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Home , Bill Fischer (baseball), John Hart (baseball), Jon Heyman, Lonnie Chisenhall, Ross Atkins (baseball), Zach McAllister

Indians add Delabar, Banwart to spring camp By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | January 13th, 2017 + 10 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- The Indians added a pair of arms to the Spring Training mix on Friday, signing right-handers Steve Delabar and Travis Banwart to Minor League contracts that include invitations to attend camp with the Major League club.

Indians and are scheduled to report to Spring Training at the team's headquarters in Goodyear, Ariz., on Feb. 12, with the first workout slated for Feb. 14. Delabar and Banwart represent the first pitchers added to the spring fold as non-roster players. Cleveland currently has seven non-roster invitees, along with its 40-man roster. Catchers Erik Kratz and Guillermo Quiroz, first baseman Chris Colabello, utilityman Michael Martinez and outfielder Daniel Robertson are also on the Indians' list of non-roster players who will be on hand this spring. Cleveland has yet to announce its non-roster invitees from within the club's farm system. Delabar, 33, has spent parts of six seasons in the Majors and was an All-Star in 2013 with the Blue Jays. That season, the right-hander turned in a 3.22 ERA and had 82 in 58 2/3 innings. Last year, Delabar split his time between Triple-A Louisville (2.62 ERA in 17 games) and Cincinnati (seven games) before being granted his release at the end of June. He has had stints with the Mariners, Blue Jays and Reds in his career. Banwart, 30, was in the Indians' system in 2014 but then went on to play in parts of three seasons in the Korean League. The righty had a 3.13 ERA in 16 starts for Triple-A Columbus before being sold to the SK Wyverns of the KBL in '14. In 194 career Minor League games, Banwart has a 4.11 ERA in parts of eight seasons in the A's and Indians' systems.

Ryan Merritt sent Indians fans thank you notes for his wedding presents By Ben Cosman Ryan Merritt may have been the unlikeliest hero from the 2016 postseason, pitching the Indians into the with his two- start in Game 5 of the ALCS. He may have cemented himself into Indians lore as a 24-year-old rookie. But still, when total strangers buy you dozen of gifts from your wedding registry, it's only polite to say thanks. Julia Kleppel @JuliaKleppel Great Saturday! We got a thank note from Ryan Merritt in the mail!! @Indians @CleveFan76 After the ALCS win, Indians fans found the wedding registry of Merritt and his fiancée Sarah Brushaber and thanked the for his performance by, well, pretty much clearing it out. On Saturday afternoon, thank you notes from the couple showed up on Twitter: Rachel Lawrence @rachieface76 Thank you Ryan Merritt and Sarah for the lovely thank you note. You guys are the best! @Indians (cc: @sportsyelling ) Rob Cipra @RobCipra Just got a thank you in the mail from when I sent Ryan Merritt kcups from his wedding registry. @Indians #tribe #ryanmerritt Clearly, Ryan and Sarah really appreciated those muffin tins.

Tribe avoids arbitration with five players By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | January 13th, 2017 + 43 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- With a depleted pitching staff down the stretch and in the postseason, the Indians relied heavily on their bullpen. Cleveland will do so again this year -- and with a relief corps that will cost more than the team's talented starting rotation.

