Hello. I've been following the Indians for over a year now. I believe this team has a bright future. The management has given out signals that they will spend in free agency this ofseason which is a great thing moving forward.
Call me crazy, but I think the Indians have a legitimate shot at signing Jon Lester. He obviously has ties to Terry Francona which gives us a better chance over other teams. Victor Martinez is a name being thrown around as a candidate too. Signing those two would be something special.
A third name I'd like to discuss is Jonathan Papelbon. He isn't a free agent but is a member of the Phillies, team with the third highest payroll in the MLB. Coming off a lousy season, they might be looking at cutting some salary. David Murphy and Jose Ramirez could be two guys that might interest the Phillies, in my opinion.
Lastly, I'm in the minority I think but I'd like to see Aviles back next season on this team. For 3 million a season, you won't find better production. He's such a versatile guy too on the defensive end, have to at least consider keeping him. I think he can easily get 3 million from other teams.
Edit - Forgot to mention Lonnie Chissenhall. I am really impressed by this player, he has a bright future at third base. The first half of the season wasn't a fluke, it's a sign of things to come. I've seen people suggest trading him because he has high value. Well of course he has high value, good third basemen are hard to find. Can't believe people are suggesting moving J Ramirez to third base in favor of Chissenhall, a very low baseball IQ suggestion imo.