”
By Zack Meisel Oct 6, 2020 24
CLEVELAND — When Major League Baseball pressed the pause button in mid-March, Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff were first tasked with arranging for every player and coach in the organization to return home safely.
When an uncertain summer morphed into an unprecedented season, they juggled reports from the club’s alternate site and presided over a team that lost its manager and two other coaches, traded away a front-line starting pitcher after he and a fellow hurler breached team protocols, stumbled through an eight-game losing streak, rebounded to finish with a 35-25 record and then fell short against the Yankees in the wild-card round.
So, maybe it’s no surprise that during breakfast one recent morning, Antonetti’s daughter pointed out an increase in gray hairs atop the head of the Indians’ team president.
“You didn’t have many before this started,” she said.
“There was no playbook for what we encountered this year,” Antonetti said Tuesday in his annual postmortem interview with reporters. “So much has happened over the course of the season. I know we only played 60 games, but it felt like 260.”
And now, it’s on to an offseason that could include a trade of the club’s star shortstop, some difficult, financially motivated roster decisions and the ongoing process to replace the team nickname. Here are the five most pertinent takeaways from Tuesday’s session with Antonetti and Chernoff.
1. Terry Francona’s future
The headline: The Indians expect Tito to be ready to go for the 2021 season
The quote: “(The coaching staff) was one of the places in which we faced a lot of adversity this year. We had a group of guys that really stepped in and did very different roles and found a way to help to contribute and succeed, despite some newness to their responsibilities. We’ll have to take some time to work through that. We’ll need to work through things with Tito and then probably have the first conversation with Brad Mills and reconnect with him and see where that takes us.” — Antonetti
The takeaway: Francona returned to his Tucson home to complete his recovery from gastrointestinal and blood-clotting procedures. How the coaching staff will shape up around him next season remains to be seen. Mills and Ty Van Burkleo opted out of the 2020 season. Sandy Alomar Jr. and Mike Sarbaugh shifted from base-coaching roles to positions in the dugout. Will everything simply go back to the way it was before the pandemic?
2. Dollars and sense
The headline: Prepare to hear plenty this offseason about the team managing its roster and its finances
The quote: “The reality of the finances in baseball for 2020 was the industry lost billions of dollars. And as a team, we lost tens of millions of dollars, more than we expected. So that puts us in a really difficult financial position that will take us years to recover from. … I wouldn’t want to get into the different mechanisms on the accounting of it, but it’s substantial. It’s a real, cash loss that we have to borrow a lot of money to be able to fund.” — Antonetti
The takeaway: Antonetti said the club’s “financial reality is daunting.” And regardless of what anyone might think about the payroll or the value of the team or why ownership would continue to possess a franchise if it constantly loses money, the fact is, the Indians’ payroll is going to decrease this winter.
The team has yet to make final decisions on Carlos Santana ($17.5 million club option), Brad Hand ($10 million club option) or any of its potential free agents. Those will come toward the end of the month. Antonetti stressed the team does “not anticipate rebuilding,” and really, much of that is because that effort has already taken place on the fly, through the trades of Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger, in addition to the continued development of capable starting pitchers.
The pitching staff, young and inexpensive, is essentially in place for the foreseeable future. Only Carlos Carrasco and Nick Wittgren are expected to earn more than the league minimum in 2021. That gives the team, as Antonetti described, “a really good platform” to remain competitive next season and beyond.
The lineup on the other hand, has plenty of holes and will need to be addressed. Is there a position player outside of José Ramírez and Roberto Pérez anyone can confidently write into the 2021 lineup in Sharpie?
Terry Francona and Chris Antonetti. (Frank Jansky / Getty Images)
3. The Francisco Lindor quandary
The headline: What can they obtain for him on the trade market?
