Indians lose reliever Shaw

The Indians roster has taken its first major hit of the offseason.

Relief pitcher Bryan Shaw, a stalwart in the Indians bullpen the last three years, has signed a threeyear deal with the Colorado Rockies for $9 million a year, Buster Olney of ESPN reported on Dec. 12 from the winter meetings.

The Indians signed their own reliever, Dan Otero, to a two-year contract with club options last week, but Otero is not the iron man Shaw was since being acquired in a trade from Arizona during the winter meetings five years ago.

Beginning in 2013, Shaw, 30, began a stretch of five consecutive seasons with at least 70 appearances. He was 4-6 in 2017 in 79 appearances over 76 2/3 innings.

“He took so much pride in being available,” Indians manager Terry Francona said a few days after the Tribe was eliminated from the ALDS. 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 earned $4.6 million from the Indians last season.

Another Indians free agent might be wearing a Rockies uniform next year. According to reports from the winter meetings, Colorado is one of several teams interested in Indians first baseman Carlos Santana.

The Red Sox, Padres, Texans, Mariners and Phillies have also been linked to Santana at various points in the offseason. When all is said and done, Santana could decide to return to the Indians.

“Indians are telling other first-base options they want to see where things go with Carlos Santana first,” Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports tweeted. “Clearly far and away their first choice.”

Heyman reported Santana turned down a threeyear $36 million offer from the Indians. They tendered him a one-year $17.4 million offer but he rejected that, too, as the tribe expected him to. With the tender, the Indians will be compensated with a draft pick if Santana signs with another team.

Santana hit 23 home runs and 79 RBI in 2017.