Indians Twitter is a funny place. It's as if people are just suddenly grasping that the Indians aren't the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, the Indians are going to make moves to try and save themselves money, but that doesn't mean everything they do is strictly a salary dump.
Would you rather have 2 years of Carlos Santana for $29 million or 1 year of Edwin Encarnacion for $25 million? Before you answer that, keep some things in mind:
1.) Encarnacion has seen his WAR decline in each of the last 4 seasons: 4.5 in 2015, 3.8 in 2016, 2.8 in 2017, and 1.9 last season. For a hitter that depends on his ability to hit a fastball out of the ballpark, entering his age 36 season, those are rapidly declining numbers. Yes, he still hit 32 home runs last season and drove in over 100 runs, but be honest - did you ever feel that presence in the lineup? The Houston Astros sure didn't. Maybe that isn't fair, as not even team MVP Jose Ramirez was hitting at that point in the season, but Encarnacion sure did not bring any fear into pitchers Justin Verlander or Gerrit Cole. Encarnacion was a massive disappointment in his time in Cleveland. Still, I applaud the Indians front office for signing him to the richest deal in franchise history (3 years, $65 million when including the buyout). The Indians smelled blood and went for the kill.
2.) Carlos Santana, even in down year in which he hit just .228, still managed to walk 110 times and put up a .352 on base percentage, just 11 points off his career average of .363. His WAR was 1.7, right on par with Encarnacion's. Plus, he is 32 years old. His power numbers are still solid. In a new environment, hitters can often struggle in their first season, facing pitchers they've never seen. Remember, Santana had never played for another team besides the Indians, whom he debuted for back in 2009. Hitters are creatures of habbit, studying pitchers like lawyers studying to take the bar exam. Santana also likely felt the pressure of living up to the $60 million contract he signed, which blew away the market for him at the time.
This isn't a statistic, but when I think of Santana, I think of a gritty type of player. A guy who grinds out at-bats, whether it's against a team's ace or the back end of their bullpen. He hits lefties and righties. This team can use more players like that. Not to say that Encarnacion was not a good influence on the clubhouse, but Santana was one of the leaders. Which is why the Indians desperately tried to keep him last off-season, but when the Phillies made him a Godfather type offer, nobody could match it. It raised eyebrows in the industry (much like how I believe they just overpaid for Andrew McCutchen, giving him 3 years and $50 million. Michael Brantley is gonna get PAID).
The biggest question the Indians face this off-season, to me, is this: What makes them better in a 5 or 7 game series? Say winning the division is a given. Personally, I think something they realllly lacked desperately last season against the Astros was the ability to put up a quality at-bat. How often did you find yourself cursing at the TV after watching Jose Ramirez pop up the first pitch of an at-bat for an easy out? How often did you see Yonder Alonso swing at a 3rd strike at his letters?
A hitter such as Santana can hit leadoff and allow Lindor to take more of a run producing role in the lineup, hitting 2nd or 3rd where he belongs. Santana will work a count and work a pitcher, which is necessary when you are facing studs like Justin Verlander. You can't give away outs in the post season. Santana may not hit for a high average, but he is a tough out. He works a count. Plus, he's a switch hitter, and many of the dominant pitchers in the American League are right handed.
How often did you actually trust Encarnacion in a high leverage at-bat? His bat speed seemed to be slowing down, which will only magnify as he ages.
As for trading Yandy - look, I don't really know why, but Tito did not fully trust Yandy Diaz. Maybe it was the fact that he was strictly a singles hitter. Maybe it was the fact that he was not disciplined at the plate. Maybe it was his less than average defense. But he never entered the inner circle.
Diaz is 27, where Jake Bauers, the first basemen they got back from the Rays, is 23. He's a left handed hitter with power, who was the #48 prospect in baseball entering last season. The Rays had a freaking marketing campaign about the guy being the future of their franchise. He's young and raw, but he is going to play a lot. The next name to go could very well be Yonder Alonso.
Here's what else these moves do: Yes, they give them financial flexibility. The moves reportedly clear up around $10 million in payroll for the 2019 season. If they can unload another $8 million from Alonso, they'll really be cooking. No, this does not mean they are going to be able to extend Lindor - not going to happen, folks. Enjoy him while he's here.
BUT, it does give them flexibility. They don't have to trade Trevor Bauer or Corey Kluber to give them financial room to breathe, if the right deal does not present itself. Personally, I think it will. There's just too much smoke around the Dodgers for there to not be a deal. But it gives the leverage back to the Indians. Trades are a game of poker - if a team knows you have to shed payroll, are they going to feel the urgency to give you their best offer?
In summary, I am a HUGE advocate for these moves today. Does it give you room to go get an outfielder such as AJ Pollock, who will likely command a deal in the $40 million range? I sure hope, but even if not, it ensures you have a first basemen for 2020 at an affordable figure, plus gives you short term flexibility. You get younger with Bauers, a player with more youth and more upside than Yandy Diaz. A big time win for the Indians.
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