The quotes: “He’s one of the best players in the game, he’s one of the best people in the game, he’s one of the best ambassadors in the game. He understandably expects to be compensated as such. We understand that. We’ve made a lot of attempts over the course of the last few seasons with Francisco and his agent trying to find common ground on that, where we can compensate him as one of the best players in the game but still also be able to build a championship team around him, because ultimately that’s what is most important.” — Antonetti
“I think we can afford any individual player. It’s less about that. It’s about, how do we build a team that’s capable of contending? And how do we allocate resources in a way that gives us the best chance to win as many games as possible?” — Antonetti
The takeaway: It’s the peanut-inhaling, trunk-twirling elephant in the room. If the Indians receive a sufficient offer for Lindor this winter, logic dictates that they’ll deal him. Antonetti said the team doesn’t feel as though a trade is the only option. The Indians could deal him during the 2021 season, or even let him walk in free agency. If they can acquire a helpful package for him this winter, though, that would fit their framework of balancing the present and future.
Antonetti said they have not yet decided whether they can attempt one final Hail Mary and resume negotiations with his camp. He included that the pandemic “has added an entirely unexpected layer of complexity to trying to plan for what the future may look like.”
4. Strangers in the outfield
The headline: There’s no easy answer here
The quote: “The outfield was probably one of the weaker spots on our team this year. And we struggled to find the right mix of guys. It was frustrating for those guys and obviously for us. We had seen a number of those players perform well in the past, and yet we couldn’t get that group clicking at the same time and on all cylinders this year. I think we have a really strong group of prospects and players, we just couldn’t find the right mix for this year. But we’re hopeful about their future.” — Chernoff
The takeaway: Um, yes. It was certainly one of the weaker spots on the roster. Indians outfielders combined to post a .194/.270/.300 clip in 2020, a slash line that prompts the sort of screams reserved for the next few weeks at places like 7 Floors Of Hell and Blood Prison.
Expect to see more of Oscar Mercado, Jordan Luplow, Daniel Johnson and Josh Naylor. Chernoff even praised Jake Bauers and said the team considered promoting him to the big-league roster on several occasions this year. As for a slam-dunk, proven solution to one of the spots, that might have to come via trade. Delino DeShields and Tyler Naquin are arbitration-eligible.
5. The status of the top prospect
The headline: Nolan Jones is still the club’s third baseman of the future, but …
The quote: “We have talked to him a little bit about the possibility of adding some positional versatility. He’s out at our fall programming in Arizona now and will mix in potentially at some other spots. Obviously with José at third and as Nolan gets closer to the big leagues, that’s something that could make sense.” — Chernoff
The takeaway: They have initiated a conversation with Jones about taking reps in the outfield and/or at first base. Chernoff said Jones, who was a shortstop in college, “turned himself into a really good defender” at third. Jones has worked tirelessly with former sure-handed infielder John McDonald.
But would they shift Ramírez to second to create a spot for Jones in the infield?
“He’s going to be an MVP candidate, again, as a third baseman,” Antonetti said, “and I think we view it as we’re really fortunate to have him there.”
This will be a topic to monitor. The loss of a typical minor-league season further complicates matters, as the Indians (and all teams) attempt to assess and update the timeline for each prospect. Will the team deem Jones or Tyler Freeman or Gabriel Arias or Owen Miller ready to contribute in 2021, even without a normal year of development in 2020?
“What we’ll challenge ourselves to do,” Antonetti said, “is try not to make generalizations or throw up our hands on it, but really dig in at a player level and think about where they are in their development (and) what we could expect for them next year.”
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Sounds like Ramirez will definitely stay at third base. I can see Nolan Jones at first base where his 6'4" height and his experience fielding all those ground balls at third base would be beneficial. Carlos Santana started out as a third baseman.
Another option would be Naylor at first and Jones platooning with Luplow in left. Jones does not hit left-handed pitching at all, IIRC.
Another option would be Naylor at first and Jones platooning with Luplow in left. Jones does not hit left-handed pitching at all, IIRC.
Gson
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The fiscal pressures and presence of the group of Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor & Nolan Jones as part of a three member rotation in 2021 could dramatically improve two of the three spots in the lineup, at least on a platoon basis... but only IF Jones proves he's not inept in the OF as that is the best chance for him to play at least semi-regularly. That would include, at the start, a strict platoon (LHH v RHP) with Luplow (RHH v LHP). Being pigeon holed as a platoon player doesn't give a young player the kind of development needed to become an everyday player. The Indians and the player (Jones) should resist the temptation to settle for this..
