Cleveland Indians: A five point offseason checklist for the Tribe

Step #1: Club Options

The first step of the Indians’ offseason will be figuring out what to do with their six free agents, but more importantly, what to do with the players with club options for the 2021 season.

Of the players that had an impact on the 2020 season, three have club options for the 2021 season, but the Indians could opt to let all of them go. If it was up to us, they would keep one of the trio.

Roberto Perez has a club option for 2021 set for $5.5 million, which is an affordable price when considering his ability in the field. Perez won the Gold Glove Award a year ago and is in line to win it again this year, being a finalist. Bringing Perez back on that deal is the first step of returning to the competitive level in 2021 that we’ve become accustomed to in Cleveland.

As I said, Perez would be the only option the Indians should bring back. That means letting go of both Carlos Santana and Brad Hand, who are both set to make a lot of money on a team that is looking to save money.

Starting with Santana, he is set to make $17.5 million in 2021 if the Tribe decide to pick up his option. After a down season in 2020, Santana’s price is much higher than his value, not to mention that the Indians have options to try at first base. Between Josh Naylor, Bobby Bradley, Jake Bauers and maybe even Nolan Jones, Cleveland will be able to find a player to slot in at first.

As for Hand, it’s a similar story. With a price of $10 million in 2021, the Indians can look for options other than Brad Hand in the closer role and should let Hand walk. He’s been serviceable in the role, but it might be time to move on to a more affordable option.

Step #2: Francisco Lindor

While making a decision on Francisco Lindor will be the most important part of the Indians offseason, it shouldn’t be the first thing they do. While very slim, there is a chance that the owners could decide to give Lindor his money once seeing how much they will be saving by declining the options for both Santana and Hand, which would technically open up $27.5 million.

Lindor has one year of arbitration left, but after that his price tag is going to skyrocket. Regarded as one of the best young players in the game, the Indians should be able to receive quite the package for the 26, almost 27-year old star.

If you’re interested in what deals could be made for Lindor, we’ve wrote that story. Maybe you are you more concerned about where he lands, that’s covered too. However, the reality is that it’s all just talk until something actually starts to happen. That could be very soon.

With Mookie Betts playing a big role in the World Series after the Dodgers made a similar move to acquire him last offseason and sign him long-term, many teams will be hoping to capture that same lightning in a bottle. If there are multiple teams that see Lindor as their difference between a World Series or not, the Cleveland Indians could quickly see a bidding war form, netting what could be a trade for the baseball historians to write about down the road.

Step #3: Find the 2021 Cesar Hernandez

After signing a one-year deal with the Cleveland Indians, Cesar Hernandez exploded during the 2020 season, becoming a key part of the team’s success throughout the shortened season. While Hernandez was incredibly productive, leading the league in doubles, he has most likely priced himself out of another season in Cleveland.

The task for the front office will now be finding the 2021 edition of Hernandez. That doesn’t necessarily mean a second baseman that leads the league in doubles, but rather a cheap free agent that can outplay his contract. It’s what teams like the Indians are built on. Players that have potential, but will still sign for a low price.

While Hernandez fit perfectly into what the Tribe needed after the departure of Jason Kipnis, the job this coming offseason to find another diamond in the rough might be a bit easier. Depending on how the other steps on this list go, Cleveland could have quite a few more openings in 2021 than they did in 2020, meaning more spaces to potentially fill through free agency.

What it comes down to is that the more free agents the Indians bring in, the higher the likelihood of finding another player of Hernandez’s caliber on low-cost, one-year deal.

Step #4: The Outfield

The Cleveland Indians have pieced together a below-average outfield each of the last few seasons. Normally, one or two pieces of the puzzle click, but rarely, if ever, have all three outfielders been firing on all cylinders over the last few seasons.

This past year saw flashes from a few different players, all at different times, and the story was similar in 2019 as well. Players like Josh Naylor and Oscar Mercado have shown potential, but not consistency.

What the Indians need to do this offseason is lockdown one outfield position for the entire season. Find one player that can play consistently in the outfield and be an every day player. Whether it be signing Joc Pederson, giving Daniel Johnson a shot or something else, it doesn’t matter how it happens, it just needs to happen.

If the Tribe can find an every day player for one of the outfield spots that just leaves two for the game of musical chairs that we’ve seen the past two years. That means that you need to ride the hot hand, or even find the hot hand, at just two positions rather than all three. It might not be the biggest leap for this team, but it could solve a lot of the issues that we have witnessed the past two seasons.

Step #5: Nolan Jones

One of the biggest question marks this offseason for the Cleveland Indians will be Nolan Jones. Is he ready for the big leagues? Does he have a spot to play in the lineup? Can he play first base or the outfield?

Hopefully, we should have answer to the last question sooner rather than later. Jones will be playing both first base and in the outfield during fall ball, which could open a door to the answer of the second question.

If Jones can play first or the outfield comfortably, then the Indians should easily be able to find a spot for him in the 2021 lineup. By then, the team will have made a decision of Carlos Santana’s option and should also have a better grasp for what the outfield picture will look like. Jones could easily slide into the mix for either position if he can prove he’s ready in the field.

As for the first question, fall ball will hopefully provide an answer to that as well. Jones only has 49 games of experience at Double-A that came in 2019 and no time at Triple-A, so making a jump to the majors could be a big one for the Indians’ No. 1 prospect. How he performs in fall ball and spring training will go a long way in deciding where he starts the 2021 season, but regardless, there’s a high chance he ends the season in Cleveland.