Cleveland Indians: A look back at the 2017 Opening Day lineup

Some Cleveland Indians fans may want sweeping changes every offseason, but the 2017 Opening Day lineup shows how things change over the course of a season.

This offseason has been a slow one for the Cleveland Indians. But the Indians aren’t alone, as it hasn’t exactly been a normal hot stove season for most of the league.

One thing I find interesting is that some fans get stressed about the lack of offseason moves, even though there is a great deal of talent already in town. This time of year is when giant contracts are handed out, but the Indians may have a different strategy in 2018.

The plan seems to be a similar one to what we saw last season. The Indians will roll with the group they have, which now features Yonder Alonso, and look to become buyers around the trade deadline when players can come to Cleveland on short-term, cheap deals, such as what happened when the Indians got Jay Bruce last season.

So to calm some panic, here’s a look at the 2017 Opening Day lineup:

The bottom three in that lineup were not even part of the postseason roster, showing that the Indians’ initial lineup and roster in March may not reflect what we see at the end of the season.

This lineup was also a bit different due to early injuries to Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis, but the point remains the same.

There will be players like Naquin and Daniel Robertson who come up and get in a few games during the early part of the year, but the real lineup will show itself after the trade deadline. That group will be the one to focus on and to critique, as it will be the group the front office has decided upon for the postseason.

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So while fans may see players like Naquin, Melvin Upton Jr., Michael Martinez and others in Cleveland during the season, it is way too early to rage about the lineup. Save your anger for August, or better yet, just enjoy the ride.

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