Cleveland Indians: The debate of Carlos Santana versus Jay Bruce

Cleveland Indians fans know it is likely only Carlos Santana or Jay Bruce return to the team in 2018, leading to debates about which option is better.

Cleveland Indians fans were excited when the team acquired Jay Bruce in August, as the goal was for him to come in and be part of a World Championship team in 2017.

What happened after that was to be worried about after the season.

Well here we are, the title drought still alive, staring at an offseason where both Carlos Santana and Jay Bruce are on the open market.

Bruce is reportedly looking for a contract in the range of five years, $80-$90 million, while Santana could get something in the range of what Edwin Encarnacion got last offseason.

It is clear the Indians can only keep one of the two, and even keeping one isn’t a given. This realization has led to debates about which player the Indians should go after, but the situation likely isn’t that simple.

The fact both Santana and Bruce remain unsigned shows the Indians are weighing their options and letting the market develop for both players. It is hard to imagine the front office not crafting deals for both players, being ready in case one signs elsewhere.

For fans, there is much more of a connection to Santana than to Bruce. He has been here since 2010 and, while he has not been a star player, he has been reliable. Santana can be counted on as an everyday player, compiling a slash line of .249/.365/.445 in his eight years with the team.

Jay Bruce is the bigger name and has been in several All-Star Games, but his career line of .249/.319/.472 makes him comparable to Santana. He could slot in as an everyday outfielder, but Santana can provide Gold Glove defense at first base while also being able to hit anywhere in the lineup.

If Bruce is demanding tens of millions more than Santana, with similar production, the choice seems easy.

This is all being described in an ideal sense, as it is possible for Santana to surprise us and sign a big deal elsewhere. A big market team may decide to not take any chances and overpay for Santana, with Indians fans holding out hope that loyalty supersedes money in this instance.

It is hard to ask someone to turn down a big contract, but it certainly isn’t selfish to want Santana back, even if it is for less money. Seeing him in another uniform would just be weird.

Next: Not out of the Bruce sweepstakes

So when it comes down to Bruce and Santana, the Indians may be wise to focus more attention to Santana. However, that doesn’t mean they should ignore Bruce. If his value keeps falling, he could be a steal in this year’s market.