Indians left to mull over questions after loss By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | October 12th, 2017 + 168 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- As the Yankees celebrated at the Progressive Field mound on Wednesday night, forming a mob scene in front of a stunned crowd, Jay Bruce looked on from the Indians' dugout. After a few moments, the outfielder turned, tossed his batting gloves to a fan and disappeared into a somber locker room.
For the 69th season in a row, the last page to the Tribe's fairy-tale script went missing. In the immediate wake of the Indians' 5-2 loss to the Yanks, a defeat that dealt the final blow to Cleveland in the American League Division Series presented by Doosan, plenty of questions still lingered. The main one is this: When Tribe fans look back on this series, what will they cite as the catalyst for the collapse after taking a 2-0 lead in the series? The bottom line is that the Indians did not play like the club that cruised to AL's best record. "I feel like it's an opportunity that's missed," Bruce said. "To be part of a team this talented with this much depth and this much ability to win games, there really wasn't a weak spot. Coming to the playoffs, you obviously want that. I think that our pitching is really what made us who we are. We just couldn't get the job done." It felt similar to last fall, when the Indians grabbed a 3-1 lead in the World Series only to fall in seven games to the Cubs. After that final loss, though, there was still a sense of accomplishment by a team that defied the odds in the face of adversity. The clubhouse atmosphere had a different feel to it this time around. This was a 102-win team during the regular season that rattled off an AL-record 22 wins in a row between August and September. A silver lining was hard to identify for the players. Down the hall in the manager's office, Terry Francona also had to live with the roster decisions that had a ripple effect throughout this best-of- five series. Cleveland has now lost six consecutive close-out games dating back to the World Series last year, and is 2-8 in such games under Francona since 2013. Prior to Game 3 of the ALDS in New York, where the Indians arrived at Yankee Stadium armed with a 2-0 series lead, Francona was asked about dealing with criticism. "You do your homework, and you're prepared, and you make your decisions," Francona said. "And then, you know, after the game, you have to answer for it, which you're supposed to. If you don't have an answer, shame on you. And then you're confident enough in what you're doing and you move on. You can't rush to wake up to see how you're being perceived, because it's just not helpful." Indians outfielder Michael Brantley, who has played under Francona for the past five seasons, reacted with a disgusted expression when asked if Francona was at fault at all for how this series unraveled. "Absolutely not," Brantley said. "Everybody in this locker room has the utmost respect for Tito, including myself. He puts us in position to succeed every single day. That has nothing to do with him. Absolutely not. It's on us." Bruce also responded angrily to such a notion. "That's outrageous," Bruce said. "This guy's one of the most respected and decorated managers in the game. For people to question his moves, they must have all the answers. I can't imagine questioning it. This guy's the most prepared. He's confident, at ease. He's the most prepared manager I've ever played for, probably." Francona was hit with public second-guessing when he named Trevor Bauer, not ace Corey Kluber, the starter for Game 1 of the ALDS. Bauer returned on short rest for Game 4, and while the Tribe's defense did him no favors, he lasted only 1 2/3 innings. Kluber came back on his normal schedule for Game 5, a key factor in the decision, and allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings. Asked if Kluber was fighting an injury, Francona noted after the loss that Kluber was "fighting a lot" to be on the mound. For the ALDS roster, Francona opted to go with Giovanny Urshela as his starting third baseman over Yandy Diaz (inactive) due to his defensive upside. Urshela committed two of the Indians' four errors in Game 4, and Cleveland's typically-sound defense made nine errors in five games. And late in Game 5, the only right-handed bats available to pinch hit vs. left-hander Aroldis Chapman were Yan Gomes and Erik Gonzalez. Brantley, who had three at-bats in the final two regular-season games after missing nearly two months with a right ankle issue, made the roster as a pinch-hitter. That move was exposed when slugger Edwin Encarnacion (right ankle injury in Game 2) sat out both games in New York and a rusty Brantley was forced into service as the team's DH. The offense as a whole hit .171/.263/.287 with 18 runs (nine coming in Game 2) and 61 strikeouts. That included an 8-for-60 showing combined from Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis and Jose Ramirez. Beyond the rotation decisions, there was also the move to keep bullpen regulars Dan Otero, Nick Goody and Zach McAllister off the roster in favor of having starters Mike Clevinger, Danny Salazar and Josh Tomlin available as relievers. • Early exit shouldn't overshadow Tribe's journey "He believes in what he does and there's a rhyme and a reason," Bruce said of Francona. "And he has personalities around him that challenge his thinking. It's not just him throwing stuff together." Had the Indians emerged victorious in any of the last three games, Francona's decisions probably would not be placed under the microscope. "It's easy to second-guess in hindsight," Kluber said. "If we would've won the series, people probably wouldn't question him. I don't think the guys in the clubhouse question him at all, and I think that's all he cares about." This is not how anyone inside Cleveland's clubhouse saw this conclusion coming. "Nobody wanted the season to be over," Francona said. "It doesn't wind down. It comes to a crashing halt. And nobody, myself included, was ready for it to be over."
For Tribe, too much change not a good thing By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | @castrovince | October 12th, 2017 + 37 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- The story of the 2016 Indians' postseason run was that the club rose above hardship -- the losses of Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Michael Brantley -- to reach extra innings of Game 7 of the World Series. And that story was mostly triumphant.
