Cleveland Indians: Is the World Series window closing?

The Cleveland Indians made it to the World Series in 2016. And, despite their best efforts, were unable to make it past the ALDS in 2017. Could the Tribe’s window of winning a World Series be closing?

What happens during the rest of 2018 will lead to franchise altering decisions for the team. The Indians have already lost most of their free agents this offseason to other teams. With Yonder Alonso as the only major league addition thus far, it’s been a net loss from the roster.

Even with those losses, the lineup is still one of the strongest in baseball. The rotation is still deep. The bullpen still has quality pieces. They are set up to make a run for the World Series in 2018. But what about 2019? What about 2020?

Next winter, the Indians face the potential free agent losses of Michael Brantley, Andrew Miller, Josh Tomlin, Cody Allen, and Lonnie Chisenhall. Losing Brantley and Chisenhall would make the outfield a major priority, but if Miller and Allen leave as well, it leaves a lot of holes on this team.

To make matters worse, the farm system is not very deep. Francisco Mejia and Triston McKenzie are true blue chip prospects, but outside of that, there is not much in the system. Bobby Bradley has potential at first base but he’s primarily a one tool player, dependent on his power to have any chance of success.

This team also faces a different problem. The lineup is getting old. Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, and Yonder Alonso are all going to be 31 this season and Edwin Encarnacion is already 35. Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco are also on the wrong side of 30.

Outside of Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez, there is a lack of youth on this roster. Trevor Bauer is the youngest in the rotation and is already 27 years old. Mejia and McKenzie will be nice additions when they arrive, but it might not be enough to take this team to a World Series title. With the average age of this team above 29 years old, the Cleveland Indians will be one of the oldest teams in baseball.

They can still make the Playoffs, right?

With the Royals, White Sox, and Tigers either currently rebuilding or beginning to embark on a rebuild, it will be between the Indians and Twins in the AL Central for the near future. While this increases the likelihood of the Tribe making the playoffs for the next several years, it may not be a World Series caliber team. That may lead to more disappointments like the loss in the ALDS last year.

That’s what makes this year so important. This could be the last best chance the Cleveland Indians have at ending their title drought. If the window is to be extended beyond the 2018 season, the Tribe will need to resign the back end of their bullpen. Losing both Cody Allen and Andrew Miller next year could be the devastating blow to any hopes of a championship.

If next winter goes a lot like this one, where the team’s best free agents depart for new teams and very little is added, this championship window could close quickly.

Next: Fan reactions to free agent departures

The Cleveland Indians can still keep this window open longer than just this year. It will take some creativity from the front office, but finding ways to get younger and improve the farm system without taking away vital pieces of the major league roster could be the key to keeping the window open just a little while longer.