Tribe will miss Shaw if he leaves through free agency

Unlike the NFL, in which virtually all the fireworks are shot off in the first two or three days of free agency, baseball moves at the speed of a slow glacier.

First baseman Carlos Santana and outfielder Jay Bruce get the most attention of Indians’ free agents, but one player Manager Terry Francona would love to have back is relief pitcher Bryan Shaw.

Shaw is the pitcher Indians fans love to blame for anything that goes wrong in the Tribe bullpen. He is not as automatic as Andrew Miller in the eighth or closer Cody Allen, but one reason those two are so successful is Shaw usually does his job very well.

Shaw pitched in 79 games in 2017, which tied him for the most appearances in the American League. He is the only Indians pitcher in franchise history to appear in at least 70 games in each of five consecutive seasons and the only pitcher in the majors to do it every year since 2013.

Shaw has not been perfect, but from 2014 to 2017 he is tied for the MLB lead with 98 holds. His 26 holds in 2017 was a career best. He had 25 holds in 2016, 23 in 2015 and 24 in 2014.

A “hold” in baseball is given to a relief pitcher who enters the game with his team leading and turns the ball over to another reliever before the opponent ties the game or takes the lead. He would get a save instead of a hold if he finishes the game.

“The way I view it is it’s almost like the offensive lineman that shows up every game and the only time people really talk about them is when he misses a block,” Francona said during a wrap-up news conference at the end of the 2017 season. “He took so much pride in being available. And he carried so much of the load for us for five years. He is so reliable and if he’s not in our bullpen, it will probably take two guys to do what he did.”

Shaw allowed 36 runs, 30 earned, in 2017. He allowed 26 runs, 24 earned, the year before. He gave up eight home runs in 2015 and 2016. He gave up five homers in 2017.

Shaw’s 26 holds in 2017 tied for sixth in Major League Baseball. And if you think Francona is just being loyal to his players, a trait some consider a foible of the Tribe manager, consider the team rumored to be most interested in signing Shaw in free agency is the Mets. The Mets’ new manager is former Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway.

“It’s kind of easy to take him for granted,” Francona said. “I can’t tell you, there was so few times over the course of five years where he wasn’t available. There’d be times where I’d tell him he’s not available. And he’d go, ‘I’m fine.’ It’s amazing.”

Shaw has also been linked to the Cubs, who are trying to strengthen their bullpen.

• It’s like opening the front door and walking out into 70 degrees and sunshine when the Indians announce their spring training schedule.

Pitchers and catchers report to Goodyear, Ariz., on Feb. 14. The full squad reports on Feb. 18.

The Indians open their Cactus League season on Feb. 23 in a game with the Reds at Goodyear.

Spring straining tickets go on sale at noon, Dec. 1 at Indians.com/spring. Nov. 24 when he reported a source told him “Rose is tired of being hurt, and it’s taking a toll on him mentally.”

All the Cavaliers are saying is Rose has left the team temporarily for personal reasons.

The Cavaliers signed Rose, 29, to a one-year deal. He wanted to use the 201718 season as a way to revive his career. He played in 64 of 82 games last season with the Knicks.

Rose played in 81 games in 2010-11 but since then has never played in more than 66 games in a season. He has already missed 13 games this season.

The Cavaliers are deep enough they can absorb losing Rose, especially with Isaiah Thomas close to returning from a hip injury that has sidelined him for six months.

Cavaliers guard Dwyane Wade on Nov. 24 told reporters he understands what Rose is wrestling with because he considered retiring from the Heat after the 2013-14 season because of injuries.

“This game brings so much joy to guys, and it brings the opposite as well,” Wade said. “It will take you to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. If you’re not mentally where you need to be, it affects you with your family. It affects you in your day to day. You’re just hurting.

“When you’re hurting, you’re frustrated and sometimes you think about walking away from the game. I definitely thought about it. I’m glad I didn’t.”

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he expects Rose to return at some point but did not predict when that would happen. touches a game. Through 10 games he has 46 carries (240 yards, two touchdowns) and the exact same number of receptions. His 46 catches (414 yards, two touchdowns) are the most on the team, but he should be getting the ball at least 15 times a game.

“I would agree, we would like him to be on the field as much as possible in all situations because we believe in him so strongly as a player and as a playmaker,” running game coordinator Kirby Wilson said on Nov. 24. “That’s up to us as coaches, me in particular, to make sure that he’s always involved and always has a role in being on the field at all times or as much as possible.”

Johnson was on the field for 27 snaps (49 percent) last week when the Browns scored just one touchdown — by Johnson on a 27-yard pass from DeShone Kizer — in the 19-7 loss to the Jaguars. Wide receiver Ricardo Louis, whose job is to be the 11th person in the huddle, played 33 snaps.

Johnson was on the field for 33 snaps (55 percent) in the 31-7 loss to the Bengals on Oct. 1. We’ll see how many snaps he gets against the Bengals in Cincinnati on Nov. 26.