But in our rush to romanticize the adversity overcome, it was to overlook the benefits of those bad breaks. Terry Francona and the Tribe were painted into a corner and forced to maximize what they had. It was all about aggressive hooks with a depleted rotation and trust in a deep and healthy bullpen. Devoid of choices, the Indians followed the only path by which they could prevail. And it darn near won them a title nearly 70 years in the making. It was different this year. And in the wake of the Tribe's stunning collapse against the Yankees in the American League Division Series presented by Doosan, we can safely say the differences, well, made a difference. There's a U2 lyric that goes, "Freedom looks like too many choices." The name of that song is "New York," and perhaps that's appropriate given the location where it all began to fall apart for an Indians team that had too many choices, and in the end, too few satisfying selections.
If Corey Kluber was beset by another back injury ("I think he's fighting a lot," Francona said after Game 5), that's obviously a major hurdle. But Kluber's situation wasn't devastating enough to keep him from taking the ball. That's your basic gray area where you can neither sit nor completely trust your ace. It's easier to understand now why Francona went with Roberto Perez behind the plate and not Kluber's more frequent batterymate, Yan Gomes, in Game 5 while touting Perez's ability to make in-game adjustments. There was never a confident expectation that Kluber was going to go deep into Game 5, and Cleveland was counting on employing the 'pen early and often. Regarding that 'pen -- its makeup was unusual. The Indians deprived themselves of more traditional middlemen (Nick Goody, Dan Otero and Zach McAllister would have had no trouble cracking your average postseason roster) to look for length. They rostered starters Mike Clevinger and Salazar as relievers, but by Game 5, when Kluber was yanked in the fourth, it was clear that trust in those two was something south of implicit. Somehow, the team with "too many quality starters" still wound up pitching Trevor Bauer on short rest in the fourth game of the ALDS ... with a series lead, no less. Clevinger, remember, had been Cleveland's best starter during The Streak -- that 22-game run of baseball brilliance that now, unfortunately, stands as a footnote of a feat. The fact that he wasn't even a starter at all by the time the postseason began speaks to a general trend of a team that metamorphosed quite a bit between September and October. How does a team win its 22nd consecutive ballgame one month, then squander a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five the next? Well, in part because this wasn't really the same team that won 22 straight. Bradley Zimmer got injured during The Streak, and that left the Indians without a steady presence in center field. So second baseman Jason Kipnis, who was injured for the entirety of The Streak, became a center fielder, in a scrambling effort to get his bat back in the lineup while retaining the awesome infield defense that took place in his injury absence. But in the ALDS, Kipnis went 4-for-22 and the defense fell apart with nine errors, two of which were critical ones committed by the formerly fantastic young third baseman (and easy out at the plate) Giovanny Urshela. Speaking of Urshela, Cleveland spent the latter part of the season preparing him for a postseason super utility role, only to upgrade him to starting third baseman just as October arrived. Yandy Diaz, who had established himself as the primary third baseman during The Streak, wasn't even on the roster. The Tribe had various Spring Training elements sprinkled into the postseason, which is not ideal. Brantley was working on his timing at the plate after so much time lost to an ankle injury; likewise Lonnie Chisenhall after a calf issue. Andrew Miller was outstanding in Game 5, but his last few weeks were obviously an uphill climb toward his usual standard because of patellar tendinitis in his plant leg. So there was a lot of this strange stuff going on, and maybe none of it affected the bottom line, because the truth is that even the Indians, who didn't have a lead after Game 2, were outplayed and were fortunate to have a phantom hit-by-pitch in Game 2 go their way. Furthermore, losing Edwin Encarnacion for two full games only amped up the pressure on Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor, both of whom were mostly AWOL (save Lindor's gargantuan game-changing grand slam in Game 2, of course) at the plate. Lindor tips cap to Yankees Lindor tips cap to Yankees Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor lauds the Yankees for their comeback in the ALDS and looks ahead to 2018 But the point here is that little on this club was clear cut. In 2016, it was all pretty matter-of-fact: without its two best starters, the Tribe was left to pick up the pieces. This time, the pieces were scattered all over the place. There were too many injuries and issues that kept Cleveland from attaining traction when it mattered most. None of this absolves the Indians of fault from their ALDS disaster, because that is undoubtedly what this was. It just helps explain why a team that made history one month can become history the next.
How will the Indians' 2017 finish set the tone for 2018? Meisel's Musings Zack Meisel 22 hours ago Chris Antonetti, clad in a bright red pullover, made the rounds in the Indians’ clubhouse after the team’s 167th and final game of 2017. He chatted with Francisco Lindor for a few minutes, thanked Jay Bruce for his contributions, asked Craig Breslow if he planned to drive to the ballpark for Thursday’s open clubhouse hours and tapped Michael Brantley on the behind as he walked away from a brief conversation with the hobbled left fielder. No one should envy Antonetti, who has a laundry list of roster decisions to make in the next couple of months. His choices will be backed by an exponentially increasing sense of urgency to capture a championship. It’s not just about potentially retaining Bruce or Brantley or Carlos Santana or Bryan Shaw. It’s about unearthing ways for the club to get better, to be positioned well (again) for an October run, one that persists past the pesky five-game set in the opening round. The front office can’t afford to dwell on the dismal conclusion to the 2017 campaign. The players can sulk for a bit before they shift their focus to training for next season. But Antonetti and his cohorts must compile their offseason checklist long before the first snowfall. The final act to the Indians’ season, which might as well have had fans heaving tomatoes at the players, figures to set a vastly different tone moving forward from the one last year’s World Series defeat established. The Indians earned plenty of goodwill from the fan base for nearly completing an improbable championship run a year ago. This time, there’s much less forgiveness. And that will only add to the pressure accompanying these offseason decisions. Here are a handful of thoughts stemming from the Indians’ first-round exit. 1. Man of mystery: If Corey Kluber and Terry Francona wouldn’t use a possible injury as an excuse for the ace’s struggles, should we? Both parties stressed Kluber was capable enough to pitch. If they’re simply masking the truth, then shame on them for trotting him out there twice and not ordering their rotation differently. They had more than enough starting pitching options. No one forced them to shrink the rotation to three members, and to cast aside Mike Clevinger to the bullpen. We can only base judgments on what Kluber and Co. opt to reveal to the public, and he isn’t the type to offer up excuses. One thing is certain: He was ineffective twice, and in a series in which Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco each provided one dominant start, it’s unfathomable that the Indians couldn’t advance. 