Indians win at winter meetings despite inaction
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. Terry Francona is not at Major League Baseball’s winter meetings, still sidelined by hip replacement surgery that was postponed because of the Cleveland Indians’ run to Game 7 of the World Series.
And the Indians have been as quiet as any club at baseball’s offseason bazaar, gauging the market for slugger Edwin Encarnacion but mostly content to keep their pennant-winning core together.
Yet a case can be made that the Indians are the biggest winners this week — thanks to attrition around them in the American League Central.
Chris Sale, the most dominant left-handed pitcher in the American League, now will blow away hitters in the AL East after a trade to the Boston Red Sox that signals a significant rebuild for the Chicago White Sox. Adam Eaton, the White Sox’s speedy outfielder and leadoff man who posted a .362 onbase percentage over the last three seasons, was dealt to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday for three prospects.
Kansas City Royals closer Wade Davis, the most effective AL relief pitcher the last three seasons, was traded Wednesday to the Chicago Cubs, a deal that possibly begins a procession of impending free agents the Royals deal away.
And while the Detroit Tigers aren’t necessarily looking to rebuild, they are putting assets on the trade market; at the least, owner Mike Ilitch will not spend big as he has in previous years.
Meanwhile, the Indians return almost everyone from a 94-win team and are seeing the powerhitting market sag a bit, making a possible reunion with 34-homer man Mike Napoli more realistic.
“It’s still the Indians on top, and they have a very good team and the vast majority is coming back,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “Right now they are the cream of the Central Division, and it’s up to us to catch them.”
But many are retreating, rather than gearing up.
And a Royals regression will be greeted quite warmly in Cleveland. After all, the Royals are barely removed from a 95-win season and a World Series title in 2015, their second consecutive pennantwinning year. A long run of good health ended this year, when they sank to 81-81, but their Series-win- ning core remains.
Yet headed for free agency after the 2017 season are Davis and fellow All-Stars Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar, along with emerging ace Danny Duffy and elite defensive outfielder Jarrod Dyson.
Davis is gone. Moustakas’ and Dyson’s names have been on the front burner of trade talks. And the financial realities in Kansas City mean the Royals can swallow 2017’s $145 million projected payroll but not the huge raises necessary to retain their stars.
They will aim to re-sign some, but not all, of their top players. In the meantime, they will try to strike a most difficult balance of gaining young, controllable talent while aiming to stay in contention.
They received 24-year-old outfielder Jorge Soler from the Cubs, gaining a power-hitting talent with a propensity for strikeouts. His presence almost certainly ensures at least one trade to shed an outfielder.
“As you know, we have several players that are perhaps entering free agency after the 2017 season,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said after acquiring Soler, who has four seasons remaining before free agency. “So this was an important deal for us, a tough deal, trading an All-Star closer in Wade Davis, somebody who has been so instrumental to our success.”
In Chicago, the White Sox finally determined it was time to rebuild. Sale was the first of what should be a significant exodus of talent, followed by Eaton, with shortstop Tim Anderson and lefty Carlos Rodon the likely only untouchables.
First-year manager Rick Renteria says he has not heard the word “rebuild” from management. At this point, it’s redundant anyway.
“You know, we’re obviously going to miss Chris,” Renteria said Wednesday. “He was an integral part of our organization and our team. My only concern is obviously whatever group of players I have, those are the ones I have to manage.” Not exactly a call to arms. That leaves the Indians, who fell one win shy of a World Series title even without top starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar for September and most of the postseason. The club could get a boost from the return of outfielder Michael Brantley, and the vast majority of their key players are 30 or younger.