On Friday, the Indians avoided arbitration with five more players, including closer Cody Allen, setup man Bryan Shaw and reliever Zach McAllister. The signings followed a one-year settlement with reliever Dan Otero on Thursday night. Those four arms will team with relief ace to form the backbone of the Tribe's stalwart bullpen. Miller is under contract for $9 million this season, and Allen's one-year deal will net the closer $7.35 million. Combined with Shaw ($4.6 million), McAllister ($1.825 million) and Otero ($1.055 million), 's favorite five arms will earn a combined $23.83 million in the upcoming campaign. There will be two more relief jobs up for grabs this spring. On Friday, the Indians also reached a one-year, $3.4-million deal with starter Danny Salazar, who avoided arbitration one day after ($3.55 million). Those two will join Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and in a rotation that will make $23.65 million combined in 2017. There are seven pitchers (Zack Greinke, David Price, , Jon Lester, Justin Verlander, Cole Hamels and CC Sabathia) who will be paid more this season that Cleveland's entire starting staff. The Indians also avoided arbitration on Friday with outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall with a one-year, $4.3 million deal. The lone arbitration-eligible player not to sign was outfielder Brandon Guyer, who exchanged proposed salary figures with the Indians. According to MLB Network insider , Guyer's camp filed for $2.3 million, while Cleveland countered with $1.9 million. Even though Guyer did not sign on Friday, the Indians can still reach an agreement on a contract at any point leading up to his scheduled hearing. This year, arbitration hearings are slated to take place between Jan. 30 and Feb. 17. If Guyer's case goes to a hearing, a three-person panel will listen to arguments from both sides and choose either the salary presented by the team or the player. The Indians have not gone to an arbitration hearing since 2014, when the team won its cases against former reliever Vinnie Pestano and Tomlin. Prior to that year, the Indians had not gone to a hearing with a player since 1991. Allen, 28, turned in a 2.51 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 32 saves in 67 games this past season in his third year as the primary closer. In October, Allen registered the highest single-postseason strikeouts per nine innings (15.8) in history among pitchers with at least 10 innings. The closer spun 13 2/3 frames with a flawless ERA, marking only the 16th time in postseason history a pitcher has had at least 13 innings without allowing an earned run. This past year marked the fourth in a row that Shaw logged at least 70 appearances for the Indians. In 75 games, the righty struck out 69 batters in 66 2/3 innings, ending with a 3.24 ERA. Shaw, 29, was especially strong down the stretch, turning in a 1.66 ERA over the final two months. Since 2013, Shaw leads Major League relievers in games (299) and ranks third in innings (282). Last season, McAllister turned in a 3.44 ERA in 53 games overall, with a 3.10 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings (51 appearances) as a reliever. The righty posted a 1.44 ERA over the final two months of the season, in which the Indians ran to an crown. For his career, McAllister has a 2.76 ERA with 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings as a reliever (118 games), compared to a 4.56 ERA and 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter (68 games). Salazar, 27, made his first All-Star team in 2016, but he was limited to 25 starts and 137 1/3 innings due to a variety of arm issues (right shoulder, elbow and forearm) in the second half. After going 10-3 with a 2.22 ERA in the first three months (93 1/3 innings), Salazar went 1-3 with a 7.36 ERA in the final three months (44 innings). Overall, the hard-throwing righty had 161 strikeouts against 63 walks with a 3.87 ERA. Salazar is expected to be healthy and ready to go for the '17 campaign. Chisenhall and Guyer project to be partnered in a platoon in right field this season. Chisenhall hit .295 (.784 OPS) against righty pitching this past season, while Guyer hit .336 (1.021 OPS) against lefties. Overall, Chisenhall hit .286 with eight homers, 25 doubles and 57 RBIs in 126 games. Guyer, who was acquired from the Rays at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, hit .266 overall with nine homers, 17 doubles, 32 RBIs and a Major League-leading 31 hit-by-pitches last season.