2. Guilty as charged: Aaron Judge went 1-for-20 with 16 strikeouts in the series. And the Yankees won. The Indians completely stifled New York’s MVP candidate, but it didn’t matter. That’s quite a missed opportunity. Judge earned three golden sombreros (four strikeouts in a game) during the series. 3. Balls and strikes: The home-plate umpiring throughout the series left hitters on both sides baffled and frustrated. It might have reached a crescendo in Game 5, with Jeff Nelson responsible for a bevy of questionable calls. There’s probably a reason CC Sabathia matched a season high with nine strikeouts, despite logging only 4 1/3 innings. 4. Lackluster lumber: Lindor and Jose Ramirez, the lineup’s two catalysts all season, combined for only four hits in the series. As a team, the Indians posted a .171/.263/.287 slash line. It’s difficult to decide whether the club’s offense or defense disappointed more. 5. Heartbreak City: As an objective reporter, the Indians’ early exit prompts several emotions. For one, as Francona often says, the baseball season doesn’t feature a smooth transition to the offseason. It comes to a crashing halt. So, the sudden, significant change in schedule is unfamiliar and awkward. It’s typically more enjoyable to cover a thriving team, so reading through many social media mentions (I should probably stop doing that) and emails and texts from frustrated fans can trigger a headache. I also feel for certain people involved with the process who deserve to see their team win a title. I wrote a feature this summer on 91-year-old Ron Ochmann, who pays for an empty seat beside him at every Tribe game for his wife, who died nearly 20 years ago. Now, he must endure another harsh winter and wait a year to find out if he’ll finally witness a title from his seat in Section 164. I feel for Mark Firkins, who navigates I-90 from Rochester, New York, to Cleveland with his sons on many summer weekends to catch as many Tribe games as they can. I feel for Joe Smith, his dad, Mike, and his wife, Allie LaForce, who all hoped for a deep playoff run and a chance that Joe’s mom, Lee, suffering from Huntington’s disease, could attend some games. I feel for Crystal Ellinwood, the fiancee of the late Austin Landau, who died unexpectedly in the spring. Landau frequented Progressive Field and constantly interacted with fellow avid Tribe fans on his Twitter account, @Jobu_Lives, which has more than 9,000 followers. And I feel for Sandy Alomar Jr., who has experienced the unforgiving nature of October as much as anyone.
Zuppe: How does MLB's qualifying offer work? And how will it apply to the Indians' free agents this offseason? T.J. Zuppe This story was originally included in our weekly Friday Insider column. Baseball is full of rules created with good intentions. But, much like the game itself, the nature of how those rules are applied is often unpredictable. The same can be said for the introduction of the qualifying offer under the 2012 collective bargaining agreement, a rule put in place to help protect small-market clubs from the big spenders. By creating the qualifying offer, clubs had more control over their departing free agents. Or so it was thought. In the end, the qualifying offer hurt many mid-tier free agents, ones who declined the one-year deals from their clubs but couldn't get others to forfeit the first-round pick necessary to sign them. Remember, in addition to a crumbling market for first base/DH types, that was at least part of what helped bring Edwin Encarnacion to Cleveland on a three-year, $60 million pact prior to the 2017 campaign. That all changed under the new CBA (at least, that's MLB's desire). The qualifying offer system is still in place, but the execution of it, and more important, the compensation tied to those offered contracts, has been adjusted. So, how about a refresher? Clubs are still able to extend a one-year qualifying offer to their impending free agents. However, those players must match two qualifications: One, this was their first time receiving the qualifying offer, and two, they played the entire season with the same team. After jumping to $17.2 million last year, the qualifying offer this offseason is believed to be in the $18 million range. If offered, players have 10 days to accept or decline it. Impending free agents are permitted to talk with other clubs while making their decision in an effort to survey the market. Indians free agents Carlos Santana, Bryan Shaw and Austin Jackson will be eligible to receive the qualifying offer. Jay Bruce and Joe Smith, however, will not, as they were dealt to the Tribe during the season. It would seem unlikely that Shaw or Jackson would be candidates for risking that type of salary. Santana is a bit more plausible. The veteran first baseman has made his desire to remain with his current team quite clear. But if a multi-year deal isn't in the cards, perhaps a qualifying offer might carry some weight. His switch-hitting, power and on-base ability make him a valuable commodity, and his surprising athleticism and increased attention to detail at first base made him one of the AL's best defenders at the position this season. “I don't know my future,” Santana said after the Game 5 loss to the Yankees. “I have to wait until the season is over, when the World Series and everything is done. We'll see what happens. I want to stay here. I'll try to do all I can to stay here.” Now, for the sake of this exercise, let's say Santana was offered and declined a hypothetical qualifying offer. In the past, the team losing a free agent would receive a comp pick after the first round of the MLB Draft, and the signing team would forfeit their first non-protected draft selection. Under the current rules, the compensation attached gets a little more tricky. If the departing free agent inks a deal worth at least $50 million guaranteed, and the team losing them is a beneficiary of revenue sharing (as the Indians are reported to be), they'd receive a compensatory selection immediately following the first round. This was a big development for the Royals, who have a number of potential free agents. If that team didn't receive revenue sharing money, the comp pick would come just prior to the third round. However, if they were over the luxury tax threshold ($195 million payroll in 2017), they'd receive a pick at the end of the fourth round. And if the free agent inks a deal worth under $50 million, the team would receive a draft selection after Competitive Balance Round B, which follows the second round. Phew. Got that? Of course, there's another side to this coin. To receive compensation, players have to be signed. In the past, that meant giving up your first non-protected pick. With several teams unwilling to give away their first-round selection, the pool of teams chasing free agents was reduced. While the new CBA still features a hefty price attached for major-market clubs, the tweaks to the rules aims to reduce some of the aversion to players with compensation. For example, this offseason, a club under the luxury tax threshold and receiving revenue sharing money will now forfeit their third-highest draft pick to make that sort of signing, a much better scenario for the Indians than losing a first-rounder. Teams over the tax threshold, however, will now lose their second- and fifth-highest draft picks. They will also forfeit $1 million in international bonus pool money. Clubs under the tax threshold that don't receive revenue sharing money are now forced to give up their second-highest pick and $500,000 in international bonus pool cash. The good news? The current CBA setup allows teams like the Indians to occasionally make a play for a major free agent without being forced to give up a top draft pick. And the big market teams? They need to be mindful of crossing into the luxury tax and giving up international money and multiple selections. On the flip side, that also allows other small-market clubs to enter the fray in a similar fashion to the Tribe. And with the system being new, we still don't know all the ways this will impact the system.
