2017 Spring Training Wishlist: Part 1

Baseball, played by actual baseball players, will be with us once again in a few week's time. And with that comes excitement, anticipation and expectations. Cleveland had a remarkable 2016, and they came oh so close to winning the World Series. Just getting that far was beyond my wildest dreams but to come up just short really hurt.

As a result, expectations for 2017 are higher than ever, especially when you consider the big free agent addition of Edwin Encarnacion. I'm hesitant to say it's World Series or bust this season but there's a definite feeling that the club need to capitalise on this momentum and ensure they are as competitive as possible during their best player's prime years.

With that being said and with Spring Training so tantalisingly close, here are some of the things I want to see from the Indians before the 2017 season gets underway for real:

A Healthy Michael Brantley

There's a sense of déjà vu this Spring Training where Brantley is concerned. This time last year the Indians' outfielder was busy rehabbing his right shoulder but it never felt entirely right, limiting Brantley to just 11 games in late April and early May before being shut down entirely in August for another trip to the operating table. That pesky shoulder of his never healed properly but hopefully it's been fully repaired this off-season.

So far in 2017, Brantley has made no promises on a return date and is wise to do so. Slow and steady is the motto this year, and any action he sees over the Spring is a bonus. I would love for him to get some much-needed reps in the Arizona sunshine but not at the expense of losing him during the summer. He's been my favorite Indians player for some time now and the team are undoubtedly a stronger force when he's in the lineup. Just think, we won the pennant without him. How good might we be when he's back to his near-MVP best?

Stability At Catcher

Yan Gomes has not had a good time of it lately. Coming off the back of a stellar 2014 campaign with an AL Silver Slugger award in his back pocket, big things were expected of Gomes. It seemed we finally had a replacement for Victor Martinez, and he was locked down on a long-term deal at a great price, 6 years for $23 million.

However since his breakthrough Gomes has been in sharp decline, and his bat has all but disappeared. Injuries have definitely taken their toll, and really hindered his ability to escape from some of those slumps that ate away at his stats. Whether it was his knee, his shoulder, or a fractured hand, nothing went Gomes' way between 2015-2016. His batting average the past two years is a combined .205, with just 22 walks to 173 strikeouts in that span. The rest of his stats don't make for pretty reading either (a .240 OBP - ouch).

To make matters worse, Gomes' understudy Roberto Perez proved to be more than adequate in Gomes' absence. As adept defensively as Gomes (Perez had a defensive rating of 6.9 compared to Gomes' 7.0, per Fangraphs), Perez also had some major moments with the bat, mostly in the postseason. However over the course of the 2016 regular season, Perez wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire, with a subpar .183/.285/.294 (BA/OBP/SLG) batting line in just 61 games played.

It's safe to say that the catching position wasn't a strength for the Indians in 2016, at least not offensively. So with that in mind, I'm just looking for some stability from our catchers this year. I think a healthy Gomes is more likely to provide this; if he can be at least average at the plate, when you combine that with his strong defensive work then the catching position can once again be a key contributor to this squad. I'm still very happy with the solid Perez in the backup spot, but should Gomes falter and not recover, then it would be interesting to see what Perez could do as a starter over a full season.

Both players had better get their acts into gear though, as 21 year-old top prospect Francisco Mejia is hot on their heels. The young Dominican catcher, recently ranked the 18th best prospect in all of baseball by ESPN's Keith Law, put on a show in 2016, slashing .342/.382/.514 with 11 homers and 80 RBI between A-ball Lake County and A+ Lynchburg. Mejia rose to minor-league fame thanks to his DiMaggio-like hitting streak, batting safely in 50 straight games to announce himself to the masses. He'll likely start 2017 at AA Akron so Gomes and Perez can rest easy for a little while, as Mejia is at least a year away from making his Indians debut. But Gomes and Perez cannot be complacent and must show signs of improving this year because in the long-run their days are numbered if they don't turn things around soon.

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That'll do for part one of my 2017 Spring wishlist. I'll return soon with part two.

Thanks for reading.

Indians Officially Sign Encarnacion

It was the Christmas present every Indians fan wanted. We all wrote it down on our list:

Dear Santa,

Please sign Edwin Encarnacion for the Cleveland Indians.

Yours, 

Suitably-excited Tribe fan

And guess what? Our wish came true, and just before Christmas Day Edwin agreed to join the American League pennant winners in their battle to once again reach the World Series, and go that one step further and win the damned thing.

In a morning press conference today at Progressive Field, the Indians officially announced the signing of first baseman Encarnacion to a three-year deal, the biggest free agent acquisition in recent memory.

It's positively unheard of to see a small-market club like the Indians make such a splash in free agency, but splash they did on Edwin. He has been handed the largest contract in franchise history, reportedly raking in $65 million in guaranteed money. His contract also includes a $5 million buyout clause for a fourth-year team option worth $25 million. If that option were to be picked up, Encarnacion's contract could reach as high as $80 million in total.