Cleveland Indians attempting to settle on contract terms with all arbitration-eligible players; Cody Allen, Zach McAllister signed Zack Meisel CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians squared away deals for Trevor Bauer and Dan Otero on Thursday night. They locked up Zach McAllister and Cody Allen on Friday morning. That leaves four arbitration-eligible players who need a contract for 2017: Bryan Shaw, Lonnie Chisenhall, Danny Salazar and Brandon Guyer. The Indians hope to have all four negotiations wrapped up without any hint of a potential arbitration hearing. Those hearings would take place in Phoenix in February for any arbitration-eligible players who have yet to strike an agreement with their team. The two sides can reach a deal at any point before the hearing. Teams and players face a Friday afternoon deadline for exchanging salary figures. There could be a flurry of contract activity on Friday, as the Indians attempt to find a happy medium with their four remaining players. Bauer will earn about $3.55 million this season. Otero will earn a little more than $1 million. Allen and McAllister will reportedly earn $7.35 million and $1.825 million, respectively. Allen, 28, has posted a 2.50 ERA in his four full seasons with the Tribe. He struck out 87 and allowed only 41 hits in 68 innings last season. In the playoffs, he logged 13 2/3 scoreless innings, with 24 strikeouts. McAllister, 29, registered a 3.44 ERA in 53 outings with the Indians in 2016. He appeared in three postseason games and yielded three runs across three innings. The Indians' eight arbitration-eligible players were projected to make about $28 million, according to MLBTradeRumors.com. Update (1:10 p.m.): The Indians have narrowed their list of unsigned arbitration-eligible players to three, as the club agreed to terms with Bryan Shaw on a 2017 contract. The pact is reportedly worth about $4.6 million. Shaw has appeared in more games (299) than any other pitcher over the last four seasons. Update (2:05 p.m.): And then there were two. Danny Salazar has agreed to terms on a 2017 contract, reportedly worth $3.4 million, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports. That means the Tribe's five starting pitchers -- Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Salazar, Bauer and Josh Tomlin -- will combine to earn about $23.65 million this season. There are seven starting pitchers in the league who will earn at least that much themselves in 2017. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 01.14.2017

Cleveland Indians have Terry Talkin' Trevor Bauer, Yandy Diaz, starters -- Terry Pluto Print Email Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Indians righthander Trevor Bauer will turn 26 on Tuesday.

The temptation is to wonder, "Will this guy ever be anything better than a .500 pitcher?"

In the last three seasons, Bauer is 28-28 with a 4.34 ERA. He just signed a $3.55 million deal. This past year, at 25, he was 12-8 with a 4.26 ERA.

Here is how some of the Tribe's starters performed at age 25:

Corey Kluber was 7-11 with a 5.56 ERA at Class AAA Columbus in 2011. Carlos Carrasco was on the disabled list with Tommy John elbow surgery in 2012 after being 8-9 with a 4.62 ERA the previous season. Danny Salazar broke through with a 14-10 record and 3.45 ERA in 2015. Josh Tomlin just arrived in the majors, going 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 2010. So Bauer's 2016 marks look pretty good in comparison. Manager Terry Francona stresses mistakes are made by giving up on starting pitchers too soon. There can be frustrations and injuries. They sometimes need a trip to the bullpen.

Welcome to arbitration season: Cleveland Indians, Trevor Bauer agree to terms on 2017 contract The Indians have been hopeful that they can avoid arbitration with their eight eligible players. They can strike Trevor Bauer from the list. BIG MONEY FOR STARTERS

But durable starting pitchers are prized in baseball. I can use a lot of examples of mediocre starters being paid like stars once they reach free agency.

But here are a few from this year's free agent class:

Edison Volquez was 10-11 with a 4.76 ERA for Kansas City last season. He signed a two-year, $22 million deal with Miami. was 5-11 with a 5.25 ERA with Miami and San Diego. He signed a one-year, $10 million deal with Texas. Charlie Morton pitched only 17 innings for Philadelphia because of injuries. His career record is 46-71 with a 4.54 ERA. He signed a two-year, $14 million deal with Houston. Bauer would easily be a $10 million pitcher and signed for a long time at that price on the free agent market.

That's especially true because Bauer's only injury was because, as Francona said, "probably everybody at some point or another has had a drone-related problem." Bauer cut his pinkie finger "doing routine drone maintenance" during the 2016 playoffs.