Cleveland Indians could lose pitching coaches Mickey Callaway, Ruben Niebla; Callaway to meet with Phillies By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians could lose more than the AL Division Series now that the offseason has officially begun.
Two of their top pitching coaches could be headed elsewhere. Mickey Callaway, the Tribe's big-league pitching coach, has been rumored to be managerial candidate for a number of teams. The Phillies, it has been learned, have officially asked for permission to talk to Callaway and he's expected to interview with them in the near future.
ESPN's Buster Olney was first to report the Phillies' interest in Callaway.
Ruben Niebla, the Indians minor league pitching coordinator, has also been approached about a big-league coaching job from another team. Niebla has been with the Indians for the last 17 years and has worked with a lot of pitchers on the current big-league staff.
The Phillies, who have an impressive array of young talent and a good farm system, created the vacancy at manager when they moved Pete Mackanin into a front office job at the end of this season.
Indians pitchers have flourished under Callaway, 42. This year the Tribe's rotation went 81-38 and posted the top ERA in the AL at 3.52. The bullpen also led the AL in ERA at 2.89. The rotation boasted two 18-game winners in Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco and a 17-game winner in Trevor Bauer. The rotation had five pitchers with 10 or more wins when Mike Clevinger (12-6) and Josh Tomlin (10-9) were included.
The Indians were the only team in the big leagues to have that many pitchers with 10 or more wins.
The staff's 3.30 ERA was the lowest in the big leagues. It was the first time the Indians have done that since 1954. They also set a big-league record with 1,614 strikeouts, while allowing the fewest walks in the big leagues with 406.
Niebla, 47, has played a big role in developing pitchers such as Kluber, Clevinger, Tomlin, Carrasco and Danny Salazar. He served as the Indians' interim pitching coach in 2012 after Scott Radinsky was fired.
If Callaway leaves, it will be interesting to see if John Farrell will replace him. Farrell, fired as Boston's manager on Wednesday, was Francona's pitching coach in Boston. They were teammates on the 1988 Indians.
Farrell was drafted and pitched for the Indians. He served as their farm director before joining Francona in Boston as his pitching coach.
Cleveland Indians, ousted from postseason, now must decide who goes and who stays for 2018 By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com p CLEVELAND, Ohio - Manager Terry Francona says teams never ease into the end a baseball season. They're going 99 mph one minute and surrounded by burning rubber and squealing tires the next. It ended that way for the Indians on Wednesday night when they were eliminated from the postseason by the Yankees in a 5-2 loss in Game 5 of the AL Division Series. The Indians won 102 games in the regular season and were dumped in the first round of the postseason after holding a 2-0 lead over New York. So now what? The preparations for next season are coming in a hurry and the Indians have a lot to attend to in terms of free agents and players with options. Carlos Santana, Jay Bruce, Bryan Shaw, Austin Jackson, Joe Smith and Craig Breslow are eligible for free agency following the last game of the World Series. Michael Brantley, Josh Tomlin and Boone Logan have options for 2018. The Indians need to make a decision on them three days after the last game of the World Series. If they don't exercise the options, they will become free agents. Santana has played his entire big-league career with the Indians. He'd like to come back, but it depends on what the Indians want and the offers he receives from other teams. "I want to stay here, but we'll see what happens," said Santana, who hit .259 with 23 homers and 79 RBI. "We haven't talked. I didn't want to talk during the playoffs. I wanted to concentrate and try to help my team." Carlos Santana hopes he hasn't played his final game for Cleveland Indians | ALDS GAME 5 Santana said losing the Yankees was hard, but added, "I think we can come back next year, finish strong, make it to the World Series and win a championship." The Indians acquired Bruce from the Mets on Aug. 9. He hit .248 (37-for-149) with seven homers and 26 RBI after the trade. He hits the free- agent market coming off a 36-homer, 101-RBI season. Late in the regular season, Bruce said he would be interested in re-signing with the Indians. "I couldn't have asked for a better situation to be brought into," said Bruce. "This is the kind of situation where I've become very comfortable, very quickly. My first nine years of my career were spent in a very similar place (Cincinnati), so this has been a very, very good situation. "This is the type of place where I feel I'd enjoy playing. ... My biggest thing in my next contract is to be somewhere that we have a chance to win. Obviously, the contract has to be fair. But I would definitely say that being in a place where we have a chance to win and my family is comfortable is very high on the list. Those are two things you can check off here." Bauer, Bruce propel Tribe past Yankees, 4-0: 10/5/17 If Wednesday night was Shaw's final appearance as an Indian, he threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He went 4-6 with a 3.52 ERA in 79 appearances during the regular season. In five seasons with the Indians, Shaw made 378 appearances, never fewer than 70 in a season. He led or tied for the lead in appearances in the AL three times. "I would love to stay here in this bullpen," said Shaw. "We have a lot of great guys down here. The position players, the hitters, the guys coming back next year, it's going to be a good team for a while, so I would definitely love to come back." The Indians hold an $11 million option on Brantley for 2018. He played just 11 games in 2016 because of surgery on his