Perez receives four-year extension Contract worth $9 million guaranteed, $21.5 million if club options picked up By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | April 2nd, 2017 ARLINGTON, Texas -- Roberto Perez is technically a backup catcher, but the Indians do not believe that label does him justice. Cleveland believes it has a pair of catchers capable of starting and values having a tandem that has earned the trust of the team's talented pitching staff. On Sunday, the Indians put their belief in Perez on display, signing the catcher to a four-year, $9 million extension that includes team options for 2021 and '22. Perez's contract has a maximum potential value of $21.5 million if the Tribe picks up the options. "At some point in his career," manager said, "and I don't know when that's going to be, but he'll be an everyday catcher. I think him signing kind of shows the respect that the organization has for him." Perez will begin this season as the backup to Yan Gomes, who signed a six-year extension with the Indians prior to the 2014 campaign. Both Gomes and Perez are locked in through 2019, and Cleveland has club options for its starting catcher for the '20 and '21 seasons. Francona has noted that Perez will play more than a typical backup. "I always tell Yan, it's kind of like a friendly competition," Perez said. "The good part is we have a great relationship. We try to help each other out as much as we can. We just want to go out and help the team win in any way we can and control the pitching staff. That's our priority." Perez's deal comes with a $500,000 signing bonus and will pay him $550,000 in '17, $1.5 million in '18, $2.5 million in '19 and $3.5 million in '20. He can earn $5.5 million in '21 and $7 million in '22, or Cleveland can pay the catcher a $450,000 buyout for either team option. The signing comes after Cleveland inked infielder Jose Ramirez to a five-year extension last week. There are now 10 players on the Indians' roster who have signed extensions with the club. "I'm very grateful," Perez said. "They're doing a pretty good job of locking players up. We're young. We have a great future in this organization. ... Hopefully, we bring a championship to Cleveland this year." Perez, 28, was limited to 61 games last year due to a fractured right thumb, but he assumed the starting role down the stretch with Gomes sidelined, and then started all 15 of Cleveland's postseason games. Over the 2014-16 seasons, Perez has registered 14 Defensive Runs Saved, ranking fifth among all Major League catchers. Perez has thrown out 43 percent of would-be basestealers -- compared to the 30 percent league average -- in his career. Perez also excels at pitch framing. According to Statcast™, on pitches outside the strike zone, Perez received a called strike six percent of the time in '16. Among catchers with at least 7,000 total pitches caught, Perez ranked ninth in that area. The league average was 5.4 percent. In the World Series, Perez launched two home runs in Game 1 against the Cubs. He joined Yogi Berra (1956) and Johnny Bench (1976) as the only catchers in World Series history to enjoy a game with a pair of homers and at least four RBIs. "[When] we got into the playoffs," Francona said, "he threw the ball well, he caught the ball well, he ran the game really well, followed the game plan really well. I think he grew up right in front of our own eyes."

Kluber, Tribe begin AL title defense in Texas By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | March 31st, 2017 When Jonathan Lucroy vetoed a trade to the Indians last summer, the Rangers swooped in and scooped him up. When Edwin Encarnacion hit the open market last winter, his agent, Paul Kinzer, said two of the most aggressive executives trying to nab the designated hitter were of the Indians and Jon Daniels of the Rangers. And when Encarnacion wound up with Cleveland, the man he essentially replaced on the Tribe's pennant-winning roster, Mike Napoli, wound up with Texas. Clearly, then, the Indians and Rangers share more than their status as reigning division winners ahead of their Opening Day assignment in Arlington (Monday at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT at Globe Life Park). They value the same talent, too. "They're both winning ballclubs who are willing to take the next step to try to win a championship," Napoli said. "They're both willing to put it all on the line to do it." The first step of '17 finds these two AL powers in a prime pitching matchup: Corey Kluber vs. Yu Darvish. Because of the ultimate outcome that was the Cubs' first World Series title since 1908, it's all too easy to forget what an insane October the soon-to-be-30-year-old Kluber put together to advance the Indians to the Fall Classic. With Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar both hurt, Kluber made three starts on short rest and posted a 1.83 ERA in six postseason appearances. This, after a regular season in which Kluber had a league-best 149 ERA+ and 3.26 Fielding Independent Pitching mark. Having won the 2014 AL Cy Young Award and finishing third last year, the only question about Kluber is how he'll hold up after such a weighty workload last year. The Indians, who have a lot riding on Kluber in their bid to end what is now the game's longest championship drought (dating back to 1948), aren't all that worried. "When you are as dedicated as he is, a lot of good things will happen," manager Terry Francona said. "He is one of the best pitchers in the game." So is Darvish, who got the Opening Day nod ahead of Cole Hamels. We know this will be Darvish's first Opening Day start for the Rangers, but will it double as his last? Darvish is a pending free agent, which makes his first full season back from 2015 Tommy John surgery all the more interesting. Darvish had a respectable 3.41 ERA in 17 starts last year, but he battled an early health hiccup with some shoulder soreness three starts after returning from the DL. He's accumulated just 244 2/3 innings since the beginning of '14, so he has a lot riding on a fully -- and fully effective -- '17. "We feel he is in a great place," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "We feel we have one of the best pitchers in leading off our rotation. He is poised to have a great year." The Rangers are coming off two great years, having won back-to-back AL West titles. And the Indians, who ran away with the AL Central with a 94-win 2016, are healthier now than they were at the time of their run to the World Series. For as much as these clubs have bumped up against each other on the transaction wire in recent months, it only makes sense that they'll meet up at the start of what they both hope is the road back to October. Three things to know about this game • Michael Brantley is the X-factor in the Indians' lineup after playing just 11 games last year because of a pair of shoulder procedures. He made it through spring camp healthy, and his early season performance will be a source of intrigue. When last we saw Brantley for a full season, in 2015, he posted a league-high 45 doubles and an adjusted OPS 29 percent better than league average. • This is Napoli's third stint with the Rangers, having been aboard both for the 2011 run to the World Series and the second-half surge in '15. Still, Napoli has made it no secret that leaving Cleveland, where he bonded with Francona, was hard for him. "It's going to be weird for me," he said of this opening series. "But it is what it is. I'm here now, and it should be fun." • Texas' 36-11 record in one-run games last season was the best of any club in baseball's modern era. Expected regression in that area is the driving force behind some unflattering projections (FanGraphs, for instance, pegs the 2017 Rangers to an 82-80 mark), but it is worth noting that the Rangers' bullpen morphed from weakness in the first half of '16 (5.04) to strength in the second (3.46), so sustained success from that group could put Texas in position to offset some of the expected downturn.