That's a lot of money for a 34 year-old slugger (his birthday is this Saturday), but the Indians did just add one of the most powerful right-handed hitters in the game. In 2016 Encarnacion had a battling line of .263./.357/.529 (BA/OBP/SLG) with an outstanding OPS+ of 133. The Dominican Republic native clubbed 42 home runs, drew 87 walks, scored 99 runs and 127 RBIs last season for the Blue Jays. He spent close to 8 years in Toronto altogether, and his slugging percentage didn't dip below .500 in the past 5 years; he also hit at least 30 homers in that time span, topping the 40 homer mark twice.

Encarnacion will likely split time between first base and DH with Carlos Santana (who will stay in Cleveland after his $12 million team option was picked up for 2017). Our new number 10 (Yan Gomes has swapped to number 7) will replace Mike Napoli as the team's premier power hitter.

Some might view this acquisition as a risky move for the Tribe but given that the deal is only for three years, it's not as risky as it could have been, especially considering Encarnacion's offensive output in recent years. The acquisition of Encarnacion was made with the "win now" mentality in mind and the Indians have every right to adopt this approach coming off the back of an incredible 2016. I can't wait to see him in Spring Training and together with Santana, Lindor, Kipnis and a healthy Brantley, the AL Central should be very afraid.

Indians Add Chris Colabello

The Indians have signed a first baseman from the Toronto Blue Jays but he's probably not the one fans wanted. During the winter meetings the name on many fan's lips was Edwin Encarnacion but the Tribe have opted for his teammate Chris Colabello, signing him to a minor league deal today.

Colabello is a 33 year-old right handed first baseman who will add some depth to the position, rather than solve the problem outright. In 2015 Colabello had a very impressive start to his career in Toronto, slashing .321/.367.520 (BA/OBP/SLG) over 101 games, with 15 home runs. It was good enough for a 138 OPS+ but things came crashing down in 2016.

Early into the season, Colabello was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Was this the cause behind his breakout 2015 campaign? Possibly, although Colabello himself adamantly denies ever taking PEDs.

Speaking to Sportsnet, Colabello said: “I would never, have never and will never compromise the integrity of baseball. Ever. In my life. And whether that means taking a performance enhancing supplement—I just wouldn’t do it. I don’t do it. I haven’t done it. I won’t do it.”

On his return to action following his suspension, Colabello was sent to the minors and never recaptured his 2015 form, slashing .185/.254/.293 over 45 games between A+ Dunedin and AAA Buffalo. It was not a triumphant comeback to say the least, and did nothing to sway his critics.

The sceptic in me thinks Colabello won't match that 2015 output, not playing clean anyway. However, now he's been given another chance in Cleveland and by all accounts he comes across as a good locker-room guy and well-liked player. I'm hoping he can turn things around and if it's going to happen, it might as well be in Cleveland. The Indians have had some recent success resurrecting the careers of fading veterans, giving them the chance to shine one more time. Maybe Colabello can add his name to that list.

Let Chief Wahoo Go

Chief Wahoo is a divisive topic among Indians fans, and fans of baseball and all-around taste in general. For a while now the grinning cartoon upon our team's caps and jerseys has caused all manner of controversy. It was brought to the fore once again during the postseason. And now the Chief is back, but with a much bigger bang.

It was reported last week that the Indians had taken the decision to finally retire the controversial logo once and for all. This turned out to be incorrect and in actual fact the logo was only being taken off the caps that go with the alternate navy uniforms. The Chief was alive and well for a little bit longer, but the news triggered another round of debate nonetheless.

Look, I'm not from Cleveland. I didn't spend my early years with this team, I didn't grow up with them. I came to baseball relatively late in my youth, in 2007. So I don't have any personal connection to Chief Wahoo. Honestly, it kind of put me off when I first chose the Indians as my team. As a Cavs fan since 2003, when I got into baseball I wanted to keep my Cleveland connection but the Chief very nearly made me choose someone else (I won't tell you who, but they're from New York... shhhh). It wasn't even because I hated what it stood for, or the connotations connected with it. I simply thought it was an ugly logo.

And I fully understand that there are a great many fans who love the Chief, especially if you grew up with that successful nineties team. I'm sure the uniqueness and longevity of the logo may even be financially beneficial to the franchise in some way.

But guys, the logo isn't cool anymore. I mean, it never was to begin with!

And it's racist.

A very large group of people find it offensive and rightfully so. I more than anybody love and value the tradition and history associated with baseball, but there are times when change can be a good thing.

I think Matt Lyons said it best at Let's Go Tribe when he wrote, "Whenever we talk about the Cleveland Indians removing their controversial Chief Wahoo logo from their merchandise, the most frequent analogy is ripping off a bandaid. There’s going to be backlash, it’s going to hurt, but in the long run it’s for the better. You don’t want to leave that bandaid on your wound until it festers, and you don’t want to leave an antiquated logo festering on your franchise for the next millennia."

I for one really like the block C design on the caps, particularly the navy edition, although I know that's not a popular opinion. I also found it strange and a little bit puzzling why the team insisted on the Wahoo caps in every playoff game recently.

It's safe to say the Chief has had it's day. As we enter 2017, the world is very different to how it was in 1947, when Wahoo was created. It's time to bury the Chief and let him rest.