right shoulder and missed most of the second half of this year with a right ankle problem. If the Indians don't exercise his option, they would have to offer him an $18 million qualifying offer to receive draft pick compensation if Brantley signs with another team. Bryan Shaw expects a postseason return in 2018 | Indians vs. Yankees | ALDS GAME 5 Brantley said it would mean the world to him to be back with the Indians next season. "I started a quest back in 2009," he said, referring to his first year with the Indians. "I want to finish the right way. I don't want to go out like this if it's my choice. It's not. "I just look forward to hopefully being back here with this group of guys. I have amazing relationships with everybody in this locker room. I just look forward to being a part of it for a long time." Brantley hit .299 (101-for-338) with nine homers and 52 RBI in 90 regular-season games. He made the ALDS roster as a pinch-hitter, but struggled when he had to fill in for injured Edwin Encarnacion. Brantley went 1-for-11 against the Yankees. The Indians hold a $3 million option on Tomlin for 2018. When asked how long it would take him to get over losing to the Yankees, Tomlin said, "Probably a while. I'm not sure how you get over something like this. I'm not really sure I'm over last year, either. The only way to get over something like that is to go out there and win ... and that's not what happened." The Indians had a 3-1 lead in the World Series in 2016 only to lose three straight to the Cubs. In spring training the Indians talked about being the last team standing in October. They didn't do it and Tomlin knows that some of those players won't be back next year. One may be him if the Indians don't pick up his option. It made Wednesday's loss even more difficult. "It's one of those things where this could be the last game you play with this group of guys you care about, that you enjoy and that you love," said Tomlin. "That's probably the hardest part of everything - you don't want it to end. This is too good of a team to go home and everybody in here knows it. That's why it's so tough on us." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.13.2017 Cleveland Indians 2017 -- A short essay on a short postseason: Bill Livingston By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The late commissioner of baseball, Bart Giamatti, famously wrote in "Take Time for Paradise: Americans and Their Games": "Baseball breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart." In a way, Giamatti lived and died with what he preached. His own heart broke as he defended baseball's integrity against a compulsive gambler and all-time great player, Pete Rose. Today, the commissioner's words serve as an elegy for a paradise that was lost again for the 69th straight time. Klubot and Klunot The autumn chill, mist, and rain of the fifth game of the American League Division Series certainly foreshadowed the civic mood today. This was another game in which Klubot turned into Klunot, and the bats were as silent as the leaves, which fell as quietly as the Cleveland Indians. Whatever was Corey Kluber's problem -- and speculation about back pain was widespread -- his last three postseason starts, going back to the short-rest diminuendo of Game 7 in the World Series last year have been terrible. The numbers are positively Kershavian: Three starts, 10 1/3 innings, 13 earned runs, 16 hits, 10 strikeouts, six home runs allowed in 46 batters faced. Although he probably will remain one of baseball's premier starters, just as is the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw, such games affect legacies. Other Indians' outages The players the Indians counted on simply did not come through. The New York Yankees' game plan had more than a little to do with that, of course. So did the pressure of being the World Series favorites. There was no sneaking up on anyone, unlike last year. Francisco Lindor had only one huge moment, on his grand slam in the second game. Dark horse Most Valuable Player candidate Jose Ramirez did nothing of consequence. Michael Brantley wasn't Kyle Schwarber after being activated. The Indians should have lost in four games, except for Yankee manager Joe Girardi's brain lock on the hit by pitch controversy before Lindor's slam. Pinstripe power It wasn't just the Baby Bomber power, although Didi Gregorius' two home runs off Kluber accounted for all the runs New York needed. The Yankees have always earned grudging respect for the way they work the count, spoil "out" pitches, extend innings, and exhaust pitchers. Closer Cody Allen couldn't finish off Todd Frazier, the No. 9 hitter, in the ninth inning and walked him with two out. In an epic 12-pitch duel, leadoff man Brett Gardner slashed an RBI single that the Indians' once immaculate defense misplayed into an additional run. Cleveland committed four errors in Game 4. Baseball can be maddeningly slow. No other sport, however, provides the time and space for fans to feel in their bones the tension rising with each foul ball, to know in their hearts the dread they thought September's long winning streak had banished, and to sense that a shadow at midnight was falling across a season and team that had been so grand. It's just baseball, not life. But it's made for pain, as much as parades. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 10.13.2017 Indians will be 2018 contenders, but offseason promises to be interesting KEVIN KLEPS Francisco Lindor and the Indians will be postseason contenders again in 2018, but Jay Bruce, left, is one of the club's most notable free agents.
Not being able to hold a 3-1 lead in the World Series is crushing.
But the reaction to the 2016 Indians' late collapse seemed mostly positive.
The Indians, with all of their injuries, had no business being as dominant as they were in the first 12 games of the 2016 playoffs, and their ailments finally caught up to them against a team that won 103 games in the regular season.
