Cleveland Indians: Four burning questions heading into the offseason

With the season over for the Cleveland Indians, these are four questions that will need to be addressed this offseason for the organization.

The season for the Cleveland Indians came to a close on Wednesday night, falling to the New York Yankees and shifting the attention around the organization to what could be one of the most anticipated offseason periods for the club in recent memory.

The Indians are reaching a crossroads. The clock is ticking on their window for opportunity with star Francisco Lindor, which could cause a chain reaction of moves that could happen at any point once the World Series concludes.

While Lindor will be the focal point of the Cleveland organization for the next few months, there are a handful of other decisions that will need to be made before the start of the 2021 Major League Baseball season.

The Tribe have had high expectations since the arrival of Terry Francona, but with so many potential changes coming to the organization in the coming months, that could one of the many things changing.

The Indians have made the playoffs four of the last five years, including one World Series appearance and three division titles. Since Francona came to Cleveland in 2013, the team has never finished below third and has made the playoffs on five occasions.

However, that could very soon change. The Indians will have to make a decision on Lindor while also having players like Brad Hand, Cesar Hernandez and Carlos Santana all becoming free agents, unless they decide to resign. Having all had an influence on the team this past season, a departure by any of those three could form a much different roster in 2021 for the Cleveland Indians.

While the Tribe have become a team that has cycled prospects through the organization, the pieces that could be departing will be much more difficult to replace than in the past. The goal will remain the same, but the group trying to achieve could look a lot different.

What do the Indians do with Francisco Lindor?

There is still the possibility that Francisco Lindor signs long-term in Cleveland, but those odds are very small. The ownership has made the point that they won’t pay a player $30 million a year or more and Lindor will have a price tag much higher than that.

So, once again this offseason will be filled with trade talk and where Lindor could be moved to. As one of the best young stars in the game, trading Lindor before the season will make his value higher and could bring in one of the largest hauls in a trade that Cleveland may ever receive.

The 2020 season was a bit of a down year for Lindor. This past year, Lindor slashed career-lows across the board and struggled to find a rhythm throughout the odd season. Albeit, Lindor is still regarded as one of the best players and clubhouse members in the game.

While keeping Lindor would be ideal for more reasons than one, trading him is most likely the result. Unless ownership has a massive change in heart, there isn’t an avenue where he stays, meaning the Indians need to capitalize on what Lindor could bring in before the window closes and his value dips just before free agency.

Who do the Indians decide to resign?

As previously stated, the Indians will have a few major contributors from the last season who will need to either resign or walk in free agency. The names that top the list are Brad Hand, Cesar Hernandez and Carlos Santana.

Beginning with Hand, he had a strong 2020 season, being perfect on save opportunities during the regular season. However, how the season ended might leave a sour taste for some.

The Indians have a long history of producing top closers, but also letting them walk when the time comes. It remains to be seen if that times has come for Hand, but with top prospects in waiting that can close as well, this is a money saving opportunity that seems to fit the bill of the front office.

The same can be said for Carlos Santana who had a down season. First base is another position that the Indians have plenty of prospects in waiting and moving on from Santana could save a lot of money.

Of the three big free agents, Cesar Hernandez is the one that produced at a high level this year. Hernandez could easily return, but like the other positions, there are cheaper options in the minors that will be ready soon. Hernandez could be an option for another one-year deal, but with so many up-and-coming prospects, it can be hard to see a situation where the front office signs Hernandez long-term.

What prospects will be ready in 2021?

The way the offseason unfolds will depend a lot on who will be ready to make their debut in the 2021 season. Not having any minor leagues this year might have derailed some of these plans, but regardless there will be players that will make the jump to the majors.

Two players that will be candidates for that jump also happen to be at the top of the Indians’ prospect list as well. Nolan Jones, the team’s No. 1 prospect, should be ready and possibly the team’s No. 2 prospect in Tyler Freeman.

Jones and Freeman are both integral parts of Cleveland’s future, but they shouldn’t be rushed back. If Hernandez resigns and Lindor isn’t traded, there isn’t room for either at the major league level at the moment. With that being said, if they are ready, then this could make moving on from either player much easier for the organization.

Jones and Freeman won’t be able to immediately replace Hernandez, Lindor or anyone else in the lineup, but their upside makes it more appealing for the Indians to explore the idea of moving towards prospects in the coming seasons.

Like I said, Jones and Freeman can’t replace Lindor or Hernandez, but if the time is coming for a very brief rebuild, more of a restructure, these could be very important factors in the decision.