Brantley part of Indians' Opening Day roster Veteran ready to go for 2017 season after multiple surgeries By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | April 2nd, 2017 ARLINGTON -- It's official: Michael Brantley is on the Indians' Opening Day roster. After a long comeback from multiple surgeries on his right arm, Cleveland's star left fielder was a part of the active roster the team unveiled on Sunday morning. "The work paid off," Brantley said recently. "All the sacrifices everybody made to help me out this offseason to get to this point, it's very appreciated. Stick to the process. The process works." The Indians open the regular season on the road with a 7:05 p.m. ET tilt against the Rangers on Monday at Globe Life Park. Ace Corey Kluber will make his third straight Opening Day start, opposite Texas righty Yu Darvish. As expected, the Indians placed second baseman Jason Kipnis (right shoulder) and right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall (right shoulder) on the 10- day disabled list, and put right-hander Cody Anderson (Tommy John surgery) on the 60-day DL. Cleveland also released lefty Tim Cooney, vacating another spot on the 40-man roster. Those moves allowed the Tribe to purchase the contracts of third baseman Yandy Diaz and utility man Michael Martinez, who were in camp as non-roster invitees. Outfielder Austin Jackson (also an NRI) was previously added to the 40-man roster. Here is a breakdown of Cleveland's Opening Day roster: Catchers: Yan Gomes, Roberto Perez Infielders: Diaz, Edwin Encarnacion, Francisco Lindor, Martinez, Jose Ramirez, Carlos Santana Outfielders: Abraham Almonte, Brantley, Brandon Guyer, Tyler Naquin, Jackson Rotation: Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, Kluber, Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin Bullpen: Cody Allen, Shawn Armstrong, Boone Logan, Zach McAllister, Andrew Miller, Dan Otero, Bryan Shaw Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 200

“I hope he doesn’t hurt us.” by Jordan Bastian At some point on Monday afternoon, Indians manager Terry Francona will spot Mike Napoli. They’ve already exchanged a few text messages this week ahead of the Tribe’s Opening Day tilt with Texas. “It’s going to be weird to see him,” Francona admitted on Sunday. When the offseason began, it was a fair assumption that Napoli would wind up back with the Indians. Last year, he made more of an impact than most players do on a one-year deal, and that’s not just in reference to the 34 homers or 101 RBI. Behind the scenes, Napoli quickly became a leader. Young players gravitated toward Napoli, who embraced being a veteran who led by example. Francona once described how Napoli went out for an early spring workout in his spikes. Soon, younger players were switching out of their other workout shoes and putting on cleats. There was also the matter of experience. Name it, and Napoli had been through it. Injuries. Position changes. Nap had lived it. He’s been to the playoffs in eight of his 11 seasons. Before Cleveland, he’d already won one World Series and lost another. Talk about a tremendous resource. “He had such an impact on everybody௘²௘myself included,” Francona said. “I’ll always have so much admiration for him.” Napoli probably thought he was coming back to Cleveland, too. He loved the team and the team and city loved him back. The winter marketplace took an unexpected turn, though. Edwin Encarnacion௘²௘believed to be well out of the Indians’ price range௘²௘was becoming more of a realistic target. By the Winter Meetings, it became clear that signing Encarnacion was not a pipe dream. Ask Francona, Chris Antonetti or , and they will each say they did not expect to sign Encarnacion at the start of the winter. The same goes for team owner . “No more or less than they did,” Dolan said. “The only thing, and they would say the same thing if you asked them, we had some sense that it might be an interesting market, particularly for that position. But, did I expect Encarnacion to come to us? “We came to him and we stepped up, and we stepped up when the market shifted a little bit in our direction. But, no, I didn’t expect it to happen at the beginning. You could kind of see it happening as the offseason went along. There was a time when all of a sudden we all recognized that this might be real.” In early January, the Indians signed Encarnacion to a three-year, $60-million contract. That, of course, ended Napoli’s time in Cleveland. Francona was thrilled about adding a hitter like Encarnacion to the middle of his lineup, but he was not thrilled about parting ways with Napoli. It was a bittersweet moment, and the manager still cringes a little when talking about that changing of the guard at first base. “The feelings I have will never change,” Francona said. “I hope he doesn’t hurt us, because you know he’s going to be trying to hit it a mile. But, I still don’t want the feelings to change.” Francona’s believes that Napoli’s impact will be residual. “A lot of guys say that they learned a lot from him,” said the manager. “But, I also felt like guys like [Michael] Brantley and [Yan] Gomes and the core group, I always thought they had good leadership in them. They just hadn’t maybe played a bunch of years yet or hadn’t been to the World Series. “I don’t worry about the leadership in there. I think we’re fine. Sometimes, I just think you get lucky over the course of years and you get somebody that’s really special. So, you take advantage of it, because if you don’t, you’re kind of missing the boat.” When Francona fills out his lineup card on Monday, he will get to write Brantley’s name in the three-hole again. Mention of that brought a smile to the manager’s face on Sunday afternoon. Francona mentioned that he had just met with the team in the clubhouse. “I couldn’t help but look his way a few times,” Francona said. “I hope he is really happy, because he’s earned it. We haven’t even played a game yet, but he’s come so far. That’s why I tried to remind him the other day, ‘Hey, take a second and enjoy this, because man, you deserve it.’ “But, watching him sit back there, I’m sure he’s filled with a lot of emotions, because he’s been through a lot.” On Friday in Arizona, Brantley said he was not sure what kind of emotions he’d feel when his name was announced on Opening Day. “I don’t know how I’m going to feel,” he said, “just knowing how hard I worked, and how we worked, to get back to this situation. Nothing was guaranteed. Nothing was promised. It was a lot of hard work that paid off. I’m just very appreciative of everything that everyone has done to get me to this level again.” "At some point in his career, and I don't know when that's going to be, he'll be an everyday catcher." http://atmlb.com/2oys9zH via @mlb “At some point in his career, and I don’t know when that’s going to be, he’ll be an everyday catcher. I think him signing kind of shows the respect that the organization has for him. I give the guys a lot of credit. Getting it done I think proves that there’s a lot of respect for what he has done and what he’s going to do. It gives him maybe some peace of mind, which is good. But, I was really happy that we got it done. “He grew right in front of our eyes [last season]. When Gomer got hurt, he wasn’t ready to come back. He was still rehabbing a bit௘²௘the thumb. It took him a while to catch his treading. But man, once he did, and we got into the playoffs, he threw the ball well, he caught the ball well, he ran the game really well, followed the game plan really well. I think he grew up right in front of our own eyes.”ࣰ²ࣰFrancona, on Perez More from Sunday’s workout… x Francona is still weighing which direction to go with his Opening Day lineup after the top five slots. The manager knows who will occupy those spots: 1. Carlos Santana, 2. Francisco Lindor, 3. Michael Brantley, 4. Edwin Encarnacion, 5. Jose Ramirez. After that, Francona is still considering balancing the lineup out, and considering that third baseman Yandy Diaz will be making his Major League debut. x Said Francona: “I’ve changed it about three times. We’ll see. I’m just not sure. Yandy is such a good young hitter, but it’s his first time. I’m just not sure. I want to be fair to him, also. And then you try to look at balance and who’s in their bullpen, and things like that. I don’t think it’s going to matter. If we swing it, we’re going to be OK. If we don’t, you can probably change it as much as you want. I’m just trying to think it through.” x Francona said Kluber is ready to go after how pitching coach Mickey Callaway planned out the ace’s spring: “Mickey built it in where, if he needed another start, we could do it, and maybe pitch him third, fourth or fifth. But, again, because of the length of the spring, he’s fine to go. We tried to balance௘²௘Texas has had to do it a lot of times௘²௘balance last year’s workload, Spring Training workload, but also having him ready for the season. Because, we would like to have another big workload, if possible. He’s a hard-working kid. We don’t have a crystal ball to know who’s going to win tomorrow, but he’s ready to go.” x Right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall (right shoulder) is on the 10-day disabled list, but he’s with the team in Texas. He will be taking batting practice with the team here this week. If everything goes according to plan, Chisenhall will be ready to head out on a rehab assignment by the time the Indians head back to Arizona for their weekend set with the D-backs. x Second baseman Jason Kipnis (right shoulder) is also on the DL, but is not with the team in Arlington. He will meet the club when it returns to Arizona, where he is still going through a rehab schedule. Kipnis will be re-evaluated at that point. Francona noted that the Indians will try to get Kipnis in some games as a DH when he begins his rehab assignment. The hope would be that that approach could expedite his return. Both Kipnis and Chisenhall have eligibility dates of April 9, though Chisenhall is more likely to be ready by that point. x Francona was asked if Opening Day ever gets old: “I hope it never does. It’s the same feeling every year. It’s hard to explain to somebody who maybe hasn’t lived through it. It’s part excitement, part nervousness, small part maybe terror. A lot of anxiety. But man, what a feeling. When I said that, it doesn’t sound like it, but I wouldn’t trade that for the world. This will be my 37th year. It’s the same feelings every year and it never changes. I mean that in a good way.” x Francona, on balancing innings for Gomes and Perez: “That’s one of the challenges. I’d rather have that than have a backup catcher that every pitcher on the staff came to you like, ‘Hey, I don’t want to throw to him.’ And we’ll pay attention to it, too. You’ll probably see ‘Berto catch more early than most backup catchers do. I don’t want him to go real long without playing. You’d like to let guys play early to get some repetition, so they can find their swing. But, we’ll try to balance that the best we can.”