The Tribe's latest postseason failure — dropping the final three games of the American League Division Series to the Yankees — is different.
The 2017 Indians were one of the most entertaining clubs we've ever watched. They racked up the second-most victories in franchise history, had baseball's longest winning streak in 101 years and were the favorites to win it all.
But they'll be remembered, unfairly or not, as the first team to squander two-game series leads in back-to-back postseasons.
The good news is most of the players will return in 2018, and the Tribe will be prohibitive favorites to win a third consecutive division title.
The bad news: The best teams often don't win in the MLB playoffs, and the slightest miscues — or in the Indians' case, the defense and the top of the order failing them at the worst time — can be the difference between moving on and lining up tee times.
So where do the Indians go from here?
Likely back to the postseason, for starters. But this offseason promises to be an interesting one.
The Indians have eight notable, potential free agents — Jay Bruce, Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley, Austin Jackson, Bryan Shaw, Josh Tomlin, Joe Smith and Boone Logan.
That's assuming the Tribe doesn't exercise a $12 million team option on Brantley's contract and a $7 million option on Logan. Both of those moves seem like givens, which would mean the club would pay each player a $1 million buyout.
We expect Tomlin to return via a $3 million team option, since the difference between the veteran pitcher's salary and his buyout ($750,000) isn't significant enough to justify letting a possible fifth starter or bullpen arm leave.
Bruce and Santana would be the most expensive to retain, with each likely to command annual salaries above their 2017 figures of $13 million and $12 million, respectively.
Our guess: The Indians will re-sign one to a three- or four-year deal — with Santana the more probable of the two — and let the other walk.
If Tomlin returns, the Indians would have 10 players set to make a combined $73.6 million in 2018 — Edwin Encarnacion ($17 million), Jason Kipnis ($13.5 million), Corey Kluber ($10.5 million), Andrew Miller ($9 million), Carlos Carrasco ($8 million), Yan Gomes ($5.95 million), Tomlin ($3 million), Brandon Guyer ($2.75 million), Jose Ramirez ($2.43 million) and Roberto Perez ($1.5 million). Factor in the buyouts for Brantley and Logan, and the Indians would be at $75.6 million.
Seven others are eligible for arbitration, though we wouldn't be surprised if a couple didn't return. (We could see the Tribe cutting ties with Dan Otero and Abraham Almonte, who are entering their second and first years of arbitration, respectively.)
The other five — Cody Allen, Lonnie Chisenhall, Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar and Zach McAllister — earned a combined $20.5 million in 2017. Conservatively, we'd anticipate that total would increase to at least $28 million next season, with Allen (who's entering his final year of arbitration), Chisenhall (see Allen) and Bauer (second year of arbitration) getting the largest bumps in pay.
That would put the club's total at about $103.6 million for 15 players.
The Indians are fortunate to have more than a handful of other options, including their best player in Francisco Lindor, who have yet to reach arbitration and will be bargains by big-league standards. That group includes the likes of Bradley Zimmer (who was missed quite a bit in the ALDS), Mike Clevinger, Tyler Olson and Giovanny Urshela.
The Indians, according to Spotrac, closed 2017 with a franchise-record payroll of $139.2 million. That total is higher than the figure you'll see on most websites, because Spotrac takes into account all of the minor-leaguers who made brief or extended appearances with the club (thus earning large increases in pay), prorated portions of signing bonuses, incentives and retained salaries (such as Chris Johnson, who hasn't played for the Indians since 2015 but accounted for $9 million in 2017).
The Tribe should surpass that figure in 2018, and the Dolans have proven that they'll continue to boost the payroll as long as the championship window is open.
That's undoubtedly the case, and as we broke down after the Tribe acquired Bruce in August, the MLB business is booming. The Tribe's biz team has also benefited from the back-to-back postseason appearances, with the club's best attendance total since 2008 and a season-ticket base that will enter the 2018 campaign at its strongest point in a decade.
Next October, you'll likely be preparing yourself for the emotional roller coaster that is baseball's postseason.
The Indians will be back.
But how much the last two years will affect them is a theme that won't go away until this incredibly fun group has the ultimate celebration.
