Cleveland Indians: Potential Free Agent Targets

The Cleveland Indians are not expected to be big players in the free agent market this offseason, but there are a few names that the team should consider.

The Major League Baseball offseason is only a few days old, and teams have through Tuesday of this week to negotiate exclusively with their own free agents before the market opens. The Cleveland Indians, who are not expected to be big spenders on free agency because so much of the 2016 team will be returning, have already made a couple of decisions, and have a several more to consider.

Cleveland has already picked up the 2017 club option of first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana and declined the option of outfielder Coco Crisp. The team has also expressed a desire to bring back free agents-to-be Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis, though they would likely have to be on team-friendly deals, and there’s no indication that either player will accept that.

Beyond those internal decisions, though, the Indians do have some holes that need to be filled, or at least the potential for holes. Among them, the three most pressing seem to be a left-handed reliever to pair with Andrew Miller in the bullpen, a utility-type infielder who can provide flexibility for manager Terry Francona, and a replacement at first base in the event that Napoli signs elsewhere.

So who are the options? Let’s take a look at a few realistic names Cleveland should be considering if they hit the open market.

Left-handed Relievers

Among potential free agents, left-handed bullpen arms seem to be among the most plentiful of any position. There are a couple of names that should be familiar to Indians fans, and a couple of veterans that should warrant consideration.

Miller is the type of bullpen weapon that can be utilized by Francona in multiple situations, not strictly against left-handed bats, and that versatility and dominance were on full display throughout the Tribe’s run to the World Series.

But what the team lacked, especially with Kyle Crockett suffering an injury on the eve of the playoffs, was a matchup lefty. Crockett figures to be in the team’s plans for 2017, but finding a veteran LOOGY (lefty one-out guy) would help bolster a unit that should be a strength of the team next season.

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Two names Cleveland is familiar with are Mark Rzepczynski and Ross Detwiler. Rzepczynski, better known as “Scrabble” because his name is so impossible to spell, was traded by the Indians to San Diego at the 2015 trade deadline, then shipped to the Oakland Athletics last December, and finally landed with the Washington Nationals in an August deal. In 70 games covering 47.2 innings in 2016, he went 1-0 with a 2.64 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 154.

Like Rzepczynski, Detwiler is another former Tribe reliever, traded to Oakland this past July for cash considerations. He split time between the majors and minors in 2016, throwing just 4.2 innings for Cleveland. Oakland tried Detwiler out as a starter, and he was hit hard, with a 6.14 ERA, 11.5 hits per nine innings, and a WHIP of 1.614. Transitioning back to being a lefty specialist is likely the best career choice for the 30-year old at this point.

Two other names that should garner interest from the Indians are Travis Wood and Brett Cecil. Wood, a member of the Chicago Cubs, had his best big league season in his first as a full-time reliever. Appearing in 77 games during the regular season, he yielded an ERA of just 2.95 in 61 innings, racking up an ERA+ of 137. He also pitched in nine postseason games, allowing two runs on five hits.

Cecil is another lefty Cleveland saw during the postseason, though he’s coming off a bit of a down year. In 54 appearances covering 36.2 innings, he posted a 3.93 ERA and 109 ERA+, both of which were his worst marks since 2012.

While the Indians may or may not land any of these LOOGYs in free agency, they are the type of players that could be solid complementary pieces for the team at a more or less affordable price. Big money free agent relievers like Aroldis Chapman just aren’t going to happen.

First Baseman

Cleveland has made its desire to bring Napoli back known, and has exercised Santana’s club option, so first base may not seem like a priority. But in the case that Napoli does end up signing with another team, the Indians need to have a backup plan that can handle some first base and DH duties. Bobby Bradley, the best power hitter in the organization’s minor league system, is still a couple of years away in all likelihood.

Much like the utility options, none of the free agent first baseman scream excitement, but there are a few proven players that could fit the role for the Tribe. The first would be Adam Lind, who is coming off his first season with the Seattle Mariners. He’s 33 and coming off his worst season in years, so that could be a red flag, but he did slash .239/.286/.431, hit 20 homers, and drove in 58 runs for the M’s.

Next on the list is James Loney, who like Lind is on the wrong side of 30 and coming off a subpar year. Loney slashed .265/.307/.397 in 100 games for the New York Mets in 2016, hitting 16 doubles and nine home runs, driving in 34, and posting an OPS+ of 87. It was the first time in four seasons that he failed to hit at least .280.

Sean Rodriguez is the third name that could be on Cleveland’s radar, coming off a year with the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he had a .270/.349/.510 slash line with 16 doubles, 18 homers, 56 RBIs, and a career-best OPS+ of 126. Rodriguez, who will turn 32 in April, can also play the second, third, short, and the outfield, and could also fit into the utility role.

Next: Tribe Built to Contend in 2017

The Indians are in the enviable position of not needing to overhaul their roster, so any free agents added this offseason are mere supplements to the players already in place. Given Francona’s love of platoon advantages, it is likely that at least a few such players will find themselves in Goodyear come February vying for a spot on the bench or in the bullpen. These may not be marquee names, but the Tribe doesn’t need them to be, and that’s a good position to be in.