Bastian’s 2017 MLB Predictions by Jordan Bastian I would like to issue an apology to Andrew McCutchen and also to the Arizona D-backs. In my preseason predictions for 2016, I picked Cutch as my National MVP, and I had the D-backs as my surprise team winning the NL West. Welp. The ol’ Bastian Jinx is alive and well, folks. I also successfully failed to pick the World Series champion. For the second time in five years, the team I picked as the runner-up was the club that won it all. I had the Cubs losing to the Blue Jays. But, as you may recalled, there was no championship parade on Yonge St. in November. Sorry, Toronto. So, as you’ve gathered by now, I’m really good at this. Baseball predictions are fun, but they are also futile. Last year, I had four division finishes right in the American League and five correct in the NL. The only award winner I nailed was Mike Trout winning the MVP. I’m going to keep picking him until he retires, I think. Several years ago, former Indians closer Chris Perez said, “Don’t pick me for anything,” during Spring Training. He knew how my award picks usually turned out. Ricky Romero never recovered from being named the 2012 Cy Young Award winner in this space. Over the last six years, here are the World Series winners I crowned before the season: Blue Jays (2016), Angels (2015), Dodgers (2014), Tigers (2013), Rangers (2012) and Phillies (2011). The runner-ups were the Cubs (‘16), Nationals (‘15), Tigers (‘14), Braves (‘13), Giants (’12) and Red Sox (‘11). Not only did the Blue Jays not win it all, they lost to the team I cover in the AL Championship Series and now Edwin Encarnacion plays for the Indians. You can call me a homer௘²௘wait, I got called that when I picked the Blue Jays last year, too௘²௘but I’m going with Cleveland to win it all. The rotation, bullpen and lineup all rank among the best in baseball. The depth behind the MLB roster is more experienced this time around. And, shoot, they almost won it all with a three-man rotation that had only 14 fully functional fingers. The Royals won it the second time around. Maybe the Tribe can, too. Let’s see how wrong I can be this time… 4. Braves WORLD SERIES AMERICAN LEAGUE 5. Phillies Indians over Dodgers East Central AWARD WINNERS 1. Red Sox 1. Cubs AL Most Valuable Player: Mike Trout, Angels *2. Blue Jays *2. Cardinals AL Cy Young Award: Chris Sale, Red Sox 3. Yankees 3. Pirates AL Rookie of the Year: Andrew Benintendi, 4. Orioles 4. Brewers Red Sox 5. Rays 5. Reds AL Manager of the Year: Scott Central West Servais, Mariners 1. Indians 1. Dodgers NL Most Valuable Player: Corey Seager, 2. Tigers 2. Giants Dodgers 3. Royals 3. Rockies NL Cy Young Award: Madison Bumgarner, 4. Twins 4. D-backs Giants 5. White Sox 5. Padres NL Rookie of the Year: Dansby Swanson, West *indicates Wild Card pick Braves 1. Astros PLAYOFFS NL Manager of the Year: Dave *2. Mariners NL Wild Card: Mets over Cardinals Roberts, Dodgers 3. Rangers NL Division Series: Cubs over Mets Debate away… 4. Angels NL Division Series: Dodgers over Nationals 5. A’s NL Championship Series: Dodgers over Cubs East AL Wild Card: Mariners over Blue Jays 1. Nationals AL Division Series: Indians over Mariners *2. Mets AL Division Series: Astros over Red Sox 3. Marlins AL Championship Series: Indians over Astros Five ways to frame Roberto Perez and his new contract by T.J. Zuppe, Yesterday Extending backup catchers’ contracts rarely seems to be a priority. But Roberto Perez isn’t your average backup catcher. Many questioned if Perez would be enough to get the Indians where they wanted to go last postseason. And in fairness, the Indians asked that same question and attempted to trade for a more proven commodity in Jonathan Lucroy. Those concerns proved to be misguided, as Perez, the fill-in for Yan Gomes, played more like a team leader and wily veteran last October. That maturity earned Perez a four-year extension worth $9 million, a deal that includes two club options and was announced the day before the start of the 2017 season. The contract was a smart one on many levels — beyond just the security and cost certainty associated with a long-term extension. And while the Indians get credit for being at the forefront of multi-year deals for pre-arbitration players back in the early 1990s, the organization has continued to use that blueprint to dominate the offseason months. What makes their agreement such a good decision? Let’s examine a few reasons. 1. Perez is one of the best pitch-framers in the game. Luckily, how effective a catcher is at presenting pitches to the umpire is no longer a subjective art form. We are now tangibly able to see which backstops garner the largest called strike upgrades over their counterparts. And while more and more teams are valuing the skill — a fact that raises the floor and closes the gap between the best framers to the worst — Perez has undoubtedly been one of baseball’s better catchers at stealing strikes. Last year, Perez rated eighth among catchers in called strikes above average (CSAA via Baseball Prospectus) and fielding runs above average (FRAA). That’s really a fancy way of rating how well a catcher might get a few more strike calls over the course of a game by showcasing them to the umpire. Becoming a better receiver is something the 28-year-old focused on last offseason (I wrote about some of his work behind the plate for 92.3 The Fan last season). While presentation is no longer the secret weapon it once was, having one of the game’s best receivers in the mix does wonders for the pitchers throwing to him. “The constant behind [out pitching in the playoffs was] Roberto Perez,” reliever Andrew Miller said last year. “He’s a special talent.” 2. His control of the run game makes Perez the complete defensive package. Perez threw out 13 of the 26 possible base-stealers in the regular season last year, a percentage better than any qualified catcher. Granted, Perez missed a big chunk of the season due to a thumb injury, so his sample size was not as great as others. Still, he managed to throw out 41.9 percent of would-be base-stealers in 2015, a skill that allows the Indians to rarely, if ever, have to pitch out to control the running game. According to Baseball-Reference, Perez accumulated nearly a full win above replacement based just on his defense last year, despite playing in just 61 regular-season games. And in his three-year career, he’s thrown out 43 percent of potential base-stealers, 15 percent higher than the league average over that stretch. 