Top 25 Cleveland Indians in 2017: No. 5, Carlos Santana

Carlos Santana was such a constant for Cleveland Indians fans, so it will be interesting to see how his absence is filled in 2018.

The Top 25 Cleveland Indians in 2017 countdown had to reach Carlos Santana eventually.

Santana comes in at No. 5 on the list, reminding fans just how valuable he was. He finished the year slashing .259/.363/.455 and slugged 23 home runs.

Santana never put up legendary numbers. Instead, he provided consistency at any spot in the lineup and several in the field.

We have covered multiple angles of his departure this offseason, and all fans can hope now is that Yonder Alonso comes in and provides similar production to what Santana did in Cleveland for seven full seasons. There is the valid fear that Alonso’s 2017 numbers were an anomaly. But there’s no point in worrying about that now. This is the time of year to be optimistic.

Seeing Santana in a Philadelphia Phillies jersey is going to be extremely weird. Almost as weird as Jim Thome in one. Not to bring up any old wounds about the newest Hall of Famer or anything, although if you want a team to steal your darlings, look to the Phillies.

Related Story: Top 25 in 2017: No. 7, Edwin Encarnacion

The loss of Santana stands out because the Indians saw more subtractions than additions the past few months. A deep organization can do that, but it does cause some fans to worry, which is completely fair.

The problem some fans miss is that ownership is already increasing payroll every season in pursuit of a World Series championship, making Santana’s $20 million annual salary way out of the price range. I’d also hesitate to say he is worth that much in this year’s market. Good thing he signed early.

Fans shouldn’t be angry at Santana and from what I have seen and heard, it seems like more of the anger is directed at ownership. I don’t agree with that, but it’s better than hating a player who is seeking a larger, guaranteed deal.

Next: Top 25 in 2017: No. 6, Andrew Miller

So now it’s up to Alonso to fill the void and take on the everyday role at first base. He is a much different player than Santana, but a great start in April will have fans being more nostalgic about Santana than angry about his departure.