Indians: Three players officially hit free agency Thursday

The offseason is officially here now that the World Series is behind us and the Cleveland Indians have a few players who just hit the open market.

I initially said I wouldn’t watch much of the 2019 postseason because the Cleveland Indians weren’t taking part. I am a liar.

Let’s just say I watched about nearly every single game. This did not make my girlfriend happy but it made me happy. “But, but, baseball!” was the best retort I had all month.

Anyway, the dreaded offseason is officially here and everyone can begin talking about how the Indians should construct the team for 2020. First, there are a few names no longer with the team.

Tyler Clippard, Ryan Flaherty, and Yasiel Puig are all free to pursue deals on the open market in a year when there shouldn’t be too much change on the roster.

Flaherty is not someone the team needs to bring back in any capacity. I would prefer some younger players get time over the 33-year-old who became a bit of a punchline late in the season. I have nothing against him personally, it was just tough to see him getting playing time in September when every at-bat counted.

Then there is Clippard, who was on a $1.5 million deal last season. Nothing crazy and certainly a figure the Indians could match for the veteran who appeared in 53 games for the team. He was the owner of a respectable 2.90 ERA out of the bullpen and was a reliable arm.

I see no reason why the Indians would outright refuse to bargain with Clippard. A veteran arm could be valuable and if it turns out he isn’t the same player from 2019, the team could move on without much of a cost.

The obvious player of focus among the three is Puig. He is going to be looking for a multi-year deal and the Indians may be hesitant to offer him one not because he doesn’t deserve it, but because this is the Indians front office we are talking about.

Considering the Indians didn’t match what the Houston Astros gave Michael Brantley, I’m not sure a Puig deal will work. But never say never!

Do you think any of the three should return in 2020? Any Flaherty fans out there? Let us know in the comments below.