3. Perez makes up for some shortcomings at the plate with a solid eye. The native of Puerto Rico will never be known for his offense, but given how productive he can be defensively, a few positives on offense can make him extremely valuable. For Perez, that’s a good eye for the zone (12.1 percent career walk rate in the bigs and even better marks in the minors) and an occasional ability to knock one out of the park. He’s gotten on base about 32 percent of the time in his MLB career, and he posted a career-high in that category in 2015 (.345). If the right-handed hitter can get on base at a 33-34 percent clip in the bottom third of the order and sometimes provide an extra-base hit or two, that will be more than enough to justify his place in the lineup. Of course, it’s easy to look at his .183/.285/.294 slash line and scrunch your nose up in pure disgust. Part of that had to do with Perez’s early return from thumb surgery. He probably could have used another week or so of rehab last year, but his progress was accelerated when Gomes suffered his shoulder injury in July. As a result, Perez struggled to regain his timing and scuffled initially. He really didn’t look like himself until just before the postseason began. Despite a .186 batting average in the playoffs, Perez managed a .719 OPS with three homers in 15 games. “It took him a while to catch his treading,” manager Terry Francona said. “But man, once he did, and we got into the playoffs, he threw the ball well, he caught the ball well, he ran the game really well, followed the game plan really well. I think he grew up right in front of our own eyes.” 4. Perez might be the best catcher on the roster right now. That’s not to take anything away from Gomes. While he has suffered through back-to-back horrific offensive seasons, and there were many contributing factors along the way, the comfort level Gomes has established with each of the Indians’ pitchers makes him a valuable asset on their roster. In fact, there was a time when Gomes even boasted his own solid framing numbers (they’ve slipped a bit the past two years for whatever reason), and he’s always been above average throwing out the opposition on the bases (35 percent). However, Gomes’ previous two seasons can’t be completely written off either. He’ll get every opportunity to see what a fresh start can do. If anyone was ever deserving, it’s Gomes. It wasn’t long ago he was picked as the Silver Slugger for catchers in the American League and earned his own extension in 2014 (six years, $23 million with club options for 2020 and 2021). But if the popular catcher can’t reclaim his offensive success from 2013-2014, Perez is one heck of an insurance policy. And he proved that by the way he led the Indians’ staff in the postseason. 5. A possible starter will make backup catcher money. The Indians have said multiple times they think they have two starting caliber catchers. While we’re not quite sure how Francona will split up the playing time between the two, what they do have are cheap options. Gomes is set to make $4.5 million this year. That will go up to $5.95 million in 2018 and $7 million in 2019. If we estimate one win above replacement is roughly worth $7-8 million in today’s current environment, Gomes, if healthy, is capable of providing value at that level — or perhaps higher if we assume 2016 was a fluke. Now look at Perez. According to numbers first reported by MLB.com, the 28-year-old catcher will earn $550,000 in 2017 ($500,000 bonus), $1.5 million in 2018, $2.5 million in 2019 and $3.5 million in 2020, with club options for 2021 ($5.5 million) and 2022 ($7 million). By paying him up front, the Indians earned an opportunity to control two of his future free-agent years beyond arbitration. Furthermore, his salary will likely be a steal even if he only manages to play 70-80 games a year. If the average of his 2.6 units of WAR (via FanGraphs) in 160 career MLB games played is any indication of his baseline value, the Indians will be paying below market value for their backup catcher over the length of the extension. That doesn’t factor in the possibility of Perez taking over as the starting catcher. If his four-year, $9 million extension was club friendly as a backup, how much would he be worth playing 120-130 games per season? And what’s the worth of avoiding arbitration all together? *** With Perez’s extension now official, the Indians have set themselves up well behind the plate for the next several seasons. Gomes and Perez offer two quality options at fair-market value for now, and the arrival of highly touted prospect Francisco Mejia isn’t far off. And let’s not forget, they attempted to use the 21-year-old catcher as a trade chip in 2016. The organization can feel good knowing their pitchers will be in good hands for at least the next four years, and if they so choose, they have depth from which to deal from to potentially patch future holes during their perceived contention window.

Another Indians season opener, another start for Corey Kluber Stephen Hawkins | The Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — This is getting to be a habit, not that the mind. Corey Kluber will once again be on the mound when the Indians open the season tonight at Texas. It will be the third straight Opening Day start for the 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner. Then again, Kluber is on the mound a lot for last year’s American League champions. Kluber was 18-9 in 32 starts last year during the regular season, then went 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA in six postseason starts, including three in the World Series. He threw nearly 250 innings but said he feels just fine. “I feel right on track to where I would normally be at this point,” Kluber said after a long spring that allowed him to pace himself as he got ready for the season. “When you’re as dedicated as he is, a lot of good things will happen,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He’s one of the best pitchers in the game.” Yu Darvish will be making his first Opening Day start for the two-time defending AL West champion Rangers. “I try to think, it’s not just Opening Day, just take it as another game,” Darvish said through his translator. Darvish is going into the sixth and final season of the contract he got when he joined the Rangers from Japan. The right-hander missed the first two months last season still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery that wiped out his entire 2015 season. “Right now I’m not thinking about any of that stuff. I just don’t,” said Darvish, who is 46-30 with a 3.29 ERA in 100 starts with the Rangers. Asked what he sees in Darvish now, manager Jeff Banister said, “A very healthy, exceptional right-handed pitcher who’s as good a pitcher as there is in the game.” Mike Napoli is back for his third stint with the Rangers after spending last season with the Indians. Napoli was part of the 2011 World Series with Texas, then won a championship with the Red Sox in 2013 before going to the World Series with Cleveland. “I built great friendships with a lot of people over there,” Napoli said. “I’ve been through playing against a team that I’ve played for before. I kind of know how to handle it now. There’s definitely going to be emotions, opening day, new season, facing them. It’s going to be a fun time.” Napoli returned to Texas, which lost Mitch Moreland in free agency to Boston, after the Indians signed slugger Edwin Encarnacion to a three- year, $60 million deal that was the richest in club history. Encarnacion hit 42 homers and had 127 RBIs last season for Toronto, which the last two years has beaten the Rangers in the AL Division Series. He had only one all spring with Cleveland. Darvish’s catcher will be Jonathan Lucroy, who at the non-waiver deadline last summer blocked a proposed trade from Milwaukee to Cleveland. Lucroy then was dealt to the Rangers, who exercised their team option to keep him this season. Lucroy caught this spring for the United States team that won the World Baseball Classic. “It’s an experience you can look back on and smile upon,” Lucroy said of the WBC. “The lineup I called against the Dominican team, two games, that’s legitimately the best lineup I’ve ever had to face as a catcher. ... No lineup is going to be that good. I learned a lot from it.”