MORE AGE CONTEXT Let's consider the ages of the Tribe's top starting pitching prospects compared with Bauer, whose 26th birthday is Tuesday:

Mike Clevinger is one month older. He was 11-1 with a 3.00 ERA at Class AAA, 3-3 with a 5.26 ERA with the Tribe. Cody Anderson turned 26 last September. He had arm problems and was 2-5 with a 6.68 ERA. Ryan Merritt will be 25 on Feb. 21. He was 11-8 with a 3.70 ERA at Class AAA and delivered a strong performance in his one playoff start. Adam Plutko turned 25 in October. He was 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA, splitting the season between Class AA and AAA. At 26, Bauer will be the youngest member of the projected rotation, joining Tomlin (32), Kluber (30), Carrasco (29) and Salazar (27).

BAUER'S BOTTOM LINE 1. Bauer has the physical ability to be much more than a .500 pitcher. It's why he was the No. 3 pick in the 2011 draft by Arizona and why the Diamondbacks rushed him to the big leagues after only 29 minor-league starts.

2. The Indians were enamored with him in 2011. Team president worked hard to put together a three-way deal to acquire Bauer before the 2013 season. The Indians knew patience would be required because Bauer's well-known theories about pitching are unique, and he can be stubborn.

3. Last season, the Indians worked on convincing Bauer to throw his fastball outside. He loved to pound the inside corner with his hard stuff. The hitters knew it, and were ready for it. He made some progress in that area.

4. In 2015, he led the American League with 79 walks. In 2016, his control was slightly better as he walked 70. The Indians would like him to avoid turning 0-2 counts into 3-2. Once ahead of a hitter, go into the strike zone and finish him off.

5. Bauer is determined and dedicated. He has been learning and maturing. When you look at the ages and careers of other starters, it tells you why Bauer still has a lot of promise.

ABOUT YANDY DIAZ I talked to Carter Hawkins, the Indians' assistant who has been in charge of the farm system since 2014.

He told me the following about Diaz, who batted .318 between Class AA and Class AAA last season. He hit .370 in the Venezuelan Winter League.

1. The Indians signed Diaz out of a tryout camp in the Dominican Republic in 2014, where they also signed pitcher Leandro Linares. Former Tribe assistant GM Ross Atkins played a key role in signing Diaz and Linares, both Cuban natives.

2. The 22-year-old Linares has emerged as a prospect. He moved to the bullpen in 2016 and had a 1.21 ERA pitching for three teams at the Class A level. In 44 2/3 innings, he struck out 55 and walked only 12. He did not allow a .

3. In Cuba, Diaz played a lot of shortstop, along with some other positions -- mostly in the infield.

4. "Yandy is a natural born hitter," said Hawkins. "He has a fine eyes. He has a knack of putting the barrel of the bat on the ball. We can see him getting stronger and hitting for more power."

5. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Diaz batted .325 (.860 OPS) in 95 games at Class AAA Columbus. He finished by batting .462 in his last 10 games. He hit nine home runs between Class AA and AAA last season. Diaz turned 25 in August, so now is the time for him to make his move.

6. After signing with the Tribe in 2014, Diaz moved to third base. In 252 games, he made 40 errors. In the final six weeks of the 2016 season, the Tribe moved him to the outfield. He played 27 games in left field for Columbus, making three errors. He played some center this winter in Venezuela.

ABOUT GIOVANNY URSHELA

1. Urshela is now 25. He came to Cleveland in 2015 and showed a very good glove at third base. He batted .225 (.608 OPS) with 6 HR and 21 RBI in 288 plate appearances. He struggled against righties, hitting .207.

2. The Indians signed veteran Juan Uribe in 2016 and Urshela went to the minors. He had a decent year, batting .274 (.674 OPS) with 8 HR and 57 RBI in 468 at-bats for Columbus. He batted .323 after the All-Star break.

