Cleveland Indians smart to take a chance on Melvin Upton Jr.

The Cleveland Indians haven’t made a major move yet this offseason, but did extend a minor league deal that could pay dividends in 2018.

This has not been the best week for Cleveland Indians fans.

No games have been played, but fans are now preparing for a future without Carlos Santana. His absence won’t derail the upcoming season, but it is still a bummer.

Alas, the Indians will still enter the 2018 season as overwhelming favorites to win the American League Central for the third straight season. And with the core of Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Andrew Miller, the team is in great hands.

Fans are waiting for the team to make some moves, and one minor one was made that may have been pushed to the side when all the focus was on Santana. That move was signing Melvin Upton Jr. to a minor league deal.

Upton, not to be confused with his brother Justin, was out of the majors a season ago after signing a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants.

This deal should remind fans of the one given to Austin Jackson a year ago, as Upton is in a similar situation. Jackson was signed by the Indians after missing nearly an entire season with an injury, and was able to bounce back to his old ways with a nice season in 2017.

The Indians are hoping Upton can do the same, and signing him to a minor league deal minimizes the risk of bringing him in. If he doesn’t perform well, he can simply be let go.

I’m personally a big fan of handing out minor league deals to players with major league experience, as it increases the potential of finding that next Austin Jackson or a similar player who other teams may have given up on after an injury or a down year.

His career slash line of .243/.321/.402 doesn’t stand out as too impressive, but this is a low-risk move. He does have 300 career stolen bases, making him a potential asset on the bench as a veteran platoon outfielder if the team needs some depth due to injuries throughout the season.

Next: A farewell to Carlos Santana

Maybe it will come down to Upton and Michael Martinez battling for that final roster spot. For our sake, let’s hope the front office makes a few more moves between now and the end of March.