If Brantley turns up healthy, then it's a good deal.

Problem is Brantley hasn't been healthy for two years and will not be ready for ST.

GM Seagull would have passed.

seagull wrote:If Brantley turns up healthy, then it's a good deal.

Problem is Brantley hasn't been healthy for two years and will not be ready for ST.

GM Seagull would have passed.

I do think we may see more of Brantley at DH in the future. If he hits like he is capable (and he was back to doing that this year) and DHing more keeps him healthy then it's a win for the team.

Fingers crossed and only positive thoughts allowed. GM Seagull sees Grady Sizemore in his rear view mirror.

Seagull must believe players want to play in Cleveland...... when they have choices.

We need a hot stove folder:


Jay Bruce - OF - Indians

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says Jay Bruce is "expected to draw interest" from the Blue Jays this winter.

The Jays tried to deal for him during the season, Cafardo says, so their continued interest in him as a free agent would make sense. In an unrelated but possibly telling move, the club declined its $17 million option on right fielder Jose Bautista on Saturday.

Too many folders already. We can just use this one for Hot Stove League, since it's off-season. I don't think the 6 or 7 or us who still post will clog it up too much!

It will be interesting to see what kind of an offer the Indians make Bruce. His arrival seems to have been a big factor in the 22 game win streak which then led us to the best record in the AL.

I just think it really helps to have a left handed presence like that behind EE. Should be interesting.

He won't come cheaply, after his performance this season, though.
Can they afford both him and Santana?

A good source for the MLB free agent list, and more.

http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/free-agents/

Current state of the roster:
37 on the 40 man roster, after subtracting the FA's who aren't under contract.
That does include the 3 who spent good chunk of last year on the 60-day DL: Cody Anderson, who missed the whole year; Dylan Baker, who's pretty much lived there for two or three years now, although he did pitch a few innings this summer; and Boone Logan, who has an option deadline of Monday and can't imagine they'll pick it up.
That leaves us at 36 with a couple who could easily be DFA's: Adam Plutko, who posted a classy 5.90 ERA in Columbus; Abraham Almonte, who is readily replaceable; the aforementioned Baker -- the chance any other team would pick up in Rule 5 is inconceivable; and Anderson if he's not recovered well.

So plenty of room to add minor leaguers if they fear losing them in the Rule 5 draft, and plenty of room to add free agents, like maybe Santana and Bruce.

Former Tribesman available as Free Agents:

RHP Matt Albers Anthony Swarzak Tommy Hunter Bartolo Colon Ubaldo Jiminez
LHP CC Sabathia
OF Ryan Raburn Franklin Gutierrez
1b Mark Reynolds
2b Brandon Phillips

Don't think any of them will be returning to Cleveland

J.R. wrote:He won't come cheaply, after his performance this season, though.
Can they afford both him and Santana?

Let's assume both Bruce and Santana want a 3 year for $40 million totalish deal.

If true, then I would say they keep only one of them. (At most)

So if that were the case, since EE can play 1B, I would spend the money on Bruce over Santana, since he is a legit outfielder.

Then you find someone to split time with EE at 1B. It could even be getting another outfielder (like their nice Austin Jackson signing type guy) who can play for Bruce and he sometimes splits 1B with EE.

I am hoping against hope that both Bruce and Santana like it in Cleveland enough to accept affordable contracts but seriously doubt it

From an article last month:

But just how free agency unfolds for the Santana and the Indians is a mystery.

“This will be tough for me after the season, but I’m going to have to make a hard decision about my career,” said Santana. “I love it here. I don’t want to go anywhere. Everybody knows. My teammates know. The front office knows. But that’s not something I can control.”

So it sounds like he will let his agent tell him what to do. He most definitely could control the situation, if he really wants to stay.

And Jay Bruce said this a while ago:

Late in the regular season, Bruce said he would be interested in re-signing with the Indians.

"I couldn't have asked for a better situation to be brought into," said Bruce. "This is the kind of situation where I've become very comfortable, very quickly. My first nine years of my career were spent in a very similar place (Cincinnati), so this has been a very, very good situation.

"This is the type of place where I feel I'd enjoy playing. ... My biggest thing in my next contract is to be somewhere that we have a chance to win. Obviously, the contract has to be fair. But I would definitely say that being in a place where we have a chance to win and my family is comfortable is very high on the list. Those are two things you can check off here."

This article says Bruce will be gone:

https://believelandball.com/2017/09/29/ ... team-2018/