3. A concern is Urshela's lack of walks. He had only 15 in 2016. His walk totals have dropped the last three years.

4. As Hawkins told me, Urshela remains an excellent fielder. The lack of walks is not the only problem. Too often he is swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. He needs to develop more patience at the plate.

5. The rise of Jose Ramirez not only as a hitter but as a good third baseman blocked Urshela in 2016. The Indians still consider Urshela a big league option if they need help at third. But Diaz also is a third base option in 2017.

Nick Cafardo / SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES / ’s desire to keep playing is being supported all over baseball By Nick Cafardo Manny Ramirez is 44 years old and attempting to play baseball again, for the Kochi Fighting Dogs of the independent Shikoku Island League in Japan. Ramirez appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year, and it looks as if he’ll stay on the ballot — on Ryan Thibodaux’s website that tracks Hall of Fame ballots, Ramirez was at 25.1 percent with nearly half of the voting accounted for. That’s not bad for a two-time PED offender who can’t seem to give up the game. Ramirez’s desire to keep playing is being supported all over baseball. “I don’t know what he has left, but I do know that he was the best righthanded hitter I ever saw,” said Braves president of baseball operations , who with the Indians when he signed Ramirez out of Washington Heights, N.Y., when he was 17. “He just loves playing the game,” Hart said. “He loved it as a young kid and he loves it now. At this point I doubt he’s motivated by money. I think he’s made a lot of it. He’s motivated now by the pleasure he gets in hitting a baseball. He obviously still has fun doing it. So I think it’s a great story and I hope it works out for him.” Hart said he was never contacted about giving Ramirez a shot. Hart recently signed 43-year-old pitcher Bartolo Colon. He has also employed Julio Franco, who remained a productive major league hitter through age 48 and may still be playing somewhere at age 58. “I’m never surprised by anything Manny does,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, a former teammate of Ramirez in Boston. “I think we all know he could hit, and that doesn’t leave you. He seems to be in excellent shape so that helps, because you need your legs to hit and it looks like he still has that.” Ramirez has found religion. He reads the Bible every day and has seen the error of some of his ways. He apologized to Red Sox travel director Jack McCormick for assaulting him over a last-minute ticket request that McCormick couldn’t oblige. It came many years after the fact, but McCormick accepted the apology. The Manny story is pretty big in Japan. One Japanese baseball official said, “Manny is considered a great character and he’s fun. I think people are looking forward to seeing him play. It’s going to be a story the media will follow closely.” In Japan, the media isn’t allowed in the clubhouse and can only speak to the manager after a game. So Ramirez won’t have to do many interviews. It will be more a case of the media reporting on his performance and not so much his words. Ramirez certainly has Hall of Fame credentials. He finished his career with a .312 batting average and a whopping .996 OPS, which ranks eighth all time. He had 2,574 hits, 555 home runs (15th best), and 1,831 RBIs (18th best). According to Baseball-Reference, Ramirez earned $206,827,769 in salary. Details of Ramirez’s latest contract aren’t available, but the feeling is that because it’s an independent league team, it’s not likely for much. Ramirez last worked for the Cubs as a hitting consultant, and even played part time for their Triple A Iowa team in 2014. Cubs executives thought Ramirez had a profound influence on their young hitters, particularly Javier Baez and Jorge Soler, who has since been traded to the Royals. Ramirez was considered fun to be around, but everyone knew his role would be temporary, that he’d want to move on to something else. “He was good for our players,” said Cubs assistant general manager Jason McLeod, who worked with Ramirez in Boston. “The guys at Triple A enjoyed his presence. Manny enjoyed his time acting as a mentor to a lot of the Latin players, but he also took the time to get into the cage really early in the morning to get his swings in.” McLeod said Ramirez had a big role in 2015, but “he wasn’t around as much last year.” McLeod surmised that Ramirez was working to get in shape and possibly attempt a comeback. Asked whether he thought Ramirez could pull it off, McLeod said, “When I saw him and in the game he played for us at Triple A, he still had that beautiful swing and he could still drive the ball to right-center. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve seen him, but I wouldn’t bet against it.” “We’ll have to see how his body holds up,” Hart said. “If it does, he’s best suited for the American League as a DH at this point, but would I be surprised if he could still hit? Absolutely not.” Johnny Damon once said that Ramirez could fall out of bed at age 50 and hit .300. He may be right. “There’s been a lot of talk about Edgar Martinez being one of the greatest righthanded hitters and his Hall of Fame possibilities,” McLeod said. “Manny was Edgar with power. You don’t talk too much about righthanded hitters with beautiful swings, but Manny had one of the prettiest swings. His balance and the ease of his swing was phenomenal.” Frank McCourt, the Boston businessman who owned the Dodgers when his staff acquired Ramirez from the Red Sox, said, “I’ve been a baseball fan all my life and sitting watching the Dodgers in August, September, and October of 2008 were some of the most enjoyable months I’ve ever had. And that was due in large part to Manny and the impact he had on the team and the city of Los Angeles. The only other similar experience was watching the ‘Impossible Dream’ Red Sox in 1967.” McCourt also saw the downside. “Of course, Manny’s suspension [for testing positive for PEDs] changed all that,” McCourt said. TRENDING UPWARD Hall voting shows softened stance With nearly half of the Hall of Fame ballots accounted for by Friday afternoon, and Barry Bonds both have seen surges in voting in their fifth year. Bonds was at 64 percent (up from 44.3 percent last year) and Clemens at 63.5 percent (up from 45.2 percent). That’s still short of the required 75 percent for induction, but there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Based on weekend projections, Tim Raines (91.4 percent), Jeff Bagwell (90.9), and Ivan Rodriguez (79.7) will qualify. On the cusp were Vladimir Guerrero at 74.6 and Trevor Hoffman at 73.1. Edgar Martinez was at 66.5, Mike Mussina at 60.9, and Curt Schilling, clearly hurt by his controversial post-career comments, at 52.3. I don’t think Guerrero is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but I do think Rodriguez is. It’s good to see Raines on the verge in his final season on the ballot. I voted for Raines for the first time. I have voted for Bonds and Clemens all along. One big reason for their surge is the recent Hall of Fame election of former commissioner Bud Selig by the Today’s Game Era committee. It seemed to give many voters who had withheld votes for known or suspected steroid users license to vote for them, with the reason being that Selig oversaw the steroid era, and if the person overseeing it gets in, why not the players? This should give hope to players such as — one of the greatest offensive players in history, but a two-time PED violator — when he comes up for election. Apropos of nothing 1. Jim Leyland, who will manage Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, said the toughest part about assembling the roster is the pitching staff. So he’s offering pitchers the chance to go back to their respective teams in between starts and even participate in only the rounds they choose. “We’ll come up with a good team,” Leyland said. “Pitching is the toughest part right now, but we can work with pitchers to make it right for them. If they need to pitch once and then go back to their teams, that’s fine. We’ll make it work.” 2. Leyland said the best player he ever managed was Barry Bonds, but “the best five-tool player I ever had was Larry Walker. I hope he gets to the Hall of Fame someday. He was a great player.” 3. We remember Bill Fischer as the pitching for Tom Seaver and Roger Clemens, but what’s absolutely amazing about Fischer is that he’ll be starting his 70th season in baseball. Fischer, 86, is still a pitching adviser for the Royals organization. “Fish” and I had a few run-ins in his Red Sox days, but I always respected him. 4. David Ortiz will be the featured guest at the Connecticut Sports Foundation’s annual dinner on Feb. 10 at Mohegan Sun. Also on hand will be Yankees first baseman Tyler Austin and Mets lefty Steven Matz. Proceeds go toward cancer research. Visit the website for more information. 