Indians announce four-year contract extension for Roberto Perez By Ryan Lewis ARLINGTON, Texas: On the eve of their 2017 season, the Indians announced that they have signed catcher Roberto Perez to a four-year contract extension. The deal runs through the 2020 season and includes club options for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Per MLB.com, the extension is worth $9 million guaranteed with options valued at $5.5 million and $7 million, respectively. “I’m very grateful,” Perez said. “I’m very happy, too. I would like to thank them for the opportunity and having trust in myself. I’m just very happy that we came to an agreement. I’m happy to be here.” Perez, 28, figures to start the year as the No. 2 catcher behind Yan Gomes, though he’ll likely receive more starts than the typical backup, especially early on. Perez last season missed significant time with a broken thumb but was the primary catcher who handled the Indians’ pitching staff through their postseason run. He also slugged two home runs in Game 1 of the World Series in perhaps the best offensive game of his career. “He grew right in front of our eyes,” Francona said of Perez’s postseason. “When Gomer [Gomes] got hurt [during the regular season], he wasn’t ready to come back. He was still rehabbing a bit, the thumb. It took him a while to catch his treading. But man once he did, and we got into the playoffs, he threw the ball well, he caught the ball well, he ran the game really well, followed the game plan really well. I think he grew up right in front of our own eyes.” Gomes is signed through 2019 with club options for 2020 and 2021, giving the Indians financial flexibility with their catchers. For the foreseeable future, the two will continue to share the catching duties. “It’s fun. Like I always tell Yan, it’s kind of like a friendly competition,” Perez said. “The good part is we have a great relationship. We try to help each other out as much as we can. We just want to go out and help the team win in any way we can and control the pitching staff. That’s our priority. Whether he’s playing or I’m playing, we’re going to be back there and we’re going to support each other.” The Indians also recently signed Jose Ramirez to a five-year, $26 million extension that includes two club options. The Perez extension is another deal that falls in line with what has become the Indians’ signature type of extension, that being one early in a player’s service time that includes club options. The Indians take on additional risk should that player falter or become seriously injured, while that risk is offset by the club being able to cap how much it spends while also having control via the club options. “It’s an approach that we’ve had for quite a number of years,” said Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti following the Ramirez extension. “What we’ve tried to do is frame alternatives for players and give them an option too. In some cases, players have chosen to proceed year-to-year and in other cases they have elected to pursue contracts. What we try to do is to frame alternatives for players to choose. Because it’s a question of how do we share risk? What we try to do is to come with what type of shared risk makes sense for the team and the player. When there’s alignment on that, that’s when we can reach agreements like this.” Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 04.03.2017 Indians still working through Opening Day lineup after first five By Ryan Lewis ARLINGTON, Texas: Opening Day is here, and now, thankfully, the games count. The Indians, meanwhile, are still looking at how they’d like to configure the bottom of the lineup. The first five spots in the batting order are known. The Indians will hit Carlos Santana in the leadoff spot followed by Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Ramirez 1-through-5. The 6-through-9 spots in the order remain unknown.

Yan Gomes will bat somewhere in that range. As will rookie Yandy Diaz. With the Texas Rangers throwing right-handed ace Yu Darvish, left- hander Tyler Naquin will be starting. Abraham Almonte is likely to get the start as a switch-hitter to round out the outfield, through Brandon Guyer and Austin Jackson are also options. Indians manager Terry Francona said he’s changed the ordering of the 6-through-9 spots three times already. “I’m just not sure,” Francona said. “Yandy is such a good young hitter, but it’s his first time. I want to be fair to him, also. And then you try to look at balance and who’s in their bullpen and things like that. I don’t think it’s going to matter. If we swing it we’re going to be OK. If we don’t, you can probably change it as much as you want. Just trying to think it through.” He’s back Michael Brantley is slated to make his long-awaited return to the middle of the Indians’ lineup. As Francona was holding a short team meeting on Sunday, he couldn’t help but look Brantley’s way. “I hope he is really happy, because he’s earned it,” Francona said of Brantley. “We haven’t even played a game yet, but he’s come so far. That’s why I tried to remind him the other day, ‘Hey, take a second and enjoy this because, man, you deserve it.’ But watching him sit back there, I’m sure he’s filled with a lot of emotions because he’s been through a lot.” The Indians could slow-play it with Brantley in the early parts of this season. Brantley played in only 11 regular season games last year and eight spring training games this year while rehabbing first from shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum in November 2015 and then a biceps tenodesis procedure last Aug. Opening Day Few days feel as promising as baseball’s Opening Day. Monday is Opening Day for most teams, with a few playing on Sunday. The emotions that go with it? They often never grow old. “It’s the same feeling every year,” Francona said. “It’s hard to explain to somebody who maybe hasn’t lived through it. It’s part excitement, part nervousness, small part maybe terror. A lot of anxiety. But man, what a feeling. When I said that it doesn’t sound like it, but I wouldn’t trade that for the world. You can do it, this will be my 37th year. It’s the same feelings every year and it never changes. I mean that in a good way.” Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 04.03.2017 Indians announce four-year contract extension for Roberto Perez By Ryan Lewis ARLINGTON, Texas: On the eve of their 2017 season, the Indians announced that they have signed catcher Roberto Perez to a four-year contract extension. The deal runs through the 2020 season and includes club options for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Per MLB.com, the extension is worth $9 million guaranteed with options valued at $5.5 million and $7 million, respectively. “I'm very grateful,” Perez said. “I’m very happy, too. I would like to thank them for the opportunity and having trust in myself. I'm just very happy that we came to an agreement. I'm happy to be here.” Perez, 28, figures to start the year as the No. 2 catcher behind Yan Gomes, though he’ll likely receive more starts than the typical backup, especially early on. Perez last season missed significant time with a broken thumb but was the primary catcher who handled Indians’ pitching staff through their postseason run. He also slugged two home runs in Game 1 of the World Series in perhaps the best offensive game of his career. “He grew right in front of our eyes,” Francona said of Perez’s postseason. “When Gomer got hurt [during the regular season], he wasn’t ready to come back. He was still rehabbing a bit, the thumb. It took him a while to catch his treading. But man once he did, and we got into the playoffs, he threw the ball well, he caught the ball well, he ran the game really well, followed the game plan really well. I think he grew up right in front of our own eyes.” Gomes is signed through 2019 with club options for 2020 and 2021, giving the Indians financial flexibility with their catchers. For the foreseeable future, the two will continue to share the catching duties. “It's fun. Like I always tell Yan, it's kind of like a friendly competition,” Perez said. “The good part is we have a great relationship. We try to help each other out as much as we can. We just want to go out and help the team win in any way we can and control the pitching staff. That's our priority. Whether he's playing or I'm playing, we're going to be back there and we're going to support each other.” The Indians also recently signed Jose Ramirez to a five-year, $26 million extension that includes two club options. The Perez extension is another deal that falls in line with what has become the Indians’ signature type of extension, that being one early in a player’s service time that includes club options. The Indians take on additional risk should that player falter or become seriously injured, while that risk is off-set but the club being able to cap how much they spend while also having control via the club options. “It’s an approach that we’ve had for quite a number of years,” said Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti following the Ramirez extension. “What we’ve tried to is frame alternatives for players and give them an option to, in some cases, players have chosen to proceed year-to-year and in other cases they have elected to pursue contracts. What we try to do is to frame alternatives for players to choose. Because it’s a question of how do we share risk? .. What we try to do is to come with what type of shared risk makes sense for the team and the player. When there’s alignment on that, that’s when we can reach agreements like this.” Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 04.03.2017 Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers series preview, pitching matchups By Paul Hoynes, ARLINGTON, Texas -- Here is the preview and pitching matchups for the season-opening series between the Indians and Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Where: Globe Life Park in Arlington on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. TV/radio: SportsTime with television the series. ESPN will carry Monday's game, while MLB Network will carry Tuesday's game. WTAM will broadcast the series. WMMS will carry Monday's season opener. Pitching matchups (last year's records listed): RHP Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.33) vs. RHP Yu Darvish (7-5, 3.41) Monday at 7:05 p.m.; RHP Carlos Carrasco (11-6, 3.87) vs. LHP Martin Perez (10-11, 4.39) Tuesday at 8:05 p.m. and RHP Danny Salazar (11-6, 3.87) vs. LHP Cole Hamels (15- 5, 3.33) on Wednesday night at 8:05 p.m. Series: The Indians went 2-5 against Texas last year. Overall, they trail the Rangers, 340-315. Monday: Kluber is 2-1 with a 3.67 ERA lifetime against Texas. Outfielder Jurickson Profar is hitting .600 (3-for-5) against Kluber. Darvish is 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA against the Indians with 38 strikeouts in 26 innings. Edwin Encarnacion is hitting .316 (6-for-19) with three homers and five RBI against him. Tuesday: Carrasco is 1-3 with a 5.73 ERA in seven games against Texas. Elvis Andrus is hitting .357 (5-for-14) with five RBI against him. Perez is 0-1 with a 12.46 ERA against the Indians in three games, including two starts. Abraham Almonte is hitting .667 (2-for-3) with three RBI against him. Wednesday: Salazar is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts against Texas. He has 24 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. Robnson Chirinos is hitting .750 (3-for-4) against Salazar. Hamels is 1-2 with a 5.04 ERA in four starts against the Indians. Encarnacion is hitting .350 (7-for-20) with two homers and two RBI against Hamels. Team updates: The Rangers, who won the AL West last year with a 95-67 record, went 17-16 in spring training. The Indians, who won the AL Central with a 94-67 record, went 17-16-3 in spring training. Injuries: Indians - 2B Jason Kipnis (right shoulder), RHP Cody Anderson (right elbow) and RF Lonnie Chisenhall (right shoulder) are on the disabled list. Rangers - C Ben Nicholas (left knee), RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (right elbow), RHP Tyson Ross (right shoulder), 3B Adrian Beltre (right calf), LHP Jake Diekman (colon surgery), RHP Andrew Cashner (right biceps), RHP Tanner Scheppers (abdominal muscle) and INF Hanser Alberto (right shoulder) are on the disabled list. Next: The Indians open a three-game interleague series against Arizona at Chase Field on Friday. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.03.2017 Cleveland Indians sign catcher Roberto Perez to long-term contract extension Zack Meisel CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jose Ramirez isn't the only one with a shiny, new contract this spring. The Indians inked catcher Roberto Perez to a pact that runs for four years and includes club options for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The deal is worth a guaranteed $9 million. Here's the full breakdown, a source told cleveland.com: $500,000 signing bonus 2017 salary: $550,000 2018 salary: $1.5 million 2019 salary: $2.5 million 2020 salary: $3.5 million 2021 option: $5.5 million 2022 option: $7 million Buyout of option year: $450,000 Perez figures to share time behind the plate with Yan Gomes this season. The 28-year-old, often recognized for his defensive capabilities, slugged three home runs in 15 postseason games last fall. Perez would have been eligible for arbitration for the first time after this season. The Indians would buy out a year or two of his free-agent years if they exercise the club options. Gomes is under contract through at least 2019; the Indians hold a $9 million option on him for the 2020 season and an $11 million option on him for the 2021 season. The club also has Francisco Mejia, one of the organization's top prospects, in the catching pipeline. Mejia will begin the season at Double-A Akron. Perez batted .183 in 61 games during an injury-riddled 2016 season. He underwent surgery in early May to repair a broken thumb, sustained during a play at the plate in Philadelphia. In parts of three seasons with the Tribe, Perez owns a .220/.318/.355 slash line. He was forced into additional playing time last season when Gomes suffered a separated shoulder and a broken wrist. Perez's crowning achievement of 2016 came in Game 1 of the World Series, when he belted a pair of home runs in a 6-0 triumph against the Cubs. The Indians officially announced a five-year contract extension for Ramirez earlier this week. That agreement could keep the infielder in Cleveland through 2023, if the club exercises a pair of options at the end of the contract. The team also signed outfielder Brandon Guyer over the offseason to a two-year deal with a club option for a third year. Hoynes: Ramirez's new deal is reason to celebrate Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.03.2017 Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan: 'You have to seize the opportunity' -- Terry Pluto Seize the day That's what Paul Dolan told himself when his front office presented the idea of signing Edwin Encarnacion. This is the 18th year the Dolan family has owned the Cleveland Indians. They made their first trip to the World Series, losing to the in seven games. Now, Tribe president Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff were proposing the biggest free agent signing in franchise history. "We could have just brought back (Mike) Napoli and Rajai Davis, and I thought we'd be doing OK," said Dolan. "Those guys played well for us." But the front office had eyes on another free agent -- Encarnacion. He would be an upgrade over the combination of Napoli and Davis, key parts of the 2016 Tribe who were heading into free agency. Antonetti and Chernoff had been telling Dolan about the Toronto slugger who has averaged 38 HR and 110 RBI over the last five seasons. "There was a glut of DH/first base type players on the free agent market," said Dolan. "So there was an opportunity to sign him. But signing him was going to be a big stretch for us. It took a while to get comfortable with that." The price for the 34-year-old Encarnacion would be $60 million over three years. "After going to the World Series, we had to do everything we could possibly do to get back there," said Dolan. "Our core players are in place. To not try to take advantage of this opportunity would be a mistake." So Dolan gave the green light. "It's an enormous risk for a high reward," he said. "If he gets hurt … if he doesn't perform … if things go south, that will hurt us a lot. But this is a cyclical thing. We are at the top and need to build our team to win it all." The new owner For several years, Dolan was looking for a minority investor. "It had to be the right person," said Dolan. That person became John Sherman, who joined the Indians on August 19, 2016. Dolan declined to say how much of the team is owned by Sherman, other than it's "a minority share." Did he have an impact? "We now have more resources and that gave us a willingness to risk just a tad more," he said. Dolan said Sherman was "absolutely all for" the signings of free agents Boone Logan ($6.5 million) and Encarnacion. "I made John my partner," said Dolan. "We talk a lot." Dolan said he "probably would" have agreed to the signing of Encarnacion even without adding Sherman to ownership. "But having him made it (the signing) a tad more comfortable," said Dolan. Mark McDonald One more signing Once the Indians signed Encarnacion, the front office thought there would be no more major moves. Antonetti and Chernoff had told Dolan of the need for another lefty reliever. They brought up the idea of signing Boone Logan to a $6.5 million deal. "I don't know if there was anyone else we would have signed," Dolan said. "Having a lefty we can rely on is a very important part of our bullpen and being successful. A multi-year deal? No. But a one-year deal ... we went for it." The 32-year-old Logan signed a $6.5 million deal with a $7 million team option for 2018. "It put us in a difficult financial position," said Dolan. "But this is a year where we are one of the favorites to go to the World Series. You have to seize the opportunity." Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer The joy of baseball Dolan admits emotion fueled part of the decision to raise the team's payroll from $95 million to about $130 million in 2017. As he stood on the stage in Toronto receiving the trophy for winning the American League pennant, there was no sense of vindication. The Tribe owner was happy. Happy for the fans who love the team. Happy for the city, really having a banner year with the title-winning Cavaliers and the Republican National Convention. Then, the World Series. For his father, Larry Dolan. He is now 86. It was Larry Dolan who brought the family into the baseball business in 1999 and put his son in charge. "The last time we got a trophy like that together, he was my little league coach," said Dolan. "It was a special moment." Baseball at its best is families. Families at games. Families watching on television. Families listening on the radio. "A season like that brings people together in a special way," said Dolan. He wants to see if it can happen again. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.03.2017 The Cleveland Indians' World Series window appears to be wide open ... for now Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A window can slam shut at any time, without warning. All it takes is a wind of change or an uninvited guest. The gust could resemble a major injury. The guest could be an adversary within the division. The emphatic smack of the frame against the ledge is alarming and soul-rattling. The Indians' window appears to be wide open. This isn't the happy-to-be-here, Wild Card-chasing opportunity of yore. This is a legitimate shot at World Series contention, and one that figures to persist beyond 2017. Franchises can crumble at any moment, with no advance notification. A star player can suffer a debilitating injury. A particular unit's output can experience inexplicable regression. A front-office decision can backfire. A manager can lose his touch. A window can be sealed tight long before a team can place a checkmark beside its top objective. This doesn't seem like a one-and-done chance for the Indians. Consider the players under team control for the long haul. Through 2018: Andrew Miller, Cody Allen, Michael Brantley, Josh Tomlin, Lonnie Chisenhall, Zach McAllister Through 2019: Brandon Guyer, Dan Otero Through 2020: Edwin Encarnacion, Jason Kipnis, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar, Abraham Almonte Through 2021 or later: Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Corey Kluber, Yan Gomes, Roberto Perez, Tyler Naquin, Yandy Diaz This isn't a group aiming to piece together one, final run at a ring. Those with "World Series or bust" expectations must also consider the likelihood that the same standard should fit for the next few years. The 2016 Fall Classic, in which the short-handed Indians ceded a 3-1 advantage, is intended to serve as the prologue, not the epilogue. There's much more to digest in this tale. The might only feed the beast. The White Sox have struck gold in their first two whacks at the rebuilding pinata, but they'll need time to develop before they can threaten the Tribe. The Twins lost 103 games last season and seem lost at sea. The Royals and Tigers could pressure the Indians, but their windows are only slightly ajar. Zack Meisel's 2017 AL Central predictions A division devoid of forceful challengers could aid in the Indians' acquisition of a postseason ticket for the next few years. The Indians aren't without blemishes. Brantley's health, Encarnacion's age and the rotation's consistency could all contribute to an expedited downfall. The 2007 Indians came one victory short of a trip to the Fall Classic. The team's window slammed shut the next season. It took half a decade before the Indians' brain trust could prop it open again. The goal, for any team, is to keep it unlatched for as long as possible. The Indians' window is positioned that way. Can they capitalize?

Will drip, drip, drip of Cleveland Indians' talent turn into a cascade this season? Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com ARLINGTON, Texas -- There is a phrase that the political reporters on TV use. In this investigation or that investigation, they talk about the "drip, drip, drip' of information leaking from one source or another. The Indians, who open the season Monday night against Texas, have their own version of the "drip, drip, drip' theory. But instead of information, they deal in players. They have yet to storm the center field wall en masse at . No, they have arrived slowly, but steadily on their own schedule. Baseball players, like most humans, rarely progress in straight lines. Before the 2010 season, the Indians askedJason Kipnis, their No.2 pick in the draft the year before, to move from the outfield to second base. A year later he made his big-league debut at second base and has gone to All-Star Game in 2013 and 2015. Jose Ramirez made his big-league debut in 2013 as a speedy jack-of-all-trades player. In 2014, he arrived from Class AAA Columbus to play shortstop after Asdrubal Cabrera was traded to Washington. The next year he opened the season at short for the Indians and failed. On the same day Ramirez was sent back to Columbus so was third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall. Francisco Lindor, the top prospect in the organization, replaced Ramirez and Giovanny Urshela took Chisenhall's job at third. Would Ramirez or Chisenhall ever see Cleveland again? Ramirez went down and hit .293 (51-for-174). He scored 29 runs in 44 games, hit 13 doubles, three triples and stole 15 bases in 19 attempts. Ramirez made it back in August and hasn't left since. Get hyped for the 2017 Cleveland Indians season opener Last year Ramirez bounced around the diamond before settling at third base. For the season, he hit .312 (176-for-565) with 46 doubles, 11 homers and 76 RBI. If the Indians didn't have Ramirez, they might not have won the AL Central and forget about reaching Game 7 of the World Series. Chisenhall made it back to Cleveland a few days before Ramirez following the trade of Brandon Moss, but he was no longer a third baseman. He was a right fielder. Chisenhall, the team's No.1 pick in 2008, adapted to not only extend his career, but become a productive player. The Indians have taken heat over the last several years for fostering just the kind of versatility Kipnis, Ramirez and Chisenhall showed. Critics say that a team can't succeed with a roster where every position player is a utility player. That's an exaggeration, but the point was clear. The Indians, however, don't see versatility as a bad thing. "Versatility is an asset," said Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations. "It is not an indictment on what your ability to impact the team may be. In fact, it's a huge asset." On Wednesday, just in case no one was looking, the Indians officially signed Ramirez to a four-year $26 million contract extension. The contract includes two option years and escalators that could take the deal to $50 million. Not bad for a guy who is on the move yet again this year, opening the season at second base in place of the injured Kipnis. "The more versatile a player is, the more ways he can impact the team, the better chance he has to make it to the major leagues," said Antonetti. "In fact, we can now use the story of Jose with other guys who we're asking to bounce around and play other positions." Why Cleveland Indians will win AL Central The drip, drip, drip continues. Each year before the start of spring training, manager Terry Francona and Antonetti meet with every player in camp. The conversation is frank. The player is told whether he has a realistic chance to make the club or not. In the spring of 2016, rookie Tyler Naquin was told he had a chance to be the opening day center fielder in Cleveland. He took the invitation and turned it into a season he'll never forget. This spring Yandy Diaz did not receive that kind of invitation, but he was offered a chance. Diaz was caught and thrown in jail twice trying to defect from Cuba before he finally made it out on his third attempt. A chance was all he wanted. But circumstances can intervene as well. In Naquin's case, the Tribe was short on outfielders because of Michael Brantley's injury and Abraham Almonte's 80-game PED suspension. Diaz's opportunity presented itself when Kipnis injured his right shoulder and Ramirez moved from third to replace him. Still, in the last two years the Indians have had a rookie make the opening day lineup on a team that reached Game 7 of the World Series last year and is favored to do big things this year. Once again versatility played a role. Diaz came to camp as an outfielder because the Indians didn't like the way he played third or second base over the last couple of years in the minors. What they did like was the way he hit. When the opening at third presented itself, infield coach Mike Sarbaugh gave Diaz a crash course at the hot corner. Diaz's chances improved significantly because he hit .458 in spring training. On Sunday the Indians signed Roberto Perez, their backup catcher, to a four-year $9 million deal with two club options. Perez is and always will be a catcher, but he proved his value, his ability to take advantage of an opportunity, last year. Perez, with starter Yan Gomes injured, was behind the plate for every one of the Tribe's 15 postseason games and handled the pitching staff well. Think about this roster: Chisenhall, Lindor, Kipnis, Ramirez, Diaz, Naquin, Perez, Cody Allen, Shawn Armstrong, Danny Salazar and Josh Tomlin were all drafted or signed by the Indians. Three of the top four starters in the Columbus rotation - Ryan Merritt, Adam Plutko and Shawn Morimando - were drafted by the Tribe. So was Columbus center fielder Bradley Zimmer, who if an opportunity presents itself, could be in Cleveland sooner rather than later. At Class AA Akron they have center fielder Greg Allen and catcher Francisco Mejia who made good impressions in big league camp. They have so many prospects that they traded four of them to the Yankees last year for Andrew Miller and were willing to trade four more to Milwaukee except Jonathan Lucroy vetoed the trade. The Indians may not have a lineup with an All-Star at every position, but as they begin the 2017 season Monday this is the healthiest the organization has been for a while.

