Cleveland Indians: Five former Indians who could return in 2021

Five former Cleveland Indians who could return in 2021

The Cleveland Indians made the blockbuster deal of the offseason so far, as we all expected, but by moving multiple players in the deal they opened up even more holes on the roster than what was there before the trade. Now, the team has to go about assembling the roster for the 2021 season.

Trading Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco opened up a large chunk of payroll on the Indians’ books, upwards of $44 million, which was the goal. Now, Cleveland will need to find a way to fill those gaps while also trying to save money.

Most times the eyes turn to the minor leagues and while there will eventually be answers, the players that will take over those roles in the future won’t be ready this season. Instead, the Cleveland Indians might have to turn to their past.

There are quite a few former Indians on the free agent market and at least a handful could be serviceable to the team during the 2021 season. Not only do they fill gaps, but they could keep the team payroll low as well.

Being former players of the organization, they could be looking for a homecoming of sorts. A World Series run might not necessarily be tied to the contract, but playing for fans that love you isn’t bad either. Jim Thome and Kenny Lofton are among a group that have done this in the past and we could very well see it again.

On top of that, they could be willing to cut the Tribe a bit of a deal financially. Like I said, trading Lindor and Carrasco saved a lot of money and Cleveland isn’t exactly ready to dump it all into other contracts. However, perhaps the front office might be able to convince these players of a hometown discount to return to the Cleveland Indians.

Michael Brantley

We’ve already talked about the potential return of Michael Brantley once this offseason, but now that there is a bit more money on the table to use it seems like more of a possibility now than just a few weeks ago.

Brantley has spent the last two seasons in Houston and while they did result in an All-Star appearance during the 2019 season, he is still without a ring. That could end up being the biggest barrier between the Cleveland Indians and Brantley. If he wants to contend for a championship, Cleveland might not be his ideal destination in 2021.

However, the financial implications from the 2020 season could actually help the Indians here. Despite being 33-years old, Brantley still has a lot of pop left in his bat and is still a strong fielder, making him an intriguing prospect. The downside is he might be outpriced this offseason.

If Brantley wants a bigger deal next year than Cleveland might be his best opportunity for a one-year deal. He would be one of the more known players on the roster and could easily standout from the crowd in Cleveland. He’s familiar with the coaches and city and could use it as a trampoline to propel him into the final leg of his career.

He would probably have to take a pay cut, but if he performs at a high level he could easily make that money back next year on a bigger deal.

Asdrubal Cabrera

It’s been over six years since Asdrubal Cabrera last put on an Indians uniform and he’s played for five teams in that time, but could Cabrera return to Cleveland for one last season? Now 35-years old, his career is coming to a close, but his versatility could be perfect for the Cleveland Indians.

At the moment, it seems to be an open competition in Cleveland for the two middle infielder spots. Andres Gimenez, acquired in the Lindor trade, is expected to take one spot, but what about the other?

While Cabrera might not be the starter, as it seems that time has passed in his career, he can play every spot in the infield which could become very valuable to the Indians. The Tribe don’t exactly know what to expect from their middle infield, so a veteran like Cabrera would not only be a strong backup, but an older mind in the dugout.

Cabrera has played about every hop you can get in the middle infield, so just having him there to bring along the younger prospects would be a valuable addition, Plus, he still has some streaks and flashes of what used to be. If the price is right, it’s hard to formulate a reason to not at least talk to Cabrera about coming back to Cleveland in 2021.

Corey Kluber

After trading Carlos Carrasco, the Cleveland Indians have four of five starting spots in the rotation locked up. Now, they’ve proved time and time again that they can produce top tier starting pitchers through the minors. However, what if they exhausted their immediate resources? All four of the pitchers in Cleveland have debuted in the last few years, so there could be a void before the next player is ready.

To fill that void, the Indians could very easily turn to a familiar face in Corey Kluber. Kluber pitched just one inning for the Rangers before being injured and ending his time with the team. Missing nearly the entire 2020 season after an injury riddled 2019 season isn’t exactly great news for any free agent, especially a pitcher.

Because of this, Kluber could entertain a return to his roots on a cheap, one-year deal. He needs to reestablish himself and what better place than the organization that helped create him in the first place.

While the last two years have been difficult, he was the Cy Young Award winner in 2017 and finished third in 2018 before everything broke lose. He won’t be the Klubot of old, but that’s not what the Indians need. They would just need him to hold down the fifth spot in the rotation to buy an extra year for the pitchers in the minors.

Cesar Hernandez

Of the five players on this list not only is Cesar Hernandez the youngest, but he is the most recent Indian and has the most potential. Hernandez was a standout signing for Cleveland this past year and the one-year “prove-it” contract worked, but it might have come in the wrong season. Due to the financial trials of the coming year, Hernandez might have to wait another year for his big deal.

Hernandez played well enough to score a big contract, but if he really wants to max out he should sign another one-year deal, and what better place than Cleveland. He’s already familiar with the staff and team and there wouldn’t be another move for one season.

During the 2020 season, Hernandez captured a Gold Glove Award at second base while also being one of the best offensive players for the Tribe as well. He was placed in a few different spots of the batting order and managed to put together a slash line of .283/.355/.408 while leading the American League in doubles with 20.

If the market continues to see little action or dries up around Hernandez, the Indians should run to the phones to make a call. If he would be interested in signing a deal similar to what we saw last year, then he could be the steal of the season, again.