5. The 74th annual Boston Baseball Writers dinner will be held Thursday at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. There are still tickets available, at $200 per seat. The lineup is strong, with heading a tribute to the Red Sox’ 2007 championship team. John Farrell, , Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, , Terry Francona, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Luis Tiant will all be there. For ticket information, contact Ashley Walenta at 617-624-1231 or [email protected]. Updates on nine 1. Steven Wright, RHP, Red Sox — Wright is still rehabbing his right shoulder but feels he’ll be full-go for spring training. Wright has been dealing with bursitis and rotator cuff irritation since diving back to second base in a pinch-running role Aug. 7 against the Dodgers. Wright was upset about the public bashing of manager John Farrell for his decision to pinch-run Wright, which led to the All-Star pitcher missing the final month of the regular season and the playoffs. “I wish people would stop blaming John for that. I was actually excited he called my name for that role,” Wright said. “I was completely prepared for it. . . . I went through all my checkpoints. I told myself I was going to be aggressive and I got caught. That’s my fault. I landed wrong on my shoulder. That’s nobody’s fault. I could have been hurt stepping out of the shower. I could have been hurt if I had reached base the day I pitched two days before. I don’t know why people have to blame someone. It’s baseball.” 2. Tyson Ross, RHP, Rangers — The Rangers won out on the rehabbing righty (thoracic outlet syndrome). The Cubs were hoping to land Ross to add some depth to their rotation. According to assistant GM Jason McLeod, the Cubs aren’t looking for a six-man rotation, but “given the age of some of our starters, [manager] Joe [Maddon] and Boss [pitching coach Chris Bosio] would like to be able to plug someone in every now and then to give them an extra day’s rest.” The Cubs elected not to re-sign righty Jason Hammel, who remains a free agent. 3. Jose Iglesias, SS, Tigers — Like most players on the Tigers roster, Iglesias could be on the trading block. The Tigers, who are trying to get under the luxury tax threshold, believe Dixon Machado is ready to take the shortstop job. Iglesias earned $2.1 million last season and settled for $4.1 million before arbitration. 4. , GM, Mariners — Dipoto loves to turn over his roster. Since Oct. 1, Dipoto has acquired 36 players, including starting pitchers Yovani Gallardo (via Baltimore), Drew Smyly (Tampa Bay), and Chris Heston (San Francisco), relievers Marc Rzepczynski (free agent) and Casey Fien (free agent), outfielders Jarrod Dyson (Kansas City) and Mitch Haniger (Arizona), shortstop Jean Segura (Arizona), first baseman Danny Valencia (Oakland), and Carlos Ruiz (Dodgers). 5. Carl Crawford, OF, free agent — According to one Dodgers official, Crawford has pretty much called it a career. There was some thought he might try to make a comeback, but it appears he’s had enough at age 35. 6. Ian Kinsler, 2B, Tigers — The All-Star is a possible fallback for the Dodgers if they can’t work out a deal with Minnesota for Brian Dozier. The Twins may be having second thoughts about dealing Dozier. “The Tigers are a willing trade partner because they’re trying to get rid of payroll. Kinsler is still a top player and he only has two years remaining on his deal,” said one major league executive. Kinsler, 34, is scheduled to earn $11 million in 2017 and there’s a club option for $12 million in 2018 — a very friendly contract for any team to absorb. However, Kinsler said in November that he would need a contract extension to approve a trade to LA. 7. Shane Victorino, OF, free agent — Victorino, 36, has an offer but his agent, John Boggs, is awaiting word from Victorino as to whether to accept it. Victorino is likely looking at a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Boggs could not reveal which team has made the offer. 8. Pedro Martinez Jr., 3B, free agent — Pedro Martinez’s son is a pretty decent prospect as a righthanded hitter. Only 16, he took part in the International Prospect Showcase in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, last week. “He’s going to get signed. He’s definitely a prospect,” said one American League scout who watched him at the Showcase. “He’s got some power.” Martinez Jr. is about 6 feet 2 inches, 180 pounds. 9. David Ross, special assistant to baseball operations, Cubs — The former backstop has signed on to work under Theo Epstein. Ross was a popular figure for the Cubs and Jon Lester’s personal catcher. Ross, who retired after the 2016 season, had some managing and TV opportunities but chose the special assistant role, which allows him to spend some time at home with his family. Extra innings From the Bill Chuck files — “Mookie Betts did not strike out in the last 18 games of his 2016 season; it was the longest streak in the majors last year. He hit .369 over that stretch.” Also, “The still have never had a batter with a 200-hit season, and the White Sox have only had , in 1998, since 1955.” . . . Happy birthday, Wayne Gomes (44). Numbers game The 2017 season is on deck, with plenty of milestones to be reached, and there’s no active player higher on multiple all-time lists than Angels slugger Albert Pujols. What he’s chasing this season and other milestones to keep an eye on. Boston Globe LOADED: 01.15.2017

