What happened? And what is next for the Tribe?

And just like that, the Yankees once again bounce us out of the playoffs. After a much-needed run culminating in nine wins out of eleven games, the Indians managed to secure the fourth seed in the inaugural playoff setup. Cleveland, matched up with the New York Yankees, had to contend with a squad known for their strong offensive production in the majors. 

Many believed that the series would be a close, hard fought battle between the Indians’ pitching and the Yankees’ offense.  

Boy, were they wrong.

Slated to start game one of the series was Cleveland’s ace, Shane Bieber. However, he pitched more like Justin Bieber, going only 4.2 innings while giving up seven runs on nine hits.  

The madness didn’t end there, as the bullpen proceeded to follow suit and let up five more runs. 

The offense production could not be found, as half of Cleveland’s hits were from Josh Naylor, who went 4-4 with two doubles and a homerun. He would be the main provider of offense, as many big names played like no-names. Francisco Lindor, Franmil Reyes, and Carlos Santana combined for no hits, and the Indians dropped game one 12-3.  

Game two started off promising, as a four-run first inning gave hope to many Cleveland fans.  But it’s Cleveland, we can’t have any fun!

The 4-1 lead was quickly taken away, as former Indian Gio Urshela belted a grand-slam in the fourth inning.

The tribe would play a cat-and-mouse game with the Bronx Bombers, trading runs into the final inning.  

Going into the ninth inning, the Tribe hung on to a 9-8 lead. Sandy Alomar Jr. turned to closer Brad Hand, but he would not be able to stop the powerful Yankee hitters, as he gave up two crucial runs. Cleveland couldn’t climb back and their season came to an end.

This offseason will be the most important factor for success in the future, as many questions will have to be answered:

Coaching Issues

Cleveland legend Terry Francona has been a major contributor to the team’s success in recent years.

But when it came playoff time, he was not in the dugout. 

Due to health conditions, former assistant Alomar Jr. had to take on the skipper role. Tito’s absence was felt, as the atmosphere in the dugout changed without his guidance.

The question now is, will Francona have these ongoing issues in the future?

According to President of Baseball Operations Chris Anttonetti, he is starting to recover slowly. However, this raises the question: will he still be able to coach next season or will his lingering medical issues shorten his coaching career?

Francona is 673-519 in his eight years of coaching the Indians. In 2016, he led the Tribe to the World Series, something fans haven’t seen since 1997. A coach with his resume would be a significant loss to a team that is yet to find their identity.

Lindor too???

The world may have just witnessed Francisco Lindor play his last game in the navy and red.  

His name has now been floating around in many trade deals in the past, and now that his contract is up, people are left to wonder: will he be part of the tribe for years to come? However, the question is not will Lindor want to come back, but will management pay Lindor to come back to the Land?

Lindor was asked on Thursday by the Akron Beacon Journal if it would be possible for the Indians to meet his request for a long-term deal.

“Of course. It’s a billion-dollar team…that’s all I can say,” Lindor said.

The super-star shortstop has been the face of the franchise since he made his debut in 2015.  He is a career .285 hitter and four-time all-star with two gold gloves and silver sluggers. Losing Lindor would leave a considerable gap in the Indians lineup, as hatred would grow between management and the fans.

Other key issues

One issue that the Indians (sort of) failed to address during the trade deadline was finding outfielders. Josh Naylor showed signs of huge potential in the future, as he was a main driving force during the Wild Card Series. Acquiring one ventran outfield to link to a young, hopeful squad will help establish the defense for the future.

With Lindor potentially leaving, the Indians will have to fill a critical hole at shortstop. One option that will be considered is to rely on a rich farm system. Tyler Freeman is the top prospect in the Indians organization behind 3B Nolan Jones and is projected to have a bright future.  

Freeman was drafted in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft, and has an advanced bat that will play at the next level. The downside to Freeman is his inexperience, as he has only played as high as single-a ball. His bat could be a crucial piece to a lackluster offense without Lindor.

This offseason will set the stage for the future of the Cleveland Indians. Every signing, trade and decision will have an impact on the team down the road. Fans will see if the tribe makes the jump to a next level team, or will stay as the same, mediocre organization.