Indians: Best and worst free agency moves of the past decade

The Cleveland Indians had a notable decade filled with both good and very bad free agency moves that made for an up-and-down journey since 2010.

The decade is nearing an end and Indians fans are hoping the team doesn’t end on a terrible note by trading Francisco Lindor.

Maybe the front office will wait until January 1.

In more fun news, ESPN’s David Schoenfield recently published a piece featuring the biggest, best, and worst free-agent signings for all 30 MLB teams over the past decade. I discovered this late Monday night and spent an hour reading it. Plenty of nostalgia was within.

Of course, we are here to discuss what he chose for the Indians. He started with the biggest, which obviously was the $60 million deal handed out to Edwin Encarnacion. The move came after the Indians failed to win the 2016 World Series and Encarnacion was supposed to get the team over the hump. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury and one man can only do so much in a playoff series.

His choice for best contract was a bit interesting, as he went with the one-year, $7 million given to Mike Napoli in 2016. He posted career highs in home runs (34) and RBI (101) and it was a season-long Party at Napoli’s. This was a vintage steal for the front office and his impact was more than just his on-field performance. He was a veteran leader for a young team, even if he struggled in the postseason.

Then comes the worst. Indians fans should know this right away. Oh yes, the four-deals for both Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn in 2013. Brohio! The deals combined for over $100 million and fans have to wonder if these misses have an effect on how the front office now operates.

The deals were considered a loss in 2015 and both were traded to Atlanta in a salary dump. Chris Johnson came back in return and was released a few months later. Naturally, the Indians made the World Series the next season.

It’s Christmas Eve and I have to run. Let us know in the comments below what you think about the best and worst moves of the decade.