Schudel: Cleveland Indians will beat Dodgers to win World Series for first time since 1948 By Jeff Schudel, The News-Herald & The Morning Journal Don’t believe everything you hear coming out of Las Vegas. Like, for example, don’t believe adding star pitcher Chris Sale means the will win the American League pennant in 2017. The Red Sox also lost slugger David Ortiz to retirement. The Indians, on the other hand, return their formidable starting rotation intact. They lost Mike Napoli’s big bat in free agency, but they added Edwin Encarnacion’s even louder bat and are getting back Michael Brantley’s timely hitting. Sale, to put it delicately, had difficulty controlling his emotions with the when things didn’t go his way. Imagine how the pressure will build when those white sharks in the Boston media attack him if he gets rocked in back-to-back starts in ? The lefty’s 17-10 record last year won’t mean much.

Losing Game 7 to the Chicago Cubs last fall was heart-breaking, but the Indians didn’t crack under pressure. They never were supposed to get that far — at least according to those oracles in Las Vegas — but took the Cubs to 10 innings in the winner-take-all game. The Tribe will be able to call on that experience gained last fall if somehow the Central Division is still tight in the last two weeks in September. They know how to manufacture victories in the postseason if injuries force Manager Terry Francona to alter plans. Add it all up, and from this vantage point it will be the Indians, not the Red Sox, representing the American League when the World Series begins on Oct. 24. Furthermore, it won’t be a rematch of the , even though the oddsmakers in Vegas have made the Cubs favorites to repeat as champions. Instead, the Indians will defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games to win their first World Series title since 1948. Nothing was fluky about the Indians’ march to the pennant last year. If anything, they were the poster team for perseverance because they won despite Brantley missing 151 games with complications from a 2015 shoulder injury, and Abraham Almonte missing 80 games while being suspended for using PEDs — an indiscretion that made him ineligible for the postseason. There are no holes in the Indians’ everyday lineup. They are starting the season April 3 in Texas with Jason Kipnis on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder. Once he returns by mid-to-late April the biggest challenge for Francona will be deciding the batting order for his stacked lineup. Once Kipnis returns, Francona could have designated hitter Carlos Santana leading off, followed by shortstop Francisco Lindor, left fielder Brantley, first baseman Encarnacion, third baseman Jose Ramirez, second baseman Kipnis, center fielder Tyler Naquin, right fielder Abraham Almonte and catcher Yan Gomes. That’s a scary lineup for any pitcher to face — even Sale. Yandy Diaz is likely start at third against the Rangers on opening day. Right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall is on the disabled list with a sore shoulder. But he’ll be eligible to return on April 9. Starting rotations don’t get much better than Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin and Trevor Bauer. And when one of the starters is injured, as will inevitably happen in a six-month season, help from Mike Clevinger and Ryan Merritt in Columbus is a phone call away. Francona is sometimes accused of over-working his bullpen, but he will be careful how he uses Boone Logan, Bryan Shaw and Andrew Miller to get to closer Cody Allen. The Indians might have to play 174 games before the World Series begins. Francona doesn’t want those golden arms to turn into limp noodles. So put your money on the Indians and don’t worry about political correctness. will have reason to smile seven months from today.

Katy Feeney, longtime baseball executive, dies at 68 RONALD BLUM (AP Baseball Writer) NEW YORK (AP) -- Katy Feeney, a baseball executive for four decades and a daughter of former National League President , has died. She was 68. Feeney died Saturday while visiting relatives in Maine. She had not shown any sign of illness, baseball officials said. She retired from baseball in December after working her final postseason. Feeney was hired by the NL in 1977 and rose to 's senior vice president of club relations and scheduling. She was among the most prominent women in baseball and the sport's go-to expert on the complicated rules governing the schedule. She was a familiar presence at baseball's biggest events, thoughtfully remembered everyone's name around the game and almost always sported a stylish hat from a vast collection she built during her many travels. ''All of us at Major League Baseball are shocked and saddened by the news of Katy's passing,'' the commissioner's office said in a statement Sunday. ''She was one of the game's most dedicated executives. Overseeing the schedule, Katy long held one of the most challenging positions in the sport.'' ''Be it in that capacity, at the All-Star Game or throughout the postseason, Katy's unmatched work ethic allowed her to serve our clubs with excellence throughout a decorated career,'' MLB said. An avid theater-goer who long took tap-dancing lessons, she was a baseball lifer, born into one of the sport's longstanding families. Her father, Charles S. Feeney, was a grandson of Charles Stoneham, the ' controlling owner from 1919-36, and a nephew of Horace Stoneham, who owned the team from 1936-76 and moved it to San Francisco after the 1957 season. Charles Feeney became a Giants vice president and by 1950 essentially was the club's general manager. He served as NL president from late 1969 until 1986, and was the San Diego Padres president for a little over a year in 1987 and '88. A University of California-Berkeley graduate, Katy Feeney followed her father to the NL office, was promoted to assistant director of public relations in 1979 and became director of media and public affairs in December 1986 following the resignation of Blake Cullen. In that role, she became a friendly voice to media and later fans in the broadcast era as the person who introduced National League players on the podium during the postseason and All-Star Games. Following the merger of the NL and AL with the commissioner's office in 2000, she became the point person for dealing with the formation of the schedule and its rejiggering when weather caused havoc. At the winter meetings last December, she quietly made the rounds in the press room, saying individual goodbyes to those she'd worked with for years. As usual, she didn't want to make a fuss. ''For decades, Katy carried on her family's great baseball tradition and became a mentor to many young officials,'' the commissioner's office said. ''In particular, she was one of the leading pioneers to the female executives of our game. Her friends and colleagues will never forget Katy's unwavering commitment to baseball.'' The Giants said she was survived by brothers John, Stoney and Will; sister Mary; and eight nieces and nephews. Feeney was still a regular at AT&T Park and loved coming back to San Francisco, including during the Cubs-Giants NL Division Series last October. ''The passing of Katy Feeney brings great sadness to our organization,'' Giants CEO said. ''Katy was one of the most experienced voices in the game and was a longtime friend that left an imprint not only on the Giants organization, but all of baseball.''