You can follow me on Twitter for sports information and analysis, and to remind me of any significant 2018 options I overlooked. Indians' young core poised to keep World Series window open for years to come
The Indians came up short in 2017, but they'll be back Dayn Perry It's hard to marshal much in the way optimism, hope, after what's befallen the Indians the last two postseasons. In the 2016 World Series, they frittered away a three-games-to-one lead over the Cubs and as a capstone endured an agonizingly white-knuckled loss in Game 7. This year, they won 102 games in the regular season and, unlikely 12 months prior, boasted a healthy rotation. In keeping with expectations, the Tribe barged to a 2-0 lead over the Yankees in the best-of-five ALDS. Joe Girardi's grave managerial gaffe in Game 2 gave a veneer of certainty to the whole thing. But because baseball is at time cruelly beholden to the unexpected, the Indians -- strangely freighted down its best players -- squandered the series lead and saw a season end with neither belt nor title for the 69th straight time. "Maybe next year" for squadrons like the Indians is tiresome beyond the usual cliched nature of such a lamentation, but look around: It's all they've got right now. So next year, maybe. The Twins are coming off a trip to the postseason (albeit one that lasted not even nine innings), so they're to be taken seriously. The White Sox have an uncommonly bright long-term future, but being "not objectionably bad" rather than "good" is their near-term outlook. The embers from the Tigers' teardown are still smoking -- you can smell them and everything -- and the below-.500 Royals are poised to be waylaid by free agent losses. All of this is to say: The AL Central, home to the Indians, figures to be eminently winnable by those very same Indians. Cleveland is indeed well-positioned, at least for 2018. Corey Kluber, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Andrew Miller, Carlos Carrasco, and Edwin Encarnacion are all under team control through at least next season. Framed another way, Carlos Santana, Jay Bruce, and Bryan Shaw are the most significant pending free agents on the roster. You can't hand-wave away those three talents, but they're replaceable in the event they go elsewhere. Speaking of the implied topic of free agents, the Indians this past season ran an Opening Day payroll of roughly $140 million. At present, they'll head into the 2017-18 offseason with just a bit more than $75 million in guaranteed salary commitments. The Indians have a number of notable contributors in line for arbitration raises, so that's going to bump the payroll up. Even after that, though, there will be some flexibility. The front office knows it's in win-now mode, and last year's surprise $60 million signing of Encarnacion shows a willingness on the part of the Dolan family to invest in the product. If the Indians opt to keep Jason Kipnis in the outfield, then Bruce's forthcoming departure may not be such a concern. Young Bradley Zimmer will return from his hand injury and likely pin down center. While Michael Brantley's health will always be a concern, the Indians have an option on him for 2018 that they may exercise. Lonnie Chisenhall is quite effective as the primary half of a corner platoon. Or maybe they prefer to move Kipnis back to second base, thus shoring up the infield. If that's the case, then perhaps the Indians would do well to target, say, Lorenzo Cain on the market. Cain had an impressive season in 2017 and boasts a lengthy track record of strong performances. As well, Cain's on the wrong side of 30, which could tamp down his going rates and make him a good fit for a win-now mid-market club team like Cleveland. Even with Zimmer's high ceiling, the Indians -- if Kipnis returns to the keystone, Bruce walks, and they cut bait on Brantley -- will likely need external help in the outfield. How they address that potential need may be the most interesting Indians subplot of the winter. As for first base, Santana's a highly popular figure in Cleveland, with good cause. He has, however, shown some signs of decline. Perhaps the Indians will decide they need a bridge until Bobby Bradley's ready. While Eric Hosmer may not fit within the budget, Logan Morrison and Yonder Alonso will be free agents, too.
On possible in-house upgrade is at catcher. Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez have their catch-and-throw merits, but largely because of those two the Indians got production from their backstops that was somewhat below the league standard for the position. It certainly didn't sink them, but it's an opportunity for upgrade. That upgrade could come in the person of Francisco Mejia. The 21-year-old Mejia got an 11-game cameo with the big-league clubs this season, and he figures to be ready for regular duty at some point in 2018. The switch-hitter famously logged a 50- game hit streak in the Midwest League in 2016, and he continued producing at a high level in Double-A this year. He'll soon provide the Tribe with offensive ceiling that haven't enjoyed at the catcher position in a long time. Mejia is one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and he could help the Indians in 2018. Speaking of 2018, it would be inaccurate to call it the Indians' last best chance, especially with young stars and potential stars like Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Zimmer, and Mejia in the fold. They'd do well to lock up Andrew Miller beyond next season, and they'll need to hope that Encarnacion doesn't hit deep decline before then. Also, the White Sox will very likely be ready to matter by 2019, and the Twins figure to be of note. The further out you get, the less certain things become. So for the Indians, it looks promising for 2018 -- you know, next year. You've heard this before, but they'll again be good enough to hoist the trophy for the first time since way back yonder in 1948. The cold reality is that the best way to win a World Series is to make the playoffs as often as possible and hope your number comes up. Since dice have no blood, the outer margins of probability on occasion afflict a team for, say, 108 or 69 years. It's just how it goes in this, our baseball. The hope within and around the Indians is that, this time next year, some other team will be the most conspicuous victim of the vagaries of October. They've had their turn, you know.
The Indians’ World Series hopes were dashed again — and it hurts more this time By Tom Withers, The Associated Press CLEVELAND >> The stinging loss still too fresh to process, outfielder Michael Brantley worked his way around the solemn, shocked clubhouse and hugged some new Indians teammates and ones he’s played with for years.
The emotion was raw, not like in 2016, when broken hearts were filled with pride following an extra-inning loss in Game 7 of the World Series.
It hurt more this time.
Josh Tomlin’s eyes welled with tears as he searched for words to explain what had happened. None ever came.
October, the month when championships are seized or squandered, was callous to Cleveland once more. “I’m not really sure how you get over something like this,” Tomlin said after the Indians were pitched from the postseason with a 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the AL Division Series. “I’m not really sure I’m over last year, either. The only way to get over something like this is to go out there and win, and that’s not what happened.”
What happened was the Indians didn’t hit, didn’t pitch and, like last year, didn’t deliver a knockout punch while giving up a two-game lead in the postseason. It’s an unforgiveable sin, and sadly, one Cleveland teams have repeated.
Since 1999, the Indians are 3-17 in series-clinching games, an unconscionable record in the most consequential month. In the past two years, Cleveland has lost six consecutive games — three with a chance to win their first Series since 1948, and now three to the Yankees — with a chance to close out a series and is 2-8 in those games under manager Terry Francona.
It’s somewhat unfair to label a team this successful as chokers, but they’ve done nothing to dispel that tag.
“It’s baseball,” said Brantley, whose personal comeback season was disrupted by another injury. “Nothing matters after the regular season is over. The goal is to win three games. We came up short. They’re a great team over there. We’ve got to give credit where credit’s due. They beat us. We just need to make sure we come back stronger, mentally, physically and just prepare to get back in this situation again.”
Nothing is guaranteed. Nothing is promised.
The Indians won 102 games in the regular season, strung together the AL’s longest winning streak in 116 years and entered the postseason as the league’s top seed in a four-week tournament where the madness can match anything that happens in March.
