Cleveland Indians: 5 Untouchable Players This Offseason

The Cleveland Indians have done a great job at growing talent in the farm system and keeping it under control long term. The results of this became obvious this past season during the team’s unbelievable playoff run.

Players that have been developed at least partly in the Cleveland Indians’ farm system include Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, Corey Kluber, Carlos Santana and Danny Salazar, among others. The Indians have been able to build a strong core of players that have given the team reason to stay quiet this offseason.

While the recent news reported by Jordan Bastian of MLB.com saying the Indians will likely remain dormant may be disheartening, it comes with good reason.

"In terms of free agency, do not expect the Indians to target any players who will command huge contracts or those tied to Draft-pick compensation. It is more likely that the Tribe will once again look for complementary help along the lines of Napoli and Davis, who both remain of interest to the Tribe."

The Indians have only lost two key players to free agency – Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis, although both could still be re-signed by the team. The loss of Napoli would likely hurt the most, as his 34 home runs and 101 RBI both led the team. The loss of Davis woulud mostly be felt on the base paths, as his 43 stolen bases led the American League.

The core of young, controllable talent not only allows the Indians to have quality players while staying under their strict budget, but it also means that most of the 2016 American League Championship squad will be returning.

Much like last offseason, guys like Salazar and Carrasco will likely garner attention from other teams looking to make a trade, but they will not be let go of unless it is for the right price. Reliever Andrew Miller has also drawn a lot of interest, but Indians executives have claimed that a deal is unlikely.

Some players have reached a status of being “untouchable.”

Some Indians have become so valuable to the team that it is unimaginable that they will be traded at any point in the near future.