It’s unlikely the Indians will emerge as serious contenders in 2016 without roster additions via free agency and/or trades.
Given the current cast of position players, it might not be enough even if the solid starting pitching rotation performs like Cleveland’s long-ago fabled staffs of Feller, Lemon, Wynn and Garcia.
The Indians have one of baseball’s weakest group of outfielders, have questions at third base and need consistent run production from the designated hitter slot. They have sub-standard major league-ready organizational depth. It would be ideal if one or two of these issues could be solved with much-needed right-handed hitting.
Though there seems to be starting pitching depth, the cliché that “you never have enough” is accurate. Seldom do teams escape injuries and disappointments within the rotation. The Indians could use a left-handed starter, anyway, and the addition of another starter could make a holdover available in trade talks. The Tribe also doesn’t have any lefty reliever owning an impressive major league resume.
We know the Indians won’t be in the running for the most appealing and thus expensive free agents.
But, given their budget restraints, here are a dozen free agents — in alphabetical order — that might fit into the Indians’ budget and help meet roster needs. None of them received qualifying offers from the teams they finished last season with, so none would require the team signing them to forfeit a draft pick. Each player’s age is what he will be on Opening Day:
Antonio Bastardo, relief pitcher, age 30
The left-handed short reliever has made between 64 and 67 appearances in four of the last five seasons. Usually going to the four-seam fastball or slider as his out pitch, Bastardo went 4-1 with a 2.98 ERA in 57 1/3 innings spanning 66 games last season with the Pirates. He allowed just 39 hits, while striking out 64 and walking 26.
Rajai Davis, outfield, 35
Davis still runs well, and is a solid defender at any of the outfield positions. The right-handed hitter owns a .296 career batting average against left-handed pitching, so he could add balance to the Indians’ lineup.
Davis hit .258, and showed off extra-base power/speed with 16 doubles, 11 triples and eight home runs in 341 at bats with the Tigers last season. He drew just 22 walks while fanning 76 times, and he stole 18 bases in 26 attempts. In the previous seven years, Davis averaged 40 stolen bases in 50 tries.
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