The postseason will go without them. “It absolutely stinks,” said closer Cody Allen. “It’s like you’re a kid and you go to the amusement park and you stay for 10 minutes and you have to leave.”
The sudden exit was quickly followed by questions about Corey Kluber’s health. An 18-game winner, the expected Cy Young winner and the AL’s best pitcher from April through September, Kluber was ordinary in October. Actually, he wasn’t that good.
Kluber didn’t get the past the fourth inning in either start against the Yankees, and after downplaying the idea that the right-hander’s tricky back might be bothering him again, Francona said the ace was “fighting a lot” on the mound.
>> Corey Kluber lets the Indians down at the worst possible time | Opinion
In hindsight, Francona’s decision not to start Kluber in Game 1 may have been a warning sign. Francona’s explanation at the time was that he wanted Kluber in case there was a Game 5, but that reasoning went against everything the revered manager had preached all season, evoking his “win today” mantra ad nauseum.
But while Francona may be getting second-guessed, the bottom line is that Cleveland’s best players didn’t delivers.
Kluber posted a 12.79 ERA and gave up four homers in 6 1-3 innings. All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and MVP candidate Jose went a combined 4 for 38 in the series, often flailing at pitches out of the strike zone. Jason Kipnis didn’t hit, Edwin Encarnacion missed two games with a sprained ankle and no one else stepped up.
>> Photos: Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees, ALDS Game 5
While Lindor and Ramirez represent the team’s youthful core, the Indians have major offseason decisions to make with some important veterans like Brantley, Tomlin and first baseman Carlos Santana. Jay Bruce, whose acquisition in an August trade made the club stronger, will hit the free agent market as will dependable relievers Bryan Shaw and Joe Smith.
Brantley’s situation is the most delicate. The team has a $12 million contract option on the 30-year-old for 2018, and must weigh whether he’s worth it after being limited to 101 games over the past two seasons because of injuries.
The key piece when Cleveland traded CC Sabathia to Milwaukee nine years ago, Brantley blossomed into one of the league’s best all-around players as the Indians grew into contenders.
He can’t imagine playing for another team.
“I started a quest back in 2009,” Brantley said. “I want to finish it the right way. I don’t want to go out like this if it’s my choice. It’s not.”
Commentary: In baseball, the best don't always win it all -- and the Indians proved it Chris Assenheimer ByChris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-TelegramPublished on Oct. 13, 2017 If the Indians’ Division Series loss to the Yankees proved anything — emphatically and agonizingly-so for Tribe fans — it’s that baseball is the most unpredictable sport in the world.
Who would have thought the Indians, who won an American League-best 102 games and produced the longest winning streak in AL history (22 games) during the regular season would lose in the first round to a team that didn’t even win its own division?
It’s baseball.
Who would have thought that a team that had just experienced a World Series run the year before would blow a 2-0 lead to a team full of young players who were on the postseason stage for the first time?
It’s baseball.
Who would have thought that ace Corey Kluber, who is in line to win his second Cy Young award after dominating the opposition on a consistent basis over the final five months of the regular season, would pitch terribly in two ALDS starts?
It’s baseball.
Who would have thought that a 37-year-old CC Sabathia would outpitch Kluber, not once, but twice in front of his former fans at Progressive Field? Would have been nice had Sabathia performed as well in an Indians uniform during the 2007 ALCS, but that’s a different subject.
It’s baseball.
Who would have thought that two of your biggest offensive stars, shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Jose Ramirez would go a combined 4-for-38 over the five games?
It’s baseball.
Who would have thought last year’s ALCS MVP Andrew Miller would have served up a game-winning home run to Greg freaking Bird in Game 3?
It’s baseball.
Who would have thought that after posting the AL’s highest fielding percentage during the regular season, the Indians would commit seven errors in the final two games of the series?
It’s baseball.
Who would have thought the team leader in homers and RBIs, Edwin Encarnacion, would sustain a sprained ankle in the first inning of Game 2 and become a complete non-factor?
Who would have thought that two of your weakest hitters during the regular season — catchers Roberto Perez and Yan Gomes — would be two of the strongest?
It’s baseball.
Who would have thought New York’s Aaron Judge would be the only right fielder tall enough to rob Lindor of a potential game-winning homer in Game 2?
It’s baseball.
Who would have thought that after a much-maligned regular season that Bryan Shaw would be the Indians’ best reliever in the ALDS?
It’s baseball.
I could go on and on, but you get the picture.
You can call the Indians chokers. I mean, after all, they did appear to take control of the series after a dramatic 13-inning victory in Game 2 and they don’t have a great track record in postseason elimination games, losing their last six and 14 of their last 17 clinch opportunities.
But I’m not buying that. How can you label the 2016 Indians chokers after all they overcame? No one expected them to advance to the World Series.
And the teams in the past that came up short had different players and personalities.
It’s just baseball and one of the reasons I haven’t completely embraced the advanced metrics statistics — launch angle, hit probability, that kind of stuff.
Because I don’t think baseball makes ANY sense and never will.
Rarely do the best teams during the regular season win the world championship. In fact, only three of 23 teams to have posted 100 or more wins during the regular season went on to win the World Series — most recently, the Cubs over the Indians last year. Of those 23 teams, 10 (thanks to the Indians) have been eliminated in the first round.
Wrap your head around that. In what other sport would that happen? None, and certainly not at that rate.
I learned long ago after the Indians advanced to the World Series in my first year on the beat.
I figured this was the norm and I would be headed back to the Fall Classic multiple times.
In the 20 years since, I’ve covered one.
Take it from me, it’s baseball.