It’s been a great off season for the Indians, hasn’t it? In an off season where the Tribe signs two of the top free agents on the market, many reporters and fans are asking how did the Indians find this money, as well as why free agents would sign with Cleveland? The way that the Indians have an influx of not only young players, but also veterans who are reliable and can produce for this team has provided an example to the Cavaliers and Browns of how to build and compete with a balanced roster.
Coming into the 2013 off season the Cleveland Indians had a disappointing 68-94 record, which left Tribe fans wondering how talented is this team REALLY? While they had a record of 44-41 going into the All-Star Break, they drastically fell off in production, which led to a 24-53 record after the break, including a 5-24 record in the month of August alone. So as the Indians executives looked at the team, they knew that the squad needed some help and was very young. They looked to former Red Sox Manager Terry Francona. With his leadership and experience with two World Series Championships, Francona provided the biggest blessing for the team in more ways than they had thought possible.
Once the winter meetings commenced, free agents began to sign left and right. The Indians were rumored to be talking to almost every name on the market. It was clear that Terry Francona was having a huge effect on the team before he even managed a game. Tribe fans were shocked when reports surfaced about an offer to outfielder Shane Victorino of about 4 years, $44 million. Where did this money come from? This was a burning question throughout the league. The Indians never go hard after top free agents! How could they afford this? These questions began to take national headlines on December 23rd when the Tribe signed former New York Yankee outfielder Nick Swisher to a 4 year, $56 million deal. Experts questioned the move because of his smaller role with the Yankees along with the large sum of money paid to Swisher. Once again, Francona played a huge role. Swisher credited Francona for bringing him in when he talked in his introductory press conference, “When Terry signed – you don’t bring a guy like this in here unless you plan on winning – having the sort of captain of your ship, that guy who’s proven, who knows the right way – it was a very easy decision for me.” Francona was a magnet for talent and knew what to look for.
After signings like Brett Myers, Mark Reynolds, and Daisuke Matsuzaka, it was clear that Francona knew what to look for, but it’s what the Indians did next that really sparked the interest of the national media. For months, outfielder Michael Bourn was sitting on the open market waiting for his payday, but it seemed like no one was offering. In late January to early February, the New York Mets were showing interest in the speedy center fielder, but had a problem in with the draft pick compensation that was attached to him. They had the 11th pick in the draft, only because the Pittsburgh Pirates failed to sign its top draft pick in 2012, pitcher Mark Appel, and was given the 10th pick as compensation. The Mets did not want to lose its pick, so it planned on filing grievance with the MLB to allow the pick to be protected. This process would’ve taken 2 to 3 weeks to go through. This was too long for Bourn, who turned and signed a 4 year, $48 million deal with the Indians. It was clear that Francona was building a team that had a future, as well as respect from other teams for the efforts made since the new skipper.
The success of the Indians gave us something that was different from any other off season in Cleveland history. It really showed. Both the Cavs and Browns should be taking notes because the Tribe has made smart and aggressive moves during the entire off season. All three teams have a young core of players that are still developing and have struggled over the past few years. While national analysts have used Cleveland sports’ futility as the butt of many jokes, Cleveland sports are on the upswing. The Indians off season moves were the first step back to supremacy.
The Cavs have used the usual “Build Through the Draft” approach, as have the Browns. That is why the Indians approach is an example. The addition of veteran leadership in places of need and use of free agency is critical for every team. A team can’t only rely on youth, there must be talent added through free agency in order to better the team. Yes, a team can get tons of talent from drafting, but there is also the risk of a draft pick not reaching his potential. When a free agent is sign, even though it is unknown as to how he will fit into the system and play with the current players, he still has experience and a estimate of his production based on his playing time in the league.
While the Cavs and Browns are both still in the rebuilding phase of the franchise, the Indians have shown how to get back to respectability. For this, not only the national media should take notice, but also the other Cleveland teams should take notice.