Indians staying in touch with free agents, including Jose Bautista @ken_rosenthal The Indians might not be done. While the signing of free-agent first baseman Edwin Encarnacion pushed the club beyond its expected payroll limit, team officials are staying in touch with a number of free agents, according to major-league sources. The list of potential targets includes relievers, corner infielders and corner outfielders, sources said; even Jose Bautista might not be out of the question if his price drops to a point where the front office feels comfortable presenting a contract proposal for ownership’s approval.

The end result might be that the Indians sign only minor-league free agents, but the front office at least wants to be prepared if the right opportunity arises, sources said. Any decision then would rest with ownership, which already has stunned the baseball world once this off- season by authorizing the signing of Encarnacion to a three-year, $60 million contract — well below what he was expected to receive. Bautista, Encarnacion’s former teammate with the Blue Jays, is the best remaining free-agent hitter. His preferred asking price almost certainly is beyond the Indians’ comfort level, but the Jays are the only other team known to be interested in him; Bautista rejected their one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer at the start of the off-season.

The Rays, another club with a need for Bautista, operate under greater payroll restrictions than the Indians, and would forfeit a much higher draft pick for signing him. The Rays’ first-rounder is protected, but they still would lose their second choice, currently No. 31 overall. The Indians, on the other hand, would sacrifice the pick that currently is 64th overall. They already have yielded the No. 25 selection for signing Encarnacion. Bautista (or another free-agent addition) could play right field, with Lonnie Chisenhall moving to center — a possibility if needs to more time to make adjustments. First baseman/DH Carlos Santana is another factor — he will be eligible for free agency after earning $12 million this season. The Indians, in theory, could sign Bautista to a back-loaded, two-year deal to ease the financial strain in 2017, then use both Encarnacion and Bautista in the field and at DH in ’18.

Another concern for the team is the uncertain status of left fielder Michael Brantley, who appeared in only 11 games last season after undergoing shoulder surgery in Nov. 2015 and then a procedure on his biceps in August. The Indians again would be short an outfielder without Brantley; his primary replacement last season, Rajai Davis, recently signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Athletics. Brantley is guaranteed $7.5 million in ’17. The Indians, who hold insurance on his contract, would collect on their policy from the start of the season due to the amount of time he missed a year ago, sources said. Again: Bautista still might prove too expensive, and the Indians still could look at lesser free-agent outfielders or corner infielders — if they make any significant moves at all. The team definitely wants to add a utility infielder, and the versatility of third baseman Jose Ramirez increases the club’s options. Consider Trevor Plouffe, who recently agreed to a one-year, free-agent deal with the Athletics. He could have served the Indians at third, left field and DH — and on days he played third, Ramirez could have spelled at short or Jason Kipnis at second. As for the bullpen, the Indians appear fairly set with a group that is perhaps the most formidable in the majors. But a number of free-agent relievers remain available, creating the potential for bargains — and the potential for the Indians to get even deeper and stronger.