Thoughts?.
TFIR
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Not sure if this has been mentioned here, but fans or not, it's pretty certain there will be a real spring training and a full season. So many of these questions may be played out in spring training.
For Nolan Jones - I do see him being a fit at 1B if Santana is gone. If they bring him back (obviously at a greatly reduced rate) then he has to be in the OF mix.
For Nolan Jones - I do see him being a fit at 1B if Santana is gone. If they bring him back (obviously at a greatly reduced rate) then he has to be in the OF mix.
Andrew Scheid
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It'd be nice to know if Jones could hit MLB pitching (both southpaw and right-handed), alas, those at-bats were given to Mike Freeman.
It would also have been nice to see Daniel Johnson, alas, he only got 12 ABs of experience while the lion's share of CF ABs went to Delino DeShields.
It's mind-boggling how the front office allowed Tito (assuming it was him) to mandate useless veterans clog up the lineup, while kids we'll be depending on for the next 3-5 years spent three months enjoying the pleasantries of Eastlake, Ohio.
Mott the Hoople
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With Santana, Hand, and Lindor gone next season, it's important to remember what will stay the same. That is the player development people will still be in the organization. If anything, with Tito and others who opted out back, it may be stronger. Think of us as Tampa Bay North.
I'm reminded of a line in the movie Apollo 13: "Let's look at this from a status standpoint. What do we have that's working?"
I'm reminded of a line in the movie Apollo 13: "Let's look at this from a status standpoint. What do we have that's working?"
- The bullpen should be stronger. Even without Hand, adding Clase, and a more experienced Karinchak should be good.
- The starting pitching should be outstanding again. Mckenzie and Quantrill could become regulars. It's so deep, they could at least consider trading one again.
- Someone once said, "Pitching is the name of the game."
EdMonix11
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Daniel Johnson is not a CF, and won't be a CF at the ML level, so I don't have a clue what Delino DeShields has to do with Daniel Johnson not playing. They don't play the same position.
Nolan Jones has 49 games and 211 PA's in the upper minors and the Indians have an MVP candidate at his position-- Jones has ZERO professional experience playing any other position.
Mike Freeman played 26 innings at 3B this season. You really think we're going to know what Nolan Jones can do against MLB pitching in 26 innings? 26 innings vs. consistent playing time in Lake County. Hmmm tough call....
I get being frustrated with this team but let's at least be fair and accurate in our gripes.
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Daniel Johnson's scouting report says that he can be an "average" defensive centerfielder. If this is the case, then he needs a good look and a chance to crack all of the outfield positions. You aren't going to fix this mess of an offense especially in the outfield by trying to have the perfect defensive player at every spot. Something has to give at some point.
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He should tell his boss how he can sell the team and become a billionaire.
sportscoach
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Mercado had a bad season, he is superior defensively over Johnson in CF. Mercado will get another chance with a full spring.
I am guessing Zimmer or DeShields will be off the 40 man roster. With the one kept as the 4th OF.
We also do not know who will be available in free agnecy either. This off season may have a lot of available guys that may not normally be so i am not sure exactly how to project everything.
Gson
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86 AB's is hardly a season.. but, it is..
Zimmer and deShields.. not going to predict who gets the 4th OF spot.. but if these are the two currently on the roster choices, someone not currently on the roster should get that spot..
Quite a few unusual non-tender guys will be made available.. It will come down to deciding when / if Lindor is dealt.. sooner the better, would be the best news (that is.. the decision)..
We'll see..
sportscoach
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I am giving Mercado and Naquin the benefit of the doubt and DeShields hit to his career average (and was our best OF overall). So I am not against any of those three. Now DeShields is in his final season of his contract, so cutting him only makes sense that way.
Now when it comes to Zimmer, he had a chance again and didn't take advantage of it. We still have a lot of team control over him though so keeping him over DeShields will be because of that. I believe one of them will go. If we cut Zimmer though we will likely try to keep him.