Cleveland Indians: Not expecting any major changes before Opening Day

Some Cleveland Indians fans may have hoped for a big splash in free agency, but the team isn’t expected to make any major moves before Opening Day.

It is easy to get carried away during the offseason.

Cleveland Indians fans see Carlos Santana leave and want the team to make a major move, with some demanding a trade for Manny Machado. Oh, to live in such a world.

Chris Antonetti made it clear that the signing of Yonder Alonso represents what could be the biggest addition to the roster this offseason, according to an article by Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. This makes perfect sense given the fact the team still has tens of millions to hand out either before or during arbitration, while keeping Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis in town represents a big chunk of cash as well.

Factor in the $20 million owed to Edwin Encarnacion and it seems like a good thing that Francisco Lindor turned down a nine-figure deal. At least for now.

Some fans may be upset that the Indians didn’t go after a major free agent, but that is just not the strategy in place here. Also, the team won 102 games a season ago, and will return the core that accomplished that feat. The postseason exit was upsetting, but the MLB postseason is filled with randomness.

Related Post: Top 5 managers in team history

Fans can say whatever they want about the front office, but the best players on the team did poorly in October. That is on the team, who will hopefully have a better run in 2018.

There is a small minority of fans, and perhaps they are simply trolling us all, that claims the Dolans are cheap. That is just a false and lazy narrative that should never be brought up anymore. But as I said, it is hard to tell true feelings from trolling these days, especially on social media. Regardless, the owners are not cheap by any sense.

Making a lot of changes doesn’t always ensure success, and fans must remember that players like Lindor and Jose Ramirez are still very young. Another year of experience under their belts should only mean more success in 2018. The same goes for players like Tyler Olson, Trevor Bauer, Bradley Zimmer, Nick Goody and others who could surprise us next season.

Next: Top 10 wins from 2017

Change is not always better, and fans must realize that on paper, this team is set up to once again compete for a World Series title in 2018. Alonso is not the signing everyone may have wanted, but it is still possible for him to build upon his 2017 season and become a star in Cleveland.